Move It 2010 – We’ll be there – will you?

Calling all dance enthusiasts!
If you love dance, you’ll simply love MOVE IT!

12-14 March 2010, Olympia London

www.moveitdance.co.uk

MOVE IT is the UK’s largest live dancing experience and attracts over 20,000+ dance enthusiasts for three amazing days in March.

Strictly Come Dancing Professional Erin Boag is the new face of MOVE IT and will be running several dance classes at this year’s event. There’s amazing performances from some of the best talent in the dance world, including Britain’s Got Talent Finalists ‘FLAWLESS’, Sarah Lamb and Matthew and Nicole Cutler.

Dance learners, groups, troupes, choreographers, teachers and anyone with a passion for dance attend the show to celebrate dance in all its forms. Visitors can take part in over 250 dance classes, audition, showcase their talent on the Freestyle Stage and shop ‘til they drop with over 180 exhibitors supplying dance related products.

Enter the UK’s most exciting online dance competition ‘Get On Stage’. The competition gives five acts the chance to perform in front of a massive audience on the Main Stage at the show along with the platform to launch their
dancing career. The winning dance act will then receive a massive £1500 in prize money, courtesy of dance company Capezio. The first runner-up will receive £1000 and the second runner-up will receive £500. Full details can be found online at www.moveitdance.co.uk/getonstage.

Location: Olympia, London

New Dance Magazine for HK and Asia

So here’s the gossip: DanceAsia is set to launch as a new dance magazine for dancers based in the region. With an online version and a free version in print available from dance studios, shops and theatres, the magazine aims to reach dancers, performers and dance fans with all the latest news, shows, jobs and auditions. If you’re interested to find out more, then check out the online version here:
Soon to be launched at www.danceasia.com.hk

www.wix.com/danceasia/danceasia

New CDTT Street Dance Teacher Qualification to be unveiled at Move It 2010

Street Dance has never been easy to teach. Constantly evolving and kept out of the studios, many self-taught street dance teachers are excellent dancers but are unprepared for the challenges of working with beginner level students in a gym or dance studio environment.
Now, Creation Dance, a long term provider of community street dance classes, has devised a comprehensive teacher training program for competent dancers aimed at raising the standards of tuition in the community and creating opportunities for aspiring dance teachers to teach street dance and hip hop to people of all ages and abilities in their local area.

The CDTT Certification Program is a low cost course with flexible study options that gives students the tools to become a responsible and confident teacher. The training provides students with a strong understanding of anatomy, physiology and dance safety. Upon completion of the program, aspiring teachers are able to intelligently sequence fun and safe classes, spanning a variety of styles and levels.

“Urban Groovz, our pioneer street dance syllabus and teaching method shows teachers how to break down Hip Hop movements so beginners are encouraged to get dancing.” says course Director, Ainhoa Rey. “Using motor fitness training and solid teaching techniques, teachers can ensure that their students learn coordination and choreography more quickly, which keeps them coming back to class as there’s a huge sense of satisfaction felt when they achieve their goals. A major part of our training aims create an environment in which students feel motivated and encouraged to go beyond their limitations. Teachers can apply the principles to their unique street dance style so it’s suitable for a range of dancers.”

At this year’s largest dance exhibition in the UK, Move It 2010, Creation Dance will be available to talk to people who are interested in becoming a dance teacher and sharing their passion for dance with their community.
Those wanting to set up their own dance classes or just find out about the CDTT qualification, can visit Creation on Stand 123, where Ainhoa Rey, the Head of Teaching Training and Elle Kealy, the Founding Director and Head of Franchise Services, will be available to provide information and guidance.

…what dance classes are the most popular?

hoopdance - but is it really dance?

It’s 2010 in a few days, and the new year is a time when lots of people take up something new, like dancing, and get themselves to the nearest dance studio. As a studio owner, it’s also a time when we can revitalise our timetable and introduce some exciting new classes that we haven’t tried before.
Most people are more adventurous in the New Year, and willing to exercise, so it really works to give beginner dancers something to grab their attention and get them interested in dance.

One of the things I have struggled with running the studio is to balance what I love (hip hop, commercial dance etc) with classes that other people love. Acknowledging that tastes are different, and that my idea of the perfect class isn’t someone elses, can take a while to get your head around. Sometimes we run classes that I wouldn’t necessarily attend myself, but they turn out to be super popular (like Boogie Bootcamp… a fitness class for non dancers which is based entirely around dance training principles.) and sometimes my favourite classes like Lyrical Jazz are attended by only a few dancers each week.

So one of the challenges for me is to think up exciting ideas that are in keeping with the spirit of my studio and beliefs ..i.e great, accessible beginner friendly classes… but that are genuinely interesting and will appeal to a wide range of people, in their twenties through to forties and above. Besides the usual classes we keep a couple of hours a week for something new. So far this year I’m undecided as to what to introduce… some random ideas that have been thrown up:

Zumba (not my idea of fun, but some people love it!)
Hoop Dance
Belly Dance
Performance Classes ( to teach you stage techniques etc at beginner level)
Dance Detox classes (yoga meets dance to cleanse your bad self.)

Our most popular class in now Hilary’s General level Hip Hop class, which is actually a mix of R’N'B and lyrical Hip Hop.. it totally rocks. After that, Boot Camp is still a favourite and Jazz Funk also brings in a regular crowd. But what do you think? Let me know? Which is your favourite class or which classes are the most packed at your dance studio? I’m interested!!

Finally! Video from the M1NT show in HK

Here it is! One of the number we performed – this crazy Jack in a Box routine has 3 characters: the precious ballerina doll, the androgenous clown and the slutty ring leader! Hilarious fun to perform and really easy to act as well!
Love this one! Enjoy:

You can see other routines here: http://www.danceclassesinhongkong.com/performances.html

Private Dance Classes – Special Offer on in Hong Kong

Looking for Private Dance Classes In Hong Kong?
You can benefit from a private class for many reasons:

- Teaching is at your own pace

- No one else watching you!

- Learn routines you want to learn and request music you like

- Improve quicker!

Private classes are for BEGINNERS and are taught in English. Each standard rate class is 1 hour long and special rate classes are 45 minutes long. Classes can be taken back to back if preferred.

We will teach you IN PRIVACY how to dance Salsa, Latin, Bollywood, Hip Hop, Jazz, Ballet, Jazz Funk and Chair Dance. Learn an array of different dance styles in only 10 weeks with this EXCLUSIVE package.
Taught at our studio in the HEART OF CENTRAL by renowned instructors, we guarantee you’ll get the dancing bug!

Contact us on 25370713 or email Elle on mailto:info@danceclassesinhongkong.com to start dancing today…..

!!!SPECIAL OFFER!!!
10 Private classes for only $4900!*

*Terms and Conditions: please see http://www.danceclassesinhongkong.com

Putting on A Dance Show….the Circus….

The Who’s Who of Hong Kong nightlife rolled up en masse on Friday to check out the Circus event put on by a mish mash of HK’s hottest performers for M1NT’s 3rd Anniversary.

Hilary and Jen, two of the best teachers at Central Dance Studios (www.danceclassesinhongkong.com) in HK choreographed the 3 dance numbers performed on the night and put together the concept for the event. Also performing was Lucia Tam and me (!) – Singer Gretchell, Aerial Artists Vee, Shelley and Tessa (www.aerialartsacademy.com) and a few bar flare experts…

Dancers in Hair and Make Up

This is one of those productions that you do for love, not money – as the budget doesn’t even cover the time it took me to get my make up off – but here’s a quick glimpse at what it takes to put together a show at short notice.

Late October:
Dancers get commissioned to put together – Hilary and Jen write down routines on scraps of paper whilst they should be doing other things – we panic when we realise there’s only 3 weeks until show time and we have only 5 rehearsals….

November:
Finally get into rehearsals – the only time we can do it is after all our classes have finished, so it’s late nights for all of us for the next couple of weeks as we don’t start until 9.30pm….

Mid November:
Only just finish learning the choreography for all 3 numbers about 1 week before the show. That doesn’t give us much time to polish and do dress rehearsals . We are doing a number called ‘Jack in Box’ which involves using a Box to jump in and out of. Except we STILL don’t have the box.
You can’t choreograph the number until we get the set …. Hope it will work out ok.

3 Days before Show:
The Box arrives. It’s giant but works. We quickly find out that we need to re do a substantial part of the movement choreography.
Rehearse on stage for the first time.

Dancers in Our Box

1 Day before the show:
Remember we have to do the show in heels – panic. Haven’t done that for years! Get old heels out and nearly fall over in them. Remember I am teaching a How to Dance in Heels Workshop in a couple of weeks time and it all starts flooding back. Costumes arrive….

Day of the Show:
Rehearsals in the venue .It’s running late but going OK…UNTIL – the curtain falls down at the last minute. We staple it to the ceiling and pray we can pull it back enough to be seen. Our box collapses backstage. Some guy with a drill turns up. We hope it works out…..The ceiling decorations fall down in the middle of the singers set…. Doh!

Dancers dressed for Lion Tamers dance

Performance Time: Rocked it. All came together and looked great. All the stress is forgotten and the vibe in the club is awesome. There will be video clips up here soon – just getting permission to use them…In the meantime check out the photos of the rehearsals and our amazing hair and make up!

Pole Dancing classes and Circus Classes (silks, hoops, rope) all in one place in HK!

I’ve been looking for a place to learn silks (like Cirque Du Soleil) and hoops for years and there’s never been anywhere in Hong Kong to do this until now. Aerial Arts Academy has just opened it’s doors to Hong Kongers who want to learn pole dance, including Chinese Pole, and all sorts of fabulous aerial acts. If you don’t feel that adventurous, Sensory Silks is a fitness based class using the silks to tone, similar to Yoga with Silks, that I’ve only ever seen in LA.. If you want to come and try check out their website: www.aerialartsacademy.com Pole Dancing Classes in Hong Kong just got so much more interesting!!!

Why do I mention this in a Beginners Dance Blog? Well, for a start, once I take this up, I’ll be back to square one, so I thought it would be a good idea to pick up a couple of students and follow them as they try and get to grips with this exciting new dance form. Secondly, as a dancer, you’re always learning something new. Mixing up Pilates, Yoga and traditional gym training with dance classes give you a physique and flexibility that you can’t get by just doing the same old thing. And this looks like a new and interesting way to improve my dancing and my fitness… yeah!!

Mixing it up is how to get to do the splits and how you get to be more confident!

Here’s a fab preview of the Aerial Arts Academy – now I just need some beginners to follow! Get in touch if you are up for it!!!

 

Guide to a Dance Studio

Never been to a dance studio before? They are actually really simple places and though you might feel intimidated at first, don’t be. Just know that everyone has a first day in dance class, and just like anything new, you need to push your comfort zone a little to improve. But stick at it and you’ll get everything out of it you wanted. A new skill, a new set of friends, a healthy lifestyle and a fun way to keep fit! So here’s a short tour of my HK studio. It’s teeny tiny, as space in Central Hong Kong is impossible to get. So chances are your local studio will be bigger, have more common rooms and more studios, but the basic facilities and things to remember are the same…..

eDeco_20091113162321

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What is Jazz or Jazz Funk?

So this is a routine from one of my beginners/ beginners + Jazz classes this year. Although the moves are really simple, the routine was taught as a beginners+ routine because there’s lots of tricky footwork/placing that has to be correct for the routine to flow. We also reverse the routine to train the brain to work the right and left side. Although not yet doing technical turns and kicks, this is good routine to introduce posture and a few very simple ballet/jazz based moves. Let me know what you think! BTW the song is Number 1 Crush by Garbage from the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack.