04/13/2010
04/10/2010
It's the love that gets you through
I was teaching 7-9 year olds hip-hop today. That sentence is an oxymoron, but that is what I was doing by title. One of the questions that I constantly ask in class, regardless of age is “What is going to happen if you screw up”. After one or two classes with me you will quickly learn that the answer I am looking for is “Nothing”. This was the second time I have asked these young girls this question, again it was before asking them to do something challenging in an effort to encourage them to take a risk and give it their all, even if they’re nervous. They knew the answer, they are quick learners. When they all answered in heart warming unison “Nothing” there were a few endearing chuckles from the on-looking parents and the girls took on whatever I had asked of them without fuss. It accomplished what I was aiming for, but it made me think.
I would never have asked this question in the past, not even three years ago. Dancers are not trained to be so nonchalant. I, along with countless other dancers, had it drilled into me to do it right, do it consistently and to do it over and over and over again. Error was an embarrassment.
I have now had the opportunity to watch the path of many dancers, students, peers, even teachers. What I have learned and now know for sure is that those that managed to execute whatever was asked without error, over and over again were not those that were guaranteed success and longevity. Were they good? Yes. Very. But being good – even being great, did not determine the end product. It was those that worked hard, day in and day out, and regardless of how awful they looked at times and how much their struggled, couldn’t help but to love it. It was their love and enjoyment that made them show up time and again, sometimes against the instructors wishes. They loved dancing and they kept showing up. Those are the dancers that are still rising to the occasion and shown what truly makes a dancer. Looking over this class of 7-9 year olds doing their version of “funky walks”, it is thanks to those dancers filled with love and determination that I now ask the question – “What is going to happen if you screw up”, because they have undoubtedly proven.... Nothing.
01/14/2010
There is no excuse for bad music
Never underestimate music. Music has power beyond what it is often credited, and there is far too much of it available (and not to mention in a incredibly convenient, hand-held packaging) to be playing bad music - in class, in life, ever.
Don't take what I'm saying the wrong way and confuse bad music with music that is bad in a good way. Case and point: Whitney Houston - "I want to Dance With Somebody". This song constantly amazes me - first of all, by how many people know the words (and often not the type of people you would expect) and second, by the amount of people who after they hear it, feel the need to tell me how much they love that song and what it reminds them of. Is this a song you would put on your stereo by yourself on a Sunday afternoon? Probably not. Is it a one of those guilty pleasures that when you`re wandering through the grocery store, you find yourself humming along to? Absolutely.
I love when people love the music I choose - whether it is genuinely good or good in a bad way. I love how I can drastically change the mood of a class by using a great song, and I love the feel good vibes that music brings to dance training.
If a song doesn`t make you unknowingly tap your feet, give you the sudden urge to break out in an air-guitar solo, make you want to tell whoever beside you what phase in their life the song was the soundtrack for, or make small children do the little kid bouncing up and down dance thing...
It`s just not good enough.
>>I
01/08/2010
The Beginning...
Everyone is telling me I need to blog. It is what "everyone is doing now". So here it is, I'm blogging, I'm out there.
My first question - do dancers blog? Are you out there?
Before studying dance in University I thought that dancers, well, danced. Apparently I was wrong. Upon arrival into a large, daunting, formal dance program of the academic type, I quickly discovered that many dancers don't dance - they mostly talk about it.
After four years (that actually turned into about 6, but that is an entirely different story) I can confidently say that I have spent as much time as I want to spend discussing the question "What is dance?". I have given up and come to terms with the fact that the concept of dance is fluid - it is what we make it. If you create something and you call it dance, then so be it.
So this is not an argument on what is or isn't dance - I much rather discuss what can it be?
-Jo
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