Archive for August, 2009

Disco Jam!

Posted in Fitness, Music on August 26, 2009 by Karmela

I started teaching a “Dance Jam” class at my gym last week.  It doesn’t really have a set format, mostly instructor’s choice, and I’ve decided that it’ll be a little bit of pop, a little bit of jazz, a little hip hop in there and a whole lotta fun. For next week, I’m going to prep a cardio-disco routine to the following mix:

  1. Last Dance (12″ version) / Donna Summer
  2. I Love the Nightlife / Alicia Bridges
  3. Move On Up / Destination
  4. Love’ Is Really My Game / Ann Nesby
  5. Shake Your Groove Thing / Peaches & Herb
  6. I’m Your Boogie Man / KC & The Sunshine Band
  7. You Should Be Dancing / The Bee Gees
  8. You make Me Feel (Mighty Real) / Sylvester
  9. Disco Inferno / The Trammps
  10. Fame / Irene Cara

Wow, the disco era was filled with one-hit wonders, wasn’t it?  I don’t think Alicia Bridges, Ann Nesby or Sylvester had hits other than the ones listed above.  I’m going to do some deejaying courtesy of Mixmeister and see if I can’t come up with my own smokin’ remix.

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SYTYCD Finale Time!

Posted in SYTYCD on August 5, 2009 by Karmela

Tonight’s part 1 of 2 of the SYTYCD’s season finale. My prediction: Evan. I don’t think he’s the most deserving (I’m rooting for Jeanine or Brandon who are actually more versatile dancers) but I think his self-deprecating personality, combined with his electrifying solos, will catapult him to the top. I just don’t want Kayla to win. I think she’s a good dancer, but I want more than a good dancer. I want an intelligent dancer, someone who transcends dance. You can totally see this in her solos. They are nothing, blah. Kayla is nothing but a malleable piece of clay, an empty vessel for the next choreographer. In that way, she is good. She is a lamb willing to let the choreographer/artistic director take the lead. She won’t argue with them or insist on doing somethig her way. But when her body eventually breaks, when the injuries pile up, when she can no longer extend as far or jump as high, there will be nothing there. Unlike Evan or Jeanine who can choreograph or Brandon who can act and pile on the personality. Plus Kayla never did hip hop. How can she win?

Dance it Brandon/Evan/Jeanine! May the Force with either one of you tonight!

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Ballet Uniforms

Posted in Motherhood and Dancing with tags , , on August 4, 2009 by Karmela

Yesterday, the artistic director of SB’s ballet school sent the following email to all the families:

Learning the art of classical ballet begins with the discipline of presentation as we step into the classroom to train. I would like to stress the importance of uniformity. We would like our young emerging artists to distinguish themselves with their dancing not their clothing. With this in mind listed below are the uniforms for this year. These are the only leotards which will be allowed in the classroom except for rehearsals, during which time the dress code will be relaxed. Additionally, no canvas shoes will be allowed. They get baggy, dirty and do not enhance the look of any foot! Only leather ballet shoes, please!

Bravo!  I highly applaud the emphasis on the dress code.  While sloppy clothing and hair might not necessarily equal a sloppy studio or sloppy teaching style, having strict requirements for appearance points to the rigorous nature of this particular school. Nothing drives me crazier than to see the little girls in Ballerina Girl’s school with their unkempt and un-bunned hair, tears in tights and untucked strings on ballet shoes. Partly because of this, and because of other factors, BG is moving to her brother’s ballet school in the fall. This will be her 3rd ballet studio in as many years!  :-(  Hopefully, if she wants to stick with it, it she’ll stay here for awhile.

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Teaching!

Posted in Fitness with tags , on August 3, 2009 by Karmela

I quit teaching dance a little more than a year ago to recharge the old batteries. Choreography was getting to be an absolute mental bear and I seemed to be spending every waking moment thinking and designing and coming up with routines. So I took a sabbatical and enrolled in as many classes as I could, reveling in being a student and soaking in everything my teachers said.

But I did miss teaching. I missed being the one in front of the class sharing the knowledge, demonstrating the moves, issuing the corrections. I teach kickboxing on Wednesday nights but I missed the creativity of dance.

So when a slot opened up in my gym that fit my scheduled, I snapped it up. I will now be teaching something called “Dance Jam Extreme” on Monday nights in September, which will basically be an instructor’s choice-type class. I’m already planning a curriculum of hip hop, jazz, maybe some modern, some Bollywood, some African, and a whole lot of fun.

This weekend is the annual DCAC Fitness Convention which I’m really looking forward to attending. More recharging, yay!

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