Are you aware of what your body is saying? The word ‘dance’ can be intimidating and limiting for some people. Observe people and you’ll notice all that is being spoken, in silence, without words. "Dance" is simply communicating through the body!

Are you convinced that you CAN NOT dance?
That you have no rhythm?
No coordination?

Well, do you know how to walk?
Do you wave hello to people?
Has it happened that you've done both at the same time?
Do you bob your head to your fave music?
and the most important question:
DO YOU WANT TO DANCE?

If you answered yes to any of those then, I hate to break the news to you, but YOU CAN DANCE!

Before we learned that we can't dance, we did. It's in you, in each of us, it just has to be brought to the surface and allowed to breathe.
I am confident that I can bring the dance out of anybody!!!

If you're thinking, "Ya, but not me!" then I'm ready to take on the challenge of dispelling that myth! If you're still feeling stopped by the thought that "But, I don't know how to dance! I can't!"

Well, I didn't know how before I learned.

I was once were you are: filled with a desire to learn, with a passion to explore, with an excitement to myself be free, all the while suppressing it by thinking 'I can't'. You're allowed to think 'I can't'. And, I know that you CAN. In a safe space for play and discovery, and with an instructor that can adapt to your learning style, you can unearth the movement in you.

Dancing is like walking but with more specific, trained movement patterns; just like learning a new sport with specific movement patterns, you'll feel a little akward at first, but you practise and it becomes second nature. Unlike sports though, dance has a component that is about expression/ communication/ human contact and connection.

SEE HOME PAGE FOR DANCE SCHEDULE.

Check the following pages for more information on each dance style:
Hip Hop

Latin Dance

Modern/Contemporary Dance

Creating Hip Hop Choreography

Grades 4 - 12

Through a variety of exercises and techniques we’ll learn how simple it is to discover and create movement in the Hip Hop ‘Flava’. Anyone can choreograph, once you have been acquainted with tools such as: play, shape, dynamics, intensity, time, space, movement, speed, stillness, etc. Guaranteed success for the students!

Class structure: Hip Hop warm-up, variety of structured exploration exercises, student composition/ choreography and/or group choreography development Hip Hop warm-up, variety of structured exploration exercises, student

Contemporary Dance

Grades 9 - 12

With the body as our instrument for communication, we explore movement of bodies in space, in relation to other bodies, and our environment through Contemporary Dance. For me, the underlying intention of contemporary dance is, "How can we use our body to say what we feel/think/are?" Beneficial for dancers, actors and those who want to play and explore. No experience required.

Class structure: Warm-up, skills practice, choreographed combination Warm-up, skills practice, choreographed combination

Dynamic Overflow wWhere Urban and Contemporary Dance Meet Head-to-Head                   For complete details see Dynamic Overflow Package. Only included for schools with dance programs. Copies can be requested for non-dance program schools.

Grades 9 - 12

"Where Urban & Contemporary Dance Meet Head-to-Head." By placing the two dance styles side by side we can compare their similarities and differences, carry-over elements of one into the other, and ultimately enhance both styles with the strong aspects from each one. Intended for students with basic Western Theatrical Dance (ballet, modern, jazz) training.

Class structure: Warm-up, skills practice, choreographed combination with 2 variations Warm-up, skills practice, choreographed combination with 2 variations

Latin - Social Dance

Grades 5 - 12

(not Ballroom style) Let the infectious Latin beat infuse your body and the steps are secondary! Learn Salsa, Merengue, Cha Cha and Bacchata in a step-by-step format. No partners required. Male-female ratio is irrelevant. E.g. a class of all women or all men is acceptable, as they will still learn their ‘roles’ and gain appreciation and knowledge for what the other partner has to do as well. What better time to begin students on a foundation for social dance, and communication through dance, then NOW?!!!

Class structure: Footwork (Shines), partner work, turn patterns, technique, dance practice Footwork (Shines), partner work, turn patterns, technique, dance practice

Body Talk (Kinesthetic Communication)

Grades 9 - 12

Body Talk is an integration of exercises/ tools/ principles from contemporary dance, dance improv, contact improv, movement theatre, tai chi, and partnered dances (like Latin dance). This can be a great introduction to dance and partnered dance styles for any students, but theatre students especially, as it brings awareness, attention and focus to the unspoken communication of the body. Through posture, touch, connection, eye contact, spatial relation, body awareness and exploration, we build the students’ confidence and ability to relate to other actors, or just as regular people, both on- and off-stage. An acting teacher once said to me, "Acting lives in the pauses not in the words." What does your body say when you’re not speaking with verbal language?

Class structure: Movement/ body awareness warm-up exercises, variety of structured exercises/ techniques that progress in complexity and depth as the class develops Movement/ body awareness warm-up exercises, variety of structured exercises/

Contact Improv

Grades 4 - 12

A play between two people using movement; a game of being moved and moving another, of moving together. This dance form takes improv to another level by physically connecting with another person: exploring points of contact, qualities of movement, weight transfer, and improving skills of listening and communicating both with the body. More advanced classes include techniques on how to share and commit body weight to your partner for partnered lifts (kept within the capabilities of the students).

Class structure: Solo movement exploration/ warm-up, structured partner exercises, that can advance as the class progresses and grows olo movement exploration/ warm-up, structured partner exercises, that can

West African Dance

Grades K - 12

Dance, music and community are inextricably bound together in African culture and each element is incorporated in the workshops. Students will use their whole body in simple animated movements that are more focused on the energy behind the intention than on ‘correct technique’ so it’s fun to participate in! Adaptable for either a beginner level where the focus is on the essence

Breakdance

Grades 5 - 12

Learn the basics of Breakdance (or B-Boy/B-Girl-ing): Eg. Uprocks, Brooklyn Bounce, Six-step, Freeze, Moonwalk, Poppin’ and other moves depending on the skill level of the class. NOTE: This workshop has been given to children as young as ten and they’ve been successful with it! I ensure, with clear boundaries, expectations, and communication, that safety is of the utmost important (as it’s called "BREAK"dancing for a reason…!) and the children, even the noisy ones, have been respectful and safe in each workshop I’ve instructed.

Class structure: Warm-up, skills practice, choreographed combination Warm-up, skills practice, choreographed combination

For cool grooves that you can learn with only your computer to see you click on DANCE MOVES. However, there's nothing there right now. It's in the works....

Choreographer for Hire! For schools, classes, one-time projects, dancers and non-dancers alike, private functions, anything you can think of! (Well, almost...)  For more information click HERE.

Dance related inquiries/comments:
5678@inessens.com