Don’t like your dance studio?

I have been looking at what search terms bring people here. One of the searches is “don’t like my dance studio.” I’m not sure what the person who was searching for it hopes to find, but I suspect maybe advice on what to do.

My first question is why s/he doesn’t like the dance studio. Is it the environment (catty students)? The teacher (incompetent, ineffective, just don’t jive)? The classes (switching times, offerings)? The physical space (too small, cold, far from home)? Once you know why you don’t like something, a solution is easier to find.

If you don’t like the students, how much do they affect you? I’ve been non-dance situations where I don’t like the people but I have to take a class. I’m polite and civil, but I’m not best friends with them. I learned to make the best out of it that way, because I like other things about the class.

If it’s the teacher you don’t like, I would be more inclined to leave the studio, depending on the situation. Students come and go all the time, teachers often stay at a studio for awhile (or forever). Figure out what you don’t like, though. If she lacks skill or you can’t learn from her for whatever reason, I’d leave. If she isn’t the warmest person, I’d reconsider. I’ve had good teachers who I don’t love and I’m not close to, but I’ve learned a lot from. If the teacher is just plain mean or abusive (insults students), I’d definitely leave without a second though. A former dance teacher of mine once said “I’m not paying money to be insulted and feel bad about myself.” I think that is excellent advice. You do want a teacher who’ll correct you, but there is a difference between correcting you and making you feel awful.

If you’ve talked to me in the last few weeks, flakiness annoys the heck out of me. I can empathize with people who have issues with unreliability, especially with classes. In that case, I’d suggest talking to the teacher/director about that matter in a polite way. Ask why it is and is there any way to ensure that the classes always run. If what you’re after isn’t being offered, you have two options. Find a new teacher or see if your current one is game for starting a new topic. I know both of my teachers were always interested in suggestions; I think some of mine have even helped start classes. Sometimes, teachers don’t know if their students want to learn new stuff. I know Sonya has honored requests, if there are a lot, for class time changes.

If you don’t like the physical space, I’d step back and figure how bad it really is. If it’s cold, you can always layer on clothes. Working in a small space may or may not be an issue; in Middle Eastern dance, there isn’t always a lot of traveling or moving about the stage. The stage sometimes is only 4 feet by 4 feet! Sometimes people carpool if the class is far; you save gas and you have a friend along for the ride.

The last thing, before you call it quits at a studio, is figure out if it isn’t them but you. I’ve been there about getting discouraged by my lack of progress at times. I know sometimes people feel like the teacher is “jus jellus”, but perhaps you really aren’t ready for the next level or to perform. If you have a good teacher (knows his/her stuff, is honest and helpful, etc.), you should trust and respect their opinion.

Ultimately, you have to weigh out the pros and cons and figure out what’s most important to you. Your money and time are important, so why waste it if you are unhappy somewhere? Shira’s site has an amazing directory of teachers; it is the largest one on the internet. If you want more of a recommendation for a new teacher, ask around on Bhuz, tribe, Livejournal, or the many other communities; people are always willing to recommend others. Good luck!

 

Back in the swing of things

I went back to dance class. It felt good, even though it was pretty empty. I realized how weak I’ve gotten from just sitting and working at the lab for the past month. I will need to train a little get back in the shape I was before quitting. Even though I physically can’t see it (still thin), I don’t think I’m as strong as I was; it makes sense to me, since one of my friends was pianist and her fingers would be weaker if she didn’t practice for a week. I guess you lose it if you don’t use it.

The reasons I’m fan of classes are I like the social aspect and having a real instructor. Unlike a DVD, a good instructor can immediately correct you, preventing injury or point out where you’re going wrong (hands doing something odd, line not looking nice, etc.). Going to class forces me out of my comfort zone a little. Since I don’t control the class, sometimes we end up working on things I wouldn’t normally work on but should. We have occasionally learned things I don’t know much about. I also like going to a dance class, because I feel compelled to improve. I feel like I’m being disappointing if I don’t show signs of improvement.

Despite how hectic I anticipate the upcoming weeks to be, I think I am going to make more time for myself and my dancing.

 

First class of Flamenco

I went to my first Flamenco class yesterday. I’ve been itching to work on another dance style for a while. I love doing Middle Eastern dance, but I think it’s go to change it up. I also miss the feeling of excitement and nervousness for a first class. The people who take dance before my class are in a beginning class. I think it’s awesome to see how excited they are about exploring a new way of moving.

My Flamenco class consists of mostly non-previous dancers. I think that they have an advantage on me, because they don’t have muscle memory with footwork. I still have muscle memory from classical Indian dance training. Some of the footwork reminded me of it but wasn’t quite it, which meant I had to concentrate a little more to fight it.

They are also not accustomed to dancing barefoot. The teacher said that character shoes were fine or even sneakers for the first few classes. I went with character shoes, figuring I may try doing Middle Eastern dance in them if I hate Flamenco. I think they are about two inches high. Dancing in shoes is a lot harder than I thought. I didn’t realize I was so used to feeling the ground with my feet. I also didn’t realize that my turns were powered so that I can do a 360 barefoot; my shoed turns cause me to go around greater than 360.

The only advantage that I may have in my class is I’m used to moving. I know sort of how to do floreos. Danielle has made me practice with the arms a lot before, so it isn’t as painful as it could be.

The teacher, Rosetta, is good. She looks like a really friendly soccer mom type. She’s very nice, and I really respect how she conducted the first class. She first reiterated the point about not investing tons of money in Flamenco, until you’re sure you’re going to continue your studies. I like that, since it seems like so many people invest money in costumes and stuff in Middle Eastern dance and then quit soon after. I also like that she emphasized the idea of practice; she told us we’d never get better and that we’d repeat the first lesson if we never practiced. She even handed out a little sheet of homework for us to practice. It can be very difficult to remember (at least for me) what we did in class or what’s the most important to practice. The other cool thing about Rosetta is that she is so nice but when she takes her Flamenco pose, she looks like she could rip out your throat in a split second.

So how do I feel about Flamenco after my first class?

I love it.

 

How to Choregraph

As my first small workshop this year, I went to Sonya of Arabesque to learn how to choreograph. I went, because I don’t really know how to choreograph and because Sonya is excellent at it.

I thought the workshop was great, even if it involved no dancing. Sonya had us all introduce ourselves. I thought that was a nice change of pace, since I have seen most of the participants but didn’t know much about them. The people ranged from amateur to professional.

This workshop really benefited me in a lot of ways. Sonya went over a combination of understanding music, performance aspects, and how to string moves together for a choreography. I thought it was an excellent blend of everything. Even though I have been playing around with choreography for a bit, I learned a lot about how to map music to understand its structure. I really liked the music discussion in general; Middle Eastern music is different from “American” music. Not only in how it sounds and the instruments it uses, but also the music has special names for the rhythms, count differently, etc. I have a formal education in music (I played violin for 6 years as a kid), but I never had training in music from a dance perspective.

I liked learning about all the possibilities (starting on or off stage, etc.) and the pros and cons. The workshop was fun, because Sonya encouraged and received a bit of interaction with the participants. They swapped many war stories about performing choreography. I thought this aspect was especially good, since they were working professionals and mentioned problems I had never considered, like some soundsystems play st a slightly different speed or are not calibrated to do stereo sound well.

The only bad thing I can say is I wish this were more frequent and in depth with instruction on music and performance. Sonya is  great to listen to and is so knowledgeable, and the other workshop participants made it enjoyable.

 

Veil! Veil! Veil!

I returned to Sonya’s studio last night after a 3 month stint away (school got in the way). It felt good to be back and around familiar faces. Sometimes, it was hard to remember to return to cabaret mode after doing tribal fusion fairly religiously for a while.

I am taking half of her veil class, because she does very beautiful veil work and I haven’t done much veil besides some workshops and a beginner dance. I also am taking it, because I think having 3 cats under foot will ruin the flow of the veil.

I’m excited that I can do 3 yard veil. Believe it or not, I’ve never used one. Because I’m short, I always “cheated” my veil by making them 2.5 or so yards. The longer veil didn’t bother me. I stepped on it occasionally, but for using a new veil, it wasn’t bad.

Tonight is drills! I’ve really missed this class a lot

 

Mardi Love Workshop, Day 2: The Sweet and Low Down

As I mentioned before, I had skipped the show to do some studying. Mardi was miraculously the same as the previous day; I myself was a bit tired, and I hadn’t performed in a show the night before.

The workshop began with drills again. Somehow, they were a bit easier. I really liked how Mardi kept emphasizing drilling not only moves but good habits (good posture, good arms) and how she preferred a controlled look rather than gigantic moves.

The focus of “The Sweet and Low Down” was slow moves. This was easier for me, because I often don’t think fast enough to learn fast combos or choreographies immediately. As far as the body, though, it was a bit more taxing. Mardi pointed out that slow is harder than faster; in many ways, she is right. Slow  is harder, simply because you have to be more precise in your movement. Mistakes or sloppiness are easier to spot. Also, I think slow can be perceived as boring, so it’s important to engage the audience.

Mardi went over slow moves, the moods of the move, and then put them into combos. I thought it was really cool she also went over where you should look and that kind of thing; subtle performance tips are really helpful and not necessarily something I would think of.

The workshop ended with layering drills. Those were  difficult! She layered  various chest movements with hip ups. Some of them I simply could not get, like a smooth chest circle over sharp hip locks up. It’s amazing to see someone do that so effortlessly while making sure people were getting it. Things like that are what really made this workshop worthwhile and are going to be added to my practice.

Without a doubt, I recommend both days. I got something out of each one. Bring paper and a writing utensil, since there are no handouts and it can be a bit tricky to remember stuff.

 

Mardi Love Workshop, Day 1: The Good Ol’ Fashioned

I arrived to the Mardi Love Workshop slightly distressed, because I thought I was late. Luckily, I forgot that Sonya starts her workshops about a half-hour late, so I was on time.

I have no experience with workshops from The Indigo members, so I didn’t know what to expect. To tell you the truth, I stopped paying a lot of attention to The Indigo since I got into grad school, so I didn’t really know what to expect content-wise, either. I knew vaguely that they appeared to emulate the 1920s, but that’s it. I used to be a fan, but (unfairly) I got out of the loop with what they were doing, because it seemed like everyone wanted to be them and tried being them. I like some variety, even though I know that The Indigo is innovative and always interesting to watch, even if I don’t get it or like it.

The workshop began with a lot of drills. Having sat in front of a computer non-stop for about week or so, they were a little intense. Mardi was great at explaining what she was doing and why. She taught us a handful of moves that she later used in combos for the afternoon. The combos seemed simple but were somewhat tricky. She definitely was drawing from a vaudeville look and feel, which was cool. I’m not sure how much a purist may consider this belly dance, but I thought it was interesting to see another take on it. Anyway, the combos were a little on the difficult side. It was a good challenge, and if we didn’t seem to get it, she didn’t mind breaking it down again. I prefer combos myself, because it’s easier for  me to think in combo form than in a full length choreography. Mardi would, after everyone had a handle on the combos, combine them into sort of a dance.

Although I have to get back to my work, I want to add Mardi Love seems like a great person. She seems like the kind of person I’d want to be friends with: fun, happy, funny, patient. She was a very engaging teacher.

 

Surviving finals

Although I should be working on my EM final, I’m too tired from all the computational physics work that took over my life.

This is a short note so that people know I’m alive, still working hard, and survived day 1 of the Mardi Love workshop here in Chicago. It’s been fun and educational. I’ll be sure to write about it more when I’m not so tired. It may seem foolish to spend time on a workshop when I have work that’s due, but I also know I can dedicate at least 12 hours Monday and Tuesday to this exam. That’s about what I did for the midterm, which also coincided with a workshop (AIda Nour). Allegedly, this exam is even easier, but I never put my faith in that.

 

A new way of being taught

For the last 2 weeks, Danielle has only observed me dancing, rather than dancing with me and observing. The reason being that she cannot catch everything I do wrong while she herself is moving. At first, I felt nervous doing this (with all the attention on me, I generally feel nervous during a private lesson) and didn’t enjoy it, but now I really like it.

Danielle was right that she can give more correction. The other thing is I pay more attention to what I’m doing since I can’t watch her. I think sometimes I get into the syndrome of watching someone and being able to mimic what they’re doing without learning it. This way I feel like I am learning it.

From a performance perspective, learning this way is probably for the best. After all, when you perform, all eyes are on you and unfortunately, not all eyes are going to be as kind or as helpful as your teacher’s.

 

Aida Nour Workshop, Day 2

Aida Nour, for those of you unfamiliar, is an Egyptian dancer who was part of Mahmoud Reda’s dance troupe. The significance of that is they were the group that researched Egyptian folk dances and theatricized them. Below is a video of Aida Nour.

Workshops are an interesting experience, because you see parred down versions of everyone. A few of the show’s performers participated in the Sunday workshop. While they are still beautiful, it is strange to see them not in glitter, sequins, and full makeup. There were no divas, which is nice, because some of these women are instructors and highly regarded, yet they are happy to be students. They’re very nice, too, to everyone. Aida Nour was very nice; she had a grandmotherly feel and while she demanded us to do well, she wasn’t mean and welcomed questions.

The workshop was about shaabi and Melaya Leff choreography. Shaabi music is music more by and for the poorer people. It is often, from what I’ve been told, a bit more offensive than other pop music in Egypt. Melaya Leff is simply a dance with woman going to the market in a dress and flirting with this heavy black veil that she uses to wrap and unwrap herself. Below is a Melaya Leff piece.

There was not a lot of technique breakdown (Aida’s style is to simply have everyone follow, no direction; we occasionally got which foot should be where and what move she was doing). I wish there would’ve also been more passing down knowledge, such as cultural reference information and attitude. From what I understand, Melaya Leff is coy, but I’m not sure what attitude a dancer using shaabi should take. None of the moves were new, but they were done slightly differently and the combination were different.

Besides gaining a good workout, what I got out of this workshop is the simplicity of these choreographies. Even if I couldn’t get something right away, nothing was layered a lot, ie. shimmy while traveling and undulating with snake arms. They were also repetitive, but it worked. I know I’m horribly guilty of not repeating enough in my choreographies. The choreographies only used a few moves but were interesting.

Depending on what you wish to gain from the workshop, I may hesitate to recommend it. I don’t think I could perform a Melaya Leff, honestly. However, I did walk away with a new view on some moves and hopefully a stronger body.