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Has anyone tried any other dance styles?


maria18

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Was at open day dance and fitness day yesterday so tried a few other styles, jazz, Scottish country and Zumba. Loved the Scottish country dancing and not too sure of Zumba yet but it is very popular. I was barefoot which never helped so may try it again. Has anyone done Scottish Country dancing or Zumba ?

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What about DDMIX with Darcey Bussell?

 

There are centres/teachers all over the country and expanding the whole time. 

 

Having seen the classes in action, they are certainly well attended and enjoyed by all ages and abilities. Men included. 

 

 

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As a kid who wasn't allowed to do dance, I took to Scottish Country Dance in my teens and loved it. It was very social although we also performed at local events. Later on, when I couldn't find more than one ballet class a week as an adult, I tried jazz and tap. The problem with tap is that there were no instructions for the arms and I felt like they were just flapping around. Didn't appeal to my OCD, although when they gave us a dance with a bowler hat, I was happier with something to hold!

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I did ballroom very briefly, because the girl I was going with at the time wanted to do it, but I didn't like it. I've also done tap off and on over the years, but it isn't for me.

 

A long time ago, the DX used to run days were you would go and try a dance class and then watch short performance given by the teachers. These were great fun and at these I tried (amongst others) capoeira, jazz fusion, swing and contemporary. I wish they would run these days again.

 

Mother tells me that I learned to walk doing the twist. I used to pogo a lot in 1976 - does that count?

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I've started tap, which I enjoy, but it's a different energy to ballet, frothier, maybe more fun but less engaging and satisfying. Good exercise for my woeful sense of rhythm though, the beats and responses to them are much clearer than in ballet. 

 

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I love street, especially hip hop and house styles. As my DD2 says, you don't have to do precisely what the teacher tells you in the exact right way.... One for those of us who don't like rules :D I also tried 40s blues last summer and loved it. It was very chilled. 

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Last year I started tap, which I am bad at and hated at first, but have grown to really enjoy. I find that I can't do counts in tap, or tell myself 'okay front slap, then ball change...' I just have to go 'buh bada buh!' and somehow my legs get the message and do what I want? Which is kind of awesome :) I started jazz this year, purely because all I do is work in turnout and I've started to walk like a duck... and I have done 2 classes of 'contemporary', which I don't think I like very much because it's very 'competition' contemporary, dance moms style involving multiple turns and high legs and throwing yourself at the ground in a variety of acro-ish tricks. The 14 year olds all love it and I struggle in the back feeling very old and sorry for myself.

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10 hours ago, Viv said:

. and I have done 2 classes of 'contemporary', which I don't think I like very much because it's very 'competition' contemporary, dance moms style involving multiple turns and high legs and throwing yourself at the ground in a variety of acro-ish tricks. The 14 year olds all love it and I struggle in the back feeling very old and sorry for myself.

that sounds  more like what is currently being called 'freestyle'  and until  a few years ago was  called disco  even  though it;s got very little  to do with  the 1970s 

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On 04/02/2018 at 20:09, Ms Sunshine said:

My dd does ballet, tap, modern, greek and theatre. Ballet and greek are her favourites :)

 

Same here DD loves Greek (and ballet) but so few schools actually offer this genre. Such a shame as it really supports ballet not just the technique, fantastic for strengthening the feet but also the story telling/acting which so many miss out on when studying the usual ballet exam syllabus.

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On 04/02/2018 at 17:44, Fiz said:

A friend who I dance with absolutely adores DDMix.

My DD and her friends went to a DDMIX class, loved it especially as Darcey Bussell was taking the class. Met the lady herself afterwards and her delightful husband, who we all called Mr Darcey!  As he certainly lived up to his name:)

Quote

 

 

Edited by balletbean
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Up until I was 16 all I had studied was Ballet. Then at Urdang we also had to do Modern, Jazz and Contemporary. Well the jazz I was useless at, and the Contemporary I absolutely detested. I just didn't "get " it. The teacher, an American called Therese Nelson, who was actually wonderful, used to yell at me; "You're bastardising Martha Graham."  Oh dear.  She used to be genuinely horrified at my none- Contemporary ability. Then one day, something just clicked. I started to "feel" the movements in my soul; the way I had only ever done with Ballet before. All those contractions, or whatever they are called, and throwing yourself on the floor, made sense and I ended up absolutely loving Contemporary dance. I think I would actually have loved to have become a Contemporary dancer. I think I would have been in my element.

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45 minutes ago, Lisa O`Brien said:

 The teacher, an American called Therese Nelson, who was actually wonderful, used to yell at me; "You're bastardising Martha Graham."  Oh dear. 

 

OK, I think you've just won the "Now that's what I call a correction" thread...

 

I started with contemporary (Cunningham/Release) and should probably take class again (or else do a pure ballet intensive this summer).

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On ‎11‎/‎02‎/‎2018 at 19:48, balletbean said:

Same here DD loves Greek (and ballet) but so few schools actually offer this genre. Such a shame as it really supports ballet not just the technique, fantastic for strengthening the feet but also the story telling/acting which so many miss out on when studying the usual ballet exam syllabus.

In greek my dd has been asked to study animals or nature and try and dance like they are that thing. Interesting! Last week she came out with a piece of paper asking for them to bring slime or putty to class this week. To analyse the feel, appearance and consistency, and try to incorporate this into the dance movements. See how she gets on :)

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On 2/11/2018 at 20:02, Nicola H said:

that sounds  more like what is currently being called 'freestyle'  and until  a few years ago was  called disco  even  though it;s got very little  to do with  the 1970s 

 

No, it's not freestyle. More like grabbing your stomach with a pained look on your face, then doing fouettes to obnoxiously depressing music. Make the expression even more pained as you take 32 counts to developpe your leg, add a side aerial and then collapse on the floor because the existential despair of being 13 is all too much for you. Graham, Cunningham...those I would like to learn, that's what comes to mind when I think 'contemporary'. I think of this more as 'showy, miserable jazz'.

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Viv, I’ve just laughed so hard at your post! The kids I teach repeatedly show me videos of dance moms style “contemporary” just to watch my facial expression contort in absolute disbelief, they think it’s hilarious to pull dance moms faces at me, how does anyone watch them without howling with laughter?! It isn’t choreographically satisfying to watch it’s just confusing! And whenever I see one of those types of pieces this always comes to mind 

 

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16 hours ago, Viv said:

 

No, it's not freestyle. More like grabbing your stomach with a pained look on your face, then doing fouettes to obnoxiously depressing music. Make the expression even more pained as you take 32 counts to developpe your leg, add a side aerial and then collapse on the floor because the existential despair of being 13 is all too much for you. Graham, Cunningham...those I would like to learn, that's what comes to mind when I think 'contemporary'. I think of this more as 'showy, miserable jazz'.

 

Viv, that sounds like what I've seen in the US called "lyrical" - either 'lyrical ballet" or "lyrical jazz". And very "Dancemoms". Showing off high extensions, but all a bit superficial & glib.

 

My job requires I sit through hours of 20 year olds' version of "existential despair." Unfortunately, I have rather a low embarrassment threshold, which is a bit of an occupational drawback - I'm very good at sitting quite still, head on one side (less threatening), smiling encouragingly and nodding, while digging my fingernails into my palms! A colleague once said to me: If that's what being 20 is like nowadays, I'm glad I'm 50. But it's a necessary stage, and the really savvy talented ones grow out of it eventually, and make wonderful performances about things other than themselves.

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