DanceDoc's Think Tank

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2009-09-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

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Renée’s Teaching Diary 9/10/09

2009-09-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

After Walter Cronkite died, a Time Magazine online poll voted “fake newsman” and comic Jon Stewart as the new Most Trusted Newscaster in America. A few weeks ago on Bill Maher’s Real Time guest Anna Deaveare Smith referred to Maher as a “clown.” I’m fairly certain she meant that in a sociological sense. I believe this because, although most people know her as a film and

Announcing my new class BELLYDANCE FOR THE REST OF US

2009-08-19T13:43:00.000-07:00

For several years now, friends and acquaintances of mine have asked that I create a dance class that can accommodate women with limited dancing abilities and relatively senior bodies. As I have struggled with increasingly ridged joints myself, I sympathized. I have had to drop out of a number of bellydance classes because it simply hurt too much to do the work. I know, I

Economic Rave

2009-07-30T13:59:00.000-07:00

(Reader caveat: this is NOT about dance but you’ll have to indulge me.) I just got turned down for a job driving an invalid to his intravenous therapy four days a week. That’s all; just driving and a little housework. He said I’m overqualified (I’ve heard that a million times). He must have guessed from my manner of speaking because he didn’t even know about my degrees.

SYTYCD Choreographers have mastered the art of the 90 second duet.

2009-07-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

One and one-half minutes is not long, yet SYTYCD choreographers have crammed a lot of content into that brief time. And perhaps because the human condition is so complex, they have used that time to reflect on innumerable subjects from the mundane to the sublime. Traditional (heterosexual) couplings of ballroom dance are obvious duet choices and we have witnessed every

Local Bellydance Studio Celebrates 1-Year Anniversary

2009-07-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

One year ago, Janelle Rodriguez bought Masala Raks dance studio, renamed it Pleasure Point Fitness and Dance Center, and continued with the original owners’ (Ray's and Naomi’s) excellent dance programming. Their emphasis is still bellydance but they now offer ballet, Spanish sevilliana, nia, zumba (Brazilian-based aerobics), and four varieties of yoga. Janelle and her business partner, Jennifer

DSL Finally

2009-07-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

We finally have DSL service up here in our mountain home. So I should be able to load pertinent photos and YouTube videos. Just for practice, here are a few from National Dance Week in Santa Cruz.

SYTYCD: Let’s talk about the choreographers

2009-07-10T07:55:00.000-07:00

The producers have gathered a tremendous cast of choreographers, most of whom would never have been heard of outside their small circles. Every season they get better, perhaps because the dancers get better and can handle more complex choreographies. The last two weeks (4 and 5) have been outstanding showcases for these talented choreographers. This week top honors go to

It don’t matter if you’re black or white: MJs racial and gender ambiguity

2009-07-07T20:44:00.000-07:00

Much has already been said about Michael Jackson’s racial makeover. Some have speculated that it was an attempt to deny his blackness. Others suggest his medical procedures were an attempt to erase the image of his father as it was reflected in his own face. Certainly he felt compelled to alter his nose again and again for reasons we many never understand, tho there is

Lythgoe announces national dance foundation

2009-07-02T12:03:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the success of American Idol’s charitable efforts--Idol Gives Back--SYTYCD producer Nigel Lythgoe has established Dizzy Feet Foundation with the help of choreographers Adam Shankman and Carrie Ann Inaba, and actress Katie Holmes. The Foundation’s goal is to “support, improve, and increase access to dance education.” It will provide scholarships for disadvantaged

More MJ Tributes

2009-07-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

For more tributes to Michael Jackson as a dancer check out the following: www.iDANZ.com Commentary: Michael Jackson, A Dancer's Tribute to the King of Pop, the Godfather of Commercial Dance www.dancingperfectlyfree.com Michael Jackson (1958-2009) www.artsjournal.com Moon Walker www.nytimes.com His Moves Expressed as Much as His Music

Michael Jackson: An American Dancer

2009-06-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

I heard the news when, on the elimination show of SYTYCD, Nigel Lithgow announced the deaths this week of three American icons: Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson. We expected the passing of McMahon (from age) and Fawcett (from cancer), but not Michael Jackson. When I finally had a chance to flip over to the news, they were focusing on the confusing

SYTYCD and the American Dance Renaissance

2009-06-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

The new season of So You think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) has started (FOX Wed. nights 8:00, competition; Thur. nights 9:00, results). They are thru with the auditions and have selected the final 20: 10 girls and 10 boys (from this point forward the dancers work almost exclusively in mixed-gendered couples). As always, they have selected a range of dancers, some with already

My SITA Chapter 8: Teaching and learning improvisation from Sahar

2009-06-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

Suspecting that there was much more going on in solo improvisation than I understood, I decided that I needed more training in SITA. I turned to local performer and teacher Sahar. I have long admired Sahar’s solo improvisations with live music. They are sheer delight: refined, elegant, and humerous. In addition, Sahar and I had spoken about her teaching philosophy and goals

To Follow a blog...

2009-05-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

To Follow a blog, simply click the "Follow" button, choose to follow publicly or privately, then click "Follow this blog." You may have to establish an account and you will be asked to type in a security code. This is to prevent automatic search engines from gaining access and reeking havoc on my blog. Your name will appear in the Followers box and you can comment directly to the blog. In

Funniest Dance in Movies

2009-05-22T17:14:00.000-07:00

On May 22, a new Wayan’s Brothers movie called Dance Flick opens. It claims to be the funniest dance move ever. To get us in the mood, I’d like to share with you the movie sequences that I think are the funniest. The only criterion here is “Did it make me laugh?” or at least smile with delight. Some are full choreographies but some (like Bill Murray’s) are only a few seconds long.The first, of

National Dance Week 2009: Santa Cruz, CA

2009-05-13T12:54:00.000-07:00

My Dance Week began a little early with a lecture-performance of Isadora Duncan technique by dancer Lois Ann Flood and historian Joanna Harris. It was, as always for me, wonderful to see Isadora’s style expressed on a living artist. I have had only two other opportunities: In 1981, I saw Annabelle Gamson perform at a dance conference called The Early Years, convened in part

Bellydance fusion: the differences that make a difference

2009-04-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

Misty and Kerry, two of my favorite local dancers, were the featured artists at a local bellydance showcase. Both are in their early 30s (I think) and were debuting some new choreographies. They were lovely, charming, and skillful. Their choreography reflected a very new variety of bellydance, a fusion inspired by historical and contemporary images of female dancers from both the East and the

The Passing of one of America's Great Dance Pioneers: Frankie Manning

2009-04-28T20:23:00.001-07:00

You have probably never heard of Frankie Manning but you have seen his work. He was one of the original Lindy Hoppers of the Savoy Ballroom in 1930s Harlem. He was a performer, choreographer, and teacher of swing dance. Read more in the NYT obit and be sure to view the link to Hellsapoppin' for the swingingest Lindy on record.

Susan Boyle, senior moments, and other stuff I’ve been thinking about

2009-04-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

I hope you’re not sick of Susan Boyle yet because I have to share it again. She has blown the music industry open. The entire incident revealed how completely intertwined the music and beauty industry have become. You must have noticed that contemporary singers are Barbie clones: skinny, skinny, and at least passing pretty. I’ll bet there are hundreds of Susan Boyles out there, and I for one am

My SITA Chapter 7: Solo Improvised Dance at Bellydance Showcase

2009-04-06T09:54:00.000-07:00

I finally did my SITA performance at Cypress Raks, a bellydance showcase for local dancers. I'd done my work. I’d studied, watched, listened, practiced. I performed for my friends, at a local senior center, and at the open floor opportunities at festivals and showcases. Each performance improved my ability to improvise a balanced and entertaining solo. And even though there were a few moments

My SITA* Chapter 6: Presentation of Self or Who Am I When I’m Dancing?

2009-04-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

Borrowing the model from my martial arts study (aikido), I’ve decided to think of SITA as a practice rather than something one masters. It seems to require a knowledge of self, and like most martial arts today, supports a kinesthetic inquiry into self knowledge. I am not suggesting that bellydance is the same as the Japanese budo: paths toward self-realization thru corporeal discipline. But for

Are Dance and Competition Natural Enemies?

2009-03-24T12:09:00.000-07:00

With the increased interest in competitive dancing on television (and especially after the dismal failure of Superstars of Dance), some of my friends have wondered if dance as an artistic and social form could be compatible with the competition formats. Competitive dance is often criticized for damaging the artistic integrity and the communal power of dancing. There is some truth to this, tho it

Rakkasah 09 Photos

2009-03-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

Review of Rakkasah, America’s premier Middle Eastern dance festival

2009-03-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

Rakkasah West Festival of Middle Eastern Dance is touted as the largest bellydance festival in America. It includes a week of workshops from some of the top instructors in the country and Europe. It concludes with a weekend of live dance and music performances and, of course, shopping. This year they celebrated their 29th year and for the second year it was held at the Solano County Fair Grounds

My SITA*: Chapter 5 Kitchen Ballets

2009-03-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

I don’t know when I began dancing so fearlessly in the kitchen. I had never been on good terms with kitchens (ask my siblings), and I managed to marry a man who doesn’t seem to mind cooking. But since I am not currently working (involuntarily) and my husband is, I figured it was a good time to create a new relationship with my kitchen and I started cooking the evening meals. In order to make this

A Baker’s Dozen of the Best Dance Movies

2009-03-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

Just for fun...this is a list of my favorite dance movies. I've listed them chronologically first. Then I've classified and annotated the list, tho I've only posted five of them here. I'll post the rest soon. I hope you will include your own favorites. My list excludes filmed ballets or stage performances by dance companies.To make it to my list, all of following criterion must have been

My SITA Chapter 4 First attempts at improv

2009-03-09T12:02:00.000-07:00

(SITA stands for Solo Improvised dance grounded in Torso Articulations.)On my way to a night of bellydance movies and potluck socializing, I ran into Caroleena at the health food store. Caroleena is one of the earliest bellydancers in Santa Cruz and currently teaches at the University of California. She asked me if I would like to perform at her student end-of-the-term performance, as I’d done

Quest Crew IS America's Best Dance Crew!

2009-03-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

The final episode of ABDC Season 3 was an outstanding display of dance, choreography, and team cooperation. The competition all season was tight and several crews could easily have come out on top. The final two, Quest Crew and Beat Freaks, tore up the stage last week with their final competitive performances. Quest Crew won the day.Since the winner was decided ahead of time by viewer votes (and

My SITA Chapter 3: Secrets of performing SITA or What to do once you’re out there

2009-03-04T09:38:00.000-08:00

While attending a festival organized by the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of MECDA (Middle Eastern Culture and Dance Association) in Palo Alto, I came across a series of instructional DVDs created specifically for bellydancers looking to develop their performance skills. Each volume contains video clips of a number of professional dancers who each narrates her personal take on the subject at

My SITA: Chapter 2: Practicing SITA

2009-03-02T12:59:00.000-08:00

I am preparing for my SITA in a variety of ways: by taking classes that emphasis personal expression, reading about performance, watching informational and performance videos, keeping a journal, performing for students and seniors, and practicing what I call my “kitchen ballets.”I started by consulting Helené. I’ve been studying with H since 2002. I performed with her company, Sisters of the

ABDC Finals: Hip Hop Decathlon

2009-02-27T14:10:00.000-08:00

Its the next-to-the-last episode of America's Best Dance Crew. This week the final three groups were challenged to a decathlon of hip hop styles and steps. They each had to incorporate house and crump style while performing waves, threading, and tutting. Since I know so little about hip hop history, I personally found this challenge illuminating.Beat Freaks opened with an excellent routine: tight

Daring to dance for joy

2009-02-26T15:00:00.000-08:00

In the last 5 years, Americans have witnessed an unprecedented increase in dance activities in film, television, and on the internet. This of course reveals a huge increase in personal involvement and commitment to the art. Why, I wonder, has this passion for dancing arisen now? Why do we collectively need to dance more? How is it serving us?Barbara Ehrenreich argues that dance is an evolutionary

My SITA: Chapter 1. Improvisation in Uncertain Times

2009-02-25T10:38:00.000-08:00

I’m a 57 year-old woman and have been unemployed for the better part of two years. So when I revisited the idea of performing a solo, improvised bellydance, I thought, Hell, if not now, when? And I resolved to dance in public to an audience of my friends before I turn 58.My past experiences with improvised dance are not among my fondest memories. In the 1980s, I was a modern dancer training in

Beat Freaks rip the floor

2009-02-23T10:43:00.000-08:00

Gender was also foregrounded on last week’s episode of America’s Best Dance Crew. In the Battle of the Sexes Challenge, the final four consisted of two all-girl crews—Beat Freaks and Fly Khiks—and two all-boy crews—Quest Crew and Strikers All Stars. They were challenged to perform to a male or female singer. Unfortunately, two of the choices were recently scandalized Chris Brown and Rhianna. I

Stepping on Gender

2009-02-22T13:30:00.000-08:00

The 2008 Stomping On The Yard stepping competition was recently televised on CBS College Sports Network.If you are not familiar with stepping, I strongly recommend that you rent the movie, Stomp The Yard, for an excellent portrait of stepping and some of the best movie dancing ever. For more complete historical and cultural analysis, read Steppin’ on the Blues: The Visible Rhythms of African

Judging the judges on ABDC

2009-02-16T13:46:00.000-08:00

Last week on America’s Best Dance Crew, Lil’ Mama reprimanded the studio audience for hissing at judge JC’s comments about Quest Crew’s performance. “Sometimes ya’ll just need to like quiet down so they [the dancers] can get the message that he’s trying to give these young men up here,” she said. “Because they might be able to use that next week to help them out…You’re crowding our words of

Sense memories of a lost childhood in New England

2009-02-13T14:06:00.000-08:00

I have a life-long condition called depression: clinical and chronic, I cannot remember a time without it. As a girl in the 1950s, a time when depression was barely recognized as an adult condition, my suffering was mostly misunderstood by everyone except my mother, from whom I inherited the tendency. Depression creates a dark gloss or veil over all normal emotions. Typically, all emotions would

My SITA Introduction: Moods and Motivations

2009-02-09T12:05:00.000-08:00

Here I go again. The more I dance, the more I must dance. So I can never get enough, can never feel satisfied for more than a moment. There is always the promise of the next dance, a new dance, a new kinetic experience. It is an irresistible force. I remember when I was a modern dancer in Hartford, Connecticut in the 80s. I worked a full time job as a proofreader and attended classes, rehearsals,

This just in...

2009-01-31T20:49:00.000-08:00

According to the recent National Geographic (February 2009) Double Dutch Jump Rope is now a "varsity sport in New York City schools".

Finals of Superstars as disappointing as the rest of the series

2009-01-27T14:54:00.000-08:00

The finale of SSD was broadcast Monday night. It was a one hour episode in which the top three contenders in each category—solo, duet, and team—competed for bronze, silver, and gold medals. The judges scores were hidden until each three performances were completed (relieving us of the melodramatic South African judge: “I feel compelled to give you a three” as if God was guiding his hand). The

Commentary on SuperStars and America’s Best Dance Crew

2009-01-16T16:32:00.000-08:00

Please forgive me for delaying this blog. I took two dance classes this week and they did me in. Its hard being an old dancer with a willing heart and failing joints. But I will carry on.There isn’t much more to say about SuperStars of Dance: its pretty much a flop. So I will comment on only two things: Robert the Popper and the director’s flipping camera work.The public first met Robert when he

“Hey! That’s not dance. I know dance when I see it…or do I?”

2009-01-09T09:39:00.000-08:00

SuperStars of Dance (a preposterous idea to begin with) exposes a number of interesting issues concerning dance, including the nature of dance itself.We might define dance as a patterned sequence of movements, gracefully executed, and intended to express something in performance to music. Except that I can think of several dance forms that contradict that: Merce Cunningham’s chance choreographies

First Night SSD Review

2009-01-05T15:10:00.000-08:00

My Winners: Top performance of the night must go to the Kathak soloist from India. Kathak is one of India’s multiple classical dance forms. According to one scholar “Kathak is less concerned with covering floor space than creating a soundscape of tonal variations, through its footwork and ankle bell sounds.” That final warp-speed series of pirouettes, called bhramari, is a defining feature of

World Dance makes Prime Time

2009-01-01T15:33:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, Jan. 4, NBC will debut its latest art competition reality program. SuperStars of Dance is produced by Nigel Lythgoe and Simon Fuller who produced the enormously popular American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD, to its fans). The program will be hosted by the self-proclaimed Lord of the Dance, Michael Flatley of RiverDance fame. SuperStars puts into competition dancers from