By: Jillian Greenberg
At almost any point of the day I can be found with my headphones on, immersed in a world of sound. I mentally depart from New York City and submerge myself in the melody unfolding before my eyes and ears. Sounds from famous jazz artist, Chet Baker; pop artist, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé; electronic artist, Ta-ku; and various indie artists dominate my iPod. Then one day, things took a turn. I stumbled across rap artist Kendrick Lamar and Blue Scholars. It had been ages since I last plunged into the rap world, but I took a chance and pressed play.
Voluminous sounds of jazz bands and hard bass drums echoed. The sound waves crumbled skyscrapers to the ground, and trembled the sidewalk under my feet. A clear crisp voice fluttered across this expansive music, like an endless ribbon weaving around my brain.
I was in awe by their intelligent phrasing, choice of words, ease, fluidity, speed, and passion. The music supported the strength in their words; with all their speed and clarity I found myself having to rewind just to hear the message. They are rule breakers. They rap about things not usually spoken of, picking crude topics that are taboo.
This is the way I want to dance, the way these rappers rap.
When I came to this realization I was a little surprised, only because I myself am not a hip-hop dancer. But to be able to move clearly, efficiently, speedy, passionately, and with fluidity is the dream. To be able to glide across the ground like the words of Kendrick Lamar or Blue Scholars. To be able to puncture space, like they do with their words. To be able to use my art to be a little taboo, stretch boundaries, and bring awareness to controversies. This is what I want to do with my art. I want to have all the “swag" of a rapper in my back pocket so I can shake the sidewalk and make the buildings crumble in someone’s world.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Three Reasons To Come To Class
By: Jillian Greenberg
Your alarm goes off. You blink with weighted lids. Blankets cradle you like a warm hug. You can feel the chilled air coming from your window. Your body is heavy and happily limp. Your eyes are begging to be shut. And for that split second you think, “Well, I could sleep for another hour if I skip dance class…” WAKE UP! The benefits of moving and grooving are going to impact you for years to come.
BUILDS BRAIN POWER According to a study done in The New England Journal of Medicine, dance can help boost your hippocampus in your brain, which is the control center for your memory! In late adulthood the hippocampus has been seen to shrink and cause dementia but studies show that with dance your hippocampus will be exercising along with your body keeping it healthy for years to come. In this study it was also found that dance is a great way to exercise the brain because it allows our neural synapsis to find new pathways to solve problems and coordinate movements. Building new neural synapsis paths keeps the brain active and ready for tasks to come.
RELIEVES STRESS A study done for A Journal of Applied Gerontology showed that musical accompaniment and partner dancing can be a large stress relief for the mind. Both dancing and music releases endorphins, which gives the body a natural high. In dance because it is a performing art endorphins along with adrenaline is secreted in the body allowing the mind to reach a unbelievable sensation, more intense some may say then just a workout or even drugs.
STAND TALLER Dance has been proven to help relieve depression, build confidence, and improve posture. The social interactions, learning new skills, and sharing time and experiences with others all contribute to building awesome self esteem reducing depression. Also having knowledge on good posture can prevent kyphosis letting you stand tall and strong for many years to come.
Dance feeds the mind, body, and soul. The studio is a place where there is only one focus: being an artist. A place to do the impossible, creating magic and becoming a chameleon. You can be something bigger then yourself or a better version of yourself when you dance. Then, when its over and you whip the sweat off your forehead, you can smile because you just did something that no other person can do. You created a master piece that will never be replicated again, and what’s better then getting to make new art with your body as the canvas over and over again.
Your alarm goes off. You blink with weighted lids. Blankets cradle you like a warm hug. You can feel the chilled air coming from your window. Your body is heavy and happily limp. Your eyes are begging to be shut. And for that split second you think, “Well, I could sleep for another hour if I skip dance class…” WAKE UP! The benefits of moving and grooving are going to impact you for years to come.
BUILDS BRAIN POWER According to a study done in The New England Journal of Medicine, dance can help boost your hippocampus in your brain, which is the control center for your memory! In late adulthood the hippocampus has been seen to shrink and cause dementia but studies show that with dance your hippocampus will be exercising along with your body keeping it healthy for years to come. In this study it was also found that dance is a great way to exercise the brain because it allows our neural synapsis to find new pathways to solve problems and coordinate movements. Building new neural synapsis paths keeps the brain active and ready for tasks to come.
RELIEVES STRESS A study done for A Journal of Applied Gerontology showed that musical accompaniment and partner dancing can be a large stress relief for the mind. Both dancing and music releases endorphins, which gives the body a natural high. In dance because it is a performing art endorphins along with adrenaline is secreted in the body allowing the mind to reach a unbelievable sensation, more intense some may say then just a workout or even drugs.
STAND TALLER Dance has been proven to help relieve depression, build confidence, and improve posture. The social interactions, learning new skills, and sharing time and experiences with others all contribute to building awesome self esteem reducing depression. Also having knowledge on good posture can prevent kyphosis letting you stand tall and strong for many years to come.
Dance feeds the mind, body, and soul. The studio is a place where there is only one focus: being an artist. A place to do the impossible, creating magic and becoming a chameleon. You can be something bigger then yourself or a better version of yourself when you dance. Then, when its over and you whip the sweat off your forehead, you can smile because you just did something that no other person can do. You created a master piece that will never be replicated again, and what’s better then getting to make new art with your body as the canvas over and over again.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Our multi-talented faculty's upcoming engagements-FALL 2013
Peridance's faculty is multi-talented! Don't miss the following exciting shows and film screening!
Brice Mousset's company Oui Danse is presenting it's new production "French Amour" Sept 12, 13 and 14 at Danspace NYC. French Amour (world premiere) is an interactive human, theatrical, and dance experience meant to awaken the senses and pique the curiosity. French Amour takes place in a retro-French setting with all the glamour and allure of a timeless romance. Within a 360° dance installation and an open wine bar, the audience is invited to spy on different short love stories between couples at varying stages of their relationships. Mousset and company invite you to follow the dancers’ stories and write the words with them.
For more info click on the following link:
http://www.danspaceproject.org/calendarandtickets/detail.php?id=229
Sue Samuels and Jazz Roots have several performances, don't miss them below!
BOB - Thursday Sept 12th, 7pm
Artistic Director Sue Samules will be hosting this evening and discussing how dance effects people with special needs.
Jazz Roots will perform "Listen"
http://bobtheshow.com/
Tickets $30 at either smarttix.com or phone 212 868 4444
Facebook page
Early bird discount tickets
Tri Art Festival, San Pedro L.A. - Sat September 21st
Jazz Roots will perform a 30 minute set.
http://triartsp.com/
FAB (Fourth Arts Block)Festival - Sat Sept 28th
Come and see Jazz Roots perform "Take 5"
https://fabnyc.org/FAB_Festival.php
Sunday October 20th - An Evening with Jazz Roots Dance Company and Friends at Broadway Dance Center, with cocktail reception. 6-9 pm
Donations accepted!
Azul Dance Theatre/ Yuki Hasegawa is scheduled to perform in the following events in the fall.
1) 2013 Dumbo Dance Festival at John Ryan Theater
September 28th Sat. at 9:00pm and 29th Sun. at 5:00pm
2) 2013 Wave Rising Series at John Ryan Theater
October 31st Thur. 7:30pm/ November 2nd Sat. 7:30pm/ November 3rd 4:00pm
3) American Dance Guild 2013 Festival at 92nd street Y
November 7~10th (The show time/dates will be announced, soon.)
Please view their website for details:
http://www.azuldancetheatre.com
Marijke Eliasberg and Jana Hicks, co-artistic directors of The Next Stage Project, recently returned from Norway teaching in Stavanger, and teaching & choreographing in Oslo.
The company's upcoming performances will be held:
September 28th at Ready or Not, 100 Grand St.
SCREENINGS
Sidra Bell, choreographed the feature film, TEST directed by Chris Mason Johnson, and shot on location in San Francisco (Release 2013). The "sexy, funny, poignant new film" (The New Twenty) will be screened at the Film Society Lincoln Center Wed, September 11 - 7:15 PM including a live Q&A with the Filmmaker!
Tickets: $30.00. Includes admission to the Closing Night Party.
To purchase visit: http://www.filmlinc.com/films/on-sale/test
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Interview with Limon Faculty Member Logan Kruger
"One of the greatest challenges we face [in dance] is truly letting go….we are so well trained to DO, that it can be difficult to give in to gravity and let movements happen." - Logan Kruger
In 2014, Peridance's successful, long-established partnership with the Limon Institute will reach its ten-year milestone. Meet the newest addition teaching Limon technique at Peridance, faculty member Logan Kruger.
-What initially drew you to Limon technique?
I was very lucky to begin studying Limón at a very early age, when I was about 9 or 10. Since I really grew up with this technique as my "home base" it has always been an important part of my life as a dancer. I think what's kept me interested in it after all these years is the honesty and potential for risk taking inherent in the technique, as well as the humanity in the work.
-How did you get started teaching Limon technique?
My first experiences teaching Limón came from being a dancer in the company, where we, as dancers, share information and ideas with one another. That's where my interest in teaching first began, and where I developed an eye for seeing the technique on other bodies. As my interest in teaching grew I decided to take the Limón teacher's workshop last summer and began teaching at peridance soon after.
-What do you think is one of the most challenging aspects when studying Limon technique?
I think Limón is deceptively challenging. To a new comer, it can appear very easy. But, because we work with fall and recovery, suspension and release, you need to have a very strong technical base, otherwise you'll have nowhere to recover to!
-What advice can you give to those that are unfamiliar or new to the technique?
I would say to trust in your technique enough to be able to fall away from it. Trust that if you let your head go, you won't fall down. But if you do fall down, that's ok too! It's not too far to the floor. Just trusting in the body's natural ability to interact with gravity. We do it everyday.
-What advice can you give to those that are currently studying it?
The beauty of Limón is that one can always go deeper. Challenging yourself to include the focus into the movement will change one's experience so dramatically. So often, in class we don't give enough thought to our focus, because we're concentrating on learning the exercises, or "getting it right". But when we include the focus, it helps us to find a more full and connected sense of physicality, and we move away from doing exercises and towards dancing.
-How are Limon classes structured?
There is no codified structure for the Limón technique, so each teacher is free to structure their class how they want. In order for it to really be a Limón class, it needs to touch on the principles I mentioned above: breath, weight, swing, suspension, fall and recovery, etc. Personally, I like to try to incorporate those principles with a fairly standard "dance-class" structure, first warming up the spine and breath and the plié, then moving from smaller gestures of the legs (tendus, degagés) to bigger ones (battement), all the while approaching these actions with the Limón principles. One major difference to the structure of a Limón class to that of a ballet class, for instance, is that we incorporate shifts of weight much earlier on in the class, as well as big movements of the torso.
-How would you describe the technique and style to someone who has never taken a class?
In the Limón technique we are working in a context which doesn't aim to ignore, or overcome gravity, but acknowledges it and aims to find the beauty in giving into it and resisting it. We utilize weight, breath and isolations of the body to explore fall and recovery, swing and suspension. Between the poles of weight and weightlessness there are endless possibilities for dynamic movement.
-What are some challenges you face when teaching Limon technique?
I think one of the greatest challenges when teaching dance in any form, is learning how to give the students information in words, when the real truth of the movement is in it's own language.
-What inspires you as a teacher and artist?
Well, this work inspires me. It's truly a dream to dance and perform. I think it's extremely important to pass this legacy on, so, even just doing my small part by performing the work and teaching it when I can, is extremely satisfying to me.
Catch Logan's class at Peridance, below.
Intermediate Level
Starting Saturday, September 7th,
Logan's class time will shift to 10:30am-12pm
In 2014, Peridance's successful, long-established partnership with the Limon Institute will reach its ten-year milestone. Meet the newest addition teaching Limon technique at Peridance, faculty member Logan Kruger.
-What initially drew you to Limon technique?
I was very lucky to begin studying Limón at a very early age, when I was about 9 or 10. Since I really grew up with this technique as my "home base" it has always been an important part of my life as a dancer. I think what's kept me interested in it after all these years is the honesty and potential for risk taking inherent in the technique, as well as the humanity in the work.
-How did you get started teaching Limon technique?
My first experiences teaching Limón came from being a dancer in the company, where we, as dancers, share information and ideas with one another. That's where my interest in teaching first began, and where I developed an eye for seeing the technique on other bodies. As my interest in teaching grew I decided to take the Limón teacher's workshop last summer and began teaching at peridance soon after.
-What do you think is one of the most challenging aspects when studying Limon technique?
I think Limón is deceptively challenging. To a new comer, it can appear very easy. But, because we work with fall and recovery, suspension and release, you need to have a very strong technical base, otherwise you'll have nowhere to recover to!
-What advice can you give to those that are unfamiliar or new to the technique?
I would say to trust in your technique enough to be able to fall away from it. Trust that if you let your head go, you won't fall down. But if you do fall down, that's ok too! It's not too far to the floor. Just trusting in the body's natural ability to interact with gravity. We do it everyday.
 |
| Photo: Yi-Chun Wu |
The beauty of Limón is that one can always go deeper. Challenging yourself to include the focus into the movement will change one's experience so dramatically. So often, in class we don't give enough thought to our focus, because we're concentrating on learning the exercises, or "getting it right". But when we include the focus, it helps us to find a more full and connected sense of physicality, and we move away from doing exercises and towards dancing.
-How are Limon classes structured?
There is no codified structure for the Limón technique, so each teacher is free to structure their class how they want. In order for it to really be a Limón class, it needs to touch on the principles I mentioned above: breath, weight, swing, suspension, fall and recovery, etc. Personally, I like to try to incorporate those principles with a fairly standard "dance-class" structure, first warming up the spine and breath and the plié, then moving from smaller gestures of the legs (tendus, degagés) to bigger ones (battement), all the while approaching these actions with the Limón principles. One major difference to the structure of a Limón class to that of a ballet class, for instance, is that we incorporate shifts of weight much earlier on in the class, as well as big movements of the torso.
-How would you describe the technique and style to someone who has never taken a class?
In the Limón technique we are working in a context which doesn't aim to ignore, or overcome gravity, but acknowledges it and aims to find the beauty in giving into it and resisting it. We utilize weight, breath and isolations of the body to explore fall and recovery, swing and suspension. Between the poles of weight and weightlessness there are endless possibilities for dynamic movement.
-What are some challenges you face when teaching Limon technique?
I think one of the greatest challenges when teaching dance in any form, is learning how to give the students information in words, when the real truth of the movement is in it's own language.
-What inspires you as a teacher and artist?
Well, this work inspires me. It's truly a dream to dance and perform. I think it's extremely important to pass this legacy on, so, even just doing my small part by performing the work and teaching it when I can, is extremely satisfying to me.
Catch Logan's class at Peridance, below.
Limón Technique
Intermediate Level
Saturdays, 11am-12:30pm
Starting Saturday, September 7th,
Logan's class time will shift to 10:30am-12pm
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
7 Reasons to Get Going with your Application to APAP at Peridance!
Applications to APAP 2014 are open now through September 15, 2013, don't miss your chance to be presented. Apply online today.
Seven Reasons to Apply to APAP at Peridance
- Get seen. Agents, producers, presenters will be attending. Show your choreography/company, and get noticed!
- Get connected. The conference brings together over 3,500 arts presenters and professionals from around the world.
- Get presented. Captivate audiences in our state-of-the-art facility, the Salvatore Capezio Theater in the heart of New York City.
- Get access. Gain admission to receptions for artists and presenters, and take advantage of the opportunity to attend APAP|NYC, an exclusive, members-only conference, at a discounted price.
- Get publicity. APAP at Peridance participating companies receive the following marketing support: Association of Performing Arts Presenters showcase listings and e-newsletter advertisements, press releases, promotional videos, online exposure and printed materials. Choreographer/company press materials are displayed in the theater lobby for the duration of the program.
- Get booked. Through their participation in Peridance's APAP Showcases, artists have booked The Joyce Theater, Joyce SoHo, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Dance Salad, teaching engagements and commissions with prestigious companies.
- Get perks. Reserve VIP seating at your performance, and receive a 20% discount on Peridance merchandise throughout APAP weekend.
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