Wrecking Crew Orchestra

Wrecking Crew Orchestra is a dance team from Japan. There are many performers in this group. The dancer’s names are Yoko, Dominic, Bamboo, Hanai, Bon, Sawada, Shohei and also Yu Yu. They do Tron dancing. Tron dancing is a dance that has lights on the costume. It takes practice to get the dance just right. It also takes a while to get the performance right.

Yoko is the leader of the group. He is a great and talented dancer. Dominic specializes in popping he never misses a practice. Bamboo is a high jumper and does floor work, and utilizing acrobatic moves. Hanai has an old school style he likes to stick to it. Bon he expresses his moves through his expressions. He has a sense of stability. Sawada has deep swell movement. Shohei is the main prize winning champion of solo battle. Yu Yu is a locking dancer who is full of charm.You can find more information about the dancers at http://wizarts.jp/wco/profile.html. 

This type of dancing is very unusual. There is only a certain amount of people that do this dance. To other people the suits are called glow suits. A lot of newspaper’s talk about the Wrecking Crew Orchestra performance. They say “They take it to a whole other level ofentertainment as they wow the crowd and defy the impossible”

The suit is called the Illuminate system; it is the first and only wearable light system. The suit can be customized and controlled. You can trigger the lights by your iPod/IPad. These suits are great for dancers and choreographers. When they made this suit they used the best engineers to make the suit safe. There is a lot of controlling to do, currently at this time no one can purchase them. The glow suits are only for rental it depends on how many you want to rent on how much it is. If you want more information about the suits please check out http://iluminate.com/features/. 

Compare and Contrast

Tap Shoes                                                                                         Clogging shoes 

http://www.kimjansendance.com/images/stories/tap_shoes.jpg

http://www.dance-n-time.com/Happy_Trails_Enterprises/free_spirit_bottoms.jpg

Tap and Clogging is not the same thing but they are similar. Tap is a sound that you make with your tap shoe and the floor. Clogging is an old dance where you make contact with the floor and your clogging shoe. The differences between them are they make different sounds. These two dance styles are the hardest. At least they are the hardest for me anyways.

Tap and clogging are different because tap dancing is light on their feet. Clogging is mostly on their heels. Tap is usually in a solo also, it’s never really in a group. Tap is the melody of a song. Clogging is an up and down body and is done in groups. Clogging is to the beats of the song. This information came from dance.about.com 

Clogging dance has different heritages like Irish, Cherokee Indian and others. Appalachian Mountain is where clogging started.  The others brought their steps to the Appalachian and they mixed their steps together which made clogging. Clogging has less than ten basic movements. To make more movements to clogging they add on steps they make with traditional ones. Clogging is always done with lively music. Blue grass is the traditional music for clogging. Now people will clog to whatever they want as long as they can make the sounds out to be clear.

Tap dancing developed in the United States in the 19^th century. "Black and whites both experienced tapdancing".  Tap shoes and the tapper can make sounds with a slide, tap, stomp and click of the metal plate. When dancing to Jazz music Tap is focused on the music more than the dance. Broadway Tap is focused more on the dance.

Tap and Clogging is similar because they both have similar steps. Some steps are the same but they sound different. Both shoes for tap and clogging have metal pieces at the bottom of their shoes. They both can dance to anything to make beats. Clogging and Tap have traditional dancing also. Sometimes cloggers do wear tap pieces on the bottom of their shoes to make a clearer sound.  

Interview

           When I was at dance yesterday I asked my Choreographer/ Dance teacher questions to help you realize how fun it would be to be a dance teacher. My dance teachers name is Alania Bridges, she is such a great teacher. She can be a friend to you also. Having a reliable dance studio is something I love having. To share some of her experiences with you I asked a few questions. If wanting to know more comment your questions and I will comment back. 

Who do you like to teach the most and why?

I like to teach my senior class the most. I’ve had the girls for many years so we all are friends and can joke around while I’m teaching. Its fun to teach the girl because they are so talented they get the new move only after a few tries. I enjoy watching them grow into beautiful dancers.

What are some of your favorite competitions and what do you like best about them? 

I like showstoppers the best they are organized and conduct business in a professional manner. Plus the trophies are nice. I’d have to say my next favorite is star talent my girls rock that competition every time we are there. One of my girls had won a trip to Los Angeles there.

If you had to give advice to a person who wanted to be in dance but was to scared what would you tell them? 

 I would say just give it a try never run or hide from the things you are scared of. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to learn anything new. 

What got you started in teaching dance? 

 I was thirteen and got the chance to be an assistant at my studio. I enjoyed working with the younger children. When I was fifteen a lady saw me at a talent show and called me wondering if I wanted a job teaching at her studio. I accepted the job and now own that studio.

How long did it take you to realize you wanted to be a dance teacher?

The first week of dance when I was five I came home. I told my mom I wanted to be a dance teacher like Mrs. Crystal. I guess I knew that dance was just meant for me.

Do you like working with kids and why? 

I do like working with children it brings joy to my life. Watching children grow and become dancers is rewarding.

If you can not see the video, or is blocked here is a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB8p0JIf8Uk

Hip Hop

   

       Hip Hop is a cultural movement, it was originally started by African Americans. There is different type of hip hop dance's popping, locking and breaking. Popping came from California, popping is a bounce and sharp move. Locking is like a pause from going fast to a freeze. Breaking is also a street dance, you spin on your head and you give different moves. It is really hard to explain break dancing, but it is one of the hardest moves you would ever learn. 

      A couple choreographers for hip hop would be Kevin Maher, Rhapsody and Shane Sparks.According to the monster's convention website "Kevin Maher has danced for Missy Elliot, Jenifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Mya, Cyndi Lauper, Jonte, George Micheal, and Paulina Rubio." Kevin Maher started at Broadway center training. He was nineteen when he started his career. 

           Rhapsody is a women, According to Monster's convention site, she has been dancing since she was eight. Rhapsody has been choreographing since she was sixteen.  She got a degree in Social science in arts. After her degree she decided to go after her dreams, the one thing she wanted to do the most. At least she succeeded in what she wanted to do. 

          Shane Sparks is a choreographer for So you think you can dance. When he started dance he was eleven years old. He would dance in talent shows and then one day he got tired of just dancing. Finally he started to teach dances in his backyard. Dance became serious to him when his sister's boyfriend got murdered. The reason why is because dance lets him escape and feel safe.He started in  Los  Angela's he turned a class of three into one hundred and seventy . This is according to Shane Sparks site. 

Here three videos one of each choreographer. 

Kevin Maher: Here is the link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z4R1MH4sYg&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

Rhapsody James: Here is the link for this video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBeT6H_5UWk

Shane Sparks, Here is the link for the video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLwa99kEtGE

How to choose dance studio?

Dance studio is a place where you go to get taught your dances. That is not the only thing; it actually is like a second home to you. You have friends there that act like your family. The girls and boys at the studio are always there for you no matter what. Two or three teacher's will be teaching you, but they will be teaching you different dances. Learning new dances will always help you with your technique. According to dictionary.reference.com the definition of "technique is a skill or ability in a particular field.”

Kids at age three can also dance. If you are looking for a dance studio that suits you, always look for good qualities. Look for a studio that has other kids your kids same age. That way whenever they do start dance they will be able to have a friend to motivate them. It is good to meet new people in a dance studio too. You can meet people that go to your same school and you never noticed them before. Parents and kids should also look for a studio that understands your schedule. Parents should go to one of the other classes to watch different students. See if the students are what you want your child to look like.

A Dance studio is not a joke, it is somewhere to work and meet new people. You should be able to experience new things and learn new steps. If you believe your daughter or son is not learning anything at the studio they are in now. You should definitely look around for a different studio to see if you want your kids going to a different studio. Kids are not the only people who dance. Parents learns dances also. If parents want to learn a dance they should go to a teacher that will be able to help them and go their pace. Anyone can dance, and you can learn from any director. If you want to see some really good dancers check out the videos below.

To Summarize Treva Bedinghaus steps for choosing a dance studio is, A professional setting, Qualified Teacher, Cushioned dance floor, Small  class sizes, A pleasing environment, Realistic expectations, Reasonable tuition and fees.   

News About Ronald K Brown.

Ronald K Brown is the director of “Evidence” A dance academy. It takes place in Brooklyn New York; Brown founded this company in 1985. There choreography is based contemporary and spoken words. His view is to show others is to use movement to express the importance of a community in African American culture. He pushes kids to the limit to help them learn how to choreograph and to be a creative dancer. Brown’s choreography is in high demand; they travel all around the world. Evidence has traveled to

Cuba, Brazil, England, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Mexico, Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa and Canada to perform.

There is an article in the New York Times about Ronald K Brown called “Sensual Simplicity Leaving Room for Growth." Ballet Hispanic performed at the Joyce Theater. They performed a piece commissioned by Ronald K Brown. They dance a piece that is a deep understanding of African Diaspora. Susana Baca Is a beautiful singer, she was also at the Joyce with four different musicians. She was singing songs off her new album “Espiritu Vivo," Ronald K Brown named his choreography The same name. "Like many of Mr. Browns works this one was a journal from grief through prayer into emancipation and a joyous new day."The Ballet Hispanic was challenged by Brown’s choreography. The Dancers had a hard time feeling the music while they were dancing. Mr. Brown has weird songs that have different rhythms which is hard for the dancers to understand. The Ballet hispanico had very nice splat jumps but Mr. Brown’s choreography is something special is something that people should be able to feel.“Mr. Brown’s choreography doesn't live in exhibitions of technique. It flows through relaxed hips and cool knees, and despite the help from Mrs. Baca and her musicians The Ballet Hispanico dancers could not find it.” If you want to know more go to the news article.

Contemporary Dance

Contemporary Dance

Contemporary dance is a blend of different dances like modern, jazz, ballet and lyrical. It was developed in the 1950’s century. You can use different kinds of music to express this style of dance. It is more floor work then anything. When you dance you can see the emotion on your face and feel the music. As William Butler says "How can we know the dancer from the dance?" The quote is expressing you should be able to tell how the person feels about dance through there emotions. 

People that are in the field of contemporary are Martha Graham, Trisha Brown, Isadora Duncan, Merce Cunningham, and Jose Limon. Martha Graham is one of the most famous contemporary dancers. She was the first person to ever to perform at the white house. She taught dance for over seventy years. Contemporary dance was one thing she was really good at.

Martha Graham developed her very own language of movement. She created a new dance technique similar to classical ballet. Graham focused on the movement of a human body.  Treva Bedinghaus critiques in her article, "What is Modern Dance?,"Graham's creation by saying that "instead of striving for long, fluid movements, Graham's movements were sharp and jagged." Graham's goal was to express basic human emotions through movements.

There are many conventions you could go to, to learn contemporary. Mia Michaels is one of the best chorographer’s of contemporary ever. She has made many cry on the show “So you think you can dance”. Mia has joined a convention called Jump that you should check out. You will learn more about her and the convention.


                                      
Dance, Contemporary, http://www.laballet.com/classes/images08/aylaleap.jpg