In Antoine Hunter’s jazz class, students inevitably pick up sign language just by virtue of being his student. Though he doesn’t typically incorporate ASL into his class combos, this dynamic phrase, which is one of his favorites, includes four signs: “heart,” ” re,” “gone” and “deaf.” How Antoine Hunter Teaches an Urban Jazz Center-Phrase With […]
The tripod (demonstrated by LizAnne Roman Roberts) is one of the more standard Countertechnique tools, designed to challenge the body to maintain dynamic balance while multitasking through multiple trajectories. Aptly named, the tripod works in three different directions: as the lower body moves down, the upper body moves up and back, eventually spiraling into an […]
Taught by Francesca Harper and demonstrated by Naya Lovell, this step borrows from William Forsythe’s quest to take classical movement vocabulary and deconstruct the shapes created. “Let the momentum at the top of the développé carry you,” says Harper, “and see how your body intuitively has its own response.” Francesca Harper founded her own company, […]
Stepping into arabesque from développé effacé is tricky, says Kelly Slough of Mark Morris Dance Center, because it involves “that moment of truth”: changing weight from one leg to the other in one movement. To make that transition easier, Slough encourages dancers to complete the weight shift as quickly and confidently as possible—as counterintuitive as […]
This partnering move is all about the weight transfer, say Chris and Lauren Grant. “It’s not about Hulk-Hoganing someone,” says Lauren. The flyer and base must keep their hips together throughout, so that the weight of the flyer can pour gently onto the thighs of the base, rather than just dumping. Christopher and Lauren Grant […]
Robin Dunn loves to teach the sexy walk in her beginner hip-hop classes, because it’s a basic step, yet students can put their own mark on it. Two key things to remember: Maintain a light bounce and relax the upper body throughout. “Another key thing? Put your personality into it,” says Dunn. Robin Dunn is […]
The piqué arabesque is a ballet staple that looks deceptively simple. At Alonzo King LINES Dance Center, LeeWei Chao uses the image of standing on the edge of a cliff to inspire correct alignment, emphasizing a strong supporting side so that dancers avoid tilting and dipping forward. “Your body energy goes up,” he says. “Stay […]
Unlike a usual waltz, in which the lift and dip would come from the legs, this waltz from Paul Taylor’s Cloven Kingdom (1976) requires the up-and-down motion to come solely from the torso. The legs remain in plié the entire time, eating space. (When this piece is performed, dancers traverse the length of the stage […]
The back is an essential focus of Cynthia Harvey’s ballet classes, especially as a part of port de bras. Here, she offers “plain,” en face port de bras, followed by the same position with épaulement, to show the difference the back (and head and neck) can add to any position. Aspirational imagery helps students find […]
Do you know how to teach this classic tap rhythm? Watch American Tap Dance Foundation’s Susan Hebach teach a swing eighth note.