Congratulations to Rachel Baird, the Editors’ Choice winner for Dance Teacher’s Video of the Month!
In “Behind Closed Doors,” Baird improvises in an empty studio, using a patch of late-afternoon sun as a spotlight. The classically trained dancer hadn’t done much improvisation before being accepted to the professional training program at Alonzo King LINES Ballet. Under the guidance of King and his faculty, she has developed methods for getting out of her head and into her body, the best way, she says, to generate spontaneous choreography.
During the filming of this video, Baird channeled advice from Iratxe Ansa, formerly of Nederlands Dans Theater, who was a guest teacher for LINES earlier this year. Ansa helped her achieve maximum freedom while moving: “She’d tell us, ‘Dance the color blue,’ so it would give us a calm feeling,’” says Baird. “Then she’d switch it to red, and we’d become more focused with almost a violent feeling. Instead of thinking ‘I’m going to do this movement, and now this one,’ we were thinking about showcasing the color. It was almost like our bodies took over.”
Want to build buzz about your studio, workshop or class? Posting videos to the Dance Teacher Video of the Month Contest is quick, easy and free—and it’s a great way to get noticed. If your video is selected as Editors’ Choice, you’ll be featured on this page, and you’ll win a free one-year subscription to DT! Don’t miss out on a great opportunity—visit dancemedia.com, share your videos and vote for your favorites. Any and all kinds of dance are welcome.