Teach Them How to Dougie

Each week, we have an hour and a half class, called Peer Led Movement. Each member of the course takes turns teaching a unique class. This is my favorite time of the week, because I get to take free, technique classes in a supportive, creative environment, with my friends, taught by my friends.

First, we had an improvisation and skinner release technique class, led by a Canadian who just finished her Masters in Choreography at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance. For the record, we have to go there for my course sometimes, and the building is amazing. The 360 virtual tours on this page are great:

http://www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/student-experience/campuses-accommodation/faculty-of-dance

This class was nice, because the material was familiar to me and it brought me back home.

The next class was in hoop dancing, taught by a professional hooper from London. She makes and sells her own hoops as well, and brought them for us to use. She is actually amazing.

I’ve always hulla hooped, but I’ve never done hoop dancing. I left that class being able to hoop with different rhythms, do arm tricks, and walk and turn while hooping. It is so much fun!!

Then, we had a class in Chinese folk dancing, led by a dancer from Tiawan. This class included lots of intricate finger movements and hand exercises. It was really difficult! We had to have total control over our bodies, each finger, and sustain that while adding scarf manipulation into the dance. We ended by learning a Buddha dance. Here is a professional company’s version of what we learned.

Fun fact, all of these dancers are deaf. We watched this at the beginning of class, to get a better idea of what we were going to be doing that day.

Last week, an Israeli student taught a belly dancing class. She went over all the basic steps and hip movements that are typical of a beginner class. She looked at me skeptically as I swirled my hips in figure 8s, while snaking and popping my ribs. No, I’m not a belly dancer (I’ve taken one class in my life), I’ve just been trained in isolations from an early age. I really enjoyed the music and the dancing, though.

Tomorrow, I am teaching my class, and it’s going to be hip hop. *Gasp* What?! But, Jenna, you’re a contemporary jazz dancer! Yes, this is my forte, but I am not going to teach a jazz class for three reasons:

1. I would rather die than teach jazz basics to mixed level adults.

2. This class is meant to be unique, and I assume that out of 20 dance graduates, most have had some jazz training.

3. Everyone freaked out in excitement when I mentioned hip hop as an option.

Also, I have a lot more hip hop training than most people realize. I actually started dancing in elementary school in a hip hop club, in the gym during lunch. I have taken various hip hop classes in studios, and at workshops with people like Tabitha D'umo, Travis Wall and Craig Hollamon. I also did competition hip hop for 4 years on my high school dance team. Then, continued to perform hip hop with a few companies, while in undergrad. And, as many of my Irish friends can attest to, I will throw myself into dance battles at the drop of a hat.

Anyway, I just thought it would be a fun class to teach. I decided to compile an all Detroit playlist, with the exception of one song. Because, well, I have to teach them how to dougie.