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MODERN DANCE

Modern dance is a broad genre of theatrical or concert dance that includes various styles such as ballet, folk, social, religious, and ethnic dancing. It was first developed in the US and Europe during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was regarded as a way to express social concerns and reject the traditional ballet.

 

BRIEF HISTORY

Although modern dance is often regarded as a rejection of classical ballet, historians believe that various factors such as the rise of the middle class and the decline of social strictures influenced the development of this art form. In the United States, for instance, the rise of the middle class and the increasing number of people with disposable income led to a new interest in physical fitness and health. During that same period, the role of physical education in the development of modern dance was also greatly influenced by the movement’s popularity.

POPULARIZATION 

In 1927, newspapers began assigning dance critics, such as Walter Terry, and Edwin Denby, who approached performances from the viewpoint of a movement specialist rather than as a reviewer of drama and music. Subsequently educators accepted modern dance into college and university curriculum, first as a part of physical education, then as performing art.

✨Major Modern Dancers/Founders✨

Martha Graham

Graham is to Modern dance what Stravinsky is to Modern music or Picasso to Modern art. It’s hard to overestimate her influence. She codified a vocabulary of Modern dance that still prevails and is the closest thing to a “mainstream” Modern dance. The force of her personality was legendary, and although her primary work was done before World War II, she lived until age 96 in 1991.

Alvin Ailey

He formed the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater in 1958, with an eclectic style built from his “blood memories” of his native Texas, the blues, spirituals and gospel, asking for a combination of leg and footwork – what he called a “ballet bottom” – combined with a “Modern top,” the torso, arms and head, that “only Modern dance offers.”

Isadora Duncan 

Free spirit incarnate, Duncan danced barefoot in Grecian robes, invoking ancient dance, and created the first school of Modern dance. 

Merce Cunningham

In the forefront of the dance avant-garde for more than 50 years, Cunningham revolutionized his field, divorcing movement from the music that accompanied it, and from the constraints of narrative. His influence has been enormous.

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What Is Pom Dancing?

POM DANCE

POM is a form of dance combining cheer motion and dance technique. Pom classes are great for both dancers and gymnasts. All while using pom poms. 

What is POM? 

In pom your dancer will work on the fundamental basics of cheer. Students work on cheer motions and jumps, as well as dance technique including: turns, jumps, leaps and level-appropriate Pom choreography. Pom uses sharp and precise movements, which in turn will help to improve the student’s overall arm and body placement.

Routines contain hip-hop, jazz and gymnastics elements.

What is the difference from cheer? 

Pom is more focused on the dance elements while cheer has group stunting as well as a vocal element. 

Cheerleading squads include dance, stunts, and tumbling into their routines, performing throughout a sporting event, and often on the sidelines. A POM squad or Drill squad uses pom poms in dance routines and often performs during halftime shows, along with some cheer elements.

What skills are developed in POM?

Students are trained in dance technique, POM movement terminology, balance skills,  precision, synchronization, strength, and flexibility. Above all they will grow in the form of team work, and the bond of working towards a common goal. 

Key Movements

Some of the key movements you’ll see in pom that are derived cheerleading include clasp, T-motion, high-V, touchdowns, L’s, Half T’s, and more.

Different movements can occur in POM dance, depending on the dance type.

  • Hip Hop: running man, whipping, dabbing, Nae Nae
  • Tap(Less common POM Style): time step, shuffle, heel drops, ball change
  • Jazz: spirit fingers, step ball change, parallel turns, stag leap, split leap/jete, and fan kicks
  • Contemporary: death drop, parallel, contraction, levels, inversion

 

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The Benefit of Sending Your Dancer To Our Holiday Dance Camps 

The benefits of dance camp is essentially the same as sending your child to dance camp! Your dancer will continue to work on their flexibility, stamina, and coordination. 

Here are some of the MANY benefits of our camps!

 

IMPROVES KIDS LEARNING PROCESS

While at camp your child will have the opportunity to learn multiple dances from a variety of our teachers. Dance boosts children’s memory through the learning of choreography. This helps develop learning skills to improve their academic and social life.

 

GOOD EXERCISE

Dance can improve your child’s flexibility, muscle development, and cognitive development. Stretching and balancing both contribute to a stronger mind and body.  Studies have suggested that the more active a child is, the stronger their core. Plus it’s a fun way for kids to move around in a safe and fun setting!

 

IT WILL HELP ENHANCE WITH THEIR SOCIAL SKILLS

Teamwork and participation in dance class is encouraged. This can help kids socially branch out in a small or large class setting.  Children learn to take turns playing dance games while respect others personal space. Our kids dance camps work on a performance for the end of camp. This allows children to work together towards a common goal, while helping them to build confidence and performance experience.  Priceless life lessons!

 

KIDS DANCE CAMP IS FUN! 

The most important part of all of this is fun! Your child will have a day full of fun. While making new friends, and growing relationships with old ones. Since our holiday camp runs from 9am-3pm there is plenty of opportunities for growth and enjoyment. Camp will give your child a space to explore in a productive way to spend their day while having time off from school. 

 

While dance is the key factor of our camps along side fun, the day is full of activities. We incorporate interactive games, art projects, and we even involve a chance for our dancers to “act” out scenes for their end of week program.  

 

WE HOPE TO SEE YOUR DANCER FOR OUR THANKSGIVING CAMP!

 

    The style of hip-hop dance, like hip-hop itself, is sometimes a bit hard to define. Lots of styles have developed in and around the genre, and many people have very strong opinions on what is and isn’t a part of the style.

FUNDAMENTALS

As hip-hop developed as a musical form through natural variations made by new artists and DJs, a language arose with it. The fundamentals of hip-hop became the pillars of it’s migration as a distinct music form in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. These four recognized fundamentals–emceeing (rapping), deejaying (spinning), graffiti, and breakdancing–became the essential pillars of the genre.

FROM THE STREETS

One of the most recognizable components of hip hop it’s origin in black and Latin neighborhoods, particularly the Bronx, in New York City in the 1970s. The music and art found there was something spontaneous and generated by human interaction rather than codified rules and academic processes. “Street dances’” were just that, parties and groups of people developing moves together to the emerging beat-based music of the era.

IN THE CLASSROOM

Because it developed massive popularity outside of academic settings, hip-hop music and the style of dance soon saw a reaction from the music industry. More stylized forms of commercial dance, like jazz-funk, started appearing in music videos and television. These commercial styles helped propel hip-hop dance into the mainstream.

WHAT REALLY IS HIP HOP?

Hip Hop isn’t just just one unique style, like krumping, breaking, or popping and locking. It’s a mix of all of those styles and many more. It’s an approach to choreography that is in tune with the beats and grooves of the music without being limited by specific characteristics. Hip-hop is a world of moves and styles which have been built into the choreographer’s tool belt. It’s a celebration from the birth of street dancing all the way to full domination of hip-hop in commercial and artistic spaces everywhere. It’s a visual language of hip-hop culture. To put it simply, hip-hop dance is a world of movement and visual styles that are now forever associated with hip-hop music and can be used by any choreographer and dancer as a celebration.

FAMOUS HIP HOP DANCERS

Michael Jackson

He is highly regarded as the King of Pop, however, a lot of his dance moves find their origin in hip-hop dance. He married hip-hop dance styles with funk, soul and electric boogaloo to create a unique blend of pop, and hip-hop worthy dance. His style is revered worldwide for its uniqueness and fashion.

Les Twins

The Les Twins are identical brothers of French descent. They are recognized internationally for their new style hip-hop talents. They have won several hip-hop awards including the World of Dance in 2010. They’ve been highlighted on BET, Good Morning America, the Ellen DeGeneres Show and have worked with people like Beyoncé, Kanye West and Timberland.

Parris Goebel

Emmy Award winning Choreographer, Dancer, Singer, Director, and Actress. She is the founder and main choreographer of the Dance Studio “The Palace Dance Studio”, which has produced group ‘The Royal Family’. Which has won World Hip Hop Dance Championship three times in a row, becoming the first group in history to achieve it. She has worked with the likes of Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Jennifer Lopez, Ciara, and many more.