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West Coast Swing Musicality w. Erik Novoa & Anna Brady Saturday, January 17, 2009 direct link: http://www.swingshoes.net/Events/ClubBallroom-20090117-Musicality.html

Finally - I have been waiting to do these workshops for a long time.

On Saturday, January 17, 2009 Musicality Workshops will crescendo at Club Ballroom in Derby, CT.

Although these workshops will be primarily focused on many aspects of the study of music, we will use West Coast Swing as the the functional dance.  That being said, these musicality workshops are designed to help anyone who is interested in hearing music in a new way, and it will help with your understanding of any dance.

After exploring music for the day, your world will never be the same.  Every song that you hear on the radio will be a puzzle that you will have the ability to solve.  You'll begin to understand what makes certain songs unique and likable, you might even appreciate music in which you were formerly not interested.

And if you're a West Coast Swing dancer then you will have the ultimate tool to express your new found understanding of music.  By the end of the day, you will understand that great dancing is just a physical expression of what we hear and feel.

The night will conclude with a great dance in one of the best studios in Connecticut.

*If you pre-pay, please understand that this is to avoid delays and provide a discount, not create additional complications.  Please print & bring your receipt.  Refunds are generally NOT  given and are only provided in extenuating circumstances determined by the Instructor.

If you do not pre-pay, please understand that we will only accept "at the door" rates on the day of the event.

Pre-Register before Jan 15

Pre-Register before Jan 17

Jan 17
At the Door
(Cash Only)

Quick Pay
Register for the Entire Day - Best Value
Includes all 4 Workshops & Dance
 

Early Bird
Deadline
has Passed

n/a

Musicality 101
Level: Basic/Beginner

This class introduces music as a concept.  We will discuss what is a beat, rhythm, how to find "1", Down & Up Beats, Triplets, Swing vs. Pop Music, Pulsing, Musical vs. Lyrical Phrase, musical parts and solving the 6 count and 8 count riddle of WCS.

This class is the foundation of all the other classes.  Many exercises (both solo and partner) will be given to help connect the dancer with the music.  Although a majority of this class will be listening and connecting with the music, the WCSwing portion will require an understanding of the basics.

Requirements: Participants must have working knowledge of their WCSwing basics  for the dance portion of the class.
 

Early Bird
Deadline
has Passed

$20

De-Constructing the Music / Re-Constructing the Dance
Level: Beg/Intermediate

This class will explore how music is put together.  Once you know the parts of a piece of music it is much easier to build a dance.  We will take a thread of the first class (musical parts) and show how its segmentation will help create the components of our dance.

This class (along with the first) can change your dancing in one day.  It can change your life as a dancer and can help you spot a musical dancer instantly.  Sometimes you just have to understand the music to understand how to dance.

Requirements: Participants must have working knowledge of their WCSwing basics .
 

Early Bird
Deadline
has Passed

$20

Break
(Cause we're going to need it)

n/a

Hearing The Music
Breaks / Accents / Lyricism
Level: Intermediate

Sometimes the music stops; those are Breaks. Sometimes the music ticks and pings; those are Accents.  Sometimes we dance to the shape or meaning of the words; that's Lyricism.  This is an advanced concept in West Coast Swing and can take a lifetime to master, so why not start today.  By understanding how to hear these three different nuances of a song you have a better chance at acknowledging some of them.  Actually, it's almost impossible to hit every break and every accent and every lyric in a song...sometimes you have to pick and choose your battles.  Welcome to your first challenge.

Requirements: Participants must have working knowledge of their WCS basics and understand the names and counts of all the basics.

Early Bird
Deadline
has Passed

$20

Putting a Dance Together:
Critique Session & Choreography
Level: Intermediate

You've done all the hard work, it's time for application.  The first part of this class will have you dance to 60-90 seconds of music.  We'll see how you did and give some feedback.  Then you'll have second chance, with some more feed back, then a third chance.  We'll see how each attempt improves as you hear the music 3 times and alter your partnership to become more musicality interpretive.

The second part of this class will be a small piece of choreography.  It will already have musicality built in so that you can begin to get a taste for what a fully musical dance feels like.

Requirements: Participants must have working knowledge of their WCS basics and understand the names and counts of all the basics.
 

Early Bird
Deadline
has Passed

$20

DANCE PARTY at Club Ballroom
Music will be a CA Mix (Hustle, WCS, Salsa and more). 

Dance Only:
$10 cash
at the door. 

Dance Only:
$10 cash
at the door.

Dance is included with above workshops.

Dance Only:
$10 cash
at the door.

Erik Novoa has been competing in West Coast Swing since 1998. In that time, he has risen to compete in the Invitational division. He has placed top-10 at the US Open in the Classic Division three  times and has excelled in Strictly Swing and Jack & Jill competitions at numerous national events.  Most recently, he won 1st Place in the "All Star" Jack & Jill at New Year's Dancin' Eve in Burlington, MA.

Erik has also been competing in Hustle since 2000 and immediately stole the show by becoming a 2 time national champion in 2001 & 2002.  He later became a finalist on ABC Family's revival of Dance Fever, becoming the only Hustle act on the premier series which aired in July 2003.

Erik's former training in ballet, jazz, tap and musical theater enables him to teach in a style which is knowledgeable, clear and concise.  He is a featured instructor for many regional and national events because of his ability to get people dancing quickly using his humor, personality, style, rapport with students, and his solid knowledge of dance fundamentals and technique.  Students complete each workshop with a better understanding of the specific dance, overall dance technique and musicality.

Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Anna Brady combines the discipline of classical ballet with the creativity of partner dancing.

She trained and performed in both classical and modern styles with Minnesota Dance Theatre & School and Minnetonka Dance Theatre. She also competed in ballroom/latin dance while at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

In 2004, Anna choreographed and performed with the University of Chicago Ballet Company and attended the Alvin Ailey summer training program.  Since moving to New York in 2005, Anna has performed with Bernier Dance Company, the Little Orchestra Society and the Tyler Dunn Foundation.

Anna has recently performed with Erik Novoa in contemporary ballet pieces "Ordinary Day" (Choreographed by Erik) and "The Player" (Choreographed by Anna).  She is known throughout the northeast for her "Spins, Turns & Technique" classes for partner dancing.