Jar of Hearts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v_4O44sfjM

This music video has an example of modern dance that is not usually shown in modern music videos. Its very emotional and tries to tell a story through dance. Very seldom do you see a music video for a genre outside of pop or hip hop that has an element of dance. It is also specifically interesting that this video has a more classical modern type of dance.

jerking

i was out in LA this past spring break and went to universal studios to watch a movie and saw a group of kids jerking to the musicians playing rock n roll music! they just jerked wherever and i just thought how crazy it was to just see these group of kids jerking and just chillin on a friday night at universal!

is dancing something we're born with?

i'm sorry but i cant dance my life. i've never been good at it! like i could never physically do what brazilian's do when they dance capoeira or stand on my tippy toes like ballerinas do. is dance really teachable? can i break it down like some of the krumpers if i practiced every day or is it something your just born with?

chris brown

ok i know every women on this earth hates chris brown after what he did to rihanna but he is truly an incredible talent and is incredibly skilled at dancing. he can do all type of dances check em out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlVEmG4j2fI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP1zHJKpV2s

http://worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh56w942j78b8kFpwK

http://worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh56w942j78b8kFpwK

the dougie

teach me how to dougie might have been the most influential dance song in America this past year with famous celebrities from john wall the #1 pick overall in the 2009-2010 draft to chris brown a famous r&b singer. justin bieber also does the dougie and so does drake! i feel like the dougie really shook america like soulja boy did a few years back with "crank that". the song teach me how to dougie just makes you wana dance and move your whole body! anyone disagree?

Tap Dogs

While in London this past fall, I was going down the escalators at one of the tube stops and saw an ad for a show called "Tap Dogs." While I'm not entirely sure what the show is about, it showcased Adam Garcia, from Coyote Ugly fame.

Adam Garcia is actually a very talented tap dancer from Australia. He and his dance troupe performed in the opening ceremonies of the Sydney Olympics back in 2000.

It always surprises me how many actors and actresses are actually dancers as well. Are there any that you can think of?

Here is the video of the opening ceremonies:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrK1DgRmuLM

dubstep

ok so does anyone else think that dubstep sounds like the speakers are about to explode? i can't really comprehend that dubstep wahwahwahwahwahwah sound and it doesn't really process in my head! how do you dance to this music? i've really tried to give it a chance but i don't think our little relationship is gonna work! any suggestions on my relationship with dubstep? hahah i need help!

Black Swan

so i watched the movie Black Swan the other day and had no idea what i was getting myself into. The movie was really dark and twisted and i almost had nightmares that night! I never knew ballet could be sooo dark but the movie was brilliant. the concept of her giving everything for the PERFECT performance was so crazy because this mindset could really relate to anyone trying to accomplish anything. she gave everything for this performance that she dreamed of. The opportunity came and she seized it! I'm not saying go to those extremes but if you want something or want to accomplish anything there's nothing stopping you but yourself! just work hard and make the right decisions and last but not least give it your best!

Break DAncing Video

I realized I never put up the break dancing video I found for my reading report. I put a lot of time into finding really fun and cute videos because there is no many different types of break dancing.

Enjoy them like I did, some are to cute for words.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey8Ui63VgHs&feature=feedwll&list=WL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zafEJ_IfrMg&feature=feedwll&list=WL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNRR9rdIcag&feature=feedwll&list=WL

How young is too young?

Alyson Stoner is a dancer/singer/actress, she was first known in hollywood as the girl who would dance in Missy Elliot videos when she was 12 then went on to become an actress Cheaper by the Dozen, Camp Rock and other movies, but she always comes back to her dancing background.

Everytime i see her dance, I'm amazed at her ability, but the funny part is, she's younger then me. In 2006, she became the youngest choreographer to teach a masterclass at hollywood's fame dance studio, and there's a video. In the video, she's no older then 14.

Many people commented that the only reason she was allowed to teach a class at that age is because she's famous and she isn't actually a great dancer, but i disagree. If she's that great at age 14, I can't image how much further she's going to go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Mg_-mUtN9Y

New Dance Movie

I was browsing online the other day and saw this trailer for a new dance movie. It was interesting because its a story about how a girl from the wrong side of the tracks tried out for an upscale dance school. I love how dance movies not only focus on the dancing, but how dancing lifts people up from impossible situations.

Here's the trailer, tell me what you think
http://www.youtube.com/user/PantelionFilms?v=irnnOeeUlf4&feature=pyv&ad=11018892089&kw=go%20for%20it

Michelle Obama and her Let's Move Campaign

I know something regarding Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign has already been posted but it's great to see that she's following through with her program. Click here to see the First Lady dancing at a DC-area school for her cause. It's funny to see that MObama can do the Dougie.

The iPod Dance Commercials

So a friend of mine and I were talking about Apple and their products and the subject of the iPod adverts came up with the anonymous dancers silhouetted in all black with the iPod being all white.

Click here for one of them.

I remember hearing the musicality of the commercials, and I remember the good dancers and it made me wonder: Do you believe the dancing and music were effective in selling the product? I mean iPods were pretty popular on their own, but do you think these commercials contributed to their popularity directly? And what about dancing in commercials and adverts in general, do you think it's effective?

Dance and Costumes

Here is a video I found that takes a look at the designers of the costumes for Black Swan. I thought it would spark an interesting discussion on the role of costume and attire in a dance performance. Do you think you are more attracted to a performance with clothes that you like? Do you think that if a costume was distracting or unappealing would you be more likely to dislike the performance?

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/01/27/movies/awardsseason/1248069592076/the-costumes-of-black-swan.html?ref=dancing

Is Ballet Dying?

Dance Magazine recently ran an article that lists the seven reasons why Ballet isn't dying. I thought it was an interesting article and it caught my eye because I had never really thought that the possibility of ballet dying was mainstream. Also, one of the reasons that really stood out to be was social media as a force that will save ballet because it attracts younger audience members and allows for more direct communication with the dancers. What are you guys thoughts? Do you think ballet is dying? How do you think social media affects ballet and other dance?

http://www.dancemagazine.com/blogs/admin-admin/3825

Music Videos I Love!

So, as my last post, I wanted to feature some miscellaneous music videos I never got to share in other posts. There's no major similarities between any of them, except they all feature dance as an integral part of their story and I love ALL OF THEM!

Also, I tried to showcase videos that not everyone might know about. So, as much as I love Michael Jackson's audio-visual extravaganzas, you won't find them here. What you will find is some great music and killer moves everyone should be exposed to. So, without further ado, let's get started!

"Around the World"--Daft Punk

Everyone knows Daft Punk, but perhaps not everyone has seen this video featuring their debut-album single, "Around the World". We always talk about how music dictates dance (especially in a club context), and, in this case, the dancing directly embodies the music! Each group of dancers here represents a musical element of the song, and dance off of each other accordingly. I think it's pretty cute. And I usually don't describe house as "cute."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9MszVE7aR4

"Virtual Insanity"--Jamiroquai

I am totally convinced this would've been a viral video had it been released in the age of Youtube. Alas, this tune hails from 1997, but that doesn't make its camera trickery look any less state of the art. Lead singer Jay Kay seems to glide across the floor as he dances, along with some magical black sofas, but he isn't really moving at all. Instead, the ROOM is moving around him, and the camera (fixed to one of the moving walls) moves along with it. Pretty clever huh? It's like OK Go's treadmill exercise on steroids, except this video came FIRST!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JkIs37a2JE

"Tightrope"--Janelle Monae

I already posted this one in previous thread, but I love it so much that I had to post it again! (Also, no one commented on that post, so how do I know anyone's even SEEN it yet?). If you want a more detailed description, see the "I Love Janelle Monae" post, but I think the role dance plays here is pretty evident.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwnefUaKCbc

"Going On'-- Gnarls Barkley

Everyone knows Gnarls Barkley for their song "Crazy", which was one of many great tunes off their first album, St. Elsewhere. Their second, more overlooked album had some great tracks too, though, and this is one of them. Gnarls Barkley is known for their original videos, and this one features neither Cee-Lo or Danger Mouse on screen. Instead, the video, shot in Jamaica, follows a group of dancers celebrating their discovery of a "portal to another dimension". Hmm. It looks like fun to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_R9fId_Rqo

Signature Dance Moves

There are some performers out there who are well known for a certain dance move or are also known for their dancing in particular.

I don't remember speaking about belly dancing in class, but Shakira is known for incorporating it into her performances. She likes to show off her skills within her music videos such as, "Hips Don't Lie", and many more.

Hips Don't Lie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUT5rEU6pqM

Here's a video of a bunch of live performances: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhlc8gNklsc&feature=related

Are there any other artists known to bust a move in all their work? Are there performers who don't dance, who you wish did?

The Milky Way v The Jerk

We have spoken in class about how edm has no specific way to dance to it. However it has come to my attention that there are electro dances that are rapidly increasing in popularity, specifically in Europe. The milky way is a form of electro dance. It has quick sharp movements that mimic the 42thafloor beat. I was looking at electro dance videos on YouTube and I came across this video that compares it with The Jerk. Both dance styles have similar moves but use very different music. Check out the similarities in this dance off:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN6XYa9oegc&feature=related

EDC + Dance music festivals

As dance festivals are becoming more and more popular, it seems EDC may be rising to the top. We should this trailer in class, I will post it here again because it is the best one I have seen that embodies EDM culture. Last year it was banned from california because a teenage girl over dosed on mdma. So this year they have moved the festival to Las Vegas and are increases the restrictions for getting in. This year is anticipated to be the best one yet.

http://www.electricdaisycarnival.com/LasVegas/

Why I'm a Dancer

Since this is my final blog post, I thought a good way to end my blogging would be to tell the story of how I ended up becoming a dancer, and how I ended up taking Dance in American Culture. Afterall, everyone has their start. It would be interesting to find out how everyone ended up becoming dancers and/or what persuaded people to take Dance in American Culture.

Something I've noticed through the years is that in every area people are interested in, whether it be sports, movies, plays, politics...anything, there is usually one prominent person within that area that stands out from the rest. The one person is favorited, idolized and becomes an inspiration. People like Michael Jordan, Angelina Jolie, Idina Menzel and John F. Kennedy have become role models and inspirations to thousands of people. We all have someone in our lives who inspires us. For me, my inspiration is not some big name celebrity hot-shot or public figure, she's just your average twenty-something with a big heart and incredible talent. Her name is Angie, and she has been my role model since I first saw her dance fourteen years ago.

I was five when I first met Angie. We were both backstage and waiting to perform at our annual dance recital. It was my first recital, so I was nervous. Angie talked to me and told me how fun it was to perform and since her dance was before mine, she showed me that being on stage in front of a massive amount of dance moms, bored brothers, and dads behind cameras wasn't so bad. So, I watched her dance, and not only was she right, but in those few minutes, she became my role model. She made me want to dance, even though I really hadn't liked it up to that point (my mother made me dance because other sports were "too dangerous").After seeing her dance, I wanted to dance like her, to be like her. In the following years, Angie became more of a sister to me than a friend. She is the reason why I danced for fourteen years.

Angie is the most talented dancer I've ever known. She is the daughter of the owner and instructor of my former dance studio, so she grew up with dancing in her life. She started ballet dancing at the age of two and though lyrical and ballet are her strong suits, she is experienced in most dance styles ranging from hip hop to pointe. In 2005, she moved to New York City to train with the Radio City Rockettes and hopes to one day be a Rockette, like her mom. Her ambitions, her motivation and her perseverance are truly inspirational. She's just an incredible person and role model. I've always considered myself lucky to have her and her mom in my life. I wouldn't be the same without them.

Had I not met Angie, I would have quit dancing a long time ago. She's the one who made me truly passionate about dance and every year, when I watched her perform at our recitals and competitions, there was always some sort of movement or technique that I wanted to learn from her. My dancing improved immensely because of her. She sparked my interest in dance, and that interest caused me to take this class. That's why I'm here.

Here's a video of Angie dancing during the Christmas recital my studio had in December. Her dance was dedicated to her husband, who is overseas serving in the Army right now. On an added note, one of Angie's specialties is improvising, many of the moves Angie does in most of her performances are made up on the spot, she doesn't put much choreography into her routines prior to performing them. Just a fun fact. Here's the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPhQpGM54SM

What about the rest of you? Do you have any role models or inspirations in the areas that you enjoy? Any inspirational dancers, for instance?

Pop Ballet?

This article I found discusses the recent trend of creating ballets that are inspired by popular culture. It seems so odd but I would be really curious to see what the ballets were like. I also wonder if proponents of classic ballet are outraged by this. The article mentions something interesting- are ballet creators doing this out of creativity or for the money (an economic decision?) What are your thoughts?

http://www.canada.com/entertainment/With+music+Sarah+McLachlan+Alberta+Ballet+takes+another+giant+leap/4679620/story.html

Electro Wars Trailer

This is the trailer we meant to show in our PP presentation. If you like house music, def watch..

http://vimeo.com/9854142

Arab Contemporary Dance

I have never heard of Arab contemporary but I think its awesome that it is a new and upcoming dance style. Yet another example of a culture in the dance world. It sounds like there a lot of styles of Arab contemporary dance. Here is the article talking about it and also a youtube video of one the variations. Its very beautiful.


http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/contemporary-dance-blooms-in-beirut-arab-spring-2278125.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s8K7X-McSI

WestFest Dance Festival

The WestFest Dance Festival just happened in New York City on a rooftop. The festival was hosted by Westbeth Center for the Arts. I thought it was really interesting how the performance happened. There were many groups that did their own dances focused on one thing or concept. Here is an article describing the festival. It would be a really cool thing to attend.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/arts/dance/westfest-dance-festival-animates-westbeth-review.html?ref=dance

New York CIty Ballet

I watched Black Swan for the movie on dance and since have been more interested in ballet. I found an article in the New York Times about the famous ballet director George Balanchine. The article goes in to detail about certain aspects of his ballet and what he is known for. I think it does a good job at what we all have discussed is a really hard thing to do- describe dancing:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/arts/dance/new-york-city-ballet-opens-with-balanchine-review.html?_r=1&ref=dance

Double Dream Feet

I thought everyone would be happy to know that there is now double dream feet performed by the one and only double dream hands man. He is just as enthusiastic his first video but is definitely concentrating a lot more on his leg movements. Also another example of the fame you can get off of a youtube video. Hes even featured in a commercial for a major cellphone company!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L1tr0PIx20

Finding New Dance Music

I personally do not have the patience to just search through youtube and find music. I usually rely on other people to send me music or tell me about it. I also find a lot of music from looking on peoples facebook pages. I realized though this leaves me listening to the same songs until someone gives me another one or I stumble across one on a friends page. I decided in the summer to start looking at some sites that list new music that comes out or the top tracks across the world. Its great because now I constantly have new music and at a party I can suggest a song no one has hears and get them to start dancing. Here is an example of the type of site I am talking about:

http://tophousemusicblog.com/

Cowboys and Square Dance

In the paper we just completed I used the Colin Quigley article on square dancing and the proposed legislation in 19888. I thought the article was really interesting and I agreed with the opponents of the legislation because square dancing is definitely not representative of a lot of cultures. The article talks about the cowboy image of the square dance so I wanted to see if this was true by looking up different youtube videos of square dance. Here are a few videos and the cowboy influence is incredibly obvious:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iput_r2mmQ0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czdYZS6FzeM

History of House Music

As I was working on my final paper, I stumbled upon this documentary on Youtube about the history of house music. Titled "Pump Up the Volume," it traces house's roots back to the disco era and begins with the Warehouse movement in Chicago during the early 80's. It subsequently moves on to UK rave and the development of techno, jungle (eventually drum n' bass), and garage. The movie was made a few years ago before the latest boom in electro house, dubstep, and four-to-the-floor pop music. But I think that makes a case for how powerful and important this music is by demonstrating how popular EDM already was before this latest development. Furthermore, it gives people a chance to see where the underground EDM movement really developed from--a context that is often eclipsed by mainstream media's obsession with drug culture within the dance scene.

Here's part 1 below. The rest are listed in the youtube suggestions bar on the right side. In the words of oldschool Chitown house: Ch-Ch-Check this out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX7w5Cjo3IU

Dance Dubstep

Our recent class discussion about how todays popular music styles, particularly edm, doesn't have any routine dance led me to this example of how to dance to dubstep music. Dubstep is slow, bass heavy electronic music. There is a large emphasis on the beat, but no right or wrong way to dance to it. This video is a cool interpretation of dubstep dance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoAlWDVe2hw

Instructional Dance Videos

Hey Everyone,

Just thought I would post all of the videos we researched for our project here, in case anyone was brave enough to try them out:

“Learn the Dance to Lip Gloss by Lil Mama”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KjdbAN8PqA

“How to Dance: 1, 2 Step Ciara Missy Elliot (Goodies Oh Never Promise Like Boy Love Sex Work Ride)”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtZi7zlnDeA

“How to Do Hip Hop Dance Moves : How to Do the Scuba Hop Hip Hop Dance Movehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ukgQePDmWQ&feature=related

BEST dance TUTORIAL lesson: BODY WAVEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLSZT6pN8qk

How To: Waltz for Beginners by Michael Thomas http://youtu.be/l1wPywALl5U

Basic Waltz http://youtu.be/LEqg4PxkyYE

Learn to Waltz http://youtu.be/TFAGFyRYyHY

Dance in Film

The second TCM Classic Film festival honored our dance film favorite such as West Side Story and Fame. Dance has been a part of the entertainment circuit for a long time and it's nice to see that some classics are still appreciated.

What's your favorite classic movie that incorporates dance?

Article: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/05/dance-film-tcm-classic-film-fesitval.html

West Side Story "Prologue": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8R9GiLImSw

The Royal Wedding

I know the big Royal Wedding has already been mentioned as William and Kate kicked off their first dance to "Your Song" by Elton John, but what was the dance scene like for everyone else? At such a formal and high profile event I think that most people would assume the dancing was mellow and proper, however this was not entirely the case. Family and friends of the newlyweds had a great time dancing and partying into the early hours of the morning to bands such as the Jay Z, Alicia Keys, and the Beatles. Someone reported "There was a chicken dance with lots of arm-flapping. Everyone was on the dance floor. The guests were really up for partying." I think it's so funning to picture this royal couple really "partying". Check out the rest of the article, which goes into depth about the reception!

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/05/02/prince-harry-s-tears-for-prince-william-and-kate-middleton-as-evening-royal-wedding-reception-party-comes-to-an-end-115875-23101343/

Dancing for a Cause

I was looking through all the posts today and noticed that there are at least 3 or 4 posts with the title "Dancing for a Cause". That just goes to show how many events there really are out there that use dance as a way to pull people in especially when charity is needed. I did some research and found this article actually called "Dancing for a Good Cause", which is about how $800. was raised for the Red Cross New Zealand Earthquake Appeal when Zumba hit Denman in March. Two Zumba classes were run at $10. per class and all the money raised went to Red Cross. Below is the article:

http://www.muswellbrookchronicle.com.au/news/local/news/general/dancing-for-a-good-cause/2150316.aspx

This got me to thinking about how dance could be used to raise money down south after the awful storm. What do you guys think? Do you think that could be one of the more effective ways to raise money?

SASA Show

I had the opportunity yesterday to go to see the SASA (South Asian Students Association) show on campus. While there were a few numbers, the two I enjoyed the most were a Bollywood type number and Bhangra. It's amazing to watch the dancers because so many of the movements require precision of the feet and wrists. The Bollywood dancers had bells on their feet, so it's important the dancers are together when making noise.

I went to see the show because one of my friends is part of the Bhangra group. She is White, but obsessed with Indian culture, so loves participating in Indian dancing. This dance was very entertaining-there was a large group with men and women, and they also used props. She was the only White dancer in this group. This goes to show that it is possible for anyone to participate in any style of dance.

Currently, Indian dancing isn't that popular in the United States. Do you think it will become more accessible? Would people actually participate?

Vanessa Carlton "White Houses"

I know the song "White Houses" is old, but I really love this music video. It showcases Vanessa Carlton's main talents, which is dancing and piano playing. She was accepted to the American School of Ballet, but chose a career in music instead.

The movements throughout the piece make the video fun. Even though I quit dance at age 9, this video makes me want to learn some of the choreography, but don't worry, I won't even attempt to try.

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM3fEJyPrrg

Are there any other music videos with dance sequences that you admire?

Famous Lame Dances and Fads.

http://www.shoutmouth.com/index.php/news/A_History_of_Lame_Popular_Dances_(early_1900s_-_present)

This article was pretty interesting to read. All of these dances are listed in the history of lame popular dances, yet I know how to do all of them! What is even funnier is that I know most of you do too! What makes a dance lame? What makes a dance "cool"? It will be interesting to see what songs are still remembered from our generation.

Decline of Dance & Theater Programs

http://www.rgj.com/article/20110307/NEWS/110307041/University-Nevada-Reno-announces-26M-proposed-budget-cuts?odyssey=nav%7Chead

The article above caught my eye because of the excerpt that mentioned that the University of Nevada-Reno, will be closing down the academic programs having to do with theater and dance. After reading this article, I thought about the academic programs offered at Syracuse. Maybe they still have dance and theater programs because Syracuse is a private school? It just goes to show that more needs to be done in order to preserve these programs. I feel like more people focus on preserving music programs in schools. But why not theater and dance?

YouTube

I know I use the website, YouTube, at least once a day. Whether it be to watch a video or to stream music, YouTube is one of the more visited sites on my computer. It's even bookmarked. In terms of this class, I've looked on YouTube for instructional dance, flash mob, electronic dance music, and movie clip videos. I never actually noticed though how many results come up when I put in a search. I usually just look at the results on the first or second page. So today I looked. When searching the word "dance" on YouTube, 4,190,000 results show up. That is just insane. That means that there are about 4,190,000 people that uploaded videos having something to do with dance. We are the generation of social media.

The First Dance.

It has always been a pretty big deal to choose which song a couple was going to have their first dance to at their wedding. Not going to lie, throughout the years, I've personally had a few in mind. I admit, I have also been a bit interested in the Royal Wedding obsession. Prince William and bride Kate danced their first dance to Elton John's "Your Song." This got me to thinking, why is there this obsession about the perfect song for the perfect first dance? You're going to be with that person for the rest of your lives, a song should not be able to define your relationship, unless you or your significant other actually wrote it. Also, you and your new hubby are going to dance an uncountable amount of times throughout your lives together, why does this particular one get so much attention?

Are Cirque Performers Dancers?

I have been reading a lot lately on different Cirque du Soleil shows. For example, the Michael Jackson one that is currently being put together, and the "Cirque Dreams" show that has a jungle-circus hybrid fantasy feel to it. This got me to thinking, are the performers that are hired to be in these Cirque du Soleil shows dancers? Or are they just flexible, acrobatic geniuses. Where is the line that separates a dancer from something else? Is there a line? Let me know your thoughts...

MJ is Back.

Michael Jackson's legacy continues to live on. Specifically, at the Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas. The famous casino and resort will have a lounge, a museum, and a Cirque du Soleil show solely based on the music and dances of the King of Pop. MJ is extremely well known by his killer dance moves and his originality and innovativeness that he displayed when performing on stage. The fact that a Cirque Du Soleil show based off this is in the midst of being produced, says quite a lot about MJ's dance skill and style.

Looks like i'm going to Vegas in 2013. Class reunion?

http://www.rttnews.com/Content/EntertainmentNews.aspx?Section=2&Id=1609973&SM=1

Dancing with No Vision

The New York Times recently published a video about a NYC dance ensemble, called the No-See-Ums, who perform for people who are either blind or wearing a blindfold. Instead of body movements they are incorporating our senses and translating them into dance moves. It is a really interesting take on dancing. Check it out and let me know what you guys think about it? Do you think it should be considered a dance?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je76o02fe7c

Brukup in Brooklyn

I think I may have posted something about the emergence of Brukup earlier on the blog but I just found a photo slideshow that highlights the up and coming dance movement that has taken over the streets of Brooklyn. The photos are really interesting and show the appearance and costume aspect of this dance movement. Take a look!

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2011/03/08/fashion/0309brukup.html

B-Boys in Vegas.

I recently found an article talking about a B-Boy dancer who was performing in Las Vegas at the Extreme Thing Sports and Music Festival. C-Lev, the b-boy dancer, explains to the reporter the different styles of b-boy dancing and how he came to be a champion b-boy dancer. C-Lev also talks about his life growing up and dancing for his friends at their bat-mitzvahs. One important thing that he spoke about was the influence this type of dance has on the younger generation. In class, we watched several movies in which dance was a way to keep kids out of gangs and violence. A guy by the name of Tunay Ink has been a B-boy since 1980. In the article he stated, "Break dancing allows kids to express themselves in a positive way, as opposed to them taking it onto the streets. It will always have appeal." Dancing has always been a great way to influence others, not just in the studio or on stage, but in the community as well.

http://www.lvrj.com/living/broke-dancer-120995499.html

Do The Twist

Yesterday, at the South Carolina Beach Music Festival, there was an attempt to break the World Record for the most people to do the "Twist" simultaneously for more than 5 minutes. The current record is 1,692 people. However, they were unable to beat the record. Still though, this great number just exemplifies how one dance can become famous enough that people will try and make a world record out of it. Dances like the Twist, YMCA, and Thriller are world known examples of this. Below is the link to the article about the attempt to break the world record.

http://www.carolinalive.com/entertainment/story.aspx?id=612242

Who ever said the Royals were stuck up?

Check out this video and watch the Royal family break it down at the wedding: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kav0FEhtLug

After watching it, you may have noticed that it isn't actually the real Royal Wedding. But it is the actors from the movie that was filmed based on the wedding. T-mobile does many commercials like this involving dancing and flash mobs. It is a great marketing concept. The proof is in the numbers. At the time of this post, that video has been viewed on YouTube 17,662,689 times.