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?