UPCOMING EVENTS:
Social Dance Skills Class
A deep dive into connection, communication, and play within social dance forms
Nov 1-Dec 13, Sundays from 4-6 at the Belfast Dance Studio, except for the first class, which is 5:30-7:30, and Dec 6 which will involve a tbd location/time switch. $105-210 for the whole series or $15-30/class. Payments can be made on Venmo to @miabertelli. No partner necessary, no one turned away for lack of funds.
Join Mia Bertelli and Willy Cemetson for a deep dive into connection, communication, and play within social dance forms, including but not limited to waltz, Balfolk, and Nordic dance traditions. We’ll be offering instruction in new dances and exploring all the elements that make those forms juicy, with the goal of cultivating an informed and curious dance body that will serve you across dance forms. This will not be a class on flourishes, but rather an invitation to sink deeper into the fundamental elements of connection that allow dance to be a true conversation, and an opportunity to practice allowing yourself to be completely surprised by–yet 100% present with–what might be said.
Class Elements include:
body awareness
spatial awareness
weight, counterweight, and balance
partner connection/communication
connection to music/music as partner/lead
play and improvisation within a form
listening and reciprocity
role fluency + exchange (guide and interpreter)
guiding stops and suspensions
movement articulation
holds
curiosity as lead
dance forms and stylistic elements of specific traditions, including waltz, balfolk, and nordic dance, with possible forays into two-step, cajun, zydeco, and/or fusion.
Specific dances may include waltz, mazurka, balfolk+nordic scottische, tiny polka, bourrée à 2 temps, hanter dro, andro, gavotte de l’Aven, 5/4 waltz, rondo en chain, cercle circassien, chappelloise, polska, slangpolska. Not every dance we do will be a partner dance, but many will be!
PREVIOUS OFFERINGS:
Seny Daffe was born in Conakry, Guinea. He began studying dance and drum at the age of ten. He is a versatile musician and plays the djembe, krin, bolon, gongoma, sangban, balafon, and doundouns. He is also a very talented singer and comedian, and is widely known and acclaimed to this day in Conakry as a big star!
Daffe has a wealth of performing experience in traditional and Contemporary Dance and Drum. He has been a member, director, and composer for Messages of Boulbint-African Rhythm Tap Company, Ballet Bassikolo, and Seny Daffe Company. He also toured extensively in West Africa, Europe, and the United States and has performed with renowned artists Mamadi Keita, Fatoubou Camera, Abou Sylla, and Bahaly Camera.
Since coming to the United States in 2006, he has traveled the Eastern coast from Florida to Vermont working with several companies and well known artists. He is now a member of Jeh Kulu. Seny plays regularly for Jeh Kulu dance and drum classes, and assists in musical direction and choreography. He is a multi-talented and dynamic performer who is gaining a reputation in the U.S. for his electrifying doundoun playing and rich and powerful voice.
About the Instructor: Manushi Desai
Born and raised in New Jersey, Manushi started dancing before she could talk. She is trained in a variety of of styles, including Bollywood, belly dancing, and West African. Drawing from these diverse influences, she blends elements from each to create a unique and dynamic approach to dance. Manushi is excited to bring Bollywood Beats to Belfast Dance Studio!
Cha Cha Crash course!!
March 10th- 7-8:30 pm
For more information:
Courtney Porter: 207-322-5063
ONGOING OFFERINGS:
