One of the most common things I hear when people talk about dance is that they just can’t do it. I’m not talking about Jazz, Ballet or Tap, I’m talking about getting up on the dance floor and having a good old boogie. Many avoid dancing at parties or nights out as they worry they can’t dance and there’s just no need!.
All of life’s biggest moments are celebrated with parties, friends, music and dancing so if you’re stuck on the sidelines you’re missing out on a lot of great moments.
In reality, everyone can dance. Not everyone can pirouette, do split leaps or triple time steps but everyone can sway from side to side and have a boogie with some friends. If you can feel the beat of the music then you can dance, simple as that.
To help you on your way to dance floor confidence we provide private dance lessons that will teach you some of the standard, fail safe moves that all social butterflies use to impress.
Then, once you’re feeling confident you’ll be piroetting before you know it!
What Wayne Said!
Last week The Royal Ballet took over YouTube with a live stream covering the whole day’s rehearsals, interviews with dancers, choreographers & staff, music collaborations and much more. I was working for most of the day so only managed to catch the last section where Wayne McGregor & Mark Ronson were discussing their latest collaboration on Carbon Life.
When asked about the creative process, specifically what order the different elements of costume, music and movement are decided in, Wayne answered ‘it starts with the music and the dance, then everything else falls into place’.
This struck a chord with me as it’s exactly how I create performance pieces. My initial ideas stem from a piece of music and a few key dance moves which are then developed within a theme and expanded upon. Sometimes there are physical constraints to deal with, perhaps dancers are very young or there might only be one entry/exit point on stage, and these things are all dealt with and solved in due course.
For the summer performance I will be bringing together child and adult dancers in a range of dance styles including Tap, Ballet, Modern, Hip Hop, Cabaret, Street Dance, Bollywood and probably a few more will be added before the piece is finished! The challenges here are to create a performance that shows everyone at their best, has a solid musical coherence and an overall vision of costume, lighting, set design & programme graphics to bring it all together.
Often the first thing a group of dancers will ask is ‘what are we wearing?’ but the truth is that this is one of the last things that’s decided. Costume is incredibly important for setting the tone but it needs to be created after the music & choreography have been set to ensure that all the moves are possible in whatever clothing is selected. There also needs to be balance between all the groups on stage so the performance works as a whole – there’s no point sending one group on stage in simple leotards with t-shirts if another group is wearing custom made tutus, for example – that, for me, is the thing that marks a difference between a performance and a display or recital that is simply a collection of dances one after the other with no relationship between them. It’s dull and rarely entices an audience to come again or get involved.
With the performance booked for Saturday 16th June there’s plenty of time to finalise the smaller details of each dance before meeting with our costume designer who is an expert at creating the perfect pieces for our dancers to wear. Although, with 30 years practice under her belt it’s no surprise!
Ticket details will be available very soon but in the meantime, keep practicing!
Easter Laughs & Easter Moves
Last year we introduced kids dance & comedy workshops to our holiday programme and they were so much fun that we’ve decided to do it all again this Easter.
Easter Laughs
Our amazing comedy tutor will be bringing his fantastic comedy workshops to Dance HQ. The workshops will feature a whole host of games aimed at turning your knock knock jokes into a short stand up routine to have your friends & family in stitches.
Easter Laughs Mon 2nd – Thurs 5th April 1pm-3pm £40
Easter Moves
Dance HQ’s Susan Elena will be teaching a range of dance styles over the full summer and the best part is that every routine will be completely new & fresh, just for you. As well as street & hip hop, Susan will be throwing in some contemporary, ballet, jazz & tap – you never know what’s coming next!
Easter Moves Mon 2nd – Thurs 5th April 10am-12pm £40
Easter Laughs & Easter Moves
Make the most of your holidays by combining our workshops, suitable for 5-15 year olds. All participants will be given the opportunity to perform what they’ve learned in front of their friends and family in a studio sharing at the end of the week.
Easter Laughs & Easter Moves Mon 2nd – Thurs 5th April 10am-3pm £70
Whoops!
Erm, so it looks like we have an apology to make… It has been 2 weeks since we last blogged and we’re very, very sorry. In our defence it’s because we’ve just been so busy dancing!
In the past 2 weeks we’ve performed a Flash Mob in a Bowling Alley, learned some rep from Scottish Ballet’s upcoming performance of A Streetcar Named Desire and welcomed adults and children to our latest block of classes.
Footage from our Bowling Alley Flash Mob will be online any day now so we’ll share all the gossip then but in the meantime here’s a little round up of our Scottish Ballet workshop.
Emma-Jane and Andrew from Scottish Ballet came to the studio equipped with electric piano, ballet shoes and notes on the production. We started the workshop by discussing all the different elements that are going into the performance and how they are changing on an almost daily basis.
A Streetcar Named Desire has only been made into a ballet once before so the challenges of bringing the story to life through dance are being tackled by the dancers and production team throughout the rehearsal process.
Director Nancy Meckler has been brought in to develop theatricality in the dancers, working on their acting skills whilst Annabelle Lopez Ochoa works on the choreography. Emma-Jane informs us that every dancer is used in ways they’ve never been asked to before as the performance demands much more than great ballet technique.
After a talk and technique class, Emma-Jane taught a section of rep from the corps de ballet. A strong piece of choreography that, to me, had more in common with Rites of Spring than Romeo & Juliet with it’s flexed feet, deep second plies and unexpected drops.
The group were then given the same creative task of passing a letter that the dancers had been given in the development of the choreography and were assured that they responded much quicker than the professionals!
The workshop was a fantastic insight into the creation of a ballet from a film and allowed the group to tackle the same creative tasks and choreography that the Scottish Ballet dancers will actually perform.
Now the fun part comes when we try to spot the section on stage!
A Streetcar Named Desire by Scottish Ballet
Blaze is Back!
For those of you not familiar with my background I started teaching adult tap and street classes almost 10 years ago using various school gym halls as a base before tiring of the council’s erratic cancellations and setting up Dance HQ. These classes performed twice a year in different venues, often in pieces with a narrative which incorporated each style rather than just being a display of individual dances.
These classes were collectively known as Blaze, which some of you will recognise from the Dance HQ timetable. Recently Blaze has taken a bit of a sabbatical as other projects, including the Blaze Dance Academy for young dancers, have been given time to develop but now, the time is right to bring Blaze back.
We are calling all enthusiastic dancers of any style to come and join us for a performance in Glasgow this June supporting the Blaze Dance Academy. All dancers are welcome, regardless of age, ability or experience – this is supposed to be FUN! – but you must be available on Saturday 16th June for the performance and a commitment to attend weekly classes on Tuesday evenings is expected.
March Madness
We’ve got so much lined up for you that we think a handy little round up is in order.
3rd – Hip Hop ‘n’ Flo Workshop with Kelly Shearer £15
Hip Hop to Florence & the Machine may not be a combination that many think of but when it works, it works well!
This class will combine strong, intricate streetdance with full-bodied and high-powered contemporary styles. With a high emphasis on musicality and expression, you should come prepared to sweat!
10th Flash Mob Workshop, Performance & Night Out £5
Following the success of last summer’s Flash Mob on Buchanan Street we have been asked to provide another one for a secret company. The Flash Mob routine will be taught and rehearsed at Dance HQ from 12.30pm-3.30pm then we’ll travel to the secret location to perform it at 5pm.
Also included, is an evening of family-friendly entertainment at the same location. Please don’t try to guess the location as we won’t tell anyone until after signing up.
The Flash Mob routine will be fairly short with simple moves and will be suitable for adults and children, all under 16s must be accompanied by an adult. Breaks will be given during rehearsals so please bring a packed lunch and plenty of water.
If you’ve always wanted to be part of a Flash Mob, this is your chance and we’re throwing in an evening of entertainment to celebrate so what’s stopping you?
11th Vintage & Craft Fair FREE
Whether you are looking to earn some extra cash or buy some unique presents in time for Mother’s Day, this is the perfect opportunity.
With stalls including vintage clothing and accessories, homemade jewellery, records & CDs, unique gifts and home baking as well as some great tunes adding to the atmosphere we know this will be a great day out.
Free entry for all guests, it’s a great chance to spring clean your wardrobe.
17th A Streetcar Named Desire Scottish Ballet Workshop £15
In the 65th anniversary year of Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Scottish Ballet presents vibrant new take on A Streetcar Named Desire, collaborating with theatre and film director Nancy Meckler and international choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa to create a powerful infusion of drama and dance.
Trying to leave a troubled past behind her, fading southern belle Blanche DuBois moves into her sister Stella’s New Orleans apartment. Stella’s brutish husband Stanley sees that Blanche is not what she appears to be, and sets out to destroy her…
Dance HQ is delighted to be hosting this fantastic workshop with Scottish Ballet. Take class and learn rep from the performance then enjoy a post-workshop Q&A session.
This workshop is a must for all ballet lovers.
24th Tease with Tom DeLish Burlesque Workshop £15
Have you ever wanted to learn how to strut like Dita Von Teese or command a room like Immodesty Blaize? Tom DeLish can teach you how to perform like the Burlesque stars of the stage and silver screen.
This workshop will cover the basics such as poise, elegance, walking & facial expressions and will include learning a saucy new routine to impress someone special or just have fun on your own. This class will also help you release your inhibitions and celebrate your body in all its wonderful glory.
Please bring high heels (that are comfy to wear for full class), a long scarf or feather boa, a spare bra and wear comfy clothing (leggings and t- shirt is perfect) Feel free to come with makeup and hair done to get you in the mood for the class – even just a bit of red lipstick will make you feel gorgeous!
*please note there will be no actual nudity during the class*
31st Voguing & Waacking Workshop with Emma Park £15
Voguing & Waacking are the most glamorous styles of the urban dance movement and although often paired together they are both extremely unique. Get ready to learn the distinction between the styles through music, evolution and intention whilst we work our bodies with precision, rhythm and attitude.
Fresh from her trip to NYC and studying with Archie Burnett (one of the prime club dancers of the 70s and 80s), Emma is eager to get everyone moving in the moment whether they are striking a pose or riding the soul train!
Did Someone Mention A Monthly Deal?
It’s almost the end of the month, which can mean only 1 thing… another great Monthly Deal is on its way!
This month, we’re offering you the chance to get a block of classes for half price when you book a full price block. Yep, Buy One Get One Half Price! Or 2 blocks of classes for just £36, saving you 25% off the full price.
This offer is only available on our regular weekly adult classes during the March block and excludes Graded Ballet & Graded Tap. The deal cannot be extended or transferred to another block under any circumstances so please check your availability before booking. If you miss a class you are entitled to a make up session but this must also be used within the block.
1st March Monthly Deal – Buy One Get One Half Price
Once you’ve bought your deal, we will email you to ask which blocks you’d like to take. Please ensure you buy the Monthly Deal to take advantage of this offer, all other blocks will be charged at the usual rate.
Peace & Jam
Calling all Freelance Dance Tutors/Performers/Choreographers – this one’s for you!
After spending 10 years as a freelancer I know one of the biggest drawbacks is the isolation and the fact that it can sometimes be months between catching up with other dance friends. Another drawback is having to choreograph routines in your bedroom/car/kitchen. So, to help out our fellow dance professionals we’ve come up with ‘Peace & Jam’ a weekly open house for networking, catching up, working on new material or having a good old boogie!
Every Friday afternoon from 1.30pm-3.30pm we’ll be opening our doors to any dance professional who wants to use the space either for some peace & quiet or a wee jam in the studio – Peace & Jam, clever eh!
We’ll provide the teas, coffees & studio space and all we ask for is a small donation to cover the costs on a ‘pay what you can basis’. The studio space will be shared amongst anyone who wishes to use it and cannot be used for commercial purposes, this is an opportunity to try out new material and meet other dance professionals.
Peace & Jam will start on Friday 24th February 1.30pm-3.30pm and will be a weekly event. Please spread the word.
Our Flash Mob Needs You!
Last summer we invited many of you to come and join our Flash Mob, taking Glasgow’s shoppers by surprise on a Saturday afternoon, and since then we’ve had some requests for more. Most of these requests have either been at VERY short notice (in one instance we were given just 1 day!) or have fallen foul to last minute complications but we have another one lined up and it’s all systems go!
On Saturday 10th March we need 45 people to join us in a brand new Flash Mob workshop, performance and night out. We’re looking for people of all ages and abilities to come and join the fun. We’ll teach and rehearse the routine in the afternoon then head off to our secret location to perform it at 5pm. Immediately after the performance we’ll be treated to a fun night out courtesy of our fun, family-friendly location.
We won’t reveal the exact details of our secret location until the day of the workshop so please don’t ask but we will say it’s one of Glasgow’s top entertainment venues and is suitable for people of all ages.
Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult and everyone must give photographic consent.
If you’ve always wondered what it’s like to be part of a Flash Mob or if you loved it last year and want to do it all again, come and get involved.
Rehearse 12.30pm-3.30pm
Performance 5pm
A Streetcar Named Desire
Today is the day that Scottish Ballet start rehearsals for their new production of A Streetcar Named Desire so here’s a little taste of the original. The performance will be touring in April but we’re very lucky to be getting a sneak peek of the performance and some insider info at our A Streetcar Named Desire Scottish Ballet Workshop on Saturday 17th March.
The workshop will include learning sections of repetoire from the performance as well as a chance to interrogate chat to those involved first hand. Spaces are limited and this workshop will sell out so please book soon to avoid disappointment.
A Streetcar Named Desire Scottish Ballet workshop Saturday 17th March 1pm-3pm £15