Street Dance Teacher Training Blog

• Have you attended dance auditions in the past and not got the job?

• Have you always wondered what choreographers are looking for at auditions?

• Want to get some great insight & tips on how to be more successful at your next audition?

If so, then you’ll definitely want to make yourself available for our next Ask The Expert FREE Teleseminar on Monday 19th September at 7pm.

Each month we run a Ask The Expert FREE TeleSeminar just for you.

In September, Stuart Bishop & Charlotte Stevens from Rudeye – the UK’s no1 dance agency, will be sharing their expert tips on how to impress choreographers at Street Dance auditions!

To get access to this exclusive interview, all you need to do is ask them a question now and details of the call and the Action Guide will be emailed to you.

Ask them your question now, while it is fresh in your head…

http://www.AskRudeyeAgency.com

I’ll listen for you on the call on the 19th September..

At the Street Dance Teacher Training Company we have some exciting news!

Our Street Dance Teacher Training programmes for next year (2012) are all going to be Level 4 QCF StreetDance Teaching, UK Government Recognised Qualifications.

This qualification is the equivalent to the first year of a university degree so we are really excited!

If you want to get a nationally recognised qualification in Street Dance Teaching, please see our website now for more details:

Click Here for More Details about our Level 4 QCF programmes in 2012

• Have you attended dance auditions in the past and not got the job?

• Have you always wondered what choreographers are looking for at auditions?

• Want to get some great insight & tips into how to be more successful at your next audition?

If so, then you’ll definitely want to make yourself available for our next Ask The Expert FREE Teleseminar on Wednesday 14th September at 7pm.

Each month we run an Ask The Expert FREE TeleSeminar just for you.

In September, Stuart Bishop & Charlotte Stevens from Rudeye – the UK’s no1 dance agency, will be sharing their expert tips on how to impress choreographers at Street Dance auditions!

To get access to this exclusive interview, all you need to do is ask them a question now and details of the call and the Action Guide will be emailed to you.

Ask them your question now, while it is fresh in your head…

http://www.AskRudeyeAgency.com

I’ll listen for you on the call on the 14th September..

Tonight will be an industry first…

For the first time in our industry you will be able to pick the brain of a UK Popping champion and listen to his expert tips and advice in a LIVE Teleconference!

At 7pm tonight, Mechanikool, the current UK Popping champion and Diversity’s Popping mentor, is going to be sharing with you his Top 5 Street Dancing tips! You will also have the opportunity to ask him anything you like at the end of the call – we are very excited!

Make sure you call in – it’s completely FREE to take part in this Teleconference, we aren’t charging you to listen. You will just have to pay to make the call (local call charges will apply)

Go to the following website, ask a question and the details for the call will be sent to you:
http://www.askMechanikool.co.uk

Alternatively, here are all the details:

Teleseminar Details
Date: Wednesday 17th August 2011
Time: 7:00 PM (GMT Time)
Dial in: 020 3151 1990
ConferenceID/PIN: 330955 #
Main Topic: Mechanikool’s 5 Top Street Dancing Tips
Duration: 130 minutes (approximately)

We’ll look forward to hearing from you on the call!

I saw a video of the Bruce Sista’s from Britain’s Got Talent. They combine Martial arts and Dance. What I liked about their performance is the commitment they give to each of their moves. As a result their dancing looks very strong and powerful. Their flexibility is also very impressive.

This got me thinking about why their moves look so strong and powerful. I think it is because when they dance they are also imagining they are really fighting, which makes their whole performance stronger.

This idea of imagining they are really fighting whilst they are also dancing, is a great technique that you can also use in dance. When I teach, I use metaphors to help students pick up the moves more easily. For example, if I had a move that was punching forward I might suggest to my students that they imagine they are defending themselves and have to punch something to escape. This would make them do the move much stronger and make it more effective. By using a metaphor, your student is easily able to associate with the move with something they are familiar with, helping them to dance it more effectively. By using a metaphor the student is also much more likely to remember the move too, which is an added bonus for you as a teacher.

Do you use metaphors when you teach?

To See Them Perform Please Click Here

I believe that it is so important to continually develop your own dance skills. The moment you say, I don’t need to go to classes myself any more or I don’t need to learn anymore, I believe you shouldn’t be teaching. The reason I say this is, I believe it is so important to keep your own skills fresh and inspiring.

So in keeping with my beliefs about continually developing and dancing, I always attend different classes in different dance areas that I want to develop. I am off to New York and Las Vegas at the end of the week to really expose myself to as many new street styles as possible..

Anyway, you don’t need to go to New York or Vegas to do this. Last night I went to a brilliant Popping class with Fred Folkes right here in the UK.

If I am completely honest, I did feel nervous. I was worried and had lots of questions in my head like…What would the other students be like? What would the pace be like? Would people be friendly? Would I be able to pick up the moves? Would I look silly?…It made me realise, how my students must feel when they come along to my class. If I had these thoughts and feelings and I’ve been in the industry for the last 20 years, how must my students feel! It also got me thinking about what I can do as a teacher to remove these worries for my students, before they even turn up.

Anyway, the class was great, everyone was friendly and I learnt some great new moves and drills. In the class, Fred Folkes shared his expert tips and advice on how to master the Boogaloo roll, along with other Popping moves, techniques and drills that we can practice at home. I learnt some great foundation popping moves that I am going to introduce into my own Street Dance choreography.

When was the last time you put yourself in a position where you could look silly? When was the last time you put yourself in a position where you were so challenged that there was the chance of you not picking up the moves? I believe it’s a healthy place to put yourself every now and again to remember what its like for your students.

Your thoughts on this would be great…

Have you heard of lyrical Hip Hop? It’s when choreographers create dance routines that take special note of the words used in the song. They choreograph specific moves to the lyrics in the song, hence the name lyrical Hip Hop.

Anyway saw this video and it made me smile. Check out his dance moves to Queens, don’t stop me now.

Okay so I know its not Lyrical Hip Hop but it made me smile…

I don’t know if you saw my post from a few days ago, about our NEW Ask The Expert Calls that we are thinking of holding.

These are going to be FREE calls where you get the chance to ask Street Dance Experts any questions you like.

Anyway just wanted to let you know that it looks like we’ve confirmed a UK Popping Champion to interview! Woohoo, we just wanted to let you know.

So, start thinking about what you would ask a former UK Popping champion…

We are thinking about holding an ASK THE EXPERT call every month.

What is an ASK THE EXPERT call?

We will bring in experts from the Street Dance industry (top Street Dancers, Poppers, Lockers and Breakers, Street Dance crews, judges, dance agencies, plus lots more) and you will have the opportunity to ask them any question you want to ask.

We are going to cover all the costs, all you’ll have to do is phone in, listen, learn and ask any questions you want.

I wanted to post about this to see if this is something you would be interested in?

Also, you can join the conversation about these calls, on our Street Dance Teacher Training Company Facebook page

Thanks in advance for sharing your opinion

Okay, so the video I’m posting – I know it isn’t Street Dancing but remember as Street Dancers and choreographers we can get our inspiration from everywhere. I believe that is the beauty of street Dance.

Check out the choreography in this video. Check out the precision – its awesome and quite hypnotic to watch.

I have used this technique before in my choreography i.e. when you have one person at the front and the dancers behind do different and varying arm movements. However, I have never performed it slowly in this way and with so many dancers behind. I like the effect it creates.

I think the reason why it is so successful is because of the precision of their moves. Also the flow they create in their arms and hands – it is very impressive.

What are your thoughts?