As a writer, I’m interested in the intersection between poetry and storytelling. How and when does an act of human speech become like a poem? How do poetry and storytelling come together and diverge?
--Devi Lockwood, One Bike, One YearRead more at:
Founded by Dominique Bravo, Pat Hall, and Jimena Martinez, Cumbe is the new home for African and diaspora dance in Brooklyn, bringing together classes and cultural education for dances from Africa, the Americas, and the Caribbean. At Cumbe, young people, adults, and families alike immerse themselves in the joy and vitality of music and dance from the African diaspora.For further information on Cumbe, the move and The Moving Party, click here.
Through a rich array of classes and dynamic teachers, students from novice to the experienced learn the rhythms and movements of Senegal, Guinea, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Haiti, and a broad range of other cultures. Performances, talks, and dance parties encourage a deeper understanding of the origins, meaning and evolution of these many dances, as well as connections between them.
Marking life moments big and small, joyous and fierce, dances from Africa and countries nourished and inspired by African traditions bring tremendous spirit to our modern lives. Through dance and music, Cumbe creates a community that celebrates exuberance, sensuality, power, and laughter! We look forward to supporting this community as we continue to offer a selection of classes in various locations through Brooklyn while we search for our new home. After three wonderful years of African and diaspora dance, we invite you to keep moving with us!
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| Anabella Lenzu (photo courtesy of the artist) |
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| Christal Brown (photo by Kimara Dixon) |
Moses "Bronx" McCarter leads a class for dancers of all levels in capoeira, an amazing and energetic folk dance from Brazil that ritualizes movement from martial arts, African dance and acrobatics.Fridays, February 7, 14, 21 and 28 (6-7pm)
Milteri Tucker, director of the Bronx-based Bombazo Dance Company, leads the all level class through the basics of Bomba, a joyous Afro-Puerto Rican dance and music style that is a communal activity celebrating the relationship between the dancer and the drummer. Class includes her skirt technique open to women and men. Bring your practice skirt and practice skirts will also be provided.Sundays, February 9, 16, 23 (4-5pm)
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| photos courtesy of Fly-By-Night Dance Theater |
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| Lynn Schwab, Chikako Iwahori and Max Pollak of Rumba Tap at American Tap Dance Foundations' 2012 Tap It Out (c)2012, Eva Yaa Asantewaa |
Need a place to make noise? Put your feet to the beat! Come check out our studios, meet the faculty and take a sample class!
Designed especially to give new students a chance to learn the basic steps and vocabulary of tap dance, this class is a great way to learn the FUNdamental skills or "brush up the basics."Fee: $78. To register, call 646-230-9564, or arrive 15-20 minutes early to register on the first day.
Michela Marino-Lerman first appeared on Sesame Street at the age of 5. In February 2002 she was showcased on the cover of Dance Teacher magazine with Gregory Hines. In 2005, she was named by Dance Spirit magazine as one of the 20 hottest tap dancers under 20 and in 2008, Dancemagazine named her as the only female tap dancer in its “25 to Watch in 2008.” Michela has appeared in both the Tap Extravaganza and Tap City numerous times over the past ten years. She won first prize in the Harlem Jazz Dance Festival’s, “Hoofer’s Challenge” in both 2002 and 2003. In 2002, Michela performed with Jennifer Holliday on Broadway in Nothing Like A Dame and also in 21 Below at Town Hall. In 2003, she was inducted into the famed Copasetics as their first and only female lifetime honorary member. In 2004-2006, Michela toured Spain and Japan with Rafael Amargo’s Enramblao. In the fall of 2005, her choreography was featured in the tap section of the opening number for the Bermuda Music Festival with UDP, starring Al Green, Angie Stone, and Patti LaBelle. At the age of 19, she was commissioned by Dixon Place to create and direct her own show, entitled AM+bu$h+ED. 2007 saw Michela tour Europe for 3 months as a lead dancer in the hit show Magic of the Dance and also appear in Sarah Savelli and Ayodele Casel’s Tappy Holidays. In 2008-2009, she was featured in the show hit Wonderland, an all tap show set to Stevie Wonder’s music and also in Chris Scott’s show W-L-U-V. In 2008 she appeared on CBS’s Secret Talents of the Stars with Grammy award singer Mya, performing the choreography of Emmy award winner Jason Samuels Smith. Since 2007, Michela has been a featured performer at NYC’s hottest nightclub, The Box. She recently danced with the Roy Hargrove at the Jazz Gallery and the Village Vanguard. She has also been commissioned by the American Tap Dance Foundation and HarlemStage to show her new work entitled Tapsploitation. Recently she has been co-creator in forming the tap dance company The Tap Messengers who have performed at the CareFusion Jazz Festival with Talib Kweli and Nicholas Payton in the Revive Da Live Big Band, Joe’s Pub, and HarlemStage opening for Marcus Strickland. Michela is grateful for the mentoring and guidance given to her by Buster Brown, Gregory Hines, and Leroy Myers. She has also studied with Jason Samuels Smith, Henry LeTang, Baakari Wilder, Ayodele Casel, Derek Grant, Dianne Walker, and many other gifted teachers. She has taught in numerous schools, studios, programs, and festivals throughout the world. As a performer, teacher, director, and choreographer Michela is dedicated to spreading the art of tap around the world.American Tap Dance Foundation
IDEAS CITY explores the future of cities around the globe with the belief that arts and culture are essential to the vitality of urban centers, making them better places to live, work, and play. Founded by the New Museum in 2011, IDEAS CITY is a major collaborative initiative between hundreds of arts, education, and community organizations. This year’s theme is Untapped Capital, with participants focused on resources that are under-recognized or underutilized in our cities.Quite appropriately, then, Dance New Amsterdam (DNA) will partner with IDEAS CITY 2013 for a full day of performance, engagement and fun. Learn more here and get involved!
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| From white Wash by Gil C. Harush (photos by Eyal Resh) |
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| Renana Raz (photo by Noam Hamo ) |
It’s been a rough few days, thanks to Hurricane Sandy. But we’re ready to get dancing again, and we’d like to make it a little easier on your wallet to say goodbye to Sandy.
From Nov 3-10, we’d like to offer you a buy one get one half off deal on classes. Buy one class at the regular price, get another one for half off that day. We will be running on a limited class schedule, so try a new teacher or genre. Anything to get moving again, right?
From Nov 11-17, we’re bringing back our 11 for $11 class card deal. We think everyone needs a little break at this time, so we’re going to open this one back up to nonmembers as well as members. DNA members are eligible to purchase TWO class cards; nonmembers can purchase ONE.
Purchase your 11 for $11 card November 11-17
Not a member yet? Purchase a membership now to be eligible for TWO 11 for $11 class cards!
Click here to see our full member benefits
*Both BOGO classes must be used on the same day. All BOGO classes expire on November 10, 2012. Limit one 11 for $11 card per nonmember, two cards per member. Two month use from activation date. One month extensions are available for a fee. Cards must be activated by January 1, 2013. Sale ends Saturday, November 17 at 11:59pm.Complete information here
Fitness @ DNA is designed for the 9-5er, always on the go and always wishing for a little more time. Who can take an hour off to go to the gym? Not you. So DNA is offering 20- and 40-minute classes designed to tone, stretch, and shape your body but not take up your entire day.Get a schedule of classes and complete information here.
The Tap City Tap Competitions is the first of its kind that specializes in the many diverse styles, modes, grooves, and musical time signatures of tap dance. The Tap City Tap Competitions will focus on three different styles to be announced early enough for the dancers, teachers and choreographers to prepare. Because our interests lie in the advancement of this art form, we aim to further the perception and the presentation of Tap Dance in a comprehensive manner by demanding only excellence in execution, interpretation, musicality and choreography. Each participant will critiqued by an expert panel of judges.Click here to register.
A free, public and outdoor event performed downtown at the World Financial Center Marina as part of the acclaimed River to River Festival. Tap City participants will join local professionals in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the American Tap Dance Foundation.
We are bringing a really great team of dancers (mostly from New York City) to engage in a residency for the first four days in order to create new work and class structures for the festival over the following four days. Some collaborators include Brandin Steffensen, Jeremy Finch, Abigail Levine, Stephanie Fungsang, members of the Yaa Samar Dance Company, and more. Plus we'll be teaming up with local teachers and performers to create a festival that really is in, around, and for the town of Wellfleet.Fleet Moves, the co-directors promise, will "set the town in motion with all-day programming that includes daily classes, indoor and outdoor performances, a visual art exhibition, film screenings, and a closing night dance party."
Starting on May 12, we will have new Gaga/people and Gaga/dancers classes at Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn:
Congregation Beth Elohim (CBE) (Brooklyn):Gaga/people (starting 5/12). Saturdays, 11am-Noon – taught by Lee Sher
Congregation Beth Elohim (CBE) (Brooklyn) – Gaga/dancers (starting 5/12). Tuesdays, 8pm-9:15pm – taught by Jye-Hwei Lin; Thursdays, 3pm-4:15pm – taught by Candice Schnurr; Sundays, 12:30pm-1:45pm – taught by Hsin-Yi Hsiang
Mark Morris Dance Center (Brooklyn) – Gaga/people (ongoing). Wednesdays, 8pm-9pm
Classes at Mark Morris in May will be taught by Navarra Novy-Williams and Lee Sher.
The Gaga Summer intensive will be led by Adi Salant, Associate Artistic Director of the Bat Sheva Dance Company. August 18-24, 10am-5pm, in our studio in Park Slope.
For registration for the Summer Intensive, click here.
