Salsa

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What to Expect: This class can be taken standing up or sitting down, but JanpiStar, the instructor, is a wheelchair user and so movements are more focused on the upper body. Janpi will provide you with movement options and adaptations that you can use to adapt to your body and abilities on that day. Salsa is high energy and expect loud music and even louder dance moves! Everyone is welcome to experience the class - no dance experience required.

 

Agenda: Class will start with a warm-up and introduction of some salsa moves that will be used throughout the class. The class will be taught Zumba style, where Janpi will play multiple different songs and create short movement combinations to each song. You'll be doing different movement sequences to understand some of the salsa dynamics; in the second half of the class you'll use these movements to improvise and create your own version of salsa to enjoy.

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You have the option of using your head, arms, torso, neck, shoulders, elbows, and can even learn how to turn in your wheelchair. Shaking and shimmying is also included in Salsa, so get ready to wiggle your body in whatever way you like. You will learn lots of moves at the beginning of the class and then start to freestyle with these moves in the latter half of the class. 

 

Adjectives: 

High energy, exciting, free-flowing, joyful, rhythmic, fast class pace. 

 

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Cumbia

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What is Cumbia?

Tina Hecht teaches Cumbia! Cumbia is a style of dance and music that is extremely popular in Latin America, especially in Mexico. Prepare to go to your first Fiesta as you dress up, put on your dancing shoes or in gloves, to move to an upbeat dance that leaves you feeling rejuvenated.

 

Cumbia with Tina highlights Cumbia music, a blend of European, African and Indigenous sounds and rhythm. Upbeat and fun, Cumbia with Tina is sure to leave you dancing all day long!

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What to expect: In Cumbia with Tina you can expect an uplifting experience with very upbeat music and lots of positive vibes.

 

Agenda: Introduction of Cumbia, and instructor followed by a warm up song and we dance the rest of the class.

 

Adjectives:

Joyful, rejuvenating, fun, fast class pace.

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Contemporary Brazilian

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What is Contemporary Brazilian Dance Class? This dance class is not our usual Brazilian dance class; it is a meditative, explorative and musical movement experience that uses Contemporary & Brazilian dance techniques, music and concepts. 

 

What to expect: This class can be taken standing or seated. Our instructor Stephanie Bastos, teaches both in seated and standing positions. Expect meditation, warm-up, skill-build and playfulness through improvisation and choreography rooted in Contemporary & Brazilian dance techniques and African polyrhythms. 

 

Agenda: The class will start and end with a meditation. At the beginning of the class Stephanie will use the brain dance, which is a technique and concept created by a dancer and scientist that composes eight developmental movement patterns human beings are programmed to move through from 0-12 months that wire the central nervous system. The class will then transition to learning and creating choreography.

 

You might be expected to participate in this class, introduce yourself, your name and even get to contribute to the choreography! 

 

This class is all about finding your inner choreographic muse. Stephanie believes in meeting their students where they are at and will focus on creating a fun and collaborative experience by bringing dance technique, choreography and musicality into her class. The dance class aims to bring your focus internally and support your body so that you can move forward in your day with a fresh mind, spirit and energy. 

 

In this class, expect to explore new shapes of the body and new pathways of moving. The creative challenge may push your mental boundaries, but your body will feel good! Usually, the class creates a movement phrase together and participates in shared improvisation. This class definitely focuses on teaching participants how to use their bodies to express themselves! 

 

Adjectives: 

Meditative, rhythmic, exploratory, playful artistry, mid class pace.

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Mindfulness Movement

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What to Expect: This class is focused on cultivating present moment awareness. Students are invited to get curious about the environment within them and outside of them through a mixture of movement practices, journaling, and traditional mindfulness and lovingkindness meditations. Movement practices may include traditional “walking” meditations with adaptations, or improvisational movement. Such improvisational movement can be centered around the senses, body connections, objects in one’s space, shapes, nature, and more. Students are encouraged to get creative in finding the most comfortable and accessible way into the practice for them. Practices can be done standing, seated, laying down, and or using mobility aids. Noa provides different options for movement practices and meditation anchors.

 

Agenda: This is a 1 hour class. A typical class will usually start with an optional check in, then a mindful movement warm up, followed by mindful movement exercises, a 5 minute break, and then Noa will typically end class with either a guided mindfulness meditation, lovingkindness meditation or a mindfulness exercise.

 

Adjectives: Gentle, creative, exploratory, inquisitive, interactive, flexible, playful, present.

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Chair Tap

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What is Chair Tap? Chair tap is traditional Broadway style tap dance modified to be done in a seated position such as in a chair.  We do tap steps with our feet and our hands. 

 

What to Expect: This class is best for folks who are in a seated position! Mindy teaches from a chair and uses her legs to tap. You can also take this class if you can’t use your legs because Mindy provides upper body instructions as well. 

 

Agenda: The class will start with a warm-up and then transition to learning specific moves and practicing them at different speeds to various music.The class will end with a cool down and stretch. 

 

Chair Tap is rooted in technique - you will learn a lot of tap steps and get chances to practice them. She will break down our tap steps to the basics of stepping, marching, and foot placement as well as how to “tap” with your hands. Mindy will be using a wide variety of music from the 1940s to today. 

 

Mindy teaches these classes with playfulness and lightheartedness. She uses lots of repetition and rhythmic beats of music to instill the steps. She teaches hoping that her students leave the class feeling better (physically and mentally) than when they first arrived. Her focus is to help students feel accomplished after class. Whether it be a mastery of a step or more flexible ankles, we always achieve something. 

 

Adjectives: 

Musical/rhythmic, informative, skill-building, mid-slow class pace.

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Contemporary Ballet

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What to Expect: This class can be taken standing or seated, but our instructor, Samantha Figgins, prefers to sit in a chair for her class. This class focuses on body alignment, stretching, and feeling length in your body! 

 

Agenda: Class will start with a warm-up. Expect to be introduced to some ballet terms, positions and movements, which will then be modified with a more contemporary touch.The class will then transition its focus on learning choreography, using mostly the upper body; arms, shoulders & torso. However, you can choose to move whatever part of your body feels more comfortable. 

 

These classes are an opportunity for dancers to explore ballet to carve out space in the body and create a home there for self-expression and storytelling. Here, we will discover tools to help strengthen the body for the support of our exploration of the spine, choreography and improv.

 

Class tempo is mid-speed: faster than Urban Jazz but slower than Salsa. 

 

Adjectives: 

Smooth, expressive, dynamic, reflective, musical and peaceful.

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Contemporary Improv

 

What to Expect: During this class you will be exploring and improvising through movement prompts, phrases, shapes, and activities that celebrate the joy of inclusive community dance. Dance is for everybody- all ages, abilities, genders, and backgrounds are welcome. Our diversity will be our creative strength. You may dance while standing, sitting, on the floor, or from your bed. Feel free to travel around your space if that is available to you. Move as much or as little as you'd like and remember that you are the expert of your own body. Let's have fun, be curious, bold, silly, and free together. 

 

Agenda: At the end of class you will be invited to unmute yourself to share something you have experienced while dancing. Participants are encouraged to use Zoom's Gallery View option with their video cameras on so that we can  witness, interact, and respond to each other.

 

Class tempo is mid-speed: faster than Urban Jazz but slower than Salsa. 

 

Adjectives: 

Smooth, expressive, dynamic, reflective, musical and peaceful.

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Modern

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What to expect: Anna's modern classes are designed to get the body moving by drawing upon lessons from Gaga, Cunningham, Graham, Floorwork and Contact Improvisation. The aim is to open up your body, create pathways in space by utilizing spirals and learning phrase work layered with imaginative sensations to generate power.

 

Agenda: Classes begin with warm up that builds up into a phrase which is then repeated and ends with centering breathwork.