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Intro to Dance, Wednesday Period 1

Wed, 17 Apr 2019 15:39:42 GMT

Posted by: arboreal_priestess

So, Verity had had the final last week because it seemed like a good idea to have it before prom ~~not because I couldn't read a calendar~~. Which left today kinda free from lessons.

"Okay, Verity said, back in the dance studio. "I know many of you are studying for finals, but it's really important to move around sometimes while you're studying. Get your heart rate up, get your blood flowing, that actually helps you retain information better and helps get rid of study fatigue. So today we're going to stretch and then it's a freeform dance class."

She had her playlist set up, a bunch of high-energy songs that could be adapted to formal ballroom dances or just grooved to on a casual basis. Whatever worked best for each student.

"All right, one-and-two-and-three-and begin!"

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Intro to Dance, Wednesday Period 1

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 14:06:34 GMT

Posted by: arboreal_priestess

As far as Verity was concerned, there was no good reason for her to be out of her house right now. But, apparently, the school disagreed, so here she was in the Danger Shop, trying to give a bunch of hormonal teens a final exam.

In ballroom.

Rather than anyone have to worry about touching each other, Verity had programmed a bunch of partners and tried to make them as featureless as possible. Hard to get turned on - hopefully - by a grayish, human outline. Just to be safe, she'd also programmed in a science safety shower, where someone could just go and stand under it to be drenched in cold water.

"Welcome to your final," Verity said, as soon as the bell rang. "It's pretty simple. All you need to do is show me you know two dances, leading and following. There's plenty of time to practice and whenever you're ready, you can come dance for me. Once you're done dancing, you're free to go. Have a great prom, try not to do anything you'll regret come Monday."

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Intro to Dance, Wednesday Period 1

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 08:24:43 GMT

Posted by: arboreal_priestess

Verity greeted the whole class with a big grin as they entered. "Welcome to your final class," she said. "Next week will be the final - where you're just going to have to successfully dance to about a minute or so of music, don't worry - so today is the last day to teach you a dance. Which means today, you learn the tango."

She immediately put on music, slow and sultry. "The tango is about desire and passion, for life, for love, for sex, even for violence," she explained, easing into a solo routine. "Even if you learn the steps perfectly, you have to figure out what passion you're unlocking during the dance to really make it work. Otherwise, you're just doing a collection of fancy steps."

She stopped dancing, bringing her feet together in preparation for leaning the steps. "The Argentinian tango is complicated, with eight individual steps," she said, starting to demonstrate the follower's steps. Then she moved to showing off the leader's steps, which were the follower's except in reverse. "So, let's practice, a one and a two and a three and four."

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Intro to Dance, Wednesday Period 1

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 18:44:56 GMT

Posted by: arboreal_priestess

Back in the dance studio, rather than the Danger Shop, so odds were good that whatever had been bothering their teacher last week was at least...mostly over? So that was a bonus.

"Today, we're learning the main step for salsa dancing," Verity explained. "It's actually a very easy dance - basically a walk, with your hips and arms doing most of the work to sell it as a dance number."

After stretches, she had them line up. "First, you're going to bend your knees a bit, enough so you can feel the stretch in your thighs, but you're still able to walk. Start with your right leg taking a step forward. Take another step forward with your left leg, then pick up your right foot and put it back down in the same place it was in before. Honestly, you're taking a few steps forward and then a few steps back, back and forth. That's it. That's the whole dance."

She demonstrated for them. It was two steps forward, then three steps back. That landed her on her right foot one step behind where she had started from. One step forward on her left foot got her back to her starting position, and then she was doing the original step all over again: two steps forward, starting on her right foot again. "If your knees weren't bent, it would just look like you're walking in place," she said. "But the knees make your hips exaggerate and then you move your arms, too." She demonstrated. "After that, it's all starting the music and making sure your steps fall on the beat."

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Intro to Dance, Wednesday Period 1

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 19:36:28 GMT

Posted by: arboreal_priestess

Class met in the Danger Shop today. Verity was still supposed to be taking it easy, but ahahaha. No luck with that after the 'conversation' she'd had with Liam on Monday. The one that had ended with him walking out, with no sign when - or if? - he'd be coming back.

Time to push that out of her mind and focus on class though. Blessed, blessed class. "So, on the first day of classes, I chatted about how most fights fell into a kind of rhythm and how dancing could help you figure that rhythm out and use it. What I didn't mention was that there have been certain kinds of dances that are actually fighting styles for centuries now. Today we're going to learn about one in particular: Capoeira. It was created by enslaved Africans in Brazil, who needed a way to practice fighting moves under the noses of their captors. Through the history of Capoeira, it has been banned several times by the Brazilian government because of racism, but in 2014, it was named a 'intangible cultural heritage' by UNESCO. Today, we'll be going over the basic steps."

Which meant stretching was even more important than usual, kids!

"And once you've learned the basics, you can practice them out with some Danger Shop dummies until it feels like second nature."

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Intro to Dance, Wednesday Period 1

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 16:42:18 GMT

Posted by: firstofitskind

... was cancelled, as per an email sent out to the students early Wednesday morning, a copy of which the office moose had ensured was tacked up on the classroom door:

Morning all,

Verity wanted me to let you know that she's sorry, but she won't be able to make it in, and so is cancelling class today.

- Kincaid

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Intro to Dance, Wednesday Period 1

Wed, 13 Feb 2019 13:05:04 GMT

Posted by: arboreal_priestess

Verity wasn't alone in the classroom today; Liam was standing next to her in front of the wall of mirrors when the class walked in. "Hey class, come in. Since it's the day before Valentine's Day and there's a dance coming up at the end of the week, I thought we'd deviate from coursework a little and teach you how to slow dance. There's more to it than awkwardly swaying to the music. To help me demonstrate what to do, today we're joined by Liam, who's agreed to be my co-teacher today."

“A recent promotion,” Liam said with a grin. “Up until yesterday I was still just a student myself.”

"You'll be fine, babe," Verity assured him. "So let's stretch and warm up, huh?"

Since they'd be slow dancing for the rest of the class, Verity had picked out a bunch of fast-paced Latin dances to stretch to, just for contrast. When that was over, her slow dance playlist queued up. "Okay," she said, standing up and tugging Liam with her. "The first thing you need to do is stand up with your partner at a distance that's comfortable for you both. That may be almost a foot apart if you're nervous or don't know people well, or it might be much closer if you're comfortable." She pressed against Liam's chest, barely coming up to his chin, even in her heels. "In the end, you'll probably be most comfortable a few inches apart." She backed up, until there was maybe about a handspan of distance between them. "Whoever is leading, their left hand will go either on the follower's lower back, or right behind their shoulderblade. Followers, your right hand will rest on their shoulder." She and Liam demonstrated, with Liam taking the follower position.

Gender roles be damned, she was the professional dancer of this partnership. "Your other hands clasp to the sides. If we're being formal, they go up to your shoulders, if you're more casual, they stay low, around your hips." They found a comfortable location, going lower because they were demonstrating a casual dance. "Now, leaders, your hands are how you communicate what you want to do. If you want to move across the floor, you tug in that direction with your clasped hands. You want to move in a circle, you push with your clasped hand and lessen then pressure with your hand on their back. That tells the follower to move backwards. Followers, your job is to pay attention to what the leader is trying to tell you to do." Without speaking, Verity and Liam walked up and down in a row, then left towards the mirrors and back, Verity using her hands to gently signal which direction she wanted him to pivot in.

"The steps are actually really easy to slowdance," she explained, once they'd finished demonstrating how to communicate without words. "It's two steps - one out to the side, and then you bring your other foot next to it. Then you do it again in the opposite direction. Once you get this basic step down, we can move to the big finishers: dips and spins."

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Intro to Dance, Wednesday Period 1

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 12:43:05 GMT

Posted by: arboreal_priestess

"So, one of the problems with teaching ballroom dance is the idea that it's old," Verity said when class started. "Dated. Something that is reserved for old people and weddings. But there are a couple of institutions that are devoted to keeping ballroom modern and updated." She grinned. "And that's the world of reality TV dance competitions."

Which was roughly when the portal opened up next to her in the dance studio. "So today, you get to watch a live series of performances to really get a feel for what it's like to dance in front an audience to modern music. While you're watching, see if you can pick out the original steps that we've gone over in class and then how the dancers build upon them, okay?"

Like the steps in the foxtrot and the three-count in even a Viennese waltz!

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Intro to Dance, Wednesday Period 1

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 20:34:21 GMT

Posted by: arboreal_priestess

Class today started with the lights low and another screen at the front. Don't worry, kids, it wasn't another movie day, Verity just wanted to show a quick movie clip.

"So, the waltz," Verity said as the clip played. "In our day, it's considered one of the fanciest of the old-fashioned dances, lovely and formal. When the Vienniese was introduced in the 18th century, however, it was considered quite the scandal. Dances before that were group affairs, partners switching with a lot of intricate steps. This was a one-on-one dance, where the partners held each other scandalously close. How times have changed."

After stretches, Verity had the whole class stand in line in front of the mirrored walls. "So, today, we're learning the box step for the waltz. The waltz is slightly different than a lot of other dances as it goes in 3/3 time. One-two-three, one-two-three." She counted out the time for them, tapping her foot loudly to show the rhythm. "Today, we're learning the waltz box step. It's very easy. You start with your weight on the right leg, step forward with the left. Then take a step to the side with your right leg, and lastly, bring your left leg together next to your right. Step forward, step to the side, bring your legs together. Then, you do it backwards: take a step back with your right foot, step to the left, and then bring your right leg in. You should be back to your original starting position."

She demonstrated, dancing in a small square: forward, to the right, feet together and then backwards, to the left, feet together.

"We're going to practice this way all at once, but remember: whoever is leading starts going forward with their left leg, and whoever is following starts backwards on their right leg. You should always be mirroring what your partner is doing. Keep that up and soon you'll be waltzing. Leaders, right hand on your partner's lower back, left hand holding theirs. Followers, right hand on your partner's shoulder, left hand holding theirs. Dance a couple of boxes, then switch who's leading and who is following."

Look at that, kids, you were waltzing! Hopefully.

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Intro to Dance, Wednesday Period 1

Wed, 23 Jan 2019 19:39:53 GMT

Posted by: arboreal_priestess

The Freakshow was about to reopen under Kitty's management and Verity was run ragged trying to get the choreography right. She'd been up until dawn going over the steps for the dancers and ended up dragging herself into class without sleeping.

"No dancing today," she announced when the class arrived. "Sorry, kids. Movie day. It's got some of my favorite tango dances in it."

And then she was going to sit at her desk and try not to fall asleep.

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Intro to Dance, Wednesday Period 1

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 08:54:30 GMT

Posted by: arboreal_priestess

"Today we're actually going to learn a dance," Verity announced. "You've learned the basics of rhythm, you've learned to move parts of your body in isolation, now time to learn actual steps. And today, we're learning one of the easiest dances to begin with, the Foxtrot."

Made up of four steps in its most basic form, Verity was confident that she could have everyone dancing to it by the end of the day. "For this class, you'll be splitting up into partners, taking turns leading and following. Usually that's broken down by gender lines, but there's no reason not to learn both parts. They're the same step, just performed backwards."

And often in heels, but Verity wasn't going to make them all try dancing in heels yet. First she'd need to see them successfully walk in heels.

"The Foxtrot has a rhythm of slow-slow-quick-quick," she explained. "Which means that the first two steps each take about a beat, and the last two make up a half beat each. If you're leading, you start with your left foot and take a step forward, and then do the same with your right foot. Then you step to the left and bring your feet together. Followers, you do this in reverse. Start right, take a step back, then another step back with your left, a step to the right, and end with feet together." She demonstrated this for them several times, both backwards and forwards. "Okay, so we're going to practice the steps for a few minutes, both leading and following, and then you're going to pair up and practice dancing together. One person lead, the other follow, and then when you feel pretty confident, swap."

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Intro to Dance, Wednesday Period 1

Wed, 09 Jan 2019 19:50:06 GMT

Posted by: arboreal_priestess

It was once again too early in the morning for this. But the moose had been immovable and so here they were again, bright and early, unlike the sun which hadn't even risen a full hour ago.

Disgraceful. That was what it was.

But she had class, which meant that even if she couldn't quite hit 'pep,' she still couldn't be a zombie for them.

After going through that morning's stretches (to the catchy beat of 90s Italian pop), Verity explained the day's lesson. "So much of dance is being able to move your body around to the music," she explained. "But sometime around puberty, most people forget how to just move. We become stiff and locked up, moving all of our body at once instead of individual parts. This is especially true with hips and, honestly, if you can't move your hips freely, you'll never be able to dance. So today, we're going to do some exercises to loosen you all right up."

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Intro to Dance, Wednesday Period 1

Wed, 02 Jan 2019 09:26:27 GMT

Posted by: arboreal_priestess

Verity wasn't hung over anymore but being up and ready to teach a dance class at 8am made her feel like she was. It was possible that she was going to go and kick the moose in the face when class was finished. Still, if she could come out screaming with excitement at seven in the morning to tape the opening of Dance or Die!, she could at least fake some pleasantries.

"Morning," she said, welcoming the class into the dance studio. There was a wall of mirrors with a barre mounted in front of them. Verity was standing in front of it, doing stretches. She'd sent out a ~~handwavy~~ email to students, requesting that they come to class in comfortable clothing they could move in, with either sneakers or, should they have them, ballet flats. Later in the semester, Verity might try to transition them to ballroom heels or jazz shoes, but not until they were comfortable moving around. "Welcome to Intro to Dance. I'm Verity Price, a semi-professional Argentinian tango dancer, and we're going to be focusing on ballroom dance this semester. Ballroom dance is excellent for helping improve your balance, flexibility, and strength. But perhaps the two most important aspects of ballroom are what we're going to be focusing on today: rhythm and the ability to work with a partner."

Or, as Verity liked to think of it: nobody learns dips until she knows they won't be dropped.

"The first part of every class is going to be devoted to warmups and stretches," she explained, gesturing for everybody to sit on the floor. "It's really easy to pull a muscle or get cramps while dancing and stretching first helps prevent those." She ran through about ten minutes of easy stretches with the class. The first and last set of exercises were the same, so they could see if they were able to reach farther and stretch deeper than before.

Once they had finished stretching, Verity turned on the music. "All right, let's start working on that rhythm and teamwork, shall we?"

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Dance- Monday- 3rd period

Sun, 10 Aug 2014 22:07:00 GMT

Posted by: throughaphase

Today the Danger Shop was done up like a small private theater, with cushy arm chairs that reclined and a popcorn cart up at the front.

"Yeah, so I kind of didn't have time to get class together seeing as how this weekend was basically crazytown," Kitty said apologetically. "And since it's our last class and I'm sure everyone's probably a little out of it anyway, I figured we'd just have movie day. You've been a great class, and I'm really sorry to go out on a lame note."

Not so sorry that she wouldn't push play, but whatever.

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Dance- Monday- 3rd period

Sun, 03 Aug 2014 21:10:00 GMT

Posted by: throughaphase

When the students got to class today they'd find the ~~NPC~~ dancers from a couple weeks ago hanging out behind Kitty. Seriously, the Danger Shop made some things so much easier.

"Hey, guys. Sorry I wasn't here last week, but I hope you were good for the sub." Kidding. The students here were freakishly good. "This week we're going to do some more partner dances, meaning the tango," Kitty continued. "That'd be the one you usually see done super dramatic, usually with a rose in someone's mouth? We are not doing that. There are no roses in class. You want roses, you can do that on your own time. We're learning the beginner steps, so get your stretches in and we'll get right into learning."

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Dance- Monday- 3rd period

Sun, 27 Jul 2014 23:35:00 GMT

Posted by: brainfreediet.livejournal.com

Class was being held in the gym today, where there were mats, ribbons, balls, clubs, and hoops. Also, instead of Kitty, there was a guy in a wheelchair.

"Hey, class. Kitty couldn't be here today, so she asked me to fill in," Flash said. "I'm Coach Thompson. I run the Sports workshop on Fridays. And beyond the basics that you might have to do at a school dance or wedding, I don't know much about dancing at all. But I know a little bit about something that involves dancing."

"There's a sport called rhythmic gymnastics. It's a lot like regular gymnastics, but it's more dance-y and usually involves one of these props," Flash said, gesturing to the stuff off to the side. "It first developed in its current form in the 1940's before making it into the 1984 Olympics. The props get used as part of a floor routine, and you use them pretty much how you'd expect. You throw and bounce the ball, twirl the ribbon, spin the hoop around yourself, throw the clubs... Pretty much whatever you can do to express whatever feeling you're trying to express in your routine. And, of course, doing it with a high level of technical expertise."

"I don't expect any of you to be that great with any of this stuff yet," Flash said. "But try some stuff out and see what you can do to put together a routine. Have fun with it. And try not to club anyone by accident."

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Dance- Monday- 3rd period

Sun, 20 Jul 2014 21:12:00 GMT

Posted by: throughaphase

A couple of the students here might recognize the visitors in the class with Kitty today. Well, 'visitors' made it sound creepy. There were a few ~~NPCs~~ Danger Shop-programmed dance partners in class today, one for each of the girls plus Kitty.

"Heya, guys," Kitty greeted the class. "Today we're doing a dance with a partner. I'm sure you've probably at least heard of swing music. You know, the dancing you see in World War II movies that's all super bouncy with the guys tossing the girls around and looking all awesome? You're not going to get tossed around, don't worry, but we are going to be doing that. Specifically, the most common kind of swing dancing, the lindy hop. It's old-fashioned, but pretty fun. So get your stretches in, grab a partner, and we're going to go straight to learning the routine with them today."

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Dance- Monday- 3rd period

Sun, 13 Jul 2014 21:33:00 GMT

Posted by: throughaphase

"Oh, thank god, everything's normal," Kitty said when class began. "Also, hello! So other than that, we're going to pretend nothing happened and go on with things like normal. So. This week we're going to give Irish dancing a spin. You might have seen this, because it kind of took off in the 90's with the whole Riverdance thing, but basically it's a cultural dance, which can either be performed as a solo dance or in groups. Now, this goes against some of what we've been doing, because it tends to be a pretty rigid dance. You want to keep your torso straight and your arms at your side and do all the work with your legs. That can be a lot harder than you think."

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Dance- Monday- 3rd period

Sun, 06 Jul 2014 21:21:00 GMT

Posted by: throughaphase

"Heya, guys," Kitty greeted the students. "We're going to be doing real dancing, today, and we're not exactly starting off easy, because this week we're starting with hip hop. If you've turned on the TV at all you've probably seen it. This started off as a type of street dancing but now it's what you see the pop and R&B stars do onstage or in music videos, you'll see some of it if you ever go to a club. And it can be pretty tough. So we're going to stretch it out, and shake it out a little. You're going to want to be loose for this one."

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Dance 2: Electric Boogaloo- Monday- 2nd period

Mon, 30 Jun 2014 00:43:00 GMT

Posted by: throughaphase

Kitty had woken up with a headache that she hadn't been able to shake yet, and while radio was nice and quick, a dance class where she was usually expected to do things like, you know, move, was a little harder to get through.

So class was still held in the bestudioed Danger Shop, though there was a TV there, and plenty of pillows and cushions for the students.

"Hey, guys," Kitty greeted them. "I see some familiar faces, glad to see you back. This is Dance 2, and we're going to be covering some dances that you might know, and dances that you don't, to learn the basics and get you interested in some of these. And unlike the last workshop, this time by the last class I want you to be able to choreograph your own short routine. So keep that in mind as we going from class to class. We're starting off super easy for our first class, so I want to just take a second to go around so you can tell me who you are and a dance you'd be interested in maybe learning, and then we're going to watch a movie for a bit. Next week, wear clothes you know you can move in."

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Dance- Monday- 2nd period

Sun, 15 Jun 2014 22:11:00 GMT

Posted by: throughaphase

"It's our last class, and I just wanted to say thank you for being awesome and I hope you all had fun," Kitty greeted them. "Today we're going to learn the flamenco. I'm sure you've at least heard of it, but it started in impoverished areas of Spain, where there'd be singing, and guitar-playing, and the dancers would improvise a dance to go along with it. There are routines now so you can learn how to do it, but there's a lot of movement, a lot of feeling in the dance, and it's a little sexy so you should be able to have fun with it.

"So when you're ready, go ahead and change into the shoes I've put over there for you guys. Because that's right, it's another class where you get to stomp around and make a little bit of noise. You're welcome."

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Dance- Monday- 2nd period

Sun, 08 Jun 2014 22:20:00 GMT

Posted by: throughaphase

"Last week we tried dancing in pairs. This week we're going to try dancing in a group," Kitty said at the start of class, because hello was for other people today. "Most of you probably know this as a country thing, but it's basically just a dance usually of some repetitive movements that you can do in an actual line. You can do this for a whole bunch of different dance styles, and you'll see it happen at weddings and such in the form of the Electric Slide." She paused. "I am not going to make you do the Electric Slide. Not now, not ever.

"So finish up on your stretches. I'm not going to show you the steps first today. I'm just going to turn on the music and you're going to follow along with me."

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Dance- Monday- 2nd period

Sun, 01 Jun 2014 21:38:00 GMT

Posted by: throughaphase

"There was going to come a time when we'd end up dancing with a partner, and congratulations, now is that week," Kitty began when class started. They might also notice that the class was a little more full today, with a few simulated dancers hanging around in case they were needed. Was that creepy? Kitty hoped it wasn't creepy but maybe she should have had some more coffee before coming to class today.

"We're going to give the salsa a try this week. Salsa is a dance that started in New York in the 70's with a lot of Latin influence, and it's a little bit disco and a little bit swing dance-y. As always we're just learning the basics today, because it's usually a little rough trying to learn how to dance with a partner, let alone doing anything complicated with a partner.

And then "We've got way more girls than boys in this class, so I'm giving you a choice. You can either pair up with each other, and if you're girl-girl you can decide who leads. Traditionally it's the guy who does that, because it's easier if you know who's following from the start," she said. "Or you can pick from one of our helpful simulated dancing partners if you're more comfortable with that."

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Dance- Monday- 2nd period

Mon, 26 May 2014 09:36:00 GMT

Posted by: throughaphase

"First off, sorry you still have to be in class today," Kitty said, "but at least it's a fun one?" She hoped. "Today we're going to be learning jazz dancing, which is more of what you see them do on Broadway. They take some things from ballet, add in things from other forms of dance, and mush it all together into its own style. There's a lot of drama to it, and a lot of the moves can be pretty showy, but that's part of what makes it fun, right? Okay, you guys know the drill by now. Finish up on the stretches and then we'll start learning the steps."

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Dance- Monday- 2nd period

Sun, 18 May 2014 22:02:00 GMT

Posted by: throughaphase

It was the same setup as last week in the Danger Shop, but if you heard the clacking on the floor as Kitty stepped in front of everyone, you miiiight recognize what you were doing today.

"Okay, on the floor for warmups," she said, getting down herself. And as they did their stretches, the continued, "We're doing tap today, which I'm sure you know as the really noisy dance, but the noise is part of what makes it fun. It also looks pretty showy, but there's a secret to it: there are really just a few basic steps that they change around into different routines and add style to. And as soon as we finish up here you're going to put on your Danger Shop-supplied shoes and get to learn how to start doing that."

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