AboutKT Expertise I can answer questions dealing with the "how tos" of jazz, ballet, hip hop and lyrical. I can help get over creative blocks with song ideas and inspiration to help create. I can answer choreography questions and techniques to help better your dancing and/or teaching.
Experience I have been dancing for 19 years in the styles of jazz, ballet, hip-hop, and contemporary. I studied at a studio rated one of the top 100 studios in the nation, then moved on to The Ohio State University to study dance. I have been teaching summer dance camps for five years. I've been choreographing solos and group routines at a local studio and for groups in my state for three years. I have also attended numerous conventions and workshops throughout the nation. Through the winter I judge for a dance team circuit in the styles of Pom, Jazz, Lyrical, and Hip-Hop.
Education/Credentials I will soon be graduating with a bachelors degree in early childhood development and a minor in dance education.
Awards and Honors This past year I was given one of only twelve scholarships out of four hundred students from Broadway Dance Center's the Pulse.
Expert: KT Date: 5/11/2008 Subject: Help with Hip Hop
Question Hello! I guess I have a couple question for you. I did ballet, jazz and modern
from the age of 6 until 13. I stopped dancing because I realized that I didn't
want to be a ballerina(my dance school was pretty much only geared to
ballet). Since I have stopped dancing, I have taken few hip hop classes at a
drop in dance center but I wasn't super passionate about it then, I was just
doing it for fun. Now at the age of 17 Im realizing that I want to be a dancer
and pursue it as a career. In a few weeks I'm going to start taking hip hop
classes and my mom and I have been talking about private lessons as well to
catch up on the missed years of training. I guess where my first problem
is....that I look like a ballet dancer doing hip hop...it frustrates me so much. It
seems like everything I've learned to do in ballet is the opposite in hip hop.
With practice will I eventually look more like a hip hop dancer? Also I'm a bit
slow at picking up steps and was wondering if you had any advice on being
able to pick up steps faster?
Thanks
Kaye
Answer Hey Kaye! I understand what you mean about picking up steps slower than you'd like. I have always been like that and it can get really get frustrating! In ways of advice there are a few things you can do to train yourself to learn quicker. The biggest thing that helps me when learning choreography is to keep reviewing what came before each step when I have been taught a new one. For example if you learn an eight count go back and think of what comes right before that eight. This will help you connect things in your brain rather than learning things out of context. The next thing you can try would be to give yourself a way to remember certain parts that are getting you stuck. Find a story line or a funny way to remember each step. The last thing that I have found to help me is when I figure out which step is throwing me off, I pick out exactly what I'm doing wrong and give myself a reminder each time. If you can disect a step and notice that you are forgetting to shift your weight to get to a certain step say to yourself "Shift the weight!" when you know it is coming up.
Your next concern about looking more natural, I defiantly believe this will come with time. Most of the hip hop style comes from confidence. If you can obtain this almost over confident way of thinking while dancing it will take away the calmness and gentle nature that comes along with ballet dancers. Hopefully this helps you and good luck in the future! Keep working girl! :)
