You Can DANCE in May 2012
After the fabulous dancing I saw at World Dance Day I wanted to learn more about doing the dances from the early 20th century. They look like so much fun and the music is infectious! If you agree, your luck is in!
- couple doing the Lindy Hop on Augustus Platz, photo: Maeshelle West-Davies
Sugar Foot Workshop – 20 May with Meike Heller (HH)
Meike Heller trained with Frankie Manning. Wow! This Sat she’s coming to Leipzig from Hamburg to teach us how to do it right.
all levels welcome!
SOLO CHARLESTON:
The most popular dance of the roaring 20s. From Electro Swing to Tin Pan Alley, it’s sexy, wild, zany and loads of fun!
AUTHENTIC JAZZ:
Love big band and swing? Now you’ll know how to dance to it like they did in the 40s. Can you “Fall of the Log”, “Suzie Q” and “Boogies”? Want to learn?
Workshop Schedule
11.00 – 11.50 – Check in
12.00 – 13.45 – AUTHENTIC JAZZ**
14.15 -16.00 – SOLO CHARLESTON**
How much: 50 EUR
Where: Spiegelsaal 1. Stock, Villa Leipzig, Lessingstr. 7, 04109 Leipzig
What to wear: flats or socks, comfortable clothing with room to move
Don’t forget to bring water. You’ll need it!
to register in advance: booking@mamaulita.de
And to practice or to dance, even if you can’t make the workshop, there’s a tea dance that night at Noel’s Ballroom.
Smiles All Around for the 30th World Dance Day
Leipzig Ballet Meister, Roman Slomski, photo: Maeshelle West-Davies
It was a fun day at Leipzig Oper. Mario Schröder said, “Dance is life.” and you could surely see the life in the eyes of the people there. The day was kicked-off by a welcome from the mayor, and then people from all walks of life took to the stage for a mass choregraphy. Honestly there were so many rooms and stages and areas that there was no way I could watch everything. I had no idea there were so many people participating in so many forms of dance around town.
couple doing the Lindy Hop on Augustus Platz, photo: Maeshelle West-Davies
At one point a guy with a bike powered mobile disco rode up and a group started dancing to music from the 20s to the 50s. It was infectious. I know there are often parties at McCormicks Ballroom. I might just have to go!
couple from City Slickers dance group, photo:Maeshelle West-Davies
One thing I never expected was people who do dance from the old west. They even perform at parties.
couple doing the tango inside Leipzig Oper, photo: Maeshelle West-Davies
If you thought it was steamy outside, you should have been inside. Several couples were tangoing. Talk about a connection. The amount of trust these couples had was intense. Most of the time they danced with their eyes closed.
Leipzig Tanztheater perform Alessio Trevisani's Dance Painting at Borgplatz, photo: Maeshelle West-Davies
Not far away people watched another kind of dance, one without music. Leipzig Tanztheater performed Alessio Trevisani’s Dance Painting. Each dancer began with his own little pile of sand. In order to connect with the others, they had to spread out their sand. The sand was mixed with sienna pigment and sweet paprika. In Italy they use sienna pigment to paint the facades of buildings.
Thank you Leipzig Ballet for hosting such an uplifting event.
Stories behind forgotten walls…..
If your German is up to it there is a wonderful event happening at the Soviet Pavilion at the Alte Messe this weekend. A documentary is being shown by a group of independent film makers which tells the stories behind some of Leipzig’s beautiful ruins. These are stunning architectural spaces, tunnels and cellars which have lain dormant for the last 20 years…waiting for a fairy godmother to bring them back to life (though I do like them in their ruin form).
The première takes place on 30.03.12 at 20:00. Further showings will take place on 31.03 and 01.04 – both also at 20:00.
There will also be a photo exhibition and an after-show party.
