So you think you can dance, do you? What’s that? What do you mean, ‘no’? In the funkalicious den of dance mastery, every man, woman and child fall into one of three categories, whether we admit it or not: loves to busta move, loves to busta drunken move, and fist pumps. There’s no better place to witness the veracity of this categorisation than our very own Pontoon dance floor, which nightly pullulates with punters tootin’ and bootin’. For the month of May, Dance World Cambodia is encouraging secret dance lovers and foot tappers to channel their sublimated urges by bringing in two guest teachers from Australia to unleash Phnom Penh’s natural rhythm.
“Passion and commitment” are all that separate a dance floor legend from a demick, says Dance World director Laura Joy Kiddle. “Our May workshops are open to anyone who enjoys music and movement exploration. I hope students leave feeling invigorated, inspired, lifted, a little bit exhausted and pushed to their personal limits, but with a new found love of dance.”
The four workshops will be led by Freya List and Kim Adam, founders and choreographers on Collaboration – The Project, an independent dance company that has steered over 30 productions in the last four years. Trained in New York and Los Angeles, as well as in their native Australia, List and Adam are well known for their emotive performances which, Kiddle insists, are powerful enough to move audiences to tears.
Catering for different dance persuasions, the workshops are characterised by variety. List will lead two classes in lyrical contemporary, an expressive hybrid of classical and modern dance which encourages students to explore their individuality through both technical and improvised movement. Those of a less poetic persuasion may prefer Kim Adam’s Broadway Jazz class, a celebration of all things show tune with routines based on Chicago, Hairspray and Chorus Line. Don’t forget your jazz hands. There will also be a special hip hop workshop from Dance World resident teacher Erin Hooper, who will school you in when to dougie, when to pop and lock it, and when all you need to do is jerk.
Special workshops such as these are crucial to giving students the most holistic dance experience possible, says Kiddle. “A well-rounded dancer needs to train in as many disciplines as possible with different teachers. I hope students are going to develop their own personal relationship to the music and see dance as a higher form of communication.”
And if you’re absolutely convinced that you were in the bathroom when God was handing out the dance smarts, Kiddle has some words of comfort. While natural rhythm and the ability to do the splits are bonuses, being a good dancer starts in the heart and not in the feet. “It’s all about being able to move your audience, making them forget whatever is on their mind and leave behind raw emotion – joy, sadness, pain or love.”
Classes cost $15 per workshop (1.5 – 2 hours) or $50 for the whole programme and can be reserved by emailing dance@nulldanceworldcambodia.com or via the website danceworldcambodia.com.
WHO: Freya List, Kim Adam and Erin Hooper
WHAT: Dance workshops for everyoneWHERE: Dance World Cambodia studios, Hotel Cambodiana, Sisowath Quay
WHEN: May 10, 23 & 24
WHY: Rhythm is a dancer – and everyone got rhythm, even you