How to do illusions in dance
ILLUSIONS Dance Studio - Front and Centre Productions, Inc.
WELCOME TO ILLUSIONS DANCE STUDIO!ILLUSIONS Dance Studio started in 2015 when Front and Centre Productions, Inc. was still located at Pappy Jack's Place on Front Street in downtown Philipsburg. ILLUSIONS Dance Studio is under the direction of our Artistic Director, Sam Potter. Sam studied Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, and Dance at Clarion University. Before returning home to help Front and Centre Productions create and start ILLUSIONS, Sam lived in Pittsburgh to attend graduate school at Duquesne University where he instructed fitness classes and had joined Exhalations Contemporary Dance Company. Since the beginning of ILLUSIONS, Front and Centre Productions has been able to offer a safe and fun place for students to enjoy learning how to dance. ILLUSIONS now offers 20 dance classes having multiple options at each age level! Some of these classes include: Contemporary, Ballet, Tap, Broadway, Jazz Acro, and Hip Hop! Starting fall of 2022 ILLUSIONS began offering Beginner Level classes for students who aren't quite ready to be dropped off at the door for an hour and the Senior Choreography class which allows senior students to learn how to choreograph a dance and see their peers perform it!
Under the Direction of Artistic Director, Sam Potter
Contact Sam - spotter@frontandcentre. org
| CLICK HERE FOR THE ILLUSIONS DANCE STUDIO HANDBOOK |
THE TEN PROVEN BENEFITS OF DANCE!
CONFIDENCE AND SELF ESTEEM!
Dance provides children with an opportunity to learn a new skill, perform, and develop their self esteem and confidence. Gaining this through dance spreads through to other areas of their lives. Dance also promotes good posture which makes us all feel good about ourselves!
COMMUNITY
Dance offers a community for children where they can make friends with similar interests and hobbies while experiencing dance classes and performances together! Children learn to work as a team when they are involved with dance.
PHYSICAL BENEFITS
Dance is a great way for children to learn physical skills. These skills include but are not limited to flexibility, strength, posture, agility, conditioning, and stamina! Dance also teaches exercise safety and how to stay active while remaining safe!
ACCOMPLISHMENT
Dance offers many opportunities for achievement whether it is performing on stage for a crowd, competing in a competition, or even just learning new skills! These accomplishments are great for building a child's self esteem or their self worth!
RESILIENCE
Dance allows for children to be challenged in a positive environment.
It is essential to keep trying, keep practicing, and never giving up! Dance teaches children to work hard and that great accomplishments come when you don't give up!
CREATIVITY
Dance offers the opportunity for children to express themselves in new or different ways. This can be extremely beneficial to their self-expression in life as well as their overall physical and mental well-being. Learning how to be creative and use their imagination from a young age is important for problem solving and learning new ways of thinking!
STAYING ACTIVE
This is a clear benefit for any activity that children might be involved in but especially of dance! Staying active is crucial for children of all ages as it encourages movement, spending time with their friends, and getting exercise!
DETERMINATION
Dance teaches children that they have the ability to work towards a goal no matter how large or small. Dance teaches children to have the drive and determination to work towards the goals and ambitions they dream of!
PRESENTATION SKILLS
Dance has benefits for a child's posture, presentation, and performance skills.
The uniformity of dance encourages children to take pride in the way they present themselves. Encouraging children to take pride in their presentation is a skill that is useful for other aspects of life that they will experience once they have grown up!
WORK ETHIC
In dance, there is often a goal to be achieved whether it is large or small. A work ethic is huge for children to be able to achieve these goals whether it be learning a new skill or perfecting a routine! Dance teaches children to work hard, and the progress will follow!
https://zest-dance.co.uk/10-proven-benefits-of-dance-for-children/
Illusion Dance Academy
About Us
A Mission of Movement
Illusion Dance Academy is the place to be! Learn to love the art of dance through music and movement.
We offer a variety of styles of dance classes for all ages, including Ballet, Hip Hop, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, Lyrical, Acro, Musical Theatre, and combo classes.
Studio classes
Now open for sign ups!
CREATIVE MOVEMENT & PRETTY PRINCESS CLASSES
CREATIVE MOVEMENT & PRETTY PRINCESS CLASSES
Illusion Dance Academy is a studio committed to giving your dancer the fundamentals of dance through music and movement. Each teacher exudes a love for dance unlike any other. Come become a part of our dance family!
Want to compete? Come be part of Illusion’s competition and performance teams.
For ages 5 and up, in all styles of dance. Message us for more details.
CREATIVE MOVEMENT & PRETTY PRINCESS CLASSES
CREATIVE MOVEMENT & PRETTY PRINCESS CLASSES
CREATIVE MOVEMENT & PRETTY PRINCESS CLASSES
Your child’s first dance class! In this class, they learn to sing and dance while building and tuning fine motor skills.
COMBO CLASSES
CREATIVE MOVEMENT & PRETTY PRINCESS CLASSES
COMBO CLASSES
These classes are geared for 5 to 8 years old, when they are not quite ready for a full hour of each style of dance.
They get two classes in hour (tap or jazz pair with ballet). A great start and intro to two styles of dance at once!
BALLET
HIP HOP
COMBO CLASSES
A class that teaches Ballet technique and vocabulary. Dancers will learn professional and proper body alignment and flexibility. The dancer will learn the principals of turn out, and balance. The class will include barre and center exercises.
JAZZ
HIP HOP
HIP HOP
Jazz is a Ballet based technique class that moves to popular styles of music.
Dancers will learn coordination steps, turns, leaps and kicks. The class begins with a center warm up and then move on to ‘corner to corner’ technique. The class will finish with combinations of choreography that encourages self-interpretation and expression.
HIP HOP
HIP HOP
HIP HOP
Hip-hop dance refers to street dance styles primarily performed to hip-hop music or that have evolved as part of hip-hop culture. It includes a wide range of styles primarily breaking which was created in the 1970s and made popular by dance crews in the United States.
CONTEMPORARY
MUSICAL THEATRE
MUSICAL THEATRE
Contemporary dance is a style of expressive dance that combines elements of several dance genres including modern, jazz, lyrical and classical ballet. Contemporary dancers strive to connect the mind and the body through fluid dance movements.
MUSICAL THEATRE
MUSICAL THEATRE
MUSICAL THEATRE
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance.
The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an integrated whole.
ACRO
MUSICAL THEATRE
LYRICAL
Acro is a blend of classical dance technique with precision and acrobatic elements. This class is designed to promote strength, flexibility, and technique while safely mastering various levels of acro elements.
LYRICAL
ADULT CLASSES
LYRICAL
The term Lyrical Dance comes from the word “lyrical,” which means to have a poetic, expressive quality; expressing spontaneous feelings and deep personal emotions.
ADULT CLASSES
ADULT CLASSES
ADULT CLASSES
Adult dance classes now available in multiple different dance styles such as contemporary, jazz, lyrical, heels, and more!
K POP
ADULT CLASSES
ADULT CLASSES
K-pop Dance is a form of dance that originated in South Korea and has evolved into an international phenomenon. It’s a mixture of hip-hop, breakdance, and street dance. K-pop Dance is also known as b-boying or b-girling.
DANCE CLASS ATTIRE
Leotard of any color, pink tights, pink ballet shoes. Hair in a clean bun with a hairnet. Ballet wrap can be worn on top of leotard. No sweatshirts or baggy shorts. Boys can do a white shirt and black form fitting pants.
Leotard & tights of any color. Hair pulled completely up and out of face. Boys can do a shirt with pants. No jeans. Shoes will depend on which classes are in the combo. Creative movement can wear ballet shoes.
Shirt with leggings with hair pulled completely up and out of face. Jazz shoes and clean tennis shoes both needed.
Shirt and leggings/joggers/sweats.
Clean tennis shoes required for class. Hair pulled completely up and out of face. No jeans.
Form fitting shirt with leggings. Ballet attire can also be worn if preferred. Teacher preference on shoes (jazz shoes for jazz and musical theatre, while others may be required for contemporary and lyrical. Hair pulled up and fully out of face.
Shirt and leggings with tap shoes. Hair pulled completely up and out of face.
Form fitting top with leggings. Unitard or leotard can be worn. Dancers are barefoot for acro. Hair pulled completely up and out of face.
Shirt and leggings. Ballet clothes can also be worn. Jazz shoes preferred. Hair pulled completely up and out of face.
Reviews
Help Our Cause
Your support and contributions will enable us to get our new studio up and going.
As some of you may or may not know, we have only been open since October 2020, and we just got a brand new dance space! We are working hard on having our new dance rooms up and running right away. Any contribution will help transform the space into dance rooms. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
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Dance Illusion Technique
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- Dance Illusion Technique
(visual effects & body control)
online course recording
Duration : 240 minutes.
Price: 2455 rubles
Illusion Technique intensive program
- 4 hour workouts
- Muscle tension and relaxation control (body control)
- Flow "flow" - the basis of the illusion
- Slow Motion
- Technique Pop | Hit with all body parts
- 4 main visual effects: Explosion, teleport, strobin, air pos
- Principles for combining insulation levels
- "Invoice" of the movement
- How to spice up improvisation with visual effects
- More than 30 original exercises that you can then do yourself
Intensive for you if:
- you want to learn how to control your body and manage it 100%
- lacks clarity and precision in the movements you learn in class or at home
- there are not enough movements for improvisation, constantly repeating
- dream, learn to hypnotize the viewer.
To look at your dance was speechless, and then wildly applauded - already dance (or want to learn) animation, popping, robot, wave, tatting, tribal, liquid - a visit is simply a must for you, as all these styles are based on the illusion
- dance social dances, hip-hop, reggaeton, etc. - intensive will give you techniques and knowledge that will complement your baggage and that your fellow competitors do not have
- want to stand out and win in battles and competitions. Shine in circles at jams
- you teach and need fresh material for lessons
- you teach a lot and "scored" on your development
- get new information and inspiration
- want to grow and develop further
How it goes
After payment, you will receive links in the mail. Follow them and watch video tutorials. Links are "eternal" and will always be available to you.
Who conducts the intensive
The intensive is conducted by one of the most experienced dancers in Russia, coach of champions - Alexander Dragon
- Author of the "Quick Start" training program that gives results in a short time
- Creator and owner of the largest dance-themed YouTube channel in Russia and the CIS (more than 25 million views)
- Personally taught dance to more than 2,000 thousand people.
Three students became Champions of Russia. Several dozen students have become professional dancers and teachers - Worked as a choreographer with Beeline, Intel, Microsoft, Mercedes, Pioneer, Sberbank, Toshiba, etc.
- Author of the book "The Way of the Dancer".
How to pay for the course
By clicking "Order" you will be redirected to the ordering page. After filling out a simple form, click "send". You will be offered more than 50+ payment methods. Choose the most convenient for you and pay. After that, links to watch video lessons will be sent to your mail.
Reviews
Valeria: the course was very helpful in development! Now I know what to work on.
Natalia: I can use these chips in other styles!
Alena: I have been looking for a long time where I can learn this and I am very satisfied.
I got a lot of knowledge and motivation.
Q&A
I am new to dancing, will this help me?
Yes, the program is built in such a way that even a person from "complete" zero will firmly master the illusory techniques.
If I have been dancing for a long time, won't I get bored? Learn something new?
Absolutely. The program contains several dozens of original exercises that will seriously advance your dance.
If I'm dancing for myself and I don't have to be a champion, does it make sense to go?
Yes, it does. Many attend intensive courses in order to improve their physical and dance forms, learn new things and enjoy dancing.
If I buy now, can I watch later?
Yes, the links are "eternal". Take a look when you get a chance.
Any questions? Call: 8-916-725-57-77
I want to dance.
10 misconceptions about dancing The desire to learn to dance is natural and natural in the modern world. You can list the reasons, starting with obvious and popular pragmatic desires, for example, to start moving or losing weight, ending with unconscious and even existential ones.
This is due to the fact that dancing is at the subtle intersection of the inner and outer worlds, physical and spiritual. Above this, music becomes a driver that cannot leave anyone indifferent.
In dancing, there is magic inside a person, which is not always noticeable when viewed from the side. At the initial stage, it is the external picture that attracts to dances, and sometimes repels, as it seems too frivolous and superficial.
But there are even stronger obstacles that stop many people from starting dancing. These illusions and delusions roam the minds of the majority, and are often afraid to ask about them directly, or they ask the question about it so often that they are no longer ready to hear an honest direct answer.
I will try to do it in this article.
There are many examples of contemporary dance instructors sharing their thoughts about not expecting to be in the dance industry. Once upon a time there was a man and was engaged in adult, serious business. Sometimes even very serious. A person could have children and even grandchildren. I saw dances only on stage or on TV. For reasons unknown to himself, he ended up in dances. At first, everything seemed like entertainment and a useful pastime. But time has passed, and a person catches himself thinking that he thinks about dancing not just every day, but really all the time. A couple of years pass, and he already becomes a teacher or organizer of some event.
A similar path can start at 15 or 55 years old. The only difference will be in the self-perception of the starting stage, that it’s too late to dance. In fact, for each age there is its own dance direction, which can reveal it to the greatest extent at this stage.
Hip-hop or breaking is closer to children and teenagers, and Argentine tango is closer to adults. It's never too late to start dancing. You need to make the right choice of dance style based on several parameters: age, gender, music, goal. There is a dance direction for any arrangement.
Misconception 2: men don't dance
Our culture has a number of restrictions related to dancing. Most of these causes are psychological and lie outside the realm of rational reasoning.
First, in our culture, in principle, dancing for pleasure or self-expression appeared relatively recently. 20-30 years ago dance clubs were only for children. To start dancing even in adolescence was considered exotic.
Secondly, the aesthetics of the body in our country for men is not in the focus of attention. In general, this can be attributed to the fact that Russian men try hard not to draw attention to their appearance and clothing. Men in our country use other tools for this.
Thirdly, dancing is associated with entertainment and alcohol. If a man feels serious and respectable, then he either does not have time or desire for this.
Nowadays the general cultural background has changed and the result is that men are learning to dance. It becomes as much a sign of masculinity as clothing, hair or beard.
Unfortunately, many misconceptions remain even among those who have already started dancing. Dance teachers do not always pay attention to this, as it seems to them that this is a matter of course.
Fallacy 3: special training is needed
For an outside observer, there is always a cognitive dissonance about what dance is. What he sees on the big stage in the form of a show with sweeping movements and splits is obviously dancing. Breakers doing unimaginable elements in the air and on their hands, competing with each other, also seem to be dancing. Pensioners in the park waltz. Dancing again, but for some reason everyone is so different.
How to understand that this is a dance, and what physical criteria should be in the body.
In fact, any self-expression through the body to music can be attributed to dance. There are a number of reservations, but they are not essential. For self-expression, a person uses the set of plastics that he has. Subtlety and technique do not depend on extreme ways of self-expression, and it often happens that splits and somersaults interfere with a meaningful dance. The development of plasticity and the expansion of the body's capabilities are part of the preparation of the dancer, but not an end in itself.
Misconception 4: You must learn to dance in pairs
In couple dancing, the final learning outcome is that the couple dances at a party. It would seem that you should always train together to get the desired result. This is not true. Let's take an example from boxing. An indicator of a boxer's skill is a fight with an opponent, but this does not mean that he constantly has to fight.
Also, the ability to dance is built on the possession of one's own body and the ability to interact.
The skill of the teacher is the correct selection of methods so that the student masters the skill. Based on the skill, you can engage in creativity and self-expression in dance. Not everyone knows, but it is no coincidence that almost all social dance dancers have a serious dance background, which is based on the development of individual techniques.
The same can be attributed to the interaction in a pair. The ability to separate in oneself the one who leads and the one who follows the lead is impossible within the framework of studying the sequence of movements in pairs. For this, there are special exercises that make the skill more versatile. For this, the presence of a permanent couple is not necessary, as well as the regular presence of a partner in general.
IMPORTANT! You can’t experiment at a party, and everything should be in its place there: men dance with women.
Getting rid of illusions is a complex internal process. If you leave them to yourself, you can even get the opposite result.
Misconception 5: plasticity and stretching are mandatory attributes of dance
Much depends on the genre of dance that you want to master. In previous articles, I have already mentioned that different dance styles are suitable for different ages. It is appropriate to dance hip-hop in adolescence or youth, Argentine tango is a more adult dance, it is important to enter classical choreography at a young age.
The degree of necessary plasticity and sensitivity to the dance direction also correlates. For example, breaking requires great physical effort and dexterity. Elements are built on acrobatics and high speed of execution. Who are they more suitable for? Obviously young people.
There is a lot of interaction in salsa. It is necessary to feel the partner subtly, to be able to show a variety of figures and elements.
Twine or acrobatics are completely inappropriate here. However, a variety of ways to show oneself are required. Accordingly, the dance is youthful, but not at all childish.
The older the dance, the less stretching or acrobatics is required. The main emphasis is on the quality of technology, the variety of ideas and the ability to show plasticity.
Misconception 6: Mirrors are necessary for learning
There is a set of tools that dancers use to learn how to dance. The fact is that the dancer needs to receive feedback on how his movements look from the side. It is impossible to dance and see yourself from the side at the same time. The most common tool is a mirror. But not the only one.
Like any auxiliary tool, mirrors have a positive and a negative effect. The positive is that they can receive feedback in real time and technically it is not very difficult. The downside can be dependence on mirrors. A situation where a dancer cannot capture the feeling of dancing, such as on stage or at a party.
For these purposes, you can use, among other things, video filming or proper preparation.
In many countries in Latin America, dance classrooms are not equipped with mirrors. Classes are held in bars or large halls. The dancers initially form the skill of focusing on the inner sensation, and not the habit of looking for their reflection in the mirror with their eyes.
Misconception 7: there is a lot of obsceneness in dancing
A common question from novice dancers who are taking their first steps in more contact couple dances is “in order to dance cool, there must be passion inside the couple?”. I immediately answer that no, not necessarily. Kizomba, bachata and Argentine tango attract many with their close contact. Like any other contact in our everyday life, in dances, contact can be different. We hug friends, parents, children. These hugs can wear many different shades. Sexual overtones are one of many.
The culture of dance also includes the boundaries of what is acceptable.
A compliment from a well-mannered person is different from a statement about female sexuality by a gopnik. Usually, those who study at a dance school already have an idea of what boundaries should not be crossed. A good dance from a technical point of view will never look vulgar or vulgar.
Dancers always have a choice about the boundaries of contact. Most prefer to leave a good impression of themselves, as word spreads just as fast in the dance world.
Fallacy 8: the best dancers are the bearers of culture
Even the very question of the origin of a particular dance can be paradoxical and ambiguous, especially when it comes to its development and performance.
For example, the Viennese Waltz did not originate in Vienna, but in Germany. Salsa has its main roots in the USA, not in Cuba. The famous Greek folk dance sirtaki was invented for the film "Zorba the Greek" and appeared only in 1964.
The same can be attributed to the development of modern dance styles.
Korea is known for its world-leading break dancers. People go to Turkey for Argentine tango, Spain is strong with excellent salsa and bachata dancers, in Egypt, Russians are considered the best belly-dance performers.
A good dance is based on quality training and diligence. Skin color, place of birth and age are secondary. Exotic appearance, unfortunately, is often a reason to be more superficial about one's own professional development. This becomes the reason for the low level of teaching among the bearers of culture. I am sure that few readers of this post will be ready to conduct a master class in Russian folk dance outside of Russia.
The mastery of mastering and teaching a particular style does not depend on the dancer's homeland. And "they absorbed the dance with their mother's milk" is nothing more than a common misconception.
Misconception 9: You have to know a lot of moves to learn to dance
Focusing on learning a lot of moves often detracts from the essence of dance.
Of course, the sequence of figures is important. Especially at the start. Over time, the dancer should have an understanding of how movements can be generated independently. Accordingly, instead of memorizing millions of figures, you can understand how to create them.
From every system of improvisation that a dancer can use as an instrument, dozens, hundreds or thousands of variations are derived. This frees the head from trying to reproduce the exact sequence and definitely adds freedom in the performance of the dance.
The huge theme of musicality can be attributed to the same question. Not every pre-conceived or learned sequence will fit specific music. The dance should give freedom, and not drive the dancer into the shell of the ropes.
Misconception 10: dancing is homosexual
The unusually high attention to the body and flair from stories about professional ballet led to the spread of this myth, among other things. Unfortunately, such an idea still exists in the minds of our fellow citizens.
The dance industry is now very broad and is represented by many dance styles. Some of them can even be called homophobic. Dances reflect the general attitude to the world and it is different depending on the life position and worldview of a person.
In many dances there is contact between the dancers. In Russia, dance contact between men has always been perceived very intensely. In most other countries it is different. An example of the fact that this tension is associated only with the dance theme and does not apply to other areas is, for example, wrestling. When practicing techniques, men are in much closer contact with each other. Sometimes lying on the floor and holding each other tightly. The historical roots of Greco-Roman wrestling are also ambiguous from a sexual point of view. But in our country, unlike dance, they are perceived as acceptable and brutal.
Dance, like the culture of speech, makes a modern person more successful and self-confident.
