How to join diversity dance group
Book Diversity | Dance Act
About
Spurred on by the group's motto "Dream, Believe, Achieve", Diversity are a remarkable example of what can be accomplished with hard work, dedication and belief.
Since winning the third series of Britain's Got Talent in 2009, Diversity have won numerous awards, been the first act to perform outside No. 10 Downing Street in front of the Prime Minister and have sold out three UK & Ireland tours including Diversity's: Bringing A Toy Story To Life and Digitised – Trapped In The Game.
Previous Diversity tours have seen them travelling the length of the country performing for their legion of devoted fans, and delivering exceptional entertainment with standout reviews. Normally incorporating several genres of music from classical to hip-hop, their diverse eye-catching routines won the hearts of the nation. So far they've performed live to over 1 million people across the world.
Founder, creator and the inspiration behind Diversity, Ashley Banjo, has gone on to forge a hugely successful career in his own right as a presenter and judge on numerous shows including Dancing on Ice (ITV1), Got To Dance (Sky 1), Ashley Banjo's Secret Street Crew (Sky 1) and Dance, Dance, Dance (ITV).
Diversity is the only dance group ever to sell-out the 02 Arena and they have appeared numerous times on television including The Royal Variety Show (2009, 2013, 2016), Children in Need (BBC1), Miss World Competition (2011), Pride of Britain, Television BAFTAs (2010) and have performed as guests on numerous Got Talent finals around the world.
Diversity have also headlined numerous festivals and live events including Wireless Festival (2009), T4’s On The Beach (2009), MOBO Awards (2009), 70th anniversary concert for the VE Day celebrations (2015), Closing concert for the Invictus Games 2014 and they continue to perform live at a number of music festivals throughout the UK including Party in the Park, Isle of White Festival, Jersey Festival and many more.
After winning Britain’s Got Talent Ashley Banjo and Diversity were signed exclusively to SKY TV for 2 years. Ashley Banjo was a judge on Sky 1’s Got To Dance series 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 and Diversity performed show-stopping routines live on all 5 series. Ashley went on to co-create Ashley Banjo’s Secret Street Crew series 1, 2 and 3 which again featured performances and mentoring from all of the Diversity members.
Taking the concept of secret street crew to another level Ashley Banjo’s Big Town Dance was created in 2014. This saw Ashley and Diversity teach the town of Stockton to dance, but in doing so bringing the whole community together and breathing new life and excitement into the town and culminating in a massive dance flashmob. In January 2015 Diversity performed a live hour long entertainment special on prime time ITV titled Diversity Live.
Diversity’s main crew are — brothers Ashley and Jordan Banjo, Perri Kiely, brothers Mitchell and Sam Craske, Terry Smith and Nathan Ramsey.
Performance
From grand corporate dinners and award ceremonies to intimate private parties, Diversity have performed at literally hundreds of events spanning 25 countries, where they always astound, amaze, excite and never fail to inspire.
Diversity are positive role models for young people and continue to inspire all generations. Their popularity is as strong as ever and their legion of dedicated fans and the UK public continue to support them every step of the way. They live by their moto “Dream, Believe, Achieve” and are a remarkable example of what can be accomplished with dedication, belief and hard work.
To book Diversity for a live performance at your next event please call one of our agents to discuss your requirements.
Videos
Showreel
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Exclusive interview with Diversity
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Testimonials
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..thank you too personally, for helping to make it all possible. We weren’t exactly expecting to embarrass ourselves looking like a pair of middle aged twits behind the boys - but anything to make the guests smile - and you never think you are as old as you are! Altogether - they all made it an unforgettable evening and one that every single person enjoyed from my parents in their seventies and eighties, to the youngsters in their teens and twenties. Diversity were all consummate professionals who clearly spend a great deal of time and effort ensuring that their performances are to the very highest standard - Diversity are still up there as one of the best performance acts in any genre because their attention to detail, timing and skill-set is superb. More to the point - they are all delightful people and we thoroughly enjoyed having them in our home.
Deborah & Richard Donner, Somerset (Private Clients).
Books and DVDs
Clients often ask about purchasing books for giveaways and delegate packs.
Below you’ll find a selection of products by Diversity. Click the images to view on Amazon's website. For bulk orders, please speak with your Booking Agent.
Diversity | Britain's Got Talent Wiki
Content Warning. Some of the content on this page may be considered upsetting for some audiences. Discretion is advised when viewing this page.
Diversity (Previously named Swift Moves Juniors) are a street dance group who won Series 3 of Britain's Got Talent. They were formed in 2006, and hailed from Essex. They were aged between 12 and 25 at the time of their audition. They were led by Ashley Banjo, who before their audition explained the name of the group; 'Apart from dancing, there's university, school, college, IT solutions, telecoms engineers... we're diverse - ages, race, heights, hairstyles - we're just a diverse group of people'.
As they entered the stage for their audition, one member of the group placed a gym bag at the back of the stage before joining the rest to introduce themselves, whilst another member, Perri Kiely, began the performance backstage.
The group began their audition with hoods over their faces, the first line of Martin Luther King's famous 'I Have a Dream' speech playing before the group broke into their routine. Perri entered the stage midway through the performance, before another member, Mitchell Craske, emerged from the gym bag to join the performance. Amanda remarked 'just when I think I've seen it all and nothing could get any better, you came on', with Piers adding 'you are right up there with the best of the dancers you've seen'.
The group were the first act to perform in the first Semi-Final. In the Semi-Finals, they performed another routine, incorporating a robbery scene into their performance, in which Mitchell was lowered down onto the stage and Perri portrayed a policeman.
Piers described the group as 'fantastic', with Simon adding 'what you've done collectively over the past few weeks to prepare for this is sensational'. The group finished second in their Semi-Final, behind Susan Boyle.
Their Final routine incorporated Mitchell entering the stage dressed as Superman, before pulling off his clothes to join the routine alongside the rest of the group. Three group members then put on red hats, which were then pressed in turn, representing the 'buzzers' on Britain's Got Talent. Amanda remarked 'you have practically rendered me speechless Ashley - your choreography is second to none [and I think you have blown Flawless out of the water', with Simon adding 'It was sheer and utter perfection'. They won the competition ahead of singer and big favourite Susan Boyle, and saxophonist Julian Smith.
After BGT
Since their BGT win they have returned to the show as guest performers on a yearly basis either dancing as guest performers in one of the five Semi-Finals or the Final.
Their Series 11 performance however differed in the fact that Robert Ankar had died following a car crash in 2017 and as such and was no longer a member of the group, and their Series 13 guest performance also differed in that they had Series 12 contestants DVJ join them as part of their routine on the stage.
Diversity became Patrons of Dance Aid organised by the UK Registered Charity, Hope for Children in 2009, before going on to perform at the Wireless Festival in Hyde Park, London and T4 on the Beach in Weston-super-Mare. In August 2009, Diversity performed at Blackpool's Winter Gardens in a Michael Jackson tribute alongside George Sampson and Aidan Davis, with this performance having taken place on the same weekend as the World Street Dancing championships.
Additionally in 2009, the group performed in London to launch the new Disney channel Disney XD, performed outside 10 Downing Street in front of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, appeared in the Gracious K music video "Migraine Skank" alongside dance group Flawless and switched on Christmas lights at Chapelfield shopping centre in Norwich, Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield, and in Watford.
In 2010, Jordan Banjo appeared on StreetDance 3D. Between 2012 and 2014, Jordan appeared on Ashley Banjo's Secret Street Crew, Got to Dance, Got to Dance: Auditions Uncut, Jordan and Perri's Ultimate Block Party, Jordan and Perri's Xmas Slime, and Nickelodeon's Kids Choice Awards. Diversity promoted street dancing with Change4Life in January as a means of getting kids and families more active.
Additionally in 2010, the group teamed up with national retailer The Range Home and Leisure for a commercial to be shown in April and May, with the tagline "If you like Diversity, you'll love The Range" and adverts for food for "great little ideas", and released their own fitness DVD called Diversity Dance Fitness Fusion. In 2011, Ashley appeared upon The Real Hustle, The Magicians, The Apprentice & Text Santa.
Diversity were among the many torch bearers in London's 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, completing their leg of the journey on 22nd July 2012. Diversity performed at the Royal Variety Performance 2012 for the 2nd time, however this time performed alongside Spelbound, Stavros Flatley and Paul Potts.
In 2012 & 2013 Ashley served as a panellist for an episode of Celebrity Juice.
In 2012, Ashley won an episode of The Cube and split the donation money that he had won between the NSPCC and Beatbullying. In 2013, Ashley appeared in an episode of British Comedy-Drama Stella. In February 2014, Perri won the second series of Splash!.
Members of Diversity have also partook within a number of advertisements which include ITV - Where The Entertainers Live, a series of videos for Cadbury Marvellous Mix-Ups, a number of videos and judging for British Gas Generation Green Energy Performance, a number of adverts for Transformers toys, and itvplayer's Ready When You Are.
Diversity took part in the closing ceremony of the first Invictus Games in 2014, with their set including the Corps of Drums from Her Majesty's Band of The Royal Marines alongside three members of Diversity Juniors, who later partook in a Diversity performance on Got to Dance within the same year.
In the same year, both Ashley & Perri competed upon an episode of Release the Hounds: Jingle Hell, wherein they won £12,000 which they split between the NSPCC & BeatBullying.
Several members of Diversity also appeared upon Ashley Banjo's Big Town Dance in 2014, alongside Stars at Your Service. In the same year Perri appeared as a guest on CBBC show 'Hacker Time', whilst Ashley appeared as a guest on 'This Morning'.
Diversity Live broadcast on 4th January 2015, during which the group talked about how various dances that have inspired them and the major influences who have helped them along the way. Within the same year Warren Russell served as a judge at the first ever Balfour Beatty London Youth Games dance competition, the group provided the opening performance for VE Day 70: A Party to Remember in Horse Guards Parade, London. Additionally in 2015, Ashley appeared upon You're Back in the Room as a guest alongside Perri, and presented Perspectives Michael Jackson's Thriller with Ashley Banjo.
Between 2015 and 2018, Jordan appeared on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, and Dancing On Ice. In 2016, Ashley Banjo co-hosted a BBC game show named Can't Touch This alongside Zoe Ball between the March and October of that year, yet the pair did not return to host the show the following year as the BBC had made the decision to axe the show.
Between November 2016 and March 201, Perri Kiely appeared on the second series of Celebs Go Dating. Although it was not officially announced, Ike Chuks left the group in early 2016 to pursue his music career. Diversity also returned to ITV in 2016, wherein they starred in two episodes of the Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway segment "Who Shot Simon Cowell?". The group also returned to ITV in the New Year to promote their new ITV special Diversity Presents Steal The Show. Ashley Banjo was also a judge on the Strictly Come Dancing rival show Dance Dance Dance.
Since 2017, Ashley Banjo has been co hosting cancer awareness show The Real Full Monty alongside Alexander Armstrong.
In 2017, Ashley presented a TV special entitled A Night for the Emergency Services, competed on a celebrity special of Catchphrase, became the Roving Reporter for the Pride of Britain Awards, became a judge upon All Round to Mrs. Brown's for an episode, and presented 'Diversity Presents Steal the Show'. Additionally in 2017, both Ashley & Perri appeared upon an episode of CBBC's 'The Playlist'.
Since 2018, Ashley has also been a judge on the revived series of Dancing On Ice, along with Jordan Banjo as the backstage digital host for the 2018 series, before Jordan was replaced by 2018 contestant Kem Cetinay in the role. In March 2018, both Ashley and Jordan Banjo participated in the I'm a Celebrity...Get Out of Me Ear segment of Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.
Diversity were growing too old so wanted to replace themselves with younger diversity dancers, otherwise known as DVJ who auditioned for Series 12. DVJ stood for Diversity junior, and the dancers from DVJ had been coached by Ashley Banjo, and Perri Kiely.
DVJ had rehearsed for over three weeks to learn the dance routine that they auditioned for Series 12 with. Despite DVJ's advantage via Ashley and Perri coaching them they still reached the Final in Series 12, wherein they ultimately placed sixth.
Additionally in 2018, Jordan competed on Celebrity Catchphrase playing for charity WellChild, Sam Craske appeared on Celebs Go Dating and Perri won an episode of 'The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off'.
Between 2019 & 2020, Jordan hosted BBC's The Greatest Dancer, alongside Britain's Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon. As of February 2019 Jordan & Perri have hosted a show on Kiss Radio during the weekends, however by early August 2020 the duo stopped hosting this show and instead began hosting the Breakfast Show every weekday.
In 2019, Perri Kiely and Jordan Banjo both appeared as guests on Step Up to the Plate, Ashley Banjo appeared as a guest chef on Sunday Brunch, and began presenting Channel 4's 'Flirty Dancing'. Over Christmas in 2019 Diversity appeared in a Christmas pantomime of Robin Hood with Ashley Banjo in the title role, this being the third consecutive year that they appeared in a Christmas pantomime.
In 2020, the group appeared during the first live show of The Greatest Dancer as Guest Performers, Perri Kiely placed as runner-up on the years series of Dancing On Ice alongside professional skating partner Vanessa Bauer, Ashley Banjo appeared via video call in a Tesco advert for their 'Food Love Stories' thanking Stacey Solomon for dedicating a Chocolate Cheesecake that she had made to him and the group performed a routine in Dagenham during 'Black Lives Matter'.
Additionally in 2020, Jordan competed upon the penultimate episode of Stephen Mulhern's new game show named 'Rolling In It' alongside a member of the public named Ashley, yet the duo lost their episode, Ashley Banjo acted as a guest judge for the BGT 2020 Semi-Finals, following Simon Cowells back injury and Diversity had a guest performance wherein they performed a routine based on the Black Lives Matter movement.
Towards the end of 2020, Jordan competed on an episode of The Chase: Celebrity Special, both Ashley & Jordan Banjo appeared on the Pride of Britain Awards in order to present a Child of Courage award, and both Jordan & Perri appeared upon the final episode of 'Martin & Roman's Sunday Best!'.
Within this time period, Ashley appeared in the new advert for 'Portal' from Facebook via video call alongside 'This Morning' presenter Holly Willoughby who was on the other end of the call within the ad.
Later in 2020, Jordan & Perri competed on an episode of Celebrity Crystal Maze, Perri appeared on 'The Real Full Monty: On Ice', both Jordan & Perri competed on an episode of Celebrity Supermarket Sweep and Jordan appeared upon the 'Celebrity Catchphrase: Christmas Special'.
In Winter 2020, Diversity performed alongside both George Sampson & DVJ during the Britain's Got Talent Christmas Spectacular. The trio performed a Christmas themed dance routine, with Diversity joining a member of DVJ upon the stage at the end of the performance, before the performance ended with the words 'Reach Out This Christmas' appearing in writing on the back of the stage. In the same Winter, season Jordan competed upon a celebrity episode of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire' in which he played for charity.
In 2021, the groups Black Lives matter routine won the BAFTA 'must-see moment' award.[1] Within the same year Ashley appeared upon an episode of 'The Jonathan Ross Show', both Ashley & Jordan Banjo appeared upon an episode of CBBC's 'The Ultimate Playlist', Jordan competed on the first series of The Masked Dancer UK as the 'Viper' wherein he was the first contestant eliminated.[2] Within the same year Ashley appeared upon an episode of 'Martin & Roman's Weekend Best!' and hosted new ITV Game show 'The Void' alongside Fleur East.
In September 2021, Ashley, Jordan & Perri appeared upon an episode of 'Celebrity Gogglebox' as a part of C4's 'Black to Front Friday' which aimed to push black talent to the forefront of the television line up, and Ashley fronted the ITV Documentary 'Ashley Banjo: Britain in Black and White', which was the second of three Black History Month documentaries to air on the channel.
Ashley also co-hosted the pre-recorded 'Pride of Britain Awards' in 2021, alongside Carol Vorderman.
In addition to this both Jordan & Perri were present amongst the celebrity guests in the audience, before Jordan later left to camp out at Twickenham Stadium for the night with 'Spirit of Adventure Award' winner Max Woosey & his father.[3]
In December 2021, Jordan appeared upon an episode of 'Michael McIntyre's The Wheel' on BBC1, both Jordan & Perri competed on a celebrity special of ITV's 'The Cube', and Perri competed on a celebrity special of ITV's 'Catchphrase'. Throughout 2021 Ashley partnered with both detergent brand Persil and TV channel Sky Nature in order to make a series of short films which highlighted environmental action.
In early 2022, Ashley became an MBE, and hosted a TV Show entitled 'Dance Monsters'.[4] Within the same year Jordan competed upon an episode of 'Tipping Point: Lucky Stars'. Diversity returned to BGT as Guest Performers during Semi-Finals wherein they performed a dance routine based on society's overreliance on technology, before performing at the BBC's 'Platinum Party at the Palace' in celebration of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
Later in 2022, Jordan appeared upon an episode of 'Love Island: Aftersun', & Perri, Jordan & Ashley appeared upon an episode of 'Blue Peter'. In October 2022, Jordan appeared upon an episode of ITV's 'Loose Women' occasional spin-off known as 'Loose Men' as a panellist and Ashley co-hosted the pre-recorded 'Pride of Britain Awards', alongside Carol Vorderman for the second consecutive year. In November 2022, the group appeared as guest performers upon the BBC's coverage of 'Children In Need'.
Controversy
The groups 2020 performance was inspired by the 'Black Lives Matter' movement, and received over 20,000 complaints, alongside several messages of support. The group also defended their performance, and it was heavily discussed upon Good Morning Britain by Piers Morgan & Susanna Reid between Monday 14th September to Wednesday 16th September. On Wednesday 16th September however ITV released a statement in support of Diversity's performance. The following day on Thursday 17th September Ofcom stated that they would not investigate the groups performance, despite the large number of complaints.
Trivia
- Diversity are the first, act to win the show despite not winning their Semi-Final.
- They are the first act to win the show despite relying on the Judge’s choice to make the finals, they were followed by Jon Courtenay in Series 14.
- According to the Daily Mail the group were offered the opportunity to compete upon the show upon being discovered by BGT's Talent Scouts from Simon's company Syco.[5]
- Ashley is the first ever former BGT Contestant to be a Guest Judge.
- Jordan Banjo is the first ever BGT Alumni to appear on a show in the British Version of The Masked Singer / The Masked Dancer Series of Shows.
- ↑ The Guardian - BLM dance on Britain’s Got Talent in running for Bafta ‘must-see’ award
- ↑ Wikipedia - The Masked Dancer
- ↑ Devon Live - Tent Boy Max Woosey spends night in his tent at Twickenham after scooping gong at Pride of Britain Awards
- ↑ Wikipedia - Ashley Banjo
- ↑ Daily Mail - Tricks of the trade they try to keep secret: Britain's Got Talent producers are investigated.
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Choreographic Association "Dance"
Choreographic Association "Dance" was founded in 1999. The team became a multiple laureate and diploma winner of various dance competitions. Children begin to study from an early age (from 3.5 years old) at the preparatory (paid) department of "Dance", from where students move to the budgetary groups of the "Dance Choreographic Association", starting from school age.
However, we also welcome those who come to us even without special training and at an older age. And if you have the preparation, then we will invite you to the group of the appropriate level of dance skills.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
The choreographic association "Dance" works on the following programs: "Beginning", "First Steps", "Exercise".
The First Steps program
has an artistic orientation and a general cultural level of development.
Under the program "First Steps" - I teach children to take the first step into the dance life. This program allows the child to understand what dance is, to get in touch with the joys and difficulties of dance mastery and decide for themselves what the future path will be in this complex dance world. The program is designed for 2 years. Implemented for students from 6 (schoolchildren) to 9years, boys and girls showing interest in choreographic art. Children master the following disciplines: rhythm, staging and rehearsal activities.
Having mastered the "First Steps" program, the child will be able to choose the dance direction in which he wants to improve in the future. If the results of mastering the program are high, and the desire to continue practicing is strong, then the young dancer will be transferred to the next group and continue training under the Exercise program.
The Beginning program
is for children gifted in choreography.
Has an artistic orientation and a basic level of development.
Implemented for students from 6 (schoolchildren) to 9 years old, boys and girls.
This program is for children who want to connect their lives with dancing. Within 2 years we improve the student's ballet data, develop rhythmic abilities, coordination, dance technique. In the training program: rhythmics, parterre gymnastics (exercises on the floor, giving preparation for learning classical dance), children's dance.
Students in this program have high requirements for performance skills. Students not only study in the classroom, attend a master class of leading experts in the field of choreography, but also actively participate in the concert and competitive activities of the group. Upon completion of training under this program, children are enrolled in a group that is engaged in the "Exercise" program.
The Exercise program
has an artistic orientation and an in-depth level of development.
This program accepts children from the age of 8 who have basic choreographic training (according to the Beginning and First Steps programs, or who have the necessary skills and have passed the preliminary selection). The implementation period is 5 years. The Exercise program is aimed at mastering classical, folk, folk stage dances. Children studying under this program participate in a variety of concert and competitive activities of the group. Learn acting and make-up techniques. Learn the basic rules for staging dance numbers. They actively attend master classes of leading experts in the field of choreography. Graduates continue their studies in colleges and universities in the choreographic profile.
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“..In order not to break down in the knowledge of dance art, you must first fall in love with dance…”
will master both the initial rhythmic training, and gymnastic exercises, and classical dance, and folk, and elements of children's and variety dances.
If these terms do not mean much to you, then I will try to orient you in the complex world of dance styles:
- Rhythm is the first step in dance training. In these lessons we will study the rhythmic pattern of music, develop the ability to move in the right rhythm. Learn elementary dance skills (the simplest dance elements), develop ballet skills (stretching, flexibility).
- Gymnastics is a mandatory set of exercises that allows you to prepare the body of the future dancer and dancer for more complex dance movements.
- Children's dance is a choreography for children and about children. These are the same children's dances that you want to see at primary school age, for example, the dance of gnomes, the dance of flowers, the dance of crumbs, the dance of dolls.
- Classical Dance is an ABC to help students understand and control their bodies. These are classes at the ballet barre and in the middle of the hall .
.. (Do you remember the ballet "Swan Lake" and "Giselle"? This is classical dance). - Folk dance - these are classes at the barre and in the middle based on classical dance exercises, but in a folk style. (Ensembles "Birch", "Gzhel", Moiseev's ensemble).
- Modern pop trends are the dances that we see in concerts of pop performers, in musicals, at competitions, etc. (The show ballet "Todes" works in this style).
Everyone will dance, but the best students are invited to join the ensemble! And then you will know the life of real artists! It is very honorable and fun, but very responsible and not easy! Many rehearsals and performances are waiting for those who get into the ensemble! These are performances at various venues in St. Petersburg and beyond, participation in competitions and festivals. In concerts of various levels in costumes and make-up! Students of the choreographic association "Dance" have a decent training and can continue their education in specialized dance colleges and universities.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE TEACHER
Zwinger Victoria Alexandrovna
Viktoria Alexandrovna Zwinger, head of the choreographic associations "Dance" and "Tantsulechki".
Brought up on the traditions of the Leningrad Choreographic School. A.Ya. Vaganova, St. Petersburg Theater Academy. Cherkasov (acting department, diploma with honors) and the Humanitarian University of Trade Unions (folk choreography, diploma with honors). The teachers of Victoria Alexandrovna Zwinger were People's Artist of the RSFSR A.Yu. Tolubeev, Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation, laureate of the Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation "Soul of Russia", artistic director of the folk group "Rossiyanochka" A.L. Nosikhin, A.V. Chernozemov, Professor of the Department of Scenes. movements of A.P. Olevanov, Professor of the Department of Choreographic Art, People's Artist of Buryatia, Laureate of the State Prize O.V. Ignatiev, Yu.
A. Stadnik, T.P. Gradova, G.S. Vulikh, N.N. other wonderful teachers who managed to teach me not only to love the performing arts, but also to pass this love on to children.
I believe that it is very important “not to discourage the desire to dance!”, but it is also important “to be able to cultivate the will to win!”.
OUR CONCERTMEASTER
An amazing kind, sympathetic and highly professional accompanist Daiyana Vitalievna Bakaeva, a graduate of the Russian State Pedagogical University. Herzen (performing faculty, piano).
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During the academic year:
- We give master classes by well-known teachers of various dance styles
- Dance numbers are staged by professional choreographers
- We do photo shoots
- We give open lessons for parents
- and draw the line with an examination session, where students are evaluated by invited leaders and teachers of other choreographic associations (ensembles), actors, musicians .
.. - And we say goodbye until the next school year with a solemn and cheerful party, where students are rewarded, contests and dances.
WE ARE WAITING FOR YOU IN OUR FRIENDLY TEAM! AND MAYBE IT'S YOU WE MISS!
Enrollment begins at the end of August, and classes from September 10! We are engaged in the house of children's creativity "Olimp" at the address: Roadside alley, 17 letter A and on the basis of school No. 76 at Bolotnaya st., 18. If you have any questions, you can ask them by phone: DDT "Olimp" 599-39-00, or 8-921-312-95-94 (head).
You can get more detailed information about the dance association "Dance" at the following links:
http://vk.com/club1
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http://vk.com/club39514645
/horeograf-tanec.ru/
Film about us ->
OUR DANCE NUMBERS
| Mother's Lullaby Mothers and daughters fall asleep together and find themselves in a land of dreams. Issued in 2017. Zwinger V.A. |
| Caprices and Dreams Fantasies go everywhere... By what methods we just do not achieve the fulfillment of our will... The princess will tell about this and something of her own, and her girls will approve everything. Issued in 2017. Zwinger V.A. |
| Girls' Fun The issue tells how girls in Rus' had fun... Issue created in 2016. Directed by Zwinger V.A. |
| Down the valley The whole beauty of the Russian dance of the Smolensk region will be revealed by the composition "Along the Valley". Originally folk music and ethnic costumes will emphasize the originality of the room. This number was staged in 2016 by Aleksey Pavlovich Shyshkin, Associate Professor, Honored Worker of Culture of South Ossetia, Head of the Folk Dance Department of the Samara State Academy of Arts, Head and Chief Ballet Master of the Volga Patterns Ensemble.
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"Russian dance" This solo number is created in the style of Russian folk dance. Daria Poselskaya pleases us with the purity and beauty of her performing skills, and also infects us with a perky mood. The number was created in 2016. |
| "Mystery Story" Remember the story about Pinocchio. We tried to talk about how the puppets actually learn the secrets, and what happens then... Performed by "Dancers" (preparatory department) Children 5-6 years old. Number delivered in 2015. |
| "Russian souvenir" The beauty of Russia is boundless. It is also expressed in folk crafts, songs, dances and music. We wanted to show the beauty and diversity of folk culture, both dance and visual. The number is performed in the Russian folk dance style. |
| Happy Clown This is a story about a restless, cheerful and cocky little clown who is so charming that even offensive antics are forgiven for him. The number was created in 2016. Soloist of the Ensemble Evilina Stepuleva. |
| Sunbeam A bright solo number that tells about the adventures of a sunbeam. The number is performed by almost a real sunbeam. Valeria Sarafannikova is only 4 years old, and she feels confident on stage. The number appeared in 2016. |
| Doll Story And again, our crumbs are talking about their favorite tumbler dolls. What are these dolls and how do they differ from others... The number was created in 2014. |
| "Oh, you're Porushka, Paranya" The number is performed by the youngest artists of the group. |
| "Mexican dance" Cheerful Mexican dance that emphasizes the brightest features of the perky character of Mexico. The number was born in 2015. |
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Goodbye girls"Goodbye, girls" - this number is dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Victory. To the music of Bulat Okudzhava, we created a performance about how we met the war, said goodbye to our relatives and went to the front, our girls, someone's sisters, someone's daughters ... We tried to convey all the pain experienced by the girls going to the front and those who remained ... |
.. All fabulous wishes, all magical dreams, all maternal tenderness and love are expressed in this issue... 
The number was created in 2015. 
. preschool children. The number was created in the manner of Russian stylization and captivates with its simplicity and sincerity |
Bluebird "Blue Bird" - continues to conquer the scenes of St. |
Petersburg and the Leningrad region. The solo number created in the manner of classical dance continues to decorate the repertoire of our ensemble. This year, she was awarded the title of laureate of the III degree at the III open inter-municipal choreographic festival-competition "Dance Confetti-20I4", laureate of the I degree of the IV International Festival of Contemporary Choreographic Art "Northern Capital", laureate of the I degree of the city dance competition "Rhythms of St. Petersburg 2015". |
Horses "Horses" - sketch number. Previously, we called this number "Sketches of Russian life", but in the process of evolution, the number was renamed and it became known as "horses". This number won the title of laureate of the 1st degree of the international choreographic competition-festival "Petersburg Seasons", a diploma of the 3rd degree of the IV Interregional Festival of Contemporary Choreographic Art "ProDanceSPb". |
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Whispering Fly"The Fly-Cuzzle" - a solo number, staged based on the fairy tale by K.I. Chukovsky. The plot is simple: Fly-Tsokotuha is preparing for the holiday. The samovar is already prepared, it remains to wait for your guests. And here they are… The number is staged in the character of a Russian folk dance on a medley of folk melodies. Daria Poselskaya made her debut with this number at the city competition "Rhythms of St. Petersburg 2015" and conquered the jury. Dasha became the winner of the city competition "Rhythms of St. Petersburg 2015", laureate of the 1st degree of the VI regional competition "Dance with us", laureate of the 3rd degree of the international competition "Baltic Coast" in which Igor Kolb, soloist of the Mariinsky Theater and Yegor Druzhinin were invited to the jury. |
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Cabbage "Cabbage" - this number was created in this (2014-15) academic year. |
The true folk dance, performed since ancient times in Rus' “Veysya cabbage”, was taken as the basis. Its second name is "Wattle". The difference in names is due to the area in which it was performed. The room is bright and cheerful. He was highly appreciated by the jury members of various competitions and was awarded the titles of II degree laureate of the IV International Festival of Contemporary Choreographic Art "Northern Capital", laureate of the I degree of the city dance competition "Rhythms of St. Petersburg 2015", laureate of the I degree of the VI regional competition "Dance with us", the number became the winner of the creative contest "Minute of Glory". |
Russian! "Russian!" - This provocative Russian number has been danced for the third year, but this year we have significantly changed the composition of the participants and complicated the choreography. |
This number was one of the most beloved in our repertoire. He fell in love not only with the participants, but also with our dear viewers. No wonder this year this number was highly appreciated by the jury of various competitions. We received the titles of the II degree laureate of the international choreographic competition-festival "Petersburg Seasons", the laureate of the III degree of the inter-municipal choreographic festival-competition "Dance Confetti", the laureate of the I degree of the IV International Festival of Contemporary Choreographic Art "Northern Capital", the laureate of the I degree of the city dance competition " Rhythms of St. Petersburg 2015”. | Village Story "Village Story" - a cheerful number, created in the nature of Russian folk dance (stylization). The basis of the costumes was the folk arts and crafts "Dymkovo toy". |
Cheerful and playful chickens take away a basket of sweets from a sluggish and pompous lady. This year, the performance became a diploma winner of the III degree of the IV International Festival of Contemporary Choreographic Art "Northern Capital" and a laureate of the I degree of the city dance competition "Rhythms of St. Petersburg 2015". | "What a circus" "This is such a circus" - a cheerful number created in the pop genre. This is how we see the performance of funny clowns who play funny scenes with each other. This number became the laureate of the II degree of the international choreographic competition-festival "Petersburg Seasons", the laureate of the III degree at the III open intermunicipal choreographic festival-competition "Dance Confetti-20I4", the laureate of the I degree of the IV International Festival of Contemporary Choreographic Art "Northern Capital", the laureate of I degree of the city dance competition "Rhythms of St. |
Petersburg 2015", laureate of the II degree of the IV Interregional Festival of Contemporary Choreographic Art "ProDanceSPb". | "Northern Russian Patterns" "Northern Russian Patterns" - the name of the issue speaks for itself. Russian dance shows the beauty of the choreographic vocabulary of the northern regions of Russia. Smoothly, slowly moving girls. Their movements are full of majestic grace and confidence. This number was delivered in 2013 and restored in 2014. year and received the title of laureate of the III degree of the VI district competition "Dance with us" and the laureate of the I degree of the city competition "Rhythms of St. Petersburg 2015". |
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Tarantella "Tarantella" is a cheerful Italian folk dance expressing the joy of the Italian people, their perky cheerful character. |
The performance was awarded the title of diploma winner of the 1st degree of the IV International Festival of Contemporary Choreographic Art "Northern Capital" and the laureate of the 1st degree of the city competition "Rhythms of St. Petersburg 2015" |
Leshachok "Leshachok" - the plot of this issue was inspired by Russian folk tales, where there is an amazing character Leshy. We thought about what kind of child Leshiy might have ... Of course, this is Leshachok! A cheerful, playful, playful kid, striving, like dad, to restore order in the forest, sometimes a very peculiar order. Our "Leshachok" is very cute and this is confirmed by the awards received in the 2014-15 academic year! At the international choreographic competition "Petersburg Seasons" laureate of the 1st degree, laureate of the 2nd degree at the interregional festival of contemporary choreographic art "ProDanceSPb", laureate of the 3rd degree at the III open intermunicipal choreographic festival-competition "Dance Confetti-20I4", laureate of the 2nd degree of the IV International Festival of Contemporary choreographic art "Northern Capital", laureate of the 1st degree of the city dance competition "Rhythms of St. |
Petersburg 2015", winner of the city competition "Rhythms of St. Petersburg 2015", laureate of the 3rd degree at the international competition "Baltic Coast". And all the above awards are for this academic year only. |
Branle"Branle" - this old dance, one of the first that has come down to us. It was danced in the squares during holidays and fun by people of various classes. We tried to fantasize about this topic. How did people dance a few hundred years ago. Girls of the 1st year of study take their first steps in choreography, performing the Branle dance. |
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"Kittens and rats" "Kittens and rats" - this number lives the second year. The plot of the issue is close and understandable to all the children, because in each class a similar story must have happened. |
Here you can see the adventure of arrogant rats and resourceful kittens. This year the number was awarded the title of laureate of the 1st degree of the city competition "Rhythms of St. Petersburg 2015". |
Porcelain dolls Charming "Porcelain dolls" settled in our house. Although the pupae are very similar, each pupae has its own character. The idea of this number was born by the head of the association "Dance" Victoria Alexandrovna in the winter of 2012-13 academic year, and the number appeared on the stage a year later. In 2013, in the spring, the number won the hearts of the audience and received 2nd place in the regional competition "Dance with us." |
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Dragonflies The "Dragonflies" number was conceived as a solo, but then a second composition was introduced, and then the "dragonflies" were completely combined into a duet. |
Two frisky dragonflies merrily flutter and frolic, now freezing in place, then rapidly moving around the stage ... Music by P.I. Tchaikovsky's "The Lark" really helps the girls Daria Matinova and Yulia Korizno to flutter easily and naturally ... This number was highly appreciated at the international competition and awarded 1st place .... That's just because of the illness of one "dragonfly" the number was nominated as a solo. |
“Once Upon a Time in the Attic”…” I really wanted to get into the variety show and one night the sisters went to the attic in search of adventure, and there they found .... Costumes for variety show dancers .. and adventure! "Once Upon a Time in the Attic"... a cheerful pop number that adorned the band's repertoire.... |
, choreography by Victoria Zwinger. |
"Russian" "Russian" is the name of a composition on the theme of Russian melodies... The guys are very young, they have been studying for 1 year, but they are trying very hard. The Russian spirit and friendship also help. And the girls are delighted with the wide skirts that develop when turning! |
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Village dollsRussian motif is with us and the motifs of ancient Rus', his creativity, his folklore live in us. The number entered the repertoire of the team. The composition is updated, but the soul of the dance remains ... |
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"What a circus" Children's dance "This is such a circus" The name speaks for itself . ... In the photo on the left, the winners of the examination session (1 year of study) On the right, 1st place - Valeria Tkachenko, on the left, the owner of the diploma for 2nd place Ekaterina Guryanova |
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Bully Boy The working title of the issue is “Stilyagi”, although it is not about the memory of the film of the same name, but rather about the style of music ... And even if the costumes are not finished yet, and the legs are striving to dance ... pleasure - the sea !!! As it should be when you really love to dance!In the photo (from left to right): Alexandra Polyakova, Dasha Karpova, Alexander Vasilchikov, Tanya Lazovskaya, Rita Kryl, Maria Berezhnova, Victoria Protasyeva |
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Lamplighters The romantic music of Alexei Rybnikov from the beloved movie Pinocchio inspired us to create the dance number “Lanterns”. isn't that magic?! In the photo (from left to right) In the bottom row: Dasha Poselskaya, Yaroslava Manokhin. Top row: Veronika Polovneva, Ekaterina Blinkova, Asya Chizhova. |
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Matryoshkas ..and of course “Matryoshka” is one of our first performances. The dance lives on and is very much loved by our students….In the photo (from left to right): Evgenia Petrusevich, Anastasia Kashtanova, Dasha Matinova, Yulia Korizno. Top row: Anastasia Kozlova, Nadezhda Krakhmal, Natasha Istomina, Darina Gannitskaya. |
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.
Third, 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 a 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: plastique and stretching are obligatory 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 instruments 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 classes 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.%202012%20Paula%20Lobo%20jpeg%20-%20%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%AA%D7%A7.jpg)
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.
Misconception 8: the best dancers are the bearers of culture
Even the very question of the origin of this or that 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 how 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 also be referred to this 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. The ability to control one's body, tune in to another person and the ability to be aesthetic in the plasticity of movement is valuable in the modern world. If we add here the pleasure of the process and the availability of dance as such, then the possibilities of this activity can hardly be overestimated.
It's sad when interested people are stopped by prejudices and myths that have nothing to do with dancing.
