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Welcome to Danswest Dance Productions, Inc.!
Danswest has been in Tucson for 30 years. We are located
on Tucson's east side 5633 E Speedway in the Speedway Square Shoppng Center. We have three large studio rooms, each with
sprung floors, and ample free parking.
We offer classes for ages 2 1/2 through adult in various dance forms-- Tap,
Ballet, Hip-Hop, Jazz/lyrical, Contemporary, Modern,Flamenco, Irish,and Specialized Preschool Classes.
The professional
and caring approach to a quality dance education is an important goal at Danswest Dance Productions. We recognize our role
in the development of the young dancer and our commitment to them and their parents by providing the best possible training
available. Our instructors are educated and creative dancers, specializing in dance instruction. We strive to make dance an
exciting, rewarding, creative and enjoyable experience for each student.
Danswest Danswear, our retail store ,is conveniently located next to the studio. We have clothing and accessories
for dance, gymnastics,and exercise, shoes, and gift items available.
Danswest Spring Recital
Our season culminates with our spring recital. The teacher choreographs a number
for each class and chooses the costume. Information regarding costume and accessory costs will be available in early 2007.
Our recital is held at a professional level theater allowing the students a real feeling of a theatrical production. They
see that all the hard work was worth it as they are able to show their family and friends what they have achieved. Each student
is charged a recital fee.
Danswest Dance Company
This group is for students who demonstrate exceptional talent and ability in dance in jazz, ballet,
tap and modern dance. Accelerated classes in all dance forms are taught, thus developing skills for local and national performance
and competition opportunities, and even a potential career in dance. Please talk to the Director for additional information.
Students are chosen via invitation and/or audition.
Types of Dance
We teach numerous dance forms at Danswest. These descriptions may be useful to
you.
Ballet is the foundation of all dance forms. Proper alignment and body placement, strength and technique are
achieved through barre and center floor work. Its meticulous attention to technical detail makes it invaluable for any serious
dancer.
Hip-Hop also known as street funk, is an art form that includes movements such as popping, locking, funk,
jamming, break dancing and hip hop hand movements. The moves are fast, tight and choreographed to hip-hop dance music. Hip
Hop originated in the Bronx section of New York and is now popular throughout the world.
Tap dance is the style of
American theatrical dance, well known for footwork that marks out certain rhythmic patterns on the floor. Some descriptive
step names are brush, flap, shuffle, ball change, and cramp roll. Tap dance was created from combining elements of African
drumming and dancing with the techniques of European clog and step dancing. The unique rhythms of jazz music distinguished
American tap dance from all other kinds of dance-based musical feet. Tap is all about stomping to the beat! Famous tap dancers
were Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, and Gregory Hines.
Jazz dance is a uniquely American art form that continues to evolve
with various cultural influences. The key elements of jazz music are syncopation and individual style. Syncopation is what
gives jazz music and dancing its edge and excitement. The various styles of jazz dance have grown from the emphasis on individual
style and can be considered a melting pot of all dance forms. Each teacher, dancer, and choreographer brings a unique style
into the mix. Broadway and Hollywood made this type of dance big on stage and screen (such as Chicago, A Chorus Line), and
many pop music artists (i.e., Britney Spears) have incorporated jazz dance into their music videos.
Modern Dance lets
the dancers use their bodies as instruments to express such emotions as passion, fear, joy, or grief. Rather than adhering
to a set form and a limited range of gestures, as in ballet, the dancer creates form as an outgrowth of his or her own communicative
impulses. Modern dance resembles modern art and music in being experimental. More well known modern dancers are Martha Graham,
Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, and Alvin Ailey.
Lyrical dance is a beautiful blend of ballet, modern and jazz dance.
Students learn the technique of ballet, the rhythms of jazz and the emotions of modern dance. A key element in a lyrical dance
is seeing the movements done in a flowing or continuous pattern. The movements should interpret the words of the music, showing
the audience the emotion of the particular piece. Lyrical is a subset of jazz and is taught in the jazz class.
Flamenco is a Spanish dance form, and is an "earth dance". The posture of Flamenco is basically correct upright posture with
a natural perfect alignment of the spine. An exciting posture with the use of the back, arms and torso that is unique to flamenco.
There is a flowing movement of the torso, arms, and hands coordinated with the rhythmic, percussiveness of intricate footwork.
Thus, the dance is created through the interpretation of the flamenco rhythms while the body is a magic fountain of isolations.
Technique includes (among other things) footwork patterns, arm movements, hand movements, as well as the various rhythms.
The flamenco dancer's whole body becomes a musical instrument expressing feelings, emotions, art and beauty.
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