Into the groove
You may lack the stamina for Take That’s dance routines. or the muscle— tone for those Madonnaesquc moves, but follow our handy guide to Spring classes in Glasgow and Edinburgh and pretty soon you’ll be cutting it in on the dance floor like the next Wayne Sleep.
Dance class listings are compiled by city, then divided into particular schools, other classes and clubs sections. listings compiled by Ellie Carr.
I Glasgow Dance Proiect Woodsitle Halls. 36 Glerifarg Street. 353 3566. Glasgow's long-awaited permanent dance centre. with a vast range of sly les to suit everyone from teenagers to ()APS. All classes at Woodside Halls unless otherwise stated. Class fees: single class £3 (£2); six class card L15 (U0); Street dance £4; Flamenco lntensive £8 (£6); Asthariga Yoga £15 (£10); Spine. Body Function and Avoiding Injury £15 (£10); Dance 'l‘healre £15 (£l0).
Regular classes
I Ballet ‘Back to Basics’ Weekly. Wed until 27 Mar. tioon--l.30pm. Basic level class - some experience necessary. More for those brushing tip a rtrsty technique than those who don't know a plie from a pirouette. Classes taken by ex-Royal and Scottish Ballet dancer Michael Crookes. who currently runs his own company Nonsuch Productions in Glasgow and teaches at Dance Base and Theatre School in Edinburgh. I Bharata flatyum Weekly. Wed utitil \) Mar. l()--l l.30am. Try your hands (and your feet for that matter) at this highly rhythmical form ofclassical Indian dance. Classes are at general level (no experience necessary) breaking down the complex coordination of feet and arm gestures. and are taken by popular Glasgow-based teacher. dancer and choreographer Geetha Sridhar. I Contemporary Tue/Thurs until 28 Mar. 10-1 1.30am. Advanced-level classes in a variety of contemporary dance techniques. aimed at professionals but open to non- professionals with at least three years experience. Anna Krzystek Thurs 22 Feb. Advanced contemporary with Anna Krzystek. who trained at Cunningham Dance Studios. New York and is currently a member of Glasgow-based dance company Dudendance Theatre. I Paul nous Tue 26/Thurs 28 Mar. Work on weight. dynamics and double-work iii this advanced contemporary class with experienced leacher/perforriier Paul Rous. formerly of Dance Unlimited and Dudendance Theatre. now with his own compon . Lips. I Jazz trlcan Weekly. Mon until 25 Mar. 6-7.30pm. Rhythmical. finger-clickin'.
DANGEGLASSES W'
TRIBAL CALLING
A year ago, Melanie leck was a chamber-maid by day and cabaret dancer by night. How the young Glaswegian is one quarter of Projekt 11:92 - a crack team of teachers whose mission is to take bring street dance out of the woodwork in Strathclyde.
The break for Leck out of an
exhausting seven-month long cycle of
apple-pie beds in a Southside hotel and the glare of the spotlight in Bonkers Showbar came when the manager of her dance troupe introduced her to partner Jamie Armstrong, the founding member of Projekt 11:92.
Before long, Leck was teaching in the youth group where she’d started out as a pupil. She had no real experience of teaching, but as she
just went along and showed them a wee bit of my stuff.’ Armstrong liked what he saw and began to train Leck in the rudiments of teaching and integrate her as a full-time member of the team. ‘l’ve always loved dancing, and having a job where I can do it all the time is just amazing,’ she says, still unable to believe how squarely she’s landed on her feet.
Melanie Leck’s breakthrough into teaching is exemplary of the way Projekt 11:92 operate. Armstrong and his colleagues frequently refer to themselves as a ‘tribe’ and they behave like one - spreading the word about street dance across Glasgow and sweeping up both raw and skilled
hip-shakin' class led by the very funky liric Valentin Mauricio (trained American Dance Center. Paris. ex director Shanti RucliPaul Dance company) and accompanied by live drummer. Officially described as 'modern Afro-contemporary dance withjazz'. ()pen to all.
Workshops
I Asthanga Yoga Maryhill Community Halls. 304 Maryhill Road. Sat l7--Sun 18 Feb. Sat 2—5pm; Sun l(latll—lpttl. lix- Scottish Ballet dancer Andrea Durant. leads an intensive weekend workshop iii this deep form of yoga. ()pen to all but particularly suited to dancers or those with some knowledge of yoga.
I Dance Theatre Maryhill Community Halls. 304 Maryhill Road. Sat 30—Sun 3l Mar. l—4pni each day. Get the creative juices flowing with this two-day workshop in improvisation and choreography. led by somewhat quirky local dance company Dudendance Theatre in conjunction with leacher/choreographer Paul Rous. Props. costumes. masks. music and physical relationships to space and each other will be used to trigger iriiprovisations. and by the end of the weekend the group will have produced a small snippet of dance theatre which will receive its debut in an informal showing for fartiin and friends. lixperience not necessary. Sense of humour essential.
I Street Dance Scottish Ballet. 2(il West Princes Street. Sun 25 Feb. llarii--lpm. Well-funky conleiiiporar'y/street dance crossover class with Pauline Smith who trained at London Contemporary Dance School and is now one-half of bright- spark new Glasgow-based company
t recruits as they go. Without any long-
term public funding, the four-strong
team have established a programme of;
j youth groups, classes and outreach 9 proiects that appears to be drawing in
young people by using a dance style says: ‘Jamie had seen me dance, and I ‘
and an attitude they can relate to.
takes place in special care units.
g Frequently these units are all male,
: and not places where dance is high on
g the list of priorities. ‘We ask them
what they think of dance when we
i first go in,’ says Leck. And invariably
. the answer that comes back is: ‘lt’s
shite.’ Several months down the line
working with breakdance, hip-hop and clubby dance styles, as well as stuff
. like mixing desks and aerosol art, the
; team will usually have broken through
; with at least half the group. Several
members of the current Projekt 11:92
youth company were recruited through .
care unit sessions, and the team now have a part-time apprentice — fifteen-
: Kultyer Dance Theatre. No leotards oi
experience necessary. just an appreciation for cranked-lip hip-hop sounds and dance steps that are best done in trainers.
I Spine, Body Function and Avoiding Injury Slili 10 Mar. l0am noon; l 4pm. liven the best-trained dancers and athletes get injured sometime. Minimise your chances of dodgy knees and shin splints in this preventative class with qualified lvengar yoga teacher and i'eriiediai masseuse. Fiona Morton and osteopath and naturopatli Sheree McCiiegor. ()pen to all. Wear Ct)llllt)l’l(ll)lc clothing.
5 Other classes
I CBTOC l’la/a Ballroom. liglmgton Toll Further itifo: ()l324 613209. livery Tue: beginners 7.30pm; general 8.45pm. £4 (two classes and two hours of freestyle dancing). Massively popular form of modern jive based on French rock ‘n' roll which has hooked over l000 devotees since it arrived in Scotland in l‘)l)2. by teachers Jean Harris and Franck Pauly.
I latin American The Corner. Sauchieliall Street. livery Mon (beginners); 'very Tue (intermediate). 7.30—10pm followed by freestyle dancing till midnight with licensed bar. Closing date for current intake Mon 12 Feb. Beginners get an introduction to the basic steps for salsa. merengue. twirls and couple dancing. while intermediates concentrate on dancing in couples. twirls. continuity and flow of steps and improvisation. Leave your sequins and frilly shirts at home. say the organisers. this is strictly nu! Ballroom. Watch club listings for details of free introductory classes in association with Club Cubana.
ASHLEY WALKER
year-old William McAslan - who came to them through social education. Elsewhere the demand for street
a dance appears to be growing. Projekt
11:92’s work with youth has sparked
oft interest, and as the scene moves
j out of people’s bedrooms and onto the The bulk of the team’s outreach work !
streets, the wider community is beginning to take note. Grown-up blokes — even 903 ones - don’t often go to dance classes of their own accord, but Armstrong now runs regular street classes for adult males with massive success, and Leck has an adult class which pulls in an age range of eighteen to sixty-three.
The plan — it long term funding
1 transpires — is to extend this part of
i the programme and make street dance
5 classes an option for youth and adult
communities across Strathclyde - as Armstrong says to ‘build the tribe’. (Ellie Carr)
; For more information on the antics of
Projekt 11:92 call 0141 367 5000.
I Latin Club Collier Theatre. ()3 Hyndland Road. 357 3868. Sat l7 Feb/Sal 2/Sal 16 Mar. 2v-4pm. £l.5(). Experienced Colombian dancer/teacher Maritza
5 Rodriguez invites you to try the sensuous # rhythms ofl.atin America and the
Caribbean. Cumbia. merengue. la rumba and son cubano to name bill a few.
I Join The Tribe Big Hands Centre. ‘)a Stewartville Street. 357 5000. Sat l3—Sun 14 April. l0arii—4pni. £20 for weekend. Glasgow's funky street dance posse. Projekt l lz‘)2 (see panel) lead a training weekend for youlli workers and people working with children and young people. I Contemporary Hillhead High School. ()akfieltl Ave. Contact 01505 843081 for further details. livery Mon. 7pm. £3. Local dancer/choreographer Jane Simpson leads these free liiovetnent/creative sessions for adults.
I Stop Press Get up and go street dance posse. Projekt ll:‘)2 (see panel) are looking for people between the ages often and eighteen to form another street dance unit in the West lind. Classes will take place on Thursday evenings between 5pm and 7pm at the Collier Theatre. 93 Hyndland Road. Call Projekt ll292 on 357 5000 for details of this arid other outreach projects.
Latin clubs
Fancy taking those Laliri American rhythms out onto the dance floor? We've got just the place for yoli.
I Club Cubana The Bedsit. 1 Park Drive. 33‘) 0432. livery Sat. 9pni—late. See Club listings.
I Toro Mojos. Bath Street. 33l 2257. livery Thurs. ()pltl—lllltllllglll. Free. See Club listings.
98 The List 9-22 Feb I996