Freelance artist Maleek Washington came to CityDance to teach a Creative Movement master class and c
Freelance artist Maleek Washington came to CityDance to teach a Creative Movement master class and choreography workshop to Conservatory Dancers. He focused on physical theatre during his workshop, teaching students how to use their body as a tool to tell a story. After the workshop he sat down with CityDance’s Social Media Manager for an interview to share his advice for young dancers looking for a professional dance career. Q: Why do you believe that Creative Movement classes are important for pre-professional dancers? A: Creative Movement workshops focus on ensemble building. It also gives dancers experience understanding the process of choreography and creating works. Q: You continue to train in classical and contemporary techniques. What is the value of training in both classical and contemporary? A: Versatility is key for a professional dancer. In classical you learn the technique. In contemporary you get to deconstruct that technique, but you have to understand it fully first. I understand rhythm, syncopation and flow, so will never be surprised by anything at an audition. Q: What is your mentality when you teach guest residencies and classes? A: Dancers do what they are told, but I encourage them to ask questions. From a young age dancers are taught to blend in. I teach them to be the soloist who can also dance with other people, or the dancer in the core who can stand out. Q: What is advice that you have for young dancers? A: It’s not a sprint it’s a marathon. There is no rush in getting to your goal. There will be steps you have to go through before you get to that goal and once you attain that goal, there is always another step and new goals to make. Someone in your dance career is going to miss out on you. If you get rejected don’t get upset, learn from it. One day they will realize that they missed out on you. -- source link