Portland Blues and Jazz Dance Society

Series Lesson: West African Dance w/ Brenda and Catherine

This month, we’re having Brenda Russell and Catherine Palmier come to teach a 5 weeks series, each week focusing on a new element covering the African roots of Blues and Jazz dance.

“Brenda and Catherine will teach a series of movements rooted in West African Dance, then show how the aesthetic adapts to Vernacular Jazz and Blues, finally dancing the movements together in partnership. Improve your posture, movement dynamics, rhythm, and partnership in this exciting 5 week series. Each week will feature new movements and an opportunity to work on them in partnership to get you ready for the evening.”

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Derrick Dingman

DJs

Dylan McCann & Jen Moss

Series Lesson: West African Dance w/ Brenda and Catherine

It’s the first week of a new series so the lesson is FREE! We’re having Brenda Russell and Catherine Palmier come to teach for the next 5 weeks, each week focusing on a new element covering the African roots of Blues and Jazz dance.

“Brenda and Catherine will teach a series of movements rooted in West African Dance, then show how the aesthetic adapts to Vernacular Jazz and Blues, finally dancing the movements together in partnership. Improve your posture, movement dynamics, rhythm, and partnership in this exciting 5 week series. Each week will feature new movements and an opportunity to work on them in partnership to get you ready for the evening.”

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Kelly Ann Chee

DJs

Brenda Russell & Gideon Syfrett

Series Lesson: Grounded to Flight with Gideon and Jen

“You know that yummy sultry place, where you’re grooving slow and your knees are bent and your body is loose but in alignment? And you can move all over the dance floor while maintaining balance, and then bring it back in… for some microblues and more yumminess and then add in a dip or a drop and a skip or a bump and all the while…you are grounded in your core and legs and feet and your stretching out your moves, in that beautiful bluesy way that makes you feel like you have dance partnership superpowers?”

This week, they will be covering contrasting movement, like momentum and tone, and large movement, including hops, skips, & pendulum kicks. There will developing your connection, through stretch, balance, grounding. Lesson starts at 7:30pm

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Kayce Spear

DJs

Derrick Dingman & Duane Grover

Series Lesson: Grounded to Flight with Gideon and Jen

“You know that yummy sultry place, where you’re grooving slow and your knees are bent and your body is loose but in alignment? And you can move all over the dance floor while maintaining balance, and then bring it back in… for some microblues and more yumminess and then add in a dip or a drop and a skip or a bump and all the while…you are grounded in your core and legs and feet and your stretching out your moves, in that beautiful bluesy way that makes you feel like you have dance partnership superpowers?”

This week, they will be covering “macro blues”, utilizing larger spaces, along with some dips, drops, and drags. You can read a more detailed description of the lesson here. Lesson starts at 7:30pm

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Drew Robinson

DJs

Brenda Russell, and Josh & Emily Mclaughlin

Series Lesson: Grounded to Flight with Gideon and Jen

“You know that yummy sultry place, where you’re grooving slow and your knees are bent and your body is loose but in alignment? And you can move all over the dance floor while maintaining balance, and then bring it back in… for some microblues and more yumminess and then add in a dip or a drop and a skip or a bump and all the while…you are grounded in your core and legs and feet and your stretching out your moves, in that beautiful bluesy way that makes you feel like you have dance partnership superpowers?”

This week, they will be covering micro blues, utilizing small movements, confined spaces, and using breath. This will improve connection and can be used to create a more emotional connection. Lesson starts at 7:30pm.

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Benji Man

DJs

Matt Mickle & Trinidad Perez

Series Lesson: Grounded to Flight with Gideon and Jen

It’s the first week of the month so the Series Lesson is free!

“You know that yummy sultry place, where you’re grooving slow and your knees are bent and your body is loose but in alignment? And you can move all over the dance floor while maintaining balance, and then bring it back in… for some microblues and more yumminess and then add in a dip or a drop and a skip or a bump and all the while…you are grounded in your core and legs and feet and your stretching out your moves, in that beautiful bluesy way that makes you feel like you have dance partnership superpowers?”

This week, they will be focused on core movement and establishing control and through grounding. This will improve connection and can be used to create a more emotional connection. Lesson starts at 7:30pm.

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Jen Moss

DJs

Drew Robinson & Duane Grover(DC)

Series Lesson: Flow w/ Jae and Ally

In this month’s series, Jae Wilson & Ally Yancey will review momentum and redirection in the context of blues dance. This week the lesson is called “Alter Egos and Safe Play”. There they will teach how to integrate style, musicality and ‘characters’ into your lead and follow relationship as icing on an already technically sound cake! Lesson starts at 7:30pm.

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Drew Robinson

DJs

Kayce Spear & John Joven

Series Lesson: Flow w/ Jae and Ally

In this month’s series, Jae Wilson & Ally Yancey will review momentum and redirection in the context of blues dance. This week they will combine concepts learned in weeks 1 and 2 to extend a basic by smoothly redirecting a follows momentum. Lesson starts at 7:30pm.

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Catherine Liggett (Corvallis)

DJs

Brenda Russell, and Josh & Emily

Series Lesson: Flow w/ Jae and Ally

In this month’s series, Jae Wilson, Ally Yancey, & Kayce Spear will review momentum and redirection in the context of blues dance. This week, they will review the fundamentals of turn technique and making space for free and connected spins. They’ll review the basics of flight, momentum, and body leading and hip alignments for smoother leads in open. Lesson starts at 7:30pm.

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Gideon Syfrett

DJs

Matt Mickle & Dylan McCann