The interviews
Leave a CommentIf you learn anything from me this fall, it’s this: never use an audio recorder without a USB port. At times when I don’t have my camera kit recorder ready, I use one I bought a few years ago. I run into problem, however, when I leave the cord and home for several weeks and then lose the software to install it. Anyway, that’s why I’m finally uploading four audio interviews I’ve done the past few weeks, and these all correspond to previous photos you’ve seen. They’ll be a part of my documentary photo slideshow at the end of the semester. Because this blog doesn’t support uploaded audio files, I’ve attached them in a document.
Take a class at UGA
On Thursday, October 22, I went to the Ramsey Center to find the breakdancing group to photograph for this week’s post. However, I couldn’t find the group and stumbled onto this hip hop class instead. Headed up by Christina Figueroa, who teaches beginner and advanced hip hop classes, the class was doing a review week for the dance they learned last week. Where did Figueroa take some of the choreography from? You guessed it – So You Think You Can Dance.
Christina Figueroa (in front) helps the class review last week's dance.
This advanced class, which usually features eight students each week, pulled in four this week for the review session. They danced to “Party People” by Nelly.
Two students practice their partnering in the dance for "Party People."
Students can sign up for these classes at the Ramsey Center, which also holds jazz, ballet and zumba classes.
Figueroa teaches review weeks to help the students sharpen their moves.
SYTYCD?
The abbreviation stands for the newest craze in dance competition and reality TV – So You Think You Can Dance. The show, produced by the same people American Idol, poses auditions for thousands across the nation, bringing hundreds of dancers to Las Vegas to compete for 20 spots on the show. Throughout the season, viewers call in votes to keep couples and dancers on the show, narrowing down the slots to 10. Those 10 tour the nation after the season and battle it out for the top position, which offers money and a contract at a dance studio or show – the top prize changes.
Each week, couples pick a slip of paper and perform the style on that sheet – Broadway, jazz, crump, waltz, hip hop, street dancing, salsa, ballroom and contemporary. The show, which has won four Emmys for Outstanding Choreography, has brought back dance as a craze – especially for my generation. It’s the reason I’m interested in dance, and it’s the reason I decided to cover dance for this blog. I tuned in for the second, third and fourth seasons in the summer. I missed last summer’s season, and the show is now so popular it’s back for a sixth season this fall.
During the national tour, the top 10 dancers from the season before perform popular dances from that season’s shows and additonal routines. Jacob Cole, a graduate student in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia, attended the Atlanta show this week.
Cole, who attended the show at Gwinnett Arena and loved every minute.
BSE takes the cultural stage
Mix modern choreography with hip hop, black shorts and three girls who can’t stop laughing, and what do you get? Black Shorts Entertainment.
Sei Chin (left), Bona Kim and Lorien Kim complete choreography on a song for this year's season.
Lorien Kim, a senior chemistry major from Atlanta, founded the group when she was a sophomore. Ranging between three to 20 members during the year, BSE rehearses at the Ramsey Center on Thursdays. There aren’t auditions, and anyone is invited to join. This semester, rehearsing members are the three officers, which inclues Lorien, Sei Chin, a junior telecommunication arts major from Augusta and Bona Kim, a junior psychology and international affairs major from Duluth.
The group rehearses for two hours each week in a Ramsey Center aerobics or martial arts room.
This fall, the three will perform at a “Battle of the Organizations” event and Taste of Diversity in November. During the spring semester, the group will be at seven events — a Chinese New Year event in January, a College Of Pharmacy cultural event in February, Korea Night and Asian Sensation in March, and Cultural Fusion, International Street Festival and Asian Market in April. Performance music right now is Hot Issue & Muzik by 4Minute. If one thing is clear from watching rehearsal, it’s this: the girls aren’t afraid to have fun and try new things. While finishing choreography during practice on October 15, they would try a move, laugh it off and find another that suited them and the music.
Sei Chin watches her reflection in a mirror as she practices the dance.
Lorien Kim laughs while dancing during rehearsal, appreciating the fun moves they've made up.
The preceding event …
Stephanie Halmo, a senior at UGA, is a founding member of Prelude.
Prelude is a new dance group created this fall by a group of friends who attended South Forsyth High School together and were a part of the same dance company in high school.
Kristen Bowman, a sophomore, puts on ballet shoes before rehearsal
“It was a big part of our lives,” said Gracie Rogers, a sophomore who started the group. “We didn’t want to audition for the other dance companies, so we decided to start our own.”
Kristy Karle, a freshman on the left, and Stephanie Halmo, Gracie Rogers and Chris Wages jump up during the routine.
The group embraces all styles of dance but focuses on tap, jazz and ballet. These are photos from the third practice, and the group is still holding auditions each Monday at 7 p.m. in Tate 311. Prelude plans to perform in the spring.
Kristen Bowman and Stephanie Halmo plan the rest of their first dance during rehearsal on Monday, Sept. 21.
The entire group rehearses the first student-choreographed dance for the year.
To Swing, then Swung!
The Swing Club at UGA showcases all aspects of swing dancing – Lindy Hop, Charleston, West Coast Swing, East Coast Swing/Jitterbug. The instructors teach three Lindy Hop lessons a month and one Charleston/Balboa/ShimSham lesson a month. UGA students, faculty and members of the community are invited to join and donate $1 at the end of the lesson.
Susan Elrod and Erik Hofmeister teach the swing classes each week.
Erik Hofmeister and Susan Elrod teach basic steps, one standard move and one “cool” move every class period to appeal to both beginner and intermediate students. Members don’t need to bring partners and often rotate during the lesson.
Grace Greenwood and Harman Johar, UGA students, watch Hofmeister and Elrod demonstrate a new move.
Rachelle Hoehn, swing club president, shows first-time attendee Kate Butzen how to step and turn.
The group meets every Monday at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Ballroom but invite members to dance in Athens on Tuesdays at Buffalo’s in the Alps Shopping Center or DanceFX at Five Points.
Hoehn and Taryn Mecher spin during a Lindy Hop move.
Anu Laxmi and Bharat Valluru mess up, laugh and try again.
Martial arts + dance + music = Capoeira
Capoeira is a UGA club sport and student organization that mixes parts of martial arts, fitness, dance, gymnastics, music and Brazilian culture.
The art form came about when slaves were shipped across the Atlantic Ocean during the colonial period of Brazil. Slaves brought their cultural traditions and religions with them, and Capoeira helped them to resist opperessors by practicing art and culture.
The players line up in a circle and play instruments. I’ll add more this weekend about the history, the two different forms, what the instruments are and the history of the UGA chapter. I also have audio of the sound I took last night during practice. This week, because it’s the beginning of the year and there are several new players, they started learning the instruments. I’ll go back to get more of the dance.
Champa and Chameli starts a new year
Champa and Chameli, established at the University of Georgia in 2005, combine the classical art of Bharatnatyam (traditional Indian dance) with folk dance and modern dance genres of hip hop, jazz, ballet, gymnastics and tap. The members choreograph their own original routines to perform at cultural shows and competitions.
The six girls pictured below held tryouts this week to add girls to the group. They performed last year’s competition piece as an example. I think these turned out well, but I want to do more detail shots next week. I’ll meet up with the girls again to add color and costumes, audio about joining the group and (I hope) even some sample music.
Sima Patel, Elizabeth George, Sejal Patel, Shailja Thawani, Prachi Bhardwaj and Meha Patel perform last year's competition piece in the Tate Student Center dance room on Wednesday, Sept. 2.
The plan
As a part of 3710: Advanced Photojournalism, I’ll build a documentary site this semester about what it’s like to be a part of the dance culture at UGA. Look for posts about various groups and techniques – including ballet, step, Bhangra and ballroom. I’m interested in the practices and performances, and my photos will focus on lighting, movement and lines. Feel free to leave suggestions about which groups to cover and the angles I should find.
- Carolyn Crist
