Dance Appreciation Month

Friday, April 5, 2013 6:00-8:00pm at Alaska Dance Theatre

Workshop Desciption: In this two hour workshop, we will get you moving with American Tribal Style® Belly Dance. We will explore basic slow and fast steps, group formations, and improvisational dance.
Tribal Style Belly Dance is both a celebration of the female spirit and a physical display of the strength and beauty of women. It's roots can be traced back to the rituals of past matriarchal cultures and to the secular entertainments evolved as the gypsies traveled through India, Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Spain. Teens and Adults welcome!  

Carrie Moore's Biography: Carrie is a certified ATS® Belly Dance instructor. Since her beginnings in Tribal Style she has been fascinated and dedicated to the structure, connectivity, and sense of community among a group of women dancing together as one. Her style of teaching offers discipline in an art form that fuses the science of anatomy and the beauty of classical art.Carrie is the founder and director of Gypsy Horizon Belly Dance. Since 2007, she has earned five General Skills Training Certifications and three Teaching Certifications from FatChanceBellyDance's® Carolena Nericcio, creator of American Tribal Style® Belly Dance. Carrie is also a certified SEEDs (Self-Esteem, Education, Empowerment through Dance) Youth Mentor & Instructor.

Friday, April 19, 2013 6:00-8:00pm at Alaska Dance Theatre

Workshop Description: An upbeat hip hop class incorporating the various styles found in hip hop.  We will break down some of the more popular moves in the center then hit it hard on a combo for the rest of the class. It will be a class that will get you smiling and a great workout at the same time.

Colby Neilsons' Biography: Colby Nielsen started out dancing in Palmer at Sonja's Studio of Dance. He went on to CEU in Price,Utah on a full ride dance scholarship for a year. The following fall, on an invite, he went to Portland, OR in order to join a pre-professional performing company called Moveo. We performed all styles and all over Oregon and Washington including at a few NBA games, a performance alongside Wes Veldnik's company, as well as two original christmas productions. While in Oregon He attended various workshops and was recognized by dancers like Biz, Mandy Moore, Nick Lazarini, Misha Gabrielle, and many others.  He was also invited to take company class with an internationally known modern company called BodyVox and shortly after they offered him a spot on their company. He made his way down to LA and trained there for a few years.  Being a backup dancer for charity events and in a music video and some local theatre and dance companies. Now he is back in Alaska on a brief hiatus.  Still training and training others while he is home.

Saturday, April 20, 2013 1:30-3:30pm at Alaska Dance Theatre

Workshop Description: Flamenco is a uniquely Spanish art form that encompasses three major components: song, music and dance. The Saturday, April 20th workshop will focus on covering basic dance technique, including braceo/use of arms, zapateado/footwork, as well as florea/hand flourishes. Towards the end of the workshop, we will combine the dance techniques previously listed into a brief choreographed sequence in the form of a Tangos. Additionally, individuals participating in the workshop will also be treated to a Tangos performed by Erika Sandre as well as students of Flamenco North.

Erika Sandres' Biography:
Erika Sandre
ADCSC-CICB (Cecchetti), A.I.S.T.D. (National Dance), NBS (Diploma)
 Miss Erika Sandre, originally from Ontario, Canada, began her dance training at the Dance Studio of Académie Ste. Cécile, and was also accepted into the Performing Arts Program at Walkerville Collegiate Institute as a high school student. As a senior, Miss Sandre auditioned and was accepted into the Full-Time Professional Training Program at the Quinte Ballet School in Belleville, Ontario. After her acceptance, she later chose to change her focus from pursuing a career as a professional dancer, to one as a teacher. Miss Sandre then attended the Teacher Training Program at the National Ballet School of Canada in Toronto, Ontario. While at NBS, Erika's training included syllabus and non-syllabus classes, pedagogy in both the RAD and Cecchetti methods of ballet, National and Character dance, functional anatomy, music as well as dance and art history.

While studying in Toronto, Miss Sandre was introduced to, and fell in love with Flamenco dance. She had the privilege to study with Valerie Scanurra of Ritmo Flamenco as well as Susan Walker; a free lance professional Flamenco dancer who's coaching was invaluable to Erika developing her understanding of Flamenco and also led to her being able to teach introductory level Flamenco workshops at the National Ballet School of Canada to its Associate Dance Program students. Miss Sandre graduated from the Teacher Training Program in June of 2006 with her Cecchetti Associate teaching certification, her National Dance teaching certification, as well as her NBS diploma. Miss Sandre has since received a higher standing with the Cecchetti Society of Canada, and now holds her Cecchetti Associate Diploma teaching certification. Miss Sandre has taught at a number of studios in the Toronto area, including the National Ballet School of Canada as a Cecchetti pedagogy and syllabus instructor as well as a Character and National Dance instructor. She has also taught at the Victoria Dance Connection in Victoria, British Columbia where she also had the opportunity to continue to study Flamenco under the direction of Veronica Maguire of Alma de España. Also while in Victoria, Erika received intensive Pilates certification training, and has since received her Pilates certification. Currently, Erika is a ballet and creative movement instructor at Alaska Dance Theatre, and is also the owner and instructor of Flamenco North, a privately owned and operated dance organization designed to bring the art of Flamenco to the dance and cultural community in Anchorage, Alaska.

Friday, April 26, 2013 6:00-8:00pm at Alaska Dance Theatre

Workshop Description: Whole Body Music is a playful and engaging class designed to increase a dancer's physical understanding of music.  Musical theory and concepts are explored through movement exercises and structures, using a variety of music styles. 

Katherine Kramers' Biography: Katherine Kramer is a performer, choreographer, educator, movement coach and producer. She has built a long-standing career performing as a jazz tap dancer and musician, collaborating with many of the finest in both genres and specializing in coaching dancers in musicality and musicians in physicality. She has developed “Whole Body Music,” as a method of training both dancers and musicians. This work has been presented in residencies at universities throughout the US. Between 1996 and 2007, she produced “Rhythm Explosion”, an interdisciplinary summer festival in Bozeman, Montana. She is one of five artists to be awarded a 2010 Artist’s Innovation Award from the Montana Arts Council.  In 2008 she received a Fulbright Grant, to work in Prague, CR. In 2008 she received a Creation Fund Grant from the National Performance Network, creating “Stop Look Listen,” which was premiered at the Colony Theater in Miami and performed in NY at the historic Judson Church Theater. Her one-woman show, “Rhythms of the Heart,” toured from 1992 – 2000, including performances at Jacob’s Pillow and international festivals. In Havana, Cuba she has taught tap to Danza Contemporarea and Conjunto Folklorica de Cuba, and in Fortaleza, Brazil worked with Valeria Pinheiro and Co. Vata. She has conducted residencies at universities throughout the country and created choreography for universities and companies in the US and Canda. She served as choreographer and movement coach for Robert Redford on his film, “The Horse Whisperer.”