Ready to refresh or dig deep in to all that amazing material what will boost your dancing to the next level. Technique, styles, some body work, you will get it all! More info will follow soon!
Your Instructor, Brenda Russell
Brenda comes from a family of social dancers and musicians. As dance became her profession, she began specialising in African American cultural jazz, blues, and latin dances. For the last 24 years, Brenda has travelled the world teaching movement and dance, including balboa, blues, swing, tango, west coast swing and fusion.
Brenda is known as a technician, historian, and sometimes drill sergeant. She is most known as a dancer and teacher for her feel, and that of her students. Brenda promotes the philosophies of proprioceptive partnering, neutral frame, spinal alignment and pulse-based dancing, helping her students experience an organic connection often found in native social dancers.
When describing her vision, she states:Movement | Sensuality | Community
Brenda is a movement and dance educator by nature and by training. She holds many certifications in movement education modalities, and she continues to deepen her understanding of body movement, along with integration of mind, body and spirit.
Brenda believes that the best way to learn a dance is the same way the original dancers did: by listening to the music, moving in response, picking up movements from family and friends, through observation and then by joining in the dance.
Brenda believes that when a dancer connects fully with their own body and with the music, and can understand, observe, and embody dance movement in general, then they can dance their own authentic dance, within any form they choose, including the Blues and Jazz Dance.
Schedule
Friday March 7th
2h advanced class
We are offering an additional advanced class: 18.15-20.15. Please only register if you have at least 3 years of bluesdance experience. We will review your application to ensure a high level of learning in that extra class. Thank you for your understanding.
You can and should still participate at the Blüesli as well, Brenda will give you high level material to work on during the weekend classes.
Class description
Advanced Body Mechanics, Partnering, and Rhythms – Participants should be familiar with Afro-Blues aesthetic and multiple styles of Blues and Jazz Blues dances.
Party
Followed by a warm-up party: 20.30-midnight with live music from Peter Richard’s Blues Project
Saturday March 8th
11:00 Check-in/Warm-Up
11:30 – 12:30 Slow Drag, Slow Blues
12:30 – 13:45 Lunch
13:45 – 14:30 Blues Vernacular I
14:45 – 15:45 Slow Shuffle
16:00 – 17:00 Texas Shuffle
17:10 – 17:45 Practice
Class descriptions
Slow Drag, Slow Blues
These smooth styles of Blues dance are the foundation of any House Party, Jook Joint, or Blues Bar dancing. The triplet rhythm, shared with swing music, drives the music styles of Drag Blues and Slow Blues and has influenced much of the popular music dancers love today. The 6/8 timing of Blues can be found in many genres, and pop music today. We will cover the aesthetics, some base movements, pulse, and differences vs similarities of the music and dance of these grooves.
Blues Vernacular I
Vernacular is the language or dialect. In Blues dance, we look at movements and aesthetics commonly done to each musical style. In this first class, we will prepare for Shuffle music by covering the moves common to that style, such as four corners, rocks, mooche, etc.
Slow Shuffle
This class continues where Slow Blues leaves off, adding syncopation to the double pulse, offering a wider variety of tempos and the energy for more movements. We will apply what we learned in Slow Drag and Slow Blues, along with the vernacular movements to allow for more dynamics and individual variation.
Texas Shuffle
Also known as “Shuffle,” this session will explore improvisation, momentum, and partnering dynamics in greater depth.
Party
20:30 – 01:00 Saturday night party with live music from 4 Handful of Blues
Sunday March 9th
12:15 Check-in/Warm-up
12:45 – 13:45 Gospel Blues & Jazz
14:00 – 15:00 Latin/Afro-Caribbean Blues Part I
15:00 – 15:30 Snack Break
15:30 – 16:15 Blues Vernacular II
16:30 – 17:30 Latin/Afro-Caribbean Blues Part II
Class Descriptions
Gospel Blues & Jazz
Sunday morning is when we go to church. One of the major influences of Blues and a differentiation from pure African is Gospel/Spiritual music and movement. We will warm up with some Spiritual Vernacular and solo dance, then take it into partnership with Strut and Swing Walk (Savoy Walk).
Blues Vernacular II
In this second vernacular class, we will prepare for our Latin and Afro-Caribbean rhythms by working on Grind, Fishtail, Drops, Skates, Boogaloo, Shimmy, and Shakes
Latin/Afro-Caribbean Blues Part I and II
Rumba rhythm is the base for many musical styles. Rumba Clave and Son Clave differentiate additional styles. There are Blues songs with the rhythms of Rumba, Mambo, Cha Cha Cha, Swamp Groove, Boogaloo, and more. We will cover the four-beat pattern structure for dancing to these styles and how to figure out where the hold is in each. Applying our Blues Vernacular to the four-beat pattern, you will get in the pocket of this vibrant music. In Part II, we will explore the change between using a slow step and a triple step, as well as common partnering structures.
Friday Livemusic from Peter Richard’s Blues Project
Friday Livemusic from Peter Richard’s Blues Project
First performance ever for Blüesli!
Sandra and Micha have been passionately dancing Blues, Lindy Hop, and more for years – now they have also found each other musically as a Blues duo. Where this journey will lead, they don’t know yet, but one thing is certain: They’re excited to find out.
Saturday Livemusic from 4 Handful of Blues
Enjoy some amazing Livemusic from 4 Handful of Blues from Baden (CH)
The name 4 Handful Of Blues says it all: two musicians – four hands – play the blues. Everything that can be left out is left out. There are only vocals, guitar and bass – that means pure blues, honest, straightforward, real. The themes are the simplest and oldest there are. Everyone understands what it’s all about: the feelings that go crazy in your stomach, that break your heart, that drive you to the brink of madness. The 2 brothers Patrik and Paul Schneider founded the band in 2000 and have been playing together since then. They have also played several time for the Zurich Bluesdance scene. We are happy to have them back! Find more about them here:
http://www.patrikschneider.ch/4handfulofblues/
Prices
Full Blüesli: 220 CHF regular / 180 reduced (Saturday & Sunday classes, all parties incl.)
Only one day Blüesli: 130 CHF regular / 110 CHF reduced (Saturday OR Sunday classes, all parties incl.)
Advanced class (friday evening, party included)
60 CHF regular / 40 CHF reduced if you do the whole weekend
80 CHF regular / 60 CHF reduced if you only do friday evening.
Each party: 15.-
If you register for only Saturday or only Sunday, you will be placed on a waiting list until close to the workshop, where we can decide if there is space for single-day registrations. Thank you for understanding.
Venue
All parties and all classes will be taking place at Ella’s Fellas Dance School, Militärstrasse 84, 8004 Zürich