Steezy: House by JoJo Diggs

April 9 & 10, 2020

Class: Jojo Diggs | Fallen - Ike Release

Where: Steezy

Style: House

Level: Advanced

This class wasn't too difficult to learn. It is taught in four parts. I did part 1 & 2 the first day and parts 3 & 4 the second day. The sections are easy to remember because there are repeating patterns. However, it is quick. You really have to let yourself get into the jack and groove. You need to stay loose to stay in time. There is one tricky spot where I needed to practice the transition a few times to get through it. The spot I found tricky was after the single skates, back in, hop, turn - head head. This will make sense if you take the class too. Let me know if you find it tricky as well.

I have never taken a class by this teacher before. Jojo is a beautiful mover and she shares a lot of information about house dance and her choreography. Do listen to her. When I wanted to just repeat the choreo, I used the chapters in the top right corner to skip to running it with the music.

I recommend this class to anyone who is interested in a challenging and fun footwork class. This class is also for people who like to explore the music in different ways accenting different parts of the music with different moves. Even though this class is fast, you could use the slow down buttons in Steezy to make it more accessible.

Steezy has a 7 day free trial and it also has some free intro classes. If you get the free trial make sure to use it everyday - get the most out of it. There are so many different classes you can try and the platform lets you slow it down, view from the front or from the back. It is really awesome.

Check it out.

Harbour Dance YouTube Channel: Chris Bonus

April 8, 2020

Class: Chris Bonus, Justin Beiber: Intentions

Where: Harbour Dance Centre YouTube Channel

Style: Hip Hop

Level: 2/3 (Intermediate/Advanced)

I really enjoyed this class. The video is only seventeen minutes long. It is taught in three sections. I paused at the end of each second, went back and reviewed, then ran it over and over, until it was solid in my brain. There is no cheating your brain when you are dancing alone on your patio. There is no one in class to peek at. YOU have to remember the moves and put them in your brain. So pause. Go back. Make up names for the moves in your head or say right and left, clap clap, play the guitar. Make it make sense to you.

Chris Bonus is an awesome teacher. He once collaborated on a dance team piece for Frank Hurt. I bet you didn't know that. Yes, back in the Simonne, Andrew, Dream Dance days - we had Chris and I can't remember the name of the other teacher - but I can see his face in my mind - really nice human - they taught a piece for our senior team. That was a great year. Good memories.

I recommend this class to anyone who has been taking hip hop for a while. This one is great to make your brain work. I was sweating and smiling at the end of it... and I don't even particularly like JB - but I got into this song. If you are newer to hip hop, you could still try it, just learn one chunk at a time and repeat it over and over. Cool Beans? Chris also says, "cool beans," in the video. Let me know if you try this class and what you think.

Lock Down Workouts

I have been taking a LOT of classes over the last month. I have continued with my Pure Barre classes. My studio has been teaching on FB Live. I like to say hi to my barre friends and keep connected with that community. They do the class live twice a day with two different teachers. Doing a live class makes me feel more connected. It is something I hold onto from the past, from the normal days.

I have also been doing YYOGA at home with my friend Carrie over Face time at the same time. She is my best friend and having something that we do everyday together is a time to look forward to. After yoga, we play Mario Kart on the app with Biggy in multiplayer mode. Carrie always gets first but has had to let Biggy win a few times. When he wins he does happy dances and trash talks everyone else, but when he lose he gets mad at ME and doesn't want to play anymore. I guess that sums up seven years old.

It was on my to-do list to take a Kirsten Wicklund yoga class at YYoga in Kits for... two years. I saw that she was teaching online. Her first class was on IG live. Now she is using Zoom. I have taken two classes so far, but I think I will continue with her class once a week on Thursdays at 9am. I donate $10 to her GoFundMe every time I take class. It is pretty awesome to have such an amazing Ballet BC dancer leading you through a yoga class in your own home. Sweet.

Another favourite human of mine is Mari Dickey. I haven't taken her yoga class online yet - but it is in my to do list. It is time. I need some Mari yoga. Every time I take one of her classes, I always leave having learned something new about my practice.

I have been going through the Sugar Foot Therapy classes on their website. I got a year subscription when I did the teacher training in February and now I have the time to really get into it. I plan on making some warm-up videos for my students using these exercises designed by a physiotherapist and a dancer. These are the exercises you should be doing before you start dancing to make you stronger and help you prevent being injured.

I have taken a ballet class on my patio taught by my friend Stephanie in the Dominican Republic. She is teaching through an Facebook Group Live. I plan on taking more of her classes as it warms up and I can use my patio railing as a barre.

I have just started to take more dance classes online. As I do, I write a little bit about each. Maybe you will find one that you want to try.