Blues Weekend

Solo & Partner Blues – 2 days full of groove, expression and connection

Immerse yourself in the world of blues – from individual body movement to sensual partner dancing. This 2-day workshop series offers you the opportunity to lay your foundation in blues, move your body to the music and experience the magic of connection in partner dancing.

Day 1: Solo Blues – Your body as an instrument

Goals

Laying the foundations, strengthening movement awareness, discovering improvisation, developing initial choreographic ideas.

Contents

• Body Movement: Move your own body to music, consciously perceive body parts, learn isolation techniques for shoulders, hips, chest, arms and legs
• Improvisation: Develop movements from inner impulses, find musical expression, work with levels (high/low) and spatial design
• Choreography: Combining everything you have learned into a flowing solo sequence, deepening expression and musicality

Outcome

At the end of the day, you will have a solid foundation in solo blues, have tried out your first improvisation ideas and developed a short choreographic sequence of your own.

Day 2: Blues as a partner dance – connection & space

Objectives

Experience partnership in dance, feel the groove together, create your first improvisations with a partner.

Contents

• Space & connection: conscious use of space, closeness & distance, partner awareness, leading & following
• Jookin' Blues & Blues Basics: Basic steps, rhythmic patterns, timing and musical phrasing
• Discovering the blues idiom: Characteristic movements, expression and improvisation in pairs, developing small partner sequences

Outcome

By the end of the second day, you will have mastered the basics of blues partner dancing, be able to use the space consciously, feel the groove together and create your own improvised partner movements.

Requirements

For anyone who enjoys expression, music and movement – both beginners and dancers with some previous experience.

Registration & prices

Only individual registrations are possible (1 person = 1 registration). We aim for a balanced ratio of leads and follows in the workshop. Therefore, there is a quota of lead, follow and switch places. Once the role limit has been reached, it is no longer possible to register for that role.

Members of the Dresden Hepcats receive a 20% discount when they enter the workshop voucher code (see internal club workshop announcement).

Please bring a change of shoes with light-coloured soles or socks for dancing. Also bring comfortable clothing, a love of dancing and an openness to musical experimentation.