Dancing my little heart out

Tonight I took a master jazz/contemporary/hip-hop class by Travis and Ivan, best known for being finalists on the show So You Think You Can Dance.

My sis got herself great pics with both of the guys

Here's Travis

And Ivan

The class itself was great - Travis' intricate choreography infused with Ivan's bold street style was an absolute blast to learn. The dance was not only physically demanding, but there was no room for zoning out at all. The music was a tricky mix of cowbell (no joke), bass, guitar, and percussive beats, and we were supposed to accent all of the above. The bar was also set high from watching Travis and Ivan perform the choreography flawlessly, with enough style to light up Times Square.

If I were to find any negative thoughts about the class, they would all have to do with the other students. With over 90 students in the one studio, space was cramped. That's all well and fine - pros in LA and New York face similar class packouts all the time. It was the unprofessional attitude of the majority of the other students that made it hard to completely enjoy the class.

Because Ivan and Travis were such huge draws, students came from all over the Puget Sound. Bellevue, Issaquah, Redmond, Seattle, Everett, etc... One would think that young pre-professionals would be grateful, thankful for the chance to take class with such amazing teachers. One would think that these students would be respectful of others in the crowded classroom. One would at least think that these students would not have to be told sixteen or seventeen (no exagerration) times (nicely) to quit talking.

One would think.

But one would have thought wrong.

People here in the Northwest complain about our rather limited dance scene, especially when it comes to more mainstream offerings such as jazz and hip-hop. It seems extremely counterintuitive to present one's self as someone who is a. disrespectful of basic class etiquette, and b. someone that must be deaf, as that's the only possible explanation for not listening to a guest teacher pleading for quiet.

Not to mention that many of these girls were wearing the team jackets of their home studios. I fail to see how causing the guest teachers to become visibly agitated b/c of the ceaseless chatter is good PR for one's dance school. And the dance world is very, very, very small.

I found myself writing off much of the behavior to the students' ages, their displayed socioeconomic class, their hair color... the reasons becoming even more vapid then their behavior as the class journeyed on, until I finally hit on the realization that ultimately, it is the dance school's responsibility, every dance school's responsibility to train their students not just in technique, but in how to present one's self responsibly and respectfully. Sadly, it appears that this is not happening nearly enough.

I hope that if Travis and Ivan weren't completely scared away and do come back to Seattle, that there will have been a paradigm shift, a moving of perspective, that makes the students shut up and dance, showing respect for two amazing artists and dancers.