For the 'Aspen Dancing Divas' Performance

This May the Dance Divas, a dance team from Aspen will show off their hoop dance skills. Every week we choreograph for 2 hours at Aspen Dance Progressions. These girls are all amazing. We have chosen to do a 4 minute performance with each girl doing a solo. The piece is called Journey Through the World. The music flows through African, classical, American pop and Euro beats.

It is very interesting teaching professional dancers. They are so used to learning and memorizing choreography. As we learn each number I can tell which dancers really come alive more by free style than choreographed. I always say that some choreography is great but it is most important to be soulful. If you stay in your head (when is the next count, next trick) then your body remains sort of tight and attached to the next move. When you let go, trust that you know your moves and can freestyle at anytime, then you set yourself up in the present moment. That is when the audience really connects with the dancers on stage.

The picture here is an old performance that I did with 2 student/friends. This was at through Naropa Insitiute Contemplative Psychology department where I taught a 12 week program.