The Crave 2012 Teaching Team...
Chris Härm & Brenda Russell Brenda Russell (USA) Brenda is fulfilling her childhood dream as a professional dancer and instructor. She studies African American street dances from the turn of the century to the present. Brenda travels around the world teaching and training with various coaches and historians. Her strength is breaking down the dances in a way that is accessible for anyone, even if they don’t have a dance background. She strives to help her students find the dancer with-in themselves, taking inspiration from dancers of the past. Brenda is working with the Blues dance community during this time of growth to develop curriculum and events that raise the community’s level of dancing. Her hope is to provide structure for duplicable material, while keeping the inherent character and nature of the dance. www.brendadances.com Chris Härm (Australia) After sixteen years of folking it up, a few national wrestling titles and some time at university, he was born again into the world of Lindy hop. Blues dance followed six months later and since then Chris worked to pioneer the Blues over Australia, teaching classes, workshops and even launching the nation's first Blues festival before packing his bags for Europe. A
technique junkie at heart, Chris builds his dancing, classes and
routines around body awareness and connection coupled with quality and
range of movement. His inner traditionalist strives to keep a hold on
the roots of the movements, adding depth to the dances and building
characters around connection to both the music and your partner. His classes use colourful imagery and playful games to help students internalise ideas and concepts in the most natural and organic ways possible. www.chrisharm.com Barry Douglas & Aurélie Duc Barry Douglas (USA) Barry is a renaissance man of dance with forty-one years of training and over thirty years of teaching and preforming to his name. His experience spans the funk and rhythm of urban American streets to the finest ballrooms in the US and Europe. His training background incudes Blues, Swing, tap, ballet, hustle and ballroom, all from some of the best dancers and choreographers in the world. A master technician that challenges his students on all levels and transforms their inefficiencies into graceful motion. A true dance master Barry eagerly awaits a chance to work with the European dance community and bring a new vintage American Blues influence to Irish shores. Not only will Barry be a headlining teacher at The Crave he will be working with Brenda Russell at the inaugural Camp Crave! Aurélie Duc (France) Aurélie hails from Grenoble in the South of France. She discovered Blues dancing through Steven Mitchell and it was love at first site. A well know European dancer, Aurélie has been making her mark on the Blues. Competing at every chance, spreading her infectious passion for slow dance and even organising 'Fallin in Blues', a leading Blues festival in Europe. Aurélie's dancing perfectly balances sensuality, French elegance and technical mastery, a healthy groove and a uniquely creative sense of musicality. Through the use of dynamic exercises, a focus on body awareness and a super sassy accent Aurélie builds amazing rapport with her students creating a fluid and comfortable learning environment. Fabien Vrillon & Lisa Clarke Fabien Vrillon (France) Fabien comes from Grenoble, France and has been teaching since 2004. He discovered Blues dancing though Steven Mitchell and Joe Demers and has been hooked ever since. His passion for Blues has led him to travel around Europe and through North America, being inspired by the diversity of the blues scenes he encounters. Fabien has been, and stil is, one of the leading figures in introducing Blues to his hometown Grenoble. Loving every aspect of the Blues dancing world...teaching, competing, dancing...nothing makes him happier than being surrounded by people who share his passion. Fabien, with his partner Lisa, won the European Blues dance championships at Berlin Blues Explosion in '11 and can't wait to share their love for Blues with The Crave. Picture: Izaac Photography (www.izaac.smugmug.com) Lisa Clarke (England) Lisa is a profesional dancer hailing from London, England. Classically trained from the age of six she discovered her love for all styles of dance whilst studying for her degree. After leaving college Lisa worked in the commercial dance world, specialising in hip-hop for many years until she then discovered, and fell in love with, Blues dancing. The freedom to express yourself whilst achieving that perfect connection with your partner is what she loves the most about Blues. Her professional background in dance gives her a unique perspective on body movements and aesthetics, which she believes can help the dance look as good as it feels. Lisa philosophy on dance revolves around a well rounded knowledge of your own body is the greatest tool to perfect partnering. |
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