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Tag: house music

  • London House Dance Workshop Summary

    I attended a house dance workshop lead by Samantha Mavinga. The workshop took place in London last Sunday on May 25th and ran for 3 hours and though I’ve attended other workshops in the past, this one felt particularly special:

    • Trained with Mavinga previously in 1:1 and so I’m familiar with her work
    • I DJ’d for the self-exporation and cypher portion of the workshop
    • I created a recap video using my DSLR

    Exercises revolving around the “Shuffle” movement

    We started the workshop with a breathing exercise, and was asked to envision (while our eyes were closed) of our safe space. Following this tapping in exercise, she revealed that we’d be focusing on a single move throughout the entire workshop: the shuffle.

    I love the fact that we focused on a single foundation move because she’s providing us with a template that can be further applied to other foundational moves. It’s like teaching us how to fish.

    1. Controlling and strengthening feet required – an exercise she had taught me during our 1:1 privates. Good refresher and reminder.
    2. Rhythm patterns – simple, syncopated, double time, 1/16th notes. I was familiar with this and actually had practiced this rhythmic pattern not only with other foundation moves (e.g. pas de bourree, cross step) but also had practiced it a bit with shuffle as well
    3. Repeating the movement on the same side (instead of switching from left to right or vice versa) – I really like this technique
    4. Combining shuffle with roger rabbit – though she combined the shuffle with roger rabbit, taking components from each one, I imagine so many opportunities where I can combine shuffle with other moves like pas de bourree and cross step
    5. Leveraging control and strengthening to stretch out and slow down the shuffle
    6. Moving up and down across the four levels – I really struggle with transitioning from level 3 (the penultimate level) and level 4, on the ground.
    7. Taking up space by traveling with the movement – I got some nice feedback from her that I was prematurely kicking out (i.e. initiating the shuffle) the non jumping leg
    8. Transition between Peter Paul on left side to right side – lovely move and transition and feels unnatural to me and will require lots of practice in a slower tempo

  • Vibing with Xinobi’s “Searching for” song

    Vibing with Xinobi’s “Searching for” song

    I’ve been listening — on repeat – to the song “Xinobi – Searching for”, one that was suggested by Spotify. It’s not only the melody and harmony but it’s the lyrics, the lyrics cause me to turn inwards, to introspect. Just so many beautiful lines including:

    • “It is about the mind. How it grows progressively. What do you feed it?”
    • “It is about choices much it is about decisions. But it is about having bravery and the strength to make those things come to fruition”
    • “… the past repeats itself. So how will you choose to repeat yourself…”

    Another reason I love this song is that this past weekend, Elliott out of the blue said, “What are you feeding your mind?”

    I was confused as to why she had said this and she responded with, “Dad, remember? The song?”

    I was blown away at her ability to recall the lyrics! So when I hear this song, I often think about Elliott and that little passing moment.

    Lyrics

    It is about what you feel, what you do
    How you choose to present yourself when the situation requires you
    It is about what you’re looking for, what you search for
    It is not about fulfillment, but it is about what is missing
    How do you improve? How do you progress?
    Are you searching?

    It is about the mind
    How it grows progressively
    What do you feed it?
    How do you cultivate the mind?

    It is about the galaxies and the stars
    But not so much about the moon as much as it is about you

    It is about choices much is it about decisions
    But it is about having the bravery and the strength
    To make those things come to fruition
    What is it you’re searching for?

    It is about a pause, a break
    A interruption in the transmission
    A stop in the space-time continuum
    A choice that you will always make
    A moment in being when you realize
    That you are what you are searching for
    So, I will ask: what is it you are searching for?

    It is about infinite tomorrows
    But is also about yesterdays and how the past repeats itself
    So how will you choose to repeat yourself in their lives?

    It is about now
    It is about then
    What is it you are searching for?
    What is it you are searching for?
    Is it the now? Is it the no? Is it the yes?
    Is it that subsequent “I love you” that you need?
    What is it you are searching for?
    What is it you are searching for?