Musicality Workshop w/ Gui

Join us on Sunday, September 8th for musicality workshops with Gui Prada!

Brazilian Zouk musicality at times can be quite mathematical. We find the 1, the 5, understand the counts, and make sure to hit them. When Gui started learning musicality as a partner dancer, though, they didn't count at all! It was all about hearing the prevailing and hidden sounds in a song, finding the pulse, the clap, the beat, isolating the components, identifying repetitive patterns, and expressing the vibe. And of course, they needed to dance to each of these elements separately, then simultaneously. It was amazing!

In these workshops, we'll play with musicality from a more comprehensive approach. We'll count and use sounds to express what we hear. We'll explore a structure and then break it, and hopefully have lots of fun in the process.

SCHEDULE

2 - 3:30 pm - Play with Rhythm, Play with Melody, Play with Dynamics

This workshop will delve into the interplay of rhythm, melody, and dynamics. We will start by understanding the fundamental ways to interpret and express rhythm by utilizing specific possibilities. Then, we'll explore how to use these rhythmic variations to guide the interpretation of the melody, creating beautiful and engaging dynamics in our dance.

3:30 - 3:45 - Break

3:45 - 5:15 - Unconventional Musicality

With what we learned in our first workshop, we'll move deeper into the realm of play and possibility.

In this workshop, we'll explore different ways to interpret and express the music we're dancing, using different accents, emphasis, and parts of the body. We'll have contrast as our guide,l exercise creativity, expression, and a way to engage with your partner that is playful and musical in an unconventional way.

Both workshops will have a mix of solo and partner exercises, to get first the music in their own bodies and then convey and be understood by your partners.

WORKSHOP LEVEL

These workshops are for those who have completed at least our Fundamentals 1 course or who are proficient in the basics such as: Linear Basic, Basic on the Spot, Viradinha, Lateral, Simple Turns, Soltinho, and Bonus.

LOCATION

Edgewood Arts Center
3415 8th St NE, Washington, DC 20017

TICKETS

$35 until 9/1
$45 until 9/7
$50 on 9/8
Sign up online: https://www.danceplace.com/ticket/buy/13943

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Gui Prada started dancing in 2004 inspired by the movie "Shall We Dance?". He began to dive deep into dance in 2006 as a work-study trainee of the Jaime Arôxa Dance School in Rio de Janeiro. Jaime Arôxa, one of the creators of Brazilian Zouk, was the head instructor and was a mentor for the most accomplished dancers in Brazil. During his 6 years as a member of the school's team, he learned all Brazilian partner dances (Forró, Samba de Gafieira, Soltinho, Bolero and Zouk) as well as Argentine Tango. After he left the school, he continued dancing and learning from other remarkable instructors, including Fabiano Vivas, Kelly Reis, Érico Rodrigo, Guilherme Pimentel and many others. Since then he has focused his training and research on taking the best of each of these dances and applying it to the close embrace, with the purpose of conveying a sense of well-being and relaxation to dance partners. In 2016 he attended the first Zouk Retreat in Valencia, led by Xandy Liberato, Brenda Carvalho and Anderson Mendes. After that, his research on partner dancing took a new direction, as he continued working with Brenda and Anderson to seek for the application of the concepts explored at the retreat in different ways by using the references of the other Brazilian partner dances and Argentinian Tango. As a result, the importance of the basic steps and concepts became evident, since it is through them that all dances reach another level. Gui is looking forward to sharing his technique and training with students here in Washington DC to help them improve their basics, comfort and confidence on the dance floor.