Zouk Lab: Footwork & Groundedness

IT’S NOT ONLY A CLASS, IT’S A LAB! Most of our Brazilian zouk classes focus on our connection to our dance partners, but our first and most consistent partner is actually the dance floor. For us to properly master the more challenging patterns, even the upper body and head movements that zouk is known for, we must be able to move smoothly around the floor and be confident in how we step. Weight transfer and movement mechanics are the foundation of this dance, but funnily enough, because of their difficulty they are not the first things we train. Wednesdays at DanceSport Dupont [hidden] seriesMarch 13 - 27 In this lab we will have 3 weeks to improve our footwork and make it more smooth. We want to glide on the dance floor, both in closed and open embrace, and feel comfortable dancing ourselves as well as with our partner. This lab will focus on: Walking Use of legs and feet Weight transfer and placement Traveling Changing directions Part of each class will be spent working alone. We’ll work on our own movements and fluidity, discovering our own dance first before working on connecting to our partners. Pre-requisites: we ask that participants should have completed our District Zouk Level 1.5, Level 2 (Progressive Fundamentals) or higher within the last 3 months. If you haven't completed those series but would like to join or are not sure if this series is right for you, reach out to a District Zouk instructor to see if this class is a good fit for you. Enrollment: $66 for the 3-week series No drop-ins - you must sign up for the full 3-week series When purchasing your ticket we ask you to decide if you'd like to lead or follow in the classes so we can keep the lead/follow ratio fairly even. Note: DanceSport Dupont Circle class cards cannot be used for this series. Location: DanceSport DuPont Circle2201 P St. NW (GPS 1520 22nd St. NW)The Church of the Pilgrims Fellowship Hall (Entrance from the south side via stairs going down) Washington DC 20037 Between P & Q St's, 2 blocks west of the Q St exit of the Dupont Circle red line Metro. Directions and unlimited adjacent Embassy Row parking info available at: [hidden] bus lines: G2, D2 & D6, 42, N line to Friendship Hts, S line from Silver Spring & downtown and Dupont Circle Circulator from Georgetown 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.Valentine Luu spent her early years performing with various classical music groups, including the Tacoma City Ballet orchestra, and enjoying all forms of performing arts. She discovered partner dancing in 2004 when a friend took her to a salsa club. From there Valentine began her dance journey, including bachata, blues, West Coast swing, Argentine tango, kizomba, and Brazilian zouk. Valentine took her first zouk class in late 2011 and in 2012 began to pursue studying the dance in DC, Argentina, and the Czech Republic, and has since continued studying zouk with instructors from all over the world. Brazilian zouk has even taken Valentine to Brazil to dance at some of the most well-known festivals and is now her number one choice to dance. Valentine has taught District Zouk’s weekly classes and other local dance events and enjoys supporting District Zouk’s community efforts as this lovely dance grows in the DC area. District Zouk’s mission is to offer regular opportunities to learn and dance Brazilian zouk, and to nurture and grow the Brazilian zouk community in DC. Ashley Kent and Valentine Luu co-founded District Zouk with Amy Abbott and Bianca Desroches, and they have been teaching weekly Brazilian zouk classes at DanceSport Dupont Circle since June 2014, as well as organizing workshops and other events. District Zouk's classes are technique-focused and accessible to those new to social dancing, those with a background in other dance styles, and those who have been learning and dancing this dance for awhile. District Zouk received an award at the New York Zouk Festival in October 2017 for their contributions to zouk in North America. More Info below.