CUTSKIES! (CUT-skees): exclamation announced after being cut from an audition.

I got cut. Again. A telephone call to Mom we all have made, some of us more times than others… not depending on talents, but on how many auditions we’ve put ourselves through! The truth is, it’s a dirty world out there…. and landing a job from an Equity chorus call is just about as easy as skinning a rhino. I mean, living in Queens, who knows where to even FIND a rhino, let alone chase it down, not get mulled or trampled, buy a tranquilizer gun, actually learn how to use such a thing on said rhino, find a knife sharp enough to skin it (would one even use a knife?), not pass out from utter exhaustion….or nausea, the list goes on and on.

Then, once one does go through all the atrocious steps required to skin a rhino, he runs the risk  of not even wanting a skinned rhino anymore! You think to yourself, why did I want to do such a thing in the first place? I now, hereby have this big dead rhino with his organs all exposed and I’ve made quite a mess. Splendid. Such is the auditioning world. ….

We run around from building to building, signing our names list upon list, donning our “cutest” 42^nd Street outfits, laughing mindlessly at casting directors’ jokes, and making our best small talk... most of the time to be turned away before we even get to do a proper time step. Wish we could invent some kind of computerized rhino catcher, but we just can’t. So I am raising a toast to us, the brave hunters of NYC, and saying let’s celebrate the chase we all know and don’t love. Below are some real live ways some fellow hunters ease the punch-in-the-gut I like to call…CUTSKIES!!

When I get cut, I pamper myself by:

(Name, followed by recent credit)

“Going shopping at Lush with the money I don’t have.” Mark Roland, La Cage Aux Falles

“I'm with Mark...shoe shopping is what I like best...although I've had to stop that b/c my credit card to a little ridic!"Amanda Holt, dancer, HAIR Italy tour

“Going to Starbucks or Cosi with friends and eat a real breakfast or lunch without feeling guilty for not being at work! Joice Passos, dancer, Evita National Tour 

“Get S***faced”- Ben Bryden, Jazz Musician (not recommended)

“I’Il spend an evening with my two favorite gentlemen, Mr. Ben and Mr. Jerry. Usually we feed our Phish or sample some creme brulee. ;)” Cara Kierzkowski, actress, How To Succeed

"Caramel frapuccino from Starbucks! It helps everytime :)" Robin Masella, dancer, Candide

“Having an 80s dance party in the kitchen.” Kayleen Simon

“Getting on the train and going home.” Kara Prete, Stiletto Ent. (cue trombone WAAA WAAA)

“Retail therapy! Or eat until I’m numb. Either one!...I also like to come to auditions under the idea that I am hired by Equity to be the entertainment at the auditions….kinda like a court jester.” Jessica Rochwarger, HSM

“Besides eating? Immediately changing my facebook status to an inspirational quote”.                        Lindsay Bracco, Joseph and the ATDC

“Considering my alternative careers… the most recent development? Starting a fake mustache company.” Maxim Gukhman, HSM

 “Well… it depends on how well you felt you did, and what reward matches the same level of the deserving actions...” Ben Byrd (Zumba instructor/Ballroom dancer)

Feel free to comment with tactics of your own! Get out there and keep auditioning. Someone's got to get hired... might as well be you!

EURO-graphers JAM 2009 - You're Up in New York!

New York City choreographer and teacher, of Manhattan Movement and Arts Center, Ryan Daniel Beck had a wish… a dance wish.  After working extensively overseas with esteemed European choreographers, he wished for some way to bring his NYC students to Europe - sans the jet lag and weeping bank accounts.

(Cue light bulb!) Why not bring fresh choreographers from across the Atlantic right here to NYC?  And that is exactly what went down this Wednesday night, September 9^th, (09-09-09, hehe) during the 4-hour long, boot-camp-esque EURO-graphers JAM!  Beck organized the first of what he hopes to make a monthly event.  The master classes, in which I partook fully as a student (one of the cool iDANZ perks for being an iDANZ critic), were MERAVIGLIOS!  (Italian for wonderful!)

EURO-graphers JAM RECAP:

5 PM  The lineup starts off at at MMAC with the Italian beauty, Desi Storani, who offers an INTENSE no-nonsense warm-up similar to our American advanced jazz warm-up, but with some noticeable and welcome differences.  “Fast-paced”, “unique”, and “dynamic” just begin to describe it.   Storani attacks her warm-up as if she is performing for a crowd of millions.  It is truly inspiring.  Once the onslaught of plies, developpes, and releves commence, she explains in her limited English an across the floor combination and eventually leads into the combo.

 

5:45 PM  Storani’s style of movement blends classic jazz with the contemporary edge that has infiltrated the whole world of dance.  Most interesting is her ability to be completely effective despite a serious language barrier.  It just goes to show that you can hold a great dance class without even saying a word!  She uses the Foo Fighter’s “Best of You” and produces an artistic interpretation of the music as she hears it… free from an American’s perception of lyrics.

6:30 PM  The sweaty masses take 15 to shove down Luna bars and sneak a text.

6:45 PM  Beck introduces the dainty Julie Bour of France, for an hour-long crash course in exploratory contemporary movement to an eclectic mix of songs from classical to techno!  Bour stresses the importance of “going there”.  Whether it be high, low, or side to side.  My favorite quote from her, “Don’t SHOW your dance.  DO it.”  

7:45 PM Surviving students wish they had remembered a 5-hour energy drink.

 

8 PM French contemporary master Manuel Vignoulle, with his fiery hair and long-limbed physique, defines the home-stretch of the “Eurographers Jam” with floppy “arm-tastic” choreography.  Set to music that I’d like to say would accompany a duck-hunting outing…. we put our hands to our face “Home Alone” style and did everything but cartwheel our way to the end of the combo. This Cedar Lake dancer stresses details and not giving a long combo but one that is refined and worthwhile!

9:07 PM That’s a wrap!  Beck applauds the “survivors” of the night- those students who didn’t trickle out early! Eyes glazed over, we feel proud!

Overall a huge success, Mr. Ryan Daniel Beck surely must be proud of the evening he has presented.  Not only do the dancers receive an astounding workout, but get to experience the advanced, out-of-the-box choreography that Europe’s finest have to offer.

iDANZ Critix Corner 
Official Dance Review by  Sheena DiMatteo 
Workshop: EURO-graphers JAM 2009 
Facilitated by: Ryan Daniel Beck 
Venue:  Manhattan Movement and Arts Center (MMAC), New York City 
Date: September 9, 2009 
www.iDANZ.com

CLASS WATCH:Elisabetta Spuria @ STEPS ON BROADWAY

When dancer Elisabetta Spuria bought a one-way ticket from Italy to New York City 10 years ago, she had big ambitions, just like the thousands of dancers who flock here dreaming of bright lights and high kicks. However, only a tiny percentage of those dancers move on to teach and choreograph at one of the most prestigious dance schools in the entire city – which is exactly what she has recently achieved. After a windy road of class-taking, performing, teaching, and choreographing, this budding talent can be now be found subbing regularly at STEPS ON BROADWAY, teaching “advanced contemporary jazz.”

Just 5” tall, this spunky little ball of energy may be small, but Spuria’s talent and passion for dance is massive.  Don’t let her fun-loving personality deceive you, because although she can make you laugh, she will also make you sweat while critically correcting each dancer in class.

In Spuria’s class, you can expect a fast-paced warm-up that is clean and concise, well-thought out, and feels good on the body. Complete with plies, tendus, releves, ronde de jambes, and extensions- technique is not left behind. She adds in fitness value with a hard-core abs section, and tons of stretching.

Spuria doesn’t waste any time after the warm-up and always includes a few across the floor patterns to get the dancers moving and comfortable. Finally, in the nurturing environment that she has created, we are ready to dance her fun and fresh choreography!

Spuria’s choreography is sultry jazz with a contemporary kick, laced together by impressive technical elements. She has  recently used dynamic music “Feelin’ Good” by Adam Lambert, and a sexy cover of “Seven Nation Army”. A dancer’s difficulty level is challenged no matter his or her level of ability. Do a single or five pirouettes, kick your face or keep it low, and always work towards developing style. By the end of class Elisabetta is constantly urging people to push themselves farther, and to throw fear and pride to the wind. “It’s class!!! Mess up! Fall down! Who cares!”, she yells with a smile. When a student apologizes for asking a question, she exclaims, “Are you kidding me? Don’t apologize! I’m here to TEACH you, not show off my choreography.”

It is highly recommended that any advanced dancer challenge her/himself to this fantastic new gem of a class. Check out the guest teaching artists schedule as she teaches different time-slots each week thus far. Recent slots have been in place of Jason Parsons, Suzi Taylor, and Wes Veldink. Hopefully, with enough buzz she can lock down her own well-deserved schedule at this monarch of studios, STEPS ON BROADWAY.

Click here for Elisabetta's bio, reel, galleries, and more!

"Fall"-ing in Love with NYC

I'm deciding to take a little break from my oh-so-serious dance reviews and comment on how I spent a lovely Friday in early September. (Say that sentence with a British accent, it's fun.) 

Today I went and taught Zumba at Alvin Ailey. So much fun. So much sweat. Then afterwards caught a sushi lunch special with my two great buddies, Mark and Mandy. Mark and Mandy. Sounds like a sitcom. Don't really know where "Sheena" would fit into that sitcom... but I do!

After a day of roaming around in our sunglasses we went and saw the movie, Julie and Julia...or is it Julia and Julie... hmmm, not so sure. Too bad I'm too lazy to look it up and see. Let's just say it inspired me to cook 500 recipes in the next two weeks and transform my blog about dance into a cooking blog!! 

Ok, no it didn't. If I did that I'd have to get the fire department on speed-dial because I am a terrible cook.  Enough about me, Meryl Streep was to-die-for adorable. Just stunning!! That woman can bring anything to life. The joy she brought to the screen filled my heart until it wanted to burst. She is such a beautiful actress and even in the smallest moments she makes you feel that she truly understands every human emotion that has ever been felt. Just lovely! Go see her! Amy Adams is cute, but nothing compared to the strength of Streep. 

Sigh.... I really do love this city. You can just stroll up to a movie on a lazy Friday evening and have a grand old time in some comfy AMC chairs. Plus, good news, the Starbucks "Pumpkin Spice" drinks came out this week for which I am eternally grateful!! One sip and you're in a light jacket, on a hayride, picking out the perfect pumpkin, running through a cornstalk maze.... Even better, you can take coffee drinks into movies now, blatantly- out in the open- with no backlash! The days of hiding them in your purse, hoping they don't spill all over your cell phone... are over!  

Oh, Autumn in New York. A whole new adventure to discover. Jumpin' in.