Gifts of the dance

Evan here, coming at you with some reaction to our outreach through DanceMotionUSA.

We were tired, jet lagged, and some tummies were a little askew, but, as we've found, when we step into certain situations that all goes away. We strolled into another class situation in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan a few days ago and the usual events began to play out. The company mingled with the local dancers, younger in this case, and then Sean Curran began working his magic. Introducing the dancers, talking about the tour we've been on, and introducing students of all sorts to some form or another of American modern dance. Most importantly, making everyone in the room loosen up with some good humor and kind words. As soon as class begins, every student is clearly eager to learn new information. Sean makes it very clear that WE are also learning from THEM saying things like "We learn from each other" and "we look out for each other in the class room and out there." The students in Pavlodar then expressed their love of hip-hop and urban dance forms, so Sean had us teach some of the things we know of these forms, stemming from other worldly dances, i.e. east/west African, Haitian, Argentinian etc. Then the real fun began.

Argentinian folk dance with dancers in Pavlodar

Each classroom environment we've been in thus far, from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, to Pavlodar, Kazakhstan, has been a truly beautiful exchange of dance. There is either a sharing of dances at the end of the day, or sometimes we are greeted and class begins with an elaborate folk dance that leaves us all amazed and smiling! The case with the students in Pavlodar really knocked my socks off. After the students performed two or three short local folk dances, they begged to show us one more,"Pretty Pleeaassee." Of course we were into it and said "Rock on!" When the music started, or DROPPED, I dare say, a collage of crumping and hip-hop made me laugh out loud and start to dance in my seat. The whole company was bumping up and down as these kids up-rocked and locked to a fusion of Americana Urbana!!! They were clearly inspired by MTV and American pop culture we couldn't help but cheer them on!

Pavlodar does hip-hop

We then showed excerpts of Seans' urban folk dance "Social Discourse" and they answered similarly. Class was a smash hit, and afterwards, as it seems in every city we teach at, we were mobbed for pictures and pictures and more pictures.

The company arrived in Astana with a similar tale. We taught a class to an older, more professional dance company in this Las Vegas-like capital of Kazakhstan. When the class ended, a montage of folk dance from Kazakh to Indian to Uzbek to a rendition of "All that Jazz" left us a in state of awe that I personally could not forget if I tried. Afterward, pictures and pictures and pictures and more pictures...haha!

Terra Dance doing "All That Jazz"

The appreciation of our offerings is greater here than I have ever felt anywhere in my days. After each class it is a mob scene as I mentioned before. These people are HUNGRY for anything. Not only the students and folk that take our classes, but the locals who attend the shows. They leave us with nothing short of several curtain calls and swarms of picture- and autograph-crazed fans! After each class and show I am vividly reminded as to why I do what I do. Dance. Make art. Teach. Share. Communicate. Laugh. People come to a class or performance and so obviously leave in a different light, with a new perspective on dance, the world, and hopefully themselves. Sean likes to say, "we are artists, we're changers," that "going to the theater is work, an investigation. Entering one way, leaving another." The immediacy and clarity of this happening to the folk out here is almost tangible and I am extremely humbled and eternally grateful.

S.C.Co and Terra Dance