Just had a phenomenal workshop with big teach Brian “footwork” Green. House dance workshop and freestyle workshop with some great lessons in accents and picking apart the music 5 hours of damn I suck lol. I always have a very difficult time in his house class and never get any of the chreo but gain so much from fumbling around! Personally I’m a slow learner so I need time to sleep on things and think them over before I can attain new movements. The freestyle class was even more fulfilling it was a great lesson in different sounds and layers of accents that exist in songs and how to first recognize these sounds then to accent them. Then to TRY to show 2 accents with different body parts at the same time. Apparently there are humans that can do 4 to 6 accents at a time =O. I’m glad most of the heads from our workshops came and got to experience the man we consider our teacher in this culture. I’m sure they got a kick out of watching us fumble around like idiots, lol humility is so good for you.
I guess some may not know that Brian does MANY STYLES yes even hip hop commercial choreography so i figured I’d share this link. Not even his own choreography but its important to always expose yourself to new things and always be learning no matter how good you are. =) another great lesson teach.
ODie
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXFoXScWYgM[/youtube]
Another clip of Brian popping at Juste Debout 02 for those that didn’t know, yah he can do that too along with jazz, tap, ballet, house, hiphop, locking, poppping, african, lindy ok my head hurts imma stop now
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b59JHCjvWcw[/youtube]
Oh word thanks. Yeah shit was mad fun! Up until the injury that is. No I went to Djoon the following week after the jam and was getting down in the circle and I went to a move and this dipshit was dancing on the side and kicked my Achilles Tendon, completely Ruptured it and bounced.
It’s healing up ok. Just got the stitches taken out on Wednesday. That was fun! Gonna be a minute before I can go full throttle in the cyphers being that I have no muscle definition in it at all… But it’s all gravy. Gives people time to practice while I just rest the beast in me lol.
Nice makes it way easier to have a conversation now =)
Seen your clip on youtube, good job guys. Hows your knee? How the hell did you hurt it anyways during the contest or after?
peace
ODie
Brian is a great dancer, but I just simply don’t have any type of respect for that foo at all.
He performed at a Pre Party for Juste Debout this past March and was doing some footwork and tried to get all cocky with it and do some footwork on this lil step next to the dance floor and tripped over his own feet lol! Pretty sure I was the only one laughing in the crowd haha!
Dope site Cody my nugga!
Maybe some self reflection is needed. Don’t trip its usually hard for everyone even those who we consider high level dancers. Don’t let your own ego prevent you from learning and growing from the few masters that exist in our dance. If you agree hes a dope dancer then you know there are techniques hes trying to teach us that will make us better if we learn them. You may not connect with how hes presenting it but you can still learn if you get past your bitterness. If $$ can make you take his class instead of wanting to learn from the best to become better then your motivation is screwed. (true reflection is needed in that case because your dancing for the wrong reason)
It maybe that your use to learning steps only. You haven’t reached the level where your understanding has moved passed movement only. Going beyond that in terms how one part of your body effects the other. Isolation’s, transitions, musicality and everything else that goes along with taking it to the next level. I mean really knowing what these terms we throw around actually mean like cadence and stacatto. Music theory is so important for us street dancers its not only for classical dancers. After these work shops I start reading up on jazz theory instead of just saying “oh yah thats dope musicality”! Honestly I don’t know what that shit means when he speaks in class sometimes. But it makes me curious to learn!! Like shading a beat vs riding a beat but it makes me go home and do HOMEWORK, read up on this shit learn it try to understand and grasp those concepts better so I can become a better dancer.
House dance is still young, music is from the 70’s so the dance is still developing. Ballet took 100 yrs to formalize so technically its developed to a crazy level that it is today. But it started in the kings courtyard before that and if the king didn’t like it you DIE that shits hood so recognize foo lol. That is where house is going to go technically, but the roots will always be in the club a culture dark grimy and deep escape for the disenfranchised. Most classical teachers are that hard and make you feel little, go watch any advance adult ballet class see how its done. They don’t smile and say oh good job and pat you on the back its strict as hell. This wasn’t a kids summer camp.
At a certain point it should move beyond ok lets just make everyone feel kool and happy to actually learning something on the next level.
I fumbled through the whole class I can easily say fuck man I hate this shit hes a wack teacher and blame him. Thats the easy way out. Or I can say man I have so much to practice at and learn now I’ll work at this till I get it. Practice practice practice =). Dope shit never comes easy or everyone would be dope. Your not going to walk into a capoeira class and start doing all the advanced level shit that it took a Capoeira Mestre’s whole life time to learn in one class!! It just doesn’t work like that. But would you rather try some dope shit fall on you face or just ginga learn some simple shit you could already do?
Everyone’s is entitled to their own opinion but it doesn’t help the rest of us to have a dialog if we don’t know who its coming from. (dancer?? lol) You could be the kid that got kicked out of the club cause you were drunk and started a fight for all I know. If its just a need to vent though, I totally understand that!! It is stupid hard no one said it be easy!!
So with that understanding we all need to vent but to post it on the site while hiding behind “dancer”. This is a very different thing.
one love
ODie
ps your probably actually a kool cat cause your on this site and your probably one of the homies so you know I love you man
I have taken two classes from Brian – this class was much..much…much more beneficial to my growth and understanding. The last class I took was 6 years ago, and I can confidently say that Brian has become a better teacher. I think a miss conception with his teaching style is that people don’t speak up. He will help you if you ask. At the same time he isn’t going to just going to teach some simple shit and stop the class from progressing – he basically offers you an entire book when you take class from him. Its up to you to read the chapters that you are comfortable reading.
His freestyle class was awesome, he didn’t really teach me much in the way of listening to the music rather he opened my eyes on how to perceive freestyle dance and how I might explain freestyle dance in a teaching or lesson driven environment. He also gave us some killer exercises – I was very happy with the workshop as a whole!!!!
I think that Brian Green is a great dancer, but a horible teacher and I think he is an arrogant asshole. I have taken a class from him but never ever again. Well, never say never… sooo maybe if someone paid me. LOL
CRAAAAZYYYY I regret not going