Just a quick post to let you know about 2 Step mixes my buddies over at 32mix and I have collaborated on. I selected the songs, and Tyler provided the engineering for these 2 mixes, and I am out of this world happy with these 2 mixes! If you enjoy the music I use in my YouTube videos, then you'll like these 2 mixes. Check out Elite 123 and Elite 124 at www.32mix.com. They have lots of other song styles to choose from, too.
Rock on!
Dana
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Now Accepting Registrations for October Workshops in Virginia
I am now accepting registrations for my weekend of workshops in October. These workshops are being held at my "home" gym -- LifeTime Fitness in Centreville, Virginia -- on October 23-24, 2010.
Saturday's workshop will be a detailed workshop that covers all aspects of teaching Step, from safety, to cueing, to creating interesting 32-count choreography, and finally a detailed session on breakdowns!
Sunday's session presents a method I created that enables me to create new choreography and its corresponding breakdown extremely quickly -- who doesn't like that idea??? While it is not mandatory, I do recommend that you take the Saturday workshop prior to taking this workshop to ensure you have a firm grasp on my breakdown method.
I'm still offering these workshops at my low introductory rate. To read more details about these workshops, or to register, please visit my website at: www.stepjunkie.com. Feel free to spread the word to anyone who teaches Step, or who wants to teach it! I will be happy to email you a flyer if you are interested in sharing it with others.
Thanks!!
Dana
Saturday's workshop will be a detailed workshop that covers all aspects of teaching Step, from safety, to cueing, to creating interesting 32-count choreography, and finally a detailed session on breakdowns!
Sunday's session presents a method I created that enables me to create new choreography and its corresponding breakdown extremely quickly -- who doesn't like that idea??? While it is not mandatory, I do recommend that you take the Saturday workshop prior to taking this workshop to ensure you have a firm grasp on my breakdown method.
I'm still offering these workshops at my low introductory rate. To read more details about these workshops, or to register, please visit my website at: www.stepjunkie.com. Feel free to spread the word to anyone who teaches Step, or who wants to teach it! I will be happy to email you a flyer if you are interested in sharing it with others.
Thanks!!
Dana
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Advanced Step, August 27, Combo 2
Hello to all!
Here is combo 2 of my recent Advanced Step class. The breakdown on this combo was really very easy. The hardest part is the reverse knee over the step, because people aren't sure which direction to exit the step. I just pointed, and reminded them that the "Crossover Cha-cha" went to the same side of the as it had been before we did the knee going over.
Enjoy!
Dana
Choreography:
Chasse Over, Box home (6)
2 Heel Taps (2)
Reverse Knee Over (4)
Cross-cha-cha to Home (4)
Syncopated Stomps (4)
Tap Wide (4)
L-Step (8) *any variation... Also, any 3-Knee Repeater will work here.
Here is combo 2 of my recent Advanced Step class. The breakdown on this combo was really very easy. The hardest part is the reverse knee over the step, because people aren't sure which direction to exit the step. I just pointed, and reminded them that the "Crossover Cha-cha" went to the same side of the as it had been before we did the knee going over.
Enjoy!
Dana
Choreography:
Chasse Over, Box home (6)
2 Heel Taps (2)
Reverse Knee Over (4)
Cross-cha-cha to Home (4)
Syncopated Stomps (4)
Tap Wide (4)
L-Step (8) *any variation... Also, any 3-Knee Repeater will work here.
Monday, August 30, 2010
More Advanced Step for You!
I finally found some time to tape a new Advanced class. My Advanced Step classes consist these days of 3 32-count combos. This is Combo 1 of 3. I particularly like the "V-Slide Ball-Change Stomp" move -- it just feels nice on the feet. The "twists" can be replaced by any other 4-count lead-changing move, such as Mamb0 Cha-cha, Knee (or any lever) lifts, etc. You could even replace each twist with a different 4-count lead-changing move for more variety. Enjoy!
Choreography:
V-Slide, Ball-change Stomp (6)
Step-Kick on the Floor (2)
Walk back 3 and Ball-Change into (4)
Cut the Corner (4)
Twist x2 on the front side (8)
Drag (3)
Tango (5)
Choreography:
V-Slide, Ball-change Stomp (6)
Step-Kick on the Floor (2)
Walk back 3 and Ball-Change into (4)
Cut the Corner (4)
Twist x2 on the front side (8)
Drag (3)
Tango (5)
Monday, July 26, 2010
Announcing Step Junkie Workshops!
Hello everyone!
I'm very pleased to announce that I am now scheduling workshops. My website is now up and functional at www.stepjunkie.com. My first workshop is to be held at the Sport & Health Club at Ballston Common in Arlington, Virginia, on September 25-26, 2010. I'm very excited to be embarking on this new adventure, and welcome inquiries into how to host a workhop at your gym. Please send me an email (use the link from my profile page on my blog, or from my website) to ask about workshops. I hope to be able to provide DVDs in the near future, which will be purchased from my website. I'll let you know when they are available.
Have fun!!
Dana
I'm very pleased to announce that I am now scheduling workshops. My website is now up and functional at www.stepjunkie.com. My first workshop is to be held at the Sport & Health Club at Ballston Common in Arlington, Virginia, on September 25-26, 2010. I'm very excited to be embarking on this new adventure, and welcome inquiries into how to host a workhop at your gym. Please send me an email (use the link from my profile page on my blog, or from my website) to ask about workshops. I hope to be able to provide DVDs in the near future, which will be purchased from my website. I'll let you know when they are available.
Have fun!!
Dana
Saturday, July 17, 2010
More Great News!
I was notified yesterday by AFAA that they have also approved both of my workshops for AFAA CEUs. Step Junkie's Secrets for Teaching Step will provide 6.5 AFAA CEUs, and Step Junkie's Time-Saving Secrets will provide 3.25 AFAA CEUs. I'm very excited and happy to have this segment of my business completed, and am looking forward to providing workshops and meeting some new friends!
My first workshop is already in the works! More info on that in a week or so when things are completely finalized. For those who have written to me, I will be getting back to you in the very near future! ... and Thank You!!
Dana
My first workshop is already in the works! More info on that in a week or so when things are completely finalized. For those who have written to me, I will be getting back to you in the very near future! ... and Thank You!!
Dana
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Great News!!
I am very happy to announce that I have had my first TWO Step training workshops approved by ACE for continuing education credits!!! I'm working on setting up a new website where folks can go to register for workshops, and in the future check out some videos and (I hope) some DVDs.
My first workshop, "Step Junkie's Secrets For Teaching Step," has been approved for .7 ACE CECs. It is a full-day workshop that will teach new and experienced instructors everything they need to know about teaching step, including:
Cueing
Discussion of Tap-Free Step
Using Music to Enhance your Class
Safety
Creating Lead-Changing Choreography in 32-count Blocks
Breakdowns
How to Keep Choreography Fresh and Interesting
How to Cope with Problems During Class
My second workshop, "Step Junkie's Time-Saving Secrets," is a half-day workshop and has been approved for .3 ACE credits. This workshop will present a method that I created to help me save time when I'm creating a new Step routine. One of the biggest complaints I hear about teaching Step is that "it is so time-consuming to create a new class!" So, this method cuts down the time it takes to create that routine and its corresponding breakdown -- by as much as HALF or even more!
Both workshops can have Master Classes at the end, if the host gym is interested, that will demonstrate the techniques presented in the workshop. The beauty of this is that by attending both workshops -- optimally held on consecutive days of one weekend -- you could earn a year's worth of ACE CECs in one weekend!
The AFAA approvals for both workshops are pending, but I hope to receive approval by mid-August. It you think your gym would be interested in hosting a workshop, please send me an email (a link to my email is located on my profile page). Workshops will require approximately 8-10 weeks lead time in order to give people enough time to register and for me to make travel arrangements, if travel is necessary.
I'm very excited about this new venture in my life, and to getting out and helping Step instructors save time and energy and be able to deliver even better classes to their participants!
Dana
Final Product, Intermediate Step, June 19, 2010
Here is the final product of the Intermediate Step routines published below. I hope you can use some of it!
Enjoy!
Dana
Choreography:
Combo 1:
Up and Stomp in Front, Box cha-cha to home (8)
Stomp & Stall Across (6)
Rock back 3 (3), 1 Stomp (3)
Scissor Over (4)
Knee on the Floor (4)
Cut the Corner (4)
Combo 2:
Hold-Chasse over, Pivot (6)
Stomp 1/2 around the world (6)
V-Slide & Spin to Front (6)
Shuffle, Rock & Straddle (6)
Revolving Door (8)
Combo 3:
2 Side Lunges, exit front (8)
1 Knee and Walk Back/Forward (8)
Over, Rock back, Pivot (8)
Mambo Sideways (4)
1 Kick (4)
Enjoy!
Dana
Choreography:
Combo 1:
Up and Stomp in Front, Box cha-cha to home (8)
Stomp & Stall Across (6)
Rock back 3 (3), 1 Stomp (3)
Scissor Over (4)
Knee on the Floor (4)
Cut the Corner (4)
Combo 2:
Hold-Chasse over, Pivot (6)
Stomp 1/2 around the world (6)
V-Slide & Spin to Front (6)
Shuffle, Rock & Straddle (6)
Revolving Door (8)
Combo 3:
2 Side Lunges, exit front (8)
1 Knee and Walk Back/Forward (8)
Over, Rock back, Pivot (8)
Mambo Sideways (4)
1 Kick (4)
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Combo 3 of recent Intermediate Step class
Here is Combo 3 of the most recent Intermediate Step routine with its breakdown. I'll post the complete routine soon. Questions? Just ask!
Dana
Choreography:
2 Alternating Lunges, exit front (8)
1 Knee & Walk back/forward (8)
Over, Rock Back, Pivot (8)
Mambo to the side (4)
1 Kick (4)
Dana
Choreography:
2 Alternating Lunges, exit front (8)
1 Knee & Walk back/forward (8)
Over, Rock Back, Pivot (8)
Mambo to the side (4)
1 Kick (4)
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Intermediate Step, Combo 2, June 19, 2010
Can you tell I've been busy? Finally I'm getting Combo 2 embedded here for you, with the choreography notes.
I have a question for you. Do you ever look at my breakdowns and think, "What? How did she get from the last layer to this one???" while scratching your head and frantically trying to figure out what my twisted Step-infused brain had been thinking? If you ever think this, please let me know, and I'll give you my thought process. Yes, a free glimpse into what makes me tick! Every layer in my breakdowns have a purpose -- they are either providing the next logical step in the journey to the final choreography, or they are providing a change that is needed for the next logical step in the progression to occur.
Anyhow, here's Combo 2. Combo 3 and the complete Step class coming soon!
Dana
Choreography:
Hold-Chasse over (3)
Pivot (3)
Stomp 1/2 around the world (6)
V-Slide & walk/spin to the front side (6)
Shuffle, Rock forward, & straddle (6)
Revolving Door (8)
*Simpler option for the first 12 counts: Stomps all the way around the step (as shown in the video at the beginning of the breakdown).
The six count moves that make up the majority of this routine can make the breakdown tricky. I opted to teach the end of the combo first because that is where the lead change occurs (in the Shuffle, Rock & Straddle). Remember, when you're working with moves that are between 4 and 8 counts (but not EXACTLY 4 or 8 counts), or between 8 and 16 counts (but not EXACTLY), etc., you want to be working with choreography that involves more counts than is used by your moves. Since I was working with two 6-count moves, which is 12 counts, I knew I needed to work with choreography that was 16 counts. You always want to be working WITH the music, so you simply use the next longer musical phrase...8, 16, 24, or 32 counts. Use 8 counts of music to break down moves that contain anything less than 8 counts..... Use 16 counts of music to break down moves that contain less than 16 counts, etc. You simply fill in the leftover counts with a filler move (a very easy move) that you later eliminate from the choreography when you no longer need any filler. The closer your number of counts in your choreography to the number of beats of music, then you may need to go even higher with the number of beats of music (example: if you have a 7-count move, you can't break it down using 8 counts of music because your filler would need to be only 1 count of music.... not very logical) -- so I typically will work in a 16-count chunk of choreography for a 7-count move). In the video, my filler move was a Mambo. Later in the breakdown, rather than eliminate my mambo, I doubled it, -- which worked out beautifully for 2 reasons: first, because the class was already used to doing a Mambo at that point in the choreography, so doing 2 was simple, and because 2 Mambos was an acceptable starting point for my Revolving Door. Clear as mud?
I have a question for you. Do you ever look at my breakdowns and think, "What? How did she get from the last layer to this one???" while scratching your head and frantically trying to figure out what my twisted Step-infused brain had been thinking? If you ever think this, please let me know, and I'll give you my thought process. Yes, a free glimpse into what makes me tick! Every layer in my breakdowns have a purpose -- they are either providing the next logical step in the journey to the final choreography, or they are providing a change that is needed for the next logical step in the progression to occur.
Anyhow, here's Combo 2. Combo 3 and the complete Step class coming soon!
Dana
Choreography:
Hold-Chasse over (3)
Pivot (3)
Stomp 1/2 around the world (6)
V-Slide & walk/spin to the front side (6)
Shuffle, Rock forward, & straddle (6)
Revolving Door (8)
*Simpler option for the first 12 counts: Stomps all the way around the step (as shown in the video at the beginning of the breakdown).
The six count moves that make up the majority of this routine can make the breakdown tricky. I opted to teach the end of the combo first because that is where the lead change occurs (in the Shuffle, Rock & Straddle). Remember, when you're working with moves that are between 4 and 8 counts (but not EXACTLY 4 or 8 counts), or between 8 and 16 counts (but not EXACTLY), etc., you want to be working with choreography that involves more counts than is used by your moves. Since I was working with two 6-count moves, which is 12 counts, I knew I needed to work with choreography that was 16 counts. You always want to be working WITH the music, so you simply use the next longer musical phrase...8, 16, 24, or 32 counts. Use 8 counts of music to break down moves that contain anything less than 8 counts..... Use 16 counts of music to break down moves that contain less than 16 counts, etc. You simply fill in the leftover counts with a filler move (a very easy move) that you later eliminate from the choreography when you no longer need any filler. The closer your number of counts in your choreography to the number of beats of music, then you may need to go even higher with the number of beats of music (example: if you have a 7-count move, you can't break it down using 8 counts of music because your filler would need to be only 1 count of music.... not very logical) -- so I typically will work in a 16-count chunk of choreography for a 7-count move). In the video, my filler move was a Mambo. Later in the breakdown, rather than eliminate my mambo, I doubled it, -- which worked out beautifully for 2 reasons: first, because the class was already used to doing a Mambo at that point in the choreography, so doing 2 was simple, and because 2 Mambos was an acceptable starting point for my Revolving Door. Clear as mud?
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