Workshops

Jazzicality: A Unique Jazz Workshop with Ksenia Parkhatskaya & David Duffy

If our weather reports are accurate, the international Lindy Hop community is about to be hit by storm!  And that storm is called JAZZICALITY!

The six hour workshop produced and taught by dancer and jazz vocalist Ksenia Parkhatskaya and her husband, bassist and composer, David Duffy covers:

  • basic jazz history as it relates to the evolution of the subgenres and their "grooves"
  • how those different musical grooves influence jazz dance
  • basic rhythm theory for dancers
  • tools to practice and improve one's sense of rhythm as a dancer
  • a breakdown of how jazz musicians improvise
  • tools to learn and practice improvising as a dancer
  • the opportunity for a one-on-one improvised dance conversation with bassist David Duffy

LindyPott was proud to host the first European Jazzicality workshop this past weekend in Dortmund, Germany.  The workshop had been sold out for weeks when time time finally came to welcome Ksenia & David to our studio, and we were not disappointed!

Day One was a huge success due to the addition of two professional jazz musicians, Hermann Heidenreich (piano) and Gunther Rose (drums), both specialized in the different styles of jazz and highly knowledgeable about the history of their instruments and evolution of jazz music.  Structured as a relaxed history lecture spanning the 1890s to the 1960s, we enjoyed plenty of opportunities to "test out" what we were learning as the musicians played together seamlessly.  The first three hours of the workshop gave participants a better understanding of the context out of which sprung the music that we love and how the individual musical elements that define each subgenre influence the way we move our bodies to the music.

Day Two began with rhythmical games – challenging and very fun - and then moved into a breakdown of musical notation as it applies to rhythm.  The musical heavens seemed to open up to us, as every dancer experienced his or her own "aha!" moments thanks to Duffy's clear diagrams and straightforwards explanations of otherwise complex topics.  Many of us went from musically illiterate to informed & inspired within a matter of minutes, and there was Ksenia, ready to show us how to make immediate use of our newly gained knowledge with practical dance applications!

We spent the last section of the workshop exploring improvisation from a musician's perspective and finding parallels in the dance world.  Under Ksenia's experienced guidance we tested the waters of dance improvisation to live improvised music.  Dancers were invited to experiment, break down their own barriers, and rediscover the playfulness of swing.  Don't get me wrong: no one finished the day thinking, "Well, that was a piece of cake!"  We were challenged, mentally and physically, but left with loads of knowledge, inspiration and tools to practice with.

In addition to those six hours of class, several more "traditional" classes with Ksenia were offered.  Two hours of solo jazz for less experienced dancers and three hours for more the more experienced.  Ksenia held true to her reputation for creative twists on basic steps and juicy rhythmic variations... and making everyone sweat! ;)  Always a pleasure to learn from such a master.

The weekend was rounded off by a fantastic party on Saturday evening and a cozy brunch on Sunday afternoon.  Saturday night we danced to the tunes of "Bruce Ellison and the Jellodies," a highly entertaining swing combo band from Bruxelles, Belgium.  Mr. Ellison pulled out his favorite "old toys" from the Jellodies' repetoire and charmed the crowd with his expressive and often hilarious intros to each song.  The next day we munched on waffles, homemade salads, quiches, and sweets and enjoyed one another's company picnic-style in the LindyPott Café.

We were sad to have to say goodbye to Ksenia & David but are ever so grateful for all they shared with us over this memorable weekend.  2016 will have a hard time topping these two!  (Although, we do have some pretty great folks to look forward to... ;))  We wish them much success with their future Jazzicality workshops and hope to invite them back soon for Round 2!

AND we suggest you book them as soon as possible, so your scene can benefit from their unique expertise, as well!

May your eighths be swung and your footwork fancy free!
Cheers,
Lucy

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