partd'08 [13] 笑口常开 :D

Monday, December 28, 2009

woah. feels like ages since i posted.

i've been freaking busy with dance camp preparations all the way till now. and even as i type my mind's filled with all the stuff that we still have left to do.

bleah. in the end we still need to do last minute stuff anyway. which i dont really mind but yea with all that fatigue accumulated from the past few days (for all those days when you need to wake up early for trials and sleeping late either cos im playing games or doing dance camp stuff yet again)

you kind of need some rest too.

just went for natasha jam today! it was really damn zai and inspiring to see that even singapore boast of dancers who're really good (:

yeaa and once again the motivation to improve is back! though aft dance camp ends we dont have time to improve like we once did during the 2 month holiday that we previously had. and then everything will just fall ahead: open house, orientation, auditions, blocks, dancenight, blocks, prelims, a's

BUT BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS,
1 week of chalet :D

hoho time to not sleep and to play through the nightS again HAHA
but what kind of stupid schedule is this:

mon - wed: 4O class chalet
wed: prac
wed - fri: 76 class chalet
fri: prac
fri night: dunkit gathering and maybe stayover

all the time i could possibly rest are eaten up lah. i dont even know how im gng to manage to find time to go home and switch my clothing.
not to forget all the nagging ill get from my mum and grandmotherfor not sleeping at home for FIVE days.

sigh. need to find a time to convince them to let me for that chalet marathon soon. esp since i've been going out practically everyday during the holidays for prac, dance camp preps or other random things.

-

the worries from dancecamp keep plaguing me. although there're still lots of the mad ppl who're showing me support and all (thanks for that :D)
all that tedious planning and reviewing process kind of really took a toll on me lah sigh.

sometimes you need to understand that putting me in charge means that im supposed to have the power to decide things. you can offer your opinions, suggestions and correct me, and i respect you all for your experience and knowledge that you bore.

you believed in my capabilities when you put me in charge. then dont make life difficult for me by trying to direct me all the time, as if im just something who's supposed to follow your bidding and carry out your orders.
i have my own opinions. and im glad you all understood that after a period of time.

where was the blogpost we wanted? the genre selection and voting. i even have that document rotting in that corner of my dancecamp folder. the writeup of all the genres and the vids i took effort to select. its all here. read below for it.

i know i myself have failed as the dance camp vice head. chua just asked me whether the camp was a residential one, just like 8 hours before the entire thing is about to start. she even packed all the things for staying over. that's my own fault. for all the communication breakdown and all.

but have you wondered what have you all been doing to disseminate information to the rest?

it is no wonder that people dont know what's going on. people dont even know when dance camp committee was formed. people're still shocked that throughout this entire period of time we have been preparing so crazily for dancecamp.

do people even know that dancenight committee is formed? i shall give you the answer: NO.
do people know that the dancenight theme has been decided? NO.
did you offer a chance for people to raise suggestions for a theme or a plot? NO.
did you try to make the effort to ask the entire mad for volunteers who might be interested in forming the dancecamp or dancenight comm? NO.
there're so many people who do not know anything at all.

nothing on the blog at all, nothing.
oblivious people who do not know what's happening, it's no wonder that some people wonder what the exco even does. they wonder what's been happening as MAD. maybe everyone's been going around practising by themselves within their own division, doing their own things and stuff.

so what is MAD? issit really just three divisions held together by the exco and those few people from different divisions who know what's going on and know each other well?

im glad that i know a little at least.

-

so much trouble trying to get manpower while people were disappearing so abruptly: for holidays, trips, attachments and all.

so much to handle. maybe i've just overstretched myself.
that enthusiasm i had is almost burnt out.
what's kept it alive is the people who have been really amusing and enjoyable to be with (:

and the thought that we're doing this for the people and cca we all treasure.

dancecamp starts tomorrow.

-

the thing that we tooked so long to prepare.

The dance camp will include dance lessons given by external instructors. Below are the genres of dance that we are considering to be taught during these lessons.

Street Jazz
Street Jazz is a jazz-based class with a hint of street dance influence. It incorporates the fundamental ballet/ jazz dance techniques but with the added oomph of street-style grooves.

New School Hip Hop
New School Hiphop is unique on its own and usually goes hand in hand with slower pace songs. Hip hop is all about rhythm, groove and a whole lot of attitude!

Old School Hip Hop - Popping
Popping revolves around the technique of Hitting, which gives off an illusion of a jolting effect. Throw in some rolls and moves like 'the Wave' and 'the Glide', and you'll be taken back to the funky Old School!

Popping! If you don’t know what is it then you’re really blur -.-
Anyway below’s a popping battle during KO night this year:

Old School Hip Hop - Locking
Locking is created by Don ‘Campbellock’ Campbell in the late 1960s during the soul/funk era. It was developed around the concept of a series of quick movements flowing into sudden stops and pauses. Locking is a funky-filled dance style which never fails to bring out the funk in your soul. So pull up your socks and get your groove on!

I’m sure you all know what locking’s like so here’s a locking battle vid:

Lyrical Hip Hop
Put a punctuation mark into Hip Hop!
Lyrical Hip Hop emphasizes on accents, punches and hits combined with milking techniques which brings out that extra flavour.

House
House is a group of dance styles primarily danced to house music that have roots in the clubs of Chicago but grew and evolved in the clubs of New York during the 1980s-90s. The main styles include Footwork, Jacking, and Lofting.

It emphasizes fast and complex foot oriented steps combined with fluid movements in the torso.
House dance incorporates movements from many other sources such as Capoeira, tap, jazz, bebop, and salsa. It includes a variety of techniques and sub-styles that include skating, stomping, and shuffling.

One of the primary elements in house dancing is a technique called jacking that came from Chicago and involves moving the torso forward and backward in a rippling motion, as if a wave were passing through it. This movement is repeated and sped up to match the beat of a song. This technique is the most important movement in house dancing because it is the foundation that initiates more complex movements and footwork. All footwork in house dancing is said to initiate from the way the jack moves the center of gravity through space. Other than footwork, jacking, and lofting, house dance has grown to include other related styles such as vogue, waacking, and hustle.

LA Hip Hop
This is a new school Hip Hop style incorporated with fast and sharp movements combined with milking techniques. Get trained in full body control.

MTV Groove
MV Groove is a dance style combining jazz, hip hop and funk. Mixing groove and fun, this sexy, high-energy dance also exposes students to various jazz techniques such as turns, jumps, muscle strengthening and flexibility; all of which are essential to bring out attitude and developing lines unique to MTV Groove.

The vid’s supposed to be on O School’s site but I think it’s down when I last checked it.

Waacking
Waacking focuses mainly on dynamic arms movements, extensions as well as various poses. It is a dance style which was originated way back in the 1970s. However, it only gained its popularity only in the recent years. Now, Waacking is not only danced to House music alone. Many people are Waacking to Hip Hop music as well as incorporating this dance style with other dance styles such as Locking, House and Hip Hop. However, there is a misconception that Waacking is too feminine for men. That is not true. Add in your own flavour. This style is open for everyone!

Reggae
Reggae is an African Caribbean style of music developed on the island of Jamaica. The word "reggae" was coined around 1960 to identify a "ragged" style of dance music. It soon acquired the lament-like style of chanting and emphasized the syncopated beat.

Reggae dance movements are smooth and relaxed throughout the groove and reggaeton steps, as this style of dance is characterized by an elastic-like quality. Characterized by gyrating dance moves and sensual lyrics, reggaeton dance includes a number of interchangeable movements such as the pepperseed, the bogle, the butterfly and the upper body wave which can be arranged into sequences.

Waltz
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in 3/4 time, (meaning instead of counts of 8, they go by counts of 3) performed primarily in closed position.
Learn the correct way to dance Waltz right from the start with Waltz music recognition, counting the music beats, clear footwork and proper body contacts.
Fun learning with emphasis on basic variations. Wow your friends during company dinner & dance or during your wedding with your poise and grace in executing all the 5 Waltz dances.
(supposed to be an 8h course in total though to learn waltz)

Tango

Tango is a musical genre and its associated dance forms that originated in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay, and spread to the rest of the world soon after.

Tango dance has influences from Spanish and African culture. Dances from the candombe ceremonies of former slave peoples helped shape the modern day Tango. The dance originated in lower-class districts of Buenos Aires. The music derived from the fusion of various forms of music from Europe. The word Tango seems to have first been used in connection with the dance in the 1890s. Initially it was just one of the many dances, but it soon became popular throughout society, as theatres and street barrel organs spread it from the suburbs to the working-class slums, which were packed with hundreds of thousands of European immigrants, primarily Italians, Spanish and French.

The styles are mostly danced in either open embrace, where lead and follow have space between their bodies, or close embrace, where the lead and follow connect either chest-to-chest (Argentine tango) or in the upper thigh, hip area (American and International tango).
In 2009 the tango was declared as part of the world's "intangible cultural heritage" by UNESCO.

Quite hard to describe it lah, watch it yourself

Capoiera

Capoeira (pronounced /ˌkæpɵˈɛrə/) is an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, music, and dance

I guess most of us know how its like since it was part of our ct programme last time. Anw the video is below too :)

after dance camp is over, i will tell you everything. this is not going to continue this way.
this is not the MAD that i want.
you all need to be more transparent.

a very disappointed, unhappy, resentful vice head of dance camp

Endured till 1:24 AM

With my rifle and my brothers and me~