Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company

Comments

1. Carolyn says:

   June 13, 2010 at 10:01 am

   
   I walked into a small mint green room and was greeted by a six-foot forever tall and lean man (Daniel) and two Italian-speaking dancers (boy and girl in their early twenties). The class was held in Washington Height’s YMCA, but I felt transported to another world with Daniel’s unique choreography and captivating style. The class began on the floor where the students were encouraged to connect with their bodies in a way that felt natural (tracing the shoulders with the left hand and following through to the right as if someone was pulling you). The stretches and core based warm up did not include the typical standard positions (lunges, stretch in second, forward fold) but felt more like a flowing dance sequence which still left the body feeling awake and prepared for class. The first floor exercise concentrated on shifting weight and staying close to the ground. Daniel’s intuitive teaching built gradually in giving the combinations. He made sure each student understood the basic structure of the steps by routinely calling on them to demonstrate the sequence and then adding the final choreography (i.e., first run through students would balance in passé and then second time it would be a pirouette). The center routine was a beautiful modern piece that included crisp and interesting lines and steps that flowed in an oceanic manner. The two hour and twenty minute class was completed with an across the floor exercise which emphasized quick and clean transitions in running, skipping, and leaping in a hop-scotch like style. This introductory class is appropriate for intermediate level dancers, and . I would encourage students to dive into Daniel’s style by participating in his summer festival program. I connected and appreciated Daniel’s choreography that honored the body by designing steps that fit naturally instead of forced movement.