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The Dance Enthusiast Asks:
By Christine Jowers/Follow @cmmjowers on Instagram
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Published on May 27, 2010
What event or events made you realize that DANCE was your passion?
Christine Jowers
Dance Enthusiast Editor Photo by Tom Carvagl |
In order to begin wishing Isadora Duncan, the passionate Mother of Modern Dance a Happy Birthday, (she was born on May 27th) The Dance Enthusiast asked fellow dance enthusiasts:
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Nicholas Leichter, Artistic Director , Choreographer, Performer at nicholas leichter dance was the first to answer.
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Nicholas Leichter Dance
NLD company shoot 11/7/07
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“I was a dancing garbage can in Kindergarten-think it's been all downhill from there...Corporate world be damned!
I went to an arts magnet school from k-6 and I can't even remember if dance classes were mandatory or if they were an elective. Anyway, there was definitely a boy's jazz class and we were all in it! My neighbors were also into experimenting with b-boy, breaking and pop locking and I loved that because it was a different kind of strength that was needed, and I loved that there were elements of gymnastics and martial arts.
I went to an arts magnet school from k-6 and I can't even remember if dance classes were mandatory or if they were an elective. Anyway, there was definitely a boy's jazz class and we were all in it! My neighbors were also into experimenting with b-boy, breaking and pop locking and I loved that because it was a different kind of strength that was needed, and I loved that there were elements of gymnastics and martial arts.
Nicholas Leichter Dance in THE WHIZ at Joes Pub |
I remember around that time, before we got cable, there was Friday Night Videos and my friends and I stayed up every Friday to watch, in hopes that they would play the new Michael Jackson video, ‘Beat It!’ By the time we did get cable, MJ was everywhere and everyone was obsessed with him. I wore the ‘Making of Thriller’ video out, I watched it so many times.
By Junior High School/High School dance was a PE course so naturally I chose dance. But this wasn't the same kind of dancing I was used to. We were not really taught steps or a technique, but we were encouraged to express ourselves through movement and come up with our own ways of moving. Each class would feature fundamentals of improvisation, composition, theory and content (not bad for middle school, eh?)
Nicholas Leichter Dance in The Whiz: Emerald City with Monstah Black in center at Joe's Pub |
Our teachers would talk about people I had never really heard of before; Ailey, Merce, Taylor, Lar, Trisha, et al... Each spring there would be a Choreolab that would feature the pieces we individually worked on throughout the year.
That was a defining moment for me-less of the realization to become a choreographer but more of one to develop my own movement and perform it!
Nicholas Leichter Dance Upcoming Show - DON'T MISS IT!!!
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By High School I had entered the world of the underground and was obsessed with nightclubbing. At 16 I was exposed to the world of club culture and was fascinated by everything from the fashion to the music.
But it was the dancing that really grabbed me. All of these styles all blended together was such a thrill--Hip Hop, voguing, trance, freestyle, b-boy, breaking, modern...loved it all!
It took many years after I majored in dance in college to absorb all these influences, but those first experiences really were powerful.
That I can remember most of them so vividly is a testament to the impact of the form!”
-Nicholas Leichter - http://www.nldnyc.org/
See nicholas leichter dance on...
June 10 -11th 2010 at LaMama Moves
June 12 at Silo
June 16-19th World Premiere of
“TheWhiz:ObamaLand” at Abrons Art Center
June 23rd –Kumble Theater
