Masterclass Benefits

A couple of weekends ago I heard about a masterclass that was going on at KSU. The great thing was that the masterclass was free so anyone could go. That’s one of the great things about going to a university or college: you can get great opportunities, for very cheap or even free. Outside of the college world, you don’t run into that very often.

So after seeing the email about this masterclass I thought to myself why not try it, it could be fun! On Sunday I went to the Music and Speech building and went to the dance studios on the first floor. There I met a local choreographer, Desmond Beasley. He had contemporary and hip hop routines ready for us to learn.

First we stretched out our bodies so we were nice and warm. Then he got right to work teaching the contemporary routine first. It was a very interesting contemporary piece. For me I have been doing contemporary for a couple years and never encountered this style before. I would say it had an afro-jazz flair to it. We learned the whole routine then Desmond broke us up into two groups so we could practice it full out, since there were many dancers who showed up. After that we broke up into smaller groups so we each could strut our stuff.

Next was hip hop, which was great fun. The piece was very diverse-- there were spots where you had to hit everything hard and make it powerful and then parts where you could make it playful and flirty. I really enjoyed this dance, and I just wanted to keep dancing! I even remember now and run it in my head whenever I hear the music because I love it so much. With all of these styles in the hip hop routine it really allowed the dancers to show off their different styles and we got to be creative with it also. We also broke off in two groups and then in smaller groups to showcase what you can do.

Masterclasses are just one way you can make yourself a better dancer. Learning different choreography can help you learn how to pick up routines faster in auditions, and they also let you see different choreography that you have never experienced before. That’s why you should take every opportunity given to you. You can always learn new styles, become more diverse, and maybe even get your name out there someday.

--Samantha Bertolino