SANTA MONICA, CA — The Santa Monica College (SMC) Dance Department continues its Masters of Dance series this fall. The eclectic series of master classes and lectures opens on September 26 with “Classical Ballet,” presented by renowned dancer and teacher Stephanie Powell.
All dance master classes are free and open to the public as participants or (unless otherwise noted) as observers. The master classes are held in the SMC Core Performance Center (CPC) on the SMC main campus, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. Seating is limited and on a first-arrival basis.
The fall 2018 Masters of Dance lineup is:
- September 26 (12:45 p.m., CPC 304 & 308): Stephanie Powell: “Classical Ballet.” Professor Stephanie Powell, Director of Dance at Long Beach City College, has danced professionally with companies that include the Oakland Ballet, San Francisco Opera, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater — as well as with performers Janet Jackson and Beyoncé Knowles — and appeared in TV and stage productions. Powell will introduce an advanced level of classical ballet technique and implement an expressive performance skill. If participating, dancers should wear appropriate ballet attire and shoes.
- October 24 (1:30 p.m., CPC 304 & 308): Nina Flagg: “Hip Hop Lab.” Cal Arts faculty member Nina Flagg has toured as principal dancer with Philadelphia-based Rennie Harris Puremovement; worked with such artists as Prince, Tina Turner, and J Balvin; and choreographed performances for the Grammy Awards, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, and TV Land Awards. Flagg will present “Hip Hop Lab,” an experimental dance workshop that focuses on the philosophy and science of Hip Hop/Street Dance movement, including styles such as Hip Hop Social Dance, House, Dancehall, Footwork, and Funk. If participating, dancers should wear appropriate black on black dancewear.
- November 29 (12:30 p.m., CPC 304 & 308): Colette Brandenburg: “Building a Sustainable Career in Commercial Dance” (Lecture). Colette Brandenburg is the co-founder and artistic director of the LA Follies, and also the founder of UK-based The Federation. Trained in the Alvin Ailey School dance conservatory program in New York, she became a freelance choreographer, and has had the opportunity to work in a variety of settings — ranging from traditional musical formats to site-specific avant-garde events on rooftops in London — and with clients such as NBCUniversal and the Hallmark Channel. Brandenburg will talk about the “nitty gritty” of the dance world, from first impressions before the audition to getting paid to perform.
The Masters of Dance series is sponsored by the SMC Associates (www.smc.edu/associates) – a private organization that funds speakers and special programs on the Santa Monica College campus – and the SMC Dance Department.
For information, please go to www.smc.edu/dance or call (310) 434-4100 or (310) 434-3467.
Santa Monica College is a California Community College accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
Featured image: Nina Flagg in “Concrete” – Photo from the web.
