Event information - Dance Days of Buffalo

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to sit down and interview Jess Moore - the organizer behind the first annual Dance Days of Buffalo event going on this August. We talked about her vision for the event, and what participants will be able to do and see. 

Event: Dance Days of Buffalo

Date: August 5th, 6th, and 7th (2016)

Time: 8AM until 8PM

Location: Tapestry Charter School (65 Great Arrow Ave in Buffalo)

Type of activity: Dance classes (all levels), classroom-style classes, dance performances (to watch)

Ticket price: 3 day pass - $120, increasing to $135 on 6/29 (and to $150 the week of the event), 1 day passes are available - $50

Webpage: http://www.dancedaysofbuffalo.com/

Jess, originally from the southtowns, danced at local studios growing up. In college, she earned her BFA in dance at SUNY Brockport, and after that she came home and continued to take classes. However, as an adult dancer she noticed a few things:

1. Buffalo has a large dance community with many different disciplines, but it is not a close knit community. The studios and teachers do not often work together, rather, they are separate entities working with their own students. 
2. There is not much opportunity for adult dancers to progress in many dance disciplines (this author can attest to having experienced frustration herself as dance teachers overlooked her to pay attention to younger students). 
3. There are so many different styles of dance that most people don't know about, much less have had the opportunity to try. 

With these realizations in mind, Jess (a natural planner) set out to create an event that would bring kinship and community to dancers and dance teachers in the greater western NY area. 

This event has been a labor of love over a year in the making. With not only the passion to bring the dance community together, but also with the aim to give everyone the opportunity to dance, she found a space with two studios and many available classrooms so that she could stage this 3-day long masterclass in many disciplines and movement styles. 

With classes geared towards dancers ages 16 and up, this will provide an opportunity to those who are frequently passed over (with most dance events being designed for kids - usually 14 and under, planning on going on to become professional dancers). It's also not just for traditional "dancers" either - while there are classes that are designed for advanced/experienced dancers, there are also classes for beginners. It is, however, recommended that you have some "movement" background (whether it is yoga, pilates, zumba, or even a few years of ballet as a teen). 

This event is bringing in teachers from NYC, Detroit, and Pennsylvania - but will also feature many local teachers and studios. Some of the styles that you will be able to take classes in include Traditional Jamaican, Tribal Fusion Belly Dance, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Clogging, Hipanic Folkloric, Musical Theatre, Turkish Romani (Gypsy), Tap, Salsa, Bollywood, and many, many more (see the schedule for a full list of classes, with more being added in the months leading up to the event). 

Along with dance classes, there will also be "classroom classes" - pedagogy-style classes, round-tables, injury prevention, and others. These are primarily meant for dance educators, but I personally will be keeping an eye on that injury prevention class - I've had my fair share of dance-related injuries. 

Also, each night there will be performances by local dance groups that are open to the public, including a contemporary choreographer's showcase, and a world-dance showcase (more details to come). These events are, ticketed and open to the general public, and are free for children under 12 years of age. These will be an exciting opportunity to see local dancers perform and to keep an eye out for styles that you may be interested to learn at some point.  

This event will be an exciting mix of different styles of dance -  you're bound to find a few classes that get your blood pumping and your legs (and arms, and whole body) moving! Make sure to get your ticket before June 29th - that's when the early-bird pricing ends ($120 for a 3-day pass). 

Also, keep an eye out around town - I can't say where or when, but the group plans to pull a major flash-mob in a very public spot this summer that you won't want to miss. Want to get involved? Message Dance Days of Buffalo on Facebook to find out how!

I'll leave you with Jess's vision for this event "It's time to cultivate the local [Buffalo] dance scene, instead of having great dancers live here… and then have to leave to find opportunities."