Month: May 2013

What a wonderful world…

Posted on by Dee Keaveney

Wooooaaahhhh, had the CRAZIEST, most fun weekend here just gone and it’s all thanks to BDC that I got these opportunities.

Friday, I had a gig with Heineken, you were putting on a live streaming of the UEFA Champions League Final for fans who couldn’t be there. We had loads of rehearsal for it which was a pain in the ass, slow and tedious but man did the event itself make up for that??! We were split into sides for either team and were acting kind of like cheerleaders before the game started, getting the crowd going and what not and then we performed at the half time show. The routine incorporated stepping and stomping, breakdancing and flipping, trick soccer players and LOTS of screaming and shouting at the other team and we had live drummers with us too which was class. Afterwards we were allowed to stick around and they had a DJ playing til 7. Also because it was sponsored by Heineken, they just happened to be giving away tons of free beer so we took advantage of that and just created a massive dance party in the middle of the floor, massive circle and everyone hopping in and free styling. SO MUCH FUN! It was legit like one of those dance movies! All the regular Joe’s were just standing there watching us, probably thought it was part of our job but we were just havin the craic!

We had to keep ‘er lit then coz it was 7 pm and we were already buzzing so we stalled home for a while but all met up again at 11 at a club not far from me called The Empire Room, where we knew a couple of reps so we got in for free with free drinks all night, savage music and great banter.

 

I was a brave soul and actually got up at half 8 the next day for a Yoga class (great hangover cure lads!) and then we had our showcase that day, matinee and evening show. 3 of my friends from my old apartment came which was so nice for me to have people to perform for. Our piece went well, despite only being finished on Thursday! We got to watch the rest of the show too which was INCREDIBLE! Some of my favorite teachers had pieces choreographed for it and oh my GOD they were insane, the audience was amazing too, so supportive and so much good energy. Loved every minute of it.

 

SO I took yesterday, Monday, off to give myself a bit of a break, did laundry and other fun things, met my friend Molly and her friend Niamh from Dublin who are here on a J1. It was Memorial Day yesterday and the weather was gorge, hopefully it’ll continue like this now! I’m off to ballet class now as well as Pilates, theater and street jazz. No rest or the wicked… but you know I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Battered body, happy heart.

Posted on by Dee Keaveney

Right it’s been a while… a good bits been going down.

I’m literally turning into my own one woman travelling show. The week I heard about my granddad, myself and all my roommates had to leave our apartment for 5 days… OK let’s back up some.

This random Sunday night, David, the guy who rents our apartment, called us all down to the kitchen for a house meeting. I was dead asleep when he woke us up so I was barely literate for all of this. But basically he told us that he was afraid the cops were going to show up at our apartment with a warrant to search the place and they would kick us all out with no warning.  It’s not illegal for 20 people to be living in a small apartment like ours but it violates the terms of the lease so he thought the super intendent of the building had called the cops and that they were gonna show up at some point that week on suspicion of prostitution… Sounds insane I know, but he got so paranoid about how it would look with all the beds and stuff. Anyway there was no arguing with him. So we all relocated to a similar apartment set up belonging to his friends further downtown. Although it was bigger and more spacious, it was nowhere near as nice or as comfortable as ours. Where was our doorman? Our residents lounge with pool table? Our gym? Our rooftop deck??! We were slumming it for sure.

Anyway I was scheduled to move out on the day everyone returned to the apartment so I did that, and moved in with a girl I met at the studio. She lives in an even NICER building only 5 blocks from the studio. There’s a CONCIERGE not a common old doorman! 😛 It’s right beside everything, including the FDNY station so we’re serenaded by sirens day and night but you get used to it. I’m sleeping on the sofa bed in the living room, my friend sleeps on a mattress on the floor and there’s another girl in the bedroom. There’s a LOT more privacy and space which is bliss but I miss all my mental case roommates downtown.

Highlight of last week then was the arrival of Emer! She’s Aoifes best friend, an American citizen the lucky little bitch, so she comes here every summer to work. She brought me a delish care package from home with Dairy Milk, make up, crisps, pyjamas, socks and other stuff. If only a certain sister hadn’t forgotten to put the box of teabags in…. So we’re going to move in together by the 1st of June, probably out to the Bronx where she’s lived before, be way cheaper. Then I have a long lost friend from the Gaeltacht, Molly, who is coming over with a friend on a J1 so if we can manage it, we’ll get a place that will take the four of us. It’d be serious banter. This happens to be the busiest week of my life since I’ve come here, so Emer is searching on her own, hopefully I won’t be so useless come Monday.

So yeah this week is crazy, on Monday I was volunteering with Dancers Responding to AIDS at a show/competeition in the Joyce Theater called Dancin’ Downtown. I was an auditorium monitor which meant I escorted the groups of dancers from their green room to the theater and co-ordinated their leaving and arriving. I got to wear a little Britney Spears headset, with a mike and a radio, and carry a clip board, so I felt SUPER important! 😀

Being important!

So that was most of Monday. On Saturday I have a gig for Heineken at some big sporting event, I still don’t know what it involves as we haven’t had rehearsal for it yet but I have 4 hour rehearsal tomorrow and Friday before we spend the whole day at the performance location on Saturday. Then Sunday is our Student Showcase all day. Not feeling too confidant about it, our choreographer Victor was away for a good while and only came back yesterday and he has changed a lot of things. Tomorrow is our last rehearsal to learn the new bits, polish it up and just get through the damn piece. I’m sure it will all work out, just not looking forward to a long, frustrating, tedious rehearsal at 8 am.

So with all that happening at the weekend, I only have 3 days to get all my weeks 12 classes done in. Did 4 yesterday, pilates, jazz and two theater classes plus rehearsal and I was DEAD. But I had a theater workshop with the choreographer of Cinderella on Broadway which was so much fun and he taught us the routine that they learn in the audition which was awesome. 

 

Another 4 classes today, ballet, tap, pilates and theater, dead again. The humidity is not helping, it’s SO HOT AND SWEATY! I’m just lying on my bed here and I’m melting into my sheets. So attractive. 3 classes tomorrow and then our long rehearsal for out Heineken gig. I’m tellin ya I’ll be needing more then a few Heinekens come Sunday night! 😛

Even though I’m pushing myself to the max this week, I’m loving it. This is exactly what I came here to do, I think I thrive under a little but of pressure. You never know what you’re capable of until you have no choice but to do it.

So my calves may be solid bricks under my skin, I’m pretty sure I gave myself whip last from tossing my hair in jazz, my dodgy knee is feeling a bit crunchy and my feet are throbbing as I type, my heart and soul are happy and fulfilled. And that’s worth all the discomfort.

God only does this to people who are strong enough to handle it.

Posted on by Dee Keaveney

That’s what the Educational Department Co-Ordinator of BDC, Brinda, said   to me this week.

It’s not been an easy 7 days. This is the first time I have not wanted to be in New York.

I won’t get in to the details but mainly, I’m stuck crashing on a friends sofa bed for the rest of the month and we’re hoping to find a place together by June 1st but I’m not sure we’ll be able to agree as she has a bigger budget then me.

Also my poor granddad passed away at home in Ireland.  He was 95 and out feeding the calves on his farm and when he came back in he wasn’t feeling too good… We weren’t expecting it at all, he’s been pretty strong and healthy for a man of 95 and only stopped driving last year! I wish, wish, wish I could be at home for his funeral. All the family are traveling home for it, my cousin and uncle here in the US, my cousins in England and Australia… but I can’t afford it. 😦 It’s heart breaking to be the only one who’s not there. Well my cousin Clare in Sweden can’t be there either but she’s 4 weeks away from giving birth and can’t travel. Which is a way better reason of course.

He’s left my Granny behind and I don’t know what’s going to happen to her. Her memory is pretty bad now and she really relied on my papa. This is going to change a lot of dynamics in the family.


I took most of the week off classes to deal with this almighty shit storm and literally fell into a self destructive downward spiral of food. Completely lost the run of myself and fed my inner fat girl. One of my roommates bought me an enormous doughnut coz he knew I was having such a bad week and after that I just couldn’t stop. But tomorrow I’m throwing myself right back into my good habits, fruit and veg, gluten free everything, protein and green tea. I have a lot of extra classes to make up so I’m going to immerse myself in the work and ensure that all this wasn’t in vain. I have to keep my eye on my goals and remind myself why I’m here. I need to prove to myself and everyone at home that this was the right decision.

Sorry this post has been such a downer, not my usual tone. I’m sure it’ll return soon.

Rest in Peace Papa, I’m so sad I won’ be there to say goodbye to you tomorrow. 60 plus years of marriage, 10 children, nearly 30 grandchildren… what a life.

“The best education in the world is watching the masters at work.”

Posted on by Dee Keaveney

Michael Jackson said that, and I think he’d know! He developed one of the most iconic and recognisable dance styles in the world from watching and learning from James Brown, Fred Astaire and Bob Fosse to name a few!

He was a wise man was my MJ. Some of the people I get to work and dance with here are incredible. Straddling the line between artist and athlete , here are my favorite teachers and they’re amazing accomplishments.

 

Richard J. Hinds

My favorite class so far, he teaches advanced theater dance. He just taught his last class at the studio for a month, I don’t know what I’m gonna do without him. He’s the associate director/choreographer of Newsies and Jekyll and Hyde on Broadway right now. So you can imagine how much of a valuable contact he is! His classes are INTENSE, 2 hours long, serious warm up and stretch and conditioning and mad abs workouts. Then he tops it all off with kick ass choreography. He also happens to be SUCH a nice guy and calls us his little chicken nuggets. I am 100% in love with him.

Cat Cogliandro

The only contemporary class I’m taking right now because I love her and her choreo so much. I’ve written about her in detail before and her awesome meditation/motivation techniques. She was featured on a little TV show some of you might have heard of called So You Think You Can Dance. She didn’t make the final cut though and there’s a video of her on Youtube going mental because the reason was she has a different look from the what they wanted aka, she’s not a pretty little blonde, she’s more punky and edgy. As if that should matter when you move like angel feathers! Her choreo is super emotional and expressive. There’s always amazing energy in the class because everyone draws on their own experiences to perform.

Heather Rigg

One of the funnest classes I have taken so far. Mega girly, sexy, commercial jazz with the toughest abs workout of all time. You need to mentally prepare yourselves to read her previous jobs… choreographer and dancer on Britney Spears’ Oops I Did It Again tour… yes you read that right. She also danced for NSYNC and Destinys Child AND choreographed for the 2003 GRAMMY AWARDS!!! Loving her class to bits, it’s full of struts, whipping your hair, body pops and attitude.

Luam

This lady is such serious hip hop royalty that when I took her class, she had someone else do the warm up with us and then came in to teach the actual routine! She has worked with EVERYONE! Kanye, Ludacris, Ciara, Fergie, Nelly Furtado, Bustah Rhymes AND she choreographs for Rihanna. Oh and she casually has her own clothing line on the side… like, WHAT?! Super intimidated in her class coz everyone who does it is crazy brilliant plus once she gets going you can’t stop watching her.

Natalya Stavro

Had to go and get myself a Russian ballet teacher now didn’t I? She trained at the Kirov ballet school and joined the Academic Theater of Classical Ballet in Moscow and danced lead roles in Romeo and Julliet, Swan Lake, Cinderella, Giselle, the list goes on and on… She has to be past 50 but she can still developé in second position like a BOSS! True to Russian form, she’s pretty brisk in class, shows you the combo once, twice if you’re lucky and you’re off. It’s good to be kept on your toes (do you see what I did there?! :P) in her class though, I like the challenge. Took her class today and I really enjoyed it, had an easier time picking up the steps then I normally do. Must be something to do with my FIRST EVER CUP OF COFFEE I drank today. If it always gives results like this, Starbucks are gonna be seeing a lot of me!

There a million and one other teachers at the studio but the above are, in my opinion, the best and my favorite classes to take. I try to forget how talented and accomplished they when I’m dancing because other wise I’ll start thinking like, you choreographed for Britney, how can I possibly hope to impress you??! Just gotta fake it til you make it, don’cha?

 

 

First NYC gig

Posted on by Dee Keaveney

So during the week us program students at BDC got the opportunity to dance on GOOD MORNING AMERICA! The band Icona Pop were performing their HUGE song “I Love It” and they wanted a load of dancers all over the studio, which is in the middle of Times Square. I was well up for it, who in their right mind would say no?!

We had 3 hours to learn and rehearse the routine. Anyone familiar with the song will know it’s like the most fun, awesome, high energy song EVER so we had to act super excited. “Look like you’re on crack” was the direction we got. The choreography was pretty simple and there was loads of free style , half of it was just to look like we were partying like crazy. One of our Ed. Dept assistants, Kathryn, was choreographing.

So we were split into a couple of groups for the shoot, some people on the roof of the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square, a couple in the actual control room, a few inside the studio where the band would start and then a big group of us outside with all the audience and where the band would finish up. I was put in the outside group coz the director thought I had great energy which the audience would love.

Had to be at the studio yesterday at the truly HIDEOUS hour of 5.30 am. Had to be in full costume (black with flashes of neon), hair and make up when we arrived too which meant I was up at 4 am. We spent 2 hours rehearsing and setting up shots with the camera and pre recording some footage. As well as dancing with the band, we had to dance and party with the hosts for “Coming up next” segments and also for some of their features like Deal of the Week. We were filmed in the opening and closing credits too. According to Brinda, one of the heads of our program who watched the first half, I was the first person she saw when she turned it on coz the director pulled me up front beside the host to dance and br crazy. Pretty happy with that!

The girls from Icona Pop were lovely too. Didn’t get to talk to them as there was LOADS of us and they were busy but they smiled a lot and thanked us all and were really down to earth, like not bothered to wait for the elevator, lets just take the stairs with the dancers.

So it was really really fun and a great experience. Seeing as we couldn’t be paid, we’re all going to get some footage of ourselves doing our thing for showreels etc which I’m glad about. We also got free breakfast after. We wrapped at 9 am so still had the whole day of classes to do! Pilates, ballet and leaps and turns so I was EXHAUSTED when I got home.

All my roommates went out for dinner in China Town last night and I soooo wanted to go but I would have fallen asleep on the subway probably and been such a drag so I stayed at home and passed out by 10. Had jazz and hip hop this morning then at 10 and I was still super tired, it’s been a looooong week. I wasn’t awake properly coz I was so God damn slow picking up the choreography in jazz and it was with Heather Rigg, my favorite jazz teacher. Hip hop was better, my first class with Jared Jenkins who is incredible. I think I want to do a blog post purely dedicated to all the teachers and choreographers I get to work with everyday.

But anyway it’s two of the lads birthdays tonight, so we’re going up to the roof to have some food together. Tomorrow I’m going to a 2 hour musical theater seminar/class thing at the studio to learn all insider tips and tricks on how to succeed, make contacts, get jobs and such and such so I’m looking forward to that.

This week has well and truly wiped the floor with me, I am knackered even though I had a 3 hour nap today after class and missed all the amazing sun. Will seriously have to start drinking coffee I think…

This is a link to the actual performance with the band. You can see me when they come outside, I’m in between the two of them, right behind them, black t shirt with neon writing on it, see if you can spot me!