DC Dance Collective
Mat Guenter 8276 Photo: Doug Turners
The DC Dance Collective is Nancy Newell's baby. In 1999 she founded DC DC to offer a studio atmosphere in which students and instructors have artistic choices, share in the artistic process, and learn the value of artistic expression.
For Newell, it's about "providing people with an opportunity to learn and be creative. Every time someone is exposed to dance in any way, it's a learning experience that shapes and changes a person's life." Dance at DC DC is available for everyone, regardless of social or economic status, age, gender or artistic or cultural background. Classes are available for pre-schoolers to adults and beginners to professionals. And there is a program in which students may work in exchange for classes. Special internships and scholarships are also available.
So, what's the difference between a collective and a traditional dance school? Newell explains, "A collective provides support for its artists and their individual talents, rather than stringently setting rules and defining curricula. A collective allows the instructors the freedom to convey their expertise to students in whatever way they see fit. Reciprocity and collaboration make students and teachers stronger." She points to a 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 foot window between the living room-like reception area and one of the three DC DC studios, "It is a metaphor for openness."
"At many studios it's impossible to get in the door if you're a young unknown teacher," Newell observed. However, recognizing that teaching often comes from an innate desire to share, she has created an environment that nurtures anyone who wants to teach. She gives that person a chance, whether it is teaching his or her own class, assisting another instructor or being in a mentorship program.
DC DC offers over 100 classes each week in 30 different dance styles. Classes past and present include the usual jazz, tap, modern and ballet as well as a wide variety of ethnic genres such as African, Bangra, Bollywood, Afro Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, capoeira, flamenco, hula, Irish Step dance, Middle East belly dance and samba. Equally represented are urban dance styles such as break dance, hip hop, locking, popping house and music video choreography. Students may take social dance classes with or without a partner in ballroom, swing, Lindy Hop, mambo, salsa and tango. Fitness specialty classes are also available in Ab Workout and Body Definition, Kukuwa's Afro-Carribean-Latin workout, kick boxing, Pilates and Zumba. Teachers come from all over the U.S., as well as, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Canada, El Salvador, Iran, Israel, Mexico, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the Ukraine.
In the summer there are intensive camps. Workshops are an important part of DC DC's program and are taught by regular faculty members and guest instructors, such as tap dancers Chloe Arnold, Dianne Walker and Van "The Man" Porter, flamenco dancers Carmela Greco and La Tati and B-boy Ynot.
Outreach programs sponsored by the DC Artist Collective, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that is the umbrella for DC DC, provide instructors the opportunity to work outside of the studio. Most recently popular teachers Mat Guenther and Quang Huynh performed hip hop and break dance, respectively, along with other faculty members from DC DC at a Key Middle School assembly. Then they taught 15 hours of classes at the school so students could put on a performance for their peers and parents. For nearly all of the 40 plus students, this was their first experience with formal dance training.
Newell's passionate concern for dance education shines through her 45 years of teaching tap and Broadway musical dance, in addition to serving as owner and president of DC DC. Her current schedule includes teaching 20 tap classes per week at DC DC. In Maryland, she is on the faculty of the City Dance Center at Strathmore in Rockville and Knock on Wood Tap Studio in Silver Spring. In her “spare” time she is choreographing "42nd Street" at Act II Performing Arts in Gaithersburg and "Kiss Me Kate" at Winston Churchill High School. She has choreographed over 30 musicals during her career. In addition, Newell has also taught workshops in the Czech Republic, France and the Ukraine. An advocate of "dance diplomacy," she hopes to develop international exchanges.
Believing that dance is for the dancer as well as the dance enthusiast, Newell has coordinated presentations through the Smithsonian, at DC DC, and in conjunction with other dancers and studios spotlighting legends of tap such as Fred Astaire, Fayard Nicolas, Gregory Hines and Ann Miller. These series, along with dance festivals and performances, are yet other Newell venues for promoting dance education.
Every year DC DC's Collaborative Arts Festival offers a dance Sampler, from 10 am to 4 pm, for folks to take as many 30 minute sample classes as they like for a total of $20. This year's festival was packed with over 100 dancers choosing from 36 classes. The Evening Performance features the DC DC teachers, resident companies and students. The DC Artist Collective sponsors this special day/evening, and proceeds go to dance scholarships at DC DC.
Several teachers/performers have resident dance companies at DC DC. Karen McLane (Najwah) began studying the art of Middle Eastern belly dance over twenty years ago and performed as a soloist in hundreds of shows worldwide. When some of her students excelled in the art, her concert dance company, Ancient Rhythms, evolved.
Young at Heart, an adult non-profit tap dance performing company comprised of an inspired group of amateur tap dancers, performs for the benefit of the community. Membership in the company is open to tap dancers of all ages from 25 to 62. Some of the company members danced as children, others began dancing after they raised their families. All share a love of dance and the desire to give something back to the community. DC TAPestry and Gotta Dance groups are also at DC DC.
Guenther is a founding member of the b-boy crew and performance group Rockin' The Groov. Striving to preserve the history of b-boying dance while pushing its boundaries, Guenther's ambition is to help bring the dance form into the public eye as an art form that garners the same respect as other styles of dance.
Some DC DC teachers have companies that rehearse at the studio and also perform in DC DC shows: Junious Brickhouse's Urban Artistry; Edwin Aparicio, Debra Floyd's the FloydProject Dance Company and Roberta Rothstein's Momentum Dance Theatre.
When musician Joseph Schilling needed some hip hop dancers for his music video, DC DC teacher Phil Thorne choreographed a piece on DC DC faculty members. Subsequently Schilling formed a hip hop group of middle-aged men called "Fire-Dean & the Secret Agents" who have performed at clubs and other performance venues throughout the DC Metro area as well as in New York City. The group's audition ad captioned, "A dance opportunity for regular guys," reads, "Ideal candidate might be balding, Caucasian, overweight, in his 40's, fun, yet committed to working hard."
Welcoming creative artistic dance expression, DC DC is always offering new classes, workshops and opportunities to perform. For further information, see www.dcdancecollective.com or contact Nancy Newell at newelln@dcdancecollective.com.