MOVEMENT, SIGHTS AND SOUNDS: Beth Bogush Motivates Young Dancers
CURTAIN UP
A three-year-old in the dance studio… little girls dreaming of being ballerinas, boys getting rid of extra energy… jumping and spinning… children copying moves on television, watching animated stories with songs and dance movements… building confidence, musicality, dexterity and maybe, just maybe, a future dance audience.
Many dancers train with the goal in mind of becoming a professional dancer, but when their performing careers begin to wind down, or their aspirations begin to shift, their thoughts turn to other possibilities to use their talents; they turn to directing and/or teaching. In most cases, the thought of working with very young students is far from their minds. Working with children is a specialty which should combine teaching skills with a good dose of psychology.
Ambition or the desire to study dance for young students might come from an older sibling, attending a performance of the “Nutcracker” or watching television. Professional dance training, involvement with children’s television projects and audience participation shows are all ideas and elements tied together by Beth Bogush, who has over 30 years of experience working with children in studios throughout the country. Bogush started studying tap at age six at a local dance studio in New Jersey. She went on to become a triple threat in dance, extending her classes to include ballet and jazz. Taking every class available to her, she attended summer programs and open classes in New York City. After studying at Kean College in New Jersey and performing in numerous regional theatres throughout the country, she suffered an injury and turned her sights to teaching. Bogush received certifications from both Dance Masters of America and Dance Educators of America. She married, had two children and moved with her husband to Charleston, SC. Her love of dance never waned. She taught dance at the YMCA and in high schools, worked with high school dance teams and developed a program for children.
Moving with her family to Boston, Bogush began her association with the Boston Ballet and a local teacher, Nan Keating. Also in the mix was the pianist Steven Mitchell. Keating became her mentor, and along with Mitchell, they revamped and developed a program to teach ballet, jazz and musical theatre dance, with an emphasis on musicality, to young students up through students at the high school level.
After six years in Boston, Bogush moved back to New Jersey. On her way to take a class from David Howard, she stopped by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, whose company and school just happened to be in the same building as the David Howard Dance Center, to drop off her teaching resume. Bringing with her years of experience, she caught their attention and immediately her ideas were incorporated into The Ailey School’s First Steps children’s program.
ACT ONE – THE AILEY SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR VERY YOUNG DANCERS
First Steps begins by entering the studio to participate in the actual class. Children learn concentration, how to follow directions and performance skills while receiving positive reinforcement from teachers and an audience. Bogush added her imagination and discipline techniques to revamp Ailey’s First Steps program, which brings the joy of movement and music to young children, develops muscle memory using proper dance techniques and explores creativity. She also started a bounding boys class for young boys ages four through six adding tumbling to the technique of dance. When the musical “Billy Elliot” opened in London, there was a large enrollment of boys in dance class. Now, in anticipation of the show opening on Broadway this fall, bounding boys may have many more boys interested in joining the class. Bogush says that “getting the kids to start training correctly at ages three and four” was her aim with the First Steps program. “Building and strengthening muscles, the love of dance combined with the foundation for dance,” she adds. Ailey faculty advisor Elena Comendador says, “Beth Bogush was perceptive in understanding the social and emotional development of children. Along with her expertise in understanding motor and cognitive skills for ages three- to six-year-olds, she was able to develop a curriculum based on exploring the concepts of dance. Most of all her imagination was limitless.” After six years at Ailey, Bogush moved on.
Photo by Eduardo Patino
ACT TWO – NICKELODEON/NICK JR.
What you see is not always what you get when live, professionally trained adult dancers turn into animated characters. They work choreographically, rehearsing and performing from a scripted story line.
Bogush’s association with Nickelodeon began when she worked with Chris Gifford, the creator of “Dora the Explorer” and “Go Diego Go,” as a consultant to develop the dance moves. She is currently working on “The Backyardigans,” which is rehearsed and filmed at the Chelsea Studios in New York City. The “The Backyardigans” is presented by Nick Jr. and is the creation of Janice Burgess, who hired Bogush. The dancers work from a script created by Burgess and a team of writers. Bogush then works out the choreography, taking into consideration the shape and size of the animated characters. They work to a prerecorded score composed by Evan Laure. A video reference of the dance is sent to animators who set it into a software program and the animated characters repeat the actual dance movements. Burgess says that Bogush has “amazing energy and enthusiasm for dance and for young children.” She continues, “Her knowledge of dance styles creates dances that look great on the characters.” Going back to her New York home base, Bogush uses adult dancers from The Ailey School. “The Backyardigans” is aimed at children ages three through six. Sixty episodes have been completed with 20 more to come. According to Bogush, it is “the whole package – acting, improvisation, dance and music.” She will soon begin working on a new series to be titled “Bubble Guppies.”
ACT THREE - LET’S HAVE A DANCE PARTY USA
While still involved with Nick Jr., Bogush’s current project is very close to her heart. It is a program presented on military bases in America, with plans to bring it to United States Armed Force bases worldwide. The party is like a holiday that gives the kids a little something extra when disappointment prevails in their lives. They have parents who may not be able to attend dance recitals and baseball games because they are not around at these special times. Towards this end, Beth and her husband John Bogush started a non-profit charitable organization to bring joy to the families of deployed military service men and women. Their mission was to create an interactive, theme-based event that incorporates age-appropriate dance and movement that is silly, fun and entertaining. The aim is to meet the needs of a specialized audience and to bring joy to young people separated from their families and living in a stressful situation. “Let’s Have a Dance Party USA” is that event.
It is produced, staged, choreographed and performed with the involvement of Nick Jr. using an episode of “The Backyardigans” with live performers in addition to the animated characters. For the production, Tom Dwyer wrote a special song, and Steven Mitchell directed and trained children from the Professional Public School of the Arts (PPSA) in New York City. The prerecorded song is played during the production of “Let’s Have A Dance Party USA” with huge audience participation. Of course, the success of the show involves a local military support staff. Bogush says, “It is like a mini USO Tour.” The show has been performed for over 3,000 people at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey and Fort Campbell in Kentucky. The episode entitled “Mighty Knights” is a production of Nick Jr. and is privately funded. Bogush says, “The kids were screaming and yelling and excited to see the characters they have seen on television.”
CURTAIN CALL
With limited support for the arts in schools throughout America, the artistic education of our children is left to individuals and organizations. The Ailey School spans the educational system from very young beginners through students with a college degree, and they are associated with Fordham University. Bogush says, “Nickelodeon exposes kids to the arts both on television and with live shows. ‘The Backyardigans’ in particular is helpful for kids interested in music and dance.” She adds, “Nick Jr. produces teaching programs and they are dedicated to making it right.” For the future, she would like to see DVDs teaching kids proper movement so they can start at home. She thinks that training should be offered to kids who may not go on to careers in dance because today they are less physically active and are losing motor skills.
With ballet taking a step back and other dance forms becoming popular with young people, Beth Bogush believes that “anything that gets kids moving is a positive thing.” Bogush has a special way of working with kids, and her love of dance will no doubt bring forth many more projects and hours of joy. Bogush’s CDs of music for children’s classes with Steven Mitchell, “Tots on Parade” and “Pas de Tot,” are available on the Bodarc label from Jay Distributors.