Human Lauren In India

Lauren Cox is traveling to Hyderabad, India from January 28th to March 6th, 2014. In this month she plans to:

• Teach at a local orphanage.
• Teach a two week workshop for beginners on western dances including strength & flexibility, contemporary, ballet, street jazz and freestyle.
• Learn some of the cultural dances of India including Bharata Natyam (the "fire" dance) & Kathak (an Indian classical dance).
• Choreograph and set a 30 minute showcase, including herself and the Steps Studio director, Prithviraj, for the local community at Ravindhra Bharathi auditorium in Hyderabad.

Human Lauren's Campaign / Fundraiser

The plane ticket has been donated by Steps Dance Studio. The workshop and show is still being conceptualized and the total amount needed to make this happen is $2,000 USD. Your donations will be used to:

• Provide admission for five dancers who will attend her workshop.
• Cover costs of costumes, props and music for the showcase.
• Support the local orphanage.
• Stipend for Lauren's living costs.

Dance is a pure expression of the soul, no matter what the background. This is my gift and I would like to share it with as many people as possible. I hope that in opening my gift I can inspire those that surround me to open theirs. Art and happiness is real when shared.

I recently traveled to Hong Kong to perform at the Hong Kong Coliseum with the beautiful Joey Yung and to teach a few classes at Ones To Watch Dance Studios. There is a demand for versatility in the industry and the dance community worldwide. The more diverse you are in your art the more unique, inspiring and valuable you become. This is my attempt to not only share this philosophy with others but to keep growing myself. I cannot wait to share the result of this trip with you!

-Lauren Cox

You can make your donations here: Indiegogo.com/projects/humanlauren-in-india

Advantages of Dance: Melinda Marchiano

After reading about Melinda Marchiano on Dance Advantage, I felt compelled to share this article by Nichelle Strzepek with the Enforced Arch community. Cancer has effected my own family twice now, which is why I am pleased to read her story of recovery. The article highlights Melinda's use of dance as a means for emotional support:

Dance Advantage: You’ve said that dance “saved your life” throughout this process. How so?

Melinda Marchiano: Well, originally, it helped us to get a diagnosis. Every time I danced, I had a high pitched cough I called “The Dolphin Cough.” It led us to find the mass in my chest. Dance also “saved” me emotionally by being my outlet during treatment – my goal and passion. 

Melinda Marchiano was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. She’s transformed her confrontation with cancer into something beautiful, documenting her path through diagnosis, treatment, and recovery in a memoir, Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery, which she published in October, 2010. (SOURCE)

To read the rest of her interview, visit: Dance Advantage: Melinda Marchiano

Paris Journal 2011 Part 8

I took a visit to Repetto in Paris where they make high quality dance shoes, the only set back is they are primarily made of animal products. A 2006 report from FAO says livestock production is one of the major causes of the world's most pressing environmental problems, including global warming, land degradation, air and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity(source). How can we as a community speak up against this? For one we can write to our suppliers and request that they consider Eco alternatives. Take a moment to tell Repetto about these concerns: Repetto Contact

Here's a few suggestions you can make for Eco & Animal-Free alternatives: Giardini Synthetic Leathers LORICA

Another way to make a statement is to wear responsible alternatives. Visit our ESSENTIALS page to peruse the list!

Paris Journal 2011 Part 1 Paris Journal 2011 Part 2 Paris Journal 2011 Part 3 Paris Journal 2011 Part 4 Paris Journal 2011 Part 5 Paris Journal 2011 Part 6 Paris Journal 2011 Part 7 Paris Journal 2011 Part 8 Paris Journal 2011 Part 9 Paris Journal 2011 Part 10 Paris Journal 2011 Part 11 Paris Journal 2011 Part 12 Paris Journal 2011 Part 13

Paris Journal 2011 Part 5

At the Grand Palais I stood in a line along with a thousand excited Parisians to enter and experience an evening of flash mobs, cultural dancing, free gifts and all at no entry fee! How is this possible? Never have I seen anything like it! In line I could have lifted my feet and floated along with the crowd into this event. I'm not kidding! Once inside I was given an umbrella and a T-shirt with a babies body on it! There really is no other way to describe the space other than a Grand Palace with a central dome and two vast wings that were completely open space, free from obstruction. The architecture was breathtaking with two staircases at the opposite end from the entrance. As you look up you're reduced to the ant you are. In that moment I lost and gained an equivalent amount of inspiration and desolation. Then my eyes reconnected with the presentations!

First of all there was 300 people at the main stage holding open umbrellas with the Baby T-shirt on, all participating in a follow my lead type of dance instruction.

Now when I said cultural dance I was referring to classes. Only the classes weren't taught to you live. There were 12 foot LCD screens lifted 5 feet from the ground with a repeating video with a master of each dance form helping you through the basics of each style. You could find anything from Ballet, Contemporary, Capoeira, Belly Dance, LA style(haha),  African, Hip Hop, Buchaechum, Bollywood, etc.

Then on either corner of the space were stages where performances from all these style were performed by dance artists from France. An invigorating experience!

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Ballet: Not A Riddle To Decipher

Our compassionate 'Mover,' Justin Leaf wrote an article for the Minnesota Playlist which shares his thoughts on the many ways one can interpret a piece of classical or contemporary ballet choreography. It reads: Over the centuries, “ballet” as classical genre of dance has expanded from romantic story ballets to include neoclassical abstract works and contemporary movement pieces. Story ballets remain the style closest to other forms of popular art (literature, films, music, theater), as they incorporate an easily understood narrative. Dance, however, also uses movement as its language, which leaves plenty of room for interpretation. The more abstract the movement, the less identifiable the intent. (READ ON)

Toughies In Tutus

Is it impossible to find the word "Toughie" and "Tutu" in the same statement? We might have you fooled. That is the idea when it comes to ballet. If we master strength after years of hard work we can then apply grace and control that is seemingly effortless. In fact, don't  be surprised to find the "tough guy," football player in ballet, developing their control and building their center. Ballet requires power, stamina, and precision. Behind the grace there is a lot of commitment and tears of which these dancers truly earn the title: 'Toughies In Tutus.' I came across this article today and noticed yet another compassionate 'Mover' in Mumbai, Maharashtra India. The article reads:

Of the older girls, Ashrafi Ginwalla (20) teaches at the school and Annabelle Haydon Venkat (21) independently teaches little girls the basics of ballet. Venkat has been training with Dallas since age eight and takes the dance-form very seriously. She even sticks to "a no-wheat, no-dairy vegan diet that's designed by dietician Vijaya Venkat to boost energy levels." (source)

Don't forget our 'Essentials' page with cruelty free apparel for compassionate 'Movers.'

Lauren Cox: Arrest Yourself, Part 1 of 4

"Ignorance Is Bliss?" Arrest Yourself! By avoiding inconvenient and unpleasant information we hide from the worlds current state. Whether it be Factory Farming, Green House Gas or Social Justice we must understand and address these issues before it's too late. 'Mover,' James Koroni choreographed a piece entitled 'Arrest Yourself' to remind people that they are personally responsible for their own demise. To properly present this as a performance piece his dancers also shared their opinions on how this issue is prominent in their own lives.

LAUREN COX, "I've noticed that we walk around day to day bombarded with opinions from our peers, media and limited by our own comfort zones. We allow so much of it to guide our steps and we are often afraid of embracing new information because somehow it will disrupt our current state of heaven when, in fact, it’s the contrary that leads to the path of happiness. And we all do it! We all struggle to find our own happiness outside of ourselves…this makes absolutely no sense, so 'Arrest Yourself!' Hold yourself captive, if only to give way to the inevitability of change. By being an active participant of my own dream and staying open-minded to the dreams of others I sew anonymous benefits upon the world. It is through collective dreams that we realize we are all deeply interconnected and can progress for each other on our short visit to this earth. It is a daily choice…carpé diem!!"

She is a lifetime student and teacher of dance and movement. Starting at the age of 6, Lauren trained rigorously and competed as a passionate Rhythmic Gymnast around the U.S. for 11 years with the aid of ballet, modern dance and pilates, eventually achieving 4th in the nation for level 9 and 20th for level 10. During college she discovered a love for Sociology, hip hop and youth advocacy through Culture Shock Dance Troupe in Oakland, California where she received training with prominent guest choreographers such as Nappy Tabs, performed at events such as S.F. Aids Walk, Monsters of Hip Hop and the ACL Championships with LL Cool J & Amerie and was a part of their competition team, CS Allstars, winning consecutive silver and bronze metals at the U.S. & World Hip Hop Championships in Los Angeles. After co-founding and dancing for Groove Against the Machine San Francisco and exhibitioning annually at events like World of Dance and Battlefest Bay Area she set out to learn yet another style in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where she studied Samba, African and Street Dance for one year. She returned to the States to accept Broadway Dance Center’s Summer Intensive Internship and has been training in ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip hop and freestyle for the past 7 months in order to converge and solidify her deep passion for the universal language of music through dance. She is now the Portuguese translator for Broadway Dance Center, teaches Hip Hop at Center Stage New Jersey and has just started a choreography project called “The Ladies Freedom Party” bringing conscious light to music & movement.

Performance of Arrest Yourself, February 19th 2011 @ 7PM!

Kumble Theater- One University Plaza Brooklyn, NY 11201

TICKETS Discount Code: BeKind

SCOTT HAMILTON: Arrest Yourself, Part 2 of 4 KIET LAM: Arrest Yourself, Part 3 of 4 JAMES KORONI: Arrest Yourself, Part 4 of 4