The Move: 6 awe-inspiring dancers take you inside the movements that mean the world to them
CBC Arts | Posted: March 19, 2018 9:45 PM | Last Updated: March 19, 2018
The Move is a new series from CBC Arts that showcases dancers and their craft
What's the story behind the dance?
We often wonder how the painter or musician arrives at their final creation, but rarely do we dive into the backstory behind how a dancer moves.
Whether it's carefully choreographed or a fierce freestyle, every performer can tell you about that one move that personally resonates with them.
That's what this new CBC Arts series, The Move, is all about. From ballet to breakdance, we're diving deep into these artists' personal backgrounds and how it informs their craft. Find all the episodes below!
Siphe November
Take a look into our first profile about Siphesihle November, the youngest dancer in the National Ballet of Canada.
Step by step, Siphe will take you through a signature ballet move known as the Entrechant Six that he's been rehearsing in preparation for his lead role in Sleeping Beauty.
Watch the video:
Nivedha Ramalingam
The next episode of The Move follows the story of how Nivedha Ramalingam started performing the traditional Southern Indian bharatanatyam dance from a young age.
In the video below, she tells us about how bharatanatyam tells stories from the Hindu gods and goddesses using precise hand movements, facial expressions and dancing.
Watch the video:
Lazylegz
The third instalment features breakdancer Luca "Lazylegz" Patuelli. Through his own unique style of dance, Lazylegz turns his neuromuscular disorder into what he calls an "ill-ability."
He leverages his upper body strength to create b-boy moves like you've never seen before. Watch the video below to check how an accident lead to the creation of his signature Elbow Spin move.
Watch the video:
Snoopy
The next episode might change what you see in your mind when you hear the word "vogue." Even though it's most closely associated with Madonna, Matthew "Snoopy" Cuff wants to shine a spotlight on its origins in the LGBTQ ballroom scene of the 1960s.
He gives us a five-part lesson lesson breaking down each component of the dance — one that's definitely a lot harder than it looks.
Watch the video:
Camille Slaght
The penultimate episode features Irish dancer Camille Slaght, who's been driven to master the art since she was in elementary school and was captivated by a classmate's talent show performance.
In the video below, Camille shares her favourite Irish dancing move with us: The Bird. It requires a performer to jump to impressive heights and kick one leg forward in a fluid movement, while the other taps the dancer's bum at the apex of the jump.
Watch the video:
Brian Solomon
This episode features contemporary Indigenous dancer Brian Solomon who will leave you thinking more consciously about the ways our bodies connect us to the earth.
In the video below, Brian leads us through a meditation using dance as the outlet. Coming from two different worlds, Brian grew up hunting, fishing and attending pow wows with his father, while learning jig and square dancing from his Irish mother. These two different perspectives allow him to create an organic style of dance that is filled with synergy.