Ordway

Ballet Master Class

Thurs, Oct 29, 6 – 7:30pm, Ordway’s Drake Room

A company member from Rasta Thomas’ Bad Boys of Dance will conduct a Master Class in the format of a traditional ballet class, focusing on technique. Pre-registration is required, as space is limited. Please contact Amy Miller at: (651)282-3017 or amiller@ordway.org

PERFORMANCE GUIDE

Rasta Thomas’ Bad Boys of Dance Performance Guide

Rasta Thomas’ Bad Boys of Dance debuted in July 2007 as a company whose mission is “to push the boundaries of male dancing and deliver the most exciting dance shows in the world.”  The group is a unique new dance company featuring young male dancers whose talent and versatility explodes onto the stage.  Nine dancers, led by Artistic Director/Founder Rasta Thomas, fuse ballet, hip hop, jazz, modern, and ballroom, along with gymnastics and martial arts influences, to produce exhilarating dance shows.  Rasta Thomas considers his dancers as “hybrids” in their industry because of their ability to smoothly move from one dance style to another.

Rasta Thomas was born on July 18, 1981 in California, but grew up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  He was an active child, starting martial arts at age three and ballet at age seven, and soon proved that he was a child prodigy and began studying ballet at the Kirov Academy in Washington D.C.  He became a young ballet star and appeared at the age of twelve on TV with the Stars of the Kirov Ballet! He then went on to dance with several prestigious ballet companies throughout the world.
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Dance Styles influencing the company

Ballet is a form of dance characterized and originated in the royal courts of France and Italy during the Renaissance.  Ballet classical structure uses specific gestures, positions and vocabulary to provide dancers focused on agility, grace, lightness, and speed. Ballet was originally danced by all men, with women first appearing in the 1680’s.  Women dancers became more popular than men as they began to dance en pointe (on tiptoes).

Jazz is a style of dance characterized by the use of improvisation and influenced by rhythms and techniques of Jazz music.  Jazz music and dance was developed in the United States, drawing from African rhythms and techniques.

Hip Hop is a cultural movement expressed through the traditional elements of deejaying, emceeing, dancing, and writing (Graffiti art).  Hip hop dance uses the entire body to articulate intricate movements and muscle control. Examples of the hip hop dance styles can include popping, locking, krumping, and breaking. The hip hop culture is widely understood to have started in New York City in the 1970’s.

Modern is a style of dance that is not restricted to classical rules of ballet. Its dances are created from emotion, personal experience, and/or personal expression.  Choreographers of modern dance explore and create their own steps and movements as well as vocabulary.  In doing so, prominent choreographers often establish a specific style or technique unique to their work.

Ballroom dance is a variety of social partner dances in four dance style categories.   Each dance has its own style, appearance, and dance moves.  Some ballroom dances include the waltz, tango, foxtrot, swing, mambo, and samba.