PULSE Dance Bag GIVEAWAY!

“Like” Pulse's giveaway photo album (here) for a chance to win an awesome tote bag filled with goodies! Your signature “I <3 Pulse” dance bag makes the perfect accessory in or out of the studio. Cute, comfy and packed with delights, your tote includes:

-          Hot pink stirrup legwarmers by Sansha (So warm when it’s so cold!)

-          Medium weight Bunheads exercise band (work it, work it!)

-          One set Bunheads bobby pins (we can never have enough, right?)

-          Refreshing, moisturizing foot scrub by Earth Therapeutics (ahhh…)

-          Acrylic & Silver ballet dancer ornaments.(Get ready for the holidays with the cutest little dancers!)

The winner will be selected through a random drawing the afternoon of Friday, November 4^th. “Like” now, dance away happy later!

The Art Form Behind All Those Good Pulsations

By Cassidy Davis

Guest Columnist, Ballerina, PULSE Board Member

From twists and tilts to elongation and elegance… just what is the art form behind Anchorage’s hottest dance company? The answer is a melodious, magnificent and at times melancholy fusion of performance art and modern dance.

Originating in the early part of the twentieth century, modern dance developed from a desire for dancers to express themselves without the rigid structure and technique required by ballet. Modern dance, often fused (and confused) with contemporary dance is based on free style movement of the limbs. Involving most parts of the body, a defining characteristic of modern dance is the exploration of gravity and balance by allowing dancers to emphasize their movements through use of their body weight. Technically, it has grown in leaps and bounds since its beginnings– pun intended.

Requiring an immense amount of stamina, modern dance is often choreographed using emotion and new or abstract ideas as inspiration. It can range from light and playful to deep and thoughtful. The beauty of modern dance is the ability to express one’s feelings or perspectives on issues through movement. This was specifically displayed in Pulse’s Season One performance of Poem One, which effectively conveyed ideas of the relationships between life, death and cellular structure. 

Traditionally seen as a form of entertainment, modern dance has evolved into a way for dancers to portray grander ideas. It has become a staple in a well-rounded dancer’s skill set, and its ability to be received as a passionate and breathtaking experience is what appeals to so many.

What is it about modern dance that speaks to you? Find out at Pulse’s Season Two Concert this January.

Droege goes Gaga: a PDC member's voice

By Rachel Droege
Pulse Company Member &
Guest Blogger

Being a dancer for Pulse Dance Company, I am often asked what inspires me to dance. The answer is complicated; everything around me is some sort of inspiration, and I find impetus in things such as the people that I meet on a daily basis as well as the place that I live and how I interact with it. There is, however, one definite thing that pushed me into the art of modern dance, and that is the Israeli dance troupe Batsheva Dance Company.

    Founded in 1964 by modern dance pioneer Martha Graham and Baroness Batsheva De Rothschild, this dance company pushes all the right buttons and urges the viewers to challenge their own perspectives and live in the given moment. The company is now directed by Ohad Naharin and their works continue to fascinate me.

    One of the reasons I find Batsheva so incredible is that they operate in a dance style called Gaga--not to be mistaken with our Lady Gaga—and, interestingly enough, everyone has the ability to do it. The company leads gaga classes both for “people” and for “dancers,” giving everyone who has a passion for dance the opportunity to explore time and space in a new way. You may be wondering now, “What IS gaga? How is it different from any other kind of modern dance?” Ohad Naharin explains:

    “Gaga is a new way of gaining knowledge and self awareness through your body.  Gaga is a new way for learning and strengthening your body, adding flexibility, stamina and agility while lightening the senses and imagination.  Gaga raises awareness of physical weaknesses, awakens numb areas, exposes physical fixations and offers ways for their elimination.  Gaga elevates instinctive motion, links conscious and subconscious movement.  Gaga is an experience of freedom and pleasure. In a simple way, a pleasant place, comfortable close, accompanied by music, every person with himself and others.”

    The most interesting aspect of this style is the awakening of numb areas and becoming aware of your weaknesses; only by overcoming them and realizing that you are alive can you fully express yourself and be conscious in your own body. Even if you aren’t a dancer, get up and dance--move around, become aware, and wake yourself up! If you’re interested in more of Batsheva Dance Company’s works, check out their summer intensives in Tel Aviv or simply watch some videos after the jump.

-R. Droege

"Three" -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCaHbOLGXfY
"Deca Dance"- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz6nUMwlSqY