Image: www.fringeworld.com.au
Generally, workshops do not fall within a reviewer’s brief. In fact, they are not, as a rule, found in fringe festivals at all. It was curiosity about the latter point that drove me to ask Artshub to get me a guernsey on Bey Dance Workshops at the Perth Fringe.
I am behind the times, it seems. Melbourne-based Liz Cahalan (pronounced, near as dammit, as if it were spelt ‘Carlin’) has been presenting her workshops at fringe festivals for several years now, notably at Adelaide and Edinburgh. The one I went to was the first in Perth, and it was well-attended, with participants spilling over onto the grass as well as filling the large wooden performance area of Fringeworld’s Big Top. (A small grizzle to the Fringe organisers here – why is the Big Top not labelled as such? It took me quite a while to find the venue.)
Bey, of course, is short for Beyoncé, a name that makes me shudder. It’s not French, it’s not English – what the heck is it? Apart from the suggestion that it’s a corruption of the surname Beyince, baby-names sites cannot come up with any explanation for it. However, it is now popular as a given name for girls, especially in America, because it is the name of a single performer who has won the hearts of young women everywhere by her in-your-face performance style and Attitude (Note the upper case. Attitude is something Beyoncé has in spades.) Her middle name is Giselle, which immediately suggests that she had a Ballet Mother. Ballet Mothers can be a bane to ballet teachers, constantly pushing their child to do better: more classes; more attention from the teacher; more competitions; a bigger part in the annual concert … I’m sure you get the picture. I’ve even heard of one who named her daughter Pavlova.
Most daughters of Ballet Mothers eventually escape, but occasionally one is the real thing – a star in the making. Beyoncé was one of those. Now world renowned as a singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and businesswoman, Beyoncé is reckoned to be the highest paid black musician ever, and has even been twice-listed in Time magazine’s list of the hundred most influential people of the year. Her influence on young women struggling with the post-feminist era has been enormous, as was evinced by the enthusiasm of the participants in the workshop. Cahalan herself admits to adoring Beyoncé, as did most of the other young ladies present. I was the only representative of the pre-1960s generations, a couple appeared to be of the 1960-80s vintage, with the rest being born post 1990. Of the thirty-odd attendees, only two were male.
The Beyoncé dance style, largely derived from jazz ballet, is sexy, assertive and above all, fun. The technique takes its starting point as a wide ballet second position with hand on hips. (I said it was assertive, didn’t I?) It includes a lot of isolations, hip and shoulder shimmies, hip thrusts, kicks and high arm movements. There are also deep knee bends without support, which perhaps makes it unsuitable for people who are untrained in ballet technique or of advancing years. The workshop was heavy going for those with little prior training, but they were in the minority: most of the participants were probably serious dance students, and Beyoncé aficionados to boot. (Or maybe that should be booty, one of Beyoncé’s favourite words.)
Cahalin teaches an entire dance routine in each 90 minute session and then the students go outside as a flash mob, performing the dance in public. Sadly, a tight schedule prevented me from seeing this part, but by the time I left, the class was pretty proficient in the chosen routine, set to one of Beyoncé’s popular songs.
Having attended one fringe workshop, I would like to do more. Another with Cahalan, certainly – she has a bright, cheerful approach to teaching. Assuming, I think, that the students will be taking technique classes elsewhere, she takes more of a ‘master class’ approach, focusing largely on the choreography and floor patterns.
Maybe the fringe workshop idea could happily be extended to other disciplines – various kinds of dance, drama, singing, stand-up and even instrumental music. Hey, can you imagine a symphony orchestra flash mob? Now that would be a Thing!
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Bey Dance Workshops
Liz Cahalan’s
The Big Top, The Pleasure Garden
Russell Square, Northbridge
Fringe World, Perth
www.fringeworld.com.au
7-8 February
