Web Release September 16, 2007
About sixty dancers from the Jacksonville Dance Company had a very busy, but fun-filled weekend. Choreographers, Ms. Kim and Mr. Kris Houseman, from the Kansas City area came this weekend to work with the Jacksonville Dancers and instructors. Both Kim and Kris have an extensive background in dance. They grew up in the dance world, have taught at their own studio, have taught numerous clinics and seminars and even judge dance competitions on the regional level.
Ms. Kim and Mr. Kris like to work together teaching a clinic, but since they were scheduled for separate classes, each would come and critique the dancers in the opposite session and would add their own suggestions for bettering each routine. Mr. Kris specializes in hiphop and lyrical but also has an extensive background in tap. Ms. Kim specializes in lyrical, tap, jazz and pom.
The weekend seminar began with Ms. Kim teaching a lyrical duet to Tori Spears and Tori Hanley. After that, she taught Jazz Two and Mr. Kris taught Hiphop One. The seminar started Saturday morning at the early hour of 8:00 with Kris teaching Hiphop Three while Kim taught Pom. At 1:00, Tap Three and Lyrical One were taught. Ms. Kim then taught a tap solo to Hannah Ellis and Mr. Kris critiqued the dance. The seminar again began early on Sunday morning at 8:00 with Kris teaching the Hiphop Two dancers while Ms. Kim taught the Lyrical Two dancers. The seminar ended at 2:00 after Kim critiqued the Tap Two dancers.
Everyone was exhausted by the time the seminar was over, but so much was presented and learned this weekend. Jacksonville Dance Company made us very proud this weekend. Ms. Kim and Mr. Kris were very complimentary about our dancers; the dancers all worked very hard for them and gave them their best.
I didn't get pictures of each group, but a few are shown below. Actually, everyone was too busy to get pictures and when each session was over, the dancers were too tired to care and it was right on to the next session.
Ms. Kim with the Jazz Two Dancers
Ms. Kim with the Pom Company Dancers
Lyrical Two Dancers - after a hard workout with Ms. Kim
Mr. Kris with Level Three Hiphop Dancers - some showing attitude and others just grins. Note the "Alabama" hat on Mr. Kris - a friendly wager was made and I know of some sixteen dancers who are supposed to wear "elephant noses" at a certain regional dance competition. Kris worked hard with the dancers and now Ms. Lois has to polish the dance and add her "magic touch" to ready the dancers for competition.
Whoo!!!!! The long weekend was over! Ms. Lois had left after the morning hiphop and our Ms. Kim left immediately after the Tap Two session was over. Mr. Kris and Ms. Kim pose here (in their Arkansas JDC shirts presented to them by Ms. Andi) with Ms. Laurel and Ms. Sara. Kim and Kris were rushing out the door with Ms. Laurel for a fast trip to the airport to catch their plane back home to their two young children, Tori and Vincent. Thanks Kim and Kris for a great weekend-long dance seminar.
Okay - I just had to show the true Mr. Kris with his mohawk haircut after he "insulted" Ms. Laurel by placing his "Alabama" hat on her head - at least she had on the Razorback shirt to counteract the hat!!!!!