Barefoot
Dance Center,
LLC opened its doors in the summer of 2003.
The studio, conveniently located on Route 9W in West Park, NY, offers
dance classes to people of all ages. We
offer regular classes in Creative Movement, Modern Technique, Improvisation,
Jazz and Ballet. Our
youngest students are toddlers who join with their parents in discovering how
their amazing bodies move through space.
Three to five year old girls and boys take Creative Movement classes to capture and
develop their artistic expression. As
children grow older, they learn specific dance skills as they continue to
build their own movement vocabularies. Older
kids and teens are challenged with a more rigorous technical training, while
continuing their personal explorations through improvisation and composition.
Every student at Barefoot has the opportunity to dance, collaborate and choreograph.
We emphasize healthy alignment, skill-building and the creative process
in a supportive environment.
Frequently
Asked Questions:
What
is Modern Dance?
Modern
Dance began in the early 20th century as a departure from the
traditions of Classical Ballet. Though much
of the movement vocabulary is the same, Modern Dance offers more room for
movement research
and creativity. Dancers work with
bare feet and are free to discover new ways to move at all times.
The movement possibilities are limitless. The study of Modern Dance
also
encourages good posture and balance, discipline and strong muscles. Modern Dance
can be studied independently or as a compliment to other dance styles.
Who
teaches at Barefoot?
Jessie
Levey,
Barefoot's founder, director and principal teacher, studied different forms of Modern Dance and Cecchetti Ballet throughout her life in New York City and
at Sarah Lawrence
College. She performed with Dani
Nikas and Dancers, among others and
choreographed her own work for many years in Metropolitan New York before moving to the
Hudson Valley in 2002. Currently, she
studies Limon-influenced modern technique with Katherine Wildberger and Vinyasa
Yoga at Living Seed in New Paltz. In addition, she takes workshops at
Movement Research in NYC, and continues to watch as many live dance concerts as
possible. Her prior
teaching experience includes
positions at Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Poly Prep Lower School and Dalton School.
She also taught in myriad public schools through Lincoln Center
Institute.
Jessie also directed a teenage dance company for 10 years.
Her eclectic style combines her greatest influences: Cunningham,
Limon & Release Techniques, Yoga and Pilates. In addition to teaching
classes at Barefoot (see schedule for details), she
also directs the Barefoot Dance Company.
Kathy McDonald
is the director and teacher at her own dance school, Willow Dance, a studio for
adult dancers. She has been teaching ballet
and jazz for over twenty years in many schools, including
Yorktown Ballet
School, Somers Ballet School, Ballet Arts Studio in Beacon and
Broadway
Dance
Center in
New York City.
Kathy performed with the Virginia Beach Ballet, Potpourri Dancers
and Avodah, a liturgical company. She currently studies with Dawn Hillen in NYC
and continues her teacher training by attending workshops for dance
professionals, including: 2006
Broadway Dance
Center, 2007 Finis Jhung, and 2008 Dance Teacher Magazine. Kathy teaches
Ballet and Jazz at Barefoot.
Who
studies at Barefoot?
Barefoot
welcomes girls, boys and adults of all different sizes, shapes and
backgrounds to dance in a non-competitive environment. Students come from New Paltz, Gardiner, Highland,
Ulster Park, Port Ewen,
Marlboro, Kingston, Rosendale,
Tillson, Carmel, Saugerties, Rhinebeck, Hyde Park, Woodstock, Clintondale and Poughkeepsie.
Are
there hidden costs?
No.
The registration fee and the class fees are the only costs.
What
is unique about Barefoot?
Barefoot
trains dancers and choreographers
with
special attention given to alignment.
Dancers
are asked to work within their own natural range.
With healthy placement of bones and joints, muscles work more efficiently
and fewer injuries occur. Students
are never asked to over-turnout or to lift their legs too high, thereby putting
unnecessary strain on hip and knee joints.
We aim to make dancing a healthy and joyful experience.
Students
learn important technical skills while also developing their movement pallet
through improvisation. Students
experience the thrill of choreographing their own dances.
At Barefoot, we discuss themes, forms, structures and work to become
stronger dance makers. Each year culminates in a performance celebrating the
student’s hard work. Barefoot is
not a competition school. We are
artists focusing on the creative process.
Are there
performances?
Barefoot Dance
Center has an annual concert in May. All students participate in this
celebratory event. Classes throughout the year focus on working together,
technique skills and the creative process in an age-appropriate manner. We
believe that deep and meaningful process-oriented learning experiences lead to
unique choreography and confident performers. This philosophy is why we
choose to keep classes going for as long as possible before rehearsing for the
concert. Many of the pieces performed are created by the students.
Other dances are choreographed by the teachers or guest choreographers.
Audience members are often impressed by the innovation of the pieces and the
genuine performances by our students.
There is no
additional fee to participate in this concert, though we do charge an admission
fee to help cover the costs of the theater rental. Older, more experienced
dancers who choose to make a bigger commitment to their training are invited to
join the Barefoot Dance Company. These teen dancer/choreographers perform
throughout the Hudson Valley during the school year. Check our
News & Events page for upcoming performances.
last updated
02/26/2010
