Theatre and Dance Previews

Omar with his workshop participants

The Milestones Project is well underway at the Watford Palace and this week, we went to take a look at one of the dance workshops!

Well, the idea was to take a look, talk to a few people and write it up etc - not actually end up jumping around the room! But, enthused by the charismatic Workshop Leader Omar Paloma, I forgot that I hadn't done a dance class for about 15 years and joined in with the others!

The Milestones project is part of the Palace's Centenary celebrations and aims to nurture greater engagement with the local community, and encourage people from all the diverse communities of Watford to participate. It is giving people the chance to take part in workshops during the spring, and will culminate in a production at the Palace in November - something I'm not quite sure I'm ready for yet!

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The first stage of the project is running through April and May with free adult workshops in singing, dance and drama all centred around the theme of "milestones". These give people the opportunity to get involved, develop new skills, and share their own milestones with the community.

The dance workshop that I attended had attracted people of all ages from all over Watford, although, as my chosen night also coincided with a Champions League semi-final it was an all female affair on this occasion, apart from our leader Omar that is!

Omar Paloma is originally from New York and has been dancing for some 20 years. Over that time he's done ballet, jazz, musical theatre and hip hop - you name it - he's done it! He's now the Artistic Director of Culture Shock Dance Troupe™ in the United Kingdom and, together with his partner Julie, is a Director of his school iDance™.

Warm up

After a thorough warm-up session and teaching the class a cool routine which he built up in small sections, making it nice and easy to follow, I asked him what the aim of the evening was - after I'd had a chance to catch my breath that is!

"Tonight I wanted to do a little bit of what I call deconstructive" he said.

"[In previous weeks] We've done some fairly complicated bits of routines and choreography mostly around hip hop, but I wanted to take it apart because I want people to start to develop their own steps! And by doing something that's relatively simple and doesn't require a whole lot of technical skill, it gives people understanding that they too can also come up with choreography that can be just as visually effective."

Warming up!

Omar also revealed that so far it has been "terrific" and that he has absolutely loved every single workshop without fail, even though at first he came along with a little trepidation?

"To say trepidation would be an understatement" he admitted!

"I was petrified! I really didn't know what to think, I wasn't sure how people would receive it.

"But I've really tried to get people to look into themselves and examine their own feelings and their own movements and their own emotions and tie that into the dance and that's an awkward thing to do especially if you don't know much about dance.

"To go that extra step is a little bit weird for you" he added.

Open

However, it seems that the fact that many of the people taking part don't have years of dance experience behind them, actually makes them more open to new ideas.

"It seems like because they don't have that experience, they also don't have that barrier" explained Omar.

"At the end of the day, if I could get everybody to literally achieve their own milestone, feel more comfortable with movement and feel a little bit more comfortable with choreography and hopefully have a better understanding of what's happening in a theatrical environment or any time they see dance, then I think I will have achieved quite a bit" he added.

So, in this workshop the Milestones project theme is reflected in the whole exercise - the whole thing a milestone for people because they are now dancing.

"I think that's it" Omar agreed.

"In this particular series of workshops, it's not anything that we necessarily hope to achieve other than helping people to move into feeling comfortable about dance."

Fun

Those taking part thoroughly agreed.

Gloria had thought it would all be about salsa or line dancing and wasn't sure that she should do it when she realised what she would be doing. But then she had a change of heart and is very glad that she did!

"I thought that it wasn't my age group but on fitness levels I'm sure I can match any of them! So that's why I decided to come and I'm thoroughly enjoying it! I'm learning a lot - it's a new experience for an old fogey like me!

"In terms of a milestone, for me it is a milestone!" she added.

"Doing this sort of dance is something I didn't even know about! But once I came I thoroughly enjoyed it!"

Asha agreed.

"It's really fun, it's really good exercise and it's a good chance to meet lots of different people from all backgrounds."

And Liberty really summed it up!

"It's magnificent, it really is, it's so exhilarating, it's revitalising, it lifts your energy, it's such a positive experience.

"I couldn't imagine being at home watching EastEnders or something other than this. Why? There's no reason!"