My Dance Journey with Elise Clement

Elise Clement began dancing at Sydney Dance Company Studios at the beginning of the year with our Jazz Intro Short Course.

We chatted to her about rediscovering dance and the challenges of learning choreography.

 

 

I started taking dance classes when I was 17 for a couple of years, in Latin and Hip Hop. Recently I got back into it as dancing is something I’ve always enjoyed doing but never gotten around to learning properly!

I’ve always been fascinated by how exhilarating and hypnotising it is to watch professional dancers performing their art. I’ve always secretly wished I could emulate this one day. I also love the fact that it’s a fun way to work up a sweat!

I attend the Jazz Beginners and did the Intro to Jazz Short Course at the beginning of the year

The setting, the vibe and the teachers – a winning combination!

I was struggling to follow the choreography during the Beginner classes and after taking the Intro Short Course I managed to follow the choreography from start to finish. I was super proud! Deconstructing the steps and getting the foundations right was really helpful.

Make it slow and make it small – you don’t have to start by making every step big and bold, take it at your own pace at first even if it means small steps and slow progress.

Arm and leg co-ordination – this is something I’m struggling with but I’m getting there. I’d also say trying to focus on the music and my own interpretation of the steps instead of trying to replicate exactly what the teacher is doing. For me it’s all about having fun in the end, not getting everything perfect!

I’ve always thought of myself as someone who understands rhythm and knows how to dance, however I quickly realised that following choreography was a lot harder than I thought. It feels like there are so many things to think about!

I love anything with a Latin feel but at Sydney Dance Company I’ve only tried the Jazz class so far. I really enjoy the style, the music and the fact that it’s a whole body workout at the same time. I’ve had two teachers so far: Ramon Doringo who is fabulous with a great personality and Liz Marcobello who was the amazing teacher of the Intro Short Course I took at the beginning of the year.

I’m a Life Coach and Wellbeing Consultant (Updated April 2020).