"One Dance 2014"

This is a dance created by Dudley Flores of San Francisco's Rhythm & Motion Dance Program for the Kick-Off of 2014's Bay Area Dance Week. That year's "One Dance" was a compilation of iconic dances and dancers of the 20th Century, including Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, The Charleston, Mashed Potato, Twist, Running Man, and even Voguing.

The Music at different speeds (for practice) and in sections:

One Dance (2014) - Full Song - 90% speed.mp4

One Dance (2014) - Full song - 100% speed.mp4

One Dance (2014) Tina Turner - 80Speed.mp4

One Dance (2014) Tina Turner 90% speed.mp4

One Dance (2014) Hip Hop Section 80% speed.mp4

One Dance (2014) Hip Hop Section 90% speed.mp4

One Dance (2014) "Beat It" 80% speed.mp4

One Dance (2014) "Beat It" 90% speed.mp4

One Dance (2014) Vogue & Charleston 80% speed.mp4

One Dance (2014) Vogue & Charleston 90% speed.mp4

I will add to this slide deck each week as we learn new sections of the dance.

Here is a YouTube compilation of the songs and dances referenced in this piece:

One of the things I love showing the kids is how one dance move (in this case my favorite, The Mashed Potato) evolved from it's origins to mainstream culture. As it gets broken down to be taught, it looses its flair. From James Brown gliding across the stage to the herky-jerky version many of us recognize from Hairspray.

One of my favorite things about teaching this dance is looking at the importance of Social Dance and how the Twist changed it all - ladies no longer needed a partner and they no longer had to follow someone else's lead! Plus, we take time to look at how even currently popular dance moves can be traced through many incarnations back to Juba Dances from the African Diaspora as the people were stolen and brought to America and lived on plantations without a common language other than music and movement.

The wonderful Camille A. Brown teaches this wonderfully here (click on the image below):

A visual history of social dance in 25 movesWhy do we dance? African-American social dances started as a way for enslaved Africans to keep cultural traditions alive and retain a sense of inner freedom. They remain an affirmation of identity and independence. In this electric demonstration, packed with live performances, choreographer, educator and TED Fellow Camille A. Brown explores what happens when communities let loose and express themselves by dancing together.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE SONG

And here is a video of some amazing kids performing One Dance in 2014:

They spent weeks learning the dance, but then the Bay Area Dance Week kickoff in Union Square was cancelled due to rain, so the kids organized assemblies THAT DAY to show their dance. They wanted to do a "surprise" encore at their school's Junior Olympics opening ceremony!