Dance + Coffee
with Katie DeSalvo
Mondays, October 28 - December 16 (10am-11am)
Tuition: $200
*8 sessions, 1 hour each. *All levels welcome.
Hi, I'm Katie! I've been dancing for 28 years, and for me, there is nothing quite like losing myself in the passion and expression of a dance. If you've ever felt like dance is beyond you or have been relegated to certain acting roles because you are "not the dancing type", I can assure you, you aren't alone and dance is something for you. In fact, one of my core beliefs regarding dance is that without acting or expression, dance is mere movement. Therefore, if you are an actor, you are so much closer than most people are to truly dancing.
Growing up in a dance company (The On Broadway Dancers of Coal City, IL) where we would perform for street festivals like the Taste of Chicago or half-times shows for college basketball games, I learned that expression is inextricably linked to performing dance. My instructor would tell us that dance originates in your core and then pours out of your face. I embodied this so well that when I joined Reveries in Motion in 2010, my contemporary dance company counter-parts would ask me to tone it down a bit to match their emotional output. Thankfully, I honed my ability to speak through my body while not having to compromise my facial exuberance.
During these college years, I became a teaching artist through Design Dance (Brainchild Collective, currently) and choreographed dozens of musical theater productions with St. Patrick High School. My crowning glory was when I was asked to choreograph DePaul University Theatre's production, Jane of the Jungle. DePaul is my alma mater where I received a Master's degree in Early Childhood Bilingual Education with a concentration in Theater Studies. So, if you ever feel me nurturing you like a mama and helping to bridge past attachment wounds, you'll understand why.
It wasn't until 2015, when I began teaching ballroom dance at an Arthur Murray and studying Argentine Tango with the 312 Tango Movement, that I began to understand how expression through dance is about more than simply entertaining; it's to bridge us to another soul. And so now, I teach independently at Glenwood Dance Studio, Old Town School of Folk Music, and privately in people's homes. I help people reach their dance goals, whether it is for social engagement, health and wellness, honing skills for auditions and shows, or connecting with a particular partner. I've always wanted to lead a class specifically for actors. Won't you join me?
