Whenever I watch a Beyoncé music video and her incredible dance routines, all I can think is 'No normal person can move their body like that.' This, added to the fact that there was so much buzz around this event before I even got to the venue, left me wondering what to expect. I thought I might find myself training next to professional or really good dancers, and oh! the shame of not being able to even repeat one single step correctly. That's why when, by the end of the second hour, I found myself nailing Diva, I Woke Up Like This, and the fabulous Crazy in Love next to my other 20 classmates, I wasn't only gladly surprised, I felt flawless.
If you're a Bey fan, I urge you to come learn her routines, you'll be surprised at what your body can do after this class.
When a teacher manages to inspire you so much confidence that you feel like you can do anything, then you're face to face with a great one. This is the case of Liz Cahalan, who took the best Beyoncé out of every single man and woman in that class. Cahalan, a co-founder of Bdance, created the Bey Dance Workshop with the idea that anyone should be able to do a Beyoncé dance routine.
Isolations (moving individual parts of the body), posing and attitude, are the main ingredients of the famous diva's dance moves, according to Cahalan. With this in mind, the class began with simple steps for us to dominate those isolations: chest pushings, booty shakings, combining both movements and looking graceful all the same.
Our fantastic teacher then charismatically deconstructed B's attitudes and poses. She encouraged us to bring out our hustler side, but to compose ourselves in preparation for a confident, sexy walk to the beat of Crazy in Love. The choreographies were so dynamic that we found ourselves polishing the details even during water breaks.
Learning from a passionate dancer next to equally motivated classmates (all of them as new to this as I was), I soon realised why this workshop is so worth a try. The atmosphere is contagious, and it is an entertaining, alternative morning for a day at the festival. If you're a Bey fan, I urge you to come learn her routines, you'll be surprised at what your body can do after this class. If you are not so keen on Queen B, try it, try it, try it. If there is one routine that can blow your mind, Beyoncé's are probably at the top of the list.
