Darren Suarez from the House of Suarez in Liverpool led today's session as audition preparation, which made the entire experience feel more intense and thrilling. It encouraged me to treat the session as though it were a genuine chance, with a more concentrated and professional perspective. First, we learned a vogue phrase. The intricate and emotive choreography demanded accuracy, self-assurance, and a high calibre of performance. I felt confident in my technical skills since I was able to take up the movement well and stay up with the tempo. I was also challenged by the vogue style to be more expressive and deliberate with each movement, not simply finishing the routines but giving them my best.
We were allowed to use our imaginations to interpret and move with the choreography anyway we saw fit after learning the phrase. This was both liberating and a little scary. It forced me to go beyond simply following directions and include my unique personality into the action. I came to see how important confidence is in this situation, owning the room and giving my all to what I was doing. We got comments at the conclusion of the session. I was informed that my ability to learn choreography and my general dancing skills would have allowed me to pass the audition. This proved that I am technically proficient and was really motivating. However I was also informed that my confidence had to be strengthened. Although I can appreciate this, it made clear that confidence is equally as crucial as skill, particularly in genres like vogue where presence and presentation are crucial.
During this session he also taught us about vogue and the different styles. Vogue is a culture with several categories and developments rather than simply a single style. Ballroom culture, particularly in areas like Harlem where it started, is the primary source.The original style of voguing was known as Old Way (before to 1990). Inspired by models in fashion magazines, it is extremely controlled, exact, and focuses on lines, symmetry, and positions. Geometry, clean forms, angles, and communicating stories by locations rather than speed, is heavily emphasised. Old Way is expanded upon by New Way (post-1990), which is more intricate and adaptable. It emphasises hand dexterity and complex hand function, Illusions (such as contortion-style motions and threading), extreme adaptability and accuracy and the connections between the motions are increasingly intricate and resemble puzzles. Femme Vogue is the most well-known look and is frequently connected to voguing. It has a feminine spirit and is dramatic and expressive. Five essential components make up Vogue Femme are performance of the hands, the catwalk, duckwalk, dips and spins (also known as drops) and performance of the floor. All of these ballroom-inspired dances have strong ties to the LGBTQ+ community and history, particularly to organisations like the House of Suarez that still teach and perform these techniques today.
After the workshop, we had a Q&A session during which Darren discussed his involvement in various performances, the dance business, and vogue balls. Hearing about actual experiences and learning about the workings of the industry was fascinating. Acquiring knowledge about vogue culture and performance venues provided further context for our work and demonstrated the significance of confidence and authenticity in that realm. Overall, this workshop was a valuable experience. It not only put my capacity under pressure to the test, but it also made it very evident what I still needed to work on. My biggest lesson is that, even if I have the abilities, I still need to execute with more confidence and faith in myself. In order to match my performance quality with my technical skill, I want to concentrate on developing that confidence going ahead.