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Feedback or not?!

To my fellow instructors & teachers!
Just out of curiosity – what approach do you go for when you attend a class for a friend and/or a co-worker?

Are you the kind of person that feel the need of giving them a bit of feedback after the class? And if you do that – what is your main purpose by doing that?
Or, do you say anything at all?
Are you the smiley and outgoing person during the class – or do you go inside your bubble to focus on your own training only?

I’d never give feedback to a friend or a co-worker if I just attend a class for my own sake.

I’d do it if they’ve specifically asked me to come to the class in my role as a Les Mills-trainer or dance teacher for example – but that’s another story.
Not if I go on my initiative.

IfI’m thinking – I’m there to take class for someone that doesn’t teach like me – or do my choreo, and if I take a class for my own fun it’s not my job to find things that they can do better.. or look for things to pick at, ‘just cause’.
That’s just not how I roll – in any situation.
In that case – if they do ask me spontaniously after, I tend to focus on the positive things that made the class good (in my eyes)

But like I always say – we’re all different, and I’d be happy to hear how you roll.

 

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Quarterly Times…

Yeah – it’ s those times again.
The first round of 2012, which means new choreos to all instructors who teaches pre-choreographed classes.

I’m holding qw’s in BODYJAM® and BODYBALANCE™ in Malmö and Stockholm the upcoming weekend. I’ve presented both classes before and feel pretty comfortable with them by now.

And yesterday, I taught the new core choreo at SATS for the first time.
As I’ve wrote earlier; I think the SATS core concept is ok (otherwise I wouldn’t teach it, obviously) especially when it comes to the exercises.
Also, it’s easy to learn and easy to teach.

How ever, these days – I believe the participants (the mainstream crowd at least) would prefer a concept like CXWORX™.
Not because they don’t like the current core – but because CXWORX™ is more up to date and simply more of what people requests in core training classes these days.

How ever, SATS is about to develop and change their core-concept…
Starting summer/fall-12, it will be 7 tracks instead of 8, two standing tracks, and there will be exertubes used as equipment.
So, I guess it will be pretty similar to CXWORX™ after all.

What I don’t appreciate as much with the current SATS Core is the music.
Simply because it’s [a bit] too mossy for my taste.
And in this release particular, the one good song – even though the CD and choreo notes says Rihanna and ‘We found love’ – it is definitely not Rihanna singing.
And you might remember what I think of (most) covers.

But overall – it was ok, and the participants appreciated the variation and some new moves after three long months, which is the most important thing, right?!

So, I’m all set with pre-choreo learning for another three months.
Which means more time to choreograph my own work and products.

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BODYBALANCE™ prep…

I’ve taught the release of 56 for a while now.
And, I’m happy for that – since this time – it took a while to find the feel.

It was not love at first sight this round – as it often is – but the release have been growing from week to week, and class to class. And now I feel ready and confident to present it at quarterlies.

My favourite tracks are the sun salutation, the hip opener and the back track.
Track 2, 5 & 7.
This weekend I’m doing a quarterly in Halmstad – and next weekend I’m in Stockholm and Malmö.

Looking forward to some happy flow!

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Boosted!

A saturday in Stockholm felt like luxury this morning, even though it’s a work day.
My work for the day was to hold the Choreo Boost workshop at SATS for those of my awesome co-workers that wanted to join.

It’s a practical workshop that aims to dance instructors, and the purpose is just as it sounds; to boost the participants a bit when it comes to choreography.

Some easy tips and ideas to think about from my point of view, as an option to explore if you ever feel like you’re stuck or if you tend to put pressure on yourself when you’re about to create new choreo to your classes.

It was fun – and it was a group of positive, creative dance instructors that were open to try the things I suggested.
I’m lucky to work with people like these. 🙂 It makes my job just wonderful!

Next stop for Choreo Boost is in march at SATS Göteborg & Malmö

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Choreo Boost @ SATS!

This upcoming weekend I’ve got another exciting job booked that I’m really looking forward to.
It’s a workshop at SATS – for the instructors (my awesome co-workers)
A choreography workshop – aimed at instructors that teaches dance classes.

I’ll do this workshop in Stockholm, Göteborg and Malmö and this will be the first of the three.
It’s also the first time I collaborate with my own material for SATS education, and I’m looking forward to a happy, positive and FUN day!

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NIKE BLAST FINLAND…

…ROCKED!!!
It was the 8th year in a row for the finish edition – and my 6th time. Awesome! THANK you Saija and Tarja! It’s always a pure pleasure.

Short self-rewiev of the weekend.

Sazzy Jazz was the first class saturday morning at the main stage, and this is the class I’m probably most happy with.  It was fun, happy and a perfect start of the day/weekend.
And the fact that these two awesome ladies took the class didn’t make it less fun.

Lina & Ulrica! Thanks for dancing with me!

Then, workshop time…
Choreography & Creativity
Which is the class that I’m least happy with.
You know when you picture something – and then it doesn’t end up like that…at all.
I prepared it like a practical workshop where the participants were supposed to join in – and actually participate. But it was presented as a lecture – placed in a lecture room with tables and chairs. And no music! So it didn’t quite went as I planned but the people who came were happy (at least on the outside, lol) and it wasn’t anyone’s fault – just simply some mis-communication.

Pilates-core-flex-fusion class was next, and it was a crowded class.
I had built up the class in three blocks;

1. Move & Breath
An easy dancy warm up – that get your body moving. A lot of twists, swings and balances to find your centre.

2. Strength & Body Control
Pilates and core exercises but in a faster pace than in a traditional pilates class. Faster build up, with a flow that I tried to maintain the whole sequence.

3. Flexibility & Extension
Stretch, a short relaxation and then back up standing to finish the class uplifted and super focused.

There was music on going for the entire class – a playlist with a lot of oriental, arabic an african chill out music.

Sunday classes;
AfHo – which I LOVED teaching in Stockholm because of the energy and party feel – was a bit heavier this weekend. It was 14.15 on sunday on the main stage and people were TIRED. In their bodies and in their minds.
How ever – the group that did stick with it rocked. But I think the class would have been better off in a smaller studio.

Then the very last class of the weekend – on the last time slot, BODYJAM®60 with my always awesome team-jammer Kimmo!
Non of us felt love at first sight with this release – but when it was time to enter the stage, loud music and doing it fully on it was pure fun.
The class went great. I gave my very last energy on this class, for sure!

Some pics from the weekend;
Maria Olofsson taught a lot of classes too, right before her step class, Move!

I wanna…

Me & Craig – who is an awesome dancer, choreographer & teacher. He’s been dancing with Beyonce, to mention one…


Gaëlle, Calvin, me & Craig.
My striped sweater was an immediate favourite, 449459


Ms NTC herself; Marie with Maria & Lina

Two rockstars! 🙂 Åsa & Fredrik

Thank you all beautiful people that were involved in the Finish Nike Blast.
x ♥

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Superhot, Lean and…HUMBLE!!

One of the things you do before a convention is to send in a short presentation of your self and your class/classes.
For the organizer to use at the website, or fliers. Since I have pretty many events coming up, it feels like I’ve been emailing tuns of descriptions back and forward lately.

It’s a bit like a contact add – sort of.
In a few sentences you’re suppose to highlight your specialties, attract people and sell yourself, your brand and your product.
But even though the presenter write it him(or her)self it’s always written in third person.

This year I helped Lina to proofread all the presentations before they got published.

It’s always fun to go through – cause you can clearly see trends here as well.

In the 90’s the most popular line was something like;
XX is a frequently hired presenter with the entire world as working place.
That covered pretty much every hot presenter back then. 

This year for NIKE BLAST the favourite word was lean.
All of the hard core classes had the word lean in the description.
Lean is the new black. And – who doesn’t wanna be lean?!

Or – the classic;
XX is a humble instructor….
Well – the first sign of not being very humble is when you write it yourself…ha!

This is not me complains or judging. Just me observing – and then ramble about it.
You know I like to do that once in a while…
My descriptions is no better than others, LOL!

 

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Hanna is the Nike Top Instructor 2012!

The 2012’s edition of the NIKE TOP INSTRUCTOR went just fine.
It was the last class at saturday (17.00) so I guess people started to dip a little bit – but the crowd that did came to support the contestants were awesome, and it wasn’t any lack of energy in studio 4.

The instructors that competet presented 10 min each to participants – with a jury present.

Then – the winner was announced on sunday – after the last class on the big main stage.
This year the lucky (and talented) winner was Hanna Lundh from Halmstad.
She presented a jazzy choreo, and she was very well in sync with the music, and had a lot of personality – and energy – on stage.

All of the finalists ROCKED – millions of thank you for such a great effort from all of you!
I wish I had taken a picture of all of you together… but I had a lot of things on my mind and totally forgot about that… to bad!

The winner gets 15 000 sek in Nike Products – a brand new wardrobe, with other words.

 

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NIKE BLAST TWENTY TWELVE, pt 2!

Sunday was equally wonderful as saturday!!

My classes;
FEMME FATALE on the Globen-stage with the gorgeous Åsa Eriksson and Kristin Sudeikis was a true blast and a happy moment. The feel was relaxed, laid back – yet a positive dancy energy.
THANK YOU dancers for bringing all your female spirit into it.

AfHo in the dance studio rocked.
It was the very last class at the entire event, and that’s a bit of a tricky time slot. The participants have been rocking for two full days, and they’ve taken classes – one more fantastic and creative than the other and it’s a million impressions.
And, maybe maybe – they feel a bit tired both mentally and physically…

So I just went for it – not to many stops to think or feel – but just to dance one last class, and sweat it all out. And I’m very very happy with the class. We had it going and it became a party class. THANK YOU rockstar-heroes and heroines. I love you!

And also, everything besides the classes that made this weekend to a magical moment.
The people – the über positive vibe – the energy – the love – the pulse – the MUSIC – friends – the trainer team – the presenters – the awesome staff – the great dance shows – the atmosphere… and on and on.
I’m truy blessed – and I feel so lucky – to have experienced another NIKE BLAST, or should I say NIKE BLISS!

My friend and Nike Boss, Ms Lina Andersson, get to hear this a lot these days (as she should) and I really hope that she can take it all it.

She’s a f***ing natural talent and an event organizer professional.
The office people at Nike are blown away with this event, just like I am.
She doesn’t settle with the success of one year but she keep working, develop and improve the event from year to year – to surprise and to stun all of us.
Why follow when you can lead the way?
It doesn’t get more Nike than that, right?!
Just do it!

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NIKE BLAST TWENTY TWELVE….

This post was written saturday night… somehow it didn’t worked when I wanted to publish it. So here’s a tiny report of day 1 at the NIKE BLAST 2012.

What can I say?! NIKE BLAST ROCKS!!!!

I came in to Globen this morning to this wiev

Awesome!

I’m presenting both my classes tomorrow, so today I had the intention to take some classes. Great intention even though it doesn’t always happens with a  lot going on…

Dana Foglia from NYC taught a class today, I’ve taken a lot of her classes at BDC and she is one of my favourite dancers in the world. I came a bit late to her class though and ended up in the very back – so I was a bit frustrated by not seeing anything, so I just did a bit of the class. But she (and her dancers) are awesome!
If you’re at the BLAST, don’t miss their show tomorrow afternoon.

Then I took Kristins class, which was a lot of fun – and I always enjoy taking her classes. Ever since the very first class I took for her at Crunch years ago. Energetic, happy, fun, easygoing and just wonderful!

Siri likes her too. 🙂

Happy day! And I can’t wait for day 2 – even though that means it’s just half of it left…