Fall on the Log: Move of the Week

This week we are looking at a move called Fall on the Log as the name implies there is a falling action. As you fall onto the standing leg, the other leg tucks behind to reveal the sole of the foot.

There are four transitions of weight, so if you begin on jumping onto your right leg, then turn sideways as you hop onto the left leg, then switch right, left.

The head should stay level and there is a sense of disconnection between the upper and lower body. From the hips down something fancy is happening but from the waste upwards you are hardly moving and looking relaxed.

The challenge in this move is practising it slowly but familiarise yourself with the weight changes and you can soon speed up and start to think about the style.

The initial jump or 'fall' should involve a twisting of the hips in mid air. It is this lock movement and the head not bobbing up and down which makes this move distinct from it's very close relative in the Hip Hop world which has exactly the same foot work but is called the top rock.

It's a really fun and fancy move and well worth taking the time to master.

MyCharleston raises £220 for RISE charity with online speakeasy

Speakeasies were secret underground parties which started during the prohibition era in 1920s America. MyCharleston, a Brighton based dance company, were looking forward to celebrating the return of the Twenties with their annual speakeasy at Brighton Fringe but lockdown forced the party underground in a way they never could have imagined. 

Company co-founders Elena Burslem and Fiona Ring had already moved their weekly classes online back in March and soon realised the value of coming together to dance digitally. They decided that an event would be possible but in a new virtual format and so the planning for the most secret of speakeasies began …..

Last week the pair brought together fifteen performers for an afternoon of entertainment, Charleston lessons and a dance contest at their secret online speakeasy to raise money for the charity RISE. Via Zoom, over eighty glamorously dressed guests joined in all their finery to bring the Roaring 2020s to life. “Moving it online we were able to run dance classes, vote for the dance contest winner and have a cheeky cocktail from the comfort of our homes” said Fiona.

"Despite Brighton Fringe being postponed, we still wanted the public to experience all the humour and energy of our annual party’, Elena said. “We also want to support a local charity which is helping those in need during these difficult times. We are delighted to have raised £220 for RISE”.

“We weren’t really sure what to expect but it was incredibly uplifting to see everyone dancing together in the group lessons and in time with our singers. The Saturnalia Sisters who recorded two of our favourite tracks especially for the show”, added Fiona.

The afternoon included a dance competition where three different households competed for the audiences' votes, who had tuned in from the UK, Norway, France, Canada and India. Winning dancer Natalie, who performed a Charleston solo from her garden in Holland, said "It genuinely felt like a special afternoon. Although we are in lockdown we can still dress up and dance together even if we are in different countries!"

MyCharleston has been running speakeasies at Brighton Fringe since 2015 and they wanted the 2020 Speakeasy to be something really special. “Lockdown certainly made it different!”, says Fiona, “managing the new software was quite full on but the feedback was amazing... one person even saying we were more pro than the BBC!”

To counteract a feeling of anti-climax after running a big event and the challenges of social distancing, Elena and Fiona are teaching online classes with upto 100 weekly attendees. Fiona said: "These virtual lessons are the highlight of my week- it’s a great way to stay in touch with others, lift spirits and get fit at home whilst having fun".  

The dancing duo have also kept students swivelling by creating a new video series on their YouTube channel. These videos showcase Charleston routines performed by their students at home. “We have already produced four dance films since March and have another three on the way! We are amazed by how many people want to be involved in these projects”, says Elena. To join MyCharleston upcoming events, classes or watch the videos, visit mycharlestondance.com 

Learn Truckin': Charleston Move of the Week

Truckin is a move which dates back to the time when many of the waiters at The Savoy, in Harlem, were dancers hoping to get talent spotted. They would do this move while holding a tray which they would spin on one finger.

This move reminds us a lot of the Hornpipe dance as the footwork and posture is strikingly similar. It involves 3 little hops or shunts on the same leg, then you wait on beat 4 before repeating the move on the other leg and with a slight change of direction. We used to call this move 'Naughty Sailor' because as you travel your raise one finger and wag it as if telling someone of. That explains the naughty bit, the sailor was because it reminds us of the hornpipe! This a high energy travel move full of character, so find a space and get Truckin'

What's Happening in May!

We are having a party! Although Brighton Fringe is postponed we still want you to experience all the humour and energy of our annual social. Join us for free on 9th May, via Zoom, for our Roaring 2020s Online Speakeasy 2-3:30pm! Put on your gladrags and enjoy Charleston lessons, performances and Dance Competitions!

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New online courses start next week from 12th May!

4 Week Charleston Course, Online Tutorials & Live Stream Lessons

On our 4 week Charleston course we will be teaching a 1920s routine inspired by the song “Happy Feet”. This open level course offers filmed tutorials and streamed live lessons on Tues, 12 May - 2 June 6-7pm, Weds 13 May -3 June 7-8pm or Thurs 14 May - 4 June 10-11am. If you miss a virtual lesson, you can access a catch-up video too. 

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4 Week Intermediate Charleston course, Online Tutorials & Live Stream Lessons

Over May, we will be teaching our Intermediate Charleston course inspired by the track ‘‘Buck Fever‘‘ by Freddie Jackson. The course includes online tutorials and weekly streamed lessons. Stream Slots: Tues, 12 May -2 June 7pm & Weds, 13 May - 3 June 6pm. Catch up videos of streamed lessons will also be available.

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Learn to Charleston - Online Tutorials​

Can't make a live streamed course? We also have an online-only course which you can complete in your own time which is ideal for those new to Charleston.

If you have any questions about the online courses please or Speakeasy party, please just get in touch at heelo@mycharlestondance.com

Get the look: 1920s make-up and hair

The hair and make-up of the Roaring Twenties is one of the most glamorous eras of all time. We often get asked about the style, so here are some easy ways to recreate the most popular looks at that time.

MAKE-UP
The most defining make-up look of the 1920s was super-strong smokey eyes, with rose-coloured cheeks, dark-red lips and strikingly arched eyebrows.

Amy, our Savoy Kicks member, with 1920s make-up look

The lips
The upper lip was heart-shaped with a thinner lower lip, which creates a round looking mouth.
To recreate the lips, you should start by covering your lips with foundation or concealer to get a smooth base for your lipstick. Then the best way to continue is by lining your lips with a dark lip pencil following your lip shape with light strokes, emphasizing the bend in your upper lip. After this, fill in your lips with a similar colour and your good to go. You may not want to go with the full ‘cupids bow’ but
stick to dark red shades to get the best 20s throwback, because in this decade the dark red lips was the only colour available.

The eyebrows
The eyebrows were dramatically dark, arched and much thinner than we tend to do now.
To get the 20s look: take a dark brown or black and darken your eyebrow. Try to do just a really thin and arched eyebrow, by turning your eyebrows slightly downwards with the eyebrow pencil. Extend the ends to make them look extra long.

The smokey eyes
The eye make-up in the 1920s was super-smokey, which means that with just a smudgy dark pencil you would be good to go. Or you could start off with a lighter grey shade by using this as your base and than just apply a dark eyeshadow on to your eyelids. The more dramatic, the better!
To top it off use a black eyeliner around the eyes, especially on the top lip and curl your lashes or use false lashes to make your eyes stand out even more.

If you need more inspiration for 1920s make-up looks here is the link to the Pinterest board we have created.

Louise Brooks with the popular straight bob

Greta Garbo and typical eyebrows of the 1920s

HAIR
In the 1920s there were many different types of hairstyles, but the most popular ones are straight bobs or finger waves.

Finger waves
To recreate finger waves hairstyle you need a lot of hairspray and pins to hold your hair in place.
If you have longer hair start by making a bun at the nape of your neck, which should be a little bit off-center, but leave some hair out of the bun on the side with more hair on it, so you can create the finger waves.
Now comes the tricky part: Take the hair you left out of the bun and a straighters and start by clamping your iron down on that piece and do half rotation outwards, to create a little wave. Hold it for a few moments and then move a little bit down to do this process again, but this time do a half rotation inwards. Do this as long as it takes you to complete the piece you left out. Now take the pins and pin your waved hair to the side of your face, secure it with hairspray and you are finished.

You could add a 1920s hair band or other hair accessories, which were typical for the 1920s to top off your look, but this isn’t a need.

In the YouTube tutorial below another easy way to do the 1920s finger waves is shown.

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If you are looking to do a faux bob, check out blog piece here. and If you need more inspiration for your perfect 1920s hair and make-up look, you can visit our Pinterest board. MyCharleston put together a board with typical hairstyles and make-up looks. If you want to have a look, simply click here.

If you manage to recreate the look, email in your pics at hello@mycharlestondance.com

Learn Itches: Charleston Move of the Week

In this move, you are creating the illusion that a strange itch is travelling around your body. As you reach to scratch your body make contorted shapes, with lots of bent elbows, turned in knees and cross body movements.

You can make really big shapes or understated but your face must show that something has 'taken over' your body. So you're going need to act your little socks off for this move!

The movements are quite sharp and staccato and the feet can stay on the spot or you can travel slightly with this move. Ultimately it's an improv mood so it's not codified what shapes you make or how you style them.

My main tip is you need to be fully committed, if you hold back a bit then you can end up looking odd!

How We Built MyCharleston

Dance brought us together when Elena stumbled into Fiona’s dance class on a cold January evening back in 2013. Within just 20 minutes we had a connection and were planning our first performance. Neither of us could have imagined that this newly formed friendship would lead us to teach thousands of people to dance, to become world record breakers and create our company, MyCharleston.

Elena and Fiona's first photoshoot in 2013.

Our business is a partnership characterised by our energy and passion which has been enriched by having two distinct personalities with a shared vision: Creating a successful dance company.

The success of our relationship is as much about our differences as our similarities. One thing we have in common is we are not shy to speak in public, in fact we love it! We both have drama degrees and when we arrived at the NatWest Accelerator in Brighton (a business programme to support SMEs), we won the pitching competition on the first day. While many people hate public speaking, we are in our elements when talking about MyCharleston.

Wining the Pitch Challenge on the first day of joining the NatWest Accelerator, 2016.

Leading dance lessons for 200 people at Brighton Fringe 2017.

Apart from our love of the limelight, we are quite different, but this works because we can be the ying to each other’s yang.  Elena keeps Fiona on task and answerable to deadlines. Fiona pushes Elena to step outside the day to day business and focus on the future vision.  Sometimes we do struggle to see things from the other person’s perspective because we are both passionate, strong women. Thankfully our senses of humour are completely aligned and this has always got us through tense moments. Teaching dance and creating 1920s events leads to some ridiculous situations and we would not have come this far if we didn’t both see the funny side.

Elena and Fiona in the studio ready to teach.

Dressed in costume ready to perform.

People quickly recognise that Elena has the business brain, she is considered in making decisions and can structure her time to achieve tasks. Her five years’ managerial experience in the marketing industry has given her so many useful skills for running the business, from project management, to web editing and running marketing campaigns. Her creativity and talent for marketing is so effective that when we looked to enhance it, marketing consultants they said there was little we could do to improve our social media campaigns.

Fiona loves working with people, she is a strong communicator and will work hard to nurture the talent she sees in others. She is excellent at designing content for dance courses and training teachers.  Her experience as a documentary maker for BBC means she can bring our product to life. The first video we made went viral and as a company we recognise video marketing is a huge part of our success.

Together we are creative, enthusiastic, analytical and supportive bringing out the best in each other and, in turn, our work.

Learn Opposites: Charleston Move of the week

This week we are looking at a simple Charleston move called Opposites. This is easy move which can be stylised in many ways.

In the basic motion comes from the knees where you push you hips forwards and back and swing your arms in opposition to your hips.

Once you have the motion of swinging forwards and back, you can also swing from side to side. Again, your arms swing in opposition to your hips.

The full movement is bringing together the forward and back and side motions in one seamless movement.

Once you have the basic step, you can add swivel to your feet to really exaggerate the move.

Elena’s top 7 and half dance costumes

As cheesy as it sounds I can’t remember a time in my life that I haven’t danced. I went to my first ballet class aged 3, first performance on stage aged 4 and completed in the dance festival circuit from the age of 5 to 18. 

Throughout my life, I’ve studied ISTD ballet, tap, jazz and modern with a brief stint in Bharatanatyam, classical Indian dancing, when my family moved to Italy when I was 8 years old.

I went on to study drama and Italian at university but always kept up with the dancing. In 2012, I had the opportunity of a lifetime by performing at the London Olympics Closing Ceremony. It was just a year later when I met Fiona and we started working together.

Being involved in so many dance shows and competitions has left me with a rather large dance costume cupboard and more importantly some amazing photos. With so many great pictures of florescent leotards, tutus and sequins, here are my 7 and half top outfits which I couldn’t not share.

Costume one 'I can sing a rainbow'

Elena: Age 4

This photo is a true 90s classic - lilac leotard with puffy sleeves with my matching purple cycling shorts. This outfit was for my first ever performance at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham with my dance school Central Stage School of Dance and Drama (Now Dance Studios) where we sang ‘I can sing a rainbow’ and where I remember singing too loudly and feeling mortified!

Costume two 'The Butterfly Catcher'

Elena: Age 6

Now in love with the whole concept of dressing up and performing I took part in my first dance festival. These are dance competitions run throughout the country. I entered the ‘character’ section where I acted out being some sort of victorian butterfly catcher and was placed 4th much to my delight at Loughborough Dance Festival.

Costume three 'Squirrel Nutkin'

Elena: Age 8

Flying high from my previous success, I continued dancing in festivals and when I was 8 I was placed twice on one day! 3rd for my ballet solo and 2nd ‘character’ number where I acted out Squirrel Nutkin at Nottingham Dance Festival. The costume included my mum dying my ballet shoes brown, some papier mâché acorns and a mighty headpiece. Unfortunately you can’t see the impressive squirrel tail I also had!

Costume four and five - 'Ballet and Bharatanatyam' Elena: Age 10

At the age of 8 my family moved to Italy for 3 years due to my dad’s job. I was quickly enrolled in a local dance school ran by an English ballet teacher. I soon became involved in dance shows and even learnt classical Indian dancing with my American dance teacher. I particularly love this classic silk indian outfit which I keep always keep.

Costume six - University of Kent

Elena: Age 20

The teen photos are always the most cringe which I can’t quite bear to share but I can just about cope with this one from my second year at uni so skipping forward 10 years here is me performing in the annual show in a lyrical number that I choreographed (obviously!) and dresses from Primark which I customised for everyone. Each dress was just £1!

Costume seven - 'The Lennon Head' at the London 2012, Olympic Ceremony. Elena: Age 24 

At the age of 24, I decided to audition for the Olympic Ceremony and I was cast as a ‘Lennon head’. The section was to the track 'Imagine' where the dancers performed with giant jigsaw pieces coming together to make John Lennons face which then suddenly broke apart to reveal the one and only George Michael in the centre! It was the most magical experience with some amazing people and not to mention a string of celebrities including the Spice Girls (the 10 year old within me was delighted to be backstage with them!) Following this experience I was completely reignited by love for dance and performance which pushed me into going along to Fiona’s jazz class which lead to a completely new chapter in my life...

…. oh and of course here is half costume, my first Charleston photoshoot with Fiona but it is just the headpiece so technically it doesn’t count as a full costume but still a nice memory of where the Charleston adventure all started in 2013.

Fiona's Story - From Irish dancing to Charleston

I was born in Portsmouth, the second eldest of four children. We are all loud, lively and prone to bursting into song.  Needless to say it was a vibrant and somewhat raucous household. 

Many of my clothes were hand-me-downs from my older sister as were my first dance lessons. She was in the habit of starting classes and dropping out so to get my parents would send me along in her place. When I was eight I decided I wanted to learn Irish dancing, my Dad is Irish and I loved the dresses. Back then they were beautiful hand sown designs and you didn’t have the tacky wigs which have sadly become standard. I competed in regional and national competitions until I discovered Jazz in Pompey…

Fiona in her 80's leotard and leggings!

Portsmouth Youth Dance were auditioning for a new dance toupe, I attended wearing a swimsuit as I didn’t have a leotard and to my surprise I got in! The drama centre where we rehearsed became the centre of my universe. It was here I meet my future husband Tom aged 11! The friendships from that group have lasted a lifetime and it’s all thanks to Donna Bish, my slightly scary dance teacher who I love. She whipped me in to shape and had some success in getting me to stop talking!

Tom and Fiona at Portsmouth Youth Dance

Tom and Fiona dancing at their wedding

I kept on dancing all through university and during my ten year career at the BBC. The styles I liked were Jazz, Street, Bollywood and African. I found an amazing teacher Francis Angol who leads they way in contemporary African dance.  It was while working on a dance show for Angol that I had my road to Damascas moment. I was suddenly sent to Thailand for some filming and had to miss out on the performance I’d been rehearsing for. I realised how much dance meant to me and decided it was time to make it central in my life.

I moved to Brighton with Tom and I signed up for a course in street dance at Brighton city college. It was a real eye-opener being a 30 something in a class with 18 year olds but it gave me the confidence to start running my own classes. It was in January 2013 Elena came into my Jazz class I had just been asked to put together a little Charleston Troupe and she was up for getting involved. We had no idea then what would develop from that small performance but we must have recognised something in each other. Through our passion for dance, creativity and Charleston we began plotting and the rest as they say is history. 

Fiona and Elena's first performance in February 2013.

I’ve recently been reading about the roots of jazz dance in America and it emerged from a fusion of Irish Jigs with African American dances. So I guess my journey from Irish dancing to Charleston was meant to be.

Fiona