The University Dance Forum
How can we be original and unique in a society where conformity is highly valued? In her book Find Your Artistic Voice: The Essential Guide to Working Your Creative Magic, Lisa Congdon states that our artistic voices make us different from everyone else. We can develop our individual styles through continuous experimentation and personal challenges.
Dance is one of the forms of art with which we can express our unique selves. You can resonate with your innermost thoughts and feelings. The ancient Greeks attributed special meanings to dance and it was considered as an important step in the development of both body and mind.
Hrafnhildur Olga Hjaltadóttir
Hrafnhildur Olga Hjaltadóttir
Attending a performance as a spectator is a rewarding experience, but why not participate instead of just sitting back and watching? You will challenge yourself, improve your balance and posture, stimulate your brain and memory, and have a good time. The University Dance Forum is an excellent place to start dancing. It’s not only open to university students; anyone who is interested can join. You can choose from a variety of solo dances and partner dances. The latter category usually involves a choice of west coast swing, rock and roll, Lindy hop, and salsa. Due to uncertainties around COVID, there are no courses at the moment, but the school is planning to offer some shorter courses after Easter. We wanted to know more about the University Dance Forum, so we got in touch with some inside people.
Rut Malmberg / Contributed
Rut Malmberg
West Coast swing, swing, rock & roll, Lindy hop, blues, salsa and tango
Is dance a sport or an art?
Dance can both be a sport and an art. It is a sport in the sense that dancing is exercise. I think it is good to learn to dance because dancing improves your body posture, fine movements, and memory. Dancing, like other sports, makes the brain release endorphins, so-called “happy hormones.” Because dancing improves your memory, studies have shown that dancing can decrease the chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Dance is also an art because it is beautiful to watch and every person has a different way of expressing themselves when they dance.
What motivated you to take dance lessons?
My friend from high school asked me if I would want to come with her to two free trial weeks [offered by the University Dance Forum] in the spring of 2014. I liked dancing and meeting new people. The good thing about Háskóladansinn is that you dance and talk to many people. I learned new dances and music and met new friends.
Have you ever forgotten the dance steps during a performance? What did you do?
Yes, I have. If that happens, I freestyle and make it look natural.
Amanda Christine Carticiano / Aðsend
Amanda Christine Carticiano
K-pop dance teacher
Is dance a sport or an art?
I consider dance an artistic sport because in some dance styles dancers use their athleticism, stamina, and grace similar to gymnasts, for example. You can even view dance competitions in a similar way as figure skating competitions. It may not be obvious that it can be considered a sport due to the fact that it looks very joyous. However, dance is a lot more than how it looks. Dance is more than just an art form. There is a lot of training and hard work that goes into it, especially those who do it professionally, which is like an athlete training in their sport.
What are the most important traits a dancer should have?
A dancer should have creativity, interpersonal skills, physical stamina, persistence, athleticism, consistency, and teamwork. A dancer must be able to interpret music and lyrics in a creative way and be able to connect with their audience, showing their emotions with their bodies. Having good stamina and athleticism is also an important factor to both last longer on the dance floor and/or performance, as well as being able to do complex movements. Persistence is always key, always stay positive in the world of dance. Staying consistent in dance is a very important factor in order to grow and develop one’s dancing skills. Since dance is an art, it is commonly performed in a group of people, so having great teamwork skills is a huge benefit as a dancer.
What's a typical work week like?
I find teaching dance to be a demanding job. It takes a lot of preparation. In my case, since I teach a K-pop dance course, I must first learn the K-pop dance routines I plan on teaching at least one month before my course begins. Usually, I can learn one routine within a couple of hours in one day. However, when I'm lazy, I can spend a few days practicing to be able to dance it perfectly without thinking. Aside from the routine itself, I also have to prepare a warm-up routine, which are stretches and body isolations that we must do before dancing in class. I also have to choose songs for the warm-ups and sometimes have to edit songs.
Irina Puzanova
Erna Sól Sigmarsdóttir
Erna Sól / Ragnheiður Pétursdóttir
Háskóladansinn board member and Choreography Workout teacher.
How would you describe what you do?
I am on the board of directors for Háskóladansinn as well as being a teacher [there]. I also try to participate in the other courses available. My class is called Choreography Workout and is based on techniques from jazz and contemporary dance. We learn fun choreographies as well as doing a bit of strength and flexibility training.
What’s the most common misconception about dancers?
I think the phrase “I can’t dance” is the biggest misconception. Anyone can learn to dance, you just have to let go of whatever it is that is holding you back.
What courses are available at the moment?
Due to uncertainties in the beginning of the year, we could not schedule a normal spring semester for 2021. However, we plan on having some shorter courses over the next few weeks and months if things continue to go well with the pandemic. As soon as we have more information, we will let people know on our Facebook and Instagram pages!