Testimonial of Be Amazing in the Moment
by Heather Wayman, Granbury, Texas
with photos by Carl Sermon
Note from Nadira: Heather was my guinea pig for the first run of the program. She received free tuition in exchange for helping me test and refine it.
The name of the program has changed since Heather wrote her testimonial, and I’ve updated the name here, with her permission.
“I didn’t know what I didn’t know…”
Before joining Nadira’s Be Amazing In The Moment, I didn’t “know, what I didn’t know”. To me, improvisation was just listening to the music and doing what ever I felt. It never occurred to me that there could (and should) be structure in improvisation. On the surface, that can sound contradictory. But if you think about it, structure can be loosely “planned” and the dance can still be improvisational. Using Nadira’s method is what makes an improvised dance organized and easily followed by the audience and greatly cuts down on the “frantic dancer” factor.
“I don’t think that most of us get enough of that kind of training.”
I had no idea of what to expect when I got started on this. Like I said…I didn’t know what I didn’t know before diving into this program. I knew technique and thought I knew music. I hoped that I would learn how to make great improv and Nadira didn’t disappoint. I hadn’t really thought about there being so much instruction on music, but I’m so glad that there was. After all, it’s the basis of our art. I don’t think that most of us get enough of that kind of training. That could be an entire program by itself. It made me take a closer look at what I’m teaching my students and decide that I want to include some music training in my classes, even if it’s just 5-10 minutes in a class of beginners. Start ‘em out right yes?
I think one of the most important things I learned in this program (besides the ‘how to’) was learning that great improv isn’t “perfect” dancing. It’s dancing that is “good” for the moment that keeps your audience interested and is fun for me (which will be fun for them too).
The methods of teaching that were most helpful to me were:
I could go back and re-watch at will (and rewind, etc.)I also liked having the week’s worth of assignments on Monday. 99% of the time I did them each day in turn. But on one or two occasions I had to double up to get it all in for the week. It also gave me an idea of what the week was going to be like from the start.
I LOVED the online journaling.
It took some time (a couple of weeks?) to get into a “groove” with that, but once I did, it was great. I liked the consistent questions that were asked of me and especially the “return to later” sections. Now I have a whole study guide of items to “return to later” that I can mix, match, pick and choose from. Even if I only have a few minutes to practice, I can choose one or two and drill down on them instead of just reviewing choreography or drills.
I loved the weekly coaching calls and looked forward to them.
For me it was a great way to make a personal connection despite my geographical distance from Nadira. I also appreciated receiving the recordings of those calls. If you’ve got Skype, you can do this program from anywhere in the world!
“[Nadira] asked me a lot of questions in order to find out what my individual concerns were and addressed them.”
Nadira, is a gem! It’s readily apparent that she was trained in the art with a very solid foundation. Her teacher did a great job and must be very proud! Her organizational skills are top-notch. She’s creative and thorough. She not only has a knack for presenting material and ideas in a way that connected to my learning style, but she was also great at getting me to really look inward to examine what I want from my dance, why I want it and how best to achieve my goals. I also appreciate the way she individualized the program to me. She not only presented the program material, but also asked me a lot of questions in order to find out what my individual concerns were and addressed them.
“It has given me the confidence to dance to live music for the first time.”
This course has TOTALLY changed the way I view improvisation. I never really did improv before because I was too much of a planner. I’m much more confident now because I know I have the tools to create great improvisation with any music that I encounter. It has given me the confidence to dance to live music for the first time. The very thought of that, even through the first half of the program, scared me to pieces. Within a couple of weeks after finishing the program, I danced improv to recorded music that I knew and it went GREAT! Now, I have two upcoming dance opportunities scheduled*. There will be a live band and I will dance strictly improvisationally with live music. No more “scribbling”. This is going to ROCK! Thanks Nadira!
“Without knowing something about the music we work with,
the movements are just that…..movements.”
If I was going to teach this program, I would definitely emphasize the music module and maybe add more time to that. We spent three weeks on music and it was great for a solid, basic foundational understanding. I think that it could be drilled into even more so, but that would entail more time of course. I wouldn’t change ‘how’ Nadira taught it or the material that was covered. If there were more material on music, it could be covered in a Part II program or a music module that could be added a la carte. I think all too often, students don’t get much (if any) instruction or information about the structure of the music we use. Sure the movements are important, but without knowing something about the music we work with, the movements are just that…..movements. There is no connection.
“I do see the structure within and I can recognize it now. YAY!”
I would recommend this program to dancers from the advanced level to professionals. I believe dancers who have never had any specific training with improvisation (beyond “just do it”) can benefit a great deal. Since finishing the program, I have studied videos of professional dancers that are lovely to watch to be sure, but their dances don’t contain structure that would make them even more spectacular. I’ve also seen videos of pros where I do see the structure within and I can recognize it now. YAY!
“I really needed someone to guide me through step by step and help make me accountable”
This program is super intense and I loved it! I really needed someone to guide me through step by step and help make me accountable for my practice time and learning. Nadira’s program is well-planned, super organized and methodical. The flow of the material and workload is such that you WILL get a total immersion experience into improvisation. This course was just as thorough and intense (if not more so) than a lot of college level dance classes.
“Nadira teaches you how to create “compartments” in your dance brain so that you don’t have to work so hard “
I used to think of improv as just moving the way the music “told” me to. However, that usually meant that I ended up repeating the same movements over and over again. What “felt” like a decent dance while I was dancing it (in practice) actually turned out to be boringly repetitive (or just frantic) when I watched it back on video. Of course the music should “speak” through your movements, but with this program I learned HOW to structure improv so that I could choose movements and create interesting variations on the fly without getting bogged down and trying to do too much. Nadira teaches you how to create “compartments” in your dance brain so that you don’t have to work so hard and make so many decisions in the moment. I learned how to organize elements of shape, space, time and energy to create beautiful improv. There are also great sections on “bookending” your dances, theme and variation and music structure that are invaluable.
“The program has definitely taken my dance to the next level.”
In short, I am a more confident, organized dancer as a result of Nadira’s Be Amazing In The Moment. I believe that the program has definitely taken my dance to the next level. When you enroll, you are making a valuable investment in yourself and your craft. This is not a “one size fits all” program either. Nadira puts a fabulous individualized touch on everything. While there is a curriculum, the program is also tailored to YOU.
This program rates very high on my “Shimmy-Meter”. Recommended without reservation!
* 2012 Update from Nadira: Heather sent me an update on her first live music performance. She said “It was really great and well received.” and even sent me the video:
If you’d like to congratulate Heather on her first performance to live music, click through to the YouTube page, and leave her a comment. Or visit Heather at BellyByHeather.com.
About BAM
Be Amazing in the Moment is a one-on-one improvisation coaching intensive. This 90-day program teaches the theory and practical tools needed to improvise with confidence. Designed to be the equivalent of a college course, students who take on this challenging curriculum will receive an in-depth, practical education in improv.
Conducted entirely online (email, web, and live Skype/Zoom video), it is open to students anywhere in the world. Admission to the program is by application only.