Starting next Tuesday evening, March 4 and continuing every Tuesday from 6 to 8 PM throughout March, April, and May, Dance Downtown Revolution will turn The Promenade into an open-air ballroom! You’ll get FREE dance lessons with a different instructor each week, and if you keep showing up, you’ll receive a truly eclectic dance education during many fun nights under the stars!
The first two sessions reflect the diversity and variety you’ll experience during this Downtown dance lesson series. On March 4 you’ll get schooled in the art of Vogue by Destiny Gray, also known as Princess Destiny Ninja! In addition to being an accomplished dancer who has appeared on MTV and HBO, Destiny is absolutely fierce on the runway, as evidenced by her award-winning walks in shows all over the world.
Destiny Gray at the Debbie Allen dance academy EB RECITAL 2024
“In my beginner class you will be taught the five elements of Vogue,” Destiny explained. “Those consist of hand performance, catwalks, duckwalks, floor performance, spins and dips. You also learn how to put the elements together, and work on your freestyle.”
Your March 11 lesson will take you in a much different direction! You’ll be learning Cambodian Classical dance from Dawnsavann Phom, who started learning this ancient style when she was eight years old.
“People should look forward to introducing new movements their body has never done before,” said Phom. “Although Cambodian classical dance appears very easy, slow, and smooth, it actually requires a lot of flexibility and control. Dance can heal from within as you let the music take over and you are in a free space to move, free to release any unwanted energy from your body.”
Dawnsavann Phom and the Modern Apsara Company
Phom’s assistant instructor Chakravartin Sokhomsan added that “people should look forward to immersing themselves in one of the oldest forms in the world, one that is rich in history and culture for residents of Cambodia Town in Long Beach.”
When asked what she envisioned for Dance Downtown Revolution, Phom got poetic: “I cannot wait to dance under the stars on The Promenade, my feet grounded to the floor to connect with the earth, feeling fresh evening air, lights glistening over us. I cannot wait to teach the participants a dance that symbolizes femininity, spirituality, and the connection between humanity and the divine. I cannot wait to see others feel so graceful, dancing to something new under the night sky.”
The Downtown Long Beach Alliance is actively seeking dance instructors interested in a paid opportunity to share their knowledge! If you teach dance and would like to fit your movement style into the Dance Downtown Revolution scene during March, April, and May, please click here for details and to submit your application.