Navigation
3rd Coast Tribal in TX - Beginning to Intermediate Group Improv and Bhangra Improv
Review by Mary
I had the pleasure of taking two workshops at 3rd Coast with Sharon and Renee. I signed up for the Beginning Tribal Improv class mostly because I had a blank spot in my schedule to fill. I'm not really a fan of group improv, and had no desire to perform it, but thought I might refine some of my technique since there's no tribal instruction in my area. Talk about an eye opener! It turned out to be probably the most informative workshop I took on the trip, and I took 11 of them. Sharon explains moves in simple terms that are easy for me to understand and remember. Because everything was so well explained, we were able to quickly move on to other steps. We also took several breaks where we followed along as Sharon and Renee reviewed the steps. I felt an amazing elation the first time I saw Sharon turn her head and thought "Oh, we're going to turn with this move now," and found myself following along with the group improv. Although I would want a LOT more instruction before attempting group improv at home, I realized that improv, when done well, is beautiful and nearly seamless. I'm not as afraid of it as I once was.
At the end of 3rd Coast, I also attended Sharon's Bhangra Fusion Improv class. This was the last class of the workshop, which might not have been the best time to attempt a high-energy dance, but I couldn't help but try to bounce along. I've always been interested in Bollywood and Bhangra, but lacked any instruction. The quick shoulder moves are still a challenge, but Sharon and Renee taught us a lot of steps to use, and left me worn out but invigorated to show my troupe and work it into our repertoire.
If I lived anywhere near Seattle, I would try to attend Sharon's regular classes. Hopefully I will be able to convince my troupe to take an extended weekend trip there at some point in the future, and we can try to snag some private lessons with this talented instructor.
