The Casual Dance Teacher's Podcast

Maia
Welcome to the Casual Dance Teachers Podcast. This is your host, Maia. Today, I have a super special guest here to talk all about artistry.

I'm talking to Amie Bush, a New York-based dance instructor and choreographer with over 15 years experience and a proud member of the Choreographers Guild. Amie's work has been featured on platforms such as Carnival Cruise Line, New York Fashion Week, and Fox Entertainment's Daughter of the Bride. And as a seasoned dance adjudicator, she's provided over 5,000 critiques per season, judging with groove, dancing in the streets, and spirit of dance.

This past year, Amie launched two innovative ventures, Artistry Dance Coaching and Mindless Visions Choreography, where she blends her passion for storytelling and artistry with her dedication to nurturing the next generation of dancers. Her tagline is, come as a dancer, leave as an artist. So without further ado, I am so excited to talk all things artistry coaching and how to expand the artistry of our dance students with Amy Bush.

Amie, thank you so much for being here.

Amie
Thank you. I'm very excited to be here.

Maia
Me too. I want to hear to start out about your company, Artistry Dance Coaching, and how that came to be.

Amie
Yeah, so I'm really excited to talk about it.
And honestly, it came out of my judging career. I'm a dance adjudicator and judge over 5,000 routines a season. And there was one competition I judged at called Dancing in the Streets.
And when I tell you it was the most fun I've ever had at a competition with watching the kids and this and that, and they have this special entity where it's kind of like that America's Got Talent golden buzzer. That if, you know, the kids are as entertaining or something really stands out, us judges get to hit that and sends them into an entertainment challenge. So with that, the first time I experienced that, I'm the one who has to hit the buzzer.

So like I really started focusing more in depth than just the technical surface. I'm like, what routine would I like to see again? And from there, after that competition, I was like, this is what's missing. It was that light bulb moment for me, even as an educator of there's a performance quality, there's more past the technical elements.

And I've always had students from years of being an educator kind of be like, I just don't understand why I'm not placing. So once I switched to the judging side, I've realized what was that missing piece. So that's where Artistry Dance Coaching came from.

And it's a pre-season in-depth critique company, slowly transitioning as well to private coaching and mentorship, which will be launching in January. But it makes me, you know, really look at in depth of their routines to figure out how they are showing up as a dancer, but how are they leaving as an artist? That's kind of my tagline with the company to come as a dancer, leave as an artist.

Maia
So I know that you are a choreographer as well. But with the dance coaching, you're taking pieces that are fully choreographed and then working on artistry element. Is that right? Yes. So when someone brings a piece to you for Artistry Dance Coaching, where do you kind of draw the line so that you're not tweaking the choreography to change the intention of it, but you're working on the artistry itself?

Amie
Yeah, great question.
So from a judge's standpoint, anytime we are presented with a piece, we're really not allowed to make too many comments on the choreography itself, because the kids and the students, it's not their choice, necessarily, unless it's a self choreographed piece. So when we look at it from a judge's standpoint, we look at, is there something that we can make a little bit more difficult? Oh, we see that this part's a little bit too hard for them, and they're not understanding where their body may be moving, or are they not connecting with music? There's always a way to troubleshoot to go from them trying to figure out the choreography to them becoming the choreography. So when I get a piece presented to me, that's one of the elements I look for is where is kind of that missing piece.

So when a routine gets sent to me, I take a look at it, and I'll do an audio critique straight through as if I'm sitting on a panel. Second time around, I'll watch it again. And I'll literally go through and highlight five key elements of what is going to elevate their routine, what is going to bump them from that high goal to that platinum status, and physically write it out for them.

There's so many different styles in learning. And that's one element of the whole thing is some are visuals, some are they literally need to read it out, or they need to listen to it. So having all those elements within their critiques gives them kind of a more in-depth and then caters to all the students.

Maia
Yeah, definitely. Would you say that your critiques are more geared towards the dancer or to the teacher that's working with them or both?

Amie
It caters to both of them. So I know there are studios out there that won't let their students necessarily listen to the critiques.

And I don't personally know the reason for that. But I know there are studios out there that's more so for the teachers aspect since they're the ones cleaning it. But I think it's important to always speak to both.

Because us teachers and dance educators, we were once students. So for us to understand from Okay, well, why is it not connecting? Oh, I didn't even think of that because I didn't think of that when I was a dancer. So as a teacher, I'm not thinking of that either.

I've been teaching dance for over 15 years. So who I was as a teacher at 18, 19 is nowhere's where I am now in my 30s. And that's just from years of development myself as a student, but also understanding the different students that come along as an educator.

Maia
Yeah. So as a teacher, I told you I asked the same question to Chelsea because I had an interview with her regarding her kind of perspective on artistry. I want to hear your thoughts. Do you say that you should teach the steps teach the choreography and then work on artistry as kind of a separate entity? Or does it all come together and you teach it all at the same time?

Amie
So it kind of is a little bit of both when it comes to artistry. It's the why it's the what is the purpose behind whatever routine is that we're setting? Say if we take it from a contemporary standpoint, you know, it's more so storytelling. And, you know, there's always these in depth meanings behind it, but it could be the same with a jazz piece or a hip hop piece.

The steps are just as important as understanding the storyline. So when I'm personally setting a piece, I'll start off and explain to them what the piece is about. And then as we start developing the steps, as they're starting to pick it up more, now I'm adding in those little details.

The way I like to explain choreography and artistry to any students that I ever teach is it's like this home analogy that I like to use. So as a choreographer, I'm giving you an empty house, I'm giving you the four walls, I'm giving you the floors, it's a solid foundation. But what's going to make it turn in from some house you're walking into to your home? What makes your, you know, living room, your living room at home.

And having that idea, I see the light bulb moments happen where I'll get the kids kind of explain, well, my room's pink. Well, my room has pictures, well, this and I'm like, and that's what it is. We're not changing the foundations, you're not knocking down any walls in the choreography.

But what are you adding to it to make it feel like home to you?

Maia
Huge light bulb moment for me. I love that analogy. Thank you.

Amie
Yeah. And I'll see it happen with my students to where they're like, oh, I'm like, yeah, nothing's changing. And that's where even if you go to a convention, and you're in a room full 70 to 200 kids, and you're all doing the same choreography that's presented to you, what is making certain ones stand out more, and it's a matter of what they're adding to what's already there.

Maia
Do you have any specific exercises that you would use in a classroom setting to help with the physical portrayal of what that looks like? Yeah, so it starts with a warm up for me. I noticed over the years of teaching that when it comes to a warm up, we can get really stagnant in it when you ask the dancers to go stretch on their own, and you've already given them the tools, they love going in a butterfly stretch and just sitting there or they just love halfway doing a movement. But when it comes to a warm up, that is an automatic chance to start developing that artistry.

So when we're doing, say, for example, a side port de bras in second, it's not just you going to your ankle, but can we add some more elements to the arm? Can we add a little bit more stretch within the head? Can you feel a little bit more connection with the music based on whatever music choices we're using during the warm up? I believe that warm ups should be an expressive movement, and that's also a little chance of improv as well within a structured setting. And then progressing to across the floor exercises. I know I have a lot of students and I know a lot of teachers probably feel the same that their students cannot stand improv.

When it's like, okay, time to improv. That's one chance we want to see something. We want to see that.

Oh, man, we're like, come on. What else do you have that I haven't been able to teach you? And so many students are like, oh my goodness. But taking away the idea of improv and giving them that foundation of being like, okay, we're doing chaines across the floor, free choice in arms.

We're doing battements across the floor, free choice in placement of your head or placement of your shoulders. Adding those little extra elements into that foundation of what we do of all of our warm ups will start getting the students a little bit more comfortable. When it comes time for that improver, it comes time for them to add those elements into a center floor combination.

Because there's also moments too, that I've noticed that you can see the students like when we teach combinations, they want to do a little bit but it feels out of their element. So being able to provide that within that opening foundation, it'll just become more natural. I'll start making more sense to them because not every dancer dances the same.

A lot of my students, they're like, well, not flexible. That's fine. You don't have to be flexible. My hips are broken. They're not going where they're used to go at 20. But you find a way to make it work where it's going to look right for you. And that's my goal when it right for the dancer, not as a collective.

Maia
What about facial expression? Because I feel like you can tell when a dancer naturally is like, feeling it and the facial expression is showing that whether it's like super happy or super sad, like whatever it is. And then sometimes you can tell when it's like fake and put on. But I don't know that even I as a teacher necessarily know how to coach it to be natural. Do you have any tips on that?

Amie
I don't know if I would say it's necessarily tips, but it's more so understanding that I mean, it takes time. Definitely you give those minis.They're my pixie stick group where I'm like, it looks like you had a bunch of pixie sticks before you went on stage and you're all sugared up. And I love it. But it's you have to also understand that when we're little, we don't care what people think. We'll run around out in public and say the most ridiculous things. We have this sense of openness when we're little. And then as we're getting older and we're starting to become more aware of people's body language and things like that, we start questioning. Whereas when we're little, it's not like that. So one, it comes with just acceptance and that confidence in yourself of not caring. And we all say that to our students, we're like, it's fine, just be open.

But it's a personal thing. There's also the idea of introvert versus extrovert, where I'm like, you can tell who's an introvert as a dancer, and it's all based on the body language. You can tell that I'm standing in line at a CVS as well.

The way I look at dance, it's human characteristics with a creative twist on it. And it's a conversation. So if you're talking to somebody, what are those natural facial expressions? And then you can tell when someone's fake talking and being like, this is so fun, but I want to leave.

It naturally is within us. But it's that the moment you are like, I'm a dancer, and you take away the conversation, the physical speaking portion of it, all of a sudden, now we're questioning everything. But it's naturally within us.

It's just a matter of making another light bulb moment happen for the dancers. And it comes with time, it comes with confidence and comfortability and things like that.

Maia
Yeah, I think just the business model that you've embraced, it's very rare. And hopefully more people embrace that, just making space for artistry to be as much part of the coaching process as the technique and the steps, you know, because if you are just constantly drilling the technique and the steps, it will probably even diminish the artistry a little bit because you lose sight of what it's actually about. I appreciate that you have brought that to the forefront in your coaching and made that a priority.

Amie
I appreciate that. Thank you for that. I have a lot of students who are starting to go on auditions. I have one who's on the Brooklyn That's Kids team. And that was also another element that I have students that are auditioning and not booking things, but I have other ones that are. And it's a matter of like, well, why are they getting it? And why is someone else not getting they trained the same exact way? What's going to make that difference? And it's a matter of who has that little bit of that extra artistry and wants to express their individuality versus those who are trying to go off and just the technique model. But I did a double pirouette, so I don't understand why I didn't get it. Yeah, there's more to it.

Maia
Yeah. Are there certain critiques as an adjudicator or within your business when you're giving feedback that you find that you keep giving the most common issues that people need to work on from an artistry perspective?

Amie
Yeah, if I had $1 for every time I've said, like, point your feet, I would be a billionaire.

Every teacher and choreographer would say the same thing. Yeah, a big one is, though, I guess this comes from my TV and film background as well. It's finding a way to not lose the energy and the performance quality when you're facing upstage.

We're such used to performing for an audience. And we think that's the front end has to be what's the expressive part. But the moment you turn around face upstage, it's not time to take a break.

You still can tell if you're engaged in those back muscles, you could still tell if you're fully pulled up through the backs of your knees, are you pressing that energy into the floor, but also extending from it. And you can see that whole body language change the moment they face upstage. That's probably one of my number one critiques that I'm like, just because you're upstage, you still are performing, you still have to have this because if you get booked for Madison Square Gardens one day as a next dancer, guess what, it's a 360 degree arena, you're performing on every, every corner.

So where are we going to have that switch? We shouldn't, you know, when I was a theater kid, my theater teacher said you are performing until you hit not hit the beginning of the wings, but you hit the wall, you have to realize that you have to stay in character. However, you're portraying yourself on stage, until you're often hit the walls, you never see Beyonce or Taylor Swift switch as soon as they get to the wings, because someone's going to capture on video and they're going to get called out. If you want to end up being in this industry, and end up being a professional dancer or professional performer, you have to learn to perform all the way through, not just when you stop looking at the audience.

And those are like two of the main things I constantly say on critiques, because it's important. It's a conversation between you and the judges conversation between you and the audience. And the moment you stop talking to us, you know, you lose it and you lose our focus. We're sitting there rooting for you. And it's like, Oh, you don't want to talk to us anymore. Okay.

Maia
Yeah, I am so glad that you brought up the film and TV. And that a lot of your artistry insight comes from that. Do you have any other lessons, any techniques that are used in that industry that we might not know about as you know, I hate to say like pure dance teachers, but like, if we haven't been exposed to that industry, that might be helpful.

Amie
Yeah. Um, I mean, I have three elements, one that I brought up in the sense of performing as much as we do to the front, we have to form that same energy to the back. That's one thing I always think of, because also, you have to remember a competition.

There's video, there's photographers, I used to tell my students, I don't necessarily have to be at your performance to know what happened. All I have to do is go to the photo booth, and I can figure it out real quickly. Because you see that photo, and we're doing double pirouettes.

Why is one person facing upstage and one's facing stage, right? That means you guys are already out of time. So I already lost points on it. It's a simple science. Like it's very easy. But camera angles are a big thing.

Also, understand the storyline. There's always a storyline, whether it's a music video, it's a commercial, there's always a reason behind it. So understanding the storyline is number one thing, making sure your artistry is going to come through in a performance. Visuals, even if it may be something that we may not be able to really understand from an audience perspective, the visuals, it's still important for the cohesiveness and the reason of your performance.

So when we are in TV and film, there's a lot of edits that happen. You want to believe how many different takes and different cuts get put into a 30 second clip for a TV show. But it's a matter of performing full out every single time, and knowing that there's going to be close up shots.

So what's happening here and knowing that there's going to be a full group where you have to make sure you're matching your partner that's on stage right and stage left, and just going for it. That's a big thing too, because in TV and film, one person's messes up, you just lost the take. We can't use that now.

And it's really important because that costs a lot of money. And then also energy. When I teach commercial jazz, I tend to call it dance for media, because commercial jazz is a big aspect of media performance.

So how can you captivate that same energy that you'll feel face to face through a screen? That is a huge thing when it comes to TV and film that you want it to be believable. You want to, you know, feel what they're feeling. If you look at models and magazines, you can tell, oh, that person's so fierce.

Well, why are they fierce? Because they're passing that energy through a screen, they're passing it through a lens. So how can we take those elements and put it into a live performance, the same thing, you're performing that energy out. And you have to perform it all the way out, you can't keep some of it for yourself when you're a performer.

That's when you go off stage, you can, but when you're on stage, the energy has got to be extrovert, you can't have it internal.

Maia
You know, a lot of people that I've been talking to lately have kept bringing up the topic of videotaping dancers to let them see firsthand and make corrections through that lens. And I'm just thinking, I don't even know if I have a question. I just had like a eureka moment.
I guess my question is just like, can you affirm this for me, that even if you're just seeing your dancers in person, it's helpful to also utilize video as long as we have that technology available to us?

Amie
Yeah, I mean, I'm the generation that grew up in the pre technology and post technology world. So I've seen that change. And it's still hard for me to dance on camera in the moment.

They're like, okay, you could pull out your camera and film yourself. I'm like, no, thanks. Do I have to? Like, I'm still like that at Broadway Dance Center where I'm like a little hesitant.

But it's one of those things that I think is one of the best training tools. And it's not for let's see how many likes we can get. It's not for that validation.

You can literally pause your phone and go screenshot by screenshot. Okay, well, why didn't I get that aerial? Okay, well, let's figure it out. And I'm, I've done this with my students, and I dragged it to the point.

And I go, tell me what's wrong. And they're like, Oh, I didn't kick my leg up fast enough. Or my body's diving forward, and I should be close to my leg.

It's a great training tool to literally pinpoint where the problem is.

Maia
Yeah. Awesome. With everything else that you're involved in that you have going on in your choreography and your artistry dance coaching, how can people get in contact with you and follow you and keep up with you? Yeah, so you can follow me on Instagram at the official Amie Bush, Amie spelled A M I E. And I'm also on TikTok at artistry dance coaching, or you can visit my website, www.amiebush.com.

Maia
Awesome. And before we close, do you have a quote that you'd like to share with us?

Amie
I, I have a bunch of different quotes. But this one that came to mind, kind of talks hand in hand what we were talking about a little bit earlier by Pablo Picasso.

And it's every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.

Maia
Oh, that's perfect. Thank you so much for sharing that. I've not heard that before. It's a great one.

Amie
And like I said earlier, like, as a kid, we have no fear. Yeah. But then we started questioning things once we start growing up. And, you know, it's just a matter of how do we hang on to that, because who we are as kids is who we are to the core. And that's what artistry is all about is expressing that individuality and just allowing yourself to be vulnerable and say this is who I am. Take it or leave it.

Maia
Hi, guys, it's Maia just following up to say thank you again to Amy. And thank you to GB mystical for the theme music for our show. As always, please connect with me in the dance teachers network group on Facebook.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode and any other tips that you have regarding coaching and teaching artistry. You can also find us on Instagram at the casual dance teachers podcast, and I'll see you next week.