Online Jazz Class with Cris Penfold (July 2020)

​On the morning of Wednesday July 1st West End performer Cris Penfold gave an online jazz class for our dancers. Cris led an energetic class with a warm up that included moving stretches with an emphasis on dancing through positions, kicks, and turns. He then taught a piece of choreography to “It’s Time to Dance” from Broadway musical The Prom. We focused on moving through each step fully and creating sharp movements. After learning each section the class split into two groups to perform the choreography. Here Cris encouraged us to focus on facial expressions and having fun with the choreography. Splitting into groups allowed us to learn from the others in the class and helped create a feeling of an audience, despite us all being in our respective homes. We ended the class with a Q&A session where Cris talked how he became a professional dancer, his experiences performing in shows like West Side Story and The Wind in the Willows, and his thoughts on how the industry will react and adapt to the current circumstances. We had a great time taking class with Cris and are hoping to repeat the event in person in Cambridge soon!