NEW!* Sydney Charisse at Latin Street EVERY Tuesday 6-9pm!

🤩REGISTER FOR CLASSES HERE🤩 http://bit.ly/CharisseReg 6pm ZOUK A: Let's Get The Party Started! 7pm ZOUK B: From Caterpillar To Butterfly* 8pm ZOUK C: Beyond the Basics* *by audition ******************************** Hey there Chicago! I'm suuuuuper excited to be starting weekly classes again. I've been traveling the world this past year and can't wait to share what I've learned with all of you! What's more, my Latin Street Zoukinis will receive some exclusive perks, so stay tuned for more information...😎❤ ************************************ ZOUK A: Let's Get The Party Started! 6-7pm TUESDAYS at Latin Street 12 week series starting June 25 In this series we will start at the beginning and build creative and confident dancers from the ground up. We will not only cover fundamental moves but also focus on preparing the body for more advanced movements and concepts in Zouk B and C. After just a few classes you will be ready to burn the floor all night long anywhere in the world! After one 12 week series you will have all the foundations you need to start developing your own voice as a zouker. This class is designed for complete newcomers as well as experienced dancers who want to go back to the beginning and rebuild their foundation. With a focus on footwork, frame, lead-follow mechanics, and training the complete body, you will both learn fundamental moves and how to be creative with them as both a lead and follow. If you feel you are ready for more of a challenge, you may audition for Zouk B. If interested, please message me so we can arrange an evaluation during or outside of class. On a case by case basis, I may recommend dancers take both A and B simultaneously or supplement their training with private lessons. In this way I can better support their growth individually and as part of a more advanced class that will move faster than Zouk A. ************************************* ZOUK B: From Caterpillar To Butterfly 🦋 7-8pm TUESDAYS at Latin Street 12 week series starting June 25 This class is designed for students with clean body mechanics, musicality, knowledge of basic moves, ability to improvise, and social dance experience. We will revisit fundamentals and go more in depth into technique, creativity, and musicality. This class will also prepare students for head movement and other advanced material in Zouk C. The class will be by audition only to cultivate a faster-paced learning environment for experienced dancers. I will adjust material to the level of the students in the class so everyone will be challenged. Because of the audition process, everyone will be in a position to focus more deeply on their own learning and individual corrections. **************************** ZOUK C: Beyond the Basics 8-9pm TUESDAYS at Latin Street 4 week series starting August 20 In this class we will cover static and traveling head movement, dancing to fast music/lambazouk, counterbalance, spins, stealing/birthday jams, and dancing in trios, among other special topics. Topics will be split into 4-week blocks and students are welcome to join anytime! This class will be by audition only and students may be required to take Zouk A and/or B to support both their own learning and that of their peers in the class. Students in this class are encouraged to train outside of classes, take privates, and regularly attend social dance events to get the most out of this class. Lastly, make sure you find me at all the socials and ask me to dance! I love dancing with everyone of all levels as both a lead and a follow and I am here to help you grow. I love this dance and community so much and am excited to share that love with Chicago ❤🤗 Abraços e beijos😘 Sydney Charisse **************************** About me... Sydney Charisse is a ballet-trained dancer, choreographer, teacher, and helpless lover of Brazilian Zouk and community building. She spent two years in Ann Arbor pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Dance at the University of Michigan while simultaneously co-organizing ZoukMi with Nicole Gómez, teaching weekly community and university Zouk classes, and DJing weekly socials. She began traveling to teach workshops, weekenders and congresses while at Michigan and since graduating in April 2018, she has been on tour throughout North America, Europe, and Brazil teaching and studying Brazilian Zouk. In the Midwest, she has taught and DJ'd local Zouk and Fusion classes and socials, weekenders, and at festivals in Michigan, Iowa, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. In the last year, she has taken first place in the BZDC Intermediate Jack and Jill competitions at LA Zouk Festival, DC Zouk Festival, and Canada ZouKiz Bachata Convention. She is beyond excited to be moving to Chicago, teach Zouk at Latin Street, and help grow the community not only in the Windy City but also throughout the Midwest. Sydney draws on her diverse background in social dancing, somatic practices, and 3 decades of solo dancing to train the complete body, inspire endless creativity, and facilitate safe and pain-free connection and communication. She prepares progressive exercises and strives to maintain constant motion in her classes, empowering students to tap into their creativity and joy of motion. In addition to teaching Brazilian Zouk, she teaches Dancing for Dancers workshops that focus on building skills applicable to all social dance forms as well as Fusion workshops that focus on expanding students' toolkits with elements from Brazilian Zouk. To catch up on her adventures so far, check out the #ZoukGnome's Instagram @sydney.zouks!