Somewhere, in my hiatus from dancing, this wonderful idea came to be, an ATS® flash mob, done to the same song all over the world. I don't know much about it's origins, aside from possibly starting out as something inspired by P.U.R.E. (Public Urban Ritual Experiment) or the Shimmy Mob, both of which having a similar feel, though both of those are, by nature, choreographed. In this case, due to ATS® being what it is, it's entirely improvised, and can be performed with any number of people, creating what is now known as the ATS® Flash Mob World Wide (ATSFMWW).
This year's event was planned and coordinated by Ki-Ra Luna. I cannot say enough about Wendee and her organizational skills. She organized everything, from time and venue to dancers to rehearsal space, which I unfortunately had to miss. She even made contact with the ice cream shop we were meeting in and arranged for us to dance there when the weather didn't clear, meaning we would have had to dance in the rain. Ki-Ra Luna is an amazing group and I'm really looking forward to getting to know them at other events in the future!
Since I arrived so late, I wasn't able to get much more than the briefest of introductions to all the dancers before the music was on and we were dancing. Why is this important? I keep telling my ATS® students that the magic of ATS® is that you can dance anywhere with anyone who knows the movement vocabulary, even if you've never met them before. Yes, this isn't the first time I've shared dance space with strangers, or in reality, parts of my internet community, but every is a reminder of just how powerful this form of dance really is, and that it's not just a one-off. Every time you meet someone who also knows ATS®, with a few brief words to set things up, you can dance with them to just about anything.
The performance was in a pretty tiny space, but it all worked out, and created a special moment. How many other dancers can say they've danced in an ice cream shop? Because of the nature of ATS®, it was tricky dancing in that tight space, but we were more than able to put on a great performance. The audience was small, but fantastic, and we all had a lot of fun. I honestly can't wait until next year!
Doesn't everyone look great? Doesn't that look like so much fun? It's all the more reason to come check out ATS® classes, so you can come join us next year, and the community is absolutely amazing. I promise you won't regret it!
These dancers truly were fantastic. I really loved getting to dance with those I knew, and getting to meet some new faces. Along with Ki-Ra Luna, I also got to dance with Baseema of The Dance Space (also on Facebook), who I've been taking classes with. I met the lovely Zia as well, who is another amazing local dancer. Check them out! It's definitely worth it!
At the end of the day I am so grateful for Ki-Ra Luna for organizing this event. I'm thankful New City Microcreamery allowed us to perform indoors instead of being caught out in the rain. It was a fantastic day, and I can't wait to do it again!
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