This past weekend the Palace Theatre in downtown Stamford hosted a visit from choreographer and producer Kristin Sudeikis.  She is the Artistic Director of Kristin Sudeikis Dance, and has been featured in several performances both on stage and on television.  Some of her most well-known work includes background dancing for Mariah Carey on Good Morning America and choreography for the popular show “30 Rock.”  She also visited Sweden in February of 2014 to hold Master Classes at the NIKE Blast.  She now focuses on traveling around the world offering classes at different studios in order to inspire young dancers.

Sudeikis’ appearance on Sunday was not her first time on the theatre’s Harmon Stage.  She had previously taught at the 12th Annual Dancefest Master Classes held at the Palace in January of 2014.  However, this time she was the guest choreographer at a dancers’ workshop held for students creating dances in the upcoming 4th Annual Young Choreographers Festival that will be held there in November.  This festival is an event offered to dancers from a variety of local studios to choreograph their own pieces, teach fellow students, and perform them in a final show.  Sudeikis’ job was to open the dancers’ eyes to new techniques and challenge them to think more outside of their comfort zone while putting together their routines.

Her two hour master class introduced special exercises to help the students to loosen up and really feel the music more.  She helped them to find meaning behind their moves, and identify what triggers certain feelings. Throughout the class, she often made the comparison of dancing to painting.  She claimed that when you start a piece, look at it as a blank canvas.  Imagine that the colors that you use to make it beautiful are your dancers.  Her inspiring words were meant to change the dancers’ outlook on choreography and give them more ideas that they could use in their own work. The class then continued with Sudeikis teaching the young performers a contemporary dance to the song “Take it Easy” by Jetta and allowing them to add their own choreography that they will be using in the November show.

Stamford High junior Nicole LoRusso was one of many that were lucky enough to be a part of this workshop.  She currently dances at Center Stage Dance Studio in Stamford.  She said, “It was a very challenging experience, but I enjoyed being pushed harder than usual.  It made me think deeper about my piece that I recently started choreographing and provided me with more inspiration.”