Video transcript
The Arts Unit @home Art Bites - Jazz performance - 1. Don't stop me now!

KEIRA NELSON: Hi, guys. Welcome to your jazz dance tutorial. My name is Miss Keira, and I'm going to be taking you through it today. We've got a high-energy chorus that we're going to learn from one of the featured ensemble routines featured in Schools Spectacular last year. So I'm super excited to be sharing this one with you. It's very high energy and I absolutely love this choreography.

But before we do that, we're going to do a little bit of a warm-up. So make sure you've got a nice clear space for you to dance in. Make sure you're not going to slip anywhere. So make sure you've got your shoes on or you've got a really good, solid dance floor. And then let's get started.

[music playing]

Nice deep breath in. And breathe out. And one more deep breath in. And breathe out. Good. Take your right arm up and over. Good stretch out to the side. Good. Other side. Left arm. All right. Let's get that body pumping. Build it up. That's it. Lifting legs nice and high.

Quick set of jumping jacks. Up! That's it. Try and touch your fingers at the top. And make sure your arms touch your side when they come back down. Good job. All right, we're going to jump in a circle. We've got eight each direction. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, face the side. Face the back. Side. Good. Run your knees up again.

That's it. And last, kick bottom. Really get those feet all the way up. Good. All right. Going to jump feet apart. Head down, up. Down, up. Good job. And look to the right. Nice. Let's tilt. That's it. Half the head roll down. So just going down, back the other way, head comes all the way up.

Shoulders back. Go. Forward. That's it. Swing your arms back each time. Forward. Awesome. Right arm across. Keep your right shoulder down. Don't lift them up. Good. Arm behind. Pull it across.

Other side. That's it. And behind. Awesome. Let's stretch over again. Nice. Take a nice little flat back. Over to the side. Drop down to that left leg. Bend in the middle. Keep those legs parallel. Straight. Over to the right leg. Flat back. Stretch to the side.

Same thing. We go back the other way a bit quicker. Side, flat. Bend, bend. Straight, side, up, pull. Good.

Jump your feet together. Quickly roll down. Bend your knees. Hands flat. Straighten your legs. That's it. Bend your knees. And open up to the right side. Right leg straight. Right arm open. That's it. Bend. And other side. Nice. Bend, come up. And done! Great job, guys.

OK, guys. Now that we're feeling nice and warm, we're going to get straight into this combo, all right? So remember, it's got lots of high energy. We're going to push through, and we're going to learn this really quickly so we can do it with music straight away. All right?

So, you're going to start with your feet together. Step your right foot back, and you're going to go, push! You're going to jump out, down, clap, windmill to the side. This is up. Click to the back. Up, click to the front. Then you've got four counts of party to the front whenever you would like. 1, 2, 3, 4. All right?

Let's go through it again. So we have pushing back, push, jump, clap, windmill to the side. We have step, click, step, click, party, party, party, party. You jump out and push out. Out. You're going to wrap your arms around your body. Wrap. You're going to go, push!

So, all that happens there is that left arm that's wrapped is going to unravel as your right arm pushes to the side. Then you're going to take this right arm and right leg around to face this side. All right?

Sounds a little bit tricky. We'll go through that again. So we have jump, wrap, push, round, 6, 7. And this goes, step, throw, step, throw. So you're going to step towards the back this time. Step, throw, step, throw. You walk around, 6, 7, 8. And your hand comes into a phone on this one. All right.

Let's see if we can put that together from the top. 5, 6, 5, 6, 7, we have push, out, clap. Windmill to the side. You have step, click, step, click, party, party, party, party. Jump. Cross, push, round, 6, 7, and step, throw, step, throw, phone, 6, 7, 8. Good.

Let's do that one more time a little bit faster, and then we'll add some music. Here we go. 5, 6, 5, 6, 7, and push. Out, clap, windmill. 6, 7, and step, click, step, click. Party, party, party, party, jump. Wrap, push, round, 6, 7, and step, throw, step, throw. Call, 6, 7, 8. Great job. Let's see if we can quickly do that with music.

[music - Queen, 'Don't Stop Me Now']

QUEEN: singing

KEIRA NELSON: 5, 6. 5, 6, 7, and push.

QUEEN: singing

KEIRA NELSON: Party. Jump, out, wrap, push, round. Step, throw.

QUEEN: singing

KEIRA NELSON: Awesome. Let's see if we can do that again. Get ready. It's coming. 5, 6, 5, 6, 7, and push, jump, clap, windmill. Party. Jump, out, wrap, push, round. And step, throw. Great.

All right. Now that you've done it with music, you could see just how much energy you need for this routine. But that also means it's going to be so much fun. So let's see if we can walk it a little bit under tempo from the top. Then we'll keep adding one. So we have 5, 6, 5, 6, 7, and don't stop me, windmill, 6, 7, and step, click, step click, party, 6, 7, and push, wrap, round, turn, 6, 7, and step, throw, step, throw, call, 6, 7, 8. Good job.

From there. You've just stepped on your right foot, so you should have your left foot ready to go. And you're going to kick this right arm, and you're going to bring it up with the steps, don't stop me. So you're just going to step it forward. From here, arms circle in. Keep those elbows in. Then you're going to take your elbows and your knees out, tilt your head, out, in. Yeah? So we just do our call. 5, 6, 7, and don't stop me now. 6, 7, out, in.

Repeat the steps forward in the 'don't.' Don't stop me. Jump your feet out wide, round with your arms as you circle. Then you've got your own party vibe. Now, this has to go two sets of slow and then four really quick. The crazier this is, the better it's going to look, all right? So pick any type of party move. I'm going to choose the monkey. So I'm going to go 1, 2, a bit of a slo-mo, 3, 4. Then I'm going to go quick. 5, 6, 7, 8. The crazier you can go, the better. All right?

From there, you're just going to run backwards to prepare to repeat. 5, 6, 7, 8. Then we go from the beginning. Don't. All right? Let's see if we can take it from the call. So we've just done 1, 2, 3, 4, round, 5, 6, 7, and 'don't stop me now'. 6, 7. Out, in. Don't stop me 'cause I'm having a good time. Slow. Slow. Quick, quick, quick, quick. Run 6, 7, 8. Awesome.

Let's add it all the way from the top, then we'll try it with music. We have 5, 6, 5, 6, 7, and don't stop me now. 6, 7, and step, click, step, click. Party, 6, 7, and don't, wrap, push, round. 6, 7, and step, throw, step, throw, call, 6, 7, and don't stop me now. 6, 7, out, in. Don't stop me, 'cause I'm having a good time. Slow, slow. Quick, quick, quick, quick. Run, 6, 7, 8.

Great job, guys. We're going to try it with music, remembering we're going to do it twice through straight away. So as soon as you run backwards, you'll start all the way again from the push. Here we go.

[music - Queen, 'Don't Stop Me Now']

Here we go. 5, 6, 7, and.

QUEEN: Don't stop me now. I'm having such a good time. I'm having a ball.

KEIRA NELSON: Push. Wrap. Spin. Call. Here we go. Don't stop me, round. Party. [inaudible]. Party.

QUEEN: I don't want to stop at all. Yeah.

KEIRA NELSON: And lift. Party. Push, wrap.

QUEEN: If you want to have a good time, just give me--

KEIRA NELSON: Call. And don't stop me. Circle. Out, in. Don't stop me, round. Party.

QUEEN: I don't want to stop at all. Yeah. Don't stop me now.

KEIRA NELSON: Awesome work, guys. Give me a nice, big high-five. Well done. That was awesome. All right.

Now that we know what the dance is, I want to start to add a couple of little layers on top of it. All right. So we know that this routine was featured in last year's Schools Spectacular. So one of the best things about Schools Spectacular is engaging with our audience. All right? Now, Schools Spectacular is not a normal stage. It's an arena.

So this time when we run it with music, I want you to really, really focus on your performance and where your audience is, all right? So with our arena, it goes all the way from one side all the way round to the other.

So every time that you face the side or the front, I really want to keep that chin nice and lifted and really imagine that that audience is there cheering you on, all right? Let's see if we can give it a go with the music, keeping that in mind.

[music - Queen, 'Don't Stop Me Now']

All right, the audience is there. Let's go. And.

QUEEN: Don't stop me now.

KEIRA NELSON: Check out your audience. Give them a smile. Here we go. Round, other side. Hey, guys.

QUEEN: Just give me a call!

KEIRA NELSON: Here we go.

QUEEN: Don't stop me now. Yes, I'm having a good time.

KEIRA NELSON: Party.

QUEEN: I don't want to stop at all.

KEIRA NELSON: And again. Here we go. Ready? Say hi. That's it, chin lifted. And throw.

QUEEN: just give me a call. Don't stop me now. 'Cause I'm having a good time.

KEIRA NELSON: Head up.

QUEEN: Yes, I'm having a good time. I don't want to stop at all!

[clapping]

KEIRA NELSON: Great job, guys. That was really awesome. Yeah. I could really see that you guys were really engaging with your audience on the outside. We've got one more layer that I'd really like to add today to our performance. All right? And that's the party vibe. OK? So because there's so many people watching us, we want to keep that energy high for the entire time.

And one of the easiest ways to do that is to interact with our fellow performers. Now, some of you might have someone next to you, which is awesome. I want you guys to really interact. Some of you might not, so that's where you've got to use your imagination. All right? So any time there's a party vibe, really let go, let loose, and have lots of fun. Here we go.

[music - Queen, 'Don't Stop Me Now']

All right, it's party time, guys. Let's go. And.

QUEEN: Don't stop me now. I'm having such a good time.

KEIRA NELSON: Woo!

QUEEN: I'm having a ball. Don't stop me now. If you wanna have a good time, just give me a call. Don't stop me now. 'Cause I'm having a good time. Don't stop me now. Yes, I'm having a good time. I don't want to stop at all.

KEIRA NELSON: And again.

QUEEN: Don't stop me now.

KEIRA NELSON: That's it. Make some noise. Woo-hoo!

QUEEN: Don't stop me now. If you wanna have a good time

KEIRA NELSON: Up.

QUEEN: just give me a call. Don't stop me now. 'Cause I'm having a good time. Don't stop me now. Yes, I'm having--

KEIRA NELSON: Go crazy!

QUEEN: I don't want to stop at all! Yeah. Don't stop me

KEIRA NELSON: Awesome work, guys. That was absolutely fabulous. I could really feel that energy coming from you guys in that party. Hope you guys had lots of fun with that, because I certainly did. But now it's challenge time, all right? So what I want you guys to do is I want you to reverse the entire thing that we've learned, all right?

So what's going to happen is you can pause this video, take as long as you need to go through and do that entire thing on the other leg. So you won't start with your right leg back. You'll start with your left leg back. All right? Once you're ready, come back, press Play. I'm going to do it just once on that side with the music, so that you guys can see how well you went, all right? I'll see you guys soon.

[music - Queen, 'Don't Stop Me Now']

All right, this is your reverse side, starting with that left leg. 6, 7, and.

QUEEN: Don't stop me now! I'm having such a good time. I'm having a ball. Don't stop me now! If you want to have a good time, just give me a call! Don't stop me now. 'Cause I'm having a good time. Don't stop me now. Yes, I'm having a good time. I don't want to stop at all! Yeah! Don't stop--

KEIRA NELSON: Awesome work, guys. Give yourselves a round of applause. Well done. That was awesome. All right, now that you've got your right side and your left side, we're going to go all the way through from the top one last time. We're going to do it once on the right, once on the left, and then I've got a little surprise for you when you finish.

So I want you to run backwards on that last one. 5, 6, 7, 8. Then you're going to strike into pose, which is going to be jump those legs out nice and wide, arms up, keeping that chest nice and lifted like you've just finished. All right? Here we go.

[music - Queen, 'Don't Stop Me Now']

Here we go. Right side then left. And 5, 6, 7, and.

QUEEN: Don't stop me now! I'm having such a good time. I'm having a ball. Don't stop me now! If you wanna have a good time, just give me a call! Don't stop me now! 'Cause I'm having a good time. Don't stop me now! Yes, I'm having a good time. I don't want to stop at all.

KEIRA NELSON: Other side. And.

QUEEN: Don't stop me now! I'm having such a good time. I'm having a ball. Don't stop me now. If you wanna have a good time, just give me a call! Don't stop me now! 'Cause I'm having a good time. Don't stop me now! Yes, I'm having a good time. I don't want to stop at all!

KEIRA NELSON: And pose. Go!

[applause and cheers]

Take a last big bow.

Fantastic job, guys. That was absolutely awesome. Give yourselves another round of applause. Well done. All right. So, that brings us to the end of our jazz tutorial. So, all I'd like you to do now is to just take a couple of minutes just to do a few little quick stretches. All right. You can follow along with me if you'd like.

We're just going to do a nice, quick, little cool-down. So, grab that foot behind. Nice little quad stretch. That's it. Awesome work. And take it to the other side. While we're here, if you get a chance, make sure you do check out Schools Spectacular from last year. And you can find the 'Don't Stop Me Now,' which was the featured jazz ensemble routine and from last year.

So, you can give that a quick little look, and you'll see some of those moves in there as well. Awesome job, stretching out that calf. Other side. That's it. Feel free to do some more stretches after this tutorial. Just a couple at the moment just to bring that heart rate down a little bit. Stretch over to the side. Roll down into the middle. And rolling up. Other side. Nice stretch over. And roll down. Rolling up. Good job.

We'll take one more stretch while we're all the way down. Bend those knees, put those hands on the floor if you can, straighten your legs, keeping your hands where they are. And bend your legs. Just gently shake your head yes. Shake your head no. And rolling up nice and slow. Keep those shoulders a little bit more rolled backwards. And roll forwards.

And you guys are done! Thank you guys so much for joining, and I'll see you guys soon.