Steps on Broadway - dance, all styles, all levels for all ages

JAZZ/LYRICAL

Jay T.

Derrick Yanford began his formal training in a local studio of his hometown Southwick, Massachusetts where he studied ballet, jazz, tap, and acrobatics with his teacher Brenda Barna. After furthering his dance education at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Derrick began his professional career and has had the pleasure of performing with Ballet Hispanico of New York, Battleworks Dance Company, The Joffrey Concert Dancers, Northern Connecticut Ballet, Koresh Dance Company, and A.S.H. Contemporary.

Additional performance credits include the First National Tour of Footloose and A Few Good Men DANCIN'..., the European Tours of Evita and West Side Story, Walt Disney World's Kids of the Kingdom and Radio City Music Hall's Christmas Spectacular, as well as the World Premiere of the Opera Le Cid starring Placido Domingo.

Derrick has also gained recognition as a choreographer and has had his work commissioned by ABC Television for the "Boscov's Thanksgiving Day Parade", the 2000 Republican National Convention, Sunoco's Welcome America's 4th of July Parade, the "Barrymore Awards", 76er's Dance Team and the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Millennium Kick-Off to name a few.

While currently residing in New York City, Derrick serves as the Artistic Director of the newly formed company Bridge Dance Concepts, freelances as a choreographer, master class teacher and adjudicator for major dance organizations throughout the United States and Canada.

Class Description
Having been influenced by many different styles and genres, the best way to describe his class is in one word...FUSION.

Having been given a strong classical foundation, the warm up consists of exercises designed to increase heart rate, warm and lengthen muscles, activate balance and core strength while focusing on placement, flexibility and turnout resulting in a deep grounded relationship with the floor and negative space.

Progressions across the floor will challenge your center of gravity demanding you to "get on your leg" while incorporating basic and intricate rhythms geared to prepare the body for the physical challenge that lies ahead.

After having focused on proper technique, the center combination is where you'll be asked to draw upon the artist within as the body and soul execute a blend of shapes, gestures, lines, and steps in a uniquely musical fashion. The movement is heavily jazz influenced yet technically demanding with modern and contemporary overtones. Bring your imagination for it will be your biggest tool in overcoming this fusion of styles.