By Jim Berg

Mind and body. Science is beginning to catch on to ancient wisdom that didn’t separate the two. We are discovering that mind and body are not separate, but that the two are each possessed in the other. The mind is in the body and the body is in the mind. Dancers know this, referring to the memory and knowledge that the body contains. Any beginning student of dance quickly realizes there is much to learn from the body, that the body requires study as well as the mind, and the when the body studies, it remembers.

Art of the Dance Academy

I recently had the opportunity to sit in on a rehearsal of the Art of the Dance Academy performance group These are the students of Maureen Kennedy Samuels, or as she as known to her students, “Ms. Maureen.” She has over 400 students, and the performance group represents the best of her students. They range in age from 9 to 18. One of the first things that I noticed in this group is the physical confidence that they exude Even the youngest moved with a certain boldness, and even when the movement wasn’t right, they knew when it wasn’t right and set about to make corrections even without direction from Ms. Maureen. It’s really fun to watch a group of children hard at work at something they obviously enjoy doing, and something that they do well.

Maureen, with husband Glenn, started the Art of the Dance Academy in 1983 with only 6 students. She has been at her current location on Weddington St. for six years, having converted what was warehouse space into a dance studio and performance space. Her husband, Glenn who is a professional photographer, has also located his studio in the building (note the photo credits for this issue).

In addition to running a successful dance academy, Maureen Samuels is also an accomplished choreogra-pher; her most recent work as choreographer, Opossum Tails, is currently enjoying a successful run at the Odyssey Theatre in West Los Angeles. The Art of the Dance performance group will be performing April 25 for the Academy Plaza Music Festival.

Tremaine Dance Center

Not far from the Art of the Dance Academy is the Tremaine Dance Center at Tujunga and Chandler. When I visited there, I had the opportunity to sit in and watch scholarship auditions. Students from across the country had come to NoHo for the opportunity to audition for a scholarship to study dance under Joseph Tremaine, who is widely regarded as a king of jazz dance. Many stu-dents are exposed to Tremaine through the Tremaine Dance Conventions, which tour major cities across the country, teaching seminars and holding dance competitions.

The emphasis at Tremaine is a little different than the emphasis at Art of the Dance. At Tremaine, there is greater emphasis on preparation for a professional career in dance. Some students were turned down for a scholarship if they didn’t look like a dancer – if they were overweight. While this may seem harsh, especially to a sixteen year old, it reflects professional realities, and that is part of the training. The result of Tremaine’s high standards is found in the high quality and success of many of his students in professional careers.