Category Archives: Dancers

We have the hottest acts

Posted on by

Here at Red Masque we think we have some of the best acts for your party which will capture your imagination. So, what are the best of the best for corporate event entertainment for your next corporate event in 2019?

Red Masque directory have the hottest trends and acts for corporate, and company parties to ensure your VIPs are very impressed and your boss is very happy.

Aerialists use aerial circus and dance theatre with dynamic lighting and music to create evocative shows using trapeze, ropes and silks. Available as a solo artist for smaller venue, or as large a troupe as you wish, their show can be tailored to create the atmosphere you require, whether humorous, quirky, elegant. With a range of associated acts, including aerial champagne pouring, we are sure you will find your perfect act on our website.

Circus act entertainers have given the world of corporate entertainment a whole new generation of aerial artists, defying gravity to present unique. Even if you haven’t got a skyscraper to use as your stage, these circus-inspired artists can perform in almost any space, for any corporate event.
Add in some more celebrity lookalikes. Everybody wants to be pictured with the stars of today, especially if there is a hot female lookalike!!!

Bespoke dance groups provide a superb spectacle that transcends language, and can be precisely tailored to your corporate event theme. From ballet dancers to contemporary rock dancers, your guests can enjoy a show full of energy, passion, augmented by state of the lighting and sound systems.

Whatever the occasion, you’ll find a dance troupe to suit; that can offer themed events such as Arabian Nights, Argentine Tango, Burlesque, Flamenco, Irish Dancing, Ballroom Dancing, and Vegas Showgirls for example.

Tango Is The Music

Posted on by

Some people see tango as primarily a dance – a connection between two people in a beautiful pas de deux. However most will say tango is the music, and the lyrics, and the dancers’ interpretation of that music, and the sentiments it expresses. Getting to know the music is part of learning tango. Learning both the general style and the individual compositions and recordings enables you to dance with much more confidence and enjoyment.

The classic tango orchestra or ‘orquesta típica’ is made up of bandoneons, violins, piano, and bass. The guitar is also a common instrument, especially accompanying singers, notably Carlos Gardel. Other instruments are added viola, cello, saxophone, lute, flute electric guitar, drums in various styles. The Bandoneon, perhaps the key to the tango sound, is a large and fiendishly complicated concertina, originally developed in Germany for churches that could not afford organs.

In the first years of the century the first tangos were written e.g. El Choclo(Angel Villoldo)’, Yo Soy La Morocha (Enrique Saborido, 1906), and were big hit and best sellers of piano scores. Recording came in in the 1910s and older songs, like La Cumparsita were arranged as tangos. Gardel recorded his first tango Mi Noche Triste in 1917, and became an enormous force in popularising tango.

As the music developed it became less rigidly rhythmic, more harmonic and melodic, and the hallmark tension and release was developed. The fraseo, phrasing, the soloist (or soli) bending the melody across the underlying rhythm, became a central part of tango. The ‘traditional’ orchestras played it simple and pleased the dancers. Composers and players, in the Decareano school such as Pugliese, Salgan and Piazzola were more interested in the music, and played for listening, and from the 1960s the dancing audience disappeared anyway.

In the 21st Century a new generation of musicians are mixing tango with contemporary music styles, re-imagining what tango music can be, and creating new arrangements of classics.

Different tango music tends to suggest different styles of dance when we hear it. Although many of the dance styles that were original danced when it was composed are now lost, with our mixed and reinvented tango we are able to interpret it. Some music suggests the use of cortes ‘cuts’ that reflect its strong rhythm, others are most flowing, while still others are full of tensions and accelerations.

In the end it is up to the couple how they dance, but it is important, and more interesting to really listen to the music, and not just dance the way same all the time.

The Tap Dance

Posted on by

Tap originated in the United States through the fusion of several ethnic percussive dances, primarily African tribal dances and Scottish, Irish, and English clog dances, hornpipes, and jigs. Until the last few decades of the 20th century, it was believed that African slaves and Irish indentured servants had observed each other’s dances on Southern plantations and that tap dancing was born from this contact.

In the mid- to late 1800s, competitions were a common form of dance entertainment. Later called “cutting contests,” these intense challenges between dancers were an excellent breeding ground for new talent. Dancers matured by learning each other’s techniques and rhythmic innovations. The primary showcase for tap of this era was the minstrel show, which was at its peak from approximately 1850 to 1870.

During the following decades, styles of tap dancing evolved and merged. Among the ingredients that went into the mix were buck dancing (a dance similar to but older than the clog dance), soft-shoe dancing (a relaxed, graceful dance done in soft-soled shoes and made popular in vaudeville), and buck-and-wing dancing (a fast and flashy dance usually done in wooden-soled shoes and combining Irish clogging styles, high kicks, and complex African rhythms and steps such as the shuffle and slide; it is the forerunner of rhythm tap).

Tap dance as it is known today did not emerge until roughly the 1920s, when “taps,” nailed or screwed onto shoe soles at the toes and heels, became popular. During this time entire chorus lines in shows such as Shuffle Along (1921) first appeared on stage with “tap shoes,” and the dance they did became known as tap dancing.

Street Dance

Posted on by

The history of street dance is said to be divided into two eras.These are Old school and New school. Almost all of roots of street dance is African American culture namely, hip hop culture. Keep your mind that hip hop dance is one part of hip hop culture. Hip hop dance is categorized into New school.

In Old school, there are B-boying, Locking, Popping etc.

B-boying is frequently called Break dance or Breaking but these names are not actually correct. B-boying was born in the South Bronx of New York in the early 1970’s. In the beginning, B-boying is called Good Foot (It is the name of James Brown’s hit tune.). Good Foot was different from B-boying in that Good foot didn’t include acrobatic move. The middle of 1970’s Good Foot became to called “boie-oie-oings”. It is the base of today’s B-boying, but it does not include acrobatic move too. The last 1970’s, Puerto Rican young dancers revolutionized B-boying. They started acrobatic move in B-boying like Windmill.

Locking was born in Los Angeles in 1960’s. It was perfected by “The Lockers”. The roots of Locking is said Robot dance. In 1969, an African American young man became famous with his dance. His name was Don Campbell, and his dance was Campbell Lock. Campbell Lock was new in all point, it’s move was unique and comical. In 1970, Don Campbell formed The Lockers. Their style was amusing and unique so many people were attracted by them.

Popping was born in Los Angeles in 1960’s. It was created by ELECTRIC BOOGALOO. The roots of Popping is said Robot dance. As you may recognize, Locking and Popping is like brothers. But Popping’s move is stranger than Locking’s one. I’ll give you the video of Popping. check it out.

Hip hop has roots in all street dances. It means that Hip hop is free and it is difficult to define hip hop. Hip hop dance history is with Hip hop culture. So, I cannot tell you who started Hip hop dance but certainly African Americans made it.

The major source in house dance movement streams directly from the music and the elements within the music such as Jazz, African, Latin, Soul, R&B, Funk, Hip Hop, etc. The other source is the people, the individuals and their characteristics, ethnicities, origin, etc. You have people of all walks of life partying under one roof. Thus you have exchanges of information (body language) house dance is a social dance before these competitions.

Maypole dancing

Posted on by

The earliest Maypoles were part of a celebration of Summer which would be linked in with mystical things like tree worship and more basic things like an excuse for entertainment, dancing and having a good time.

They were probably just simple trees cut down and re-erected in the centre of a village green. We know that by the 16th and 17th centuries they were often very tall as we have paintings showing people dancing around them and the Puritans, who hated them, described in great detail what they were destroying, although the actual dances were not recorded.

After the Restoration many Maypoles were reinstated and a notable one was in the Strand. This was 134 foot high (41m) and stood there until Sir Isaac Newton used parts of it as a base for his telescope! Some of the maypoles from that period still survive in villages around the country. None of these maypoles had ribbons so the dances were probably any circular dances that were popular at the time.

The Maypole Dancing that people know today, happened because John Ruskin introduced it at Whitelands College in 1881 and created a series of dances and a May Pageant.

Generations of teachers learnt all about these and took them wherever they went on to teach and by the middle of the 20th century it had become a major tradition, much of which survives to the present day but for some years had been dying out as fewer teachers knew the dances.

Fortunately over the last few years Maypole Dancing has had a bit of a revival for all sorts of reasons to do with a greater awareness of our own culture and the sheer enjoyment by dancers and audience alike. The difference now is that there is a far greater degree of creativity with new dances and styles being invented all the time.

Music
In the early days the music would have been played on instruments like the Pipe & Tabor or the English Bagpipes and we can see these in those early paintings.

By the time John Ruskin came along the concertina or the fiddle would have been added and then later instruments would have included the accordion, flutes or any instruments that were loud enough to work in the open air. That still hold true but now often people dance to recorded music, whether recordings of country dance music and instruments like those mentioned or even pop songs and rap.

Dance Origins

Posted on by

History of dance entertainment is filled with interesting events that shaped its foundations, inventors that created new styles, periods of time when dance and music were put in the forefront of innovations, which all enabled it to become the popular social pastime of today.

History of dance closely follows the development of human race. Since the earliest times of our existence, far before the creation of first modern civilizations, dance served as an irreplaceable way of expressing human thought and emotion. As our civilization traveled through millennia, dance was modified to the point of being popular means of expression, health, communication and competition.

Elizabethan Dance
During the period of time in 16th century that is today remembered as an Elizabethan Era, dance and music received unprecedented attention, advancement and refinement that allowed it to become one of the most popular ways for socialization and exercise, and a foundation for the creation of all modern dances.

Dance in Religion and Mythology
Connection between dance and religion and myths can be observed from the dawn of our civilization to the modern times. Here you can find out how dance influenced the religion ceremonies, became storytelling device in describing tales of gods and myths, or in some cases become very integral part of some religions.

History of Ballroom Dancing
History of ballroom dancing started with the rise of European renaissance in 16th century. Ever since then, tradition of ballroom dancing expanded across entire world, pushing along its path creation of many popular dances that are in use today.

History of Waltz
Ever since it first appeared on the ballrooms of Venice, Waltz managed to revolutionize the way we dance. Here you can read detailed accounts of the way waltz was created, moved from folk roots to royal ballrooms, and helped to kickstart new era of social dances and music styles.

History of Salsa
Salsa is the Latin American dance that managed to revolutionize the way we dance and move one the dance floor. Here you can find out everything you need to know about history of salsa, its origins, popularity in Cuba, and spreading to United States and the rest of the world.

History of Ballet
Ballet is a formal dance technique combined with costumes, scenery, and music. Ballet integrated dance, music, stage design and poetry to make a dramatic storyline. It developed under the aristocratic influence as a formalized form of dance. At first its roll was a virtually component of the opera. In a time, it was formalized and codified, and there were founded popular ballet stages all over the world.

Music entertainment in the1920’s

Posted on by

Some referred to the 1920s as The Roaring Twenties. At the time, business was booming – many Americans were developing a taste for a new, faster lifestyle. Modern music became popular as a result of developments in the media (radio, records and films). People had more money to spend and more time to listen to the music of the time.

Jazz Music Entertainment: its development and impact
Jazz originated from the southern states of the USA, from the blues and ragtime music of the black people. Young people had had enough of their parents’ old dances, eg the waltz.

Jazz was much more rhythmic and sexy, and it was easy to dance to. This led to young people smoking, drinking and, according to some, behaving indecently. College students, especially, were willing to challenge their parents’ values and lifestyle.

A number of black musicians became very famous, including Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith, The Empress of the Blues. But racism was still a major problem: when Bessie Smith had a serious car crash, she was taken to a hospital that was for white people only. The hospital refused to treat her because she was black and Bessie Smith died.

The impact of the radio and gramophone
Before the cinema became popular during the 1920s, the radio was the main medium of entertainment in America. By the end of the 1920s, 50 million people had a radio set.
Not everyone could read, so the radio became a very important means of communicating news and information to the people.

Also, as the popularity of jazz increased, more people bought radios, records and gramophones so that they could listen to jazz any time they wanted to.

People could also listen to their favourite team taking part in sports matches, especially if it was not possible for them to travel to the game or if they couldn’t afford the cost.
The radio was able to grow and succeed because companies paid to advertise their products on the medium.

Dancing and the speakeasy culture

More daring dances became popular after the First World War.

These resulted from swing dancing that developed alongside jazz music, and so black people had a huge influence.

Dances such as the Charleston and the Black Bottom became very popular with young people.

Because many of these new dances were sexually suggestive, parents were shocked by their children’s enthusiasm to dance them.

The Lindy Hop also became a popular dance – this dance honoured Charles Lindbergh for crossing the Atlantic in an aeroplane in 1927.

Jazz had been prohibited in a number of cities, for example New York and Detroit. So, the performances moved to the speakeasies, making the young people even more determined to rebel.

Events for 2018

Posted on by

High Impact Stage Shows
Gather your guests for bespoke shows that dazzle your guests with skill and spectacle from start to finish.

– Aerial artists create intricate patterns above the stage, fusing circus skills and ballet in a show that’s beautiful and breathtaking. Add in 3D projection, and you have something quite astounding; aerial acrobatics in an ever-changing landscape of light that responds to their moves with split-second precision.

– Dazzle your guests with your own custom-made light show, showcasing a whole variety of high tech acts, from the intricate patterns of LED light shows to the primeval appear of jets of flame and sparks of fire and glow performers.

– Project the ever-shifting creations of iPad artists, sand artists or silhouette artists, accompanied by acts that literally shine, such as the unique Swarovski Violinists, who play electric gold violins encrusted with jewels. Or combine lasers and violins with our Laser Violin Show, choreographing lasers, smoke hazes and even audience interaction.

– There’s no doubt about it, tech is here to stay and is looking to proliferate across the industry. We’ve already seen it in some instances; those attending various conferences have been given a barcode with their name imprinted on it upon entry and any stall whom you choose to engage with will almost certainly scan the code to add your information to their database. It’s quick and easy and these technologies are set to continue if the recent CES conference in the US is anything to go by.

Pretty much every item you use in your home is being connected to the internet in some form, so you can rest assured that before too long, there’ll be numerous new ways to interact at events. As for the entertainment, well last year there was a rise in drone use during performances – including one that garnered a lot of praise on Britain’s Got Talent.

– It makes sense that with the economic outlook uncertain, individuals and companies would get creative in order to receive the most bang for their buck. Whether this means creating their own act to best symbolise their business rather than hiring entertainment on the fly, or theming a party to make sure that it is as memorable as possible, creativity is the order of the day!

– Costumed Characters and various acts that be personalised to attendees. One final thing, don’t go for a tired theme – try and think of something you haven’t heard before and we guarantee that the event planners involved will be just as excited as you about your party!

Cuban dance

Posted on by

After the arrival of Spain, various European dance forms began to take over in Cuba with the French contredanse being particularly popular. This gave rise to the Cuban contradanza, which spawned many of the ballroom dances found today including danzón, mambo and cha-cha-cha. Let’s look at them in more detail!

Cha-cha-cha

Cha-cha-cha or cha-cha (either is fine) came to be very popular in the 1950s when it was danced to the music of the same name by popular Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrín. Another dance that originated from danzón, the name is onomatopoeic, derived from the sound of the scraper (a guiro) and the shuffling of dancing feet. It is notable for having a rhythm that many social dancers don’t get quite right; the count is meant to be ‘two, three, cha-cha-cha’ but many erroneously believe the dance to begin with ‘one, two, cha-cha-cha’. So now you know!

Bolero

The Cuban bolero or Trova does not owe its origin to the Spanish music and song of the same name, instead coming to prominence in Santiago de Cuba in the last quarter of the 19th century. The style began when a group of musicians earned their living by moving about the city and singing and playing the guitar to passers-by. Pepe Sánchez is widely heralded as the creator of the Cuban bolero but because he was so naturally skilled at the compositions, he never wrote any down and most are lost. Thankfully a few of Sánchez’s works remain as his compatriots would occasionally note them down after hearing him perform. The style is extremely popular throughout Latin America and has been since its inception.

Danzón

Watch that ó! Danzón is the official musical genre and dance of Cuba, which is also enjoyed across Mexico and Puerto Rico. Evolving from the contradanza, it is a fusion of African rhythmic dance styles and European influences. Developed in 1879, it is an important root for Cuban culture today and is highly distinctive; each dance begins with an introduction of four bars followed by a ‘paseo’ of another four bars. This repeats and is then followed by sixteen bars of melody. During the introduction and paseo, dancers walk to the floor, talk, choose a partner—And then begin dancing on the fourth bar of the paseo. After the initial melody is performed, the dance repeats – four bars, paseo, four bars, paseo, melody – and so on and so forth! It is most often performed to the tune of Charanga bands, which include a cello, flute, double bass and more.

Mambo

Mambo is a dance form that originated in Cuba and has since been developed by Cuban musicians across North America and Mexico. The word ‘mambo’ actually comes from Kikongo, a language spoken by Central African slaves who were taken to Cuba many centuries ago, and means “Conversation with the Gods.” Modern mambo began with a song called ‘Mambo’ from 1938 and was heavily inspired by danzón and African folk music.

Salsa

Salsa dancing originated from the cha-cha-cha and mambo dances of the early 20th century and actually began in New York in the 1970s. American dancers incorporated their own favoured dances like swing and hustle into the mix as well as guaguanco and pachanga, dances that are synonymous with Afro-Cuba and the Afro-Caribbean. Ideally, the upper body is to remain level whilst the legs move in time to the music. It’s a very rhythmic dance, often associated with passion due to the intensity of the dancers’ concentration.

Ballet

Cuba has ballet schools throughout the country with one of their most famous celebrities, Carlos Acosta, famous all over the world. To give some idea to the scale of Cuba’s love with ballet, the National Ballet School in Havana is home to roughly 3,000 students, making it comfortably the largest ballet school in the world. Such is the pride that Cubans take in their ballet that throughout Castro’s reign, the dance receive state support for both dance education and performance.

Dance group entertainment

Posted on by

For entertainment that really gets your party started, it’s hard to beat a professional dancer for sheer energy, visual impact, and more than a touch of glamour.

Dancers and dance companies perform choreographed routines that combine music and movement into an energetic and elegant form of entertainment. Most dance groups offer a range of traditional, classical and contemporary dance styles, including elegant ballroom dancing, street dance, Las Vegas style showgirls, traditional Irish dancing, Latin American tango, Spanish flamenco, and the more risqué charms of burlesque.

Most dancers for hire and dance troupe offer either a standard show that can be adapted to your venue and event, or as bespoke option to create exactly the mood and feel you require for your event.
Whether you’re looking for a solo belly dancer to surprise guests at a birthday party, or classical ballerina to add grace and elegance to your product launch, dancers and dance groups provide an energetic, engaging, and ultimately highly entertaining show for your guests.

Most dancers and dance troupes are extremely versatile, often offering a wide variety of dance styles for your event. Chances are, if a dance troupe focuses exclusively on one or two dance styles or forms, they will have a high level of expertise in these forms and therefore put on a more authentic show.

Some of the dance companies featured at Red Masque Directory will create bespoke shows just for you, and bring in dancers and performers with the correct level of skills required. So, just because they don’t specialise in Street Dance for example, they can probably call on some very good performers if you require a bespoke urban style performance.

Take a little time to look at the Profiles of dancers and dance companies here on Red Masque Directory. All companies will feature photographs of their dancers, and some offer video, a great way to see what they look like in action.