Bey Dance is the dance community you didn’t know you needed. Dedicated to releasing that inner #BossDiva, Bey Dance are an inclusive studio based in Brunswick, Adelaide, Richmond and Prahran that encourages anyone and anybody to hit the dance floor. Full of flawless energy and body positivity, the studio focuses on the teachings and twerks of Queen Bey in all her glory; flourishing with life, sass and new twists on her iconic dances. Adding to this focus, Bey Dance also tie in choreography from contemporary dance styles, with anything from Bollywood, core strength and yoga influencing their appropriation of Beyonce’s signature styles.
With a little tongue in cheek, we caught up with Head Captain Keely Wins behind Bey Dance to put a ring on it ahead of their free class at Viva Youth Festival. Teaching the popular – and incredibly bossy – dance routine of Beyonce’s ‘Flawless’, you can prep’ a workout without even realising it by releasing your inner diva.
PART ONE
Before you start anything, stretch! After you’ve limbered up, place both feet firmly on the ground. 1.) Raise your hands up to the side of your body and turn your wrists like you’re screwing in a lightbulb! Totally #Lit, right? 2.) As you turn your hands like Bey’, stomp your left foot up and down on the ground. Every stomp is timed to “I woke up like this“, so four stomps is the way to go. 3.) Combining 1 + 2, raise your hands to the sky (or up and down) as you screw in the lightbulbs and stomp. Grit your teeth and give you hair a little shake; this move is mean and angry.
PART TWO
This part is dictated by Beyoncé’s body roll. 4.) Stepping back with your right foot and back onto your left, you will begin to shuffle backwards. 5.) As you step back, roll your body and begin lifting your hands (with a flat palm) over your head as if you were drying it with a towel. As your hands glide, they should go to the front of your face, palm to you. 6.) As your hands pass over you face, step together, following your body roll from your hip to your shoulders. This can be totally smooth or Bey’ shit crazy, so have fun with it!
PART THREE
Repeat Part One and Part Two together and then dip into Part Three. As you land, your left foot should be forward. This is where it gets interesting. 7.) Jump on to your left leg and then very quickly on to the right. It’s a bit of a power prance, but that’s why Bey’ asks you to “bow down, bitches“. 8.) As you’re about to land the jump, cross you right leg over your left – try and go as low as you possibly can. As you stick the move, raise your hand and bring it across your face like a slow reveal. 9.) This is to the part “we flawless“, and boy, are you looking F-L-A-W-L-E-S-S. Repeating 7-8, you then step into a power walk, right leg crossing over the left. 10.) Continuing the power walk for one more step, place your feet firmly on the ground to your sides.
PART FOUR
Now that you’re in power stance mode (bless), there’s only one more thing left to do. 11.) Crawling up with dropped shoulders and repeating for step 12.), you’re now on a mission to give the biggest, most suprising kick-off. Literally. 13.) Raising your right leg, kick-off backwards and pull your arms in front of you. 14.) As you’re on foot, keep shuffling backwards. Don’t forget to put on a face like Bey’. 15.) With your kick-off in full force, swing your legs to your side and back.
ALL TOGETHER NOW
Once you’ve mastered Bey Dance’s steps, prepare to feel flossy as pictured above. It all takes time and practice, but if you’re wanting an incredibly relaxed environment to practice the steps in, do RSVP to Bey Dance’s class. Regardless if you have two left feet or dance like Napoleon Dynamite, Bey Dance welcome all skill levels and ask you to be true to you – and that’s flawless.
Bey Dance at VIVA Youth Festival
Saturday 9th April 2016, 10am – 5pm
Princes Gardens, Malvern Road, Prahran
*FREE ENTRY* | For more info, click here or RSVP
www.facebook.com/beydance | www.instagram.com/beydanceaus
All images by Monique Myintoo (@AUMONIQUE).
