Sara Gill is a dancer, yoga, and fitness guru who recently graduated from uOttawa with a Bachelor of Commerce with a specialization in Marketing. When Sara is not working as a Promotions Officer for Campus Recreational Programming, she is most likely dancing up a sweat in one of the many styles she specializes in. Her Campus caught up with Sara to learn about her talent for dance.
Her Campus: When did you first get involved with dance?
Sara Gill: Ever since I was young I was immersed in situations and environments where people were always dancing so, I developed an interest in watching people dancing on TV with shows like So You Think You Can Dance. Later when I was in high school I started participating in shows and started to choreograph for the shows. When I came to university I did Zumba classes, and I fell in love. I wanted to become an instructor mainly because I liked to create pieces, and then I moved on to dancing competitively.
HC: What types of dance do you do? Do you have a favourite style of dance?
SG: My favourite styles are the ones I specialize in which are Afro beats, soca, dancehall and hip hop but I also dance salsa, bachata, merengue, cumbia, cha-cha, rumba and samba. I like Latin dancing but it is very technical so I’m currently taking lessons, I do love it but I won’t be able to teach it without having technical training.
HC: What is one of your most memorable experiences in your dance career so far?
SG: It would definitely be going to L.A. this summer, before that I just was watching a bunch of dance videos on YouTube and it would be of the most epic hip hop choreography I’d ever seen. When I watched these videos I noticed that they were all shot in the same rooms and I was curious as to where these rooms were. After searching on the Internet I finally found out about this street in the northern part of Hollywood called Lankershim Blvd. It’s this notorious street with studios where Michael Jackson used to train, where Grease was choreographed, where You Got Served and Stomp the Yard were all practiced and choreographed. So, this summer I took classes at the Millennium dance complex, in the room I’d always seen on YouTube and it felt so epic to be there. It was unreal to be beside such talent and such drive. The dancers give it their all and to be in a room with that much energy and skill was really overwhelming.
HC: What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start dancing and where would you suggest they start?
SG: First watch videos on YouTube and if you are active on social media, I would say to follow the choreographers on their social media. They post a lot of dance videos and just by looking at these videos when you see how people move and you can learn a lot. I would say to also to take classes, and don’t be afraid to better yourself. It’s just really about dedicating the time.
HC: You’ve done yoga poses in Paris, Morocco, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands. Where will we be seeing you next?
SG: I hope it’s Jamaica, I want to go there to study dancehall. When I went to L.A. there was a little bit of a dancehall scene but it’s not the same as going to Jamaica where the dancehall moves were created and you can take classes with the creators of the moves. I really want to immerse myself in the culture.
HC: Do you teach any classes at the University of Ottawa?
SG: In the upcoming winter semester I’ll be teaching dancehall which is open for all levels, it’s on Thursdays at 6:15pm. It’s perfect if you are a beginner or even if you’ve been doing it for a while. I also teach intermediate to advanced hip hop on Thursdays at 2:30 and Yoga on Sundays.
HC: When you’re not dancing, teaching workshops, or doing yoga, where can we find you?
SG: Most likely at Chapters; I’m obsessed with books and reading. It’s such a cozy warm atmosphere and there is so much richness in terms of knowledge.
HC: Do you see yourself owing your own dance studio in the future?
SG:Â Yes, I want to open a dance school. I would especially like to have a dance retreat, the idea would be similar to the yoga retreat I did in Guatemala and it would be to give the opportunity to adults to learn how to dance. There a few dance classes for adults so, imagine going on vacation with husband or your best friend for a week and learning how to cha-cha. I think it would be a really a cool thing to offer.
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