Valerie Green / Dance Entropy is delighted to share this recent feedback from student and long-time supporter June Schwartz!
June Schwartz - Long-time student & supporter galore!
For the past decade, June Schwartz has been a long-time friend of Dance Entropy. Here she tells her story:
“I have known Valerie Green since 2009 and have been an active and enthusiastic supporter of the events and classes through Dance Entropy and Green Space since that time.
I first discovered the studio when I began renting an office in the same building. Upon moving in I was happy to see a welcoming sign inviting people to come to a Spring dance festival in the upstairs studio, so I poked my head in to take a look.
I was delighted with what I found -- a beautiful studio and an enthusiastic audience getting ready to see a program of local dancers. I attended the program and was surprised by the exciting variety of performances, from a slow solo modern piece to several small ensembles, to a troupe of 12 energetic dancers in colorful Indian costumes. The program ended with a participatory dance for families and children.
I was amazed to find that all were local dancers and troupes that Valerie had brought together in her festival, which lasted several days over two weeks and weekends. I was impressed with how well organized it was, with different programs each afternoon and evening. And even with all of this talent, she had managed to offer a very reasonable ticket price so that all could take part.
Since that day, I have attended the Dance Entropy festivals regularly, always looking forward to seeing the delightful variety of performances. At each performance I have been amazed not just at the quality of the work, but by the diverse group of people that are brought together as an audience.
Dance Entropy has also held some exciting outdoor public events. In one, over a hundred people gathered at Gantry Pier in Queens to see Valerie’s work. By the end, she had a huge group of parents and children participating in a dance.
In the early years of going to these events, I was only an observer, but when Valerie learned that I had once attended dance classes, there would be no more sitting still... she convinced me to attend her beginner’s modern dance class where I discovered that it was never too late to start dancing again. Because of her focus and persistence, I have been attending the weekly class now for over seven years. Valerie encourages people with little experience to start learning, offering packages or drop in sessions to encourage people with different needs to be able to attend.
The studio at Green Space is also home to many dance groups that rent the space, so there is always an interesting array of dancers gathering there.
In addition to the performances and festivals, I have had the interesting experience of attending several of Valerie’s expressive dance movement workshops. In one, she presented a riveting work she had choreographed, eliciting strong emotions in the audience. The work was followed by discussion of the themes presented in the dance, and then the audience took part in exercises that encouraged us to work out our own emotions and experiences through improvised movements.
Green space and Dance Entropy are such an asset to both the dance community and to the larger community because of these classes, workshops, performances, and special events.
I give my enthusiastic support for all future endeavors!”