Dionna Pridgeon

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Teacher Bio

Originally from Chicago, Dionna Pridgeon is the Creative Director of moveDIPR (move deeper). She is presently on faculty at Ailey Extension & Guest Faculty at BDC. Dionna is a gifted Educator who has served on faculty at Steps on Broadway, Joffrey Ballet School & Academy of Dance, Debbie Reynolds LA & Visceral Dance Center (Chicago); She has taught classes at Gibney Dance, Peridance, Edge PAC (LA), & Movement Lifestyle LA. In Chicago, she was on Faculty at Lou...read more

Originally from Chicago, Dionna Pridgeon is the Creative Director of moveDIPR (move deeper). She is presently on faculty at Ailey Extension & Guest Faculty at BDC. Dionna is a gifted Educator who has served on faculty at Steps on Broadway, Joffrey Ballet School & Academy of Dance, Debbie Reynolds LA & Visceral Dance Center (Chicago); She has taught classes at Gibney Dance, Peridance, Edge PAC (LA), & Movement Lifestyle LA. In Chicago, she was on Faculty at Lou Conte Dance Studio (Hubbard Street Dance Center) for 6 years, where she successfully built 7 classes, ranging from Contemporary, Hip Hop, & Jazz. Dionna taught a Master Class for The Pulse on Tour – Atlantic City, as well as Guest Judge for The Pulse on Tour NYC! Internationally, Dionna has taught workshops in both Norway & Germany. Most recently, Dionna was asked to teach at Ivy League, Princeton University (NJ).

Dionna is a graduate of Point Park University, where she received her Dance degree. She studied with Rennie Harris Puremovement (Philadelphia), received scholarships & recognition from Monsters of Hip Hop, The Pulse on Tour, & Dance Spirit Magazine! Dionna performed works in both concert & commercial dance, working with dance icons: Lou Conte, Robert Battle, & Margo Sappington, to name a few, as well as choreographers: Brian Friedman, Kevin Maher, NappyTabs, Shaun Evaristo, Ian Eastwood, Justin Giles, Rhapsody, plus more! She danced in companies such as Pillow Project (PA), Pittsburgh Ensemble, and is the former Resident Choreographer of Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre (Chicago). FUN FACT: Dionna worked as a hairstylist, when the Brittany Spears Circus Tour was in Chicago!

Her works have been showcased at venues such as: Chicago's Orchestra Hall, Pritzker Pavilion/Millennium Park, & The Athenaeum Theatre - Other venues include: Choreographer’s Carnival (CHI/LA/NY), Symphony Space, Buddy Warren Gallery, Salvatore Capezio Theatre, & Ailey Citigroup Theatre NYC. Most recently, Dionna’s contemporary class was featured in DANCE MAGAZINE (AUG '17) & her choreography was released in a short dance film, entitled: NEGOTIATION. Successfully in May (2017), Dionna choreographed, produced, & directed her 1st Manhattan show, at The Players Theatre.

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Class Descriptions

Contemporary

Class begins with a very thorough warmup process; connecting mind/body/spirit. Dionna uses an organic approach to warmup - never starting the class in the same way. “Our bodies feel differently from day to day,” so why not experience warmup...in different ways?

Dionna’s warmup is a break from the classical and traditional forms. However, she focuses on centering, breath, finding length, conditioning, short sequences and moving away from a stationary base. She believes in a “good a**” new school vs old school type of warmup. In addition, a more therapeutic form of improv is also incorporated to help dancers explore their own voices.

The class will ALWAYS learn a piece of choreography that holds a more organic, human approach, which allows for subtly and freedom. Her choreography bounces from a Contemporary Modern to Contemporary Jazz, to a Contemporary Hip-Hop vibe.

Jazz/Funk/Hip-Hop

Class begins with a classic form of stretching, isolations, and conditioning. Dionna's style is very clean, groovy and at times, very detailed; It varies from performance to precision! Music is the impetus for her street choreography. Dionna believes that: “Musicality is everything!”