By Panni De Cheke Qualls |
Seattle KCSP Fellow and folk dancer Kíra Kleopátra Kertész has a not-so-secret talent. She’s a World Champion acrobatic rock and roll dancer. It’s a passion she has pursued since the age of 9 after a few years of Hungarian folk dancing under her belt.
“I was very captivated by the fact that it is a completely different world in which you can assert yourself with the same dominance, regardless of gender,” recalls Kertész.
The dance itself is very complex. It requires very good physical conditioning, flexibility and endurance, the development of which accounts for a large percentage of the rehearsals. Choreographies must contain specific elements (the basic step/kick combination, ground elements, jumps, turns and acrobatic elements) – all connected with dance elements, usually built around some sort of theme.
Over the years, Kertész competed in three categories in several age groups: women’s small formation, pairs (man/woman) and women’s large formation. With the latter, she took part in several international competitions and achieved podium positions – the biggest achievement of which was becoming the team 2022 World Champions in Lyon, France.
“For the last two years, I have been contributing to this dance space not only as a dancer, but also as a coach. Creating unique choreographies, and providing foundational and technical training have been the best aspects of being a coach,” says Kertész.
Kertész has tried many other dance genres – ballet, hip-hop, jazz, ballroom dancing and beyond. She currently works as a theater dancer. In whatever she does, she continues to keep an open mind and tries to soak up whatever new information comes her way.
“Even in my own life, I try to incorporate variety. My approach to teaching reflects an attempt to approach things from multiple perspectives,” says Kertész. “Being open and versatile is something I would like to pass on to others, so that none of us gets stuck in one point of view. This way we can utilize the our existing foundational skills/training to reimagine what we are doing,” she adds.
