Unidance International, Inc.
| Corporation | |
| ISIN | 🆔 |
| Industry | Physical fitness |
| Founded 📆 | 2017 |
| Founder 👔 | Jonathan Kis-Lev |
| Headquarters 🏙️ | Tel Aviv, Israel |
Area served 🗺️ | |
Key people |
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| Members | |
Number of employees | |
| Divisions | Unidance Apparel, Unidance Israel |
| 🌐 Website | [Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 665: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). ] |
| 📇 Address | |
| 📞 telephone | |
Unidance is a dance franchise company founded by choreographer and artist Jonathan Kis-Lev in 2017 and headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel.[1] Unidance combines dance, coordination, and resistance training with popular music for a full-body workout.[2][3]
Early history[edit]
Jonathan Kis-Lev created Unidance in 2002 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, as a student at Lester B. Pearson College UWC. Having began to study dance four years earlier, Kis-Lev was trying to create a fun form of dance that can be easily teachable to others. At the time the dance was called "Sweat-Dance" due to the high intensity and perspiration involved.[3]
Realizing fellow students were attending for fun rather than wishing to become highly proficient in dance, Kis-Lev began to hold "just for fun" classes that began with a jazz warmup. Together, the group of students performed choreographies such as All That Jazz and America (West Side Story song) in the Max Bell Hall during college performances.[3]
Development[edit]
Upon returning to Israel, Kis-Lev was wishing to find a place in which he could both dance, and to which he could bring none-dancers friends. In 2017, being frustrated from being unable to find places to dance in Israel, Kis-Lev began further developing the dance he had taught at Pearson college.[4]
Unidance drew its inspiration from Folk dance, particularly Line Dance. The steps of Unidance were either inspired from Jazz Dance, Modern Dance, Contact Improvisation, and other popular forms of dance (see below).[5][1]
Subsequently, Kis-Lev began teaching Unidance at public venues such as Haifa beach promenade and Oranim College. Later, Kis-Lev partnered with his sister, Elinoy Kislov, to launch an official class of the new method in Tel Aviv, at Naim Studio on South Tel Aviv.[6][1] The company expanded into teachers' instruction and by 2019 were offering online certification programs for Unidance Instructors.[2]
Name[edit]
The word "Unidance" is a neologism that was expressly created as a brand name.[3] The original name was "Sweatdance", and later "Syxe". Kis-Lev was hoping to find a name that will be self-explanatory.[2] The importance of a uniform dance for each popular song was a key to the early success of Unidance, and this was to be reflected in the new name. Wishing to come up with a name that will hint of the unifying aspects of the method, as well as of the fact that each song had its own pre-choreographed choreography, the word unidance was coined.[2]
The name was therefore invented to reflect both the universality of the dance, as well as its fixed and uniform choreography for each specific song. The name Unidance is a combination of universe, uniform and dance.[7][3]
Choreography[edit]
Unidance, differing from most dance classes, does not focus on teaching a dance choreography step by step. The dance is copied by the participants watching the instructor on the spot, much like in aerobic or Zumba fitness class. Unidance teachers must signal to the participants of the next move. There are over 30 such signals, signifying such instructions as "chasse", "box-step", "jete", etc. The instructor must notify the group of the coming step two-seconds in advance.[1]
The choreography is composed using core steps drawing from Jazz dance, salsa, reggaeton, merengue, cumbia, Lambada, Hip-hop dance, Breakdancing, Hustle, Lindy Hop and Ballet.[1][2]
Unidance classes are typically about an hour long and are taught by instructors licensed by Unidance International, LLC.[3] The music comes mostly from pop music, and features songs by Madonna, Bruno Mars, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Rihanna, Beyoncé, etc.[1][2]
To practice as a Unidance teacher, instructors must be registered as Unidance Certified Teachers (UCT) and renew their membership annually. As part of the membership, instructors are given access to monthly choreographies and community support for their personal Unidance classes.[2]
Physical benefits[edit]
According to its founder, Unidance was not aimed to be a fitness nor an exercise class. However, due to its high-intensity dance routines, Unidance is considered a total-body cardio and aerobic workout, which provides a large calorie consumption.[7] A study shows that a person burns 300 to 850kcal with an hour-long Unidance exercise, depending on the energy put forth.[1][3][2]
Because Unidance offers different options for different levels of dancers, proponents of the method claim that it is safe for all ages, meaning that anyone from age of 4 to 100 can participate in this form of dance.[1] Some of the classes are specifically aimed at elderly people, to help them build strength, improve motion and posture, and socialize.[3] Apart from its high calorie burning benefit, Unidance can help lower the risk of heart disease, reduce the blood pressure and bad cholesterol, and increase your good cholesterol.[3][2]
Body-positivity philosophy[edit]
Unidance instructors are taught to incorporate philosophy from Duncan Dance styles, Tai Chi, and the bodymind healing arts of Feldenkrais Method, Alexander Technique and Yoga.[3][2] Unidance incorporates elements from New Age, body positivity and Fat acceptance movement philosophy, claiming that each body type is perfect, and that each participant's natural dance style is unique and should not be modified. As part of freeing participants to dance in their own style, participants are encouraged to add their own dance moves, sing along, high-five each other, and close their eyes when wishing to.[3][8] Unidance classes are most often taught with dim-lights, to enable the participants the feeling that they are not being watched or seen by others.[2]
According to Unidance teachers, each class is designed to feel like a party rather than a formal dance class. Participants are encouraged to dance in freestyle dance, and to "have fun" rather than try and master the steps.[7] Unlike most dance classes and aerobic classes often conducted in front of a large mirror, Unidance classes are danced with the participants' back to the mirror, without them able to see their own reflection. This, according to Unidance instructors, enables participants to stop comparing themselves to others.[1]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Komarov, Shai (2019-08-25). "יונידאנס". סטודיו נעים (in עברית). Retrieved 2019-11-04.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Cohen, Dikla. "Unidance CEO Kis-Lev on Business Model, Growth". Megamot BeRikud.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 "Unidance Workout: Is it Truly an Effective Workout?". Dance Israel: 18–21. Summer 2018.
- ↑ Levi, Gila (September 12 2019). "Unidance Is A Hit, But Is It To Stay?". Neshama Magazine.
- ↑ "Myco קורס לריקוד יונידאנס מתקדמים - BASIC2". MyCo (in עברית). Retrieved 2019-11-04.
- ↑ "Myco קורס מבוא לריקוד יונידאנס". MyCo (in עברית). Retrieved 2019-11-04.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Mizrahi, Doron. "Top 10 Health Benefits of Unidance". Mahol Achshav. 24: 17–19.
- ↑ http://www.israelnews.co.il/archives/entertainment/2018/11/17/2018-11-17_Unidance.html. Retrieved September 22, 2019. Unknown parameter
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External links[edit]
- http://www.naim.org.il/unidance/
- https://www.myco.co.il/course/introduction-course-for-unidance-jonathan-kis-lev/
- UNIDANCE EASY DANCE IN HAIFA, ISRAEL פעילות יונידאנס בחיפה, ישראל
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