Gina knows a thing or two about versatility. From feminine to ghetto to irresistibly sexy, she dominates every style in the book. But one thing that all of her pieces have in common? Confidence. As the first female choreographer for STEEZY Studio, Gina's here to share some helpful tips for embodying a strong character and dancing with your full body.

“Focused On You”

Throwback beats with a new school vibe- the fun song for Gina’s STEEZY Studio piece is perfect to play with- in movement, character, and interpretation.“I chose this song because the beat was influenced from a song back in 2001 by Nas, “Oocchi Wally.” I enjoyed its combination of both old and new school feel. Plus I had a lot of fun freestyling to the song whenever it played."

Full Body Party

The piece requires a lot of patience, relaxation, and listening to the music. You’ll notice that Gina never cuts a move short, she uses her whole body to depict a sound.

“Extending your movements to the fullest requires you to embody, first, the mood of the song and all that it makes you feel. It’ll help you to not think and anticipate the counts for the next move.”

Of course, make sure you’re aware of your arm placements and angles. But the focus isn’t on being super full-out, it’s about the control between point A and point B.

On Playing The Part

“Think about your purpose within the piece. Then, utilize everything you’ve learned from classes and rehearsals for it to come out naturally when you’re dancing.”

In the end, with any piece, you’re trying to tell a story to those watching and have them connect in a more personal level, and this isn’t going to come through cleanliness, it’ll come through commitment. And, with anything, commitment comes through understanding.

“Understanding the song will help you execute the movement in a more personal level, and can also help with your performance and execution. So sometimes just listening to the song while watching is more beneficial than trying  to just go for it all the time.”

Who Run The World

Gina is one of several female choreographers in our STEEZY Studio instructor line-up. She’s proven her versatility has been showcased through her time on/ directing Common Ground, Bad Girls (and Boys!) Club, and on Mischief Makers. This particular piece highlights that “swaggy” persona she’s been channeling recently.

“Ladies, if you want to dance “swaggy” it has to be some sort of character that comes from yourself. It can be a feeling based on the genre of the song, and polish that feeling by going out and taking classes that nurture that character.”

In terms of believing in your work…

“For all my female choreographers out there trying to “make it”.. don’t worry, you already have it! The gift of dance is free for everyone and the coolest part about it is that you can be yourself There have been many times where I have doubted myself because I had the urge to compare myself to those that I thought were successful by having something I don’t.Until- I learned how to love myself and my expression through movement. In the end, you are your own unique human and God gave you that gift of dance to share with others. And that, my friend, will open your eyes to the beauty and happiness you are capable of having in your life, as a choreographer and as a person.”

Be a bad b*tch by having good faith in yourself <3

On Training Smart

It sounds so obvious, but so many don’t take this route: If you’re a beginner at dance, start at a beginner level.

“If you skip steps you’ll only find yourself struggling at times and not knowing why. If you wanna take algebra, you have to now basic multiplication, right?”

And don’t forget, your body is everything!

"Before you go right into dancing, make sure you are properly warmed up and stretched out. It may be the part  you’re least interested in doing, but it is the MOST important before dancing. I am currently recovering from a herniated disc, and will have to be aware of it the rest of my life because I wasn’t careful with how I trained. Please take care of your bodies!"

Thank you for these tips, Gina! Put these all to practice by learning alongside her- she’ll teach you to utilize your whole body, be patient within moves, and channel that confident, bad@$$ character. Get focused on training and take her class online at STEEZY Studio today!

Want some more tips from other STEEZY Studio choreographers?

Try these:

‍7 Exercises To Boost Your Popping Fundamentals From Charles Nguyen (Poreotics)

‍How To Kill A New School Groove Like Scott Forsyth (Brotherhood

)How To Execute Choreography With Strength, Speed, And Cleanliness Like Franklin Yu (ACA)