Contemporary.
There's so many bitches that want the spot or want the job,
and there's not many spots there.
The eyes are watching.
Like, you have to be on your P's and Q's.
The toes have to be pointed.
Like, it's very judgmental.
Nigel: All right, everybody.
Thank you for coming out today, for braving the cold to be here.
We're gonna get into our bodies.
We're gonna have some fun.
We're gonna move.
Don't mind me if I get a little excited.
Nice, guys.
You're gonna push your knees and hips forward
as your head goes back,
and you find your way to the floor.
And then you have your own process to get back.
Seven and eight.
We go directly to the left side.
Very nice.
One, two, now use all of your articulation through your hips.
Yes, now reach, reach, reach, reach.
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Reach, fall, fall, fall, fall.
Yeah, give me your weight.
Give me your weight.
There you go.
That's it, that's it.
Nice.
Tupac said this thing, like, so long ago, but, like,
"I'm very harsh because I'm super sensitive."
I don't really care what anyone says about me,
but at the same time, like, I'm a real hard critic on myself.
What I feel like I can maybe get from this class is just,
like, more just trusting in myself in what I want
and what I got to do.
Nigel: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
One, good, and ba-ba-ba!
Step, step, pop.
Da da da, heel.
Way, boom.
Ka, ka, di-di-di-di.
Ba da.
Ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-boom.
Yes!
Absolutely, absolutely.
And what I love about this, as well, is you can see, like,
doesn't matter what size you are.
It's just, like, putting the weight into your pelvis
and going, thrusting yourself through the space,
eating space like a monster for everyone.
One last time, guys, thank you.
Good, good, good, good, good.
It was beautiful to watch you
because you seemed kind of shy in the beginning.
But then, like, after a while, then I, like, loosened up.
Yeah.
I was really starting to find myself again.
I felt that.
I felt like you started to come out,
and I felt you unafraid to bring in
all of the elements from the vogue
and the house stuff into the class,
which I think is really welcome.
And I think that that's an important part
of establishing who you are, as well,
because that's all a part of you.
Yeah.
And your classical training
and this and the neighborhood you grew up in.
All of that, bringing that is what makes you unique.
I mean, you know, it's already hard being a short,
like, muscular dancer, you know what I'm saying?
Mm-hmm, yeah.
And I just feel like,
I don't know, there's not so much opportunities
as I would like them to be.
Right.
When you go to Europe, bitch, them jobs is lined up.
You know what I'm saying?
'Cause you're a commodity.
You got this American.
We can do this, do that.
Like, and it's so weird because even when I'm in Europe,
I get more jobs in New York from being over there.
Right, right.
It's so weird,
you know what I'm saying?
Right.
I don't know.
I felt like there would be
more when I came back.
Maybe that's me being a bit in my ego, whatever.
No.
In my process, it's really been about
just owning how different I am.
You can do things when you dance that somebody who's 6'2"
can't do because you have this short, tight,
compact frame that can move from
here to here and down and up.
Right.
[ Laughter ]
That's right.
Pop, pop, pop.
Oh, my God.
So I think it's really important for you,
as you're building yourself back up in New York
to get back to your roots in contemporary dance, as well.
And how can you bring all of that to the table
to make yourself stand out?
Trust it.
You know, just like by the end of class
how you are trusting your body.
Yeah.
And you are adding
all of yourself in, trust this process, as well,
and just show up every day.
Do the work, and at the end of the day, make your own ship.
Mm.
Because you're super special.