I was recently asked about some tips on how to improve at multiple pirouettes. I know that lots of students are wanting to know the same thing, so here is my answer: 1. Engaging your abdominal/core muscles is necessary for maintaining good alignment during the turn. 2. Every turn is a balance, so work on [...]
Encouraging Boys to Dance
April 26, 2008 By 8 Comments
Dance is a physical and athletic activity requiring great skill, strength, and agility. Sounds like an ideal fit for energetic boys… so where are they?? Well, we know that public perception is difficult to change and, in general, the current perception is that dance is not a “manly” activity. For ballet and some other dance [...]
Make Your Own Dance Puzzles
April 25, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Discovery Education’s website has an online puzzle maker. The free version allows you to create different types of puzzles and either print them from the browser or create a text version that you can copy and paste to a new application. If you’re needing a quick handout for your dance classes this week (remember we [...]
Watching and Discussing Dance
April 23, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Continuing my series on how dancers, teachers, parents, and schools can celebrate National Dance Week in meaningful ways that will endure beyond this small portion of the year, this post is about watching and discussing dance. In an earlier post, I suggested that one way to celebrate NDW is to go see dance in order [...]
Teaching and Exploring the History and Evolution of Dance
April 21, 2008 By 1 Comment
A student in ballet cannot learn the art in isolation and no one can know what great dancing is without seeing examples of it. Not only can the dancer not be separated from the dance, she also cannot be separated from the history of dancing, from the line of dancers and teachers leading to her. [...]
Celebrate National Dance Week
April 19, 2008 By Leave a Comment
National Dance Week is approaching ( April 25-May 4, 2008 ) and if you haven’t already, now is the time to decide how you’re going to celebrate! Obviously if you’re visiting this blog, you probably have an interest in dance and may already feel like you are immersed in its practice. However, there are lots [...]
Big Boi not an OutKast at Atlanta Ballet
April 18, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Fostering Artistry in Young or Beginning Dancers
April 17, 2008 By 2 Comments
I came across a new blog, Design Dance, that coincided with something I’ve recently been thinking about. The blog is for a dance school in Chicago that has a mission to offer classes that not only teach technique but also create an environment that encourages the young artist. Let me just quote a bit from [...]
Finding Quality Dance Instruction – Middle Ground
April 16, 2008 By 5 Comments
I come from a small town and have taught in some small cities where dance studios struggle to maintain integrity and keep their business (or non-profit) afloat. Access to educated and experienced dance teachers is sometimes minimal. Below, I’ve listed some circumstances that occur in dance studios across the country. They are not absolute deal-breakers, [...]
Finding Quality Dance Instruction – Deal-Breakers
April 15, 2008 By 5 Comments
When researching dance schools or studios, there are certain things I consider, instruction deal-makers. Here I will investigate the possibly more controversial deal-breakers: An instructor is consistently condescending and sarcastic, frequently uses put-downs or yelling to get results, or is insensitive to safety and health/weight issues. Classes appear out of control – little ones have [...]
Finding Quality Dance Instruction – Deal-Makers
April 14, 2008 By 2 Comments
Image via Wikipedia People don’t usually open a studio or attend a dance school if they don’t think it is a quality product being offered. However I’ve found that those in the dance world have strong opinions about what is or is not quality dance instruction. I consider myself a pretty diplomatic person and I [...]
What it Takes – Becoming a Ballerina
April 14, 2008 By 1 Comment
Originally this post featured a link to a news item that focused on a 12-year-old girl with aspirations to become a professional ballet dancer, and the sacrifices she’s made and will need to make in order to get there. The article is no longer available, however, so I have updated this post with some other [...]
