You’re Invited! (The Back to School Teach-a-thon)

teachathon3

Ready or not, summer is ending and a new school year is about to begin. Many dance studios, programs, and colleges will be making the transition from a reduced summer schedule to a new and busy season of classes. I know that many teachers use these days of summer to re-assess, regroup, refresh and prepare [...]

Dancing with the Stars (Not Those Stars)

Celebrities get their fair share of exposure so, no, this is not another post on reality tv’s hit show. Instead, I wanted to highlight one woman’s realized dream to create dance in zero-gravity.

Pillow Talk (Jacob’s Pillow, that is)

My little family of three just returned from our summer vacation. Aside from a short trip to the Big Apple in 2006, my husband and I have not indulged in a true holiday for several years now, instead spending time off visiting with family. Now that we have an infant son, vacations come with additional [...]

A Dancer’s Guide: How to Decide on a College

Dance in college is different from what most young dancers training in studios have experienced thus far. It requires the dancer to think about dance more academically, begin to see themselves as a dance artist, and explore the art of making/watching concert dance.

A Dancer’s Guide: Tips for College (Part III)

This is the third installment in my Tips for College series. Please see Part I and Part II for more of my thoughts and advice on the college experience. This post will focus on academic classes both within and outside of a dance major, as well as general advice about life on campus. Theory and [...]

Classic Confusion

What is classical dance? The most inclusive definition I’ve found is used throughout K-12 educational documents and refers to classical dance as: “Dance that has been developed into highly stylized structures within a culture. Generally developed within the court or circle of power in a society.” Rooted in Europe, ballet would probably be considered the [...]

Dancer Universe Polls

I am really enjoying a site called Dancer Universe and have been posting some of my Dance Advantage articles at the site. One of the features I enjoy there is that I can easily attach polls to my posts. I would love for you to visit the site and check out the polls I’ve posted [...]

A Dancer’s Guide: Tips for College (Part II)

Tips for College Part I dealt with what to expect in technique classes and performance rehearsals, as well as some tips for success in these areas. In continuation of the series, I will highlight two aspects of dance in higher education with which many incoming students have little experience. Improvisation Improvisation may be an entirely [...]