Giving students, teachers, and parents an edge in dance education
This image arrests a moment in performance that seems to have great significance, a blessing or ritual perhaps. It is one among many striking images which have been submitted via the Dance Advantage Flickr Pool. However, this particular photo by Brian Mengini stands out not only because it is expertly captured but because it features a dance company rather than a soloist.
Apple® customer reviews are helpful for deciding where to spend your money but, as most dance-related apps have a smaller audience, there are many that haven’t received visible feedback. So, I went in search of dance apps that I could share with you! Some I had already, others were generously offered by the makers for review on this site.
I feel very honored that Mr. Taylor took the time to answer a few questions about his life and work in an email interview. Paul Taylor is one of the most prominent and influential choreographers of our time. Yet, in the late 1940′s he was studying painting and swimming on scholarship at Syracuse University when amidst a series of seemingly unrelated dance experiences he was struck by a revelation or, as he describes it in his autobiography Private Domain a “flash of recognition… an unignorable hunch” that he was to become a dancer.
Movement is a layered experience. We develop movement patterns and then continue to relearn them as we get older. Babies learn to crawl, developing the spiral and then relearn and master it as they walk and then run.
Simone Boos is currently a second year college student who started Simone Boos Photography in January of 2009 at the age of 18. A native of Indianapolis, Simone works all around the Hoosier state as well as in mid-Michigan where she attends school. Simone became interested in photography as a high school student and has, since that time, pursued it at every opportunity. The dancer is Sara Little of Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre (Indianapolis, Indiana). The photo was from the dance company’s season shoot for 2009-2010 specifically for a production called The Casket Girls
At the Prix de Lausanne, he performed a classical variation from August Bournonville’s La Sylphide and a contemporary solo, Caliban, from Cathy Marston’s The Tempest. In addition to winning PDL’s top prize, Amuchasetgui also brought home the “Audience Favorite” award. In the wake of his win, Amachastegui was kind enough to answer a few questions about his experience at the prestigious competition, his training, and his life outside of dance.
Parent your child through this setback and support them in becoming a more resilient and confident human being. When your child is faced with a letdown, you have a great opportunity to encourage your son or daughter to face and rise above the obstacles that come their way. It may not feel like a gift but it is.
When I received Amy’s question about pain in developpé below, my instinct was to help yet, I was not confident that I was fully equipped to assess what might be happening with Amy. So, I did what I would have for any student who had a problem I could not work out – I took her question to someone more knowledgeable than I – Deb Vogel, a neuromuscular educator and movement analyst who has been working with dancers for years.
Social media is about making connections. One of the things we do with our dance studio fan page is to post about local theatre productions and community events. Why? Because we know that the hours of dance lessons that our young dancers have has a potential impact on local theater. We want to spread goodwill to our sister arts organizations. See yourself as part of the thread woven between your arts community.
Brian Mengini has been involved with the dance world for over 8 years, first as company management and now as a photographer. He is based in Philadelphia, PA and has shot the Royal Ballet of London, Pennsylvania Ballet, Ballet X and many others. His recent project Spirit of the Fallen, pays tribute to the fallen officers of the Philadelphia Police Department. The photo exhibition, which depicts dancers from the Philly area wearing angel wings, also raises funds for the FOP Survivor’s Fund.
