Why And How To Teach Anatomy Concepts To Children

arm-muscle-bicep

Since dance is the art of motion, in order to become a proficient dancer one must understand how the body moves from the inside; how the muscles and bones work to leap, turn, kick, stretch and fold. A pretty sophisticated idea for a young dancer. Since learning is a layered experience, introducing the concepts of anatomy now will allow them to build upon this foundation in the future.

Sunday Snapshot: Foot Phrase

Foot Phrase

Foot Phrase is a section in the ballet A Pulse Stolen by Ted Seymour (see more in an interview and clips from A Pulse Stolen on YouTube), which had its world premiere on May 21, 2010. This section of the ballet is done in total darkness except for three sets of illuminated, moving feet.

15 Ways To Activate Brain And Body During Summer Break

Beach dance

7. Watch dance online. Peek into the professional dance world with DancePulp on Hulu. Each eight to ten-minute video offers a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of dancers and choreographers. Christopher Wheeldon, Andrea Schermoly, Lourdes Lopez, and don’t miss William Wingfield talk about So You Think You Can Dance and combining the concert and commercial career.

Social Smarts LIVE Chat

Social communication

Chat Archive: The archive to the chat can be found at Chatroll (you do have to be have to register for free with Chatroll to view the archive online) Here is the archive from today’s chat, available for download: Social Smarts Live Chat Check back for more links and useful info. The purpose of of [...]

How To Act (And React) Like A Professional

WestSideStory3

A consummate professional is constructive, positive, is motivated and has the ability to motivate others, displays generosity, and takes the high road. If you want to be seen as a professional in your career and in your life, you must develop strong leadership skills. And leaders are most often defined by their reactions to situations, rather than their actions.

Sunday Snapshot: Father’s Way

I wanted to do something interesting for Father’s Day so I’m changing it up a bit just for today. Below are two videos of a father and son, both spectacular dancers. You don’t get images or video of that very often, I’m sad to say!

Is It Okay To Stretch Before Class?

split

If you are stretching with the goal of long-term changes in your flexibility (for example, you can’t do the splits and would like to), save your stretching routine for after class or between barre and center when your muscles are “warm.” Generally speaking, both of the stretching techniques above have acute (short-lasting) effects on your range of motion before activity, but don’t really increase your overall flexibility.

“Late Beginner” Blues And How To Get Beyond Them

leap-renemichaels

Possibly the worst thing dancers can do when there is a strong desire to improve is make negative comparisons of themselves to other dancers. Sometimes comparisons help us create a realistic picture and provide awareness of where we are and where we still have to go. However, comparisons must stop there.

Sunday Snapshot: Canyon Repose

Pointe shoes in Moab, Utah

On the rock face are the MoonFlower Canyon Petroglyphs. Considered a holy place in ancient times by the Native Americans, the petroglyphs are located just five miles outside of Moab, Utah.. The pointe shoes resting on the fence post belong to Cricket, the photographer. She says, “What you can’t see, is an Indian ladder and foot holds that takes you to the top of the red rock cliffs 200 feet above, that over look the Colorado River and its stunning views. It’s a difficult climb for those who are not experienced with climbing on red rock or have a fear of heights.”

Announcing The Social Smarts Live Chat

Today I am announcing something special and totally unique on this blog. On Wednesday, June 23 at 2:30pm EST I will be hosting a LIVE chat with Suzanne Gerety of DanceStudioOwner.com and Marc Kirschner of TenduTV right here on Dance Advantage. We will be chatting about a topic that is important to all three of [...]

Protected: Testing For Upcoming Live Chat – IGNORE

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Guest Post: The What, When, Why, and How of Clogging

Clogging; dancer Dorothy Stephenson; photographer Kathy Cobb

“Yes, it’s kind of like Tap. No, it’s not like Riverdance. Clogging is every dance – a dance form that includes everything from Irish step dancing to hip hop and everything in between. Cloggers perform choreography to anything from “Uncle Penn” by Ricky Skaggs to Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train.” It is a dance form that defines who I was, who I am, and who I always will be.”