Do You Blog About Dance? Be One of the Top 20 of 2011

IMAGE Top Dance Blogs 2011 Logo IMAGE

Enter your blog in our 2nd Annual Top Dance Blog contest. Real readers will choose their favorite blogs according to category and overall popularity. However, no blog is too small and every participant has something to gain, including a chance to engage and grow your audience. Don’t miss out! Enter now or share the event with your favorite dance blogger.

Some Dreams Are Worth Fighting For

IMAGE Program for MiaMichaels' RAW IMAGE

Mia Michaels is known as a tough character and dancing in her company RAW was definitely rough. But it taught Melanie Doskocil a valuable lesson about struggle and perseverance. Her story will leave you asking what you would have done in her shoes.

Sunday Snapshot: Tango For Us

IMAGE Tango For Us // Photo by Moncho Vallejos // dancer: Daynelis Muñoz, Ballet de Camaguey // choreography: Tania Vergara, “Tango Para Nos” IMAGE

Dance is what Moncho Vallejos knows. It’s the family business and his sister is a dancer. “That’s how I became interested in dancing. On top of performing it, capturing it in moments,” he says. See this captured moment from “Operación Bailarina Estudio 4: Gala”, an event that brought together some of the best dancers in Yucatán, Mexico and guest performers from Camagüey, Cuba’s own city ballet.

Nutrition On The Move: Breakfast Of Champions…Or Dancers!

A bowl of sugary, processed cereal is not going to energize you for the day. Start your morning off right with a whole grain like kasha.

A bowl of sugary, processed cereal is not going to energize you for the day. Start your morning off right with a whole grain like kasha.

The Nutcracker: Unwrapped

IMAGE The Sugar Plum Fairy's Costume tagged by Wardrobe IMAGE

Ever wondered what goes on behind-the-scenes of The Nutcracker in one of America’s largest ballet companies? From 7000 lbs of hand-torn snow to tangled flying cooks, take a peek, as we talk with Production Director, Tom Boyd and Wardrobe Manager, Laura Lynch.

Who Inspires You?

IMAGE Jean stretches at the barre. IMAGE

I’ve been given a blog award but I’m announcing it with a twist and a shout out. Meet my nominator, Jean who blogs 52 Weeks of Ballet, and Melissa, the young blogger behind the award. They got to ask me questions too in this post that covers everything from first dance solos to returning to ballet as an adult.

Tap Classics: Frank Condos and 5-Count Wings

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In the 1920s, wings were all the rage, and many variations existed. The Pump, the Pendulum, the Saw, the Double Back… like time steps, most dancers had a signature wing variation. But there was one variation in particular that caught the public’s attention, and it was the 5-count wing, created by Frank Condos.

Creative Process: 10 Ideas for Moving Beyond the Steps

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The ways movement is inspired, how it is developed, edited, and finally presented is a process. Concert dance is all about the intent and the journey, which lead to the product. If this idea is new to you, here is a ten-step list of how to engage in a process from K-12 teacher, Heather Vaughan-Southard.

Tap Classic: Jimmy Slyde and his Signature Sliding

Slyde

Sliding has long been a popular tap step. The novelty of the slide comes from the illusion that the floor has somehow developed a slick surface, giving the impression that the dancer is off balance and could fall at any minute. Discover how it’s done, view classic footage, and learn about the men who made the step famous.

Grace Makes Beauty Out Of Ugly Things

IMAGE Headshot of Melinda Marchiano, author of Grace: A Child's Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery IMAGE

Four years ago, a young dancer, Melinda Marchiano was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. She’s transformed her confrontation with cancer into something beautiful, documenting her path through diagnosis, treatment, and recovery in a memoir, Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery, which she published in October, 2010. Melinda talks with DA about cancer, her book, and her future plans.