Summing Up The Summit

Instead of actual snapshots I’m sharing some of the thoughts and impressions I picked up along the yellow brick road. I hope you’ll use, think about, or act upon these little nuggets from the Dance Teacher Summit. I had a great time collecting them for you.

Who Wants To Rock The Vote In These Online Dance Contests?

The winner will score the ultimate prize of rehearsing with Kate Champion to bring his/her unique performance to life at the screening of Footloose on September 26. In addition to the thrill of performing live at Sydney Opera House, the winner will receive $2,000, a SONY HD flash Handycam camcorder, as well as a SONY ‘Bloggie’ HD snap camera.

Why I’m Psyched For The Dance Teacher Summit

The line-up of dance artists, master teachers, and presenters. Every single one has contributed so much to the dance world and to dance training. Legends and long-time educators like Frank Hatchett, David Howard, Bill Evans, Finis Jhung, Zena Rommett, Denise Wall and my former professor at Slippery Rock University, Thom Cobb. Plus luminaries like Sean Curran, Mandy Moore, Travis Wall, Mike Minery, and Andy Blankenbuehler.

Social Smarts LIVE Chat

TweetShareChat 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 [...]

Today Is National Tap Dance Day!

Discover details about National Tap Dance Day, more about Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and his relationship to this event, and ways you can celebrate with the rest of the world.

Why DOES Dance Matter?

I’m not the first and certainly not the last to ask the question. An expectant audience asks this of each performer as he presents his offering on stage. A student looks for the reply in the eyes of their teacher, the guide to their experience. The soul doesn’t have to ask the body as it moves to the internal rhythm of the heart. It just knows.

So why do we have to ask? Why must we put it in words? It seems that the answer should be inherently clear to anyone whose body has for even one second embraced accord with that internal rhythm. So why must we be utterly clear in our conviction that dance matters?

Why Does Dance Matter To You?

Affirm the impact dance has on the lives of individuals and communities. Between Arts Advocacy Day (April 12) and the close of National Dance Week (May 2), participate in Why Dance Matters, a virtual event that rallies the dance community on Facebook and beyond. Begin by attending the event (found here: http://tinyurl.com/dancematters) and sharing it with others. From updating a status and donning a profile badge to creating a video or blog, choose your own level of participation, but take action and share Why Dance Matters to YOU!

Profile of an American Icon: A Few Words With Paul Taylor

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.

First of All — A Chat with Prix de Lausanne Winner Emanuel Amuchastegui

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.

Tap away those summertime blues…

Tap festivals are everywhere and are probably coming to a city near you! These fabulous wood-shedding events allow tap dancers of all ages, levels, and backgrounds to meet together and share in a non-judgmental and nurturing environment. Hoofers are honored at nearly every fest, giving young dancers exposure to the greats – the masters perform and teach in an intimate setting at most events.

From Page to Screen to Classroom

In 2004, Houston Dance Critic Molly Glentzer in her review of the book for Dance Magazine stated, “Li’s tenacity is an inspiring lesson to any reader, dancer or not. It’s the stuff of which great movies are made. Expect this one soon, and bring Kleenex. But read the book first.” A handful of years later, Li’s story is now a motion picture. It has already done well in Australia but unfortunately distribution in the U.S. is still speculative.

Dance, Dance Everywhere!

There are a few aspects of televised dance that I find annoying but what I truly love about the success of dance on television is its potential for building awareness of what it is to be a dancer and for expanding the dance audience. I don’t think filmed productions can replace live performance, even the flashy stuff on TV doesn’t come close. It is my hope though that, as its small-screen cousin has done, dance which makes its home in live-performance venues will begin to embrace its inner “hottie” in the coming year.

Next Page »