Guest Post: Insight Into ABT’s National Training Curriculum

Deb describes her own productive and exhilarating summer adventures as a participant in American Ballet Theater’s National Training Curriculum program in wonderful detail. “The Training is organized as week-long intensives; candidates are asked to obtain certification in Primary Level through Level 3 of the curriculum before being allowed to continue certification in Levels 4 and 5, and then 6, 7, and Partnering (taught as two separate intensives).”

Ready, Set, Stop: How To Teach Mind-Body Skills By Not Moving

To illustrate this, I ask my students to become aware of how their body feels as it works against gravity. I ask them to put their hands above their heads and then to be still. I remind them, “you are in charge of your body,” “your brain tells your body what to do,” and then we wait.

New Continents — From Royal Ballet School To Boston Ballet

“I once took six months off from ballet when I was 14. My school commitments were growing and it was becoming seriously difficult to juggle everything. It reaffirmed for me, however, that ballet was my one love and out of everything what I should have been doing.”

Lightbulb Moments: Pas De Chat

Every jump in ballet is preceded by a counter-movement, namely, a plie, and this is exceedingly effective in getting more height out of a jump (try jumping from straight legs and see what happens), not to mention protecting the achilles tendon from injury. In fact, people have studied jump height and found that maximum vertical height in a jump is higher using a counter movement than not (3). So it makes sense that we bend our knees before jumping.

Sunday Snapshot: America Swings

wing Dance was born out of American jazz in Harlem in the late 1920s through the 40s and is now being cultivated in more than fifty foreign countries. Capturing the peak moment in dance is a challenge for photographers. Being a dancer myself, I listen to the music and know when that split second will occur.

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

“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.”

Teacher’s Top Three: Books For Ballet Teachers

“I love this book because it doesn’t just give combinations (though there are combinations from each teacher listed at the end of the book). It really brings insight on teaching artistry and simple joy of movement as well as tips on teaching turns and jumps, etc. Additionally, it is a fascinating read; the first time i read it i could hardly put it down.”

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.

When Is Too Much Not Enough? — The Truth About Well-Rounded Dancers

Experience and exposure in a variety of dance styles is important for creating versatile dancers and may even be a necessity for aspiring professionals. Being well-rounded in dance is a good thing. Exposure to different dance forms, starting at a young age, is a great thing. So where’s the myth? It lies in the misplaced emphasis on experience and omission of training.

Role Of A Lifetime: Returning To Dance As A Mom

“Your body does change,” confirms Sara, “and my fear was that I wouldn’t be able to look or dance the way I did before pregnancy and birth.” It was a fear that Toni shared. When asked what concerns she had about pregnancy, Toni answers, “That my body would never be the same. Its true, my body has never been the same. So what.” However, Toni concedes, “Like most dancers, I am hard on my body image, and that got worse after having a baby.”

Pas de Deux: Two Career Dancers On Pregnancy

Balancing any career with motherhood has its challenges but mother/dancers certainly face some unique concerns and questions. To produce a picture of what it is like for mothers who are also professional dancers, I spoke with two dancing moms, one a ballet dancer, one a contemporary dance artist and choreographer. In this first installment, we discuss pregnancy and what it is like to dance and perform while expecting.

The Mouse Ran Up The Clock: Exploring Time With Nursery Rhyme

Jack be Nimble, Jack be Quick, Jack Jumped Over the Candlestick

I have the students run and jump over our “candlestick” on the word OVER. We accent the third beat and the children clap along. (one, two, Three, four/one, two, Three, four/one, two, THREE, four/ one, two, THREE, four.)

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