Giving students, teachers, and parents an edge in dance education
Music educator, composer, philanthropist, and youtube sensation, John Jacobson has choreographed for “mobs” of dancers, including the staff and crew of the Ellen DeGeneres show. Get John’s tips on how to stage your own flashmob and learn more about his true life’s work and positive message.
Ballet training produces results, and Tristan thinks it’s time that tap dancers learn a little something from ballet class, consistently encouraging the 4 basics of tap technique, covered in detail within the article.
Enter to win a Cruelty Free Package including a pair of Cynthia King Vegan Ballet Slippers, a Cruelty Free shirt, and a DVD of the award-winning documentary “Vegucated” from Cynthia King. King gives dancers a unique and affordable way to show their love for animals in their art by providing high quality, cruelty free ballet slippers. Giveaway ends Feb 17, 2012.
With its STEEZ portable audio system (or “boombox”) Pioneer is revitalizing a breed of music player that seems nearly extinct, yet still has use and meaning in the dance community. Storing your digital music in 4GB of memory this line offers dance-specific features like tempo control, music cues, and dance battle mode. Dance Advantage reviews the mid-sized Duo model.
These popular flash steps were the innovations and contributions of Toots Davis. Learn more about Davis and the history behind classic tap steps, in-the-trenches and over-the-tops.
Toe padding for pointe shoes is a controversial subject. Every dancer has an opinion. Lauren has tried nearly everything and wants to help you form your own.
When working with students on choreography it’s possible to get them thinking beyond steps to a more robust concept of creative process that encourages thoughtful choices about all areas of production. Heather demonstrated this with her previous article. This time, she goes a step further, showing you ways to connect these ideas with dance history to enrich students’ understanding.
Many contenders could claim to be “the king” of paddle and roll (also called paradiddles) but no other dancer is identified more with the tap step than tap icon, Lon Chaney. Bunny Briggs has also made his mark with the step, as have others. Learn more about paddle and roll and its origins.
Fresh from her Grade III Cecchetti teacher’s exam, Lauren Warnecke reflects on why, despite that she’s not actively teaching ballet, she continued to study the Method. Purely editorial, her musings are a peek inside the exam process and tip of the hat to the man behind the Method.
Co-Director of The Ailey School, Co-Chair of The Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. program, and former Dance Theatre of Harlem ballerina, Melanie Person answers ten questions: on leg extension, encouraging ballet students, what studios could do to better prepare students for college, and what she knew when she was twelve.
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.
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.
