Tristan covers the anatomy of a tap shoe, types of shoes available, beginner alternatives, materials used, notes on getting the best tone from your tap, shoe support, and even orthotics! Whew! This post is just packed with stuff to make you a more informed customer.
The Stem of Aplomb – Part Three: The Lumbar Spine, Sacrum, and Coccyx
March 17, 2011 By 2 Comments
Having addressed the Cervical and Thoracic spines in previous installments, we now turn our attention to the lower three sections of the vertebral column. Learn about the lumbar spine, intervertebral discs, the sacrum, coccyx, and get a quick and dirty list of the 3 big take-away points about ‘the stemb of aplomb,’ the spine.
The Stem of Aplomb — Part One: The Cervical Spine
February 28, 2011 By 4 Comments
The way that a dancer carries his/her head, the length of the neck, and the position of the chin, are pivotal to the overall appearance of grace and poise so necessary in dance. Understand the cervical spine and how it functions to project self-confidence, and improve common mistakes in cambré and carriage of the head.
Muscles 101: Comparing muscles to a rubber band might be stretching it….
July 19, 2010 By 2 Comments
While the image of a rubber band is useful in demonstrating the elastic nature of muscles in the stretch reflex, it’s not always as simple as the stretch/recoil and stretch-farther/less-recoil that we gain from thinking of muscles simply as rubber bands.
Why And How To Teach Anatomy Concepts To Children
June 28, 2010 By 4 Comments
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.
What You Mean, What You Say: Get Up On Your Leg
May 20, 2010 By 6 Comments
“Get up on your leg”… Teachers have a habit of saying this when students are “sinking” into their supporting leg while balanced on one leg. How can you correct a sinking hip and what are some ways to rephrase this common dance teacher-ism.
Developpé Dilemma: Deb Vogel Addresses a Reader Question
February 11, 2010 By 2 Comments
When I received Amy’s question about pain in developpé below, my instinct was to help yet, I was not confident that I was fully equipped to assess what might be happening with Amy. So, I did what I would have for any student who had a problem I could not work out – I took her question to someone more knowledgeable than I – Deb Vogel, a neuromuscular educator and movement analyst who has been working with dancers for years.
Stretching Safely for Splits
November 19, 2009 By 8 Comments
When it comes to stretching and splits some dancers place intense emphasis on achieving the ideal static position, forgetting that this type of flexibility is only part of the picture. They compromise the health of their instrument – the body – as they push to extremes to get results, and get results fast.
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Turnout – Part I
October 10, 2008 By 1 Comment
Although we sometime use the word turnout as a noun or a position (i.e. “Your turnout could be better.”), it is more appropriately thought of as an action, a verb. Because outward rotation is not the body’s natural state, the work does not stop once the position or desired degree of rotation has been attained. Instead, outward rotation of the hips requires continual action within the body, even when the rotation is held in a position (like ballet 5th).
