GIVEAWAY: Holiday Cards for Dancers

IMAGE Holiday Collection - Assorted Dance Note Cards Boxed Set by DanceStudioOwner.com IMAGE

DanceStudioOwner.com would like to give away one boxed set of their super-cute, dance-themed Holiday Collection Note Cards to FIVE Dance Advantage readers. Simply comment to enter and you could be a winner. Plus learn a little greeting card trivia, when you visit!

LINES and Limitations: Ask Yourself This Question

IMAGE Airplanes in formation rise upward like an arrow IMAGE

Some lessons stay with us for life. In this installment of Ballet’s Un-X-pected Lesson Files, Melanie Doskocil talks about a particularly difficult rehearsal and the lesson mentor and choreographer, Alonzo King, taught her about limits and giving more when you think you’ve given it all.

Terpsichorus: Discussing Entity — Wayne McGregor/Random Dance

IMAGE Wayne McGregor | Random Dance's Entity IMAGE

Terpsichorus means to delight in dance and is an open group event to encourage conversation and commentary on dance film, video, or books. Join us in our premiere discussion of the film and dance work Entity (Wayne McGregor/Random Dance). All are welcome. Join anytime!

How-to: Ballet Eye Makeup Made Easy

Expressive Ballet Eyes Made Easy

ballet dancer’s makeup should accentuate and enhance the NATURAL three dimensional shape of the eye. This allows the audience to follow the ballerina’s gaze. As her eyes and head follow through each position of her dance the audience needs to know if her eyes are open, closed, looking in a certain direction or at a specific character.

Giving Thanks Giveaway: Grosh Backdrops

Grosh Backdrops & Drapery

Grosh would like to give away a backdrop rental (winner’s choice) valued up to $500 to ONE Dance Advantage reader. Just place a comment at this post, answering the question: If you were to win, which theme or specific Grosh backdrop would make your performance or event a success?

Giving Thanks Giveaway: The Barre-Tender

The Barre-Tender padded cushion for stretching at the barre

Tracy and the kind folks at Vonder Haar Center for the Performing Arts want to give away one Barre-Tender to three different Dance Advantage readers. Simply leave a comment describing your favorite stretch at the barre.

Help With Second Position Of The Arms

A sketch of a dancer with arms in second position

What to do and think for an improved second position de bras (of the arms), and the importance of proper alignment for creating the pictures we make with our bodies in dance.

Two Teenaged Students Blogging About Ballet

Survival Guide For Dancers blog header

“I realized that there were many girls that were my age that had just recently started ballet, and had to take class with a whole room full of girls who could do over-splits, triple pirouettes, and could lift their legs to their ears. I began looking at ballet blogs, and reading ballet books, but I could never find exactly what I was looking for. I felt like I needed 10 years of ballet training within a couple of weeks. Things like class etiquette, recital how-tos, and special stretches to boost my extension. I could only imagine that there were more girls like me looking for the same things.”

Sunday Snapshot: Port de Danseuse

Dancer-Ship

Hannah is a young photographer and dancer who has been featured on the Dance Advantage Sunday Snapshot before. She has a knack for finding unique locations and using them to feature her favorite subject, dancers. “Dance is what I love to do so naturally, I am most inspired to photograph dancers,” she says. And in case you are doubting, yes, the boat really is named the Dancer.

New Continents — From Royal Ballet School To Boston Ballet

Duncan Lyle performing Coppelia, Royal Ballet School; photo: Margaret Kokrhelj

“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.”

Sunday Snapshot: Ballet Zaida

Ballet Zaida

According to Oliver Endahl, the photographer, the purpose of the Ballet Zaida photography project is to “educate and expose the public to ballet, as well as inspire the world through pictures.” A former ballet dancer himself, his work is definitely inspiring as well as inspired, featuring incredibly talented dancers in stunning locations. And there is just gallery after gallery of images – a visual feast.

Sunday Snapshot: Foot Phrase

Foot Phrase

Foot Phrase is a section in the ballet A Pulse Stolen by Ted Seymour (see more in an interview and clips from A Pulse Stolen on YouTube), which had its world premiere on May 21, 2010. This section of the ballet is done in total darkness except for three sets of illuminated, moving feet.