Dance Advantage » communication

One With The Music: Accompanying Dancers Part One

Nichelle (admin) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 13:10:39 +0000

Have you ever wondered about the view from behind the piano keyboard?

How does someone become a dance accompanist? And how might a dance school welcome and make room for an accompanist in their studio?

Richard Maddock, an experienced dance accompanist will share his story in this two-part interview… Plus some helpful tips, what he feels is most important in the communication between teacher and pianist, and the tremendous respect for dancers which comes from 25 years of witnessing their training.

Richard is currently Head Accompanist at The Pia Bouman School of Creative Movement and Ballet, in Toronto, Canada. Richard’s full-length CDs for dance and creative movement have garnered enthusiastic praise from dancers worldwide, including me! I reviewed several of Richard’s CDs right here on Dance Advantage and have been pleased to set my ballet classes to his works since.

I have included videos featuring Richard’s accompaniment and compositions. Feel free to press play so that Richard can accompany your reading as well!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j4NK_xusSU

How did you get started as a dance accompanist?

My older brother had been playing for a ballet school for a few years, and he asked me one day if I would like to try and fill in for him as he was going away to university. Even though I was only fourteen years old at the time, I was able to sight read very well and thought that it was a wonderful opportunity to make money doing something I loved to do – play the piano! I have been playing for ballet schools ever since.

Thinking back, did you discover anything about working with dancers/dance instructors that was at first a surprise or unexpected?

The very first ballet class I played for was a big surprise, because I had no idea what to expect or what would be expected of me by either the teacher or the dancers. I walked into the studio and the first person I saw was the teacher (who seemed to me to be very old), holding a lit cigarette in one hand and a cane in the other! She smoked her cigarette while she taught, and made sure to let the dancers know that she was quite able to use the cane if necessary!

Dancers were expected to have the perfect bun, professional outfits, to be at the studio half an hour early to do warm-ups on their own, and to be at the barre at the minute that their class was to start. No one was allowed to talk unless they raised their hand and any questions had to be relevant to what they were doing. If any of these rules were not followed, they were kicked out of the studio and were not allowed to come back in for that class.

The teacher was very kind to me and I remember feeling that it sort of came naturally to me to play for dancers. I know that I was nervous, especially playing for the adult dancers. I was very small and really looked young at the age of 14 and I think that the dancers thought that I was going to play horribly. Thankfully, all went well!

Do you work improvisationally in the classroom, from sheet music, from memory, all of the above?

The majority of studios where I have played follow the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) syllabus. For these classes, from pre-primary all the way up to Solo Seal, I play the repertoire that is specified in the RAD syllabus. During these classes (depending on the teacher and how close or far away they are from the exam date), “free work” is also a part of the class, so I watch and listen to the teacher setting the exercises and improvise accordingly.

I don’t have a repertoire of compositions that I have memorized to play when “free work” is called for. I prefer to create in the moment, guided by what I see, by the energy of the dancers and the feeling in the room. Quite often, I also play for “free classes” as well (for which there is no set syllabus), and these are the classes I prefer to accompany.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxJz-XgWMfA

The Dance Between Accompanist, Teacher, and Students

When working with a teacher for the first time, what do you like to try to communicate, establish, or glean before you begin class with him/her?

This is a hard question to answer, because for the last ten years or more, I have played mostly for the same teachers. There is an understanding on both the part of the teacher and myself that they can focus on their class and trust that I will be giving what they need from me, musically speaking.

If a student teacher filling in for someone, I can usually see if they are nervous about working with an accompanist. If this is the case, I take time before class to reassure the teacher that they have no need to worry and that they just need to focus on the dancers. Usually after the first few minutes of class, they realize that I am with them and doing all I can to help make the class go well. I see the teacher and I as two artists working together to create a successful class for the dancers.

As a teacher gives instructions before each exercise, what is it most important that he/she be clear about?

What is most important is that I see them marking the exercise for the dancers in the tempo that they want. For free classes, it is also important to get a sense of the dynamics of the particular exercise. Usually all that I need to see is the first 8 or 16 bars of an exercise and then (while the teacher continues to set the exercise) I wait for the melody to “appear.” I think that every accompanist would most likely answer this question differently, though.

You’ve played in classes with young children. Are they ever distracted by your presence and do you or the teacher do anything to prepare the children?

Generally, I don’t think that young children are distracted by my presence, because I am there from the first day they start dancing. If it is the very first class that the young dancers have ever taken, the teacher will gather all the children around the piano and we will be introduced to one another — and this is usually all that is necessary for them. I am careful to maintain a low profile in class, to be quiet and to avoid talking to the teacher or the students while the class is being conducted, unless absolutely necessary. I want the focus to stay on the music and on the teacher!

If the children are used to another accompanist playing for their classes, and all of a sudden one day I am there playing for the class, then they are usually quite curious about me and ask what happened to the other pianist. But again, an introduction is all that is usually required, and they quickly re-focus on the teacher and carry on dancing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHIoAogjLuE

In Part Two Richard gives his thoughts on the basic necessities for a studio that wishes to have a dance accompanist. Plus an inspiring description of his view from the piano bench.

Do you or have you considered using a live musician at your school to accompany dance?

Why or why not?

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2010. | Permalink | Category: Beyond the Bubble, Blog, Dance Media, Dancethropology, For Classroom, Interviews, Music, Teaching | Who's talking about this article?

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Do Your Communications With Parents Pass The Scan, Scroll, Stroll Test?

Suzanne Gerety — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 13:05:33 +0000

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw

It’s true…the more connected we are these days, the less it seems we actually are communicating. You have more options now than ever to send and receive messages: whether it’s through email, text, voice mail, social media posts, fax, memos, postal mail, phone calls, or in person. No wonder you’re overwhelmed!

This is a quick true story, perhaps you can relate. On the Saturday morning of our recital weekend, we received a voice mail from a mom of a young dancer at 7:45 am, she was slightly frantic and upset. “I didn’t know I needed to buy tickets for the recital!”, she exclaimed on the voice mail. Her daughter was scheduled to dance in the 11:00 AM performance that day.

Clearly this mom hadn’t ‘received’ the communication about recital tickets that we had been sending for two months leading up to the date. At the studio we had given verbal announcements, posted signs, printed memos and order forms were sent home, all of this, including when and where to pick up tickets, was posted on our website.

The story ends well. Of course we were able to sell her tickets at the door that day, and the mom was relieved, and her family enjoyed the performance.

We have more than enough options to connect and communicate, so how can we be more effective in our communication with our students, parents, faculty and staff?

Learning Styles: Hear it, see it, touch it

Many of you are teachers, so you already know the importance of the three dominant learning styles: Audio, Visual and Kinesthetic. It’s through your learning style that you are able to absorb information, remember and recall it, and ultimately use it.

Just as it is essential to teach to and understand one’s learning style to maximize strengths…it’s key to deliver vital details to your current and potential students in your dance studio communications this way as well.

Hear it: Auditory learners learn as a result of hearing, verbalizing, listening. Therefore, auditory learners will respond well to verbal announcements in class, live meetings, voice mail, phone calls.

See it: Visual learners do best by processing information through reading, seeing, and watching. Visual learners will respond well to posted notices, bulletin boards, diagrams or maps, demonstrations such as how to make a bun or apply stage makeup.

Touch it: Kinesthetic learners are hands on. They like to feel, touch, and handle it. Kinesthetic learners will respond well to printed physical documents, forms, brochures, postal mail and printed newsletters or memos.

The key to any important deadline, announcement, or news is to make sure that you have provided opportunities to hear it, see it, and touch it. This helps to insure that you’re covering all of the learning styles. If this seems repetitive or extra work at first remember that you can have fun with your dance studio communications. Once you get used to disseminating information across the three learning styles, you’ll increase your odds of reaching everyone more effectively.

Beyond addressing each learning style you’ll want to use both technology and traditional methods to your advantage by passing information through another round of testing.

Does it pass the scan-scroll-stroll test?

People are being trained to absorb data in tiny, bite sized chunks. Think “USA Today” style: catchy headlines, colorful, pictures, and short snippets.

Scan:

The majority of people are reading their email, getting news updates and scanning social media on their smart phones. If you use an email delivery program such as Constant Contact, Aweber, iContact, or Mail Chimp and you’re using HTML in your formatting, be sure to test a copy of that email, open and read it on a smart phone to see what it looks like. Do you have to scroll past a ton of graphics before you get to the facts or announcements? The fancy HTML may look really pretty on a full screen, but these days many are reading their email on the fly.

Make sure you’re not losing people at the subject line or giant header graphic. Have your email communication, social media posts, and updates be easy to absorb with a quick scan on a smart phone or in 10 seconds or less.

Scroll:

Everything essential should be “above the fold” on your website. Simply said, if you have a big announcement, headline, or important dates to share with potential and current students, make sure you see these things (like open houses, demo days, guest events, or performance dates) instantly when you land on your website. It should not require you to hunt around or scroll down the page.

The same goes for printed documents and memos, don’t bury deadlines or main points in the middle of the page. Have them be front, center and easy to find. Hold your memo out in front of you, scroll down the page and see what jumps out at you. If you get distracted, edit the page until you can hold that out in front of you and in 10 seconds know what action needs to be taken.

Stroll:

When you post signs and flyers on bulletin boards, and on walls in your studio, and waiting room, can you ‘stroll’ by and absorb what’s being said easily? Use big font, bright colors, arrows, and eye catching pictures. Entries and exits, bathrooms, studio floor entrances, offices and waiting rooms are where people walk by and also stand around. These spots are prime locations to catch attention. Stroll around your studio and see where you might be able to increase your effectiveness with your posted messages and announcements.

Tattoo Ads Perhaps??

More Studio Bizwax

There will always be those people who, despite practically tattooing them with tuition payment policies, audition dates and times, costume order details, and performance instructions, will still miss deadlines and be unaware that you had made every effort to get them what they needed to participate. Don’t let them get you down!

What have you done recently to help increase your effectiveness in communicating with your students, parents, faculty and staff?

© Suzanne Gerety for Dance Advantage, 2010. | Permalink | Category: Blog, Featured, Studio Admin, Teaching | Who's talking about this article?

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How To Discuss Problems With Your Studio Director and Be Heard

Nichelle (admin) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:00:48 +0000

Are you looking to suggest a new class, program, etc. to your studio director? You may be interested in the post Approaching Your Teacher

Ideally parents and studio directors would see eye to eye on everything but we all know that it doesn’t always happen that way. Dance parents invest almost as much (if not equal) time as dance students in their dance school. Not to mention, the financial investment for lessons, costumes, private classes, competitions, and more. It isn’t unusual or surprising, therefore, that parents may have a lot to say about how a studio is run.

Parents, it is not at all unreasonable to express your concern over the policies at your school. However, if you are hoping to discuss changes with a teacher or director, follow this plan for making your approach.

Take a breath

Develop an argument

Time your approach

Buffer your complaint

Be willing to listen

Be willing to walk away

Take A Breath

Often when there is a problem or we’re upset about something, our feelings get all jumbled up with our reasons for wanting to see change happen. For example, a dance mom recently contacted me with concern about the attire (bra tops and booty shorts) which older company dancers are wearing for class or for assisting with younger students. In her question she added one reason she wants to see a change – the attire is not morally upstanding, and several ways it makes her feel – she finds it embarrassing, believes this makes the girls poor role models, and maintains that it does not match the values she wishes to uphold for her daughter (a younger student at the school).

Whether or not you or I agree with her reason or her feelings, they are legitimate. However, if she were to approach the director with only one reason and a whole jumble of feelings, you might see how this could be a problem, especially if the director doesn’t agree with that rationale or have the same feelings. Therefore, it is important to always take a moment. a breath. a day. a week. or two! to think through your argument.

Imagine the director feels the girls are good role models and that they show this in ways outside of what they wear. Imagine the director of the school does not share her value system, or disagrees that wearing this attire is morally incorrect. Imagine he/she is not embarrassed by the attire (or lack thereof) – many dancers don’t have the same uncomfortable feelings about the human form as others because they spend so much time on study and analysis of the body. Imagine no other parents or teachers at the studio have expressed concern on the matter.

When a parent presents well-thought out arguments for how or why the director should be handling something differently, he/she is much more likely to consider the complaint.

Develop An Argument

Before approaching a studio owner/director with a concern it is a good idea to think through the varying reasons a change may be in order. The rationale for your argument can include the personal reasons you would like to see things done differently but may also include other arguments to support your claim.

Going back to the problem with attire, our concerned dance mom could argue that girls struggling with weight or body insecurities (like breast size) may feel additional pressure or inadequacy when surrounded by girls in clothing that hides (or supports) nothing. The dancer uniform of leotard and tights allows the instructor to see what they need to – it won’t solve any difficulties a student is having with body image, but the wide variety of class appropriate leotards, support garments, and warm-ups means greater likelihood that young women of varying body types will find something that works for them. In the case of this mom, the director is a male. There is a chance he’s never thought of it that way and this argument alone could be enough to sway him if presented calmly and clearly.

This is but one practical argument. Coming up with multiple grounds for concern increases your chance of finding one that makes the difference.

Time Your Approach

This is so important! I can speak from experience as one on the receiving end of parent concerns (for a variety of issues) that the way a parent approaches me can have a tremendous affect on my response. Think about the ways this is true for yourself, in your work or at home!

The timing of your approach can make or break your argument. Set a time that is convenient for the teacher/studio owner to sit down for a discussion rather than confronting her between classes or while she is “on duty” with other responsibilities of the work day.

Hopefully your studio has a protocol or outlet for communicating concerns. For instance, when or how to approach an individual teacher with a concern or question and when it is best to set up a meeting with the studio owner. I recently sat in on a teleseminar with Suzanne Gerety and Kathy Blake of DanceStudioOwner.com in which they addressed the “Diva Syndrome” at studios. I was so impressed with the thorough system of dealing with problems and confrontations that has been developed at Kathy Blake Dance Studios over the years. They have managed to empower dance teachers and set clear guidelines for studio parents and students. If your studio does not have such a protocol established, you may need to go forward more carefully. Thoughtfully deciding to whom, how, and when you’ll address your concern. Please, don’t talk, gossip about, or sway opinions on the issue with other parents, students, or teachers. It won’t help your case and it will lead to negative feelings on every level.

Buffer Your Complaint

I’ve spent years teaching and, like most jobs worth doing, it is a thankless one. Someone who has taken the time to offer compliments along the way, or who approaches me with positive things to say about the tremendous work I’ve put in, gets further than those who approach me only to say something negative or tell me when I’ve done something wrong. Dance teachers and studio directors are no different from anyone else in their desire for criticisms to be delivered with care. So, making yourself heard is often a matter not of what you say but how you say it.

Be Willing To Listen

Most instructors think and debate with themselves on each choice they make. We are heavily invested in your child too! A teacher has a right to her opinions, feelings, and choices just as you, the parent, have a right to yours. Once you have had your say, stay open to the arguments she presents. Her reasons may be good ones!

Be Willing To Walk Away

You may do all the “right” things when you approach the studio owner and still not receive the desired response. It is okay to request change as long as you are willing to also accept that it is the director or teacher’s prerogative to run things according to his values and/or the prevailing attitude of her customers, and leave the school respectfully if preserving his choices will compromise the values you seek to uphold or if you no longer feel comfortable in the environment.

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2010. | Permalink | Category: Blog, Competing, Featured, For Parents of Young Children, Parenting Dancers | Who's talking about this article?

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12 Steps to a More Eco-Friendly Dance Studio

Nichelle (admin) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:30:04 +0000

Photo by Woodley Wonder Works

12 Ideas for Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling in the Dance Studio Environment

1. Collect and Recycle

Many of us recycle at home but forget about our workplace. Collect plastic, aluminum, glass, paper, and cardboard if you can. If there is no collection for your area or facility, check into possible drop-off sites and mobilize teachers, parents, and students to see that it gets there.

Consider recycling CDs and cases, as well! With music going completely digital there are probably a lot of these lying around the studio, not to mention all of the burned CDs that get made and tossed. Check this article for ideas about Where to Recycle CD and DVD Cases or try http://www.cdrecyclingcenter.com.

2. Turn Off Lights and Office Machines

Encourage students and staff to turn off lights whenever the studios, bathrooms, or offices are not in use. If your space has the option, try using only half of the lights available or installing dimmer switches. And, replace bulbs,as they burn out with energy-efficient ones.

Also, shut down computers and other office equipment when not in use, purchasing Energy Star labeled devices when you can.

3. Avoid Air Conditioning

Embrace the sweat and resist the urge to immediately snap on the A/C on hot days. Check out this article in Dance Teacher about Choosing the Right Temperature for Your Studio. And, don’t forget to remind students to stay hydrated!

4. Reduce Water Bottle Waste

Speaking of hydration, I know that some of you probably sell bottled water at your studio. However, it’s a no-brainer that all that waste is a real downside. Consider providing filtered water and/or encouraging students to bring a refillable from home. Perhaps you could sell containers with the studio logo to make up for not selling bottled water.

5. Reduce Water Use

Consider installing low-flow toilets or using the ol’ brick-in-the-tank method. Plus, do your best to keep up with maintenance of dripping faucets.

6. Go Paperless

Photo by David Mellis

In this age of technology, going paperless isn’t as difficult as it seems. Studios are beginning to move newsletters and other communications online. From increased communication through a studio blog to interacting with customers on your studio’s Facebook page or group, technology is making it much easier to go paperless. In fact, the free teleseminar that I am involved with at DanceStudioOwner.com will include discussion about how to transition your registration and billing systems online. This event begins TODAY with yours truly kicking things off. The topics are so timely, please don’t miss it. Update: Obviously this teleseminar is over but all the interviews and discussions are still available to members at DanceStudioOwner.com. In addition, the download of my interview with Suzanne on how a studio blog can boost your business is free to download when you subscribe to Dance Advantage.

7. Print Wisely

When you must print, use both sides of the paper whenever possible, use the back sides of old documents for faxes, drafts, etc, use the draft setting on your printer when you can, and consider recycling your ink cartridges or toner.

8. Carpool

Start a carpool network. We live in a fast-paced world but students are very conscious of environmental issues. Consider tapping this resource and challenge your students to come up with a plan for organizing the car pool (or to brainstorm more green ideas for the studio). You might be surprised at their willingness to embrace your efforts in this area. However, if you want to go that extra mile, consider offering some incentive with a discount or coupons to those who participate in an organized carpool.

9. Set Up a Gently Used Consignment or Trading List

Young dancers grow out of dancewear and shoes constantly and prices for brand new stuff can get expensive. Again, mobilize your customer base and work together to create a system in which students/parents can offer used items for resale or trade. Frugal parents will thank you.

10. Community Clean-Up

Adopt a highway or join other community clean-up efforts. This is great for your city and the environment. Additionally, showing an interest in your local region is good for business.

11. Buy Organic, Recycled, and Eco-Friendly Products

From the snacks you offer, to the paper towels you use, to the cleaning products you put on your floors, there are plenty of options for going green. Check TheGreenOffice.com or Amazon Green for electronics, lighting, and cleaning supplies (not to mention digital music and now books).

Speaking of Amazon, you might be interested in knowing that they also offer a trade-in program for DVDs, video games, electronics, and for you college students, text books. I’ve not tried this myself as we have a local business that buys back media. If you don’t, or if you are upgrading to blu-ray, Amazon may be an option.

Photo by CarbonNYC

12. Say No to Faux

Nothing brightens up a space like real, growing things. Consider bringing live plants into your studio environment to cool, humidify, and refresh the air.

What are some ways your studio is “going green?”

What are the pros and cons of the above 12 steps?

I’m looking forward to your thoughts and input!

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2009. | Permalink | Category: Blog, Dance Library, Studio Admin, Teaching | Who's talking about this article?

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Qlubb Update

Nichelle (admin) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:23:09 +0000

Last week I reviewed Qlubb, a social collaboration web service, as a tool for improving communication within dance studios. I was fortunate to correspond directly with Sophia Chiang, CEO and founder of Qlubb, and express some of my thoughts on the site and its service. I was happy to learn that a calendar feature (which, I wrote, is currently and unfortunately absent) will be added in a few weeks. (NOTE: This feature is now available on Qlubb) As for my concerns about unrestricted password access for group members, Ms. Chiang responded, “So far, the majority of our QLubbs are < 30 members and so these intimate groups hopefully rarely have a misguided member. But now that we have added much more functionality and larger groups coming on board, we will have to add in administrative layers to protect, as you have said, certain functionality from rogue members.” (NOTE: This feature has also been added 3/23/09, see here) The personal and positive interaction with both Sophia Chiang and those responding to customer service questions at help@qlubb.com, has left me confident that the Qlubb administrators take the questions and concerns of their users into consideration and seek to meet their needs while remaining committed to providing a service that is above all simple to use.

As I mentioned in my review, other dance studios are using Qlubb in order to improve communication among their students, parents, and organizers. Qlubb has recently distributed a press release, highlighting this use of their service with quotes from actual studio owners. The release has even quoted the review of yours truly! Check it out below!

Also, do any of you already use Qlubb? If so, what are your thoughts?

Did the review inspire you to take a closer look at Qlubb and/or how you handle communication within your studio?

QLUBB HELPS GROUP OF PEOPLE IMPROVE COMMUNICATION, INCREASE COLLABORATION AND REDUCE EMAIL

Web 2.0 social collaboration solution helps dance academy improve organization, efficiency and reduces email overload among staff and parents

(Burlingame, CA). Qlubb, a social collaboration solution for real-life groups, provides a free service for any group of people to get online in just a few minutes and be able to share, collaborate and get things done quickly and easily. Qlubb is being used by thousands of groups worldwide to improve the flow of communication, organize group activities and reduce overall email overload.

The Divine Dance Academy, a dance and fine arts school based in Olds, Alberta, Canada began using Qlubb recently. Divine Dance Academy offers a range of classes in dance, music, voice, musical theatre and drama from beginners (as young as three years of age) up to competitive students. The 130 person school has adopted Qlubb as its primary platform for school communication and coordination.

Trish deCoverley, the studio owner, organizes and participates in a number of performances and dance festivals each year and found that their previous mode of communication, email and monthly newsletters was often insufficient for effectively organizing the Academy employees, performers and their busy parents.

“We send out newsletters every two to four weeks, which become out-dated fairly rapidly” said deCoverley. “Parents need to be able to access the up-to-the-minute event schedules, and if they are volunteering what slots are still open. We ran into several cases of miscommunication when the latest information was not received or read by all the necessary parties.”

Patricia Simoneau, the Divine Dance Academy webmaster, led the search for a solution. “I didn’t want to reinvent the wheel. When I evaluated Qlubb, I felt like a kid in the candy store. I saw all of these great features that we could use immediately and most importantly, it was very easy to use compared to the other solutions I looked at. When we rolled it out, everyone in our group could figure it out quickly.”

Divine Dance Academy has put their urgent contact information online. Because of its open design, Qlubb allows members to update their own contact information without having to go through an administrator.

“One of the additional benefits we get from putting our business online is that we’ve been able to enhance our dance community. Qlubb provides us with another way for us share, whether it’s publishing photos, discussing our last performance or posting a pair of hardly worn dance shoes for sale. Qlubb helps our real-life community be closer,” said Simoneau.

Nichelle Strzepek, a performer and dance instructor who taught at private studios, community colleges and one major University, recently reviewed Qlubb on her Dance Advantage blog. She says, “What makes Qlubb distinct is its simplicity. Whereas some websites offer mind-boggling options which could be daunting for those with a) little time to waste, or b) little experience/confidence with computers, Qlubb allows for an extremely quick set-up. This makes the site an attractive solution for “real-life” groups that meet in person and want to organize themselves in a simple, no-fuss, fashion.” Her full review is available at http://danceadvantage.wordpress.com/2008/11/25/go-qlubbing/.

“It’s great to see Divine Dance Academy and the greater dance community using Qlubb to engage and get organized,” said Sophia Chiang, CEO of Qlubb. “Whether your organization is a playgroup, a scout troop, family, club or dance studio, Qlubb is the easiest way to get online, organized and on the same page.”

About Qlubb

Qlubb is a Burlingame, CA-based provider of Web-based social collaboration solutions for real-life groups. Whether it is a playgroup, classroom parent group, sports team, family, club or hobby group, Qlubb helps most any group of people connect, share and get things done. Qlubb strengthens ties within the group while also helping groups increase participation, be better organized and be more efficient.

Qlubb is very easy-to-use and takes just a few seconds to start a fully-functioning site that includes a fully integrated private collaboration site, group email, shared calendar, signup sheets, automated reminders, photo sharing, public Web page and much more. Users are not required to register, requiring just their email address and a password set by the Qlubb creator. Qlubb is available for free at www.qlubb.com.

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2008. | Permalink | Category: Blog, Dance Media, Dancethropology, Product/Website Reviews | Who's talking about this article?

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Solve Your Bulk E-mail Woes. Go Qlubbing!

Nichelle (admin) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 08:55:36 +0000

As I wander through the internet, I often come across services and websites that provide organizational services. In fact, there are probably thousands of online tools that promise to make your life easier, run more efficiently, and solve any number of dilemmas. Occasionally, I find items that I think may be of use to my readers. Qlubb.com is one of these services. I’ve explored the site and would like to present its possible benefits for studio owners and parents as a means to improve communication.

Communication S.O.S.

Many dance studios rely heavily on parental involvement to car pool to rehearsals or events, volunteer throughout the year, and help keep things organized at performances or competitions. What perhaps was once handled through phone lists and paper mailings, is now typically taken care of via bulk e-mailing. E-mail, overall, has offered an ease and speed in the communication between people. For groups, however, e-mail alone is not always sufficient. Here’s an example:

A studio sends a reminder to all of the parents in an e-mail group, asking them to sign up for various duties. The parents receive the e-mail and “reply all” to the whole group, stating “I’ll take care of this,” or “I’ll do this from 2 o’clock to 4 o’clock,” etc. At the same time, a parent asks a question about what their child needs to bring to the next competition, sending her query to the entire group list. Some respond, some check but ignore the e-mail once they’ve realized it does not apply to them. Before you know it, the entire group has received thirty (or more) e-mails, and whichever poor soul has been selected to organize the details must sift through and decide who is doing what, which tasks remain, and make sure people received answers to their questions. The problem, as you can see, is that e-mail works best when communicating from person to person. It is not interactive enough to deal with multiple people “talking” all at once.

Qlubb to the Rescue!

Qlubb is not unlike a number of sites on the web in that it seeks to solve this issue, creating an interactive “home base” for groups to interact. What makes Qlubb distinct, however, is its simplicity. Whereas some websites offer mind-boggling options which could be daunting for those with a) little time to waste, or b) little experience/confidence with computers, Qlubb allows for an extremely quick set-up (as they state on the site, “It only takes 2 clicks to create a Qlubb, and 1 click to join a Qlubb,”) and intuitive methods of adding and editing events, messages, tasks, and more. This makes the site an attractive solution for “real-life” groups that meet in person and want to organize themselves in a simple, no-fuss, fashion.

Only a year old, Qlubb is still a work in progress. It was developed by an active community member who saw a need among real-life organizations and set out to provide a solution. Thus far, groups at Qlubb have been small in comparison to larger websites offering similar services and is utilized by many types of groups, including book clubs, playgroups, and families. I am told that a number of dance groups already utilize the site.

Getting Started

As stated above, creating a Qlubb is easy, and it is free. All that is required to set up a Qlubb is your e-mail address, chosen password (which will act as the password for the entire group), and a simple name for your group. This name will become part of the group’s URL, or web address, as well as the group’s e-mail address. For instance, I created a group, using the name dancetest, which resides at http://dancetest.qlubb.com, with the e-mail address dancetest@qlubb.com. Once the group was created, I was immediately able to start editing the group’s web pages. Groups are kept secure and invisible from the general public with the use of a shared password. Although, creating a “public” page for the group (here is *dancetest’s public page) is an option, only members with the password can visit or send e-mails to this group.

Features

Qlubb offers several pages within the group website on which members can access various features. Pages are easily accessed with a tab system at the top of the site. Each page and its features are described below.

HOME

Group description (html, videos, widgets, and more can be added here, in fact most text areas on the site accept html code, allowing the addition of links and more)

A slideshow of photos added by members

Event listing

“Useful things” like reminders or links

“Blurbs” (short messages or comments for high visibility on the front page)

Probably the most important feature accessed here is the event listing. Events can be quickly added with a simple form that collects the vital information such as date (multi-days is an available option), time, event name, and location. As with most forms on the site, most of this information is not mandatory – only the event name is required. Once the event is created, other options (found below) are available by clicking on the event name.

Event Page

Add a description of the event

Send an invite to the entire group to notify them of the event

Choose to include the rsvp option for the event for a quick tally of who will attend

Set automatic reminders which can be sent to all members or only members with task assignments

View the “task” list.

Task List – Tasks are like a “to do” list and sign up sheet for the event all in one. Like events, tasks are added via a simple form. Those organizing the event may ask for a particular number of volunteers or assign a group member to the task. Other members can easily click on the “Me!” button to volunteer for the task and have the option of removing themselves, as well. Each task may be marked completed for a quick idea of what is left to accomplish. Events can be listed without tasks.

MEMBERS

Displays member information, much like a business card (no fussy profile pages!) – name, photo, e-mail, and other relevant info.

Each member can decide if their picture and name are to be displayed on the “public” homepage, visible to anyone. E-mail addresses and other info are displayed only to group members.

Members can choose how much or how little information to reveal. The only member information that is mandatory and disclosed (to group members) is the e-mail address.

When one edits their member card, members may choose to receive e-mail messages from the group, a feature that may be turned off or on.

PHOTOS

Members can view the gallery or upload photos from a home computer to the website. These photos can be made public (i.e. visible on the “public” page) or private (visible only to group members).

Photos may be associated with a particular event or date (photos that correspond with these will appear in a separate album on the photo page).

Clicking on each photo, takes the group member to a page in which the photo information can be edited and comments on the photo can be added.

FILES

Files may be added in exactly the same manner as photos, with all the same options. (This is an excellent place to put permission forms, costume order forms, and more.)

All files are available to members for download.

MESSAGES

Uses a familiar message board format.

“News” can be added through the site or by sending an e-mail to the group address (yourgroup@qlubb.com).

Replies can also be added using either method, allowing users to respond just as they would to a normal e-mail.

Those posting a message from the website have the option to send it to the entire group. Any member of the group that has chosen to receive e-mail updates (see MEMBERS) will receive these messages in their inbox. Messages posted/replied to via e-mail are automatically sent to the entire group.

ADMIN (UPDATE!! 3/23/09)

Qlubb seeks to allow all members administrative access to everything on the site. Whereas some websites require a “moderator” to add content to the site, forcing one person to be responsible for the upkeep of a group, Qlubb allows group members to be responsible for themselves and all content on the site. Overall, this makes group participation and interaction extremely easy and is a positive feature. However, having access to everything means, EVERYTHING, including the ability to change the group’s access password. (this feature has changed!)

My Two Cents

As I stated previously, I truly think that what Qlubb.com offers is unique in its simplicity and real-world application. The task feature in particular is one that I think could streamline an organization’s processes immensely and I believe the effects would be noticed and appreciated immediately among group members.

One feature I feel is missing from the site is a calendar view of events. Although one can see a mini calendar when editing/adding an event, currently events can only be viewed in a list format. Viewing dates on a calendar is, for me, helpful in visualizing upcoming items in a way a list is not. Some of you may prefer the list view, but I believe there are probably enough people like both you and I to consider offering both options. An attractive aspect of the site is that suggestions such as these are welcomed at Qlubb and help is always an e-mail away. In fact, I found that my inquiries to Qlubb’s help e-mail address were answered very promptly, with a friendly tone, and contained applicable information.

Perhaps like many of you, the very open administrative access is the one area of the site about which I have some misgivings. Drama (in case you haven’t noticed) has been known to occur among dancers, parents, and studios. While I would hope that most people would handle themselves in a mature manner, I have witnessed episodes of surprising childishness among grown adults. In correspondence with a Qlubb representative, I brought up the potential problems of across-the-board access. I felt reassured to know that Qlubb recognizes that as the site and its groups grow that further options may need to be added to the administrative aspects of the service. In the meantime, I think groups and organizations can benefit from what the site has to offer. Tampering with the group’s password or other features is likely to remain a rare occurrence among most users of this site. For the most part, I think the benefits of starting a Qlubb outweigh the risks.

UPDATE – 3/23/09

The calendar feature was an addition made in December of last year and has improved the event aspects of this site. Also just recently Qlubb has restricted password and other controls to just the group creator (and members appointed administrators). You can read more about this feature here, on the Qlubb blog.

Join the Qlubb!

Although there is not a specific “dance qlubb” group, I placed mine under sports team. The features are the same, regardless of this label. If you want to see samples of how different groups might use the site, these are accessible from the Qlubb homepage. If you feel this may be a good solution for your particular group, I encourage you to try it out. Of course, as with any site, please make sure that the terms and privacy policies are acceptable to you. You can learn more by visiting the Qlubb website, the QlubbHouse Blog, and by checking out the FAQ.

I hope you found this review of the site helpful! If you have experience with Qlubb or similar sites, or if you would like to ask questions, please post a comment!

*this page will not be available after 12/13/2008

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© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2008. | Permalink | Category: Blog, Dance Media, Dancethropology, Product/Website Reviews | Who's talking about this article?

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Dancers at a Gathering

Nichelle (admin) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 05:51:08 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6FwqhgOIjI

The above video is an excerpt from Jerome Robbins’ Dances at a Gathering (performed by Simon Valastro). This post isn’t about this work, but you can find out more about the ballet here.

Actually, the play on words just worked to lead into some discussion on a new gathering spot for dancers – social networking sites. Dancers, teachers, and students are busy people, yet more of us are finding our way to the internet as a means to network or market ourselves, meet other dancers, explore instruction or performance opportunities, and even learn tips which supplement instruction/training.

Dance Advantage Interactive

Yep, Dance Advantage has its own network called Dance Advantage Interactive!

I know blogs by nature are interactive and I love to hear from readers in the comments here. However, I wanted to allow the readers and fans of this site to interact more efficiently with each other. At DA Interactive, users can join and create groups (dance studios, companies, etc. are welcome to start their own group which can be set as open to anyone or by invitation/request only). Users can also participate in the forums, post photos or videos, suggest and vote on blog topics, and lots more. Each user has their own profile page where he/she can promote events, receive comments and shout-outs form others, and add cool gadgets and widgets.

As readers of Dance Advantage, I hope that you will help me make DA Interactive an interesting place to visit. I plan to get the ball rolling with discussion posts based on what you are reading here, however, I have purposefully allowed for a great deal of personalization on the site so that readers can carve their own space according to personal interests and goals for participation. Your suggestions are more than welcome! This site is really what you make it, so please stop by and consider becoming a member!

Get Plugged-In

Another new social networking site on the scene is danceplug.com. Its aims, according to the site, are as follows:

“DancePlug began with the idea of helping dancers, choreographers, and teachers to promote themselves in a professional but friendly way, and to grow with new learning tools.

From there we realized that DancePlug didn’t have to just be about career advancement; everyone should be able to enjoy what we have to share, like the latest news from the dance world, helpful tips, and connection to all the support services dance lovers need.”

I have recently joined the site and am enjoying some of its features. Like other social networks, each user has their own profile and the opportunity to interact with others. A unique feature of the site is the outlet hub. Here, members of the “faculty” offer video tutorials of various dance basics, exercises, and combinations. The basics are free, however, exercises and combinations will cost you “credits” which can be purchased at the site in packages or monthly plans. I have not yet purchased any of these, so I cannot speak to their content. However, as a networking tool, this seems like a welcome addition to the dancersphere. The site comes with its own lingo, so be sure to review these before you become a “Plugger.”

Socializing Online Can Be Overwhelming

The success of sites like MySpace and Facebook and even blogs have created a surge of social networking sites. There are several hubs available specifically for dancers and new social websites and technology are popping up every day. Ning is one dotcom that has made it easy to set up your own networking site, therefore one can easily be overwhelmed by the number of opportunities available. Bloggers and online magazines are creating sister networks to supplement and compliment their site and, as you can see, I am one of them! However, I myself am still evaluating these tools as a source of information. Doug Fox wrote an interesting post on social networking almost a year ago. In it he states:

…there are many possibilities and many ways to waste time and energy if you’re not focused on whether or not your social networking undertaking is really going to help you achieve specific, measurable objectives.

I’m not trying to discourage anybody from using social networking tools and applications. They can be very worthwhile. It’s just a question of whether in each specific instance if it’s worth the commitment of time, energy and resources to making it happen.

This is an excellent assessment. It takes time and a willingness to explore the sites a little in order to decide if the rewards are worth the commitment. Now, if you don’t necessarily have goals or objectives, and don’t mind a fun bit of time-wasting, then flutter around like a social butterfly till your heart’s content! Otherwise, try to come up with your goals for networking and pick just a few sites that you enjoy and/or are useful, because one can easily become overwhelmed in trying to keep up with all of them.

What Keeps Me Coming Back

There are some sites of which I am a member that I rarely log into, and others that I visit frequently. What makes the difference for me are the users. If people are interacting beyond just self promotion and the site is easy to use or easily incorporated/combined with technology I already use, I return to the site. To be fair, many of the networking sites for dancers are new and still finding their voice, therefore, it is necessary at times to be the pioneer willing to lead or steer conversation. If I know a dance site in particular is new, I sometimes try to make this effort or at least return every once in a while to see what’s new (if anything). Eventually I decide if the site is worth adding to my daily internet intake.

Here are a list of Online Dance Magazines, Networks, and Forums:

Dancer Universe (online dance magazine with forums, blogs, and other resources)

New Jersey Dancers (social network) *No, I’m not from NJ, but the administrator is an online buddy of mine.

the (inter)mission (social network-sister to The Winger)

Voice of Dance (forum)

Critical Dance (online magazine and forum)

Dance-Tech (network)

Ballroom Dance Channel (network)

Movmnt.net (network companion to movmnt magazine)

DanceSpace (network)

Dance Channel TV (video hub and network)

DanceJam (network and videos – view a variety of street/urban dance videos (some history and info provided), make friends, and vote or participate in dance battles)

And don’t forget the two of the largest social networks online…

Facebook and MySpace

Where do you hang out online?

What other dance sites do you visit frequently?

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2008. | Permalink | Category: Blog, Dance Media, Dancethropology, Online | Who's talking about this article?

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