Giving students, teachers, and parents an edge in dance education
It is very important to be budget conscious but also expectation conscious as well when it comes to dance recitals and performances. With everyone on the same page, performance time can be a magnificent time to learn, develop, explore and ultimately have fun!
“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.”
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.
Throughout the Why Dance Matters event, fabulous submissions were received from people who wanted to share why dance matters to them. Below, I believe I’ve gathered most of the posts. However, if yours is not listed please feel free to add a link in the comments. As for the hundreds of tweets posted via the #whydancematters hashtag on Twitter, I can only say I am in absolute AWE of what can be said in 140 characters! Bravo.
I don’t have clear memories of a time in my life when dance was not a presence. And yet, there have been many occasions when I might have walked away from it altogether, taking some other path. So here I am digging deep into first encounters to find the reasons why I never can or could.
Easy access to drugs, internet, lack of phone and computer regulation and other challenges facing children and the teachers and parents entrusted with their care make all youth “at-risk” in Weiner’s eyes. And so, her programs at the Hope Center are open to any child on a first come, first served basis. Many Kids Play participants are recruited, however, from local organizations such as Archway Academy and Chinquapin (schools for troubled and disadvantaged youth), Baylor Pediatric AIDS Initiative, Baylor International Adoption Center, and group homes like Casa de Esperanza. “We love the mix of cultures and socio-economic levels,”
Imagine the relatively light/easy press and bend of a paint brush that allows the painter to evenly distribute paint but still glide the brush smoothly. Imagine a layer of velvet or velour beneath your foot and enjoy the feeling of your foot moving through the plush carpet, leaving a trail in the fibers as the foot moves outward and returns. Imagine light or streaming air radiating from the hip and out through the toe, as well as upward and out through the top of the head.
Peninsula Ballet Theatre performs in venues throughout the California Bay Area including East Bay. In addition to performances, they educate both pre-professional and recreational students of dance via the PBT Conservatory of Dance. This photo is from PBT’s 2008 Nutcracker. The dancer, playing The Rose in The Waltz of the Flowers, is a company apprentice.
Despite that the path is sometimes painful and frustrating with prolonged and hard-won rewards, young dancers spend much time and thought getting ready for pointe work. But how will your teacher decide if you are ready? Why might she decide you are not? And what can you expect if you are prepared to bear a pair of toe shoes?
Roslyn Bazzelle is a singer, songwriter, and practicing attorney. She is also a fitness instructor and creator of PIYOLET. PI – for Pilates. YO – for Yoga. LET as in Ballet. PIYOLET is a low impact fitness regimen for all ages, designed to diversify and keep the mind, body and soul refreshed and fit. Roz talks about PIYOLET, her DVD series, and gives away her product to three DA readers.
My son had some trouble with dehydration the first week. We live in California, and I didn’t really think that would be a problem since we were coming from a dry, hot climate. However, it was so hot and humid in New York that he sweated more than usual and didn’t drink enough. The kids need to have electrolyte packets and other sports drinks along with water to keep them hydrated.
Brian Mengini has been involved with the dance world for over 8 years, first as company management and now as a photographer. He is based in Philadelphia, PA and has shot the Royal Ballet of London, Pennsylvania Ballet, Ballet X and many others. His recent project Spirit of the Fallen, pays tribute to the fallen officers of the Philadelphia Police Department. The photo exhibition, which depicts dancers from the Philly area wearing angel wings, also raises funds for the FOP Survivor’s Fund.
