Dance Advantage » film

Who Wants To Rock The Vote In These Online Dance Contests?

Nichelle (admin) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:20:50 +0000

Viral video, dance contests, flash mobs; dance is everywhere online and there are plenty of places you can get in on the action. Below you’ll find three top spots to get your groove on and maybe win some prizes. These contests are already underway so hurry!

Keep reading for two big contests in their final round. These feature some spectacular videos for your digital viewing pleasure. Make sure you get your say in the outcome! Then, stay tuned because these videos have inspired a follow-up article sure to ignite your imagination and invigorate your classes!

Vie For Video Domination

My Mutation

The Basics: As part of their Spring Dance festival the Sydney Opera House, in collaboration with YouTube presents this online dance competition. Create your own 40 second dance solo. The first 20 seconds are your interpretation of the starter solo (performed by Josh Mu), choreographed by Kate Champion, Artistic Director of one of Australia’s leading dance companies, Force Majeure and choreographer for the international stage production of Dirty Dancing. The second 20 seconds is a continuation of the solo in your own style. You have until August 10 to upload your video. Finalists will be chosen and will participate in two more rounds of challenges. Once narrowed to only 5 finalists, voters will choose the winner.

What You Win: The winner will score the ultimate prize of rehearsing with Kate Champion to bring his/her unique performance to life at the screening of Footloose on September 26. In addition to the thrill of performing live at Sydney Opera House, the winner will receive $2,000, a SONY HD flash Handycam camcorder, as well as a SONY ‘Bloggie’ HD snap camera.

Who Can Enter: The contest is global and there are no age restrictions!

Find Out More: www.youtube.com/sydneyoperahouse or visit Spring Dance on the Sydney Opera House website.

Dr. Pepper Cherry YouTube Dance Studio Contest

(that’s a mouthful!)

The Basics: Show off your amazingly smooth mooves. Submit a video of yourself dancing to one of the three approved songs, using the provided choreography for the first part and your own freestyle for the rest. Choose between a Jazz Funk, Hip-Hop, or B-Boys and B-Girls routine. Learn the moves, download the song, make your video, and submit, but hurry! Submissions must be in by August 2. Four finalists will be chosen, then it is up to voters to decide on the winner (to be announced August 31).

What You Win: You could win a trip for two to Los Angeles, where you’ll spend a day with Jon M. Chu (director of StepUp 2 and upcoming StepUp 3) at a jam session with some of the best hip-hop dancers around, and the chance to be in an upcoming Ultra Records music video.

Who Can Enter: U.S. residents 18 years and up.

Find Out More: www.youtube.com/dancestudio

Dance Your Ph.D. 2010

The Basics: I cannot resist including this unique contest which invites entrants to turn their Ph.D. thesis into a dance! Any scientist in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, or the social sciences with some friends, a great idea, and a cheap video camera can win. According to GonzoLabs (a virtual research institution where art, science, and culture intersect), the best dances not only insightfully reveal the scientific content of the PhD thesis, they not only show artistry to create a compelling spectacle, but they also creatively combine these two aspects in a successful execution. Submissions are due by September 1, 2010.

What You Win: A cash prize of $500 goes to a winner in each category, with an additional $500 to the Best Ph.D. Dance of All. Finalists from each category will have their videos screened at Imagine Science Film Festival in NYC.

Who Can Enter: You have to be 18 years or older, have a Ph.D. in a science-related field, or be working on one as a Ph.D. student and you must be part of the dance.

Find Out More: www.gonzolabs.org/dance

More, more, more

If you are a fan of Cirque Du Soleil and in the Boston area, you may want to check out the Cirque Du Soleil Bug Dance Contest!
If you fancy yourself a choreographer, submit a dance routine for Big Girls Don’t Cry by Mik Brown for the chance to win $500.

Vote For Video Favorites

Global Dance Contest

International dance venue, Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London offers a cash prize and a chance to perform live at Sadler’s Wells Sampled, a yearly showcase of the best in dance from around the world. Ten entries are being selected by a judges panel right now. Voting will commence August 9, so keep your eye on www.globaldancecontest.com.

Step Up 3D Dance Dub Contest

Vote now at www.youtube.com/StepUpMovie and help one of four American dance studios win a $7500 Best Buy gift certificate to improve their space. Broadway Dance Center (New York, NY), Focal Point Dance Studio (Miami, FL), Dance 411 Studios (Atlanta, GA), IDA Hollywood (Los Angeles, CA) are battling it out with their own energetic, single-shot dub to Club Can’t Handle Me, a song I actually didn’t mind listening to four times in a row!

And Don’t Forget…!

Okay, this one isn’t a contest but National Dance Day (a grassroots movement, spearheaded by Nigel Lythgoe and Dizzy Feet Foundation) is coming up on July 31. The effort is being recognized with an official act of Congress when Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a long-time proponent of healthy lifestyles, will introduce a National Dance Day resolution at a press conference on National Dance Day in Washington, D.C., to promote dance education and physical fitness across the U.S. If by chance you haven’t heard of National Dance Day, you can find more info at www.dizzyfeetfoundation.org.

Tabitha and Napolean have contributed a little choreography to help you get in the spirit and get up and move. It too is choregoraphed to Club Can’t Handle Me. Check it out below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKUyp1GMQVg

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15 Ways To Activate Brain And Body During Summer Break

Nichelle (admin) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:20:16 +0000

People approach their breaks away from the regular routine of dance classes in different ways. Some take a little space from thinking, living, eating, sleeping, breathing dance and try new things. Some keep their summers as filled with dance as the rest of the year. Some seek out alternative ways to keep moving forward in dance. Whatever your style, this list contains some ideas that will keep both your brain and body active in the off-months, while stretching, stimulating, or simply refreshing your spirit and frame of mind. Challenge yourself to do all of them or pick just a few and be primed and ready to get back to that routine at summer’s end!

1. Dance outside. Okay, where I live in Texas it can get pretty hot in the summer months but, even if it’s just a short impromptu cavort, take your shoes off and just enjoy being outside!

2. Settle in with a good dance biography. Check out this list of Biographies You Can Sink Your Teeth Into from DA’s archives.

3. Make dance part of your vacation. If you are heading on holiday, why not check ahead for studios that hold open classes in your destination city. I’ve done this when visiting New York, San Francisco, and even some smaller cities. It’s always a memorable experience and I always return home with new revelations and increased motivation for class.

4. Visit a museum or take an art class. What’s that got to do with dance? Exploring other arts disciplines and taking time out to be creative in ways besides dance is reaffirming and inspiring.

5. Find a drum circle or contact improv jam. Don’t think improvisation is your thing? Just try to resist the beat of a drum circle. It’s not unusual at all to find dancers of all kinds moving along (children love these) but don’t be afraid to take the initiative yourself. Here’s a listing for U.S. and International drum circles. Contact improv jams often welcome movers of varying levels of experience. Here’s a handy map of U.S. and global opportunities.

6. Perform or work behind-the-scenes in a musical or play. Off stage or on, you will gain valuable production experience and increase your skills in areas that are directly related to dance.

7. Watch dance online. Peek into the professional dance world with DancePulp on Hulu. Each eight to ten-minute video offers a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of dancers and choreographers. Christopher Wheeldon, Andrea Schermoly, Lourdes Lopez, and don’t miss William Wingfield talk about So You Think You Can Dance and combining the concert and commercial career.

8. Start a journal. There are lots of techniques for journaling but the hardest part is forming the habit. Write about the things from this list as you check them off! We dance bloggers like to write about journals (duh!). Here’s an early post on the subject from DA’s archives. And a recent one from Ballet For Men.

9. Take some Yoga, Pilates, Gyrokenesis, or other movement-based class. It’s great cross-training for dancers and if done regularly can keep you limber and strong even with time off from dance.

10. Have a dance movie marathon. Include movies you love with those that you wouldn’t ordinarily pick up. The Dance Advantage aStore lists some of my favorites under DA Suggests – DVD. Here are some blog mentions and reviews of dance movies, too.

11. Produce your own student dance show. This could be formal or informal depending on your situation. The essentials are simply to have students or peers sign up, collaborate, and choreograph their own dances. In the process you’ll learn a bit about what it takes to mount a production (big or small), practice dance-making skills, and have fun while you are at it. Growing up, my studio offered an opportunity to dance in a student choreographed show. It was semi-formal (in a stage space but much smaller scale than a recital), students from inside and outside of the studio were welcome, family and friends attended. It was something I always looked forward to.

12. Create a daily workout, stretch, or moving practice. Set some goals for the summer and then put together just a few exercises that you can do every day. Or if you just need to get moving, make it a daily habit to throw on some music and dance around your living room. A recent post at FitSugar even suggests adding dance to your morning routine… maybe a little plié while you brush your teeth!

Image by Wonderlane via Flickr

13. Read up! Catch up with posts right here on Dance Advantage by clicking on the navigation links under the header or check my offline picks (again, these are found at the aStore). You might also visit the blogs listed with a logo in the sidebar on the site – DA’s Blog Stars.

14. Go to a conference/convention/intensive/workshop. This one certainly takes the most planning but there is still time to get in on some of the summer activities happening at home and abroad.

15. Try water ballet! I’m not necessarily talking about synchronized swimming, although I suppose you could give that a try if like. Get in the pool and try your own underwater ballet class or even some water aerobics to get your heart rate up. Movement underwater is a great way to tone muscles and keep cool.

Do you have more ideas to add to the list?

Add them in the comments!

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2010. | Permalink | Category: Blog, Dance Media, Featured, Summer Study/Workshops | Who's talking about this article?

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Film Review: Dancing Across Borders

Nichelle (admin) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 23:06:52 +0000

Could a young man of 16 who does not speak any English, who has never seen western ballet let alone trained in it, be ready to study at the School of American Ballet with only a few months of preparation? Could he be ready to perform with one of America’s top ballet companies only six years after his introduction to the ballet barre?

Ready or not, this is exactly what Sokvannara Sar accomplished, with more than a little help from a few tireless supporters. The wholly unique circumstances of his still-unfolding life illustrates the universal hope, struggle, and sacrifice of all dancers.

Singled out in Cambodia, where he was a poor boy with a hunger for his homeland’s traditional Khmer dance, Sar’s strenuous metamorphosis as he is whisked into American culture and the world of ballet is documented in the new film Dancing Across Borders. Known as Sy (pronounced like ‘see’), the documentary’s subject overcomes nearly impossible odds. Yet, unlike many dance stories, Sy himself is not the dreamer. He did not choose ballet. In a way it chose him via longtime ballet devotee and philanthropist, Anne Bass.

Bass is in fact the director of this film, though like Sy this is a role she never really intended to play. Her entwinement in Sy’s development is so great, however, that it is perhaps only fitting that she be the one to tell his story. While visiting Cambodia with the World Movements Fund in 2000, Bass discovered Sy at a dance recital at Preah Khan temple. Enthralled with Sy’s presence and raw talent for performance, Bass made a naively bold move and invited Sy to come to America, where she would be the benefactor for his study in ballet at the prestigious SAB school. Not bargained for was the uphill battle of this endeavor. That classical Cambodian dance bears little technical resemblance to classical ballet, that Sy would require intense and grueling coaching by an unshakable and steadfast believer in his abilities (found in Olga Kostritzky) before SAB would accept him as teachable, that isolated by barriers of language and culture Sy’s exuberant personality would wane for a while, and that he would remain uncertain of his future in ballet even beyond the film’s frame, were unexpected challenges.

Dancing Across Borders isn’t without some clunky moments of exposition and may dwell too long on achievements that mean little to anyone unfamiliar with ballet. However, Bass earns respect as a first-time filmmaker in taking on this open-ended narrative. Able to shape the documentary herself, she might have painted a triumphal picture of the American dream personified and, I suppose, some may still interpret it this way. Amazingly, however, Bass resists a Cinderella telling and provides, with ample footage of Sy’s progress, an unflinching glance into the rigorous training and hard-won rewards of ballet. She also does not shy away from Sy’s inner conflict as a young man trying to reconcile two worlds, two cultures, and find his place within each. She underlines this at one point in the film with Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now,” poignant as ever in the language of the Khmer people. Ultimately Bass’s ability to place Sy’s heroism and the strength of the Cambodian people at the heart of the story effectively conveys that hope is boundless.

Shakespeare’s line, “Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them,” comes to mind when considering Sy. His achievements are a reflection of those who believed in him, and like a beam of light hitting this mirror, his trajectory was altered when Anne Bass recognized his inborn greatness, a combination of qualities shared by all true dancers: a buoyant spirit and irrepressible courage. That’s why Dancing Across Borders, the depiction of Sy’s journey across the frontier of ballet is a tale for and about dancers everywhere.

New York’s Quad Theatre has extended its screening of Dancing Across Borders through April 15. Additional screenings will take place throughout April and May in cities throughout the U.S. Details can be found on the Dancing Across Borders website.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=halAV0q8-4k

Discussion Questions

Dancing Across Borders is scheduled for release on Amazon.

Click here to preorder

This documentary provides some interesting food for conversation on ballet and culture. Teachers, dancers and parents, whether you see the film or not, here are some questions and exercises for reflection…

What unique qualities must a person have to succeed as professional dancer? Are these qualities different for ballet versus other dance forms?

Performers are often said to have “it.” What is “it” and must you be born with this quality?

What are the risks and sacrifices of a career in ballet? What are the rewards?

Is it ever too late to begin a professional career in ballet?

Imagine what ballet looks like to someone who has never seen it before. Can you describe or write about what this person might see, hear, and feel?

Describe a time when you felt out of place and and homesick. What, if anything, helped you to overcome these feelings?

Intense one-on-one training, receiving instruction and speaking through interpreters, learning an entirely foreign and difficult movement discipline… Physically and emotionally, the first few months of Sy’s training must have been almost torturous. Why do you suppose he never gave up?

How important is it to have people in your life who believe in you? Is it more important than belief in yourself?

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2010. | Permalink | Category: Beyond the Bubble, Blog, Career, Dance Companies, Dance Library, Dance Media, Dancethropology, Dancing | Who's talking about this article?

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Dance Movie Magic — Your Favorites on Film

Nichelle (admin) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:15:54 +0000

Role Reversal

Earlier this month Flavorwire introduced their picks for The 35 Best Dance Sequences In Film. Following this up with 25 more, they have shared a total of 60 YouTube videos. Among the choices are scenes from movie musicals like West Side Story, Chicago, and Sweet Charity; classics featuring Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson; and contemporary favorites Grease, Honey, and Pulp Fiction. While these videos are still listed (because of course copyright is an issue on YouTube), you may want to visit and send students over there for a little prance through the history of dance in cinema.

Of course everyone has their favorites and these choices are debatable — that’s what prompted the 25 additional videos. Evan over at Dancing Perfectly Free weighed in with some favorites and an excellent addition. Others have shared their thoughts on Twitter.

What do I think?

Many of the choices would have been on my list, though I tend to favor the oldies but goodies. What didn’t make it? I’ve shared before that I enjoyed the dance sequences in the minimal and perhaps underrated movie The Company. I was captivated by this “White Widow” sequence in particular. Performed by Joffrey Ballet’s Emily Patterson, Moses Pendleton’s ethereal stunner is exquisitely captured in this Robert Altman film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuE13-jAkrE

View on YouTube

In the 2008 post about The Company (linked above), I mentioned Invitation to the Dance, a blogathon hosted by Ferdy on Film which encouraged film enthusiasts to discuss dance in film. As you can see this is a continuing conversation and in that spirit, I’d like to invite you to share your picks.

Whatever your method — a post on your blog, a YouTube rant, a podcast, or just your favorites in a list — let us know what you think of those top 60 choices above, what you think was missing from the list, or what you think is the greatest dance film sequence of all time.

Go ahead….

Yep, just scroll down…

That’s it. Keep going…

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!!

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2010. | Permalink | Category: Blog | Who's talking about this article?

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Month by Month: March

Nichelle (admin) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:20:54 +0000

In the midst of competition season and as the push toward recital time begins, you may be feeling your classes could use a bit of fun to break up the “blahs.”

March offers some opportunities to try something a little different. Here are some ideas:

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

A Night at the Oscars

Sometimes new accompaniment is all that is needed. Use movie soundtracks and classic cinema songs to spice up your classes one evening this month.

For fun, you might host an awards ceremony during the last 15 minutes of class – this could be your own version of “paper bag” awards… the presentation of silly or gently teasing award categories with low-budget trophies (like paper bags). The point is not to hurt anyone’s feelings, though, so create your awards with care. Encourage your students to dance their acceptance speech, and be sure to cut them off before they are finished!

St. Patrick’s Day

This holiday is coming up soon! You might use any music connected with Ireland (Riverdance, U2, Clannad) or the color green during your classes on or during the week of March 17th.

Why not try some Irish dancing? You can find an introduction to the basics at E-how. Or, better still, hire an Irish dance teacher to conduct a class.

World Meteorological Day

My husband is a meteorologist so this March 23 day of recognition (spearheaded by the World Meteorological Organization) stood out for me. You can do a lot with a weather theme, including everything from song choices (Singin’ in the Rain, It’s Raining Men, Here Comes the Sun…) to dancing about weather, water cycles, and more.

I own and have used these two books by Thomas Locker with dance classes to build choreography as a group. They feature poetic reenactments of the water cycle (Water Dance) and an introduction to cloud-types (Cloud Dance) accompanied by beautiful illustrations. With clouds that march, drift, and burst, and statements like “I grow ever wider, broader and deeper. I am the river.” The descriptive language lends itself to movement.

You may also want to check out this Weather & Wind Dance lesson plan (click Instruction Tab) from the Kennedy Center’s Arts Edge website.

Women’s History Month

March is also Women’s History Month so this is a great opportunity to educate your students with a little history lesson. Introduce through books, film, photos, or words, dance visionaries and groundbreakers like Isadora Duncan, Loie Fuller, Martha Graham, Maria Tallchief, Anna Pavlova, Janet Collins, Eleanor Powell… and so so so many others! In my post 9 Biographies for Students, some of these women are covered in books for juvenile readers.

Print or photocopy photos of a few legendary women in dance to informally post on the walls of your studio with small index cards highlighting their life and contribution to dance. Allow students to peruse the gallery and encourage them to practice spotting pirouettes with Pavlova’s picture or chassé toward Eleanor Powell. At the end of the class, week, or month quiz your dancers on these dance luminaries.

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2010. | Permalink | Category: Blog, For Classroom, Teaching | Who's talking about this article?

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From Page to Screen to Classroom

Nichelle (admin) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:00:53 +0000

Mao’s Last Dancer

Watch on YouTube

At age eleven Li Cunxin’s life was changed when a delegation from Madame Mao’s Beijing Dance Academy selected him to be taken from his home, a village near the city of Qingdao in northern China, and brought to Beijing to study ballet. In 1979 at age 18 he was selected to perform with the Houston Ballet as part of a cultural exchange. After falling in love with both America and an American woman, Li defected to the United States, and rose to fame as one of the world’s ballet stars.

Li Cunxin (pronounced Lee Schwin Sing), performed with Houston Ballet for sixteen years and in 1995 became a principal artist with the Australian Ballet. In 1999 he retired from ballet, supporting his wife and their three children as a stockbroker. In 2003 his autobiography, Mao’s Last Dancer, was published and became an instant success, remaining on Australia’s bestseller list for over a year and a half.

In 2004, Houston Dance Critic Molly Glentzer in her review of the book for Dance Magazine stated, “Li’s tenacity is an inspiring lesson to any reader, dancer or not. It’s the stuff of which great movies are made. Expect this one soon, and bring Kleenex. But read the book first.” A handful of years later, Li’s story is now a motion picture. It has already done well in Australia but unfortunately distribution in the U.S. is still speculative. The film is directed by Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy), written by Jan Sardi (Shine, The Notebook), and choreographed by Graeme Murphy and his creative associate and partner, Janet Vernon.

See also the book review at Ballet.co

Stars of the Film

Though the production team is largely Australian, the filmmakers of course had to look worldwide for the right cast. The movie’s plot spans several years, requiring not one but three actors to play Li Cuxnin as a boy, a teen, and as an adult. The Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Chi Cao was selected to play the adult Cuxnin. His shared history of having trained at the Beijing Dance Academy and known for his virtuoso performances, Cao was an natural choice for the role.

Cao appeared last month as a guest artist with the Houston Ballet, playing the Nutcracker Prince for four performances in their annual production. HB blogged about it here and Cao talked with Molly Glentzer for the Houston Chronicle about his film debut.

Other notable actors in the film include Amanda Schull (Center Stage) and Bruce Greenwood as Ben Stevenson (Captain Christopher Pike in last year’s Star Trek). You can see interviews with more of the cast and crew at the film’s website and YouTube channel. Read a review of Mao’s Last Dancer via the Hollywood Reporter [link].

Classroom Applications

The Peasant Prince

Dancing to Freedom (US title)

Li Cuxnin’s story is available in multiple formats. The picture book version “focuses on two stories from Li’s childhood that hold a particular appeal to young children – tying wishes to a kite and a fable told to a young Li by his father of a frog in a well. Both stories illustrate how as a child Li longed for a life away from the hardship of his village.”

[Read more at Suite101: The Autobiography of Li Cunxin: Book Review of Mao’s Last Dancer and The Peasant Prince].

Young Reader's Edition

Cuxnin’s autobiography Mao’s Last Dancer is also available in a Young Reader edition for teens. Teachers might use any of this literature to explore movement or develop choreography with students. Below are a few of the major themes presented in these stories about Cuxnin’s life. They might be summed up and explored as follows:

Overcoming Hardship

Challenge students with a difficult phrase or combination. Reflect on Li’s perseverance despite hardship and ask students to come up with a plan (see this post on goal-setting with dance students) for improving or learning this combination in a way that addresses both the physical and mental (or emotional) battles that must be overcome.

Oppression vs. Freedom

Improv or create a movement study of bound versus free flow in movement.

Chinese Culture and History

Research Chinese Dance and the influence of ballet on the art form. View video or read about the Chinese Cultural Revolution. You may find these teacher’s notes from Penguin Books helpful [download the pdf]. Choose movement or music that reflects your findings.

Adapting to Change

Coming to Texas in the United States from China was a big transition. Have students create two lists of adjectives – one describing Li’s life in China, the other his life in America. Have them improvise or develop movement or actions that build upon these lists.

What are some other ways you might tie-in the books or movie in your classes?

Have you seen the movie? What did you think?

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

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Dance, Dance Everywhere!

Nichelle (admin) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:00:31 +0000

Dance is HOT!

And, you know what? I don’t see that changing in 2010.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Even astrologer, Susan Miller agrees. She appeared on The Early Show before the new year to make some predictions. This additional new year conjecture was published on The Early Show blog:

“Interest in dance on TV will increase. In the summer there will be reality TV — but as Jupiter goes into Pisces better ideas will be brought to TV because it’s an artistic time.”

I don’t know a thing about astrology but I do like the sound of that. More dance, better ideas, and artistic times ahead.

Gazing into my crystal ball…

Image via Wikipedia

My prediction for 2010 is that we’ll see dance artists and companies making better use of technology and the internet to distribute their work in a way that is artistically and financially beneficial.

I don’t know about you, but in my home we download music to our devices. We browse our AppleTV when we want to rent or download a movie. Missed TV shows are viewed online or purchased through iTunes®. Though I live in a large metropolitan area and attend a lot of live dance performance, I’d welcome being only a few clicks, flips, or bleeps away from dance content in my living room… that didn’t feature over-scripted “reality,” frenetic camera cuts, and nails-on-a-chalkboard-thank-goodness-for-fast-forward judges.

There are a few aspects of televised dance that I find annoying but what I truly love about the success of dance on television is its potential for building awareness of what it is to be a dancer and for expanding the dance audience. I don’t think filmed productions can replace live performance, even the flashy stuff on TV doesn’t come close. It is my hope though that, as its small-screen cousin has done, dance which makes its home in live-performance venues will begin to embrace its inner “hottie” in the coming year.

Digital Schmigital

I have to share something I read on the TenduTV blog because there has been a lot of talk in the dance world about a recent NEA report that presents a decline in dance audience numbers (the same report says online viewing is up, by the way):

The Real Dance Audience isn’t Really Declining.

We know what the surveys and studies say, and we don’t believe a word of it. Sure, it’s fair to say that attendance at dance performances is declining. However, to leap from attendance declines to an overall audience decline is a huge and counter-productive stretch. Millions of people are watching dance on television every week. 10 year old children can accurately compare dancers’ attributes. If anything, the dance audience has grown faster in the last few years than in any other period in dance’s history.

The problem is that dance companies aren’t effectively reaching those audiences, if they’re reaching them at all.

I encourage you to read the post at the TenduTV blog. The article doesn’t place all blame on dance companies, it goes on to describe the catch-22 of dance film production – costs vs. distribution – and touches on copyright legalities, all of which make it difficult for artists to get their work out there for even dance-lovers to consume, let alone the general public.

I have talked before about the work TenduTV is doing. In addition to my earlier prediction, I’d like to add that I am confident that this all-dance channel, which already makes streaming and downloadable content available online and via on-demand television, will continue to find more ways to enter your home, your computer, and your devices in 2010 and bring some fabulous dance artists with it.

Dance, Dance Everywhere!

Will the goal in this brave new on-demand world be getting the dance to the people? Perhaps! Despite fears, it may even improve those audience attendance numbers. So You Think You Can Dance doesn’t sell less live tour tickets because the dancers appear on people’s television set each week and movie-goers don’t stop going to movies because they get NetFlix at home or on their computer. Let’s have a little dance, dance everywhere!

Smart Moves

Image by UnstablePixel via Flickr

When it comes to 1) reaching a wider audience and 2) benefiting financially from the creative work itself, dance companies large, small, known, and obscure face a few obstacles.

These are are the biggies:

Limited to live performance venues

Limited funding

So will the funding issue (#2) improve if dance companies are smart about how they expand beyond the confines of the proscenium stage (#1) and move forward in the digital age?

What would be the smart moves to make in 2010?

If companies cling too fearfully to the small audience that pays to come see them, do they risk missing the larger audience that would pay to have the dance company come to them?

Will a larger, home-viewing audience ever make it to the theatre?

What are some of the other obstacles concert dance companies face?

You know what to do, leave your comments below!

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2010. | Permalink | Category: Beyond the Bubble, Blog, News and Events | Who's talking about this article?

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The Company

Nichelle (admin) — Wed, 07 May 2008 02:34:35 +0000

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite dance movies – The Company. I love it for it’s rich performance footage and day-in-the life feel. It’s low on plot, but high on spectacular dancing and choreography. Just for your information, the movie, featuring Neve Campbell and directed by Robert Altman, is rated PG-13 with some nudity in dressing-room scenes.

Here is a wonderful review of the movie.

It’s part of a series entitled Invitation to the Dance Movie Blogathon which features more great reviews and clips of dance movies. I read and watched YouTube clips of movies I had never seen before! Definitely worth checking out.

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

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