Guest Post: Body Image and Dance

Dancers of all disciplines struggle with body image. It is a reality that is sometimes exploited or aggrandized in the media yet ignored or aggravated by those that have a direct impact in the lives of dancers. Elena Ciccotelli is a new blogger but long-time dancer. In addition to her experience as a personal trainer and desire to encourage cross-training in dance, she has a passion for facilitating discussion about the role that body image plays in dance. She recently wrote Getting Past the Mirror: Body Image and Dance, and received numerous emails from young dancers, expressing gratitude for her willingness to approach this issue. In her guest post for today, she includes and addresses some of these responses, and speaks about her own experiences which have helped her to reduce negative self-talk.

Body Image and Dance: Part Deux

Since posting my last blog entry “Getting Past the Mirror: Body Image and Dance,” I have received numerous emails from young dancers who expressed an overwhelming gratefulness for the content of this entry. Here is one dancer’s response:

“Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this blog!!!!!!!!!

I know many dancers who possess unimaginable strength but do not have the “ballerina body” -even though I think that they are some of the most beautiful girls that I know.  This is the one thing about ballet that angers me – all of the unfairness.  I know what it’s like to constantly think one’s body is inadequate – it is the worst feeling in the world.  Last year, I felt invisible like I blended into the wall, and I thought that losing weight would change that….

…Even though I lost all that weight, I still felt invisible, which goes to show that being emaciated will never get one anything in the long run, except a ton of health problems and a really hard time trying to get healthy again.  I wish so much that I can accept myself as I am – which is something (despite my inability to do so) that every ballerina needs to do.

Thanks for being so uplifting and inspiring…keep doing what you are doing.”

Another email that I received was also very poignant because it targeted some common fears that every dancer faces. Here is an excerpt from the email as well as the advice I suggested:

“…I think it is very important to feel good about your body and how you look. But lately, I have actually been feeling a little uncomfortable about how I look. I’m trying not to worry about it, but I still do sometimes.  I think it is because I am comparing myself to everyone else in my dance classes….I really want to feel good about how I look, but it’s hard.  And one of my friends is always saying that it is good for dancers to be small and she is glad she’s so small because it will make it easier for her to be a professional dancer someday.  I try not to believe her but she sometimes makes me feel bad about how I look.  Can you help me at all?  I want to feel comfortable when I dance and not worry about how I look.”

First, I just want to say, you are not alone! Please do not think that you are the only dancer who faces this! Body image, especially among dancers is probably the least talked about issue, but it affects us all in so many ways. For years, I have struggled with body image because I was constantly comparing myself to others and I always felt that my body was inadequate. Of course it doesn’t help when all you see publicized in the dance community is emaciated girls leaping through the air and a lack of advocates for a healthy body image. Sadly, this “body ideal” just perpetuates body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem from generation to generation. But, why do we allow this to continue? Perhaps it is because we are all naturally demanding of ourselves and just accept that this “body ideal” is just the nature of dance. Or, is it an unspoken rule that directors, instructors, casting agents, and choreographers enforce but are afraid to admit due to political incorrectness? All of these questions come to mind when you voiced your concern and that is why I thought it was appropriate to post a blog based on this issue.

In terms of dealing with body image, there are so many ways we can become derailed in our quest to be happy with our bodies. It is hard to pinpoint exactly what steps you need to take. However, I can tell you what has helped me a great deal. As I mentioned in my previous blog, seeking an alternative training method in addition to dance, like strength and cardiovascular training, has allowed me to discover another way to take control of my body. Believe it or not, I realized that I was less obsessed with “what I looked like” when I trained and I found this to be extremely liberating. Training helped me to take away the constant critique and judgment I placed upon myself whenever I took class. For me the goal of training was more about achieving overall well-being, which diverted the focus from an appearance oriented mindset to a healthier one. Plus, training simply made me feel good about myself because I was challenging the way I was used to working my body. In turn, this actually helped change the perceptions I had about myself.

A simple technique you can try is to pick at least one physical attribute that you think is special and unique. The next time you take class, think about this attribute and how it contributes to your individuality when you dance. Do not dwell on the negatives! We can all generate a laundry list of defects that we see in our bodies without much hesitation. This is counter-productive! I know it may sound redundant, but a little positive thinking can really go a long way.

One final thought, when it comes down to it, dance is really all about what you can bring to the table. Do not let body image stop you from becoming the best dancer YOU can be….no one else, just you. By developing your own personal sense of artistry, people will notice. Do not be discouraged and think positive!

Visit www.trainerdiva.com to read more on body image and cross training for dancers by Elena Ciccotelli

Two Heads Are Better Than One

In the art and practice of dance, one’s instrument and medium is the body. A painter, sculptor, or musician must know intimately the tools of his craft, and so it is with dancers as well. However, the human body is an intricate organism and science is continually learning new things about the way in which it functions. Therefore, it is important for the dance community to have members that have one foot in the dance world and the other in the world of physiological and kinesiological science and medicine. Two members fitting this description have a foot (well…) hand in yet another world – the internet. For quite some time these two women have been offering their knowledge and expertise to a wide range of the dance community via the world wide web. If you don’t already know their names, you should!

Meeting of the Minds

They are Deborah Vogel and Lisa Howell, two women from opposite sides of the world who have a similar vision and purpose- that is to educate dancers and teachers, arming them with information to improve the quality of health and understanding of the body in dance education and practice. In each other it seems they have recently found a kindred spirit and have decided to join forces on some projects that will further their mission.

I’m sure these two have several exiting things in store for us, but it seems their first collaboration will be monthly podcasts that seek to answer questions from dancers and teachers like yourselves. In the video below Lisa Howell describes a bit about the project and lets you know where you can go to submit your question:

Who Are These Partners in Crime?

Just in case you are not familiar with these two women, I thought I’d share some information about who they are and what they do.

Deborah Vogel

Deborah is Neuromuscular Educator and author of several books who studied under Irene Dowd (author of Taking Root to Fly). She was a co-founder of the now defunct Center for Dance Medicine in New York City. Deb currently resides on the faculty at Oberlin College and Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. Her website The Body Series offers articles, products, and a blog (a transmutation of her Dancing Smart Newsletter), the purpose of which is to answer readers’ questions regarding body health and training issues in dance.

Lisa Howell

Lisa is a physiotherapist specializing in educating and treating dancers and founder of Perfect Form Physiotherapy, a clinic in North Sydney, Australia that, according to Lisa’s website, “focuses on educating dancers and providing one-on-one rehabilitation and technique correction in a caring and holistic environment.” She has also generated a series of resources, including the Perfect Pointe System, designed to help dancers safely and conscientiously improve their dancing and prepare for pointe work. Lisa’s website, The Ballet Blog, offers articles, products, newsletter updates, workshop information, and answers to your questions, and her video podcasts can be seen on the site or at her YouTube channel.

All Things to All People

While, of course, here at Dance Advantage, I strive to provide a comprehensive resource of articles and information for those involved in dance education, I realize that it is impossible for one place to be all things to all people. I am one person and there are limitations to what I, personally, can provide. It is for this reason, that I feel compelled to share other great resources on the web. If I’ve saved you time by linking you to another site that provides truly useful news, guidance, products, or services, I feel I am closer to meeting all of your needs as you participate in dance.

In addition to my college coursework in teaching and kinesiology, I have often drawn upon the work of Deborah and Lisa as I sought to provide quality information and advice to my dance students. I believe in their mission and these ladies know what they’re talking about!

If you have personal experience with Deborah Vogel, Lisa Howell, or their products. Or, if you’ve participated in any of their workshops, please share your observations with us.

If you want to know more, please visit their respective web sites.

One Feed to Read them All

When I first began writing this blog I actually knew very little about blogging. I was writing a personal blog about my family for friends and relatives and soon recognized the possibilities the platform held for writing about dance. I jumped right in to the writing part but recognized I needed to find others who were doing the same. Though I immediately discovered a few dance blogs, I’ve had to make an effort in searching for the many really great sites that are out there in the blogosphere. Therefore, it is my pleasure to report that those interested in reading dance blogs no longer have to go to great lengths, uncovering gems one by one because Deborah Friedes, contributor at The Winger and author of the Dance in Israel blog, along with Tal Galili, have created a great new resource called Dance Bloggers.

What is It?

Dance Bloggers aggregates, or collects the feeds of dance blogs, making it a one-stop shop for  both discovering new dance blogs (links on Dance Bloggers connect directly to the orignial blog site) and following the updates of all participating dance blogs. For readers, this means that you can either head to their website to catch up on new content or subscribe to one feed so that you never miss another update from any of the contributing blogs.

Who are the Contributors?

Anyone blogging about dance can add their blog to the directory. The directory already includes dance blogs concerning training, artistic process, news, and more, and new blogs are being added every day!

Check it Out!

When visiting the site you can also become a friend/member of Dance Bloggers through Google Friend Connect, allowing you to interact with other users of the site and comment on their “wall,” a feature with which facebook users will be familiar. In fact, you can also join the Dance Bloggers group (or fan page) on facebook. So, whether you blog about dance or read dance blogs, please visit this great new resource!

Dancing with Conscience

One person can have a profound effect on another. And two people…well, two people can work miracles. They can change a whole town. They can change the world.

-Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, writers of the TV show Northern Exposure

Dancers have the power to change the world. Over the past few months Dance Advantage has highlighted just a few of the many dance/arts organizations that are on a mission to do just that. Links to these posts as well as some others are listed below. In addition, I recommend checking out an article by Wendy Garofoli that features additional groups that are Making a Difference Through Dance.

Something out of Nothing

In researching the subject of refugees, I quickly discovered the Ibdaa Dance Troupe, a group of girls and boys that are residents of the Dheisheh Refugee Camp near the city of Bethlehem in the occupied Palestinian (Israel’s) West Bank, who share their experiences and message through dance. According to their website, the dancers “perform Palestinian traditional folkloric dance, or debka, as an artistic way of preserving and sharing their culture and history while simultaneously voicing the rights and struggles of the Palestinian people.”

The dance troupe is just one of the arts programs offered to children and teens at the Ibdaa Cultural Center, which is a grassroots program that seeks to empower the women, children, and youth of the Dheisheh camp. Opportunities to explore art, dance, drama, and music are rare among the 59 refugee camps in the occupied region. The programs provided at the center offer young people the chance to express themselves and develop creativity in a positive and peaceful manner. It is a stark and refreshing contrast to the violence and uncertainty that surrounds them. Ibdaa, which in Arabic means “to create something out of nothing,” reflects the hope that survives among this community of people despite the tumultuous environment in which they live.

Read more about Ibdaa Dance Troupe, Palestinian refugees, and other organizations helping refugees around the world…

Dancers Fight AIDS

We recognized World AIDS day recently. On that day Dance Advantage offered a small collection of links to AIDS related organizations and Dance Outlook‘s post on the subject. Dancers are doing important work in fighting AIDS. In particular, there are two organizations I’d like to highlight here. The first is Dancers Responding to AIDS (DRA), a fundraising program that holds events and organizes donation opportunities that help individuals in need and the organizations that support them. The other is Dance4Life, and international initiative that engages young people around the world to do something about the HIV/AIDS problem.

ASTEP Toward Ending Poverty

When people make a one-on-one connection with someone in need it can alter their lives (and consequently, the lives of others) forever. This was the case for Mary Mitchell-Campbell, a successful Broadway music director whose volunteer work in India inspired her to make an impact on worldwide childhood poverty.  She founded ASTEP (Artists Striving To End Poverty), an arts-based nonprofit that works directly with disadvantaged children, seeking to empower them through the arts. ASTEP has been a work in progress since about 2001, but received non-profit status two years ago and currently leads programs in the U.S., Africa, and India, connecting “artists who wish to share their talents with children who can benefit from artistic encounters.”

An upcoming event in New York City will feature performances by Broadway’s hottest stars. All proceeds from the event will benefit ASTEP. If you live in the city or plan to visit during the holiday season, be sure to see A NYC Christmas on December 15.

Read more about ASTEP and other organizations taking action against poverty…

Think Pink

The Dancers Care Foundation raises funds for breast cancer awareness, prevention, and research and encourages young dancers to utilize their talents for the cause. By offering several ways that dance students and studios can get involved, they encourage young dancers to utilize their talents to support and improve the quality of life for cancer victims.

Coming into Being

Genesis: Sarajevo provides dance and artistic opportunities to young people throughout Bosnia-Herzogovina. Currently the project offers two-week workshops twice a year to students in Bosnia but has plans to develop a full-fledged company and seeks to expand their work to other war-torn areas of the world. Amy Danielson, the organization’s founder was featured this month (Dec 2008) in Dance Magazine (Dancing for a Cause, by Nancy Alfaro).

Changing the Community

The Center for Contemporary Dance in Winter Park, Florida is a nonprofit center for dance education and home to six contemporary dance companies. The organization also seeks to inspire their community to “act as imaginative agents of change” through their Dance For Change program. Their initiatives address race, tolerance, and social equality, provide arts education to underserved commuities, provide opportunities to artists that explore the theme of Global Peace in their work,  and invite young people to write about how they can impact the world. Those interested in their work can also find them on twitter, myspace, and facebook.

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

- Gandhi

Qlubb Update

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.

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.

Solve Your Bulk E-mail Woes. Go Qlubbing!

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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Dancers at a Gathering

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?

Let’s Hear it for the Boys!

A while back I did a post entitled Encouraging Boys to Dance. It had a good response and I was even asked to submit an edited version for the PTA (National Parent Teacher Association) website.  It is my firm belief that boys should be encouraged to dance by dance teachers and parents in particular. After all, there are many who would discourage them – we should be making it an easier choice for young guys who may have an interest in the art form.  Sadly, many dance schools seem completely geared toward females (maybe without even realizing it), effectively turning young men away.  Dancers thrive in an environment where they feel comfortable to be themselves and safe from judgment or abuse.  Therefore, dance schools and parents must make an effort to provide this environment for boys in dance.

Check it out!

I recently came upon two blogs which are the primary purpose of this post.  They are excellent resources for male dancers and their parents.  The first is My Son Can Dance, a chronicle of one dance mom’s experiences with raising a boy who dances.  Teachers, dance moms, and male dancers should definitely take note of this site! The second is Boys and Ballet, essentially a collection of news articles from around the globe that feature boys or men in the dance world (specifically ballet but other genres are occasionally featured) – an excellent resource that can act as a source of encouragement for young men involved in dance.

While we’re on the subject…

Here are some other links:

• Teacher lesson plan that reinforces the idea that dance is a beneficial activity for men and women.
• Bad Boys of Dance – a company of male dancers who tour… field trip!!
• River’s Edge Dancewear – large selection of men’s dancewear.
• All About Dance men’s dancewear selection
• The Ailey School’s program for boys.
• The Men in Dance festival in Seattle
• A clearly written article on boys in dance in an educational setting (pdf).
• Inspiring Boys through Dance – interesting education project (UK) which provides insight applicable to other settings.
• Helping Boys Make the Leap to Ballet – from the Washington Post, a good reminder that boys in dance can enjoy both dance and sports.
• Born to Be Wild – The Leading Men of American Ballet Theatre
• Billy Elliot: an enjoyable movie (note: it is rated R for language)
• The Jacob’s Pillow gallery of Ted Shawn’s The Men Dancers (prints available for purchase)
• An excellent example of grace and masculinity -

Children’s Books (great for your studio waiting room or home library)

• Jose! Born to Dance: The Story of Jose Limon
• Alvin Ailey
• The Only Boy in Ballet Class
• Ballerino Nate
• Dancing to Freedom: The True Story of Mao’s Last Dancer
• …and more children’s books!

Participate – WordPress now has PollDaddy!!

Thanks for a successful Teach-a-thon!

Thanks so much, everyone,

for your participation and for reading! Students, I hope that you discoverd some fresh information that you can take with you into the new school year. If there is something that really hit home, something that you would have liked to have seen here, or you just want to say “hello,” please take a moment to leave a comment.

I would like to thank all of the wonderful dance bloggers who took the time to write or add their work to the listing. There are some really wonderful and generous people within this community and I am so glad to have “met” all of you.

In case you missed any of them, here are the links again.

Organize Your Life and Nurture Your Spirit: Dianne from Ballet Shoes and Pointe Shoes offers tips on dancewear, visualization, journaling, and getting back into class!

Scholarships for Dancers: Heading to college? Seniors, now is the time to start working on applications for school and financial aid. DanceHere offers great advice!

Strengths and Weaknesses: Everyone has them. Here are some tips and encouragement as you attempt to master your strengths and overcome your weaknesses!

Sarah at What a Wonderful World! writes about one of her favorite belly dance students. A heartwarming reminder that you’re never too old to learn something new!

Challenges In Professional Dance: DanceHere offers the first in a series about dance careers. If you are thinking about a career as a professional dancer, don’t miss this post!

Why The Competition?: A post about the reasons dancers compete. Carl, a lindy hopper, competes in partner dancing but his post is applicable to all forms of competitive dance.

Start The Year Off Right: Leslea, assistant director at Uptown Dance shares with students how to be prepared and productive in the coming year of classes. Written as though you were right there in her classroom, she hits all the highlights of the first month of classes.

Jobs in Dance Companies: Considering or researching a career in dance? Performing professionally is not the only option open to dancers. Check out this post from DanceHere.

What to expect from your first ballet class: If you are taking ballet for the first time, Selly from Dance Outlook offers a thorough article on how to prepare and what to expect, complete with some great video.

Negativity: Could your complaining, insecurities, and negativity affect others in your dance class? My experience with a student whose negative attitude was turned around with positive reinforcement.

Careers for Dancers in Media and Communications: Continuing their series, DanceHere highlights careers in film, photography, and more that combine an interest in or knowledge of dance.

Improve Dance With Your Eyes Closed: Sanna, a performance specialist who blogs with dancer, Janie at DanceMind, expresses the importance of sleep for dancers who want to be at their best.

Vertically Challenged: My own tips and suggestions for improving your technique, height, landing, and musicality in vertical jumping (or, sauté).

Additional posts for students can be found under the “for students” category!

Thanks again!

Battement

I’m sure that students reading this blog have used or heard the term battement before. If grand battement immediately comes to mind, I’m not surprised, as the word battement is commonly dropped from the name of other familiar terms.

A mother, father, brothers, grandparents, uncles, all share a family name. In a similar way battement is a family of movements.

From the Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet: Battement [bat-MAHN] — Beating. A beating action of the extended or bent leg. There are two types of battements, grands battements and petits battements. The petis battements are: Battements tendus, dégagés, frappés and tendus relevés: stretched, disengaged, struck and stretched-and-lifted. In this must-have reference Gail Grant devotes no less than 7 pages to the battement family which also includes members such as fondu developpé, balançoire, retiré or raccourci, soutenu, battu/serré, and more.

Why We Practice Them

Battements, as they are practiced at the barre and in centre, are the foundation of many other movements in ballet (jumps and travelling steps such as assemblé, tour jeté, grand jeté, and so many more) and in other dance forms. It is necessary to have a solid grasp on the simplest forms in order to perform the others correctly. Often battement are separated into two categories: petite and grand. However, one might also divide battements according to whether or not they interact with the floor.

Articulation

Tendus, dégagés, frappés, grand battements (balançoire, en cloche, fouetté, etc), soutenu, and retiré, are all battement that brush or press away from the floor. In each of these movements, it is important to remember the role of the feet. I have encountered many beginning dancers that neglect “working through” the foot as the working/gesture leg is disengaged from it’s standing position. Think of the foot as a paintbrush creating a brush stroke on the floor, using the intrinsic muscles of the arch and finally, the toes. This small action will strengthen the foot for jumping and relevé, and helps to “ground” the movement, providing stability, particularly in centre. Stability can also be increased by imagining the standing leg rooted deep into the earth as the working leg moves outward and/or skyward from the midline. The foot also articulates in battements that lift the knee upward, as in retiré/raccourci. Think of this as a one-legged jump, requiring the same roll-thru of the feet. This is great strengthening practice for jumps to come. Similarly in grand battements, I like to remind my students that power and height of the working leg is achieved through sending force into the floor. Much like a rocket ship which propels itself into space by sending heat and energy downward, a dancer must send energy into the floor through the leg and foot to create “lift-off” in grand battements.

This video by Lisa Howell is a useful and clearly explained demonstration of the articulation necessary in tendu.

Isolation and Sustaining the Leg

Battements that do not interact with the floor are a much smaller branch of the family. Still they are an illustrious group. Petites battement sur-le-cou-de-pied and battu reflect the more literal “beating” action of battements. In barre work these movements introduce agility and speed. They require that the knee be lifted away from the body for a sustained period (a preparation for things to come) while also isolating the rapidly moving lower leg from the upper leg. This isolation is important later for all jumps with beats because it encourages stillness or “quiet” in the pelvis and stability in the core while all that fast action is going on below.

A Word on Turnout

In all battement, maintaining turn-out is crucial. Many students struggle with this and it can take years to develop the strength to utilize and maintain turn-out with consistency. One way to “find” or create awareness of turnout in battements is to place the fingertips on the greater trochanter. This is the portion of bone at the outside of the hip joint that you’ll probably feel pressing into the floor when lying on your side. With the fingertips on this protrusion, execute a battement tendu. When properly utilizing your turn-out you will feel the trochanter slip backward but not dip lower or lift higher as you disengage the leg. This exercise may be used as an alternative or supplement to the more commonly taught concept of allowing the heal to lead in tendu.

Each movement within the battement family deserves its own post. Writer Dianne Buxton has added a breakdown of the basics at her Ballet and Pointe Shoes blog:

• Battement tendu
• Grand battement
• Battement frappe
• Battement degage
• Battement fondu

Don’t forget to pick up a good ballet dictionary. It will prove helpful in your study of ballet (and other dance forms) to understand and utilize proper ballet terminology. Once again, I highly recommend the Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet.

What are some images that have helped you (or your students) in executing movements in the battement family?

Are there other ways you might categorize or breakdown the various types of battements?

Are there additional resources you’d recommend?

Bullying in Dance Class

What does a bully look like?

We tend to picture a bully as a big, tough, boy that picks on those smaller or younger than himself. However, there has been a lot of discussion lately within educational circles about bullying and we are slowly learning that bullies come in many forms. Although dance can foster understanding and a sense of community among young people, dance classes are not immune to episodes of bullying.

Boys in dance often receive taunting, teasing and physical harassment from sources outside their dance school. Sometimes the effects of this bullying can have serious consequences as they did for one young man in Derby, England. It is not as widely recognized, however, that male students can sometimes be bullied by females in their dance classes. After all, boys are typically outnumbered and often a subject of fascination for the females in a typical studio environment. In fact, girls are every bit as capable of bullying as boys, however their style or methods of tormenting usually differ.

Girls tend to practice what is called relational aggression. They manipulate, taunt, and tease on an emotional level that often flies under the radar of teachers. Here are some sources that will help you spot and understand relational aggression in action:

• Girls Bullying Girls
• Girl Bullies
• Relational Aggression (defines some of the “types” like Queen Bee, Bystander, etc. and offers additional links)
• The Ophelia Project

A Teacher’s Role

In all cases of intimidation, there are usually adults that excuse bullying with, “boys will be boys” or “girls will be girls,” feel that bullying is just something everyone must deal with at some point in life, or consider the behavior as part of a phase that will pass. Even though certain age groups are more prone to experience or exhibit bullying behavior, students deserve to learn in an environment that is safe from abuse. Dance classes for pre-teens and teens are a social, as well as an educational environment where cliques and competition can flourish. In addition, students often bring their school-lives into the dance studio despite being urged to “leave it at the door.” Dance teachers can help to combat problems by learning to recognize episodes of bullying and adopting a no-tolerance policy on destructive behavior in their class even before it becomes a problem.

Why stop bullying?

It’s been my experience that students thrive when they are free to create, succeed, and fail in a class without the stress of facing snickers, rude comments, or pressure to join in on bad behavior from other classmates.

Need more reasons?

The Stop Bullying Now! website has a concise list (please visit their website for details and more information on bullying).

1. Many children are involved in bullying and most are extremely concerned about it.
2. Bullying can seriously affect the mental health, academic work, and physical health of children who are targeted.
3. Children who bully are more likely than other children to be engaged in other antisocial, violent, or troubling behavior.
4. Bullying can negatively affect children who observe bullying going on around them–even if they aren’t targeted themselves.
5. Bullying is a form of victimization or abuse, and it is wrong. Children should be able to attend school or take part in community activities without fear of being harassed, assaulted, belittled, or excluded.

If your pre-teens or teens are already engaging in bullying behaviors,

What can you do in your dance classes right now?

Take some time out of an upcoming class to sit down with the students and create rules about bullying. Having a heart-to-heart right after an episode occurs may embarrass the bullied student (which is not the point) of the exercise. However, now is better than never. Essentially, as soon as you feel prepared to address the subject calmly and objectively, go for it!

Start out with a discussion about what constitutes bullying.

1. Ask the students to come up with a list of actions that they would consider to be bullying (whispering and giggling, rolling eyes, etc.).
2. Next, have them create a set of rules to follow in class that will stop bullying.
3. And finally, come up with appropriate consequences for breaking the rules. Make sure the rules are clear and concise so that the bully can’t talk their way out of punishment. For example, No Whispering. That means no whispering… period. Doesn’t matter what the whispering was about because they will try to convince you that it wasn’t malicious. Stick to the rule and the consequence every time.

I’ve also found it helpful to create, in general, a supportive environment in class.

1. Encourage students to clap for other groups after they’ve crossed the floor or performed in front of the rest of the class.
2. Offer comments like “good try,” “don’t give up,” or “you nailed the timing, Susie!” in addition to corrections is helpful, and don’t forget to praise students who exhibit supportive and positive behavior.
3. Demonstrate constructive criticism, teaching students to look for positives and “needs improvement” in others’ work, then make it a point to provide opportunities for students to practice constructive criticism (Teach students how to properly offer constructive criticism. Be careful! If there is already a lot of negative behavior running through the class, do not allow bullies to use this exercise as another opportunity to intimidate or belittle. If this is a problem, consider holding off on allowing students to practice criticism until behavior and attitudes have improved overall.)

What to do if bullying continues.

Pull aside the offender after class. Provide specific examples of his/her bullying and/or breaking the rules, make it clear this is not acceptable, and let him/her know that this is a warning that will be followed with specific consequences if the behavior does not stop. It may also help to pull the bullied student aside and let him/her know of your plans to end the bullying so that he/she feels some reassurance that you are aware of the problem and are taking action to prevent it.

There are lots of ways for parents and teachers to deal with and prevent bullying. The links I’ve included above offer suggestions, as well as support for victims and even more links on the subject of relational aggression.

Have you been bullied in a dance class? If you are a teacher, how have you prevented bullying behavior in your class/school?

Virtual Dancer

Check out this fun little diversion -a Virtual Dancer.  It is a feature on a great site called Arts Alive which includes quizzes, study guides, dance facts, artist profiles, articles on the choreographic process, and more.  And that’s just on the dance portion of the site!  They also have lots of cool stuff about English and French theatre (it’s a Canadian site) and Music.  Enjoy the weekend!