Giving students, teachers, and parents an edge in dance education
Scott W. Lewis doesn’t shoot professionally and has no background in dance, but has captured many magic moments with a camera. First, he photographed his daughters for keepsakes, later turning it into a hobby that’s put his work on the cover of Dance Studio Life and right here on Dance Advantage.
To those who aren’t dancers or teachers, all the little rules and details we observe and require of our students may seem silly or pointless. But we have our reasons and they’re illustrated in Melanie Doskocil’s final entry for the year in Ballet’s Un-X-pected Lesson Files.
DanceStudioOwner.com would like to give away one boxed set of their super-cute, dance-themed Holiday Collection Note Cards to FIVE Dance Advantage readers. Simply comment to enter and you could be a winner. Plus learn a little greeting card trivia, when you visit!
Young ballet dancers gain integral qualities that lead to success, not only in dance, but in life. Guest and School of the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Director, Melanie Doskocil describes for readers two occasions when it was clear her students had discovered important life lessons – ones that will carry them far toward a successful future.
Alison thought the Youth America Grand Prix ballet competition was only for dancers who were one step shy of becoming a professional, not for girls like herself who were serious about training, but with so much left to learn. Little did she know she was about to experience YAGP firsthand and share the preparation, expectations, and emotions of the event with you.
ballet dancer’s makeup should accentuate and enhance the NATURAL three dimensional shape of the eye. This allows the audience to follow the ballerina’s gaze. As her eyes and head follow through each position of her dance the audience needs to know if her eyes are open, closed, looking in a certain direction or at a specific character.
Houston Ballet apprentice, Madison Morris answers questions about what it’s like to perform in the corps during this busy holiday season. She reveals both the hard work and dedication required of apprentices and the corps and an insider’s view of the sometimes action-packed events going on behind the scenes at Nutcracker performances.
Grosh would like to give away a backdrop rental (winner’s choice) valued up to $500 to ONE Dance Advantage reader. Just place a comment at this post, answering the question: If you were to win, which theme or specific Grosh backdrop would make your performance or event a success?
Peninsula Ballet Theatre performs in venues throughout the California Bay Area including East Bay. In addition to performances, they educate both pre-professional and recreational students of dance via the PBT Conservatory of Dance. This photo is from PBT’s 2008 Nutcracker. The dancer, playing The Rose in The Waltz of the Flowers, is a company apprentice.
This photo is from rehearsal for Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre’s Contemporary Nutcracker as performed by Conservatory of Dance Studio Company. The girl in the photo is “Klara” and she is about to pick up the sword, illuminated, and kill the Mouse Queen in revenge of her dead Nutcracker.”
My First Ballet Collection is a great choice for those wishing to nurture enthusiasm for ballet among children of all ages. Younger children will enjoy being introduced to colorful characters and beautiful dancing. Older children will benefit from the opportunity to sample a mélange of ballet specimens.
