Sunday Snapshot: A Field Of Blue

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Jolene Toland’s efforts to preserve memories through photography has expanded into a full fledge hobby. In fact, on any given day she, her friends, and/or family head off on photo safaris. Jolene has won several first, second, and third place awards at both local and state levels. The subject of most of her dance photography has been her own daughter but dance has always been a passion of Jolene’s. She says, “I love dancing and have had the privilege of watching my own daughter grow and learn through dance. It is her emotional outlet and way of expressing the poetry that is in her to the world.”

Confessions of a 28-year-old Grade I Grad: A Look At Cecchetti’s Method

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Most dancers (especially American dancers) are trained in ambiguous combinations of techniques that generally come from whatever their teachers learned from their teachers. The fabulous thing about this program is that there is no ambiguity. There are answers for everything, no shades of gray, and very little room for interpretation. Since some of the greatest dancers in history passed through Cecchetti’s own hands, he was obviously doing something right.

Introducing My Dance Homework: Toe Sit-Ups

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[VIDEO] A simple exercise for dance students to do while sitting around. “Toe Sit-ups” encourage awareness and articulation of (or working through) the foot for tendu and pointing. They also strengthen the plantar flexors for pointe work, stability and balance, cushioning landings, and giving power to jumps.

Art Is Kids Play

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Easy access to drugs, internet, lack of phone and computer regulation and other challenges facing children and the teachers and parents entrusted with their care make all youth “at-risk” in Weiner’s eyes. And so, her programs at the Hope Center are open to any child on a first come, first served basis. Many Kids Play participants are recruited, however, from local organizations such as Archway Academy and Chinquapin (schools for troubled and disadvantaged youth), Baylor Pediatric AIDS Initiative, Baylor International Adoption Center, and group homes like Casa de Esperanza. “We love the mix of cultures and socio-economic levels,”

What You Can Do To Improve Tendu (and why it is crucial)

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Imagine the relatively light/easy press and bend of a paint brush that allows the painter to evenly distribute paint but still glide the brush smoothly. Imagine a layer of velvet or velour beneath your foot and enjoy the feeling of your foot moving through the plush carpet, leaving a trail in the fibers as the foot moves outward and returns. Imagine light or streaming air radiating from the hip and out through the toe, as well as upward and out through the top of the head.

Sunday Snapshot: Apprentice

Peninsula Ballet Apprentice

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.

Why DOES Dance Matter?

I’m not the first and certainly not the last to ask the question. An expectant audience asks this of each performer as he presents his offering on stage. A student looks for the reply in the eyes of their teacher, the guide to their experience. The soul doesn’t have to ask the body as it moves to the internal rhythm of the heart. It just knows.

So why do we have to ask? Why must we put it in words? It seems that the answer should be inherently clear to anyone whose body has for even one second embraced accord with that internal rhythm. So why must we be utterly clear in our conviction that dance matters?

Surviving And Thriving As A Male Dancer

Liora Kuttler © 2009

It is shocking to discover that people can be much more open and accepting than we give them credit for. It is important for the young male dancer to keep an open mind and allow room for people to accept and admire his dance talent. Remember, not everyone will approve, nor does everyone have to. But there are many art supporters, family and friends who will accept your dance talent as a gift and encourage you to use it to the fullest.

The Pressures And Challenges For Young Male Dancers

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Once I was chosen for the hip-hop dance team, I was embraced with open arms by my fellow dancers! The young ladies on the team loved having a male around and would often ask me to assist them with the unfamiliar hip-hop vocabulary they were being taught. As a young male, I felt that I had it made. I was naive and believed that all dance environments would be as accepting of male dancers. Boy was I wrong!

Musicality In Dance: What Is It? Can It Be Taught?

Musical creativity (or musical artistry) is the ability to connect with accompanying music, interpret it, or phrase and add movement dynamics that relate to music even in the absence of accompaniment, in a way that is unique or interesting. Musicality in dance then might be considered a measure or degree to which a dancer is receptive and creative in his translation or rendering of music through movement.

Dance Movie Magic — Your Favorites on Film

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.

The Right Steps Towards A Career In Dance

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It can be scary to break out of the comfortable confines of your local studio. But branching out has many benefits for an aspiring dance professional. By taking a wide variety of dance classes from different sources, you become a more versatile dancer. In today’s dance industry, versatility is extremely important. Sure you can specialize in a specific dance genre, but it is also important to be well-versed in a variety of styles.