I was recently asked about some tips on how to improve at multiple pirouettes. I know that lots of students are wanting to know the same thing, so here is my answer: 1. Engaging your abdominal/core muscles is necessary for maintaining good alignment during the turn. 2. Every turn is a balance, so work on […]
Archives for April 2008
Encouraging Boys to Dance
Dance is a physical and athletic activity requiring great skill, strength, and agility. Sounds like an ideal fit for energetic boys… so where are they?? Well, we know that public perception is difficult to change and, in general, the current perception is that dance is not a “manly” activity. For ballet and some other dance […]
Make Your Own Dance Puzzles
Discovery Education’s website has an online puzzle maker. The free version allows you to create different types of puzzles and either print them from the browser or create a text version that you can copy and paste to a new application. If you’re needing a quick handout for your dance classes this week (remember we […]
Watching and Discussing Dance
Continuing my series on how dancers, teachers, parents, and schools can celebrate National Dance Week in meaningful ways that will endure beyond this small portion of the year, this post is about watching and discussing dance. In an earlier post, I suggested that one way to celebrate NDW is to go see dance in order […]
Teaching and Exploring the History and Evolution of Dance
A student in ballet cannot learn the art in isolation and no one can know what great dancing is without seeing examples of it. Not only can the dancer not be separated from the dance, she also cannot be separated from the history of dancing, from the line of dancers and teachers leading to her. […]
Celebrate National Dance Week
National Dance Week is approaching ( April 25-May 4, 2008 ) and if you haven’t already, now is the time to decide how you’re going to celebrate! Obviously if you’re visiting this blog, you probably have an interest in dance and may already feel like you are immersed in its practice. However, there are lots […]
