Here’s what we’re sharing with you from our unique vantage point online, a.k.a the front row…
Finding “Neutral Foot”- The history of… tap dancing
- Dancers & their Ballet Bags: A Visit to Ballet Black
- How to Take Audition Photos of Your Dancin’ Boy
- 10 things my cats have taught me about ballet
- A father’s influence
- When Should You Dance for Free?
- From Competition To College
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Finding “Neutral Foot”
‘Round these parts we think foot and ankle alignment is purty darn important. So does Monika over at The Dance Training Project. We can tell because she’s written a whopper of a post on the subject. She’s clear on why foot “posture” it’s so crucial, why rolling in is so bad for you, and gives several exercises to help you find and use your “neutral foot” while dancing.
The history of… tap dancing. (Really.)
A brief overview of tap dancing from its origins to today, this post is notable because it popped up in my reader from an unexpected source — one of my favorite “mom blogs.” What can I say? I like pleasant surprises… and, I like video, too, which is another reason to check out this post. (P.S. We’ve been known to get a little tap happy here at DA, too.)
Dancers & their Ballet Bags: A Visit to Ballet Black
Not only do we learn what “knolling” is all about from this post, but we learn dancers carry a lot of weird sh…tuff in their dance bags! Bonus: Meeting the lovely, young, international Ballet Black company members willing to let you take a peek at their personal items.
How To Take Audition Photos of Your Dancin’ Boy
The tips in this post at My Son Can Dance aren’t just for young male dancers (or their parents). They’re really for anyone hopin’ to do a little DIY photographin’ for auditions. The advice comes from San Francisco Ballet dancer, Alexander Reneff-Olson, who is an experienced photographer as well.
10 things my cats have taught me about ballet
Just when you think you’ve seen enough cat memes to last a lifetime, The Classical Girl comes up with a great list for ballet-loving cat people… or cat-loving ballet people… actually, for anyone who loves to move.
A father’s influence
For Father’s Day, Scott at loveballet89 reflected on how a father’s supportive (or unsupportive, as it was in Scott’s case) behavior regarding their child’s dance study affects male dancers in particular. It’s an eloquent statement that demonstrates the many ways our lives are shaped by the people and events in them.
When Should You Dance for Free?
Nearly every professional dancer faces this question in their career. This Dance Magazine article shares how four dancers have and do answer it for themselves. The article also features a once-upon-a-time high school classmate of Nichelle’s, Aaron Mattocks. A dancer who began his training in college, Aaron is inspiring in lots of ways.
From Competition To College
Once a competitive dance student like so many young dancers, 4dancers columnist Ashley David, a dance major at University of Maryland, College Park reflects on her transition to college and seeing dance, herself, and her work as artistic. She and some of her peers also give a handful of excellent tips for managing this often surprising shift.
We at Dance Advantage love to try to help students and teachers find new ways of closing the gap between student and artist!
If you have suggestions on how we can help you do that, let us know!
We’d love to hear from you.
Nichelle Suzanne is a writer specializing in dance and online content. She is also a dance instructor with over 20 years experience teaching in dance studios, community programs, and colleges. She began Dance Advantage in 2008, equipped with a passion for movement education and an intuitive sense that a blog could bring dancers together. As a Houston-based dance writer, Nichelle covers dance performance for Dance Source Houston, Arts+Culture Texas, and other publications. She is a leader in social media within the dance community and has presented on blogging for dance organizations, including Dance/USA. Nichelle provides web consulting and writing services for dancers, dance schools and studios, and those beyond the dance world. Read Nichelle’s posts.
