Nina at My Son Can Dance has recently published some advice and tips she received in conversation with Duncan Cooper, a master teacher, faculty member at Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet, and former Dance Theatre of Harlem dancer. Though, Nina has posed some wonderful questions regarding boys in ballet, the advice Cooper offers is relevant to all dancers. Even those not looking to have a career in dance can benefit from the guidance offered here. If you’d like to grow and improve as a dancer, check out the interview!
Part I in particular stresses the importance of setting goals for your career (which I’ve touched in this post about finding instruction and this post about choosing a college program), researching and learning from other dancers, and more.
Part II is especially relevant for boys, but I think girls/women can gain useful perspective on performance and telling a story through movement.
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.
