Ballet Pages

T-shirts and Trophies: Are We Sending The Wrong Message?

2012-02-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

Recently a father of one of my 14 year old ballet students emailed me to make a suggestion. My student has an older brother who has been heavily involved scholastic sports most of his life. The father has been a major proponent of these activities and has gotten involved in coaching, as well as the myriad other responsibilities it requires to be a football/soccer/hockey/ski dad.

Truthfully, I rarely saw him or heard from him, but he approached me in a very diplomatic way and I am always open to collaboration.

Dad wanted to organize a banquet for the dancers of our ballet school; year end celebration of their achievements. I have to admit my interest was piqued until he said "maybe you could give out a t-shirt and a trophy to everyone there. It would help boost their self esteem and it's something all the sports teams do for all the student athletes who sign up to be on the team."

Huh? Since when did we as a culture start to reward everyone, just for showing up? Just for doing what we are supposed to be doing? I thought trophies were for the ones who excelled at something, or went above and beyond the call of duty. Why does a student need a trophy just to feel good about themselves? Are we really that backward of a culture that we have forgotten how to foster self-esteem without treats?

This is what I love about ballet. Ballet fosters self-esteem not by giving out rewards for achievements but through the achievements themselves. Students learn to push through self imposed limitations, to challenge themselves to move beyond mediocrity, to handle rejection with grace, to support and nurture one another.

Ballet dancers learn early to handle rejection/defeat with grace. As students they learn that they don't always move up a level or go on pointe when they want. As adults they learn they don't always get the part that they want and they don't always get the job they want.But dancers learn early to ask the important questions: not "why did SHE get the job and I didn't," but "what do I need to do to get that job?" Then they work like crazy to make sure that NEXT time they do get that part, that job, move up or whatever.

I have heard it said that ballet dancers are some of the best workers OUTSIDE the field of ballet. Ballet dancers enjoy excellence and not because they got a trophy for showing up, but because it brings them personal satisfaction to see a job well done. Ballet dancers care about quality, it's part of the training, and they carry that with them in and out of the studio, on and off stage.

Students come to class because they care about their dancing and training, because they care about their performances and because dancing and training and performing makes them feel good. They don't come to class because some one promised them a t-shirt and a trophy.

My feeling is that most kids participate in scholastic sports and other extracurricular activities because those activities are fun, bring them joy, make them feel good about themselves and teach them some life skills. If they aren't getting those needs met, they try another activity, until hopefully they find the one that is fulfilling, satisfying and challenging all at the same time.

But my question is this: does it really help a kid's self esteem to give them a reward when they didn't do anything above and beyond what was required? Do we really need treats like trophies to entice kids to sign up?

Austin Scarlett's Georgeous Costumes

2012-02-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a sneak peak of Austin Scarlett's georgeous costumes designed for the world premier of Norbert de la Cruz III's new ballet Square None.

Sandwiched between two great choreographers, Nicolo Fonte and Jorma Elo, De La Cruz' fantastic new ballet promises to make the whole evening one of beauty, athleticism and divine creativity.

Performances at the Aspen District Theater Friday and Saturday, February 17th and 18th at 7:30pm.

Real Food Barres Giveaway

2012-02-16T11:04:00.001-07:00

I love these guys and what they are doing. I hope you'll try their real food bars. They are made of real food (that you can pronounce) and are designed for athletes. Plus, during Dance Advantage's current giveaway, you can enter to win a whole case of them!

The following story is by Nichelle and from the Dance Advantage website:

Developed By Dancers, Barre Makes Healthy Snacks [Giveaway]

February 16, 2012 By Nichelle (admin) 12 Comments

Welcome to Day Five of the LOVE Our Readers Giveaway.

Today’s giveaway is sponsored by Barre.

www.realfoodbarre.com

Barre makes healthy snacks for dancers and anyone who wants to perform their best!

In the spring of 2010 Julia Erickson, Principal Dancer with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, was rehearsing for the lead role in Swan Lake, Odette/Odile, and needed a convenient, healthy snack to power her through tough swan rehearsals.

Julia and her partner, Aaron (formerly with PBT) had both given up on eating “energy bars” many years prior due to the fact that most of them were glorified candy bars. So Julia pulled out her Cuisinart and some ingredients from the cupboard and set about making her own nutritious snack designed specifically for the needs of a dancer.

Julia took her concoction to work at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and ate it before class and rehearsals. Her colleagues at PBT and the students at PBT School tried it and liked it —can you say light bulb moment? Shortly thereafter Barre began supplying dancers all across the country with healthy snacks.

Barre donates a portion of its profits to arts education and currently offers their real food bars in two delicious flavors, Black Swan Chocolate Berry and Pirouette Cinnamon Pecan. Keep a look out for their next flavor, White Swan, coming soon!

Read more of the Barre story in our review here.

The Giveaway

Barre would like to give away a box of 12 bars to THREE Dance Advantage readers.

Barre real food bars are made from all natural, whole food ingredients. Unlike some other bars, you can pronounce all of the ingredients that make up Barre. Barres real food bars are specifically designed for dancers as a pre-class or rehearsal snack.

A box of 12 Barres retails for $27.48. Winners will receive 6 Black Swan Chocolate Berry and 6 Pirouette Cinnamon Pecanbars.

The Barre giveaway is open to U.S. residents (including Hawaii and Alaska) to those 18 and up and closes at Midnight EST on Monday, February 20.

How To Enter-Follow this link to enter!

Sneak Peak of New ASFB Ballet

2012-02-12T18:22:00.000-07:00

Dear readers, I can't help but give a shout out to my favorite contemporary ballet company and hope you will all check out the trailer. Maybe some will see one of the performances on tour.

Catch a fantastic trailer of the new work by Norbert De La Cruz III, commissioned by Aspen Santa Fe Ballet and made possible by a grant from The Jerome Robbins Foundation's New Essential Works Program.

"Square None,"
Choreography by Norbert De La Cruz III
Music by: Michelle Ross, Alva Noto, George Frederic Handel, & Aphex Twin
Demo Editing by: Norbert L. De La Cruz III
Costumes by: Austin Scarlett
Lighting: Seah Johnson

ASFB Tour Dates:

February 17 - 18, Aspen, CO https://aspenshowtix.com/Online/default.asp

March 16 - 17, Santa Fe, NM http://www.lensic.org/
March 20, Durango, CO www.durangoconcerts.com
March 24, Aspen, CO https://aspenshowtix.com/Online/default.asp
March 31, Kansas City, MO www.hjseries.org/web/events.aspx?date=3/31/2012
April 7, Park City, UT ecclescenter.org/upcoming-events/aspen-santa-fe-ballet-april-7-2012/
April 13 - 14, St. Louis, MO www.touhill.org/default.asp?touhill=51&objId=822
April 17, Santa Fe, NM http://www.lensic.org/

Dance Advantage Giveaway is back!

2012-02-11T09:50:00.000-07:00

The Dance Advantage spring giveaway is under way now at www.danceadvantage.net. I love to help Dance Advantage in their projects and ventures. DA has been such a wonderful mentor to me and I hope all you dancers and dance teachers will check out and enter into the giveaways!

Up for entries right now are vegan ballet slippers created by Cynthia King.
"As a vegan dancer and choreographer, King did not have any good options for ballet slippers. Even canvas
slippers used animal skin on the soles. Providing a viable and affordable alternative to leather-soled slippers
became her mission, and after much research (and trial and error), Cynthia King Vegan Ballet Slippers were
born, bringing her passion for dance and compassion for animals together." www.danceadvantage.net

Also, up for giveaway is the Petite Feet DVD!
"Petite Feet is a 26-minute DVD that uses engaging and imaginative exercises, games and stories to
introduce children to basic ballet positions and vocabulary, as well as general dance and musical concepts."

Check them both out at Dance Advantage:

Vegan Ballet Slippers
Petite Feet DVD

Serendipity, Synchronicity

2012-01-28T15:54:00.001-07:00

One woman's tragedy is another woman's treasure. A narrative review of 2 1/2 days in New York.

We all need a little magic in our lives and sometimes that magic comes in the strangest packages. Last week I was stressing out over ballet recital sign up, ordering costumes, music and choreography. I dreamt of my vacation week in March and continued to plod along in my usual way.

I'm sitting at home, contemplating yet another tedious math problem, and watching the clock tick down until its time to go teach ballet class.

Suddenly the phone rings and a familiar French accented voice says "allo Maylohniee. I 'ave a strrange question to ask you."

I get nervous and start thinking of all the possible "strange" things my boss could ask: teach company class (desirable)... come in to an unannounced meeting (hate to be in the building more than is required)...teach private lessons to a new wealthy patron who wants to learn ballet (shoot me!)...go skiing together (now that would be strange)...

He cuts off my mind's rambling musings with "would you like to go to New York?"

Duh, yeah!

I don't even have time to start fantasizing when he sobers me right up. "A terrible thing has happened. A dancer from Momix fell." Stunned into silence, I immediately think of the show two nights before. I had watched their stunning performance of Botanica during the afternoon. The music, the lighting, the creative movement and costumes and props had been a source of tremendous inspiration all weekend. They had had another performance that night amidst a raging snow storm.

"They were supposed to leave yesterday for Santa Fe, but because of the snowstorm they decided to take a day off here."

I have images of swirling blowing snow and slippery sidewalks. "She was in her hotel, in the lobby, and somehow fell and broke her jaw!" About this time I tell my super WRONG guessing imagination to take a hike and just listen.

A flurry of phone calls and internet searches and 4 hours later the very hungry and completely doped up Jenny and I are on a plane bound for Manhattan. She was a trooper! Nary a complaint and many cynical comments later, we touched down in the Big Apple. I deposited Jenny into the waiting arms of her nervous and traumatized family. Poor mom and dad. They don't realize how hearty dancers are. I expected Jenny to need more assistance, too, but like all dancers, she faced her injury with stage worthy aplomb. Beating herself up for being stupid, making witty reparte and working the wheelchair angle when necessary. I know she'll be hard to keep down, even with her jaw wired shut!

Once "the package" had been delivered, I was free to enjoy 2 1/2 glorious days in The City. My serious duties completed, I let my inner child out of the tightly lock trunk she'd been traveling in and started my adventure. The first of which was the hotel.

It's hard to find a decent hotel in Manhattan for under two hundred a night. I've stayed in some that are old, or in not great neighborhoods and paid a small fortune to be there. Plus, when you search on the Internet, you never really know what you're going to get.

What I got was lucky! The City Club Hotel bills itself as a cross between a private club and a boutique hotel. For under $200 a night I couldn't be more thrilled. The hotel is located in the Theater District, less than ten minutes from MOMA and the International Film Center. The nicest staff greeted me and upgraded me from a "petite" room to a "queen" room. The bed was a giant fluffy cloud, wayyyy bigger than a queen. The room was attractive and modernly decorated complete with flat screen TV, bathrobes, mini bar, and Bigelow toiletries. Oh and how could I forget the chocolate chip cookies?! Every night for my turn down service two scrumptious dark/milk combo cookies were left by my bed. In an organization that chooses hotels by the cookies, this is a big deal! My love affair with Doubletree and Hilton Garden are over, City Club cookies win, hands down!

The next morning I dutifully spent an hour or so studying my math homework (the joy of online classes), scarfed down a gigantic $12 veggie omelet (thank the powers that be that I've been living and working in Aspen for the last 8 years. New York sticker prices aren't as traumatizing as they used to be) at the corner deli and strutted off down 5th avenue to meet a friend for lunch. Many shopping stops later and only one small purchase of loose leaf green tea for my honey, I met up with Alzamora, a former ASFB dancer now dancing for Ballet Hispanico.

She took me to Cafe Medina off of Union Square on 17th. Hale and Hearty soup leave now! Cafe Medina has the best from Thai beef stew to veggie mulagatawny. At least 10 different soups were available fresh and piping hot. On top of that you could get a panini or salad and just about any baked goody you can think of. More food than I could finish for only $8.

After lunch I was supposed to go over to the ABT Academy (Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre) to observe some ballet classes. Lauren led the way to the nondescript door at 890 Broadway that I had walked past twice already. She led me inside and up to the 4th floor and we entered the magical kingdom of budding ballet dancers yet to be.

I was fortunate that the Academy Principal, Franco De Vita, was teaching that day. To fellow ballet teachers his rants must seem amusing, at least they did to me. I'm pretty sure the kids were terrified. Franco kept asking them to have a nice face which only made them go from complete stone wall to menacing grimace. His class for this advanced level was simple and clean, quick and precise. He focused a lot on quality over quantity which I sincerely appreciate as I try to focus on the same with my students. At the end of the class I floated out of the room feeling my teaching batteries recharged.

I had a couple of hours before my next appointment and decided to go shoe shopping. This is more than slightly dangerous in New York! But I was good and went to DSW in Union Square. Designer shoes at a discount. Fortunately or unfortunately, none of the shoes I fell in love with fit me. I mean, I tried really hard to find SOMEthing,but it just wasn't my shoe day.

Empty handed, I jumped on the subway and headed to the IFC; the International Film Center, where the newly released acclaimed dance film "Pina" was showing. This film was Wim Wenders tribute to Piña Bausch. Pina, a revolutionary dance maker, and Wim had started talking about making this film 20years ago, but Wim didn't feel the regular film medium did her intense work justice. When the new digital 3D format matured in recent years, he knew he had found his medium. Unfortunately, Pina died before the project really got going.

Wim and the dancers decided to finish the project anyway, as a tribute to Pina's life and her amazing gifts as a choreographer. I am ecstatic that they did! Never before has a dance film held me riveted on the edge of my seat the way this on did. How Pina led her dancers, moved and inspired them, opened them and enriched them is an inspiration to any dancer, dance teacher or choreographer. If I could get one hairs width of what she got her dancers to do out of my students I would feel like I accomplished something. She was truly a gifted and remarkable being.

Her dancers are no slouches either. They hold nothing back. There are no walls, no barriers, you can see right inside their souls and it is beautiful and exhilarating! I feel forever changed and enlightened by this film. I called up my cloud and floated back to the hotel.

The next morning I slacked off a bit, journaling about the previous days experiences and actually tackling some of that silly algebra I signed up for (don't ask). Then I went back to the ABT Academy for one more dose of teaching a la Franco. It's amazing how a couple of inspiring events can remove the film from your eyes. I felt I could SEE again and clearly. I wish I could bottle up the sensation and give myself a squirt every two weeks or so.

I took my leave of ABT after discussing the tribulations of being a school director with Franco. You know, having to deal with the kid who does something unmentionable and their overly protective and totally "in denial" parents. I commiserate, and would love to tell the juicy story here, but the silly parents might be sue happy, so ya know, just use your imagination and picture adolescent kids and 4th floor studios...with big windows...

My last adventure of the trip, besides going to the airport, which was shockingly efficient and boring, was a trip to New York City Ballet. The subway dumped me out at Lincoln Center which was all lit up like a fairy tail. I even took some touristy photos. The into the David Koch Theater (no comment) where I collapsed into my seat and realized how tired I was. It was an all Robbins program, old and older ballets, but none I had seen before.

The first piece "in G major" to music by Ravel was like those little hard candies...sweet but no substance. The dancers danced it beautifully but it was a soulless ballet.

NYCB dancers in Robbin's "In Memory Of"
Photo by Paul Kolnik

The next was "In Memory Of..." with music by Alban Berg that he wrote upon hearing the news that an 18 year old girl he knew had died. Wendy Wheelan danced with Jared Angle and Ask LaCour, and it was marvelous. It's hard to believe she's been with the company for 21 years! That's an epic career and she looks so strong. There is a depth to her dancing that really fascinates and intrigues me.

The last piece was an old comedy from the 50's called "The Concert." a comedic and ironic take on Chopin. It really could have been cheesy, but it wasn't. I was laughing out load with the rest of them and it felt good to hear belly laughs at a ballet that doesn't involve men in tutus. Even this almost 60 year old ballet seemed fresh and alive to me. Maybe it was my freshly laundered psyche and maybe it was the treasure that is New York City Ballet.

I floated back to the hotel on another cloud, even the rain didn't dampen my spirits. New York looked beautiful and gleaming in the rain.

Creating a Connection

2012-01-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

2 programs to help foster a supportive environment in your studio:

When I took over the Ballet School at the School of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet 8 years ago, there was no real connection between the young children’s program (4-8 years old) and the graded program (roughly 9-18 years old). Older students did not interact with younger students. Teenagers strutted around like they ruled the school. There were mean, back-stabbing episodes among the older girls and the oldest looked down upon the younger kids trying so hard to push their way up.

Not immediately, but over the course of the first few years, I started instituting two processes that I feel helped make our school the loving, nurturing and supportive environment it is today.

First, I added a work study program to our scholarship program. The work required was assisting our Young Children’s Teacher in her classes. Students were required to commit for the entire school year and had to take responsibility for showing up each time the class met. If a student needed to miss one of their assisting days, they were required to find a substitute for that day.

The unintended result of this program was that the students who took these assisting positions really took them seriously.

They began acting as role models in and out of the studio. The little ones from their classes would look for them outside of the studio and pretty soon their siblings were looking up to the older student too. I see lots of hugs in the lobby! I do not see them outside the studio much, but my inkling is that this has carried over into other aspects of their lives.

Senior students pose with newest
cast member in The Nutcracker
Photo by Cassie Lewis

Second, I started mixing our recital dances between our youngest and oldest students. Instead of the scary first time on stage, our youngest 3-4 year old students danced with our more seasoned 12-14 year old students. Each class, up to 6 years old was assigned to an older group. Our children’s teacher and I set the choreography, but we asked the older students to commit to taking responsibility for making sure that their young student knew what to do and had a good time. If they cannot commit, then I ask them not to participate. I have never had a student refuse, but I have had tremendous success with this system.

I’ve seen a tremendous connection grow between these young students and the older ones. Now some of the students who started at 4 and 5 and 6 with an older student are the older students themselves. They remember fondly their first dances and want to make sure the little ones have a great experience.

Student helping "Clara" with her make up
Photo by Cassie Lewis

Having our two separate programs in close contact throughout the years this way has given our school a strong sense of camaraderie and support.

I walk down the halls and little tiny ballerinas are running to hug the big girls who know them all by name. The most advanced dancers in the school are supporting, consoling and advising the up-and-coming dancers. There seem to be no real age barriers to friendships in the school. Seniors are socializing with 10 graders. I have seen some mean behavior between younger students directly addressed by older students in a kind but firm way.

When I was young, I remember being terrified of the older dancers. They were SO good! They were on a level so far above me! I could only hope to emulate them. Most in my old school were not friendly. They were mean girls, hording their coveted top spot in the school like a precious golden ring, afraid of losing it or being knocked off of it. I would never wish that on my students and have always strove to create something different.

I hope that you, dear reader, can find some usefulness in this post and in these two ideas for fostering a supportive energy in your studio. Please feel free to comment on programs and ideas that you have implemented that have worked for you! Together we can overwhelm meanness in the world with kindness and nurturing support, even while setting the highest standards in dance.

Top Blog Contest

2012-01-08T13:10:00.004-07:00

Dear Readers,

The Top Blog Contest official tally is in and Ballet Pages WON the Teacher Talk category and came in the top 10 for the overall Favorite Blog category.Thank you all for your support and for getting online and voting.

I hope that along the way you may have discovered some new blogs about dance. If you'd like to revisit some of those blogs, I have included a list with links to the sites.

Happy reading, happy blogging and thank you again for believing in Ballet Pages!

#1 — Ballet to the People

Enforced Arch
Dance Commentary by Heather Desaulniers
Rogue Ballerina
Tendus Under a Palm Tree
Tutus & Tea
Adult Beginner
My Son Can Dance
Odette’s Ordeal
Ballet Pages
The Body Series
Maria’s Movers
Born Again Dancer
Frame Dance
Ballet Shoes & Bobby Pins (by Sheena Jeffers)
Picture Books & Pirouettes
Dave Tries Ballet
–TIED– Contemporary Dancing (by Melissa)
Noa Blogs Ballet
Leotards and the Buns in Them

Final Vote for Top Dance Blog 2011

2011-12-27T15:04:00.002-07:00

Thank you so much to everyone who voted in the first round of Dance Advantage's Top Dance Blog Contest. Because of your kind and generous comments on the blog, Ballet Pages made it to the overall Top 20 and is in the Top 3 for the Teacher Talk category! Bet you didn't know there were so many great dance blogs out there!

The last round of voting is open now through 12 noon on January 4th. Please take a moment and vote by clicking either the vote button or any of the purple links on this page.

There are 7 possible categories in which to vote. Remember to vote in at least the Favorite Top Dance Blog poll and a little further down the page, the Teacher Talk poll, but feel free to vote in all of 7 categories and perhaps discover some new fantastic dance blogs! Kindly vote for Ballet Pages as you the Top Dance Blog of 2011 :)

Thank you again to everyone who has helped Ballet Pages get so far in the contest.Vote, vote, vote!

If you have questions about voting or the links don't work, please leave a comment here!

Life Lessons Through The Nutcracker

2011-12-19T12:56:00.002-07:00

How a simple ballet like The Nutcracker can be the building blocks for lifelong learning:

I looked over the group of 5 and 6 year old ballet students. They were all clad in their little yellow and black stripped leotards, little yellow and black tutus, wings, head pieces with cute bouncy antennae. The were boys in their striking bug costumes with jet black bodies and iridescent green wings.

I had a can of good old Super Final Net in my hands and wandered amongst them, spraying a wisp of hair here, a clump of bangs there. I checked ears and wrists and fingers for forgotten jewelry, tucked loose draw strings into leather ballet slippers, clipped threads and checked hands for no-no nail polish and pesky pen doodles.

As I was grabbing a few bobby pins to tackle a loose bun, one of the guest chaperones whispered loudly to another “I don’t know why she bothers; they are only on the stage for about a minute.”

I turned to the kids and said “Ok, Bees and Bugs, are you ready to go dance with your Flower?”

One tiny ballerina said to me “I feel like a fairy princess!”

Then I turned to the parent and said “THAT’s why I bother.”

Photo by Rosalie O'Conner

Many families are inducted into the ritual of ballet performance during The Nutcracker. There are strange rules to follow when it comes time for performance that can seem archaic, weird, and unnecessary. I assure you, there are reasons behind it all.

Some are tradition, some are practical. Some rules build character. All of the rules, though, help create a feeling of being a part of something larger than ourselves. Something that is great and precious and magical and exciting!

In a world filled with mediocrity, sometimes a simple ballet like The Nutcracker can open a door for a child to a world that will accept nothing less than the very best.

The rituals of fixing the hair the proper way, reverence for the costume (don’t put it on the floor, don’t sit in it and definitely do not eat in it!), weekly practices, dress rehearsals, endless checks for anachronistic watches, jewelry, nail polish…all of these things develop a sense of highly attuned awareness to a level of excellence sometimes not asked for in our daily lives.

I look around at all the worker bees in the world. Many are comfortable with a mediocre job, mediocre relationships, and mediocre life. Many may not even know that something better is out there. Many have been rewarded and praised for their mediocrity and now believe it is their best. As one of my teachers once said “in ballet, no one gets a t-shirt and a trophy just for showing up.”

But I know… my little ballerina Bees and ballet boy Bugs that stick with it and grow up with ballet in their lives will never settle for that mediocre life. The exacting, demanding, ritualistic discipline of the ballet world will open their minds to new possibilities. They will be asked for excellence in every ballet class, to push their limits in every day and to realize their true potential. It does not matter if they become dancers. The lessons they learn in the studio, classes and performances will guide them through the rest of their lives.

These kids will grow up to demand the same excellence of themselves that being in the Nutcracker once demanded.

Some Dreams Are Worth Fighting For

2011-11-29T07:35:00.001-07:00

This post first appeared in the November 29th edition of Dance Advantage.

I was really fortunate that the last dance work I did was as a dancer for Mia Michaels’ RAW.

I had been dancing for Odyssey Dance Theatre in Utah and Mia had come to choreograph a few works for us. This was before SYTYCD. She was a quickly rising star in the contemporary dance world, was very talented and gaining fame as a choreographer. Her company had recently disbanded and she needed a group of dancers to represent her on a European tour.

From my earlier experience with her, I knew she was a tough customer.

Her vision for the dances she created was brilliant and she knew with absolute clarity what she wanted her

dancers to do. Sometimes what she wanted was nigh on impossible to produce; sometimes it forced us dancers to push through our self-imposedlimitations. I knew she would replace a dancer in a choreographic work faster than a petit battement if she didn’t see a dancer breaking through their own boundaries. But even when what she saw in her choreographic mind was impossible to achieve in reality, she would give you a chance, if you asked for it. She was brutally honest about what she saw or didn’t see in a dancer, and if a dancer thought too highly of their abilities, she would quickly challenge the ego with a series of intricate complicated movements that she could execute flawlessly.

I knew that I had done some of my best work under her critical eye and sharp tongue. The 10 of us newly recruited dancers had all worked with her before and thought we could handle her ecentricty, her intensity, and the brutal harshness of her wit.

What I did not know was that my limits for just about everything were about to be tested.

There is scene from C. S. Lewis’ Voyage of the Dawn Treader (the movie version gave a pitiful nod to this passage, but the book was vastly different) when Aslan takes Eustace, who has been turned into the Dragon, to a mountain-top well, and shows him how to shed his dragon skin. Layer by layer Eustace wiggles and wriggles and scratches and scrapes off the dreadful dragon skin. He thinks he’s making progress, but each time he goes to the well he sees more dragon skin. Finally Aslan rakes him with his claws, cutting down to what feels like the bone, and the whole thick skin falls away, leaving nothing but raw, tender, quivering flesh bared.

That’s what we felt like on a daily basis.

Mia’s name was on this project and we were going to some of the biggest venues in Europe. She wanted nothing less than perfection and she was willing to drag us there, kicking and screaming if need be.

Everyone cried…everyone wanted to quit.

My instinct was to walk away and refuse to put up with “the abuse”. One dancer told me he wished he would break his leg or ankle in rehearsal so he could quit with dignity. Dancers came to me (the old lady who Mia had asked to be dancer and manager until she could join us on the tour) and begged me to let them quit.

But something clicked in me.

Somewhere, I saw there was value for all of us in what we were doing. Rather than give up or give in, I did more fast-talking through that period than I ever had. I motivated, I cajoled, I confronted Mia, who admitted to dealing with her own demons, I cried myself and I wanted to quit, but I couldn’t, wouldn’t, let myself or Mi, or the tour company down like that.

One dancer did quit, 6 weeks into the 3 month rehearsal process. We were all shocked (and some of us secretly envious). I was so afraid that dancers’ actions would snowball and cause mass mutiny. I frantically found a replacement for her, and miraculously, our ranks strengthened, tightened around this new dancer, rather than fall apart. We wanted to cushion, to protect the newbie, and each other, from this choreographer that seemed like a destructive monster. Injuries and illness did happen, but no one else walked away.

We had solidified into a real team.

In the end, for reasons of her own, Mia decided not to go on the tour with us. I can only speculate that it was her own demons and fears that kept her from going.

So we went to Europe without her, danced to packed houses, standing ovations, and shouts for encore! We even had a couple of groupies following us around from city to city.

The dancers all took their dancing to a whole new level.

We all accomplished our dream of making that tour the best we possibly could, better, even, than we thought. As a group we had major obstacles to overcome but we did it, together. We fought our own monsters and dragons as well as Mia’s. We overcame illness and injury, we pushed through our own limitations, stripped ourselves bare of old habits, opened our minds and our hearts.

…but there was one lesson that I learned from this experience that has stuck with me over the years:

I could have given up. I could have walked away. The 10 of us could have said it was not worth it.

But some work is worth all the pain and agony it takes to get there. Each one of us has to draw our own line in the sand and determine what is worth it and what isn’t.

I have walked away from other jobs that just didn’t seem worth it. But I will always remember my time with Mia Michael’s RAW as one of the best in my life, despite the struggle.

Some dreams are worth whatever it takes to get there.

Thankful ruminations for Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T14:27:00.001-07:00

Disclaimer: this is not about ballet-but offers some interesting insights...

Recently my boyfriend and I took a trip through the Petrified National Forest on our way to spend Thanksgiving with my Dad, his wife and my sisters. I had been to the Forest before. As a child, my Mom and step father would drive from Albuquerque to Phoenix for family holidays. One trip, when I was probably 7 or 8, my step father decided to stop into the petrified forest. Snapshot memories of this long ago trip kept flashing through my mind. I remember very little...a vague landscape, picking up some rocks, my step dad purchasing a polished piece of petrified wood.

It was interesting, having these good memories of my step father. I can't say that I have too many good memories of the man. We had a tumultuous relationship. He blamed me for his not being able to have children of his own and I blamed him for...well...everything that angry teenagers usually blame people for. My mom, caught in the middle, usually took my side, which did not help the situation.

Then, after 20 years of marriage, he had left my mother a note and disappeared into the night. It came to light later that he had been having an affair for the last 5 years of their marriage. Needless to say, my already dismal opinion of the man plummeted to new depths.

Over the next 20 years, I had not really wanted to think of him in either a good or bad way. Mostly I just had no feeling at all towards the man. I had gotten over my anger. I didn't miss him. I didn't feel the need to reconcile with him. I didn't really feel a need to have him be a part of my life in the future, but he was a part of my life for 20 years. Not all of those 20 years were spent angry and willfully disobedient.

When I remembered the trip to PNF, I remembered all the road trips to exciting places. My parents often argued and fought and I heard "turn the car around!" more times than I can count, but still we went, and each trip was a door open to new possibilities. Ski trips to Taos, Purgatory, Pagosa Springs. Family trips to Phoenix and Tucson. It seemed every year there was a road trip.

I always wondered where I got my spirit of adventure from. My mom has become quite adventurous later in life, but it wasn't always so. I know I didn't get my wanderlust from her. I think that gift came from my step father. To this day, a road trip equals freedom and endless possibility for me. The desire to explore new places has taken a firm root in my soul. I often wondered where I got my love of exploring the mountains, the oceans, the dirt ribbons of road. Maybe the all came from those early explorations and road trips.

Wherever those urges to wander and explore came from, I like thinking they came from him. It's nice to think that after 20 years there was something good that stayed with me. That without even realizing it he gave gifts to me and left a positive mark on me. I am grateful for these gifts and only wish that I had seen and appreciated them a little bit sooner.

7 Treasures/Tools an Old Broken Ballerina Can't Live Without

2011-11-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

There is nothing so awful as feeling unhealthy and being in pain, all the time. And as a former professional dancer and now a ballet teacher, it is STILL imperative that I keep my body in peak condition. And now, it's just harder than it used to be. All those little nagging injuries of my youth have blown themselves up to epic "syndromes" in my retirement.

I cannot afford to take sick days or spend a week flat on my back because my SI joint went out again or my bad disks are flaring up. I work around kids and am susceptible to every bug they catch. Besides eating right and getting regular exercise, the following items are in my treasure chest of prevention, wellness, recovery and longevity. These tools are to help any dancer/dance teacher, former or current, suffer less and create more.

If you'd like to find these products for yourself, I have shamelessly put links into the post. Any purchases through these links will go to help support the BalletPages blog and the creation of the new BalletPages website (coming soon). Thank you in advance for your clicks and your purchases.

1. Kyolic garlic capsules, Airborne and Flight Spray: lets face it folks, when you work around kids all day, you have to keep your immune system strong. Whatever is going around will be coming into your studio, touching the barres, the walls, the mirrors, the door knobs, the sinks, etc, etc. I have no sensitivity to garlic and take the orderless Kyolic aged garlic in the green bottle. It keeps the vampires and the germs away, without making me stinky. Flight Spray is similar. It is an all natural base of distilled water, turmeric and spearmint and was designed to be used on an airplane (like Airborne). Flight Spray creates a hostile environment for germs in your nasal tissues. Now and then, when a germ does get through, it's Airborne to the rescue. It may be a placebo and maybe it's all in my head, but since I started taking the garlic and using Flight Spray regularly I rarely need the Airborne!

2. Theracane Massager: I wish there was a freebie substitute for this one, but nothing beats the Theracane. It's great for reaching all those stress points in your back that your partner just can't dig into deeply enough. Overworked quadratus lumborum (QL), tight traps, impossible psoas? The Theracane can reach them all and with minimal effort.

3. Exercise Ball: I have one in my office, 75mm, that I use instead of a chair. Sitting for more than about 10 minutes at a time aggravates my hips and back, but the inflated rubber ball encourages me to sit more upright and the taller ball helps take the pressure off my sensitive back. These balls come in several size, so if you can test one out at your local gym first, I would recommend it. The ball also is great for a passive partial inversion stretch. Lay on your stomach over the ball and rock forward until you can almost get your elbows to the ground. Feel the traction effect on your body. Turn over and lay on your back across the ball. I slowly rock back and forth from my hands to my feet for a gently arch stretch of the back. Heavenly!

4. Hard Rubber Dog Ball: Let's face it folks, when we've been dancing for 20 years and teaching for another 10, our backs and hips HURT and a fluffy tennis ball just doesn't cut it. I squash a tennis ball flat when I try to use it on my back and hips. I bought a super hard, solid rubber dog ball for my "tough chewer" lab. She didn't like it, but I soon realized that by lying on it, I could get into those deep QL muscles, TFL's, gluts, erectors. The only things better would be TWO of them. Ruff Toys makes a good one and I suspect that Kong also makes a good one.

5. Ice Pack: I keep two different sizes in the freezer. I used to bags of peas, but while they are cheap, they can leak and if I forgot to put them in the freezer before they thawed completely, they'd be a hard frozen mass the next time I went to use them. I finally broke down and bought the same brand my physical therapist office uses. They never freeze solid, they come in many sizes and shapes and they chill quickly. Look for ColdPac brand in BLACK. My PT said the black lasts longer and doesn't puncture as easily.

6. Foam Roller or rolling pin, or even an empty wine bottle: Tight IT bands can cause knee and hip pain. Rolling over something cylindrical can help loosen those hard to stretch iliotibial bands that run from the outside of the hip to the knee and the PL or peroneus longus muscle that runs from the knee to the ankle. A hard cylinder, like a rolling pin or wine bottle can be too intense for some, so a foam roller is a good way to start.

7. Golf Ball or Foot Rubz Ball: I use an old golf ball instead of an expensive foot roller. I keep one in the studio and one at home. Anytime my feet feel tired, crampy, swollen (from walking around the studio all day!) a few rolls on the golf ball are rejuvenating. Just set the ball on the floor, place your foot over it and roll away into ecstatic bliss. For those of you wanting an extra special treat, or no access to free golf balls, there is a little green studded ball that works wonders too. The Surefoot Rubz Ball is the size of a golf ball and has little flat-topped nubs on it. Delightful!

5 things you can do RIGHT NOW to improve your turns

2011-10-25T08:45:00.000-06:00

While this list is by no means a replacement for seeking out a quality teacher and good technique, these five simple things can help improve your turns RIGHT NOW. Whether your working on classical ballet turns, or something off axis with a contraction and a twist, these things can improve your turns Now.

1. Spot to the beat of the music. Sharp quick head spots, in time with the music can help you finish that elusive double or triple turn.

2. Hold your position just a little bit longer. Many times a dancer does not complete a turn (or the 2nd or 3rd turn) simply because the position falls apart. If you hold a little longer, you can get around to the front to complete the turn.

3. Get your hips/shoulders around to your front. Wherever "front" is for your turn, make sure to follow your head spot with your hips and shoulders. If you are facing a mirror, SEE your whole body come around to the finish position before you come down. This goes hand in hand with number 2.

4. Press your standing leg into the floor. Whatever type of turn you are working on, have a good solid connection to the floor. Imagine a drill going into a piece of wood. That is what your standing leg should feel like. If your working on an upright turn, then push your head into the ceiling at the same time. Feel like there is equal but opposite pressure down through the foot, up through the head.

5. Count backwards. Instead of counting up to your desired number of turns, count backwards-3-2-1. Counting backwards can help motivate you to finish. When we count upwards it's easy to stop at two, but the ego doesn't like an incomplete count down.

A lot of the success of turning is about timing. Timing your head spot, arm position, thrust from the floor, momentum of the hips/shoulders. But it's also about strength. Centrifugal Force will pull the position apart if the dancer isn't strong enough to hold it. Strengthening your core and your back, being able to maintain a firm (not rigid) arm position and strengthening your standing leg can also help improve turns. Above all, practice, practice, practice!

Interview with a ballet blogger

2011-10-24T14:49:00.001-06:00

Hey fans and followers, 4dancers, a fantastic blog about all things dance recently interviewed balletpages author Melanie Doskocil (uh, me)!

Check out the interview: 10 Questions With...

What a Candy Cane Can Teach About The Virtues of a Dancer

2011-10-17T07:56:00.000-06:00

This post was in the October 17th edition of Dance Advantage:
Knowing her as well as I did, I could see the telltale crease around her eyes as I told her she would be a Candy Cane again in this year’s production of the Nutcracker. Her smile never waivered, her posture never slumped, but the miniscule sign of disappointment was there. She thanked me profusely and walked proudly out of the studio. Even later, when I was in my office and the thin walls amplified the voices coming from the dressing room, I could hear her extolling the virtues of being a Candy Cane to another of this year’s Candy Canes.

“Talent notwithstanding,” I thought, “this one will go far in dance.”

This 11 year old budding ballerina had already learned life lesson number one of being a dancer:

Handle rejection with grace.

Successful dancers learn early that they won’t always get the parts that they want, and later, the jobs they want and the salary they want. They learn to accept these decisions with poise and dignity, instead of throwing a temper tantrum that can have severe and often dire consequences. Dancers are not meekly accepting of what life hands them, however they keep their grace and dignity in the face of adversity, determined to succeed where others might quit.

Accept, even covet, constructive feedback or criticism.

This is another life lesson that dancers learn at an early age.
One day, while teaching my advanced level, I purposefully gave no one student a correction in class, but only gave general corrections. I asked a student who had complained earlier in the week that she wasn’t getting enough corrections: “did you get any corrections today?”

“No,” she responded.

The other students started giggling. “Cicci,” I said, “please tell Rena why you are all giggling at her answer.”

Cicci answered “because we’ve ALL gotten LOTS of corrections today. Just because Miss M doesn’t say your name doesn’t mean the correction is not for you. All the corrections are for all of us. If Miss M says ‘Rena, stretch your arabesque leg, then my name is Rena, all of our names are Rena just then.’”

She could have knocked me over with a feather! I wasn’t expecting an answer like that, but boy did she have it right!

What you 'say' is what you get

A young dancer who rolls his eyes when the teacher asks him to point his toe harder, or the girl who stares blankly ahead, changing nothing, when asked to pull her tummy in; these actions scream out to the teacher “leave me alone! I don’t want to be here!” And even if that’s not really what the student wants, that’s what the teacher does.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the student who can be seen practicing every correction given to every student. She starts to get more and more feedback from the teacher. Soon students learn that a teacher will give the most corrections to the students who respond positively to those corrections.

While it may not seem fair, maybe the girl staring blankly ahead is impossibly shy, teachers are there to help students be the best they can be. They will be drawn to give more time, energy and attention to those that willingly respond to what they have to say.

The Path of Virtue and Merit

Young dancers will grow into pre-professionals who seek out master teachers who will push them to excel, who will point out every detail that could be done better.

They will seek out constructive criticism and they will face what life throws at them with grace and dignity.

They will pick themselves up from the floor, and learn from their mistakes.

They will face down rejection with an “I’ll prove you wrong” attitude.

Eventually, these dedicated and determined kids will propel themselves forward into illustrious careers by constantly reviewing and refining, pushing themselves to do things better than before.

My studio, my sanctuary

2011-10-13T06:42:00.000-06:00

Nothing irks me more as a teacher than having parents come rushing up to me 5 minutes before class starts to have a major discussion. They want to talk about their progress of their child, or to register for class or to purchase a uniform. All things that take much longer than 5 minutes. They rush in frantic to accomplish this thing before class starts, not realizing that 3 other parents are doing the same thing. There are some that don't even seem to mind keeping me 10 minutes into my class time to discuss their child, completely oblivious to the other 20 kids waiting to start class.

Truthfully, it's not their needs that bother me. I am here to help. It's not the lack of planning or the lack of awareness of how this affects the other kids. The dance world/performing arts world is a strange place that many parents find themselves navigating without a compass. I am compassionately aware of the strangeness of it all.

No, it's how these encounters set me up for my teaching that day that really gets to me. Because parents A and B were late and wanted to talk to me, I am now late to start my class. Because 3 parents were frantic and needed to get something done NOW before class starts, I frantically try to get it done and now FEEL frantic as I walk in the studio. Because I was helping someone else who was unprepared for class that day, I now FEEL unprepared when I walk into the studio.

I now have to face 15-20 students and I feel FRAZZLED rather than composed!

What happens when a teacher walks into a room feeling frazzled? Well, for me, I end up teaching in a rut, what I sometimes call "autopilot." Some teachers get mean, some get snippy, and some of us just turn on autopilot. Autopilot is a useful tool for those days when rehearsals and classes and a maybe a sleep deprived night have left a teacher worn out, exhausted and overwhelmed. We can rely on a long list of common corrections and well known exercises, that serve students, but may not propel them forward. I hate teaching on autopilot when I don't have a good reason.

When I walk into that studio unfocused, autopilot just takes over. I can't think of any of the things I had planned for today or had wanted to work on, just the same old, same old...teachers rut.

I'm sure this is a common experience, especially for all of us who are studio owners/operators, primary administrators AND teachers. We need to be available to answer questions, to enroll, to process fees, to sell uniforms, and yet we have to be able to put it all aside when we walk in the studio and give our students the best of ourselves.

Now that the initial crush of registration, Nutcracker sign up and uniform ordering has lulled, I can make time to get focused before class starts. I tried prepping in the office, sitting at my computer, reviewing notes, listening to music, but it's no good. It's too easy to answer the phone or for a parent to walk in and interrupt my teaching reverie.

Instead, about 15-20 minutes before my first class of the day, I go into the studio. I stand, walk, move a little, get the blood flowing (my old broken body can't do too much dancing these days). I review the copious notes that overflow binders for forgotten tidbits. I review my plan for the day so it's fresh in my mind, and how it fits with my overall plan for the week/month/year. I listen to the music I've chosen for the day to re-inspire (and remember) what tracks I want to use for what combinations.

I love that when I'm in the studio the parents think "she's working" and don't ever bother me. But when I'm sitting in my office typing away or running from the office to the studio, I'm fair game. They are comfortable with an office and a hallway, but the studio? Might as well be Mars for most of them, and it is my sanctuary.

15 Truths About Being a Professional Dancer

2011-10-03T09:42:00.001-06:00

Last week my friend, Mr. Dolce, who is a language arts teacher at Van Buren Middle School in Albuquerque, NM told me about a list he had found on the web that some of his students were discussing in a round table type format. He read the list, called 16 Harsh Truths that Make Us Stronger, to me over the phone and I immediately knew I wanted to see it for myself. The original list was written by Marc and Angel (of Marc and Angel Hack Life). As a ballet teacher I felt inspired by their list to write 15 truths about being a professional dancer. Some are adapted from Marc and Angel's list and some come from my own experiences. If you haven't looked at Marc and Angel's site, I highly recommend it. They have many inspiring posts.

1. Dance is hard. – No dancer ever became successful riding on their natural born talents only. Dancers are artists and athletes. The world of dance today is akin to an extreme sport. Natural ability and talent will only get us so far. Dancers must work hard and persevere. Dancers give years of their lives plus their sweat, tears and sometimes blood to have the honor and pleasure of performing on stage

2. You won’t always get what you want. – We don’t always get the role we wanted, go on pointe when we want, get the job we want, hear the compliments we want, make the money we want, see companies run the way we want, etc, etc. This teaches us humility and respect for the process, the art form and the masters we have chosen to teach us. The faster we accept this, the faster we can get on with being brilliant. We’ll never be 100% sure it will work, but we can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work.

3. There’s a lot you don’t know. – There is always more a dancer can learn. Even our least favorite teachers, choreographers and directors can teach us something. The minute we think we know it all, we stop being a valuable asset.

4. There may not be a tomorrow. – A dancer never knows when their dance career will suddenly vanish… a company folds, career ending injury, car accident, death…Dance every day as if it is the final performance. Don’t save the joy of dance for the stage. Infuse even your routine classroom exercises with passion!

5. There’s a lot you can’t control. – You can’t control who hires you, who fires you, who likes your work, who doesn’t, the politics of being in a company. Don’t waste your talent and energy worrying about things you can’t control. Focus on honing your craft, being the best dancer you can be. Keep an open mind and a positive attitude.

6. Information is not true knowledge. – Knowledge comes from experience. You can discuss a task a hundred times, go to 1000 classes, but unless we get out there and perform we will only have a philosophical understanding of dance. Find opportunities to get on stage. You must experience performance firsthand to call yourself a professional dancer.

7. If you want to be successful, prove you are valuable. – The fastest way out of a job is to prove to your employer they don’t need you. Instead, be indispensable. Show up early, know your material, be prepared, keep your opinions to yourself unless they are solicited and above all be willing to work hard.

8. Someone else will always have more than you/be better than you. – Whether its jobs or money or roles or trophies, it does not matter. Rather than get caught up in the drama about what others are doing around you, focus on the things you are good at, the things you need to work on and the things that make you happiest as a dancer.

9. You can’t change the past. – Everyone has a past. Everyone has made mistakes, and everyone has glorious moments they want to savor. “Would you keep a chive in your tooth just because you enjoyed last night’s potato?" Boston Common TV Series. Dance is an art form that forces us to concentrate on the present. To be a master at dance we have be in the moment; the minute the mind wanders, injuries happen. If they do, see #12.

10. The only person who can make you happy is you. – Dancing in and of itself cannot make us happy. The root of our happiness comes from our relationship with ourselves, not from how much money we make, what part we were given, what company we dance for, or how many competitions we won. Sure these things can have effects on our mood, but in the long run it’s who we are on the inside that makes us happy.

11. There will always be people who don’t like you. – Dancers are on public display when they perform and especially in this internet world, critics abound. You can’t be everything to everyone. No matter what you do, there will always be someone who thinks differently. So concentrate on doing what you know in your heart is right. What others think and say about you isn’t all that important. What is important is how you feel about yourself.

12. Sometimes you will fail. – Sometimes, despite our best efforts, following the best advice, being in the right place at the right time, we still fail. Failure is a part of life. Failure can be the catalyst to some of our greatest growth and learning experiences. If we never failed, we would never value our successes. Be willing to fail. When it happens to you (because it will happen to you), embrace the lesson that comes with the failure.

13. Sometimes you will have to work for free. – Every professional dancer has at one time or another had to work without pay. If you are asked to work for free, be sure that you are really ok with it. There are many good reasons to work for free, and there are just as many reasons not to work for free. Ask yourself if the cause is worthy, if the experience is worth it, if it will bring you joy. Go into the situation fully aware of the financial agreement and don’t expect a hand out later.

14. Repetition is good. Doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result is insane. – If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. If you keep doing the bare minimum of required classes, don’t complain to your teacher when you don’t move up to the next level. If you only give the bare minimum in your company, be happy staying in the corps. If you want to grow beyond your comfort zone, you must push yourself beyond your self imposed limitations.

15. You will never feel 100% ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. Dancers have to be willing to take risks. From letting go of the ballet barre to balance, to moving around the world to dance with a new company, from trusting a new partner to trying a new form of dance, dancers must have a flexible mind and attitude as well as body. The greatest opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means you won’t feel totally comfortable or ready for it.

Upper level students organize event for aspiring younger students

2011-09-23T14:03:00.000-06:00

I am so proud of my advanced class!

Emily, Kyle and Rebecca
photo by Michael Alvarez

A couple of weeks ago one of my advanced ballet students, Remy Lamping, who will be leaving soon to attend the Bolshoi School in Moscow, approached me about organizing an event for younger students and their families. Remy and some of the other advanced students had recently returned home from summer ballet intensives in places like New York, Michigan, Florida, Massachusetts and even Russia. The girls wanted to share their experiences at these intensives with the next generation of potential attendees and their parents. They proposed performing a few variations, a slide show of photos from their summers and a question and answer session.

With the help of a few volunteer parents (Remy's mom, Dawn, is the Uber volunteer and gets the credit for coordinating all the helpers) a potluck lunch was set up, chairs were borrowed, an invitation was sent out and after only 2 brief variation rehearsals, the Event was upon them. Students ages 9 to 18 and their parents were invited, and over 40 people RSVP'ed and attended the event.

Kyle
photo by Michael Alvarez

Kyle LaCroix performed Princess Florine's variation from Sleeping Beauty. Emily Ridings and Rebecca Howard danced a duet of the 2nd variation from the pas de trois from Swan Lake. Gavin LaCroix perfomed Cerrito's variation from Grand Pas De Quatre. Nikky Ferry performed the Silver Fairy variation Sleeping Beauty and Remy Lamping danced Kitri's "The Fan" variation from Don Quixote. Having only had a couple of rehearsals, the students performed amazingly well...dare I say it... they were quite professional in their attitude and execution of their responsibilities for this Event.

Gavin
photo by Michael Alvarez

Afterwords, each student who went to an intensive program this past summer showed a few slides from their summer and talked about their experience. Kyle and Gavin had attended the Joffrey School in New York. Nikky Ferry had attended the Colorado Ballet's summer program as her first program. Emily Ridings had gone to Interlochen School for the Arts in Michigan. Remy just returned from Russia and had only just learned that she was invited to return for the year-round program. An opportunity few dancers her age are offered, much less get to experience.

Two students did not dance because they had sustained injuries during their summer programs: Cassie Lewis, who had an os trigonum, (an extra bone in her ankle that caused great pain) recently surgically removed, attended the Harid Conservatory, and Mackenzie Heard, who had injured her neck during her first week of her summer intensive, attended Walnut Hill School. Both spoke candidly about their experiences with their injuries and the treatment they received from the summer programs. It was refreshing for the parents attending to hear that such great care was taken with their injuries.

Remy
photo by Michael Alvarez

The students answered some tough questions asked by the mom's of our younger aspiring students. The students who attended walked away with renewed vigor and excitement about their training. I'm sure several of the moms walked out wondering just what they were getting their kids involved in!

All in all, the feedback from parents was that the event was tremendously informative as well as entertaining and inspiring.

The wonderful students of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet created such a great event, and their supportive and generous parents made it all possible. I can't thank everyone enough!

2011-09-21T08:25:00.000-06:00

Ballet-OOP Directed by Robert Cannon. Written by T. Hee & Robert Cannon. Animated by Bill Melendez, Tom McDonald, Frank Smith. Music by George Bruns. Released February 11, 1954.

LINES and Limitations: Ask Yourself This Question

2011-09-20T08:06:00.000-06:00

This post appears in the September 20th edition of Dance Advantage.

For the first time in 15 years, one of my all time favorite teachers/choreographers had brought his company to Aspen. Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet was here for one night only. This man who I trained with and learned so much from, who I hadn’t seen in years was in my hometown, and I was sick.

I lay there on my sofa sniffling and groaning and bumming that I could not get up long enough to drive to the theater and watch

the show. I’m mad too! I’ve been sick once in the last 2 years and now, NOW I get some nasty bug that knocks me down.

As I lay, drifting in and out of a fevered stupor, it came to me that some of the greatest lessons about life I learned in Alonzo’s studio. From him, from Arturo Fernandez, from simply being in that great facility.

I was at the very first summer workshop put on by Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet. I won’t tell you how long ago it was. But it was two weeks of the most life altering and gratifying training I’ve ever received.

One particular lesson has stuck with me my whole life:

It was the end of the day. We were in Alonzo’s choreography class, working on putting a whole bunch of movement phrases together.

Everyone was fading. Alonzo was going over time. He asked us to do it one more time and I rolled my eyes looked at the clock. I was STARVING, I was EXHAUSTED, I was really wimping out!

Others started moaning and whining too. With all my body I wanted to flop down on the floor and cry…my eyes welled up with tears and I looked at the clock again, trying to send out that silent plea to let us go.

He was a task master, heartless! Couldn’t he see that we were fading? That our concentration was lagging? Our energy depleted?

He looked me in the eye, and then at each one of us, and very kindly asked us if we were about to give in to our “self-imposed limitations.” We all looked at each other, a little hurt, a little dumbfounded. Couldn’t he see we were just plain DONE?

He didn’t lose his temper, he didn’t make a long drawn out speech, and he didn’t embarrass or humiliate us.

He told us how strong we were, what beautiful dancers we were. He reminded us that we had been well fed throughout the day, that we had beds to sleep in and roofs over our heads. He reminded us how lucky we were to live in a free society that allowed us to dance. He told us that what we were experiencing was nothing but our self-imposed limitations.

He thought we COULD go on, we WEREN’T going to starve, or die and that the best was still inside us, waiting for us to let it out. All he was asking for was one more run through. The only thing holding us back was our self-imposed limitations.

My eyes dried, my frown lifted and my spirits soared. I felt like I had been set free!

All of us came together and danced like we’d never danced before. It was the best it had ever been.

From that point on as a dancer I found that I always had more to give than I thought I did. I learned through my dance career that we must always go beyond our self-imposed limitations.

It is breaking down these barriers that allows dancers to create magic on stage. Any audience can see when a dancer has been trapped by their self-imposed limitations and when they transcend those limitations. It is the joy in breaking these barriers that has kept dance as an ever evolving art form.

Living on the Lesson

Now that I don’t dance anymore, I probably use that little bit of wisdom almost every day.

I constantly ask myself if I’m at a REAL limit or a self-imposed limitation:

Am I really too tired to go to yoga? Is this mountain top really beyond my ability or is it my fear talking? Can I really push myself one more day or do I need to take a break?

This kind of lesson goes to the core of everything we feel we cannot do, are not good enough to do, and don’t deserve to do.

How many of those “can’t's, don’t's, and won’ts” that you and I saddle ourselves with are nothing more than our self-imposed limitations?

• This lesson has helped me face the reality of where I am in any given moment.

• It has helped me assess what is a real need and what is a perceived need.

• It has helped me determine what limits I am willing to push through and what limits are real boundaries.

The mere fact that I can ask myself the question “is this limitation real or is it self-imposed?” has opened a thousand doors for me that may have remained closed.

I’m sure it can do the same for you.

I am so grateful for Alonzo King for this priceless lesson.

A truly creative person rids him or herself of all self-imposed limitations. ~ Gerald Jampolsky

We want to hear from you… tell us in the comments:

What are the limitations you’ve imposed on yourself?

What life-long lessons have your mentors taught you?

State of Mind: “what if it’s all in our heads?”

2011-09-14T13:44:00.000-06:00

Can our thoughts contribute to our healing?

Any dancer that’s ever been injured knows it’s often a long slow slog to recovery. Weeks of PT, rehabilitation, and the painfully slow return to dance class and eventually rehearsals and performances. Any dancer that has had a career-ending injury knows that often that injury tends to keep showing up, even when you think you’ve beaten it for the last time. And woe to the dancer who seems to have the luck of injuring something new, just after the last injury has healed.

The games our minds can play with us during these times can be just as tormenting, if not more, than the pain of the injury itself. Dancers will question if this is a career ending injury, will worry about losing ground in their job, and have to battle through the fear of getting hurt again. Our fears and worries can take root in our bodies. All that mental chatter can be more exhausting than a 6 hour rehearsal.

My own career has been plagued by all three of above situations. Now that I’m retired, my mental chatter sounds something like this: “don’t bend too deep, it might go out again…watch your step, you know how it hurts when you trip…better not demonstrate that step, could get hurt again…what do I need to modify today?...what should I tell that new yoga teacher about why I’m not doing any full postures?...back off, back off…take it easy…be careful…I can’t…I can’t…I won’t…I’m afraid, afraid, afraid…”

The Law of Attraction states that what we put our focus on, we attract into our lives. When we focus on our lack of money, we attract more of the LACK into our lives. When we focus on doing what we love and the joy it brings us, we attract more JOY into our lives. So it would make sense that the more we focus on what we CAN’T do…yup, you guessed it, the more we things we can’t do. Maybe what we need to do is focus on what we CAN do, no matter how small a thing it is.

I put this to the test a few weeks ago, after another intensely painful flare up of an old injury. It started in yoga class, when I found myself distracted with my thoughts of what I could not do because of my injuries. I got fed up and told my brain it could only focus on things I could do. My brain loves to have a job during yoga, (it has a hard time being silent) and was thrilled to point out all the things I could do: I could pull my stomach in, I could contract my pelvic floor, I could engage my standing leg 100%, I could pull up from my center and root my leg to the floor. The list went on and on. In every exercise I could find the things I could do 100%. If my brain ever noticed what I could NOT do, I turned it around and pointed it back in the right direction (kind of like a lost puppy).

Within a week my whole practice changed. I have been enjoying the practice more than I have in years. I am getting strength into areas that previously I had pretty much written off as lost causes. Most importantly, I feel that my practice is productive again, instead of just keeping me from losing more ground!

It’s just a suggestion, but give it a try. The next time your mental chatter is pulling you back, warning you not to do too much, or flooding you with fears and worries. Focus your mind on what you CAN do 100%. Whether it’s an injury or exhaustion, there are many things we can do 100% while allowing the other parts to rest, rejuvenate and heal.

Wishing you a strong, healthy, flexible body, and open, clear, intelligent mind and an expansive, joyful, compassionate spirit.

Do you have a "Calgon" moment?

2011-09-09T17:00:00.000-06:00

Ballet Pages and four guests take a look at different ways to decompress, relax and rejuvenate from a busy day at the studio:

Huffing and puffing, I trudge up the steep, gravelly trail following the flicking black tail of Koa in front of me. She bounds effortlessly up a steep section with only a few loose pebbles to cling to for support. She stops at the top, turns to look at me with an encouraging wag of her tail and waits. I put my mind (and my rear) in 4-wheel drive and motor on up to where she stands. A scratch on the head and off we go again...up, up, up. We scramble through the tall trees, around the fallen ones (there are more and more with all the beetle kill), over boulders, hoping across streams until we pop out at the top.

Well, we pop out at tree line anyway. Our destination is Blue Lake, a lake more up, up, up into a glaciated basin surrounded by 14,000 foot peaks. I've hiked this trail before and have been to the lake several times, but this trip was unique. It was just me and Koa, and even though this was a fairly popular trail, we had it all to ourselves. Just me and the puppy dog, not another soul in sight. We made our own route up to the lake, since there isn't really a trail there, and enjoyed some of the most refreshing solitude I've had in a long long time. The weather was stunning, the lake a deep saphire blue, the fish were jumping and a gentle breeze kept me cool. Koa jumped into the lake.

I let out a huge sigh, felt the tension and stress fall off of my shoulders and realized, THIS was my Calgon moment. Remember Calgon? That bubble bath that's name sounded like a dish detergent? Remember the commercials? "The traffic...the boss...the baby...the dog...Calgon, take me away!"

As ballet teachers and studio owners, as professional dancers, choreographers and directors, we are really lucky. We get to do what we love everyday. That doesn't mean that it doesn't take it's toll, though. We all need to take time to de-compress in order to maintain the level of intensity required to do what we do.

I was able to catch up with a few friends about their own Calgon moments:

For Seth Delgrasso, founding member of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet geting out into the mountains, especially in the winter on his snowboard rejuvenates him. "The fresh mountain air and the feeling of being a part of something much larger than myself always relaxes and recharges me."

For some of us it's as simple as getting outside, for others we want to escape to a world that is completely different from our own.

Eldon Johnson
Photo by Christopher Peddecord

Eldon Johnson, dancer, choreographer and associate director of Odyssey Dance Theatre says: "The way that I choose to unwind is by going to see great films. I love escaping to another world and being transported into a realm that is not my reality. Whether it is an action movie, sci fi, or a great drama, as long as it has a good story and good acting, I am able to just lose myself in another persons "reality". Its a great way to stay artistically inspired without directly dealing with my own medium. My other favorite escape is my family! All my brothers and their wives and children help to keep me grounded and remind me of what is truly important. They also really encourage me to keep doing what it is that I do."

And for some it's the simple things in life that help us unwind.

Katie Dehler in Nicolo Fonte's
It's not about the numbers

Katie Dehler, another long time Aspen Santa Fe Ballet company member asked "does icing, cheetos and a beer count? Seriously that's what I do!"

"When Miss Melanie does when she comes home from the studio, the first thing I love to do is sit down and give my kitties a bunch of love!" She shakes her head and laughs, "it's what I do before the beer gets opened!"

I have to admit, the first thing Miss Melanie does when she comes home from the studio is rub the Koa Dog's belly and sip a glass of wine! Those have to be the best "Calgon" moments!

ASFB dancers in Soto's Uneven
photo by Rosalie O'Conner

"About the de-stressing ritual, I have a few of them," says Spanish Choreographer Cayetano Soto. "When I am working, I like to go alone to the cinemas, but I have to be alone...cleaning the dishes after breakfast or lunch is the best ritual for me...to make something new again and shining, I love it! When the stress is huge, nothing is better for me than to watch THE GOLDEN GIRLS!!!!!! after, I feel reborn again, it makes me feel a child again!"

What is your ritual to relax and unwind?

Do you have a "Calgon" moment?

I'd love to hear from you!

Another New Year

2011-09-02T16:57:00.000-06:00

Finding inspiration for the start of the new school year

So here it is, a mere 3 whole days of peace and quiet before the studios fill with passion and excitement, wonder and noise; eager students returning to ballet classes. I find myself looking for inspiration in all sorts of places: twitter, Facebook, blogs, books, peers, spiritual guides, you name it. It is my goal to grow as a teacher as much as I expect my students to grow in their training, esteem and life lessons. Our school is small, with only 2 full time faculty members serving some 230 children. I and my counterpart teach 6 days a week, many hours a day. It is all too easy to fall into a rut of giving the same old same old, over and over. How do I get inspired and stay inspired?

First I call a faculty meeting. That’s an easy one, since it’s just Charlotte and I as the full time teachers. She teaches the little ones, kids ages 3-8, and then they come to me. I teach the 9-adults. We talk for hours about our students; what works, what doesn’t, how we need to smooth the transition for her oldest kids who are coming into my classes. We have different teaching styles that, fortunately, compliment each other well.

Next I pull out my dog eared syllabus (I use Marcia Dale Weary's syllabus from Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet) and find a juicy tidbit, note or exercise that I'd forgotten:

Tendu side 1-2 (arms to high 5th)

Fouette to arabesque 3-4

arms open to 1st arabesque 5-6

Lift leg to arabesque 7-8

Plie in arabesque 1-2

Straighten 3-4

Plie again 5-6

Pas de bourree to 5th 7

Tendu right leg side close back 8

Repeat other side

Remind students that the standing leg in plie arabesque should feel the same as if they were in plie first position. Have student practice the plie in first position, then in tendu back to get the feeling of wrapping the inner thighs forward.

Then I pull out my copy of Lisa Howell's Perfect Pointe book and look for a few morsels to do in class and give as homework to my dedicated super achievers. There are always some students I know will do every homework assignment given and some who will never do one. I love it when parents come to me and tell me they found their child in their room doing their big toe exercises before bed!

Next I peruse a few non-dance inspirational feeds for insightful musings:

Paul Coehlo's twitter feed @paulocoelho: Life is like cooking;

before choosing what you love, try everything.

Oprah twitter feed @oprah: If you want to know what you believe,

take a good look at your life. That’s what you believe.

Larry Weidel feed @larryweidel: Climbing takes more effort than coasting.

So if your sweating that’s good-you’re moving up. You’re supposed to sweat.

Then it's off to youtube to get some inspiration. Sometimes watching one online ballet combination can inspire a whole lesson plan. There is everything from full Vaganova classes to RAD to adult ballet, it's a teacher’s dream archive of lessons and inspiration. Sometimes I'll see things that I've forgotten or a new way of looking at a step, or even something I really don't agree with that will inspire my lesson or theme for the week. There are just too many valuable videos posted on youtube to put a few links in this blog.

Then there are great blogs like Dance Advantage, BalletScoop by Classical Ballet Teacher, Boys Do Ballet, Adult Beginner, Ballet for Men , Ballet News, that I can subscribe to their feeds. Inspiration could be delivered at any moment to my email box! All I have to do is take the time to read it.

By the way, if you know of a great inspiration ballet based website, PLEASE, send it my way! I love to share ideas, hash out old ideas and trade secrets. Teachers around the world want to be the best teachers they can possibly be, and sometimes our only resources are our computers (like me!) and our imagination (and all those years of training and education of course).

So now, the call to ACTION! Please post your favorite inspirational dance twitter feeds, blogs, books, gurus, and anything else that helps you get inspired or challenges you to be a better dance teacher, or teaches you something new about the world of teaching dance.

I'm sure we could all use a good dose of inspiration right now, with a new school year beginning.

Ballet's Un-X-pected Lesson Files

2011-08-23T12:11:00.000-06:00

This article appeared in the August 23rd edition of Dance Advantage.

Ballet has helped me be a better backpacker!

No, it’s not because I have better balance, or coordination, and certainly not because my body is stronger, or healthier, or more flexible. My history includes enough injuries that it’s surprising I can even hike, much less lug a huge backpack 15 miles into the wilderness.

Melanie on a snowfield in the Holy Cross Wilderness in Colorado

Actually, I’m a better backpacker because, thanks to ballet, I am spatial.

It’s not a typo. I did mean spatial, not special.
Though, any non-dancer who has spent time in the company of a group of dancers knows how “special” we dancers are!

We have our own language: a mixture of french, English, arm and leg waving.
We have no qualms about jumping up in the middle of a restaurant or other public place to demonstrate something funny that happened in class that morning.
We have little if any personal space boundaries with our dance friends, which often makes our non-dance partners uncomfortable.
We can be caught at any hour of the day, mumbling over steps and trying to solve choreographic problems.
We give up family functions and holidays because the show must go on, yet…
We’ll happily join you at the dance club after an 8 hour day of rehearsal, just to let off some steam.

Continue reading the rest of the article at Dance Advantage.