“Finding good ballet class music is so difficult. I am hard to please, and I want the music I choose to inspire my students, not just provide accompaniment. To that end, I have gone through a lot of CDs searching for ones that have good length, sound and quality. I use these CDs for my intermediate adult ballet class. I find that they truly appreciate it if you take the time to select pretty music that makes them feel like they are dancing—even at the barre. The CDs would also work very well for younger, more advanced students.”

Catherine’s Top Three:

1. Between The Barres 20th Anniversary Edition

This is one of my top picks in terms of barre music. There are quite a selection of tracks available, and most are long enough to do at least two sets of the exercise. Plus, it’s a 2-CD set, and both are excellent. Worth the investment.

2. Russian Music for Ballet Class Vol. 3

Although for me it is difficult to use this CD to do a complete barre and centre, I still am in love with many of the tracks for the sheer beauty of the music here. Track one is my favourite. The whole CD is lovely, and moving. Terrific for inspiring students.

3. Music for Ballet Class IV

I was sent this CD to review recently and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It is a departure from the typical fare out there, but not so much that it is difficult to use for class. The tracks are quite pretty and unexpected. Great if you are experiencing music burn out from your usual lineup.

Do you teach adult ballet?

What are your Top Three?

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Dancer: Tara Keating; BalletX

In honor of Blizzard 2010!

Stay safe and warm, people! And enjoy your Super Bowl Sunday!

About the Photographer: Brian Mengini has been involved with the dance world for over 8 years, first as company management and now as a photographer. He is based in Philadelphia, PA and has shot the Royal Ballet of London, Pennsylvania Ballet, Ballet X and many others. His recent project Spirit of the Fallen, pays tribute to the fallen officers of the Philadelphia Police Department. The  photo exhibition, which depicts dancers from the Philly area wearing angel wings, also raises funds for the FOP Survivor’s Fund. You can find out more about Brian at his Facebook fan page.

From Brian’s website: “For over ten years now, I have been capturing Philadelphia’s creative pulse and am blessed to be able to blend two of my passions, photography and dance, into one wonderfully fulfilling journey. I credit my time spent as manager of Rennie Harris PureMovement, in the mid 1990’s, with not only my passion for movement but my eye for its emotion!”

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I was immediately drawn to the material over at Move. Create. Educate for its emphasis on creative movement for young children and began interacting with Maria, the teacher and blogger behind it all.

I discovered that Maria is an independent dance educator around New York City who holds a Master’s degree in dance education from NYU. I discovered that Maria is currently building her own business called Maria’s Movers where she offers creative ballet and creative movement to children around NYC. I discovered she is a teaching artist in public elementary schools for New York City Ballet, a creative movement and tap teacher for Mark Morris Dance Group in Brooklyn and a movement specialist for 2-3 year olds at York Avenue Preschool on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. And then, THEN, I discovered she and I both received our undergraduate degrees in dance from Slippery Rock University! Needless to say we’ve had a lot to talk about.

I thought you might like to get to know Maria a little better too so, I caught up with her to ask a few questions about her blog and her life as a teacher.

DA: What inspired you to start your blog?

Maria: I was inspired to start Move. Create. Educate. because I was looking for a place to share my ideas about dance education. I had so many ideas, frustrations, and questions that I needed to write them down. I was feeling alone in this profession, but I knew that wasn’t true. So I set out to just write, write, write — not really knowing if anyone would read it. I think of the blog as my journal. I try to write everyday, as I think of it as an extension of my job as a teacher. Now that I have been blogging for a while, I think it is so important to share and connect with dance educators everywhere. I hope the blog will build a community of teachers and become a place to talk about challenges and accomplishments of dance educators. It was just the outlet I was looking for!

DA: What is the biggest challenge you face as a teacher?

Maria: My biggest challenge right now is being able to get all of behind the scenes work done. If you are a teacher of any kind you know that just because you leave work, it doesn’t mean your work is done. Planning, playlists, e-mails, and evaluations, it all has to be done in between or after the day of teaching is over. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up. The challenge is making time and space for all of this work. I use my New York apartment as my office/planning place. If you know New York apartments, you know that space is limited! Oh and did I mention I carry my dance room on my shoulder? A challenge in itself!

DA: What do you love most about what you do?

Maria: This is such a tough question! I love it all! I love when the kids see me and their faces light up with a huge smile and offer me a huge hug. I love when the parents tell me that all they talk about at home is ballet and that they sing the point and flex song to fall asleep at night! I love parents days and performances because the kids feel so accomplished. I love to see my students of all ages engage in the creative process. I love to hear them laugh. I think what I love the most though is just knowing that everyday I get to teach dance and make a living. It was always my goal, and I finally have reached it!

DA: Name three items that in your work with little ones you just couldn’t live without.

Maria: 1) Hand drum: I bought a hand drum when I first graduated from NYU and was first hired to work with preschool age kids. I wasn’t sure what I would use it for, but I knew I could figure something out and it would come in handy. It is now a regular part of every class. The sound of the drum signals for them to stop, look, and listen. We practice jumping on the beat, and they love to play it too. If I have a new class, I begin with letting them play the drum. Works like a charm! This also works with older kids, and I have used it in all types of classes — ballet, tap, and creative movement.

2) Star spots: My life saver, but so heavy to carry around in my bag! These star spots keep everyone organized and in a happy place. We sit on them to start, but then I incorporate them into the class. They put them on their heads, we balance them on body parts, I put them in charge of their star. They keep it the whole time, so they know exactly where they need to be. I think of the stars as my special “assistant.”

3) Stickers: My students love stickers (better than stamps, the ink gets all over) after class. I started this a few years back when they come to me at 2 years old for behavior modification. As they grow, they never forget about them. They always want the “pink” stickers. I try to buy stickers that are all the same size and color, so no one gets upset! If I forget the stickers, I am in trouble!

If you teach dance, and particularly if you work with young children, you’ll want to keep and eye on Move. Create. Educate. too!

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No. Some might consider it just a “Hallmark Holiday” but Valentine’s Day remains an opportunity to show appreciation for and celebrate our friends, family, and loved ones. With the exception of ballroom or social dance schools, it’s not typically a holiday that gets much attention at dance studios… a candy heart here, a Valentine for the teacher there…

Why not make Valentine’s Day an event in your studio?

Here are a few lovely ideas!

Have students bring a parent (or two) to class. It is a great way to wrap parent observation (often held around this time of year anyway) and dance parent appreciation together with a sweet theme. After all, we love our dance parents!

A parent could even participate in class. A “My heart belongs to Daddy” theme may get the fathers to join in! If you’ve got a class of girls, you might want to check out my list of father/daughter songs.

Bring a friend to class. This is a fun marketing idea that many studios have adopted. Students get to bring a friend to their class to share their favorite activity, their friends get a taste of your class or school, and studios may enjoy a few extra customers when all is said and done. On Valentine’s Day the focus doesn’t have to be on “sweethearts” though high school students may get a kick out of bringing significant others. Try some fun partnering or mirroring activities. After all, two hearts are better than one!

Speaking of partnering… If you don’t have time to create your own event around the holiday. Why not make your class extra special with some fun mirroring activities for young children or a partnering class for the older ones. I love this idea for a Dynamic Friendship Dance from Stacey at Leaping Legs!

Hold an open class. Take a cue from your social-dancing cousins. An open class could be held during an evening of the week that you wouldn’t normally have class. Make it something accessible and appealing to males and females of all ages, like an introductory Hip Hop class. Open it to the community. If it’s an adult class, bill it as a great date night. If it’s for kids, just make it fun. If you think you may fill up, hold more than one class. Consider it an open house for people to ask questions or get more information about your school. Get volunteers from your studio to decorate for the holiday and serve refreshments!

These are just a few ideas – do you have one to share?

Does your studio do something special for Valentine’s Day?

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Without a good overall (curriculum) plan, teachers may find themselves skipping around or getting ahead of their students’ skill level. The tell-tale symptom that this has occurred: You find yourself drilling the same movement over and over and over without much improvement.

The Treatment Plan

If you are working with a group and finding that the students have missed some important information along the way, it is not too late to get back to basics and back on track. You can do so without making the students feel like they’ve been demoted to Dance 101. The approach to practicing the skill they are trying to master may just have to be a bit more creative than repeat, repeat, repeat, a process that only leads to frustration or injury.

The Dosage

Let’s say you are working on pirouettes. There isn’t any other way to practice a pirouette than to just do it… or is there? Well, in essence that is true but the prescription for faulty pirouettes is not to do fifty more of them. Instead, the teacher must get a bit sneaky: crush up the medicine and sneak it in with the rest of the students’ food. Here’s the process:

1. What’s in a pirouette? Break the movement down into components

Some will be obvious: A properly turned out retiré passé. Others may be more underlying: The use of the core to avoid spiraling in the pirouette. Make a physical, or at least mental, list of these components.

2. Examine where in a class these elements can be practiced

Add a balance in retiré to the end of one or more exercises in both barre and center; Have students do “log rolls” across the floor to create awareness of rotating without a spiral in the body. Find places to sprinkle your list of pirouette essentials throughout the entire class… throughout the week… throughout the term.

3. When it comes time to practice pirouettes, look for quality not quantity. Address how the movement feels and look for imagery to apply whenever possible – be creative.

Rise from a plié into a space that, like a jello mold, is shaped exactly like the your body is or should be in the turn; Imagine a string connecting the lifted knee to the opposite shoulder, as the knee leads the turn around, the opposite shoulder comes along.

Preventative Medicine

Photo courtesy D Sharon Pruitt

As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Sometimes in class the best practice is in fact just performing the skill. However, without a good working knowledge of a skill’s properties a dancer is doomed to repeating the same mistakes. Consider it preventative medicine to begin with a plan for how you’ll build toward more advanced steps and movements with students. Look for ways to work or improve the basics before asking students to “leap.” If you aren’t sure where to start I’ve outlined some of my ideas on developing curriculum and lesson planning in other posts.

Have you found creative ways of getting back to basics?

Share your prescriptions in the comments!

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Photo by René Michaels -- Performers: Dancers Workshop Austin

I don’t know if Albert Einstein really ever said that “Dancers are the athletes of God.” Whoever said it was a pretty smart individual, though. The statement sets dancers apart from other athletes. Physically proficient and powerful, yes, but with a deeper, perhaps more spiritual connection to the self and to the enigmatic force of creation (which, depending on your view, may indeed be a higher power). Not to say that athletes involved in sport do not find a similar connection; some do. However, players gather together on the field to play, to win, to do a job well. Dance, at its best is an act of creation that expresses something of the inner qualities of its maker, its participants, and its audience.

About the Photographer: René Michaels is a professional photographer in Austin, TX. His interest in dance stems from growing up in the Los Angeles, CA. area in the ’70s & ’80s where, working as a dance club Disc Jockey, he witnessed the birth of Hip-Hop and got his “fifteen minutes of fame” appearing on the nationally syndicated TV series “Soul Train” as a featured dancer for several years. Rene’s has a special talent for dance action photography. His work has been featured in local newspapers, national magazines and websites. His clients include dance studios, professional dance companies, choreographers, high school dance teachers, individual dance talent and event promoters in Texas and throughout the U.S. You can view more of his photos at René Michaels Photo & Design

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Tap festivals are everywhere and are probably coming to a city near you! These fabulous wood-shedding events allow tap dancers of all ages, levels, and backgrounds to meet together and share in a non-judgmental and nurturing environment. Hoofers are honored at nearly every fest, giving young dancers exposure to the greats – the masters perform and teach in an intimate setting at most events. Unlike many ballet intensives and summer programs, tap festivals welcome dancers of all levels, and tappers are notoriously encouraging with newbies, helping them with steps and cheering them on toward the next great “ooh bop sh’bam” moment that they’ll have. At the same time, professional tap dancers are always in abundance, taking advantage of any opportunity they can to study with the original hoofers and masters before they leave us and go up to that great big tap jam in the sky!

Registration is beginning already for many of these fantastic workshops, and you won’t want to wait long to research which one fits you best! Here is a list of the festivals I know of, though it is NOT exhaustive by any means.

Chicago Human Rhythm Project

NORTH AMERICA

Los Angeles Tap Festival Started by world-renowned Jason Samuels-Smith, held at Debbie Allen’s studio.

New York City Tap Festival Loaded with class options with the best of the best from all over the world.

Soul-to-Sole Tap Festival Presented by Tapestry Dance Company, just celebrated their 20th year

D.C. Tap Festival Newer festival started by Chloe & Maud Arnold

Chicago Human Rhythm Project Fantastic workshop with tons of residency options, youth ensemble options, and many great performances. Often has a world dance focus.

St. Louis Tap Festival Smaller festival that always focuses on the great hoofers. Intimate classes, fantastic face-time with teachers.

Space City Tap Fest Houston’s newest festival for youths through professionals. Jason Samuels Smith will make his first visit to Houston to teach and perform.

Southeastern Tap Explosion

Oklahoma City Tap Festival

Columbus Taps!

Hawaiian Islands Tap Festival

Rhythm Explosion

Finger Lakes Tap Festival (may not be scheduled for 2010?)

Beantown Tap Fest

Vancouver Tap Festival

Cleveland Tap Intensive

Jersey Tap Fest

Tap Motif - the beach festival!

INTERNATIONAL

TapMotif Rhythm Summit (Lefkada, Greece) Who wouldn’t want to dance on an island and wake up to look at the scenery on their website?

Brazil International Tap Festival

Tokyo International Tap Festival

Melbourne International Tap Festival

Rio Encountro

Helsinki Tap Festival

Feat Beat Festival

Stockholm International Tap Festival

Please don’t hesitate to add your links to other workshops, intensives and festivals that might be of interest to tap students, teachers and professionals. Let’s get as comprehensive a list as we can!

Keep it copasetic,

Sarah

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Watch on YouTube

At age eleven Li Cunxin’s life was changed when a delegation from Madame Mao’s Beijing Dance Academy selected him to be taken from his home, a village near the city of Qingdao in northern China, and brought to Beijing to study ballet. In 1979 at age 18 he was selected to perform with the Houston Ballet as part of a cultural exchange. After falling in love with both America and an American woman, Li defected to the United States, and rose to fame as one of the world’s ballet stars.

Li Cunxin (pronounced Lee Schwin Sing), performed with Houston Ballet for sixteen years and in 1995 became a principal artist with the Australian Ballet. In 1999 he retired from ballet, supporting his wife and their three children as a stockbroker. In 2003 his autobiography, Mao’s Last Dancer, was published and became an instant success, remaining on Australia’s bestseller list for over a year and a half.

In 2004, Houston Dance Critic Molly Glentzer in her review of the book for Dance Magazine stated, “Li’s tenacity is an inspiring lesson to any reader, dancer or not. It’s the stuff of which great movies are made. Expect this one soon, and bring Kleenex. But read the book first.” A handful of years later, Li’s story is now a motion picture. It has already done well in Australia but unfortunately distribution in the U.S. is still speculative. The film is directed by Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy), written by Jan Sardi (Shine, The Notebook), and choreographed by Graeme Murphy and his creative associate and partner, Janet Vernon.

See also the book review at Ballet.co

Stars of the Film

Though the production team is largely Australian, the filmmakers of course had to look worldwide for the right cast. The movie’s plot spans several years, requiring not one but three actors to play Li Cuxnin as a boy, a teen, and as an adult. The Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Chi Cao was selected to play the adult Cuxnin. His shared history of having trained at the Beijing Dance Academy and known for his virtuoso performances, Cao was an natural choice for the role.

Cao appeared last month as a guest artist with the Houston Ballet, playing the Nutcracker Prince for four performances in their annual production. HB blogged about it here and Cao talked with Molly Glentzer for the Houston Chronicle about his film debut.

Other notable actors in the film include Amanda Schull (Center Stage) and Bruce Greenwood as Ben Stevenson (Captain Christopher Pike in last year’s Star Trek). You can see interviews with more of the cast and crew at the film’s website and YouTube channel. Read a review of Mao’s Last Dancer via the Hollywood Reporter [link].

Classroom Applications

The Peasant Prince

Dancing to Freedom (US title)

Li Cuxnin’s story is available in multiple formats. The picture book version “focuses on two stories from Li’s childhood that hold a particular appeal to young children – tying wishes to a kite and a fable told to a young Li by his father of a frog in a well. Both stories illustrate how as a child Li longed for a life away from the hardship of his village.”

[Read more at Suite101: The Autobiography of Li Cunxin: Book Review of Mao’s Last Dancer and The Peasant Prince].

Young Reader's Edition

Cuxnin’s autobiography Mao’s Last Dancer is also available in a Young Reader edition for teens. Teachers might use any of this literature to explore movement or develop choreography with students. Below are a few of the major themes presented in these stories about Cuxnin’s life. They might be summed up and explored as follows:

• Overcoming Hardship
  • Challenge students with a difficult phrase or combination. Reflect on Li’s perseverance despite hardship and ask students to come up with a plan (see this post on goal-setting with dance students) for improving or learning this combination in a way that addresses both the physical and mental (or emotional) battles that must be overcome.
• Oppression vs. Freedom
  • Improv or create a movement study of bound versus free flow in movement.
• Chinese Culture and History
  • Research Chinese Dance and the influence of ballet on the art form. View video or read about the Chinese Cultural Revolution. You may find these teacher’s notes from Penguin Books helpful [download the pdf]. Choose movement or music that reflects your findings.
• Adapting to Change
  • Coming to Texas in the United States from China was a big transition. Have students create two lists of adjectives – one describing Li’s life in China, the other his life in America. Have them improvise or develop movement or actions that build upon these lists.

What are some other ways you might tie-in the books or movie in your classes?

Have you seen the movie? What did you think?

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Whether the goal is losing or maintaining a healthy weight, dancers are concerned about their silhouette and their nutrition.

A reader asks:

“I eat very well, everything’s healthy and not much candies, but I want to know your opinion. What is proper for a dancer? Any diet and nutrition that will help me both lose kilos or maintain my silhouette? I don’t mean an exhaustive diet, I just mean what to eat or not etc..

Losing Weight

If you take several dance classes per week and find you are still struggling to maintain an appropriate, healthy weight for your height and age, it is important to talk with your doctor or other health professional before taking steps to lose weight (see the Food and Nutrition Information Center for more on weight management).

While some swear that there are secrets to how or when you eat, in the end it still all comes down to mathematics. To lose, what you put in has to be less than what you burn. And to maintain, requires balanced nutrition. In either circumstance, an intake of quality nutrients is important, as is keeping an eye on portion size. Different methods of change (I’m avoiding the word diet because to me this word does not imply lasting lifestyle change) work for different people – some find it best to completely avoid certain foods. Others prefer to replace the ingredients of foods they love with healthier alternatives. Sometimes a bit of trial and error is necessary to determine what works best for each individual. Also, don’t forget the mind and emotions can often play a big role in supporting or sabotaging one’s healthy intentions.

Image via Wikipedia

Simple Start

Often we don’t realize how much salt and sugar is in our food but cutting down can yield lasting results for health and weight-loss. For many this is a good place to start. (this article from Harvard School of Public Health covers the war on sugary drinks and processed foods)

More tips for cutting down on sugar [link]… and on salt [pdf].

Cross-training for strength and endurance is also a good idea for any dancer. In particular, dancers who aren’t training heavily, keeping the heart rate up or working up a sweat for 20-minutes or longer during class or rehearsal multiple times per week, may need to add cross-training activities to their schedule.

Some nutrition and health sites I like:

• TrainerDiva – Elena is a dancer and personal trainer
• NutraBeautiful – Nancy offers articles on health, nutrition, beauty and dance
• Ballet Strength – Nikol is a ballet dancer and personal trainer
• Wellsphere – a fountain of health information from bloggers and contributors… find anything!

Balanced Nutrition

The guidelines for creating a healthy balance of nutrition are constantly under scrutiny by the medical field and new discoveries about the body may reveal new methods, suggestions, or recommendations. It can get pretty confusing. It is well-recognized that humans would do well to lower their intake of “bad” fats (saturated fats mainly found in animal products and trans fats in pre-packaged foods) and increase, or exchange some of these for “good” fats like those that come from nuts, avocados, and fish. But even this can get confusing.

Some simple guidelines:

• In our pre-packaged fast-food world remember that fresh is always best!
• Enjoy many different kinds of foods!
• Cook more, eat out less!

What the Experts Say…

Admittedly, I struggle as much as any dancer to strike that perfect balance and to stay on top of the latest health information. I have no formal expertise on the subject of nutrition. Therefore, I rely on what the experts say. For dancers, a great resource is the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science. They are the publishers of the Journal of Dance Medicine & Science and the associations members and directors are among the top in this field.

Here are a few excerpts from their Nutrition Fact Sheet:

• The first step in planning a high performance diet* is to be sure that the dancer is obtaining adequate caloric intake. The easiest rough estimate of how many calories a dancer requires during heavy training is 45-50 calories per kilogram of body weight for females and 50-55 calories per kilogram of body weight for males. For a more accurate assessment, dancers should consult a dietitian.
  • The kilogram to pound conversion is 1kg = 2.2lbs. For example: 115lbs = 52.27kg. 50 calories per kilo for a 115lb female equals about 2600 calories for a dancer that is training heavily.
• A dancer’s diet should be composed of about 55-60% carbohydrate, 12-15% protein, and 20-30% fat. During heavy training and rehearsals the amount of carbohydrate should be increased to about 65%. The reason is that carbohydrate is the major energy source in muscles.
• In addition to meals, other times when carbohydrate ingestion is important are before, during, and after class, rehearsal, or performance. About 1-2 hours prior to these activities, a small carbohydrate snack should be consumed. This will increase glucose levels in the circulation and “top-off” muscle glycogen stores. A carbohydrate snack, such as a bagel or commercially available “energy” bars, can provide the added boost needed for optimal performance.
• The estimated grams of fat in the diet are about 1.2 gm per kilogram of body weight. Because ingestion of high amounts of saturated fats is associated with chronic disease, the recommended amount of saturated fat in the diet should be less than 10%.
• For non-vegetarians, chicken or turkey without the skin are excellent low fat protein sources. For vegetarians, tofu, seitan (wheat gluten), and mixtures of beans and rice are good protein choices. Protein powders are not necessary, even for male dancers, if they are following the recommendations above. If a protein supplement is warranted, the best choice is milk powder. The high tech and expensive protein supplements on the market are not any better than simple dry milk.
• To obtain all important micronutrients, dancers should increase the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables (recommended 5 servings of fruit or vegetables per day), whole grains, dairy products, and lean red meat. Because not all vitamins or minerals occur in all foods, dancers should ingest a wide variety of foods.
• Fluid loss results in dehydration that can impair performance and mental functioning, such as the ability to quickly pick up complicated choreographic combinations and execute them effectively. A cup (8 ounces or 250 ml) of fluid every 15 minutes is recommended. Whenever there is a break in class or rehearsal, the dancer should have ready access to fluid, and they should be encouraged to drink because the thirst mechanism does not keep up with the body’s need for fluid. A water bottle or sport drink should be part of a dancer’s “gear,” and, if possible, the dancer should be able to bring the bottle into the studio for frequent drinks. Following class and rehearsal, dancers should continue to increase fluid consumption for the next few hours. Avoid carbonated drinks and large quantities of fruit juice.

*A high performance diet is for dancers that are training or performing at a high level. These recommendations reflect that. For those dancing less, it is important to adjust accordingly. It is a good idea to consult a dietitian for individualized assessment of your dietary needs.

Read the full article…

IADMS offers a number of Teacher Resources, including a Bulletin. You can signup at no cost to receive notification when new bulletins are published.

Additonal reading:

• Replacing Fat Foods (1998) — A handy replace this with this article from Dance Magazine
• The Dancer’s Way: The New York City Ballet Guide to Mind, Body, and Nutrition
• Tips for Healthy Eating on a Dancer’s Schedule
• Nutrition For Dancers

I welcome your thoughts!

Are you a health professional? We’d love your tips! (Note: spam comments are not accepted here, share relevant, useful information not just a link to your website.)

Are you a dancer? How do you maintain a healthy balance?

Are you a student, teacher, or parent? What are your biggest nutrition concerns?

© Nichelle (admin) for Dance Advantage, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments | Category: Blog, Featured, Toolbox, Wellness

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I am happy to introduce Stacey Pepper Schwartz as a new columnist here at Dance Advantage. You may recall that we featured Stacey’s DVD, Up Down & All Around on the blog recently. During our interaction behind the scenes,  I was pleased to find (and I think Stacey would agree) that we share similar values and ideas regarding dance education and I invited her to share her considerable knowledge on the blog. I am so proud that she has agreed to add her voice to Dance Advantage. Her Kid Concepts column (say that three times fast!) will appear each month, bringing you Stacey’s insight, tips, and ideas for teaching creative movement for our younger dancers. Please welcome her and be sure to visit Stacey’s Leaping Legs website and her new blog, where she’ll share even more tools and tips!

When I teach dance I always start with the concept of space. It doesn’t matter if I am teaching 3 year olds or 63 year olds, space to me is a blank canvas. And I want to teach my students how to fill it.

Why Space?

There are so many places to begin, what makes space so important? My answer is the body cannot move without space. The body cannot breathe without space in the lungs to take in air, space for the heart to pump blood or space in between the joints to move the bones. We can not relate to each other and to the world around us without space. Notice the space between each letter on this page, the space each letter carves out with it’s curved, straight and angled lines, and how you feel when youseewordscrammmedtogether and

very            far                     apart            from             each         other.

Space is where we live and why not start at home which in essence is the beginning.

How to begin

I feel like the studio is like a laboratory of sorts, a place to explore, study, investigate and find answers.

I begin by asking my students to notice the space inside their bodies.

Feel the space inside your belly when you inhale, filling it with air, and feel the space change when you exhale, sending the air out of your body through your nose or mouth. Now take your attention to other areas of your body: in between your toes, under your armpits, inside your mouth.

Now I ask them to take their attention away from their bodies and to notice the space between themselves and the person next to them.

Are we close together, or spread apart from each other? Without moving from your spot reach your hands out and feel the space outside of yourself. Reach high above your body, around your body, under your body. Can you reach with other body parts and explore the space immediately surrounding you? Now it is time to be space explorers, and move through the space. Leave no space unexplored. Can you run, leap, roll and jump through the space. Feel as you move the space lights up around you. Explore above you, below you and all around you. Can you light up the entire space?

Can you feel your lungs expanding and contracting? Can you feel the space or silence between the inhale and the exhale? Can you feel your heart beating?

How Space is a Tool For All Aspects of Dance

No matter what type of dance you teach, be it ballet, modern, jazz, creative movement, hip hop, or belly dancing, space is an element of movement and therefore relevant. It can be used as a tool to explain how to perform steps, perfect alignment and execute routines. The next time you are teaching a dance combination, focus on space and see how it changes the steps.

Explore if your explanation of the exercise changes as well. A leap or a pirouette might take on a whole new level of understanding. For example, when leaping, you might encourage your students to focus not only on how stretched their legs are but the space they are stretching through. When performing a pirouette, you might explain that the body is not moving from its spot but touches the space all around itself. Or, have them imagine a crayon attached to the toe, knee or leg that draws a circle around them as they turn.

And when choreographing a dance, one tableau can say it all. The space between two dancers can evoke such emotion and the space between many, such power.

A Final Word or Two About Space

As dancers we choose to define the space, break through it, or make the audience believe it does not exist. But it is always there. When we leave the studio, the stage, or the classroom we do not leave the space. It is always with us in our bodies. It is always around us to explore and it will always be.

I tell my students to be aware of space when they are walking down the street, moving through a crowded room and when they are the only ones in a room.

Can you get close to another person without touching? How does that feel? How does it feel to be the only person in a room and feel such an enormous space around yourself?

Your students don’t have to have dance shoes on to explore how space effects them. And yet when we come to understand space, it can transform our movement experiences inside, outside, through our bodies, and our lives.

Special thanks: BenSpark.com

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The painter Degas seemed to enjoy capturing the natural asymmetry of dancers in training. He preserved the everyday moments of dancers between barre exercises, waiting or tying their ribbons, or shared with viewers the skewed perspective of performance from the wings.

Similarly, much of what I’ve seen of Carl Johnson’s ballet photography (I made his acquaintance early on in my blogging career) offers casual glimpses of the young dancers in his photos. The shot above may be a bit more formal but the muted reds and blues of this textured image recall the impressionistic paint strokes of Degas.

About the Photographer: Carl Johnson is a photographer from Albany, New York, whose photographs of dance have been sold around the world. Carl blogs about music, biking, and other aspects of his non-urban life over at My Non-Urban Life. His daughters are academy students at the School of the Albany Berkshire Ballet, directed by Madeline Cantarella Culpo, in Albany, New York. This photograph is from the school’s annual recital.

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Of course you do! You are making important decisions regarding your future. Not to mention the transition from high school to a university is one of the largest leaps you’ll ever take. Dancers that want to continue their dance education at the college level have their own unique concerns. The number of questions you have about auditioning, health and nutrition, expectations, and more may feel overwhelming but there are plenty of resources online to help!

I’ve taken some time recently to look at two websites that I think any aspiring dance major should pay a visit. The logos are a bit cliché but the contents are high quality and will answer many of your questions about college dance.

DanceU101

The magazine’s of Macfadden Publishing, which include Pointe, Dance Magazine, Dance Spirit, and Dance Teacher, have funneled tons of relevant articles into this college dance hub. Not to be missed are the FAQ’s, where experts answer your questions about what it’s like to be a dance major or study at a conservatory, the application process, and financial aid. Or, you can visit the forum and gather answers to your questions. There is a lot more here, too, from articles on dance careers to highlighting individual college programs and dance departments.

Stay informed with Twitter: @DanceU101

Dance(212): the college years

The same folks bringing you DanceU101 have produced their own take on reality TV. Last summer they debuted the online video series Dance(212) which gives insight into the lives of real dancers. The second season is just beginning and this time the 5 young dancers are college students studying dance in New York City’s top dance programs. You’ll have to stay tuned to see how things unfold for these dancers but it is sure to offer a window into life in the dance department.

Stay informed with Twitter: @Dance212

The Dance Advantage College Guide

Of course, I have to mention that here at DA, the college dance experience is a stone not left unturned. As a dance department alum myself, I’ve offered articles on how to select the right program and also plenty of useful tips which come directly from my first-hand experience. You can find contents and links by checking The College Guide. I’m also happy to try and answer any questions you have so feel free to contact me if you can’t find what you’re looking for on the site.

You can follow me on Twitter too: @danceadvantage

More College Links

• College Parent Central – written by a parent and college teacher, this site is aimed at preparing parents and students for every aspect of college life.
• MyCollegeGuide – the magazine’s online hub
  
• Unigo.com – “students tell you what the colleges won’t”
• MoreThanGrades.com – create a customized profile for review by college admission officials

College Students,

Are you interested in writing about dance or your college experience? Dance Advantage is always looking for real dancers that can share their first-hand knowledge and observations. If you think you’d like to gain some writing experience and get published here on the site, learn more about the process here and contact me with your ideas!

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Today’s guest post is courtesy Vicki Nelson. She and I connected over blogging but discovered a shared appreciation for dance. In addition to her professional experience within higher education, Vicki is the parent of two post-college daughters and one daughter currently in college. She studied dance for many years herself and enjoyed being a dance mom for 18 years. With this article, she’s put into words what a credit dance education, and arguably the arts in general, can be to young adults entering college.

Dance Education May Lead to College Success

Photo by bamarina09

As the mother of three daughters, I have spent 18 years as a dance mom. My daughters loved to dance. Each girl took ballet and jazz and one daughter added tap to the mix. We spent a lot of time at the dance studio! Two daughters have now graduated from college and the third is not far behind. No one dances any more.

Was it all a waste of time, money and energy? Of course not! My girls had fun, and learned to love and appreciate the arts. They gained a bit of grace and became more comfortable with their bodies. They made new friends. They had a great role model in their teacher. None of us regrets a minute of the time spent dancing.

However, I’ve come to realize that there are even more important benefits of growing up studying dance once students head off to college.

Qualities Successful Dancers and Students Share

As a college professor I work with college students every day. I see the qualities that successful students have, and I see the qualities that the less successful students lack. I believe that the dance education that my daughters received helped to reinforce many of the important qualities that made them successful in college and will help them succeed in their lives. I’d like to suggest ten of those qualities here.

1. Time Management

   This may be the single most important quality necessary for success in college. Students who know how to plan ahead, organize, and balance their lives are the students who succeed. Children who grow up adding dance to their weekly activities, especially those who may take several classes each week, must learn to manage their time. They learn to balance, to prioritize, to multitask, to make choices and sacrifices. These lessons will definitely give them an advantage when they get to college.

2. Discipline

   Anyone who has ever taken a dance class knows that it requires discipline. It requires discipline to show up to class, to control your body, to practice, to focus on the teacher. It requires discipline to give up other things to make room in your life for what is important to you. Students learn, and are able to practice, the discipline of making and following through with choices. When faced with choices in college, these students will be prepared.

3. Passion

   

   Photo by ssanyal

   Students who are involved in a dance program have the opportunity to pursue something that they love. In following their passion, they experience the benefits and the satisfaction that comes from following your heart. Hopefully, when they get to college, they will follow a passion for something – whether or not it is dance. They will commit to something simply because they love it – not necessarily because of a class, or a grade, or a career move. Loving something that you do is important in keeping balance in your life.

4. Commitment

   Dance students learn that doing anything well requires a commitment. That commitment takes time, energy, sacrifice, and follow-through. Dancers learn to stick with something. You cannot become a dancer over night. It takes time to develop as a dancer. College students, too, need to recognize that some things take time to develop and require a commitment of time, energy and sacrifice. In this often commitment-phobic age, students who know the value of commitment will make a difference – for themselves and for others.

5. Hard work

   Dance is hard work. As much fun as it may be, as fulfilling and satisfying as it may be, as good as it is for the soul, it is hard work. Dancers learn how to put in the hard work to achieve something. They are not afraid of doing something difficult. They know that they need to tackle a difficult task (or step, or routine) and break it down and work at it. Many college students worry about hard – hard courses, hard instructors, hard majors. Students who are willing, and able, and unafraid, to take on challenges achieve more.

6. Technique

   

   Photo by bombarosa

   Dancers spend much of their time learning to perfect, or at least improve, their technique. They know from experience that doing something well often happens because of all of the small details. A good dancer knows that a beautiful dance grows from good technique. Details matter. Details add up. Details take hard work. Paying attention to the smallest of details can make the difference.

7. Skill-building

   Dancers understand that there is always room for improvement. No matter how long you have been dancing, no matter how good you are, no matter how clearly you understand a step or how instinctive a move has become, there is always room for improvement. Dancers learn that you never stop growing in your ability, that there is always somewhere to grow. In college, they will continue to strive for something more.

8. Criticism

   Dance students understand that criticism is not a bad word. They understand that true criticism means helping someone find the best in themselves by giving them feedback. They understand that criticism is good and that good criticism helps them grow. They understand, because they have heard it being given for years, how to give good criticism to others. College students who are able to receive – and use – criticism will gain more from others. College students who know how to constructively criticize others – positively, specifically, non-emotionally – will be able to help others.

9. Creativity

   Dance is not technique. Dance is not skill. Dance is not discipline or hard work. Although all of those qualities are required, dance is ultimately a creative work of art. Dance students begin to understand that they have something within themselves that they bring to a dance. Dance students begin to understand that dance is greater than they are. It is the ultimate unity of the music, the choreography, the technique and the soul of the dancer that creates the dance. Dancers learn to tap that creative energy within themselves – and they will bring that creativity to all that they do.

10. Self Investment

    Ultimately, dancers learn to throw themselves completely into whatever they do. They blend the physical, the mental, the emotional, and the spiritual into a greater whole. Students who head off to college understanding, and having experienced, this totality of themselves will be better able to seek and maintain a balance in their lives.

My daughters no longer dance – although I continue to hope that they may return to it some day – but they have reaped countless benefits from their dance experience. The life lessons which they have gained gave them a head start in college – and in life. Current dance students may not yet realize that each time they lace up their pointe shoe, or take their place at the barre, or practice just one more pirouette, they are preparing themselves for life.

Vicki Nelson currently teaches communication at a small liberal arts college and has more than 25 years of experience in higher education as a teacher, academic advisor and administrator. She founded College Parent Central, a website designed to help parents navigate through the college years, to give parents information about how to be productively involved in their student’s college life while finding ways to allow their student to gain independence. Visit Vicki’s website at www.collegeparentcentral.com or contact her at vnelson@collegeparentcentral.com.

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Photo by hannah .

Hannah’s “The Eiffel Tower,” a lovely arabesque penchée silhouetted against a beachscape, is a welcome sight as I sit at my computer on a winter’s day in the U.S. Even here in Houston it’s been chilly so I figured many of you might also appreciate the warming thought of dancing on the beach with sand squishing through your toes!

About the Photographer: “I am a dancer. I’ve been dancing for 14 years! I take any class offered but my favorite is tap, probably because my mother is the teacher! The photo you chose was actually a shot I did for my friend’s senior portraits. She didn’t want the traditional headshot so we decided to do some dance photos. “Eiffel tower” came from the song “little bribes” by death cab for cutie. While I was shooting, this song came to mind.”

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Friendly Reminder: Please respect copyright online. Unless permission is granted through Creative Commons or other licensing agreement, please do not publish copyrighted photos without the permission of the owner. Thank you!

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January classes are probably well under way. However, there is no time like the present for you and your students to set goals for the coming months. January is a great time to take a little time out to guide students in setting goals and planning how they’ll achieve them.

If you are midway through your season, now may be a good time to meet individually with older students about their progress and goals for the year.

Short or long-term goals could be set for an entire class as well. Have the students work together on planning some group objectives.

Even very young students could learn an important lesson on planning and reaching goals.

Talk about January being a month when many people think ahead and decide how they’ll get from one place to another.

• Practice with each exercise, selecting a goal such as remembering to point their toes on each sauté.
• Practice setting goals and sticking to them. For instance, the goal may be staying quiet as students wait their turn to go across the floor. Ask for suggestions on what they will do instead (watch closely) and then have them choose a method to make sure they are watching (each dancer strikes a pose when they finish their progression and it is the job of everyone else to copy their body shape).
• Literally practice pathways that start at A and end at B, then allow each individual dancer to choose the movements, rhythms, or methods to get there. Discuss how there are many ways to reach the same goal and have them explore which choices worked best, or fastest, or were the most fun.

Image by M Kuhn via Flickr

I know time in the studio is always precious but with older students, take time out of class to discuss how to set realistic goals for technique, flexibility, or performance. The time spent will be worth it if each student stays focused with clear steps on how they’ll hit their target. Students could try coming up with both a short-term goal (one month) and a long-term one (6 months or a year).

Below is a one-page form that can help students plan their strategy.

Setting Goals, Planning, and Reflection -- Click this image to download the pdf.

The top half of the page asks the student to set a goal. For example, the dancer may want to be able to do a triple pirouette.

Then, it has the student list specific steps they’ll take to reach this goal. For instance, the dancer may do Theraband exercises at home to strengthen weak or wobbly ankles, spend the moments before class on warming up with core exercises instead of chatting or stretching, test and challenge her balance throughout class (at the end of each exercise, by taking the hand off the barre occasionally, etc.). Help your students break down their goal into these manageable pieces.

Then the form helps them prepare for the inevitable moment when they lose their focus or motivation. This backup plan could be asking a classmate to join her in the warm-up, or watching an inspiring video of professionals turning, or picking one favorite television program during which she’ll sit and do the exercises.

The bottom half of the form is to be completed when the desired window of time has closed. Six months later, has your student been able to consistently do a triple pirouette? You could collect all of your student’s worksheets in a notebook until it is time to revisit them. When you do, the form offers some questions of reflection that work even if the goal was not attained.

Remember, your students will probably need some help with this exercise. Encourage thoughtful planning and creativity, offer examples, and suggestions if they need them. Good Luck!

What are some other ways you could put goal-setting into practice in your classroom?

© Nichelle (admin) for Dance Advantage, 2010. | Permalink | 6 comments | Category: Blog, Classroom, For Teachers/Studio Owners

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