Dance Nerds Unite

Photography: Dancers Among Us by Jordan Matter

2011-11-30T11:49:00.001-05:00

Us dancers are so visual, so it always nice to come across fantastic dance photography. Check out this eye candy I found, dancers posing in everyday situations, by photographer Jordan Matters. "Dancers Among Us" So creative!

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2BSWjP/www.myphotographytutorials.com/gallery/photos-of-professional-dancers-in-everyday-situations

Hyperextended? What to do...

2011-10-13T16:06:00.000-04:00

I have several students in my classes who are naturally hyperextended. It's such a beautiful aesthetic in ballet, but man is it bad on the knees! They are constantly dealing with knee pain and swelling, and one of them asked if I knew how to fix it. I told her I thought she wasn't supposed to straighten her knees all the way, which for a hyperextended person means locking your knees, but I wasn't 100% sure. So, I consulted the experts, a.k.a. Dance Magazine. This article thankfully confirms what I thought and told my student, and it describes what is exactly going on in a hyperextended knee.

I also learned that hyperextension is a kind of made up condition in dance. In the medical field, it's used to describe an injury, not a natural condition (see: Mayo Clinic). That isn't addressed in the Dance Magazine article, but it at leasts helps us dancers and teachers know how to fix it! Check it out: http://www.dance-teacher.com/content/hyperextension-and-bowleggedness.

Long break...

2011-10-13T15:53:00.000-04:00

Hello to all my loyal readers! I have taken a very long break, and I apologize for dropping off the face of the earth! I got in a bad car accident while eight months pregnant, and from there, blogging was my last priority. Now things are back on track and I'm doing great, just still very busy as the SAH mom of a toddler and baby, while teaching dance at night. Thanks for sticking around and I hope to continue to offer you helpful tips and dance advice!

~ Sara

Interview with Zena Rommett

2011-02-07T10:00:00.011-05:00

Here's an interview from 2003 with Floor Barre Technique founder, Zena Rommett. She had very definite ideas of teaching dance, which she discusses here. She believed that many teachers forget to teach the basics, which pushed her to create the Floor Barre Technique, getting dancers back to the basics of alignment and proper muscle usage.

Interview with Zena Rommett, creator of the Rommett Floor-Barre Technique
By Rachel Rabkin
March 20, 2003

Recently, after taking one of Zena Rommett's classes at Steps on Broadway and 74th Street, I sat down with her, her daughter Camille Rommett, and a long-time student of the Floor-Barre Technique. There at the studio's sunny second-floor café, the three of us talked about Rommett's background, philosophies, and her revolutionary teachings.

Rachel Rabkin: When did you start taking ballet?

Zena Rommett: I started dancing when I was 16.

RR: When did you feel that there was a need for your Floor-Barre technique, which focuses on aligning, strengthening, and lengthening dancers' bodies?

ZR: I had dance scholarships and had some of the best teachers but I felt I never got the basics. I had fantastic facilities and was put into professional classes right away, but I know what it is to go to class and not know what it's all about. I felt the need to slow things down and refine ballet technique. That was about 45 years ago.

RR: Do you think that the basics are still getting lost in dance classrooms today?

ZR: I don't approve of what's going on in teaching today. I see very little quality except from some of the older master teachers. There is no artistry. I see seven- and eight-year-old children in pointe shoes with injuries, and they have no basics. My work, on the other hand, strengthens the joints and places them correctly so they can avoid injuries and train for many more years. The basics, though, in general, are lost with everything-not just dance-with music and art too. For the most part, the master teachers are gone. Everyone is teaching these days, and everything gets washed down. There is no longer the discipline to repeat basic steps over and over again. Everything has deteriorated. That's why I want to make an impact on teaching.

RR: Has your Floor-Barre Technique changed and grown over the years?

ZR: I develop it all the time. Now I am gearing it more toward therapy-toward injury prevention and rehabilitation. The technique is also getting more specific. Constantly refining the alignment corrects so many problems that dancers have.

RR: What is the most satisfying part of teaching your technique?

ZR: It is most satisfying when the bodies I work with become really beautiful bodies-like sculptures. It is also most satisfying to see how the student feels.

RR: How quickly can a student expect to see and feel results?

ZR: Right away.

RR: What is your biggest struggle in getting the word out about your teachings and your foundation?

ZR: The biggest struggle is lack of money. We've never had any marketing or advertising. It has all been word of mouth. I've been to Taiwan, Germany, Russia, Italy, California, and all over teaching. But unlike Pilates, which has wonderful marketing and is involved in selling machines, people just began coming to my classes. When I used to teach on West 3rd Street, some people would say, 'That woman is far out.' But people kept coming-dancers like Judy Jamison, Larry Rhodes, Lar Lubovitch, Melissa Hayden, and students of Balanchine and Martha Graham.

RR: Speaking of Pilates. I heard that Pilates has been influenced by your technique. Have you picked up anything from Pilates?

ZR: Absolutely not. I am a purist.

RR: I hear that you are working on a book. When will that be available?

ZR: Yes. I have been working on a book with a writer for about three years. It should come out soon. My philosophy has become clearer over the years and I want the book to reflect that.

RR: When did you start selling Floor-Barre videos? Have they been well received?

ZR: In 1991 we put out our first video. Now we have over three videos and they sell. We don't even advertise them and they sell. Next year we are coming out with a video for non-dancers-for business people, athletes, and senior citizens.

RR: How many teachers are now certified to teach your technique?

ZR: About 60 teachers throughout the world.
[Teachers who would like to apply for certification in Floor-Barre Technique can do so now. A certification course taught by Zena will take place on April 15th-18th and August 14th-17th 2003 at the New York Open Center. For more information call 212-633-0352, e-mail floorbarre@hotmail.com, or log on to www.floor-barre.org.]

RR: What would you like to see happen with your technique in the future? What is your dream?

ZR: It would be wonderful to see the technique being taught everywhere-in schools and studios everywhere. I'd also like to see my technique being used in the world of sports. I have the highest admiration for Tiger Woods. Now, he has placement. I would like to help him with his knee injury. I'd like to work with ice skaters and gymnasts also so they can apply the teachings I've refined to their bodies. We've influenced the ballet world and the modern dance world. We'd like to take it a step further and make our mark on sports.

Zena wasn't the only ones talking. Her student and her daughter, Camille, were also forthcoming with praise for Zena.

Student: I don't know if I've ever met a teacher like Zena, who cares as much about what she's teaching. She's focused on her work and carrying it through. She is a teacher's teacher. The more you take her classes, the easier dancing becomes. Dancing is very simple if you follow what Zena says because your center becomes solid.
I think everyone should take Floor-Barre, from senior citizens to children. I don't even dance anymore but I take Zena's classes for overall well being and for injury prevention. I look better, I feel better. My body is healthy, and strong.

Camille: Zena is an original. She is one of a kind, and she has a fantastic eye for correcting alignment. I am a constant witness to all of the positive feedback she gets wherever she goes. She truly has an unexplained gift to see and heal the body. Joffrey used to say that Zena could see through a brick wall.
My mission with the Zena Rommett Dance (Association) Foundation is to document the work and preserve the technique in its purity.

Zena Rommett's Floor Barre Technique

2011-02-07T08:00:00.024-05:00

In the previous post, I wrote about Alvin Ailey dancer, Renee Robinson, who swears by Zena Rommett's Floor Barre Technique, and wanted to delve into more detail about it. Zena, a ballerina who also danced on Broadway, started this technique in 1968, and it is still going strong today.

According to the website, "By utilizing the floor, and without the stress of gravity associated with ‘standing’ at the ballet barre, dancers learn to align their bodies, lengthen their muscles, strengthen their joints, and fine-tune their movements. Floor-Barre® makes it possible for dancers to execute classical ballet movements with principles of alignment which are anatomically correct, and by using only the appropriate muscles...Over the past 50 years, Zena Rommett has earned the respect of the medical profession as a pioneer in injury prevention and rehabilitation."

Anyone can get certified, and the next certification seminar will take place this August in NYC. For more information, visit http://www.floor-barre.org/Floor-Barre/CERTIFICATION.html

This video is a great overview of what the technique is all about.

Here is an excerpt from one of the DVD's, which can be purchased on the website.

How to Take Care of Your Dancing Body

2011-02-06T08:52:00.001-05:00

Renee Robinson, who in her 40s is still dancing and performing with Alvin Ailey, keeps her body in top condition by using Zena Rommett's Floor Barre technique, Gyrotonics, juicing, and eating a very healthy diet of whole foods, fruits and vegetables. In this article from Dance Magazine, Technique My Way, she delves into her daily routine, which can help dancers of all ages learn how to take care of their bodies so they last for an entire career, and not just a rehearsal.

In the article, Renee says she enjoys Zena Rommet's Floor Barre because "lying down relieves so much pressure and helps you avoid gripping while you work correct alignment." For her, Pilates made her body tighter, although she suggests that dancers try different exercise methods to find the one that works for them. She also recommends regular cardio exercising, which helps especially for "stamina-intensive" ballets. And there again, she has created own regimen, adjusting for her age and what her body at 40 can handle.

Renee places a lot of value upon really being in-tune with your body, saying that young dancers have a tendency to not listen to their bodies and take the time to reflect. Lastly, she says there is nothing more important than a good nights' sleep!

Communication Boundaries with Students

2011-02-05T12:50:00.003-05:00

As a teacher, I've found it difficult to know where to draw the boundaries of communication outside the studio with my dance students, especially now with the popularity of Facebook and texting. For me at least, the only time I need or want to communicate with my students is when it's dance-related - to send them an article, pump them up for competitions, or send a reminder. Of course, there are those who will abuse the boundary and communicate inappropriately with their students, so as a studio owner, it is prudent to set boundaries for your teachers and students.

In an article from Dance Teacher Magazine entitled "Business: Setting Boundaries," one of the studios recommends writing up a contract that both your teachers, students and parents sign so the boundaries are very clear. That same studio "forbids teachers from 'friending' students on Facebook," but created a Facebook page for the studio where the teachers and students could communicate online.

Diane Kelley's studio in West Boylston, MA has a code of conduct which "states that contact with students (social networking, cell, online chat or phone calls) is prohibited outside of class without studio consent...with some flexibility allowed."

Yet another studio in Orem, UT, which has alumnus like Julianne Hough and Chelsie Hightower, has a very lenient policy on communication with students and creating such rules is a "foreign concept."

For more details, check out the article here: Business: Setting Boundaries.

Learn from Another Studio's Success

2011-02-04T12:48:00.002-05:00

If you have a competition team at your studio, check out this short interview with The Dance Center in Tuscaloosa, AL in Dance Teacher Magazine which offers sage advice and new ideas that could help freshen up your competition team and program. For the teachers, they suggest attending competitions as "an audience member" and "spend time observing the competition process."

Ideas such as:

Bring in guest teachers and choreographers
Hold team-bonding activities like their annual lock-in
Do community service projects such as adopting a family during the holidays

For more details and some great information, read the article in its entirety here: http://www.dance-teacher.com/content/competition-high-five-rebecca-tingle-and-melissa-verzino

Teaching Arms in Tap

2011-02-03T12:07:00.002-05:00

I was so excited to see this article in Dance Teacher Magazine this month: "Theory and Practice: Armed for Tap." It's all about teaching arms and how to use them effectively in tap. I see it all too often - tap students who haven't been trained in ballet but are quick and nimble on their feet, throw their performance out the window with poorly used arms. Dancer, director and choreographer, Ray Hesselink, offers the advice. Here is some of his choreography to enjoy!

Advice: How to Teach Adults

2011-02-02T16:00:00.008-05:00

Thinking of building an adult dance program at your studio? Here's a fantastic article from Dance Teacher Magazine called "Feature: Night School" with advice on how to get started, attract adults, and teach them. It's fairly long, so here are some highlights:

The Joffrey Ballet School attributes their 150% growth in the adult program to the weeklong seminars and intensive dance workshops they added to their calendar for adults.
Most adult classes are between 6:30 and 9:00 p.m.
Teachers are vital to an adult program's success, as adults are drawn to classes in which they love the personality of the teacher and connect with him or her. Connecting with each student on an individual level also keeps their interest high.
Teachers should be highly aware of how an adult feels in class. It is challenging for an adult to try something new, or come back to ballet after a long time. Make sure your corrections are positive and constructive so they don't feel it's personal criticism.
Safety is of utmost important as adult bodies are much more limited than that of children. Do not push them beyond what they can do or handle. This includes strengthening the core and including exercises that are gentle on the joints like the knees and hips, and take a longer time to warm up.

The Adorable Chelsie Hightower

2011-02-02T11:34:00.001-05:00

Who doesn't love the quick-stepping, bubbly Chelsie Hightower? At just 21, she has achieved more success in a few years than some do in a lifetime - she just has that IT factor. From "So You Think You Can Dance" to "Dancing With the Stars", this article explores where she came from and how she got to where she is today. I love knowing how successful people worked to get to the top, and this article, "Face to Face: Chelsie Hightower" in Dance Teacher Magazine doesn't disappoint!

Amazingly, Chelsie won her first national ballroom title at age 11 after only dancing for two years prior to that. She says that all of her dance studio training in Orem, Utah prepared her for a professional career - "the biggest thing is learning that people will want to work with you if you're a good person, show up on time and have a good attitude."

Her future plans include opening her own dance studio an hour north of Orem that will include everything from competitive jazz and hip-hop to ballroom.

Can Turnout Be Improved? Advice from an Orthopedic Surgeon

2011-01-14T09:12:00.001-05:00

Dancers are forever trying to improve their turnout, but according to this orthopedic surgeon, who was interviewed by Dance Magazine in "The Dancer's Hip", degree of turnout is determined by the architecture of your hip and there isn't much you can do to improve it. The surgeon warns against forcing turnout, especially for dancers with hypermobile joints who are very flexible. These dancers are very prone to tears, damage within the hip joint and can even slip the hip out of joint if turnout is forced.

So, what if your turnout is not naturally "good?" Not to worry - there are famous ballerinas who were known for bad turnout and still had great success. Ballerinas like Anna Pavlova, who is considered one of the greatest dancers of all time as a principal dancer for the Imperial Russian Ballet. There are plenty of other qualities besides turnout that make a dancer great - artistry, grace, strength, passion, flexibility, perseverance and ambition. Focus on the qualities that naturally set you apart and strengthen those rather than worrying about the qualities you can't change.

Click here to read the article in its entirety: http://dancemagazine.com/issues/January-2011/On-Dance-Injuries-The-Dancers-Hip

Focus on Your Head

2011-01-12T13:21:00.001-05:00

So often I see dancers who neglect to use their heads and shoulders when dancing, or use them improperly. It is the difference between a beginner and advanced dancer - advanced dancers really dance with their whole bodies, making it look easy and natural. When just one part of the body is not used correctly, it can throw off the aesthetic and quality of the dancing. I have been working very hard in my classes lately to focus on the head and eyes, starting at the barre, and have seen great results. My dancers are finally dancing more in unison and their dancing has taken on a beautiful, new quality.

Here's an article to help teachers teach proper head and shoulder placement in class - "How to Use Correct Placement in the Head and Neck for Dancers". Another reference is a previous post, here on Dance Nerds Unite - "Improving Port De Bras" http://dancenerds.blogspot.com/2010/10/improving-port-de-bras.html

The four main bad habits the author says dancers make with their heads are:

Holding tension in or straining the neck
Focusing the eyes in a different direction than the head
Jutting the chin, or lifting it too far
Throwing the head, rather than controlling movement

Check out the article at the link above for more info!

More on Summer Study - Company School or Conservatory?

2011-01-11T13:29:00.002-05:00

Once you've decided to do a summer dance program, it can be a daunting task to decide which one is right for you with the plethora of choices. One way to divide and conquer is to split the choices into two categories - company school versus conservatory. Here are some videos to help you, and an article from Dance Magazine that breaks it down - Dance Magazine: Summer Study Guide 2011: Conservatory vs. Company School.

The main difference? Company schools offer you exposure to join the company, while conservatories offer small class sizes with individualized attention and a chance to join their year-round school. Company schools include San Francisco Ballet School, Miami City Ballet School, School of American Ballet, and any other school at a professional dance company. Conservatories include The Rock School for Dance Education, The Nutmeg Conservatory, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and Harid Conservatory.

Here, some San Francisco Ballet students share their summer intensive experiences at SFB.

Here is a video from The Rock School for Dance Education on their summer intensive.

How to Teach a Pirouette

2011-01-09T19:29:00.001-05:00

I loved finding this article and video at Dance Teacher magazine on how to teach pirouettes because it is definitely one of the most important skills a dancer needs to master. Here, former New York City Ballet soloist, Katrina Killian, shows just how to teach a Balanchine pirouette, which includes a straight back leg and all weight on the supporting front leg. For more details than the video provides, read the accompanying article: "Technique: Katrina Killian: How I Teach a Pirouette".

Video: http://dancemedia.com/v/4648

Fresh Choreography Ideas for Recitals

2011-01-03T14:49:00.002-05:00

I think one of the hardest things to do year after year as a teacher is to come up with fresh and innovative choreography for recitals and competitions. It is key to that the choreography appeals to audiences who might not be dancers (like parents), appeals to dancers, challenges your students, pleases judges, and is different from last year! I just have to share this choreographer's work with you, as she has some very entertaining and creative pieces, that could give you the inspiration you need to tackle the 15 dances you have to choreograph for this year's recital!

I recently discovered her on YouTube as I was desperately searching for inspiration of my own, and found tons of her work there. Introducing...Kate Jablonski! She has her own dance company, Beyond Words, located in Westmont, Illinois. Here's her website with a video gallery of her best work. May you also be inspired!

http://www.beyondwordsdancecompany.com/gallery/

Jazz/Contemporary Warm-Up

2011-01-03T14:14:00.003-05:00

I've been looking for new elements to include in my contemporary and jazz class warm-ups and came across this video that Dance Teacher Magazine featured back in September 2010 Technique: Shelia Barket: How I teach a warm-up. It's Shelia Barker's, a Broadway Dance Center teacher, jazz dance warm-up and includes some yoga-like poses (downward dog, squat) and is very relaxing. I know my students will love how it warms up the torso and back and helps all those muscles relax and prepare for technique.

http://dancemedia.com/v/4504

Modern Class Exercises - Cunningham Technique

2010-12-15T19:36:00.001-05:00

If you're like me, you're always looking for new ways to improve your contemporary and modern class exercises and warm-up, so I was happy to find this article from Dance Teacher magazine that gives a Merce Cunningham back exercise and warm-up. I've used it in my contemporary class several times and it never ceases to really warm up my dancers. They do complain that it is tiring on the arms, which I was not expecting to hear. So, it appears to also be a good arm work-out - bonus!

Be sure to check out the article, Technique: Robert Swinston, in full and this video which features a demonstration.

Merce Cunningham

2011 Summer Intensives

2010-12-07T12:47:00.000-05:00

Auditions start for next year's summer intensives in just a month, so it's time to do your research so you can nail those auditions, apply for scholarships, and make it into your dream summer intensive! To help you get started, here are some websites and information you'll need from some of the nation's top schools. For more affordable and less intense options, check out the colleges, universities, and dance companies in your local area for classes and/or summer intensives. (These are in no particular order).

Alvin Ailey - The Ailey School

Dates: June 21 - July 29, 2011
Ages: 16-25 or 12-15 for the Junior Division
Click here for audition tour dates and other important audition information
Cost: $2,300
Financial aid is available through federal grants and loans
Classes include: ballet, modern, jazz hip-hop, tap, Dunham technique, body conditioning, yoga, Gyrokinesis®, and barre à terre

Julliard

Dates: July 17 - August 5, 2011
Program: Ballet and modern, pointe work is not required
Ages: 15-17, limited to 44 students
Deadline for online application: JANUARY 7, 2011
Auditions: Live or by video, preregister online
Cost: TBA, but last year tuition was $1,160 and room and board was $985
Financial aid is available based on financial need and merit
Contact Info: summerdance@juilliard.edu or call the Office of Admissions at (212) 799-5000, ext 223

Boston Ballet School

Dates: June 25 - July 30, 2011
Ages: 10-19
Click here for audition tour dates, no preregistration required. Can also audition by video.
Cost: Tuition: $2,925 and Room and Board: $2,325
Financial aid and payment programs are available
Classes: Five weeks of 5-6 hours of dance classes daily, augmented by professional development lectures. Includes separate men's classes, modern, classical character, Pilates, master classes with guest faculty, professional development lectures
Contact: SDP@bostonballet.org and 617.456.6269

Joffrey Ballet School

Dates: June 13 - August 6, 2011, with a minimum attendance of one week
Cost: Full 8 weeks: $2,599, or $325.00 per week, or $15 per class
Financial aid is available based on merit or extreme need

Miami City Ballet

Dates:

5-Week Summer Program, June 27-July 29, 2011 -- for 12 years and older
2-Week Summer Program, August 1-12, 2011 -- for 10-12 year olds

Classes: ballet technique, pointe, pas de deux, variations, jazz, stretch and weight training
Audition dates in your area - by live or video audition
Cost: Tuition - $600 plus $50 registration fee
Contact: 305.929.7007 or e-mail at school@miamicityballet.org

San Fransisco Ballet

Dates: June 27 - July 29, 2011
Cost: Tuition - $2,470, Room & Board - $2,100, Registration Fee - $125
Audition tour dates
Classes: ballet technique, pointe, repertory/variations, character, contemporary, pas de deux, floor barre/Pilates
Financial aid is available but very limited

Alonzo King LINES Ballet

Dates:

Session One: June 14, 2011 - July 13, 2011 (ages 11-16)
Session Two: July 17, 2011 - August 20, 2011 (ages 17-24)

Cost: $1,775 (four weeks) or $2,350 (five weeks)
Housing is not provided
Audition tour dates and financial aid information
Financial aid granted based on application

American Ballet Theater's JKO School

Dates: New York June 27 – July 29, 2011; Alabama June 27 – July 16, 2011; California August 1 – August 19, 2011; Michigan June 27 – July 22, 2011; Texas July 10 – August 5, 2011
Audition tour dates
Classes include: Ballet Technique, Pointe, Partnering, Variations, Men’s Technique, Men’s Variations, Modern, Nutrition, Acting for Dancers/Mime, Musical Theater, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Character, Dance History, Yoga, Meet the Artist, Music, Injury Prevention, Pilates
Cost: Varies by location. See details here.

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Dates: June 19-July 15, 2011, all 5 weeks requried
Cost:

In-state high school: $2,998 (tuition + room and board)
Out-of-state high school: $3,649 (tuition + room and board)
In-state college: $2,762
Out-of-state college: $3,413

Classes: ballet and contemporary tracks

Check these Companies Later - Summer Schedules Not Up Yet

Complexions Contemporary Ballet

Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance

Paul Taylor Dance Company - Modern Dance. E-mail INTENSIVE@PTDC.ORG for more information.
Merce Cunningham Dance Company - they are currently running a winter intensive and frequently have workshops, which would be a more affordable option for a summer intensive.

Expanding Your Studio

2010-12-04T20:18:00.001-05:00

Dreaming of owning your own studio one day or already do own one? Well, don't miss this article from Dance Teacher Magazine - Business: Branching Out from Dance Teacher Magazine. It offers great advice from very successful studio owners on how to grow and expand your business, such as "smart staff selection," good communication, knowing your market and doing your research.

An American in Moscow - 15 year old Joins Bolshoi Ballet

2010-12-03T13:52:00.000-05:00

James Hill for The New York Times

Joy Womack, an American student at the Bolshoi academy in Moscow, preparing to go onstage in an end-of-term performance. She moved to Russia on her own last year at 15.

Here's more inspiration for you hard-working dancers out there who need a little boost to get through some grueling rehearsals, classes and performances. Here's the incredible story about 15-year-old Joy Womack, who left the comforts of Texas to join Bolshoi Ballet's school, even learning Russian and all of Bolshoi's rigorous ways for her dream to dance in the company. Her talents lie not only in dancing, but in determination, discipline and ambition. Not everyone is born with this kind of drive!

Here's a slideshow of her life there.

And an article that the New York Times ran about her: "Young Americans Embrace Rigors of Bolshoi"

Read questions that readers submitted to Joy, and her answers: Ask the Dancers: Young Americans in Russia Respond

Sarah Lane - ABT Soloist and Black Swan Body Double

2010-12-03T08:31:00.002-05:00

Photography by: SEBASTIAN KIM

I saw ABT Soloist Sarah Lane this past Valentine's Day dance with her husband, Luis Ribagorda (ABT corps member) at our town's symphony orchestra's Romeo and Juliet. She was exquisite - so graceful, beautiful and strong. The perfect ballerina and Juliet! So naturally, I was very excited to see that she plays Natalie Portman's body double in "Black Swan," which premiered December 1. I scoured the internet later to find out more about her and found that Dance Magazine had already written an article about her in 2007, when she was in the Corps de Ballet, which chronicles her life and dance history - Glowing Strong: Sarah Lane Radiates Star Power from ABT's Corps. She is a fierce competitor with incredible drive and discipline that is quite inspirational.

Sarah Lane Fast Facts:

Born in San Fransisco, but moved to Memphis when she was a toddler
Home schooled as a child
Strong Christian faith
Started tap and jazz at age 4, then enrolled at Memphis Classical Ballet
Moved to Rochester, NY later and enrolled at the Draper Center for Dance Education where she received serious training for the competition circuit
When she first auditioned for ABT, the studio company director informed her that she was too small (5'2")
So she went on to audition for Boston Ballet it fell through because they misprinted her name - Catherine Lane
Still determined to make it, she competed in the Youth American Grand Prix at age 17 in NY but danced her Paquita variation in silence after the sound system crashed. She finished to a standing ovation and won the bronze! Finally ABT noticed her the second time and invited her to take studio classes, then promptly offered her a Studio Company contract.
Two months later, she won the Silver Medal in the Junior Division (the highest awarded in 2002) at the Jackson International Ballet Competition.
Susan Jaffe, former ABT ballet star, has been a fan of Sarah's and has mentored her to help her become a company member. Scroll down towards the end of the article to see the wonderful advice she gave her.
After 8 months in ABT's Studio Company, Sarah joined the Corps de Ballet. She has since been promoted to Soloist and is now in the "Black Swan!"

Sarah Lane with Principle Herman Cornejo

Black Swan - Training Portman to look like a Ballerina

2010-12-02T08:26:00.000-05:00

With the premiere of "Black Swan" in movie theaters yesterday, it's exciting to read about the behind-the-scenes making of the movie. The New York Times ran an article on November 26 about how lead actresses Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis trained to look and move like ballerinas. Natalie started intense ballet training a year before filming began, but ABT soloist, Sarah Lane, serves as her body double for the intense (real) dancing scenes. Check it out!

Photo by Niko Tavernise

Ms. Portman performs with Benjamin Millepied, the choreographer and New York City Ballet principal.

Those Andulating Arms? Not So Easy to Do

By Julie Bloom

TEN years of serious training and then five more toiling in the ranks. That’s how many years of dedicated study it takes on average to become a principal ballerina at a top company. But Hollywood isn’t willing to wait. So when several actresses signed up to portray professional dancers in new movies, they had to play a very intense game of catch-up.

Ms. Portman performs with Benjamin Millepied, the choreographer and New York City Ballet principal.

Actors have impersonated dancers before to varying degrees of success. (See Jessica Alba’s laborious hip-hop moves in “Honey” and Neve Campbell’s elegant arabesques in “The Company” to get a sense of the range.) And some directors, like Bruce Beresford with his recent “Mao’s Last Dancer,” have bypassed actors altogether and cast dancers to achieve authenticity. When a single awkward move can change the tone of an entire scene, portraying a dancer is a serious challenge.

“It’s not the same as Mickey becoming a wrestler because that’s a craft you can learn in a few months,” the directorDarren Aronofsky said, referring to Mickey Rourke, who starred in his film “The Wrestler.” “Ballet is something you have to be trained from a tiny age.”

Mr. Aronofsky’s latest movie, a rumored Oscar contender, “Black Swan,” due Dec. 3, is a psychological thriller centered on a fictional ballet company’s new version of “Swan Lake.” Natalie Portman plays the lead ballerina, andMila Kunis is her rival. In George Nolfi’s “Adjustment Bureau,” out in March, Emily Blunt stars as a member of a real troupe, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet.

“At the beginning it was a big question because we didn’t know if any actor could pull it off,” Mr. Aronofsky said of the role of Nina, who turns into the Swan Queen onstage.

When Ms. Portman, 29, took the part, she said, “I really thought I was better than I was.” She wasn’t completely new to ballet, having studied as a child, but at 13 she had traded in her slippers to act.

Photo by Niko Tavernise

“It was a rude awakening to get there, and to be, like, I don’t know what I’m doing,” Ms. Portman said by phone, “If I had known how not close to ready I was, I never would have tried it. I’m glad I was a little ignorant slash arrogant.”

Ms. Kunis, 27, described her experience as “ballet on crack.” At the end of her training, which includes three months of daily ballet practice, she said, she had probably lost 20 pounds. “For me it was kind of like: How do you fake it?”

The effort to avoid that consumed Ms. Portman. In the film she performs choreography byBenjamin Millepied, the New York City Ballet principal with a side career as a choreographer, and Ms. Portman does indeed dance, about 10 sequences, with a lot of work for her upper body. The difficult point work and turns were performed by a body double, Sarah Lane, the American Ballet Theater soloist.

In the film Nina goes through a metamorphosis onstage, from sweet swan to thrashing, rabid, seething one, complete with feathers. Ms. Portman went through a kind of transformation as well. Before she could even tackle the choreography she had to prepare her body, starting more than a year in advance with Mary Helen Bowers, a former City Ballet dancer from North Carolina.

“The idea was, if you were going to look and move like a professional ballerina, you have to train like one, and professional ballerinas dance for 10 to 12 hours a day, six days a week, for years and years on end,” Ms. Bowers said. “So the idea with Natalie was, we have to get you as close to that mark as possible for as many months as possible leading up to the film.”

Ms. Bowers combined basic ballet technique and exercises to make Ms. Portman’s physique more like a dancer’s, with the sinewy, lean muscles, upright carriage, pressed-down shoulders and tell-tale elongated neck.

Natalie Portman on the set of Black Swan.

(Photo: Ray Lewis)

“There are such physical markers for ballet dancers,” Ms. Bowers said, “we thought that was as important as being able to move.”

Wherever Ms. Portman’s career took her, she trained at least five hours a day with Ms. Bowers, practicing chaînés turns in Bridgehampton or rond de jambes in Belfast. They often started at 5 a.m. and fit in barre exercises and workouts while Ms. Portman filmed other movies.

Ms. Bowers was part of an all-star crew of experts who helped to get the dancing right. The veteran dancers and teachers included Kurt Froman, Jock Soto and Marina Stavitskaya, the ballet mistress Olga Kostritzky and the beloved coach Georgina Parkinson, who died in December. They offered corrections to the actresses during shooting and told Mr. Aronofsky when movement looked false. Dancers, mostly from the Pennsylvania Ballet, performed as the fictional corps and also gave advice to Ms. Portman.

This level of attention was crucial, Ms. Portman said: “I think there is a credibility that lets you get lost in the story when you feel that all the details are right.”

For Mr. Millepied, who is also Ms. Portman’s off-screen beau, the challenge started with creating a fresh twist on the classic “Swan Lake” vocabulary. (Die-hards will notice changes to the four little swans variation in particular.) But he also had to tailor the choreography so that Ms. Portman looked believable. With both actresses he wanted, he said, to “use their qualities and avoid their weaknesses.”

Perfecting something as seemingly simple as the undulating swan arms was one of Ms. Portman’s greatest struggles. “The fluidity, trying to get those hands to move and the arms all the way to her fingers” was tough," Mr. Millepied said. She practiced for hours and watched YouTube clips of famous swan queens like Alicia Alonso and Natalia Makarova to master the move.

Even with all the preparation Ms. Parkinson helped adjust the choreography for the particular quirks of Ms. Portman’s body. “I have short arms,” Ms. Portman said. “She was just, like: ‘You don’t bend arms when you put your arms up. They’re straight. You don’t bend them.’ If I ever bent my elbows she’d be, like, ‘Straight arms, straight arms.’ ” Another challenge was getting Ms. Portman on point. “We would spend 30 minutes a day doing foot exercises,” Ms. Bowers said.

During shooting the process intensified, with Ms. Portman doing short barre exercises five to six times a day to warm up between takes. “I think my body was kind of in emergency mode,” Ms. Portman. “I’m not eating enough, I’m not getting enough sleep. I’m in complete physical distress.” Among the injuries Ms. Portman suffered, the worst was a dislocated rib. To keep going, the lifts were adjusted.

The physical extremes of the art form though were what most interested Ms. Portman and Mr. Aronofsky. “The contrast between what you see onstage and what is underneath is part of the resonance of this film,” Ms. Portman said. “That it’s supposed to look easy and painless and carefree and light and delicate and just pretty, and underneath it’s, like, really gruesome.”

Ms. Bowers recalled, for instance, when Mr. Aronofsky consulted her on the believability of a prosthetic toe. “He was, like, ‘Is this what your toe looks like when your toenail falls off?’ and I was, like, ‘Well maybe we should take a little more off.’ ” She added, “Actually when your toenail falls off, you’re kind of happy, because it’s not a stress fracture.”

Ms. Portman’s experience gave her a taste not only of the physical sacrifices, but also the mental ones. “It was very religious in my mind,” she said. “The ritual of, like, breaking in your point shoes and getting them soft, all of that, it’s almost like tefillin wrapping in Judaism, this thing you do every day, this ritual.”

Diagnose Your Knee Pain

2010-12-01T09:03:00.001-05:00

Knee injuries are so common among dancers, and I've found several articles that can help you diagnose which injury you have if you have knee pain. This is also very helpful for us teachers so we can be knowledgeable about common knee injury causes and fixes. Several of my dancers suffer from knee pain on a regular basis, and I have to keep a very watchful eye on their turnout and their use of the plie when they land jumps. But, those aren't the only ways to prevent knee injuries, as you'll see in this article from Dance Spirit Magazine - "Beating Common Knee Injuries". Another good article can be found on Dance Magazine's website: On Dance Injuries: The Jumper's Knee.

Christmas Music for Dance Class

2010-11-30T13:27:00.000-05:00

I love using Christmas music in my dance classes this time of year. It helps to keep the mood bright and my dancers love to sing along to their favorite songs. It makes the same ole exercises like plies and tendus feel new and fresh! Here are some of my favorite albums, artists and songs to use in my dance classes.

You can never go wrong with Lisa Harris, and here is her beautiful Christmas album! Listen to the album here.

Once you can get past the super cheesy album cover, you'll see that this album is perfect for ballet class. An oldie but a goodie! Listen to the album here.

I love Harry Connick Jr's Christmas album for allegro, petite allegro, and jazz class. Listen to the album here. Here are some of the best tunes for class:

Ave Maria
Parade of the Wooden Soliders
I Pray on Christmas
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
O Holy Night

Jim Brickman is a beautiful pianist who writes his own arrangements of classic Christmas tunes that are perfect for ballet class. Listen to the album here.

Sarah McLachlan has a beautiful, enchanting Christmas album that makes for excellent contemporary routines and stretching. Listen to the album here. Here are some of my favorites from the album:

Wintersong
Song for a Winter's Night
In a Bleak Mid Winter

Sara Bareilles delivers yet again on this gorgeous album that is also good for contemporary class and routines. Plus, Winter Songs includes other fantastic artists like Fiona Apple, KT Tunstall, Colbie Caillat, and even Katy Perry. Listen to the album here. Here are some of my favorites:

Wintersong (with Ingrid Michaelson)
Silent Night (Priscilla Ahn)