Saturday, July 31, 2010
National Dance Day
Happy National Dance Day everyone! Take a moment to celebrate, even if it's just a little boogie down in front of the mirror before you take off to enjoy the day! I know I'm going to try to!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
The Egyptian deaf and mute dance company: Dancing without borders
The Egyptian deaf and mute dance company: Dancing without borders
This is an article about an AMAZING dance company. I am so touched by the inspiration! It just goes to show that dance is truly universal.
This is an article about an AMAZING dance company. I am so touched by the inspiration! It just goes to show that dance is truly universal.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The Benefits of the Most Important Class For a Dancer
Today I’m going to talk about something that I’ve been hammering into my students’ heads since I started teaching. It’s a concept that a lot of non-dancers don’t know about or realize. It’s something that a lot of recreational dancers don’t think about. It’s something that my competitive dancers can relay back to me anytime I bring it up. It’s something that needs to click in the minds of young dancers.
Ballet is the most important class that a dancer will ever take.
Most of my students cringe at the thought of a tough ballet class. When I’m teaching 7-18 year olds, it’s difficult to find that place where ballet is entertaining, engaging, and yet educational and beneficial. The balance is a tough one, because you want them to be serious enough to improve on a regular basis, but at the same time, have fun. I’ve found that it’s all about establishing the boundaries, and explaining why ballet is so important.
When you first enter a ballet class, you should be somewhat warmed up. I always tell my students to take a few minutes in the lobby before class to do a little stretching to get their blood flowing. A class begins with the students at the barre, doing a series of exercises that work through muscles that will build up for larger movements. After the exercises are done, we move to the center to do exercises that focus on balance and basics. Eventually, we reach the goal of traveling across the dance floor with their movements. These essentials all combine to the point of being able to use what they learn in choreography, and have it transfer to other styles of movement.
Flexibility is an obvious benefit of taking ballet. The dance form itself requires a great amount of it. The goals are to get your legs as high as possible, and to get the split leaps. These can only be achieved through the flexibility in your thighs and hips. It’s also been proved that the flexibility that you attain in your earlier years through ballet can last you throughout your adult life. Anyone over the age of 20 can attest to the fact that this helps when age starts to catch up.
Posture is another obvious benefit. How many kids do we see these days slumping over desks while they take notes in a classroom? How many tall teenagers do we see that slouch because they’re self-conscious of their height? Part of the reason I was put into dance classes in the first place when I was young because the doctors predicted I would grow to be 6 feet tall. While they were off by about 4 inches, I can tell you that my posture is a lot better than my peers that are my height or taller. Because of the fact that ballerinas are always trying to “pull up” (this is a technique used where you lengthen yourself by pulling your torso up and away from your hips, and stretching your neck to achieve maximum height), they learn to use their abdominal and back muscles in such a way that strengthens their positioning. Dancers learn how to align the head, neck, shoulders, back, and hips so that they carry themselves in stronger positions, and form a good basis for balance. They are less likely to have problems because they know how to hold their carriage.
Younger children in the dance world, as well as non-dancers, may not think about this next benefit- discipline. Ballet is a rigorous, methodical, and structured class. It is essentially a school of movement, and it teaches kids to move in an organized way. They learn through watching and hearing how to pointe their toes, or jump in the air in a very specified way. They learn to take instruction, and how to think about the way their body flows in space. As they get older and more serious about dance, they usually end up realizing that they have to continue their training at home. I always tell my students to stretch while they’re watching tv, or to put their feet under the couch to stretch them while they’re doing homework. It’s a sense of self-discipline and self-motivation that grows within them early on. A personal observation is that the students who do the most on their own are usually the ones who are the most self-motivated and -disciplined outside of the dance world as well. This benefit is one that transfers into their reality of the bigger picture.
Some of the more detailed benefits come from within the structure of the class. Ballet teaches a dancer all the basics that they need in order to continue on in their other forms. Turn out is the number one basic that is needed. The concept of turn out is simple. Stand with your feet together; toes and heels parallel to each other, weight evenly distributed. Rotate your hips outward from your body so that your toes are now beginning to point away from each other. I always tell my kids to imagine their hips to be doors opening up to flatten against the wall, since the eventual goal is to get that 180 degree turn out. This is the essential aspect of ballet, only second to alignment. It is used in almost every movement in the world of ballet, and in opposition, it teaches a dancer how to be parallel as well for their other styles.
The strength needed for movement can be found in ballet class. Class itself trains the muscles how to be used. A non-dancer can’t even imagine the amount of strength that is needed. Ballet dancers don’t have the typical bulky muscles that are associated with strength. This is because we are trained to use our muscles in a way that won’t bulk us. Not only do we have to find that strength, but we have to find it and still stay aesthetically pleasing. I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine Hulk Hogan in a tutu, and anyone taking him seriously. Dancers have to have his strength, not his look, and that’s one of the most difficult accomplishments to achieve.
Ballet class builds on basics. A class starts with the simplest of movements and gradually gains momentum to moving across the floor. The basics are where the dancer gains the ability to do more difficult steps. The pieces that they must eventually put together are learned from their teachers, and put into play within the usual hour and a half class. The smallest essentials become the building blocks for the tricks that will “wow” their audiences.
Musicality is also learned. From having to count music (“…and a five, six, seven, eight!”), and put those steps to music, young dancers can train their ears to place the count of the music, with the count of the step. When they coincide, the dancer has learned the very basic sense of musicality. Eventually, they will be taught to pick up the subtle nuances in songs, and they will be able to use their bodies to emphasize these nuances.
Last, but not least, a certain amount of respect is learned from ballet. The classroom is not necessarily build as a hierarchy. We’ve all heard the stories about the prima ballerinas getting the prime spots in class, or the best roles, or the best attention. This is not necessarily true in classes. I certainly try not to give preferential treatment. The classroom is a place of learning, and a place to try to better yourself. It is not a place to cause restlessness amongst the troops, so to speak. A dancer learns, first of all, to respect the teacher. I always make sure that my students say please and thank you, and that they raise their hands to speak. They listen, and do not talk back. A dancer learns to respect their classmates. They do not correct each other, unless asked to. They speak to each other without being mean, or judgemental. They also learn that they need to work as a team, and that the team works best when everyone is being mindful of everyone else. Finally, a dancer learns respect for themselves. They realize that they are there to improve upon their skills. Their body is their temple, and they must take care of it, so they respect themselves physically, as well as mentally.
With all these benefits, it always amazes me that more people don’t dance- particularly adults. I know that often times ballet is dubbed as boring, but put the right music to class, and you have a great teacher, it isn’t so boring! Even if I weren’t a dancer from the age of 5, I would find it constantly fascinating. Dance doesn’t just engage one physically, but mentally as well. It’s almost like a game of Simon (remember that game with the lights that lit up in certain order with sounds, and you had to mimic that?)- the lights are the steps, and you have to do them in the order that was given to you. I also know that most adults don’t exactly like the idea of having to wear tights and leotards, but a lot of studios that offer adult beginner courses understand that feeling, and usually are very lenient with the dress code. Heck, I’ve been to adult intermediate courses where most of the dancers were wearing warm ups almost until the very end!
I know I sound like a walking salesperson for ballet classes, but essentially this is just me talking about how great ballet is. Anytime I take a class to brush up, it’s always ballet. It’s so rewarding, and it feels like I’m not only immersing myself in a part of our culture, but also in a part of our art. And with all these outstanding benefits, wouldn’t you like to look and feel like a work of art?
Signing Out
Ballet is the most important class that a dancer will ever take.
Most of my students cringe at the thought of a tough ballet class. When I’m teaching 7-18 year olds, it’s difficult to find that place where ballet is entertaining, engaging, and yet educational and beneficial. The balance is a tough one, because you want them to be serious enough to improve on a regular basis, but at the same time, have fun. I’ve found that it’s all about establishing the boundaries, and explaining why ballet is so important.
When you first enter a ballet class, you should be somewhat warmed up. I always tell my students to take a few minutes in the lobby before class to do a little stretching to get their blood flowing. A class begins with the students at the barre, doing a series of exercises that work through muscles that will build up for larger movements. After the exercises are done, we move to the center to do exercises that focus on balance and basics. Eventually, we reach the goal of traveling across the dance floor with their movements. These essentials all combine to the point of being able to use what they learn in choreography, and have it transfer to other styles of movement.
Flexibility is an obvious benefit of taking ballet. The dance form itself requires a great amount of it. The goals are to get your legs as high as possible, and to get the split leaps. These can only be achieved through the flexibility in your thighs and hips. It’s also been proved that the flexibility that you attain in your earlier years through ballet can last you throughout your adult life. Anyone over the age of 20 can attest to the fact that this helps when age starts to catch up.
Posture is another obvious benefit. How many kids do we see these days slumping over desks while they take notes in a classroom? How many tall teenagers do we see that slouch because they’re self-conscious of their height? Part of the reason I was put into dance classes in the first place when I was young because the doctors predicted I would grow to be 6 feet tall. While they were off by about 4 inches, I can tell you that my posture is a lot better than my peers that are my height or taller. Because of the fact that ballerinas are always trying to “pull up” (this is a technique used where you lengthen yourself by pulling your torso up and away from your hips, and stretching your neck to achieve maximum height), they learn to use their abdominal and back muscles in such a way that strengthens their positioning. Dancers learn how to align the head, neck, shoulders, back, and hips so that they carry themselves in stronger positions, and form a good basis for balance. They are less likely to have problems because they know how to hold their carriage.
Younger children in the dance world, as well as non-dancers, may not think about this next benefit- discipline. Ballet is a rigorous, methodical, and structured class. It is essentially a school of movement, and it teaches kids to move in an organized way. They learn through watching and hearing how to pointe their toes, or jump in the air in a very specified way. They learn to take instruction, and how to think about the way their body flows in space. As they get older and more serious about dance, they usually end up realizing that they have to continue their training at home. I always tell my students to stretch while they’re watching tv, or to put their feet under the couch to stretch them while they’re doing homework. It’s a sense of self-discipline and self-motivation that grows within them early on. A personal observation is that the students who do the most on their own are usually the ones who are the most self-motivated and -disciplined outside of the dance world as well. This benefit is one that transfers into their reality of the bigger picture.
Some of the more detailed benefits come from within the structure of the class. Ballet teaches a dancer all the basics that they need in order to continue on in their other forms. Turn out is the number one basic that is needed. The concept of turn out is simple. Stand with your feet together; toes and heels parallel to each other, weight evenly distributed. Rotate your hips outward from your body so that your toes are now beginning to point away from each other. I always tell my kids to imagine their hips to be doors opening up to flatten against the wall, since the eventual goal is to get that 180 degree turn out. This is the essential aspect of ballet, only second to alignment. It is used in almost every movement in the world of ballet, and in opposition, it teaches a dancer how to be parallel as well for their other styles.
The strength needed for movement can be found in ballet class. Class itself trains the muscles how to be used. A non-dancer can’t even imagine the amount of strength that is needed. Ballet dancers don’t have the typical bulky muscles that are associated with strength. This is because we are trained to use our muscles in a way that won’t bulk us. Not only do we have to find that strength, but we have to find it and still stay aesthetically pleasing. I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine Hulk Hogan in a tutu, and anyone taking him seriously. Dancers have to have his strength, not his look, and that’s one of the most difficult accomplishments to achieve.
Ballet class builds on basics. A class starts with the simplest of movements and gradually gains momentum to moving across the floor. The basics are where the dancer gains the ability to do more difficult steps. The pieces that they must eventually put together are learned from their teachers, and put into play within the usual hour and a half class. The smallest essentials become the building blocks for the tricks that will “wow” their audiences.
Musicality is also learned. From having to count music (“…and a five, six, seven, eight!”), and put those steps to music, young dancers can train their ears to place the count of the music, with the count of the step. When they coincide, the dancer has learned the very basic sense of musicality. Eventually, they will be taught to pick up the subtle nuances in songs, and they will be able to use their bodies to emphasize these nuances.
Last, but not least, a certain amount of respect is learned from ballet. The classroom is not necessarily build as a hierarchy. We’ve all heard the stories about the prima ballerinas getting the prime spots in class, or the best roles, or the best attention. This is not necessarily true in classes. I certainly try not to give preferential treatment. The classroom is a place of learning, and a place to try to better yourself. It is not a place to cause restlessness amongst the troops, so to speak. A dancer learns, first of all, to respect the teacher. I always make sure that my students say please and thank you, and that they raise their hands to speak. They listen, and do not talk back. A dancer learns to respect their classmates. They do not correct each other, unless asked to. They speak to each other without being mean, or judgemental. They also learn that they need to work as a team, and that the team works best when everyone is being mindful of everyone else. Finally, a dancer learns respect for themselves. They realize that they are there to improve upon their skills. Their body is their temple, and they must take care of it, so they respect themselves physically, as well as mentally.
With all these benefits, it always amazes me that more people don’t dance- particularly adults. I know that often times ballet is dubbed as boring, but put the right music to class, and you have a great teacher, it isn’t so boring! Even if I weren’t a dancer from the age of 5, I would find it constantly fascinating. Dance doesn’t just engage one physically, but mentally as well. It’s almost like a game of Simon (remember that game with the lights that lit up in certain order with sounds, and you had to mimic that?)- the lights are the steps, and you have to do them in the order that was given to you. I also know that most adults don’t exactly like the idea of having to wear tights and leotards, but a lot of studios that offer adult beginner courses understand that feeling, and usually are very lenient with the dress code. Heck, I’ve been to adult intermediate courses where most of the dancers were wearing warm ups almost until the very end!
I know I sound like a walking salesperson for ballet classes, but essentially this is just me talking about how great ballet is. Anytime I take a class to brush up, it’s always ballet. It’s so rewarding, and it feels like I’m not only immersing myself in a part of our culture, but also in a part of our art. And with all these outstanding benefits, wouldn’t you like to look and feel like a work of art?
Signing Out
Monday, July 19, 2010
The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers
It was December 3rd, 2009. I remember sitting down to watch another episode of So You Think You Can Dance. My attention had been waning that season, becoming bored of the usual format, and not really becoming interested in any of the dancers or the choreographers. I had not seen the episode the night before, but was curious to see who would be cut. What I didn’t know was that my life was about to be changed forever.
Cat Deeley made her usual dramatic introduction for “our special guest.” I remember not really catching the name of who was about to perform, but figured if I was amused by them, I’d go back later and watch it to find out who they were.
An ensemble of string music began to fill the air, and a single spotlight shone on a man dressed in a suit and a fedora-style hat. I was instantly pulled in by his robotic movements, and how precise he seemed to be. I had never seen a person do that style of dance so well.
As the dance continued, I realized the song was a string quartet version of “Yellow” by Coldplay. Dancers were coming on and off stage, mixing styles of b-boy, breaking, krumping, contemporary, martial arts, and so many more! The styles entwined with each other as the dancers effortlessly and elegantly interacted on stage. Even the moments of extreme power and aggression seemed to flow and ebb with the lyrical music. Within 20 seconds of the piece I was bawling my eyes out.
This group, my friends, is known as The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers, or quite simply The LXD.
The performance on So You Think You Can Dance launched the nationwide interest in The LXD. Previously, many people, including myself, had never even heard of them. I had no idea what they were about, or what they were doing in the world of dance. All I knew was that their performance was so unique, and touched me in such a profound way, that I had to know more.
7 months later, I am an LXD addict.
The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers comes from the mastermind of Jon M. Chu. For dancers and dance fans alike, you may know him as the director of Step Up 2, and the soon-to-be-out film Step Up 3D. You may also know him from the Adam/Chu Dance Crew (aka “ACDC”) which became popular on youtube.com through their battles with the M&M crew (aka Miley Cyrus and Mandi Jiroux). His new concept is what I have to tell you about today.
Imagine for a moment that superheroes existed in society today. Imagine still that these superhero powers were not the typical ones we see in comic books and movies . Imagine even still that the superhero powers that they possessed were those of dance-like proportions. This is the premise for the LXD. It is a web series that defies what most web series have been. Jon Chu has certainly set the standards high for what the future of web-based series will be.
Described as an “online dance adventure”, The LXD is a series that, in true comic book form (which is what they‘re going for!), showcases a battle of good vs. evil. It has only been out for a total of 3 weeks, but it will be premiering it’s next 2 episodes this Wednesday. You’ll want to be catching up.
In every episode, a narrator gives us an overview for what the theme of the day will be. The first episode, entitled “The Tale of Trevor Drift”, explains how there has been a recent uprising and how we must “start in the middle” and learn about each member of The LXD. It seems to be the word that the first season is solely to learn about how each LXD member learned of what their power is, and what they choose to do with it. As of yet, after 3 episodes, it is not clear as to what The LXD actually is, and how it will play a role in these peoples lives.
The choreography is out of this world. The geniuses behind it are Harry Shum Jr. (or you may know him has Mike Chang in Glee) and Christopher Scott. Not only is it intricate and difficult, but it really makes you believe that these characters have super powers. In the episode “Anti Gravity Heroes”, the viewer really will believe that they can defy gravity! In a video posted on Hulu, Travis Wong who plays Jimmy Angel in this episode, talks about how he uses martial arts, dance, and parkour to create the illusion of flying. The best part of it all is that there are NO special effects! Everything you see is the pure talent of the dancers! It also doesn’t hurt that the cinematography is phenomenal. Between the angles they shoot the stunts at, and the perfectly timed slow motion setting on film, it left me in awe. Even the musical score drives the story along. It truly culminates into this beautiful story.
I am always looking for dance that inspires me, and I can find that in the LXD. It’s not what we typically see today. Of course, we have shows like So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With the Stars, but that’s almost like watching reality tv with a dance theme. The series is not a documentary or a movie. It’s not even a tv show. It’s a web series that features dance, and is brilliantly pushing it out into the mainstream world.
I feel privileged as a dance teacher to be part of that world- to be able to watch a series from the start, and follow it as it grows. It’s making such a splash (I’ve seen more than one non-dancer on my facebook post their videos) that I can’t wait to see where it goes! I always mention it at random moments to my students of all ages, and have even made my boyfriend watch their stuff. While the boyfriend may not be able to fully appreciate it as much as I do, even he has said that the dancing is “pretty cool.” I pass the word on about the LXD as much as I can, because I believe that this is something to watch. I believe it’s the start of the future of dance!
Tune in every Wednesday to check out The LXD. Add them on facebook. Go to their website. Look up their past videos on youtube.com (in particular, check out their participation in TED- you won’t look at dance the same way again!). Join the fan base that is growing on a daily basis!
And on a final note- I have become such an addict that I just named my new fish “Trevor” after my favorite character so far. I think it may be time for an intervention…
Signing out
Cat Deeley made her usual dramatic introduction for “our special guest.” I remember not really catching the name of who was about to perform, but figured if I was amused by them, I’d go back later and watch it to find out who they were.
An ensemble of string music began to fill the air, and a single spotlight shone on a man dressed in a suit and a fedora-style hat. I was instantly pulled in by his robotic movements, and how precise he seemed to be. I had never seen a person do that style of dance so well.
As the dance continued, I realized the song was a string quartet version of “Yellow” by Coldplay. Dancers were coming on and off stage, mixing styles of b-boy, breaking, krumping, contemporary, martial arts, and so many more! The styles entwined with each other as the dancers effortlessly and elegantly interacted on stage. Even the moments of extreme power and aggression seemed to flow and ebb with the lyrical music. Within 20 seconds of the piece I was bawling my eyes out.
This group, my friends, is known as The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers, or quite simply The LXD.
The performance on So You Think You Can Dance launched the nationwide interest in The LXD. Previously, many people, including myself, had never even heard of them. I had no idea what they were about, or what they were doing in the world of dance. All I knew was that their performance was so unique, and touched me in such a profound way, that I had to know more.
7 months later, I am an LXD addict.
The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers comes from the mastermind of Jon M. Chu. For dancers and dance fans alike, you may know him as the director of Step Up 2, and the soon-to-be-out film Step Up 3D. You may also know him from the Adam/Chu Dance Crew (aka “ACDC”) which became popular on youtube.com through their battles with the M&M crew (aka Miley Cyrus and Mandi Jiroux). His new concept is what I have to tell you about today.
Imagine for a moment that superheroes existed in society today. Imagine still that these superhero powers were not the typical ones we see in comic books and movies . Imagine even still that the superhero powers that they possessed were those of dance-like proportions. This is the premise for the LXD. It is a web series that defies what most web series have been. Jon Chu has certainly set the standards high for what the future of web-based series will be.
Described as an “online dance adventure”, The LXD is a series that, in true comic book form (which is what they‘re going for!), showcases a battle of good vs. evil. It has only been out for a total of 3 weeks, but it will be premiering it’s next 2 episodes this Wednesday. You’ll want to be catching up.
In every episode, a narrator gives us an overview for what the theme of the day will be. The first episode, entitled “The Tale of Trevor Drift”, explains how there has been a recent uprising and how we must “start in the middle” and learn about each member of The LXD. It seems to be the word that the first season is solely to learn about how each LXD member learned of what their power is, and what they choose to do with it. As of yet, after 3 episodes, it is not clear as to what The LXD actually is, and how it will play a role in these peoples lives.
The choreography is out of this world. The geniuses behind it are Harry Shum Jr. (or you may know him has Mike Chang in Glee) and Christopher Scott. Not only is it intricate and difficult, but it really makes you believe that these characters have super powers. In the episode “Anti Gravity Heroes”, the viewer really will believe that they can defy gravity! In a video posted on Hulu, Travis Wong who plays Jimmy Angel in this episode, talks about how he uses martial arts, dance, and parkour to create the illusion of flying. The best part of it all is that there are NO special effects! Everything you see is the pure talent of the dancers! It also doesn’t hurt that the cinematography is phenomenal. Between the angles they shoot the stunts at, and the perfectly timed slow motion setting on film, it left me in awe. Even the musical score drives the story along. It truly culminates into this beautiful story.
I am always looking for dance that inspires me, and I can find that in the LXD. It’s not what we typically see today. Of course, we have shows like So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With the Stars, but that’s almost like watching reality tv with a dance theme. The series is not a documentary or a movie. It’s not even a tv show. It’s a web series that features dance, and is brilliantly pushing it out into the mainstream world.
I feel privileged as a dance teacher to be part of that world- to be able to watch a series from the start, and follow it as it grows. It’s making such a splash (I’ve seen more than one non-dancer on my facebook post their videos) that I can’t wait to see where it goes! I always mention it at random moments to my students of all ages, and have even made my boyfriend watch their stuff. While the boyfriend may not be able to fully appreciate it as much as I do, even he has said that the dancing is “pretty cool.” I pass the word on about the LXD as much as I can, because I believe that this is something to watch. I believe it’s the start of the future of dance!
Tune in every Wednesday to check out The LXD. Add them on facebook. Go to their website. Look up their past videos on youtube.com (in particular, check out their participation in TED- you won’t look at dance the same way again!). Join the fan base that is growing on a daily basis!
And on a final note- I have become such an addict that I just named my new fish “Trevor” after my favorite character so far. I think it may be time for an intervention…
Signing out
Monday, July 12, 2010
And In The Beginning There Was Dance...
Welcome to the world of Ballet J!
I come to you all today (those of you who are actually reading this, anyway) as a blogger. Most know me as a dance teacher, but as a dance teacher, I am always looking for ways to enhance my experiences and techniques, and constantly looking to push myself forward in the dance world. After having a recent conversation with my sister, I decided that using my writing skills could help me cultivate this desire. So here I am, ready to bring to you a vast array of dance thoughts, opinions, and knowledge. It will be all dance, all the time, ranging from ballet to bollywood to hip hop to tap to modern to renaissance and beyond! I look forward to bringing you all into my world, and hopefully get DANCE out there into the universe of blogging!
An actual entry will be on its way soon!
Much Love
I come to you all today (those of you who are actually reading this, anyway) as a blogger. Most know me as a dance teacher, but as a dance teacher, I am always looking for ways to enhance my experiences and techniques, and constantly looking to push myself forward in the dance world. After having a recent conversation with my sister, I decided that using my writing skills could help me cultivate this desire. So here I am, ready to bring to you a vast array of dance thoughts, opinions, and knowledge. It will be all dance, all the time, ranging from ballet to bollywood to hip hop to tap to modern to renaissance and beyond! I look forward to bringing you all into my world, and hopefully get DANCE out there into the universe of blogging!
An actual entry will be on its way soon!
Much Love
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