Boston Contemporary Dance Festival 2014

Yesterday, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the noon show of the Boston Contemporary Dance Festival.  This is my second year going, and this is the second year that my sister has had pieces in it.

What a show!  There was a diverse range of contemporary styles, from the simple and aesthetically pleasing, to the athletic and complicated.

The show started with the piece "Again, Together."  It was a collaborative work of different dancers and companies.  I understand that with collaborations, you have to make it so that the piece fits everyone.  What I wasn't thrilled with was that this piece started the show.  It made me nervous, because most of the movements I watched are movements that I've seen since college (and I attended from 2002-2006).  It was a pretty piece full of meaning, which I've now learned to not even TRY to interpret these dances, but get the feeling for what they are. The movements fit everyone because of the fact that they were so simple.  I did like the way in which they created patterns in the space.

The next piece was "Closing At the End," choreographed by Angie Conte (Angie Moone Dance).  There were 3 dancers involved in this piece (2 of which were wearing denim- good for you, but it couldn't have been comfortable!).  This piece actually sparked a small conversation between me and my mom, and me and my boyfriend.  Both my mother and my boyfriend thought it went on for too long.  In the beginning of the piece, I was thinking about how I wasn't getting it and I wasn't feeling it, but as it progressed, I found myself really liking it.  I feel as though if it hadn't progressed in the manner that it did, in the length that it did, I wouldn't have felt like the story had truly unfolded.  Again, I won't even try to interpret the story, but the way in which this dance developed, it needed to in order for it feel complete.  I liked the way in which the three dancers at the end were connected and entwined in each other's dancing.  It was different, and some of the gesture work had me captivated.

The next piece was "Goes On and On" choreographed by Jennifer Gamache-Dubilo (Eclipse Dance Company).  It was a group of girls dressed in plain colored dresses and one gentleman dressed in all black.  It was a piece that incorporated a lot of ballet technique, which to me leans more towards the commercial contemporary versus the more post-modern contemporary (which I liked!). I enjoyed the simplicity of it, but what had me going a little crazy was the intent of the piece.  I saw some girls smiling, while some didn't have any expression, while at the same time some had a look of angst on their face.  Was this piece meant to be happy?  Was it meant to be sad?  To me, the different expressions distracted from the dancing itself.

The next piece was "Hyperactivity" which was choreographed by my sister Chantal Doucett for the Urbanity Dance Summer Intensive.  I know my sister's choreography and I could immediately tell that this was her style.  It had lots of quirky gestures mixed in with some exciting music and movement on stage.  It was the first piece of the afternoon which incited excitement.  By that time, it was welcome (so many angsty pieces in contemporary dance.  Can we not find a place to be happy in the contemporary world?  Angst does not equal maturity!).  The movement was fun, and I often caught myself saying things under my breath ("werk!"  "Get it!"  "Yaaaas!").  It was great to see this constantly moving, constantly changing, always evolving piece with great music. The dancers got into the movement, and I loved the turn sequence in which one of the boys performed by himself.  The exits and entrances even had great movement to it. Perhaps I'm biased, but really Chantal did an amazing job.

Next was "Momento" choreographed by Ali Smith.  Wow.  This dancer was a talent.  I'm assuming she was young- she looked it.  

 The maturity in her dancing, though, was outstanding.  What got me about this piece was that it was a beautiful mix of something that you might see at a competition mixed with a post-college commercial company, and yet the dancer held this embodiment of innocence.  She danced very honestly, and to have that at what I'm assuming is a young age, is a gift.  The choreography moved and kept me watching and focused on the dancer, which isn't always the case in solos.  It was a great number.

"Everything Happens In Threes" came next, choreographed by Erica Ligeski-Schroder (Company Four).  Sadly, I was bored.  It didn't capture my attention.  There were no "moments" in the piece.  Personally, I need a piece to capture my eye at least once.  I need to be able to see a place where the music crescendos and the dancers go for it, or I need a moment of silence with a look to the audience that leaves you cold.  SOMETHING.  Looking back on my notes, I could barely remember the piece.  Not that it was a bad piece by any means.  I'm sure the dancers worked hard and that the choreographer had intention behind it.  But I didn't see intention. I just saw three dancers on a stage doing movements. I didn't even see purpose in the faces.  Perhaps that was the intention, but as an audience member, it just didn't hold me.  I'd be interested to see if there were other works for the company that would be more exciting. 

The next piece, however, grabbed me and held me the whoooooooole time!  "Wrong Way" choreographed by Brian Washburn was another piece that was exciting.  It was full of athleticism and control.  It was almost a mix of dance and martial arts.  I will admit, for the first part of the piece, I was fascinated with the hairstyle of one of the gentlemen.  He had this really cool mohawk-esque style that I just kept taking glances at!  The dancing was phenomenal though.  There was evident struggle in the intention of the movement.  The only thing that drove me a little up the wall was the back flip.  To me, where does one cross the line from dance to acro?  I understand that if it works for the piece and the dancers can do it, then maybe it seems right to the choreographer.  I just felt as though the back flip was so jarring in this piece that it almost ruined it for me.  Almost.  I really loved the strength that was shown by both men, as well as the fact that each of them truly brought their own style to the piece.  It was definitely one of the most memorable of the afternoon.

After the intermission, the show started back up with "Suffocated Pulses" choreographed by SkooJ CorE-O (Boston Community Dance Project). This piece had its moments.  Some of the dancers to me at times were too angsty and too over the top.  There is a way to do angst and a way to subtely progress it so that the dancers show it.  I thought some seemed frantic at times and it seemd jarring.  I'm all for making dancers look almost "ugly" in their dancing when there is a reason behind it, but either I don't know the reason, or the reason behind the dancing was over interpreted.  Seeing the line up of music they chose, I was wary, but it honestly worked for the piece.  I did notice that a lot of the time my eyes drifted from the different soloists to the corps dancers in the back.  Sometimes the movement in the back was more captivating than the frantic dancing in the front.

The next piece was "Torrent" choreographed by Meghan Anderson for Urbanity Dance Summer Intensive. A very cool and exciting piece.  You can tell that. Meghan was a competition dancer, just as you can tell my sister was, too.  The piece is exciting filled with entrances and exits and fun movements that incite excitement.  It helps, too, when there is that bright pop of color onstage (again, more color in the contemporary world please!  Gray, black, and white does not equal maturity!).  The music was definitely a driving force behind the dancing and the dancers really threw themselves into the movement.  It was definitely a fun piece.

The piece that followed was probably the most intriguing of the whole show.  "But first, let me take a..."  choreographed by Jessica Muise (Intimations Dance) was captivating.  It started with a man controlling the music onstage with the dancers.  The dancing started and all of a sudden, you hear a dancer call "STOP!" After I caught on to what was happening, I realized that dancers were controlling the dance.  Commands like "stop" "continue" "faster" "jump higher" "lower" etc were prevalent throughout.  There was a clear message to the piece, and the dancing was great.  I usually tend to be very uncomfortable watching experimental styles like this onstage, but this really worked for me, and I really really enjoyed the way in which they controlled who was dancing what and how, and how partners switched and stopped and continued.  It was flawlessly executed.

Next was "Dust" choreographed by Danielle Pastuszak and Ryan Valente.  What a beautiful female dancer.  Strong, pretty feet, and held my attention.  The lighting in the beginning was different from what a lot of the other dances had incorporated, and the way that it came down from the back corner was almost haunting.  The choreography wasn't overly complicated, but I enjoyed the partner work and the beauty of its simplicity resonated with me.  Some of the lifts were strongly done and the gentleman was great base for her. 

The piece to follow was called "Noire" choreographed by Cayley Christoforou (Extensions Dance Company).  As I watched the piece I kept thinking "oh this is so angsty.  Oh we've all seen the wipe-the-makeup-off-our-face-and-show-how-much-turmoil-this-causes-us.  Oh this choreography is so predictable."  Honestly, though, the dancers were FIERCE.  I loved the costuming choice of black lace top, purple skirt on the bottom, and the buns.  I wanted to judge this piece, but the dancing was great, and the ferocity of the dancers was captivating.  How could I not respect that?

The second to last piece was "Reckless Secrets" choreographed by Heather Budinscak (FreeFall Contemporary Dance Company).  There was a clear hint of "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil."  I liked the beginning and the end with the gestures that incorporated that hint.  It was different and intertwined the dancers in an interesting way.  The red costumes popped, and the dancers strong.  

The final piece of the show was another of my sister's- "Visceral Affairs."   It was a dance to Ave Maria and it was my favorite costume of the night for sure.  Beautiful maroon crop tops with lace on the shoulders and white lace high-low skirts.  Gorgeous.  The choreography for the 3 dancers was exquisite.  It was soft to go with the music, yet at the same time held a strength and almost underlying force to the dance.  Chantal has a talent for making dancers do something but in a way that you wouldn't necessarily have thought to make them do.  It was a very pretty piece to end the show.

Overall, I loved the show.  I'm hoping in the next few years to make a day of it and go to all three shows.  I would have loved to see what other companies outside of Boston have to offer.  I will say, though, Boston holds its own in the dance community.  A few years ago, you never would have been able to see the kind of talent that I saw yesterday.  You wouldn't have even known it existed.  Boston is finally starting to find its dance voice, and I'm glad that Betsi Graves, who is the director of this event, is driving it.  

Well done Boston!

Dancing Honestly

The past couple of weeks have been super busy.  I have immersed myself in the dance life.  From solo rehearsals to ballet boot camp to summer intensive to actually taking classes myself, I have been one busy bee.  This means a lot of inspiration to write about!

I got to take from one of my favorite teachers of all time the past couple of weeks.  The guy has a dream career from being on Broadway to being in movies to being in a hugely popular Christmas commercial that when I saw it a couple years ago, I almost died knowing who it was.  He is an inspiration, a motivation, and just taking his class is an honor for me.  I also got the chance to observe a class.  I had planned on staying for the class that day anyway, but had unfortunately popped my hip in a way that was causing me some concern, so I asked him if he would mind me observing the students.  He was very kind and let me.

The class went over a lyrical combination that they had worked on the day before.  It was a beautiful combo, with beautiful free-flowing movement combined with technique.  When the students started doing it in groups, it prompted the teacher to talk about dancing honestly and it got me really thinking about what dancing honestly really means.

In the competition world, it's difficult for kids to dance honestly.  Often times they are given songs about partying or being in love, and at the age of twelve, how many of them really know what that feels like?  It's very difficult at times to have to pull the emotion and movement style out of kids in that manner.  The teacher put it in a way that resonated with me- "if you're twelve, dance like you're twelve.  If you're 17, dance like you're 17."  

When you are twelve, you are dealing with just starting to explore the world of coming into your own.  You're in middle school dealing with the idea what the opposite sex really means to you, or doing a lot of school work because you know high school is starting soon where all that scariness will begin, or you're trying to figure out if dance really is what you want to do because if it isn't, what other options do you have?

When you are 17, you have had a boyfriend or two at this point.  You're thinking about college, which means you're half excited to get out of high school, but also half sad to leave it.  You're finding out what it truly means to have friends, and school work is stressful thinking about how all your grades will be looked at by colleges.  

The two ages have two very different experiences.  At the age of twelve, you might dance a little happier.  You won't understand  a lot of complications that come with maturity, so you will dance in a slightly more innocent manner.  At the age of 17, you might dance happy as well, but with just a touch of angst.  Maybe you see a couple moments of underlying turmoil.  

It was fascinating being able to watch these kids embody these feelings.  The younger kids definitely had a feeling of innocence to them.  They're at an age when "love" is still an idea of all rainbows and sunshine.  The older dancers had a more evident embodiment that showed that sometimes, with love comes heartache.  

The facial expressions of these dancers matched their styles.  Sometimes you get kids onstage and their expressions are off the wall.  Recently, on the show So You Think You Can Dance, one of Jessica's comments has consistently been "don't pull your face.  Your dancing speaks for itself."  I know personally I find it tough to be in a jazz number and NOT pull my face to make it more exciting because that's what I'm feeling.  In certain areas of dance, they want you to feel it but not make it so incredibly evident on your face.  

It's easy to see onstage when dancers don't feel what they are doing.  Sometimes you just don't see the spark of feeling.  Instead, you're thinking about the movement and I can see your eyes rolling a little back to get into that brain of yours.  This is when the dancer stops being a dancer.  Sometimes teachers try to help by choreographing facial expressions.  What good does that do?  To me, that's not learning what dance means.  Yes, dance has the technique of the pointed toes and the turned out legs or the clear taps and placed arms, but essentially when we dance we tell a story.  Even if the dancer is merely becoming the music and telling the audience "I am the notes on the scale" you are telling that in your dancing.  So why would someone give you their interpretation when you can make it your own? Feel the beats and listen to the story and what it tells you, and let your facial expressions go from there.

Dancing honestly is just so important.  When you don't, it's almost a betrayal of who you are as a dancer, and a betrayal of the dance itself.  Perhaps my words seem harsh, but would you enjoy seeing a dancer at the age of 17 trying to dance a piece about love in a juvenile, innocent manner?  I would rather see maturity on an older dancer.  

Next time you or your dancer enter into the studio to work on a dance, think of who you are.  Think of your age and your experiences in relation to what the song is saying.  Show it in your movements and your style and your facial expressions.  Be true to yourself and your dancing.

Dance honestly.

Response To An Article About Teaching

Today I happened to stumble across an article from The Huffington Post entitled “A Letter From Your Dance Teacher” by Keesha Beckford (you can read the article HERE ).  Not only was I moved, not only could I relate, but it brought back so many memories of my own experiences with past dance teachers.

The basic gist of the article was that teachers are not here to try to be your friend, but rather to teach.  We are in a society that is trying to boost students and create independence, yet that comes back to us with defiance, and so often the teacher is branded as “disrespectful.”  The teacher in the article explains that often times she becomes overzealous in her teachings, and since her humor borders on sarcastic, she is often misinterpreted as being offensive.  That can cause problems.

I’m very lucky in the respect that my students get it.  Even in my recreational classes, I very rarely have problems where I’m blamed for an outburst or an issue in class.  Like Ms. Beckford, I sometimes have a sarcastic sense of humor.  There is always a certain amount of sensitivity that is required to deal with adolescents.  I’ve found that particularly with the pre-teens, “tweens”, and early teens, it is essential to make sure that what comes out of your mouth doesn’t go too far.  The problem that teachers have to today, and not just in the dance world, is that children become so sensitive, and parents and guardians are so quick to defend their children, that misinterpretation becomes the smoke screen for the real problems.

If I begin to yell at students, it’s because they are pushing to me to a point where I have lost patience.  I have a lot of patience.  I’m not quick to jump to angry yelling.  Students have to constantly be dismissing what I am telling them, misbehaving, and/or not paying attention.  I have not had problems, but I know in certain situations that other teachers have had parents blame them for being mean.

When I was in middle school, I was dancing with an older class as an understudy.  One of the girls in the dance had been injured.  Our teacher at the time was getting frustrated because the girl didn’t know the choreography, nor could she do a good majority of the choreography, because of her injury.  The teacher told her he was pulling her out.  The dancer began to sob, and called home to her mother.  The next thing we know, the mother was interrupting class, blocking the doorway, and screaming at the teacher in front of all the students.  Now, at the time, in my small town dance studio, this was shocking to us.  I had never heard of a “dance mom” or even been privy to a situation where a student was kicked out of a dance.  Not only were we all in shock at the teacher, but we were mostly horrified at the mother.  Everything worked its way out.  The student was still part of the dance, but only because she worked extremely hard over the course of the next few weeks and proved that she could do it.  However, she only got her way because her mother forced the situation at hand. 

A good point was made by the teacher in the article- she noted that when she was in class, the teachers were mean and straight forward, and if that bothered her, she went home to cry and came back the next day to work harder.  If she had a problem with it, she approached the teacher.  This reminded me of a good majority of my college experience.  I came from a recreational studio that turned competitive when I was in 8th grade, and decided that the almost-conservatory-like program at The Hartt School would be a good experience, and a good way to enhance my technique.  I was certainly not prepared for half of the experiences I went through.  I had some teachers that were really cool.  There were teachers that I respected and got along with, and really enjoyed as people.  Then there were the teachers that had methods of teaching that I had never dealt with before. 

My sophomore year of college, I remember a month long period where I came home and cried after every single ballet class with this one teacher.  She was particularly hard on me, and I think it was because she could see my potential.  I didn’t understand at the time why her nails making scratch marks along my legs where my legs should be rotating, or why pulling me up by the nape of the neck until it hurt was going to help me.  I remember being on the phone with mother and sobbing asking if I could come home, and what other options I had to go to other schools.  I’m pretty sure my mid-semester grades were all C’s for ballet.  However, my mother- the amazing role model, advisor, and friend that she was- told me to dig my heels in and continue to work hard.  I did.  The end of the semester brought up my grades to A’s and B’s. 

There were multiple situations in college where I cried over many a difficult teacher.  One teacher screamed at me and threatened to kick me out of class because I had two front chunks of hair fall out of place and into my face.  That teacher wound up giving me the most out of class, and I had never worked harder for a teacher in my life.  Most of my ballet technique that I now pass on to many of my students come from the two teachers that made me cry the most.  And it was because they were hard on me, and the lessons stuck. 

One ballet teacher that I had made me particularly angry one day.  She could tell.  She turned to me and told me that she didn’t care if I was angry at her.  She told me to take that anger and put it into my dancing.  I then managed to pull off the sharpest triple pirouettes in my life.  That has always stuck.  I love that attitude- “I don’t care if you hate me.  I’m not here to be your friend.  You’re here to learn, and I am here to teach you.”  Not that I want my students to hate me, but sometimes ticking them off can benefit them.

Society has become softer on children.  We want to nurture them and help them grow in a world that’s becoming crueler and harsher.  In the dance world, where it becomes more competitive by the day, there isn’t any room for that.  Obviously, with recreational students, we will continue to help them grow and nurture them in a safe and fun environment where they learn and experience dance as an activity.  In the competitive world, however, I am still going to yell at my students.  I’m going to be hard on the dancers that have the potential, and the dancers that I think will learn and benefit from it.  I will not be mean.  I will not bully.  I do not tolerate anything of the sort anywhere remotely near my classroom.  I will, however, push the dancers that need to be pushed.  I will make them angry at me, then I will make them put it into their dance.  I will be that teacher that MAKES them learn. 

And I will sincerely hope that someday they will look back on it and think “she was a good teacher.” 

Teaching While Sick

Welcome back friends!  I have decided to make a triumphant return to my blog.  Between sicknesses, my personal life, my schedule, and other such things, I have had a prolonged absence from here.  I am changing that, however.  With the promise of spring on the way (40’s all week!  Yes, I am calling that the promise of spring!) I am feeling a little more apt to productive behavior.

So the topic I want to tackle today is teaching while trying to conquer a cold.  I’ve had multiple small ailments this winter.  Between a sore throat for a few days, a few days of feeling overall rundown, and most recently a cold that knocked me on my tush, I’ve had to teach on more than one day of not being at my best.

As a teacher, you need to be present for your classes.  There are times when you can go on auto-pilot- whether it’s the warm up that you’ve taught 8 of your same classes since the beginning of the season, or the mere act of running routines- but most often, your students will throw curve balls your way without you seeing them coming.  When you have a compromised immune system, that can be difficult to deal with. 

I was teaching a group of young ballerinas the other day.  As I was calling out a combination, I began to have a coughing attack.  Of course I had to walk away to grab my water and make sure that I could get the coughing out.  I squeaked out as much as I could for them to keep going, but they all stopped what they were doing to stare at me having this minor attack and to ask if I was okay.  Not to say that I don’t appreciate the concern of an 8 year old, however, knowing that I am fine and that it’s just a cough, I had hoped the students would continue on with the combination that they were doing.

Moments like that are difficult.  There are always so many distractions in a class to begin with, particularly with the younger age levels.  They like to look at themselves in the mirror, or giggle at their friends who are playing with their leotard, or the bass for the jazz class in the room next door is blaring, or the students in the lobby made a funny noise, or another teacher came in to ask a question, etc.  The last thing that you want is to become another distraction for them.  Even just a sneeze can become disruption enough to distract the students. 

With the younger levels, I tend to try to ignore it.  If I’m coughing, or my voice is cracking, I act like it didn’t happen.  If the students acknowledge it, I make a minor comment, and then try to steer the class quickly back to what we were doing.  If the students are older, most of the time there is a mutual laugh over it.  “Oh, you’re sick?  Haha, that’s okay.  We all get sick and sound like this!”  Majority of the time, the older students will realize it and move on.

The biggest problem isn’t the students.  The biggest problem for me is the lack of energy from your body working overtime to get better.  Personally, I’m usually a healthy woman.  I don’t get sick often, even if I am tired a lot.  This winter was difficult being sicker than usual.  When I found myself in classes thinking “I really should be in bed right now,” I dug down deep and found ways to fix it.

I found that going into the studio with a clear cut plan for the class made it a lot easier.  When I was following a step by step plan in my head and not letting distractions lead me away from it, the time went by faster.  The students responded better, and they even looked better doing what they needed to.  Usually, I have plans going in, but it’s more of a general plan in my head, rather than a moment by moment lesson.  There were goals for the classes, and because I had to push myself through feeling terrible, I was more likely to stay on the task.

I don’t take cold medications going into class.  I would rather be downing crazy amounts of water and coffee in class than take any kind of pill or liquid that would make me loopy.  I tend to be affected really easily by any sort of medication, so even just taking one sinus cold pill will make me feel fuzzy.  Having my head in a foggy place does not help.  I would rather take some ibuprofen for any pain, and suffer through the minor situations.  As long as I’m not in pain, or feeling nauseous, I usually feel clear headed enough to be on top of my teaching game. 

Knowing your body is the most important part of teaching while sick.  If you wake up in the morning, and you feel as though you won’t be able to get out of bed- don’t try to go into teach.  A cold is something that you can deal with.  A serious sickness like the flu or strep before you’ve been able to see a doctor is not something you should go into a dance studio with.  Particularly since you are working with children, you don’t want to start spreading something that will make the children have to miss class.  Colds, however, are easily dealt with when it comes to teaching.  Even if it’s a struggle, as long as you’re using your hand sanitizer and washing your hands, the students will appreciate you showing up, your boss will appreciate you showing up, and I guarantee that even if you’re feeling tired and rundown, in the end you will appreciate yourself for showing up. 

On that note, I hope everyone is taking their vitamins, eating right, and staying healthy out there! 

Expect more blogs from me soon!

Within the Lines with Urbanity Dance!

On a recent Sunday night, I was sitting at the Red Fez in Boston having a cocktail and chatting with my boyfriend.  There was a slight buzz of excited anticipation in the air.  Suddenly we were called to join a woman who introduced herself as our “Time Troll.”  We gathered around, and suddenly we were being thrown into a journey that I know I will never forget.

This was the start of Within the Lines- the creative dance experience put on by Urbanity Dance, and created by their artistic director Betsi Graves.  My sister, Chantal Doucett, is a company dancer, and I was so glad that she asked me to come see this show.  It was unique, it was creative, it was thought-provoking, and even better- it was aesthetically beautiful. 

Our “Time Troll” was played by Judith Kalaora.  She was FANTASTIC!  I’m not sure if she’s a professional actress, but she truly was unique.  The role of the time troll was to be our guide through the journey of the performance.  When I say “journey” I mean it.  Our group was first ushered to a gallery where we met Constance (danced by Kayla Skerry) and her family portraiture consisting of Lucy (danced by Emily Sulock), Eleanor (danced by Lara Park), and Abigail (danced by Chantal Doucett- my beautiful sister!).  The four were framed in time as a family.  The diversity in movement was wonderful.  It ranged from serious to quirky and even had a “traditional” type dance.  Constance desires to break away from the family and move outside her family portrait and we began to follow her on her journey…

Our time troll brought us to the next gallery where we were told we would be facing our fears.  As we shuffled into the space, a lone dancer stood statuesquely in the middle of the room encompassed by a long, beautiful black and red cape, glowing sinisterly in a red lighting.   This is Vanilicious ( danced by Danielle Pastuszack).  She began to move slowly, and suddenly hands were emerging from the cape (truly frightening, if I might add; like something out of a horror flick).  As the dancer moves, the hands disappear but then are revealed as more dancers, or fears.  Constance timidly walks in to the space to face her fears by facing off with Vanilicious.  The dancers were intense.  The corps work was danced well, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off Danielle.  Her dancing and intense gaze drew you in.  It was no wonder that Constance was tempted to follow here- I would have!  But Constance managed to defeat her fears and move on to the next section.

The group was next led to another gallery where we were in a moment of time where we would experience both being old and being young at the same time.  A group of “nanas” were dancing as young girls dressed in sparkly sequined dresses.  As Constance is taken aback by the feisty little old ladies, their moments are interrupted by young children who are dancing as though they were the old ones.  They were dressed in simple outfits in dark colors.  The juxtaposition of old and young was fascinating and was shown through Constance’s curiosity.  In truth, this was my least favorite part of the show.  The choreography for the first whole part didn’t seem to work for me.  It was as if someone else a little younger and a little more inexperienced had put it together.  While I understood the reasoning behind the sparkly cocktail dresses, I found them extremely distracting, and all I could think about was how miraculous it was that the sequins hadn’t caught and messed the dancers up.  This section was redeemed when the children danced, and the ending part showed maturity in both the dancing and the choreography.  The nanas left, and so did Constance, and we followed her to the next section.

In the next room we were introduced to the Pristinellas- ice goddesses that were allowing Constance, and our group, to be a witness to their ceremonious dance.  Our time troll had told us that winter was on its way (my boyfriend and I turned to each other and said “Winter is coming” as she described that.  Yep, we are Game of Thrones nerds).  The four dancers that play the Pristinellas were tall, long-legged, and beautiful.  They were dressed in nude tops and bottoms, and were “exposed” to show their vulnerability.  The floor was scattered with paper “snow”.  It was absolutely beautiful.  I was completely enchanted by the graceful and solemn movement.  I fought back tears as the girls extended their legs and pointed their toes and temps de fleched into the air.  I was truly touched that these ice goddesses (the so-called “ballerinas” of the company perhaps?) had allowed us to witness their world.  Even Constance just sat and watched in awe and wonder.  To be touched through dance like that is what I look for in performances, and I’m so glad we got to see that.

After our journey through winter, we were told it was time for a commercial break.  How fun!  We were ushered into a little smaller space for what must have only been a few minutes to watch 2 male dancers in Urbanity-wear dance and show us that there were tank tops on sale!  What a unique way to promote!  I thought it was very fun, and creative way to get our attention.

Next we “stumbled” upon a group of dancers in a playground.  A group of younger dancers monk eying around in a playground.  It was so much fun!  They were dressed in coats and leggings and boots (good job for keeping those kids warm!).  This was a great site specific piece.  The kids used the swings, the slides, the seats that spun, etc.  It was even set up that they pulled an “unsuspecting” member of the audience into their playtime (it was soon revealed that he was part of the show.  After a rollicking 5 section version of “Gangnam Style” he revealed a t-shirt that said something about living, and proceeded in blowing bubbles from the slide).

Our final stop brought us into the Urbanity studios.  2 screen projectors were set up and Constance danced between them as images of her in rural scenery flashed on the screens.  The added multi-media effect really impressed me.  Personally, I’m not a big fan of multi-media dance performances, but this fit very well, and got the point across.  Our Time Troll then had a volunteer help her move the screen projectors to reveal a paisley wall.  I’m pretty sure my great-grandmother had a wall similar to this!  As the music started, hands protruded from the wall (again, something out of a horror flick!).  Two dancers emerged (Brian Hernandez and Sindy Katrotic) and began to dance and climb and do unimaginable feats on the wall!  I was amazed by Brian’s strength, and even more impressed by Sindy’s ability to keep up with him!  Their bodies moved and flowed with the design of the wall (they were dressed in costumes that matched the design!  Flashback to the shirt scene in the movie “Garden State”).  They were dubbed as “wallflowers” in the program. 

In the end, Constance returns to the family portraiture a changed woman, and although she didn’t seem to fall back into line, she was able to return and yet keep her new found sense of self.  The choreographer and dancers took their bows, and I was honestly a little sad to have it end.  We were invited to head back to the Red Fez or to go on our merry way.

Overall, the performance was enchanting and captivating.  Even my boyfriend, who has a theater background, but doesn't often go to dance shows, enjoyed it!  I was thoroughly impressed with the level of dancing overall.  The choreography was complex, but not overdone.  It was refreshing to see Betsi’s sense of musicality fit the choreography.  Often times I feel as though choreographers try too hard to match the music, or try too hard to go off beat.  Betsi found the sweet spot.  Not to mention her choice in music was fantastic! 

If all of Urbanity’s shows are this fantastic, you can count me in to be there for every single one from now on!  Bravo dancers, Betsi, and everyone who was involved!  I highly suggest you all check them out at www.urbanitydance.org, or on Facebook or Twitter.  I follow them myself!

Through The Eyes of a Child

It is less than a week away until dance classes start.  During the time that I’m not at my other job or trying to enjoy my last few days of freedom, you can find me at my computer putting together lesson plans and searching for music.  One of the things I begin to think about is teaching in general.  Most years I think about what worked last year, what didn’t, what I experienced from other teachers over the summer, and what material I may have read over the past few months.  I put all that together and create what I think will equal out to be my best teaching yet.

For recreational classes one of the biggest tools I use is putting myself in the place of the child.  I teach multiple ages.  For the older kids, it’s not too hard to imagine what they want out of a class.  If they are in high school and in dance class, they’re there because they want to be.  So teaching a full out class is easy.  Middle school is a little more difficult.  These are important years because usually this is the time that they begin to branch out to school activities, and many times, they leave dance behind.  You want to make the class mature so that they feel like the older kids, but at the same time, they need to be nurtured like their younger counterparts. 

Elementary school age is probably the easiest for me to teach.  I am 28 years old, but I swear I’m a 10 year old at heart.  I love being silly, even if I do have to hold a sense of authority within the classroom.  Often times I come up with fun imagery.  For example- this past summer I had my little ones imagine that they had diamond necklaces around their necks so that they would “show it off”.  This pulled them up, and showed off their collar bones.  Some of the kids became so attached to the idea that in the last few days of their dance camp, they were bringing in various sparkly necklaces to make the imagery come to life.  It was a fun way for both them and me to see the excitement of something working.

I love seeing the world through the eyes of a child.  As we all grow older we think about the seriousness of dance, and the maturity needed for it, and the complicated world of technique and choreography.  Often times, I find it wonderful to just step back from it all and watch as the children dance.  It’s a reminder that dancing isn’t just about the technique.  It’s not about the steps.  It’s the love and passion that the kids have for it.  It’s a good reminder about life, too.  Adults like to think about the steps- what is the next step in my life?  What do I have to do to get from point a to point b?  Where will point b take me?  We don’t step back often enough to look at the sunset on our way home from work, or watch as our friends and family grow into people we enjoy even more on a daily basis.  We become competitive and narrow-minded.  Children don’t think that way. 

Children live their lives in the moment.  They go to dance classes to learn, and they are learning something that they enjoy.  They have fun doing something that is enriching their minds, bodies, and souls.  They are becoming well-rounded people.  To watch children grow is amazing enough, but to watch them blossom as the result of dance classes is something that I am honored to do.  It is wonderful for me to know that my career is letting me go back to being a child.  I learn as much from them as they learn from me, and that is one of the most amazing aspects of being a teacher.

For just a second today, I ask that you stop and watch a young child in the street.  Watch their curiosity, their happiness.  Watch how they don’t think much about what they are doing, but how much fun they are having while doing it.  Watch the smiles on their faces, and then try to remember what it was like when you were that young.  Put yourself in the shoes of that child, and prepare to be amazed at what will come of it.

A Letter To My Younger Self

I follow TEDTalks on Twitter and Facebook.  Recently there was a post about writing a letter to a younger you.  What advice would you give?  What tid bits would you give to your younger self?  Dance Spirit magazine also does a feature every month where they choose a dancer to write their former self. In light of both of these, I decided that maybe it was about time to write a letter to a young BalletJ. 

(A young BalletJ, circa 1998, hip hop costume!)

A Letter To My Younger Self

Dear Young BalletJ,

You are a free spirit.  You thrive on creativity and don’t often follow the beaten path.  At times, it’s hard, particularly since you always want to be so accepted by your peers.  However, this difficulty is what makes you realize that it’s not worth it later on in life.  The things that you have done in your childhood, teen years, and young adult life- the hours of dancing, the creative stories you’ve written, the effort you’ve made to make music a part of your life (even if you did despise those private flute lessons for a long time),  your decision to stay straight edge- they have all made you a better person today.

Don’t take things too seriously.   Laugh every so often at yourself. Your teachers are going to get mad at you (come on, you know you’re stubborn!).   You may be threatened to get kicked out of class once or twice for having hair fall in your face.  Your teachers may push your buttons to the point where you want to walk out of class, but stick to the dancing.  Remember that your emotions may run high, but acting as a professional will get your farther along in your career as both dancer and teacher if you remain calm.  You are only treated this way by these people because believe that you can handle it.  They wouldn’t push you if they didn’t think it was worth it.

There’s the thing- you ARE worth it!  Believe in yourself!  You are often so doubtful in your capabilities as a dancer that you don’t just GO for it!  Push yourself to your limits.  Reach a little farther, tilt a little more on your leg, push that straddle down a little more- it will all pay off.   Your teachers clearly trust in your capabilities, so you should, too! 

Do what makes you happy.  If going into dance is making you miserable, then don’t go to class.  I can guarantee you that you will only go through one period in your life where you won’t want to dance.  Remember that dance is your passion, and that you love it.  Dance has always been what makes you happy, even through the injuries, the broken hearts, the criticisms, and the disasters.  It’s been your only constant in life, and it will continue to be your constant.  No matter what anyone tells you- “it doesn’t pay enough” “you’ll never make a living off of it” “it’s not a real job” “what are you going to do when you want to retire?” “you’re not good enough to make it anywhere” etc- you will always have it.  That drive to prove everyone wrong will help, but it’s your tenacity to follow your dreams that will keep you hungry for dance.

You are unique.  You are a good person.  You LOVE dance.  Don’t lose that.  These qualities better your chances for being where you want to be.  Always continue to grow and learn, and never ever lose your hunger for more. 

Keep those feet pointed!
An Older Wiser BalletJ

Self-Discipline in the Dancer's World

Several months ago, I thought my life was going to hit a dark place.  I was fortunate enough to realize that it wasn’t a time to go to a dark place, but rather a place of light and happiness.  However, I sought friendship from people that I hadn’t talked to in a long time, and surrounded myself in a group of people that I knew would help in that journey.  In this time, I conversed with a friend that I hadn’t had a significant chat with in ages.  In the process of catching up, he suggested to me that I read a book to help me with my dancing and teaching.  It was only recently that attained this book and started reading. 

I’m only halfway through and it has changed my perspective on everything as a teacher.

I don’t know about any other teacher out there, but I know that there are days when using the week be fore’s lesson plan is easier than making up a new one.  Whether it’s the fact that you’re tired from that second or third job, or you had an opportunity to have lunch with a friend instead of create the lesson plan that you’ve put off doing all week, or your creativity for the week has seemed to run dry, there are situations that prevent us all from getting done what needs to be done.  These “situations”, however, are just excuses. 

The book that I am reading talks about personal resistance.   It’s not being able to get over that hump.  It’s about saying “I can totally do this later” or “I can definitely use last week’s lesson plan instead of creating one that will further enrich my students.”  These are situations that we create within ourselves.  These are situations that are easily moved past.  These are situations that require a self-discipline.

One thing that I have always loved about dance is that it is a necessity to acquire self-discipline.  You can’t be a student and expect to grow and develop without taking the initiative, and feeling the drive and motivation to better  yourself.  As a dancer, you need to stretch before you come into class.  You need to know that if your ankle is feeling tight you need to go home and rest it instead of going out with your friends.  If you’re a competitive dancer, you sacrifice a lot of your social life to be able to go to classes and competitions on the weekends.  If you’re a ballerina in a performing arts school, or a ballet school, you sacrifice having any sort of life outside of ballet.  Many dancers learn at a young age that they have to become independent and self-driven to achieve their dreams of becoming something great.

From a teaching perspective, there is a required amount of discipline as well.  Not only are you in charge of a group of children, but you are in charge of their development.  That is a heavy weight to carry.  On top of students’ development, a teacher is in charge of their own development as well.  Whether it’s taking the time to go take a class, or reading up on choreographers, or taking more courses in school that help you better understand a dance class, it’s about broadening your own horizons so you can pass the knowledge on to your own students.

Being a dancer and being a dance teacher is a wonderful journey.  You are constantly learning- there is no point where you will know it all.  The industry itself is in constant state of evolution.  Legs are kicking higher, revolutions in turns are becoming more, the dances are becoming faster, and there is an overall desire to create stronger and more flexible dancers.  As the industry demands more, we as teachers must demand more.  That includes not only from our students, but from ourselves.  This is our self-discipline. 

Take the time each day to enrich your dance life.  Take the time to finish that biography on Twyla Tharp.  Got no one to go with to see that ballet you were interested in?  Go by yourself!  Take that class from that teacher that you’re terrified of being judged by.  Overcome that demon inside that is telling you to slack, or the one that is telling you that you can’t do as much as you’d want to.  Not only will it better you and your students, but the sense of accomplishment you will feel afterwards will be worth it all.

I’ve overcome my first personal resistance of the day now.  How about you?

Imagery

“Imagine that you have a diamond necklace on and you’re trying to show it off to the world!”  “Imagine your legs have candy cane stripes on them, and that you’re trying to make them rotate  from your hips alllll the way down to your ankles!”  “Imagine that there is a string at the tippy top of your head and that someone is pulling it up!” 

Each of these phrases, and many more of my Miss J-isms, can be heard in my classes on a regular basis.  From an outside perspective it could make me sound a little crazy.  If you happen to be a dance teacher yourself, you understand these.  It’s imagery at its finest, and  it’s an important tool for teaching.

I’ve had many teachers tell me that dance is 60% mental, and only 40% physical.  I fully believe in this.  A dancer is not just a drone that copies movement.  There is nuance and style, but not everyone is born with that.  I try to explain to my dancers all the time that we have to be intelligent dancers.  It’s easy to fall into a rut and be a mechanical dancer.  You want to be both a mechanical and artistic dancer.  Much of this comes from the thought process of dance.  Not only should you put your hand there this way, or place your foot down on this exact count, but it’s the way in which put your hand this way or your foot goes down.  Imagining certain things, and using a diverse and colorful vocabulary can aide your dancers in figuring out how. 

What I find most important in imagery is understanding the mechanics of what you are trying to get across.  For example, with the image of the diamond necklace on your chest, the idea is to have my students project their chests up and out to the audience, so that their collar bones are exposed, their necks are long, their shoulders are back, and they are lifted.  In order to show off a big diamond on a necklace, those are the details of what they must do.  Breaking down the technical aspect of what one is teaching can help to create the more creative image.  Knowing the minute details can assist in the process, and even inspire the image in an instant. 

I’ve had multiple instances in the classroom where I have been explaining each part of a step, and suddenly realized that what I was saying described something else.  I have then gone on to explain how what I was describing related to the image I had in my mind.  Most of the time this works.  In a rare occasion, my students stare at me as though I have six heads and what just came out of my mouth was a foreign language.  It’s best to have pre-determined images that are guaranteed to stick in a students’ mind. 

Depictions in a dancer’s mind is so important.  Imagining what you are doing truly helps in the application of movement.  If you can see it in your mind’s eye, then it is easier to embody that action.  Seeing yourself being able to battement your leg to your ear is a lot easier than just thinking about technically executing it.  Both aspects must be in practice during the execution, but if both are, achievement will be easier.  Your leg will technically get closer to you ear if you think about it getting there. 

I love imagery in classes.  I have even taken whole dances and created full stories for every section just so that my dancers would understand what they were trying to convey.  It has always worked for them, and I have always appreciated their effort in understanding my explanations.  From emotional understanding, to technical understanding, imagery has always been an asset to my teaching.

The Importance of Sound

The other evening I was sitting at a restaurant watching the Tvs that were on.  They were displaying some sort of music awards (sadly, I do not know which one it was).  Since there was music playing, they did not put the sound on the televisions.  At one point, a friend of mine and I happened to look up to see a gentleman break dancing with only one leg dressed in an old school military uniform with C-Lo Green in the back.  We both looked at each other with the inquisitive expression of  “what is going on?”  Had the music been playing, or the sound in general had been on, we may have had a better idea as to what the point was of this particular act in the show.  It hit me then- music is SO important!

Dance is typically a visual art.  However, there are so many aural aspects to it that one may not typically think about.  The best example is lyrical dance.  Lyrical dance in itself is about the lyrics in the music.  Without the music, you may not be able to fully understand exactly what the dance is trying to convey.  A dancer could be clasping her hands together to show that she is holding flowers while the song portrays a wedding, and without the words, you would just think she was clasping her hands.  It would not be understood that she was a “bride” so to speak. 

As a choreographer, I find that it’s best to choreograph with music.  I took many classes where, and know many choreographers who can create a dance just based off of movement.  I personally love to listen to a piece of music over and over again and find the nuances of it.  When I can get my hands on the composed music itself, I like that even better.  I am fortunate to have taken music classes for a long time (flute player in band for years!) so I can read music on paper and understand it and follow along while the song plays.  This of course is more so with classical type pieces.  It helps me to find parts of a song that I wouldn’t necessarily have picked up on had I not had the physical written composition in front of me.

Even with pieces that do not have  music, I feel like hearing the breath of the dancer, or even the soft swooshing movements of a foot along the dance floor, or hands clapping, or the sound of a turn, are essential to any dance.  Without those, I would feel like any particular piece would be flat and emotionless, even if the performer put all the emotion they could into it.  Sound creates the full experience.  It’s similar to being able to have lighting for specific pieces.  It just makes all the difference! 

Had I heard the music on that night in the restaurant, I may not be wondering right now what it actually was that I was seeing.  Not to mention that I missed a performance by C-Lo Green whom I love!  Next time, maybe I should just ask the server to turn up the sound!

Finding Peace and Love

I feel as though recently there has been so much sadness in my circle of friends.  From break ups and heartache, to deaths in the family, there have been so many unfortunate situations.  When you are constantly surrounded by it, it can be difficult to remember that there is so much to love.

I find my love in dance.  Obviously.  I am lucky that dance is not just what I do, but it’s what I love, and it’s my therapy.  When things get bad, I throw myself into teaching and dancing.  I have that outlet.  Many do not.

I don’t know what I would do without dance sometimes- that adrenaline rush from the physical output, and the emotional rush from letting your heart take over your body. 

I wish more people would dance.  I know that many guys find it “feminine” and don’t feel comfortable with it.  Imagine if more guys danced, though.  Not necessarily ballet, but other forms like hip hop.  Would there be less of that testosterone driven force in times of turmoil that lead to destructive behavior?  I’ve known many guys that when things get bad, they’ve turned to fighting or drinking or both.   If they had dance, would they be able to take their physicality into that? 

I’ve been known to have a temper in my “past life.”  I get angry and scream and cry, and when I didn’t have outlets to dance it out, it would get worse.  It was only a few months ago that I remember being so upset and angry that I was walking down the street choking on tears and unknowingly digging my nails into the palm of my hands because I was so emotional that I was uncontrollably making fists in order to steady the shaking.  Now, this doesn’t happen all the time to me, but it was a morning that I had to go into my other job that doesn’t involve dance, and the situation that had caused the outburst had happened first thing in the morning.  I had no opportunity to dance it out.  I had to wait until the next day to get into dance classes to teach.  Even so, I wish I had had the time to put what I was feeling into dance.  I got to later that week. 

I did a lot of improv when I got my chance to dance it out.  While some of it was slow and emotional, there were others that were angry, and on top of that there were some that I did that just brought me peace.  I feel like that’s the most important type- finding your peace.  When a dancer “dances it out” they often get totally caught up in the emotions.  One needs to find the balance.  They need to find their peace. 

My peace:

So what do you think- if more of the destructively emotional people out there danced, do you think it would help?  Or do you think it would not make a difference?  Do you think guys would do it more if it were socially acceptable? 

My belief is that it would help.  Everyone needs an outlet, and everyone needs the creative side to their outlet.  Dance is perfect for men because it involves both the creative and physical sides.  I'm sorry, but there's not much emotion in soccer or football or running.  Sports don't quite get that creativity side like dance does! 

This is my way of saying "I've had a sad day, and I want to spread my love to the universe."  So hopefully this has put a little more love and a little less sadness out into the world today. 

Forget regrets- dance like it's your last!

Get Into the Groove...

April school vacation has come and gone.  As I woke up this morning, I realized that it’s back to reality for me.  Then it struck me, do I really feel so much like I’m in a bubble on these weeks without dance?  As a dance teacher, I also work as a waitress to make up for the days I am not teaching, so I still have work.  Essentially it only gives me 2 full days off, and my Saturday mornings off.  Does being away from dance really knock me off my game that much?

I find that it’s often hard to get back into the groove when I have time off.  Dance gives me structure to work with, so I tend to plan out my weeks around lesson-planning and working around my teaching schedule.  When I don’t have that, I either have to be on top of my game with self-discipline, or I lose a week easily.  That happened this April school vacation.  I made lots of fun plans, and wound up not realizing until, well, NOW that I didn’t keep on top of things as well as I should have.

Mentally I need to make sure that I am prepared.   It’s often worse for my students to get back into the groove.  They went from having these busy hectic lives with school, dance, social lives, after school activities, etc, to having a week off.  I know for a fact that many of them wind up sleeping in, take lazy days on the couch, hang out with friends when they do feel like doing something, and don’t really stay active.  On the opposite end, some of the students go on vacations where their schedules are packed in with sightseeing and eating out.  So either way, the kids come back tired, unadjusted, and not on their games. 

It’s particularly difficult with April school vacation.  This year, and with many years past, the competitive students at the studio I work at will be jumping into a week of preparation for a regional competition.  It’s also about to become crunch-time for the recreational students- recitals are only a few weeks away!  Now is the time to start “The Elimination Game”, practicing in smaller groups, and doing their dances away from the mirror.  The emphasis is on cleaning, and smiling big for all their friends and families!  While it makes it easier on my lesson plans, it makes it  harder for the kids to focus when they return. 

So how does one bounce back after a week of fun?  For me, it’s all about the mentality.  Organizing my thoughts into one single place, and making sure that I am prepared for anything is key.  Also reinstating my typical morning routine helps.  Cup of coffee, a little online work, watch some tv, prep for classes, and eventually get ready!  I will head in early to make sure that my music is set, and I will most likely stretch a bit so that my body doesn’t completely rebel as I demonstrate moves! 

Personally, I will be spending this morning getting my head back to teaching mode.  My students are all at school, and I can imagine most of them yawning through their first few classes, as I’m sure many of them will be yawning later tonight in my classes as well!  It also does not help that it is raining out!  However, I am truly looking forward to seeing all my wonderful students, and hearing about all the incredible adventures they had over vacation! 

How was your vacation?  Do you often find yourself struggling to get back into a disciplined mode after time off? 

Staying Healthy

I know I always say I’ll keep up with this blog, and then life gets busy again.  Ah well, the point is that I’m here now, and I have a topic on hand to discuss!

Recently it seems that everyone around me is getting sick.  At the dance studio, we had cases of strep throat and mono going around.   My sister recently came down with flu-like symptoms, and I even had a small case of laryngitis about a month ago.  The problem is that with all these sicknesses going around a dance studio, how do you avoid getting sick?  And if you do get sick, how do you know when to dance, and when to sit out or stay home? 

When I was seventeen, I attended a competition where I wasn’t feeling great in the morning.  I could barely choke down my apple that I had for breakfast, and all I wanted to do was sleep.  I had the chills, and my body was screaming for me to slow down.  I knew I had teammates that I did not want to let down, though.  I was also raised in a family where my mother would ask me if I was throwing up or profusely bleeding, and if I said no, off I went to whatever activity I was supposed to be doing, whether it was school, or dance, or what have you. 

I accomplished about 12 different dances over the course of that day.  We had a group number early in the morning, and then my duo was the very last number to go on.  I knew by the time I went on for my duo that I was just about done.  I should not have been walking onto that stage, but I sucked it up, found it deep within me, and danced my heart out.  My mother still jokes to this day that I looked like I was turning a shade of green, and my hands were dangling at certain points when they should have been still.  I didn’t think I would make it after I got offstage.  I had dancers running around me to line up for awards.  I was running to the bathroom by then.  I also wound up staying home for 3 or 4 days from school- the most I had missed since elementary school. 

I’m glad that I did it.  As dancers, we need to have those moments where we sacrifice for our art.  Yes, I was only a high schooler, but the discipline and rigidity of the art is instilled so early on for many of us.  It’s taught me that I can’t call out of work for a minor cold, or a bad headache, and that has earned me a lot of respect with many of my bosses. 

The most important part of getting sick, though, is knowing when it is okay to push yourself, and when it is not.  At the studio I currently work for, we impress upon the dancers to know themselves and their bodies well enough to understand what they need.  If they are so sick that they could pass it on to others, or wouldn’t be able to stay awake and observe- then stay home.  If you just don’t overall feel well, and it would be better if you didn’t dance, then come to dance, but still observe and take in corrections.  If you have a headache, well, take some aspirin, drink some water, and show up to work! 

Avoiding getting sick is the tough part.  Sometimes you can’t help it.  Between barres in studios that don’t always get cleaned in between classes, and with older students rolling around doing floor work, there are multiple surfaces that can be affected.  One wrong move and suddenly a student can be infected with any type of sickness.

I always tend to follow the basic rules- wash your hands when you can, avoid touching your mouth or eyes when you know you’ve been around sick children, eat right, sleep enough hours, and stay in tune to what your body is telling you.  If it’s telling you that you need more sleep, find a way to get it.  I know particularly with middle school and high school age students, this can be difficult.  Between their hours of school, their hours of dancing, their hours of other activities, as well as trying to find family time and social lives, it can often be easier to get a few hours of sleep before going all out.  Eating right, as well, can be difficult at those ages.  Unless their parents or guardians are very aware of their eating habits, they often don’t get the nutrients that they need.  Vitamin D is so important to the immune system, and with the apparent obesity problem in the United States, not everyone is getting the vital nourishment in which they need. 

As a teacher, I am always trying to figure out what my students need on a personal level, whether that involves corrections in class, or telling them that if they feel like they’re going to pass out they really should sit down and drink some water.  I care about every one of my students, not just as an instructor but also as someone who is looking out for their best interest.  It doesn’t benefit anyone if a student is crying because their stomach hurts, or if they are passing out on the floor while observing class.  Not only does it interrupt the class, but it also has a lingering effect on the other students.  I’ve noticed that even in a class of students where not everyone is best friends, if one student gets sick, they all ask if the student is okay, or they’ll check up on them the next week.  While it can be negative aspect for the class in terms of focus, it’s really special to be able to watch that camaraderie amongst them.  It’s one of the many reasons I love teaching. 

So I hope everyone stays safe and healthy through the rest of the dance season.  I know for many of us we are seeing the finish lines ahead with upcoming recitals and such!  I wish everyone good luck, even though I truly hope to be back on here in the next few days with more rambling musings!

Coming Out of My Dance Shell

So I have been very absent from this blog lately. I have been absent from my Twitter page as well. This is due to some major changes in my personal life over the past few weeks, and I am sad to say that these were the first few things to go the wayside. However, I am slowly building back up to something along the lines of normalcy in my personal life, and I thought, what a wonderful way to bring it back through a blog!

So not to divulge too much about my situation, but let’s just say that I have released something in my life that was holding me down for too long, and it has rocked many of the foundations that I have built over the past few years of my life. However, with this rocking of foundations has come with certain realizations of myself. One of those realizations is that as a dancer, it is not just what I do, but part of who I am.

When this release happened, the first thing that I wanted to do was DANCE. I wanted to choreograph. I wanted to channel all those emotions and conflicts inside my head into bodily movement to tell my story. And you know what? I did. I took the time to go into a dance studio recently and just dance my heart out. I haven’t taken a dance class since the summer, and I was scared to know what I looked like. I had no mirrors in front of me to see how I was doing and I was barely awake with only half a cup of coffee in my system. I recorded my dancing, and to my surprise, I looked decent. We all have a tendency to be our own worst critics, but certain things surprised me.

There is one song that stood out for me when I improvised. I put on the song “Breathe Again” by Sara Bareilles, and just went for it. Little did I know that 1- it would turn into looking like a put together piece, and 2- that I would start crying in the middle of the dancing. The song is about leaving someone behind because you’re looking for something more, and hoping someday you’ll find it. It hits home a little too much right now. One movement where I let out all the air in body suddenly became an epic moment in my life. It was the realization that dance would always be there for me.

People ask all me the time- “well, what are you going to do when you can’t dance anymore?” People look at me like I’m crazy for wanting to be in a career where you don’t get paid a whole lot, and when you need to search out your own benefits, if you can get any. People wonder why I choose an art for a career.

This is my answer- I have known since the age of 7 that I wanted to be a dancer. Sure, I went through stints where I wanted to be a marine biologist or a writer, but I always knew inside that it was always going to be dance. I don’t care if there are hardships, or struggles. Those are just channeled into the choreography and dancing, and enhances my life experiences. Financially it may not be sound, but dancers find ways, and we make sacrifices so that we can do this. I do not get upset from having to have another job to pay my bills. If anything, it teaches me more discipline and responsibility. While I may have needed guidance in those areas for a while, I have grown to become an incredible person from my dancing. I have learned so much from being a dancer, and I continue to learn from it, and my mentors, teachers, and peers within the field.

Dance is not something that grew into my life. There was something in my soul and my spirit at conception that was implemented so that I would be able to share my talent with the universe. My purpose in life is to dance, and therefore, is part of me. It is part of who I am, and not just what I do, and how many people get to say that in this lifetime? Very very few.

I hope to continue to learn the various forms in which this purpose is going to manifest. I am excited that this realization came while I am still young enough to take full advantage of it, and I am looking forward to even more realizations in other parts of my life.

And you can bet that I will be back here more to talk about my journeys!

Music to Make You Warm

Snow fell this week in New England, and it got me thinking- again- about warming up in dance! This time, however, it got me thinking about the music I use to warm up my students.

Typically, the warm up music dictates what kind of class a student will be involved in. If it's jazz, I'll typically put on some Dance or Electronic music. At least, that's what I've been using lately. If it's lyrical, I'll put on some slow, pretty sounding music, albeit usually sad. While I usually let the barre be the warm up for a ballet class, if I do a stretch in the center, I'll put on a piece of music that I found on a Finis Jhung and Scott Killian cd entitled "Atmospheric Stretching". Lately, however, I've been into something a little different.

For my younger classes, I've stuck with keeping genre of dance with the genre of music. For my older students, I've been straying the beaten path. I've been going down a more modern/contemporary route. I've been using the soundtrack to "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" movie (US version). The music is done by the same pair that did the soundtrack for "The Social Network"- Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. When my students who are on the younger side hear it, they usually say something like "this is weird." Well, it is. But I love it! It's slightly ominous, while being atmospheric. Having read the book by Stieg Larsson, but not having seen the movie yet, it seems to capture the essence of the story. However, I'm not quite going for that violent, thriller/crime theme in the dance class. Instead, it provides a feeling of strength for the dancers to relate with.

For a while before I was using that soundtrack, I was working with Balmorhea's self-titled album from 2007. My students liked the aspect of typewriters and sandpaper-sounding tones. It allowed for me to warm up the students at a slow-ish pace, but also allowing me to gauge how the students were feeling and either speed it up or slow it down, or even work a little longer on specific areas of the body. Without specific or consistent time signatures, or even beats, it provided more of an atmospheric soundtrack, than a downbeat driven class.

What kind of music do you like to warm up to in class? Do you like faster music or slower? What kinds of warm ups get your blood flowing faster?

Warming Up in the Cold

It's officially mid-January in New England. That can only mean one thing- COLD! For a while, some of us in the area thought the chill would never really come, with temperatures in the 50's in December! That's almost unheard of, particularly in the area I live in. But the cold came in, and with it have come the familiar sounds of "I'm cold" from my students.

As a teacher, there is always the dilemma of deciding if you will allow your students to wear warm ups. Often, students are not well-equipped with warm-ups that will allow maximum view of their bodies. I see students with over-sized sweatshirts that go well below hip level. Students try to wear sweatpants that are bulky and will fall down if you roll up the pant leg. It prevents me from seeing their muscles, and can hide their bodies.

On the other hand, it can be tough for students to understand that they need to get their bodies warmed up immediately. Depending on the level of knowledge/technique that they are at, they often don't think to warm up before class. For my more advanced levels, I always give the speech that instead of chatting out in the lobby, they should be stretching, or doing exercises to get their muscles limber. When muscles are cold, they are often tighter, which raises the possibility of injury from improper warm up. Depending on the time frame in which I have the students, I can't always give them the extensive warm up that they may need, particularly if temperatures are at or below the freezing mark.

A way to rectify the situation is to allow them to wear warm ups. However, often times, they warm their bodies up with the warm ups on, but then when it comes time take them off, their bodies have to readjust and warm up all over again. In my eyes, this makes the warm ups essentially obsolete.

Now, as an example, I am no better. I am notorious for having cold hands that make my students recoil every time I touch their bare shoulders to correct them. Therefore, I am usually wrapping myself in sweatshirts, long sleeved t-shirts, sweatpants, and socks. Pretty much anything I'm not "supposed" to wear, I wear. And there's always that student that has to point it out- "Why can't I wear my sweatshirt? You're wearing yours!" My typical response is that I earned my right over the years to wear whatever I like and I've been in their position. I tell them I wasn't allowed to wear warm-ups, which for the most part is true. I also like to tell them that they are the ones that are working, and I am not. They are the ones whose muscles and body parts need to be seen- not necessarily mine.

Over the years, I've developed the rule that if it's particularly cold out, I will allow warm ups through rond de jambes. Mostly, I will allow them ONLY through plies. If it's in a lyrical or jazz or contemporary technique class, I will allow them through the beginning stretch. This way, they get to wear their warm ups to kick start the initial blood flow without the adverse effects of wearing them too long before the body gets used to it and has to readjust.

What's your favorite warm up clothing? As a dancer do you like to wear bulky warm ups? As a teacher do you like to allow them?

Friday the 13th

Today is Friday the 13th. I am not superstitious when it comes to this day, so I ask that everyone goes out there and DEFIES the unluckiness!

Know any good songs that you can count in 13s instead of 8s? Do thirteen sets of exercises at the barre. Hold your splits for 13 seconds. Do a 13 minute warm up. Put 13 bobby pins in that bun!

Do you have any other dance suggestions for ways to defy the unlucky myths of Friday the 13th?

Welcome 2012

Happy New Year to all my followers! This year is going to be the most exciting year yet! What are your dance goals for 2012?

A Reflection of 2011

Ah, yet again, I have been terrible about keeping up with this blog. The inspiration is always there- it’s a matter of remembering to put the inspiration into words and finding the time to do it! I’m sure most of you out there can relate!

I have decided to take the time to reflect on my personal year in dance.

The first part of 2011 was muddled with some personal problems that I was working through, however, I realize that the dance studio was my place of respite. From fine-tuning my competitive choreography, to creating for my recreational dancers, I found comfort in throwing myself into the world of dance. In some classes, it proved to be the drive that I needed. In others, I found myself struggling to be inspired.

2011 was the first year that I had a group lyric dance in competition. While it did not win any major awards, I was very proud of the choreography, and extremely pleased with much of the feedback that I got from judges. It was the same with a ballet piece. It was the first time our director was entering a group with a ballet dance that wasn’t the top level in the studio. They held their own, and proved to be able to handle a ballet piece with positivity, hard work, and a little grace.

Recreationally, 2011 was a mix. While the kids were great, and the dances wound up being good, I had some difficulty choreographing. With one class in particular, it seemed I had different people out every week, and since I wasn’t good with keeping the same notebook in my bag, I had no idea where anyone was spatially in the dance. It was, on a grand majority, my fault. On the other hand, I had a class where the choreography was done in almost record time, and we almost over rehearsed it for the recital. It paid off, though- it was one of my favorite and most fun pieces I ever created.

2011 was also the first year I acted as a judge in the dance world. I gained a whole new respect for dance competition judges. I had judged for a one day competition that started very early, but ended at a pretty decent hour. I was exhausted and wiped out by the end. Even with breaks for lunch and coffee, and having the opportunity to get up and walk around, I was amazed at how draining it was! However, I would never pass up the opportunity to do it again. I thoroughly enjoyed doing it, and loved being able to see different dancers out there.

The summer proved to be a long one this year. I typically take the summer off. The craziness from January to May usually gives me the feeling that I have the right to take this time off from dancing. I had the opportunity to go see some of my dancers at a Nationals competition in Boston where they did very well. After that, though, it was a long way to August. I wound up taking up jogging just to get myself back into a physical place. It paid off, though. I felt in top physical shape!

When August finally came around and I started teaching for the summer program, I felt ready to be inspired and boy was I! If you check out some of my previous entries, you’ll read about some of my experiences I had with taking class. It sparked the flame in me. My desire to return to my best year yet had been stoked.

The fall season began with a few minor hiccups, but I am proud to say that I believe this is going to be the best year yet! I am finding my stride as a choreographer. I am better aware of my students as dancers, and I am more aware of my choreography on stage. I know what inspires me, and hope that I can pass the inspiration on to my students. I adore working where I do, and can only hope that 2011 will be the year that my dance/teaching/choreography skills expand and move to new heights.

Looking back on 2011, in all aspects of my life, I believe it was a growing year. While I believe that some years are filled with more growth than others, I felt as though I walked into 2011 humbly, knowing that I had a long way to go, and that I needed to grow in certain ways in my life. I am walking confidently this year into 2012 with a better sense of where I am, and with an ever-increasing hunger to learn from my peers and superiors.

I am most looking forward to creating more dances in 2012. What are you looking forward to the most?

Thankfulness

I apologize for not updating recently (or within the past 2 months). My summer schedule to my fall schedule always hits me like a ton of bricks, and I tend to let things like this blog go the wayside. However, with the holidays coming up, I have more inspiration to write and the growing desire to write about my passions.

So for today, I am inspired by Thanksgiving! It is only 3 days away, and I am so excited! Since November 1st, I have been posting on my personal Facebook page statuses about what I am thankful for this year. It's been a way for me to remember that yes, there is a holiday between Halloween and Christmas, and a way to keep myself grounded. Thanksgiving isn't just about the gluttony of the season. It's about the people who made the long journey from England to a land unfamiliar to them. It's about their sacrifices and their survival; their determination to make a new life, even though they lost over half of their original crew. It is about being thankful for all that they had after they had lost so much.

In this spirit, I would like to talk about what I am thankful for in the dance world. And there is SO much to be thankful for!

I am thankful for ballet. As the base for all dance, I am thankful that I can pass on its importance to so many students. Even if they don't love it, they learn to appreciate it.

I am thankful for shows like So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With the Stars. When I was younger, they didn't have shows like that. If you wanted to see dance, you had to go to the ballet, or find out when the modern dance companies were coming into town, or be a dancer yourself. I didn't have websites like Youtube to search for dancers for hours. I was considered different because I danced. I am so thankful that those shows brought dance to the mainstream's eye. Even for people who don't dance themselves, it brings it into their homes. Even my grandmother watches So You Think You Can Dance!

I am thankful for my students. Not only are they all beautiful dancers, but they are beautiful people as well, and will grow up as beautiful people. Their love for dance is almost unsurpassed compared to other places that I have seen.

I am thankful for the extensive knowledge I have of dance. It allows me to take care of myself and to take care of my students. I can answer most questions about random body aches and pains. I am no doctor, but I have helped to fix multiple questions of "why is my knee hurting when I do this?" or "I have a pain in my foot, what's wrong?" It helps me to prevent common injuries in dancers that don't work correctly, and it helps me to help my students.

I am thankful for all the teachers I have had in my life. From my first teacher Miss Debbie to the master class teachers that I take from today, and every single teacher in between, I have learned something from all of them, and have taken the good and put it into my own teachings.

I am thankful for still being able to have dance in my life at the age of 27. Not only does it keep my passion burning for it, but I attribute much of my youthfulness to it. I don't look 27 (thanks mom and dad!), and parts of me aren't as serious as some of my peers at 27. Dance helps me to bring in to focus what is important to me, and it is often not similar to what my peers consider important.

I am thankful for the opportunities dance gives everyone, both young and old. Whether it's an 8 year old going to the ballet for the first time, or a 55 year old taking a beginner modern dance class, it gives people a joy and a love that is unlike any other. When I was in high school, I got to perform for an AIDS benefit (one of my future goals is to create a show as an AIDS benefit) and even though at the time I just saw it as another performance, I realize now how important it was, and is, and will be, to be able to share my gifts for a good cause.

I could go on all day, but that is all I have time for today. I hope many of you out there will contemplate what you are thankful for this week! I know most of our minds will be on turkey and stuffing and family gatherings, but take a moment, however brief, and just remember how amazing it is to have the life that you have!

And if you are dancer, remember how lucky and happy you are to have dance in your life!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!