4dancers – Page 192

Finding Your “Voice” In Belly Dance

March 5, 2010 by 4dancers

I have been in the belly dance community as an instructor and performer for several years, and I have had the pleasure of studying and performing with people who have been in this art form for decades. What drew me to stay in belly dance was a sense of sensuality, and a bit of sisterhood, especially since I started with learning American Tribal, as this form is generally done with a group of two or more. It’s a great energy to dance with a group!

Now, I realize that when ATS or Tribal in general was first brought into the light, some people who had been dancing classical Egyptian/Oriental had issues with it; it’s not pure Oriental, etc. Even so, little by little, Tribal was being accepted. It embraces the old with the new.

Belly dance is the one true form of dance that does embrace every body type – which is wonderful! We all share one common denominator: the love of dance. We are a sisterhood, a community. But are these words overused and spoken with emptiness? As a community of sisters, we should encourage each other and our students to continue their studies. This means taking not only additional belly dancing, but ballet or other styles–with various instructors. For our students, (and for us as well), these additional classes can assist in finding one’s own voice in dance.

There is nothing greater for me as an instructor than to see a student who has taken fusion, ATS, Egyptian, etc. to step out and perform, because they’ve taken a pinch from X, a handful from Y, a little bit of Z and mixed in their own personality – and now we see them really dance! We see a glimpse inside their soul.

Who are we to put limitations on our students and tell them they can’t take from other instructors? Don’t we as instructors seek to improve our quality of dance? Wouldn’t it be hypocritical for us to stop our students from furthering their knowledge? And shouldn’t we encourage/support their performance opportunities? Nothing would be more satisfying to me then to see a student of mine surpass me; grow past me. That truly would be the highest compliment I could receive.

Teaching Tip: Dealing With Difficult Dance Students

March 4, 2010 by 4dancers

If you have taught dance for a while, chances are good that you have run across a difficult student or two in your time. If you are new, you may be caught a bit off-guard by some of the things that can happen in the classroom.

Having some strategies in place to deal with things such as outbursts, resistance to certain exercises or too much talking is key. Some tricks you learn as you go, but there are also resources out there that can help you anticipate these issues and be ready with a response. Here are a few good ones that you can draw from:

+ If you have a “bully” in your class, check out Dance Advantage’s post on that topic and stop things before they get out of hand.

+ This sheet isn’t designed specifically for dance class, but it has good tips on how to cope with behaviors like shyness, complaining and talking in class.

+ Having rules and reminding students of what those rules are can help cut down on bad classroom behavior. The rules will vary based on the age of the students, as well as the philosopy of the teacher, but it is a good idea to have some in place.

10 Questions With…Jazmine-Youmie Francois

March 3, 2010 by 4dancers

1. Can you tell me your name, your location and a little about your dance background?

Well my name is Jazmine-Youmie Francois. I am originally from Haiti but I have been in the states since I was 5-6 years old. I am a Choreographer, Producer and Believer. I’ve been dancing all my life, but professionally for the last 4 years. I have been a teacher but I believe that I am a student at heart.

2. What is Concrete Dance Couture?

Concrete Dance Couture (CDC) is a site for the Choreographers, Dancers and Stylists who can’t catch the break they’ve been working so hard for. We’ve created a site for dancers whose spirits have been negatively pierced by agency rejections and unresponsive auditions. CDC provides our members with choice auditions in New York City, Los Angeles and other cities all over the United States. We offer legitimate agency listings, exclusive interviews from their favorite choreographers, dancers and celebrities.

We also offer designers and stylists a platform where their work can be seen. In addition, we offer valuable advice from industry insiders and continuous support to help their dreams of being a successful dancer/stylist become a reality.

3. How did the idea for CDC come about?

CDC began with a thought and a prayer. I wanted to provide hungry dancers and designers everywhere a site that focused on the talent and the person. As a dancer, I remembered how hard it was to find auditions to dance with a celebrity, on Broadway and amazing dance companies, but I didn’t want us to be an agency. I wanted us to be an intimate site that provided up and coming dancers with the opportunities that they are constantly searching for. So I asked God to lead and then I followed. I’m still following.

4. What are you currently doing with the site?

Right now CDC is focused on getting every up and coming dancer and stylists/designers out there an opportunity to be seen. We have great auditions/jobs listed for our members, then we post interviews with their favorite choreographers/celebrities. We have 2 sections titled, “Spotlight Dancer and “Wicked Choreography” where we provide sponsors, agencies and the world a chance to see that there are still ambitious dancers out there.

We also have the Reversible Beauty Blog where we focus on building everyone that comes through our site spirits. We understand how hard the industry is so our blog run by Claudine Jean-Mary (Clarity) focuses on spiritual restoration. We want our members to follow CDC’s motto in every area in their lives; Be Fearless, Be Relentless!

5. Can you explain who would benefit from joining and how they can sign on board?

Though CDC is a Dance site, we believe that most people that are entering the industry or are currently working in the industry can benefit from our site. Dancers and designers now have a site that focuses on them and their talent. Our site is very positive and intimate. We are in the business of helping others. Whether it’s finding auditions or helping you with insecurities. We are here to help. We want people to understand that the world is at their feet, not the other way around.

6. What is the cost of membership and what are the benefits?

The cost to become a member of Concrete Dance Couture is $15 dollars a month. We believe that this is very reasonable for struggling dancers everywhere. Members get access to over 100 auditions all over the United States, they get special discounts for special gatherings we have with today’s top choreographers and dancers. Members get to hear the truth about the dance community and are warned about the superficial side of it. In our page “The Industry & You” we have industry insiders and CDC staff answering our member’s biggest questions about the industry. They receive spiritual rejuvenation and support from us personally. Overall our members get educated, empowered and encouraged in every way to follow their dreams.

7. How do you choose your interview subjects?

I get asked that question a lot. It’s simple really. I believe that these people are brilliant and humble. I usually ask them and they say yes, I think that’s by the grace of God. The truth is, everyone that we have interviewed has been very kind and has given back to the dance community in some way. They have broken doors for hungry dancers, choreographers and designers. I wanted our members to hear them speak about their fears, what kept them motivated and their personal message to dancers everywhere.

8. What is it that you hope to accomplish through having this site?

I hope to help people’s dreams come true. I hope to have more people go after their dreams in a way the industry hasn’t seen before, but most of all I hope to have people everywhere spirits restored.

9. Is this your full-time gig or do you do other things as well?

This is currently my full time gig so you can imagine, I get no sleep (laughs) but I do have a lot of part time gigs. I seriously get no sleep.

10. What are the upcoming plans for the site?

I wish I could tell you. I take it day by day. This might sound weird but I do what God tells me to do. The one sure thing is that we have a couple of pieces of clothing coming out catered to dancers. Obviously we want to help dancers and designers everywhere but I don’t like to plan things too much. You can overwhelm yourself that way so I just let God lead and I follow, when he lets me know, you’ll know (laughs)!

Ole! Flamenco And Spanish Dance

March 2, 2010 by 4dancers

by Karen Stelling

Ole! A shout of encouragement given to the bravest, the strongest, the one who makes a connection to self and life. I thought I’d start my first blog post on 4dancers with that particularly Spanish expression and give myself a burst of confidence. (There’s also the term “mierda” which is typically used for good luck but I’ll go with the big “O” for now!)

I’m happy to be here sharing some info and news about flamenco and Spanish dance. My debut in blog land comes at a great time in that the Chicago Flamenco Festival is just winding down and there was plenty to see and hear over the past few weeks. It’s always a neat trick to get great musicians and dancers from Spain into Chicago when the weather is at it’s worst! We aficionados are always telling the artists to “regresa quando es mas caliente!” (come back when it’s warmer!) Thank goodness, the audiences are really warm and welcoming!

A highlight of the many performances was the terrific dancer Concha Jareno, a Madrid native, who is part of the new generation of flamenco dancer’s currently working. It was her first visit to Chicago and she received much high praise. I took a master class with her which was great, and enjoyed the fun material that I’m now trying to pass on to my students. She communicated entirely in Spanish but her movement’s were so clear and her rhythm so steady that the need for translation was an afterthought.

The hallmark of a performer as gifted as Concha is an amazing musicality that allows her to hear the music and move to it in a very rich way, with a vocabulary of steps that beautifully mixes old school with new. Even better, she can teach it so students get it. Que bueno! Many of those who attended her performance were part of the local flamenco scene. Most of them left the theater exclaiming how inspired they were by her dancing and couldn’t wait to get back to the studio or travel to Spain and keep that kind of energy happening. What a great compliment to Concha and isn’t it nice to be reminded that we can still become inspired by great talent and artistry? Ole to that above all.

The Vio Shop

March 1, 2010 by 4dancers

After we interviewed Ballerina, Violeta Angelova I thought it might be fun to talk a bit about her new venture, “The Vio Shop” as well. It has some unique items for sale that dancers might appreciate, such as posters, signed pointe shoes and even a children’s book.

One rather unusual item is the “Angel” Tutu, pictured here to the right. It comes in both white and pink, and it is decorated with crystals pearls and Swarovski elements. This is a professional grade tutu, that is half the price you generally find in the better class of costumes. Since it is custom-built, it fits each dancer perfectly. Designed by Violeta herself , the bodice to skirt proportions and the decorations were chosen with a professional dancer’s eye.

Another item that was created by Violeta is the Viotard. This one-of-a-kind leotard has an extremely bold design, and it was based on the dancer’s own personal style. There are two different versions of the piece–one that is red with red mesh, and a second that is red with nude mesh. The Viotard Violeta came up with is made in the US by LOLAstretch, a company that is known for producing creative designs.

The item that perhaps most intrigued me was the perfume, “Violet Rose“. Rose oil is considered an aphrodisiac by many, and there is a bit of a story that goes along with this particular version, as it is 100% pure Bulgarian rose oil from the Rose Valley. What I found so interesting is that Violeta’s mom was born in that valley, making this a uniquely personal item to sell in the shop.

To learn more about current offerings, or to see when new things are added, take a look at the shop on Violeta’s website.

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