4dancers – Page 3

Aerobic Fitness for Dancers

June 10, 2020 by 4dancers

Dr. Emma Redding, PhD is a longtime colleague in the dance medicine world. She is a dancer, educator, and currently Head of Dance Science at Trinity-Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, in London. A former president of IADMS, and on our 4dancers.org Advisory Board, Emma is also one of the foremost researchers in the field. One of the many areas she has looked into over the years is the need for aerobic conditioning for dancers, and how dancers who are well conditioned in that particular area can lower their injury risk. Here is an excellent article on that topic — please pass it on!
Take care, Jan Dunn, Editor, Dance Wellness

by Emma Redding, PhD

As a dancer, I often wondered why technique classes were not sufficiently providing me with all the conditioning and skills needed to meet the demands of my dance performances. I knew intuitively, that I couldn’t rely solely on technique – however I wasn’t exactly sure what I needed to do to train better. It’s because of these answered questions, that I decided to pursue a career that allows me to understand the science of dance.

I’m now Professor of Performance Science at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, England where I lead the department of Dance Science. My colleagues and I wrote the first ever Masters degree in Dance Science in 2001 and since then, we have witnessed an exponential growth in the number of opportunities to study Dance Science at University level, in the UK / USA / and many other countries. Through my research into the physiological demands of dance and as a founding partner of the National Institute for Dance Medicine and Science and Past-President of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science, I have become an advocate for increasing awareness among dancers and dance educators of the importance of fitness conditioning for dancers.

Dance is an intermittent ‘stop/start’ form of activity. In a performance, a dancer may go from performing an explosive lift, or series of jumps, to a more sustained, continuous – or smaller movement phrase, and this repeats over the course of a dance piece. As such, dancing demands the kind of energy that is derived from both the slow aerobic and fast anaerobic pathways.

Unfortunately, dancers cannot rely solely on technique classes to provide them with all the training they need to meet the demands of performance. This is because a technique class typically includes highly skilled exercises that are often quite short, teacher feedback, corrections and discussion – and often, a good deal of standing around. The technique class is invariably taught at a lower intensity than a performance, and focuses on technical skill and artistry over fundamental physiological development.

Research shows that dancers can train more effectively by supplementing their technical training with fitness conditioning. Aerobic conditioning enhances stamina and endurance improving your ability to dance at moderate intensities for longer periods of time without experiencing early fatigue. Interval, circuit-type conditioning enhancing your ability to work at high intensities, and this sort of training more closely mimics the work-to-rest ratios and intensities seen in dance.

Aerobic Conditioning

To improve your aerobic capacity, you should engage in continuous and repeated exercise for at least 10 minutes (preferably 10-20 min). Swimming, jogging and cycling at a steady pace for are examples of aerobic exercise. However, any form of physical activity which engages the larger muscle groups and can be repeated over a period of time is likely to be training the aerobic energy system. You may want to keep in mind that running is impactful like dance, while swimming is non-impact, but particularly useful if you have a lower limb injury.

Interval-Circuit Training

To improve your anaerobic fitness and ability to work at high intensities, you should engage in interval-circuit training which involves a series of exercise lasting between 30 sec and 2 min. The exercises vary in intensity as well as duration and can involve short rest periods. Examples of exercises include sprints on the spot for 30 seconds, moving in and off of the floor very quickly for say 45 seconds, jumping and burpee-type movements whereby the body weight is shifted from hands to feet repeatedly.

These exercises are short in duration and can be near-maximal intensity. It would be beneficial to experiment with the length of rest periods in-between the high intensity bouts as this would help prepare for the varied length of recovery periods on stage. Sometimes, substitute the rest periods with moderate intensity work, then go back to high intensity again to mimic the changing nature of dance.

Summary

Dancers are not given much opportunity to train for the physiological demands of performance. While they may well be technically skilled enough, they are less likely to be fit to perform.

Ideally, the making of a new performance piece should be set several weeks before the first performance. This is so that dancers can run the piece over and over to become ‘match-fit’ to perform. With funding restrictions as they are, however, this is unlikely – particularly for project-based companies and freelance dancers with short rehearsal periods.

To prepare themselves physiologically to meet the demands of performance, dancers should do supplementary training outside of their class and rehearsals – and if possible, consider the specific physiological requirements of the piece, as a way of preparing themselves physically. (EDITOR’S NOTE: Emma Faulkner, DPT with Atlanta Ballet, recently devised a choreographic-specific pre-performance training program, to better prepare the dancers for that particular piece. This resulted in fewer injuries overall. Dance Magazine highlighted this in the article “Why You Should Tailor Your Cross-Training to Your Rep“)

This could mean acknowledging any unusual lifting required, body-part usage, work-to-rest ratios, jumping and so on, and from there, design a supplementary conditioning program, which incorporates progressive training in those areas of fitness.

Meanwhile, the debate around dancer fitness will continue. It is not certain whether the recommendations arising from the findings thus far apply to dancers of all genres, and much more research is needed. What is clear is that dancers are now working in eclectic styles of choreographic work, and facing increasing physiological demand. These dancers need fitness conditioning more than ever before.

Research findings do at least show that for now, dancers should not rely solely on technique classes to provide them with everything they need to meet the demands of performing. Happy training!

BIO: Professor Emma Redding, PhD Head of Dance Science, Trinity Laban originally trained as a contemporary dancer performing for Tranz Dance Company in Hungary and for Rosalind Newman in Hong Kong. She is now Head of Dance Science at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London, England. Emma has played a major role in developing dance science as a recognised field of study at university level, through her research, and through teaching internationally, as a founding partner of the National Institute for Dance Medicine and Science and a past-member of the Board of Directors and Past-President of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science. Emma teaches Exercise Physiology and Contemporary Dance Technique at Trinity Laban alongside her management and research work. She supervises undergraduate and graduate student projects as well as PhDs in areas such as dancer health, physiology, talent development, dance training and creativity. She has led and co-led several large cross-institutional projects including most recently, a Conservatoires UK study into musician health funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and a creativity and mental imagery study, in collaboration with Plymouth University and Coventry University, UK.

Dancing Through The Unexpected

June 4, 2020 by 4dancers

dancer practicing at home — Samantha Galler, dancing at home.

by Samantha Galler

In life, I was taught to always prepare for the worst. So, you do what you can and hope that it is enough.

With injuries, if mobile, a dancer can travel from place to place knowing there is an outside world to interact with. As an established dancer well into a career, transiting from dance later on needs to surface in the back of the mind at some point or another. It is important to be properly prepared for a transition when the time eventually comes. It can also help the situation become less frightening.

Most artists, are aware that this change may be quick, due to injury or personal situations, so it is important to maintain a level head and understand that nothing in this life is guaranteed. Committing to this career comes with those risks and sacrifices. Right now, the situation is very different and we are facing challenges we could not have entirely prepared for.

Now, the country is well over a month into this so-called new life. New life, meaning sheltering in place and adapting to no work and no consistent schedule. As a dancer, I can say this is definitely one of the hardest situations I have ever faced. It has forced me to break from my mold in every way and brainstorm new routes for normal activity. Going to the theater or the studio are not options. The strangest thing about this situation is that everyone around the world is dealing with the same circumstances. In a way, we are all in this together. There are those who do not have jobs and/or money to survive and there are those who are working from home. Either way, it is not the same. Right now, I believe artists are facing a new battle based off of the worlds’ needs. The health of people is at the forefront and professionals are forced to sacrifice their familiarities to save lives.

Artists are working through an unknown territory. I guess the future is always unknown, but what we are experiencing now is unfamiliarity in every way. What has hurt me the most, is seeing ballet schools, performing arts schools, and dance colleges come to a screeching halt. As professionals, we are more likely to have the experience and a deeper understanding of the training we need to stay strong in a time like this. For a student, each month is crucial to the finalization of their training.

With this change in their schedule, it affects students who are growing and molding into their development as a professional. I have made every effort to create a ballet class teaching schedule for myself with students across different areas in the country in hopes of providing a continuation of their training. In addition, a major challenge that pre-professional and professional dancers face when returning to work is the act of standing. The weight of our body on our feet for 7 hours is part of our day to day training. An advantage to teaching, is that it keeps me focused on ballet and forces me to stay on my feet for long periods of time. Some days, up to five hours. I teach through Zoom for students from different schools including, The Ballet Academy Inc., Northeast School of Ballet, and Boston Ballet in Massachusetts where I trained when I was younger. It has made me so happy to see all smiling and eager faces.

The Ballet Academy Inc. has directed students to me ages 6-13 which has been enjoyable. I am extremely grateful for these opportunities and responsibilities. It brings me back to when I was an 8 year old training. In fact, my parents have started pulling out old videos of me being taught by my ballet teacher when I was 9. It has been humbling and rewarding even though the world is facing a major challenge at the same time. There is a glimmer of hope that there can continue to be some happiness and beauty even at a time like this.

Dancer outside — Samantha Galler. Photo by Jonathan Taylor.

The day we were told that we had to stay in our homes, I did not really understand the situation we faced. In fact, I was so motivated, and thought this would only last a couple weeks. I figured we would be back to work and performing again soon. About a week in, it was clear that it would be a much longer period of time before this would happen. During the first week, Ryan, my fiancé, and I had to decide to postpone our wedding which was devastating. Part of me thought that there might be a way to have the wedding, but it was clear we had made the right decision given how the circumstances were developing and we could not put our guests at risk to travel. That was the first challenge in quarantine and, believe me, that is not an easy process. We were able to officially get married at the end of April while social distancing, and with our parents on Zoom.

Secondly, it was hard to go from dancing all day in the studio to having to do ballet class at home in my living room. The difficulty to this, which I am sure a lot of in-season dancers can agree with, is that we were in shape and then it was a cold turkey halt. Our bodies were forced to stop and find a new way of working. This new schedule has taken time to adjust to for many reasons.

First, it is important to be working on the proper floor. My floor is tile, so I needed to be careful to take class on a rug and limit small jumps until I received a piece of floor from the ballet, which we are so fortunate for. Now with a good piece of Marley, it has made it easier to create a consistent working schedule.

The most incredible challenge is to motivate ourselves to keep cross training. Cross training requires cardio, ballet, stretching, meditating, and more. I try my best to take a ballet class 5 days a week. Also, since I cannot swim right now because the pools are closed, I am taking extended walks. These are typically an hour to an hour and a half or 4 miles. With this, I walk or do a light jog and then return to walking. I repeat this pattern so that my heart rate increases mimicking what it would feel like if I were dancing a ballet.

It is scary to see how fast the body loses stamina and how long it usually takes to build it back up. It is a steep mountain to climb. Other than working on my cross training and teaching, I am researching future dance education. It is a topic that has always interested me and I figured now was a good time. In addition, I have connected with friends through Zoom, some of which I have not spoken to in years. One friend I reconnected with, I last spoke to in 2007 before she moved from Boston back to her hometown in Australia. There has also been a lot of reconnecting with my family. Typically, I see family members during performance season or the holidays. Right now, since we are not traveling, Zoom dates with my parents and brother, aunt, and close friends are on my weekly schedule. I do not know why this was not a normal event before! Seeing my family and forming new connections has filled me with so much joy and it has opened my eyes to new perspectives on our present situation. I just hope to continue these dates after our “shelter in place” is lifted. It has been an unbelievable ride.

With this challenge, there is a silver lining. I firmly believe everything happens for a reason. I would say the days are starting to blur together, but I am trying to find a comfort that what I am doing is enough to stay on track. As I self-reflect, I am so eager and inspired to be back in the studio. I will embrace each moment more than I already do and enjoy the freedom of being in an open space fueled with energy. For now, more than any injury I have dealt with in the past, I realize again how quickly life can change.

Samantha Hope Galler. Photo by Daniel Azoulay.

Contributor Samantha Hope Galler, a Bedford, Mass. native, spent 13 years training with The Ballet Academy, Inc., under the direction of Frances Kotelly in the Cecchetti Method. She performed six seasons with The Northeast Youth Ballet under the direction of Denise Cecere. She continued training, on scholarship, with Boston Ballet School and received the PAO Merit Trainee Scholarship. She received the NFAA Honorable Mention Award in Ballet. Galler spent summers training at Boston Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and Boston Conservatory. She danced with Cincinnati Ballet in their 2008-2009 season under the direction of Victoria Morgan.

Samantha spent five seasons with Alabama Ballet under the direction of Tracey Alvey and Roger Van Fleteren. During her tenure there, she was promoted to principal dancer. She had the honor of performing some of her dream roles including Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, The Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty, The Sylph and Effie in La Sylphide, Myrtha and Moyna in Giselle, Dryad Queen and Mercedes in Don Quixote, the Rancher’s Daughter in Agnes De Mille’s Rodeo. Her Balanchine roles included Dark Angel in Serenade; The Sugarplum Fairy, Arabian and Lead Marzipan in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™; and the principal roles in Allegro Brillante and Tarantella. She has also performed in Jiří Kylian’s Sechs Tanze, and Van Fleteren’s Shostakovich and Romancing Rachmaninov, both world premieres.

Samantha joined Miami City Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2014. Since joining Miami City Ballet, Samantha has performed in various roles including as the Sugar Plum Fairy in Balanchine’s The Nutcracker and as the Harp Soloist in Balanchine’s Raymonda Variations.

Galler joined Miami City Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2014 and was promoted to Soloist in 2018. Galler was named a Capezio Athlete in August 2017.

Follow Samantha on her website and blog.

Taking Dance Classes Online – Adapting Expectations

April 9, 2020 by 4dancers

We’re pleased to bring you a timely article revolving around the current COVID-19 crisis / quarantine, and the many online dance classes that we are now seeing on social media. It is wonderful that we have these online resources for our dancers–however, we need to continually be mindful of how best to safely bring online dance classes to homebound students.

Our guest contributor is Sutton Anker, MSc. Sutton has a strong background in dance medicine and science, having done her BFA (concentration in dance science) at University of Wyoming, with Margaret Wilson, PhD and Jennifer Deckert, MFA–two prominent researchers in the field. She went on to obtain her MSc in Dance Science from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, and remained in the UK for two years. While in the UK, she completed her Safe in Dance International (SiDI) Certification, and also became a SiDI Provider (meaning she can teach courses for certification), one of only two in the USA. She is based in Denver, CO, USA, where she is affiliated with Denver Dance Medicine Associates, and teaches at a competition dance studio. She is also a BASI Pilates instructor, and works for IADMS (International Association for Dance Medicine and Science).
Enjoy the article, and please pass it on.

Take care / stay healthy / stay safe — Jan Dunn, Dance Wellness Editor

Almost overnight, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some elements of our lives have turned upside down, including many activities moving to virtual platforms. From work meetings and coffee dates to game nights and dance classes, our activities are now largely mediated by a screen. My partner’s workspace used to be a corporate office, sitting at a desk, with a computer screen in front of him, talking to people. The only thing that has changed now for him is no more corporate office, but instead a bedroom office and our cat is able to cuddle up next to him.

In comparison, my workspace used to be a vast open room, with a marley sprung floor, a surround sound system, and barres along the perimeter. My workspace is now my 6ft by 6ft carpeted living room, with no overhead lights, a couch, and a coffee table I have to move into the dining area before every class. Luckily, cat is also included.

My dance students are dancing in their bedrooms, because their family is occupying other parts of the house. Their only option is a 3ft by 4ft (if that) carpeted area next to a bed and a cluttered desk, with a lamp as their only light source. Or, they’re dancing in their family living room where the dog won’t let them successfully hold a plank and thinks it’s play time, and you hear a parent talking in the background! Distraction much? This dark, small, cluttered bedroom might be ideal to a teenager when they can use this space as their getaway sleeping nook–but suddenly it has become their classroom, bedroom, social hangout, and now dance studio.

Social media is booming with virtual class offerings from local studios, professional companies, and individual dance artists. This provides dancers an exciting opportunity to stay connected to a community and to keep their bodies active during these uncertain times. As I see young students taking classes and videos of dancers popping up on all of my social media pages, I can’t help but think, “Is this safe?” Although there are several benefits to offering online classes–financially, socially, and personally–it is our duty as dance teachers, parents, students, and professionals to safeguard these artists in these changing contexts. Both teachers and dancers must adapt our expectations to meet the change in environment and mental wellbeing.

It is normal to feel sad, unsure, scared, and angry during this time of quarantine. This time is not, and should not be social isolation, but a physical isolation. Fortunately, the virus cannot spread from one screen to another–so aren’t we lucky to have a way to connect? As advised by the World Health Organization, during this time we should stay connected to our family, friends, community, and arts to maintain a healthy mental wellbeing.

Teaching a dance class virtually has allowed us to see our students, maintain our sense of dance community and teachers can continue sharing their passion. But, to what extent? What should we be expecting of them? Should our class flow and demands shift as their dance environment has had to shift? The short answer? Absolutely!

Here is what the research says on the impact the dance environment and mental wellbeing has on safeguarding our students:

Dance floor: The quality, size, and characteristics of the dance floor directly relate to injury. Research has shown that that an unsuitable floor is associated with injury when jumping and turning (Quin et al, 2015). Experienced and novice dancers are susceptible to injury, particularly in the lower limb that takes the most impact (Laws, 2008). Injuries associated with jumping on hard or inadequate surfaces include patellar tendonitis, stress fractures in the feet, and shin splits (Simmel, 2009). When turning on an inadequate floor space, like carpet, this can cause a higher risk of injuries in the knee and ankle due to not having the proper foot mechanics. An ideal floor is flat, smooth, sprung to absorb impact, and vast in space.

Environment: Ensuring that a dance space is environmentally equipped and safe for dancers is key for overall safe dance practice (Quin et al, 2015). Environmental factors such as proper lighting, adequate space with no obstructions, and temperature can all relate to the safety and risk of injury. If any one of these components is not adequate, adaptations need to change for what can be expected of that dancer.

Psychological: Injuries can occur due to psychological factors, meaning when an individual’s mental wellbeing is poor, they are more prone to injury (Skvarla & Clement, 2019). For many of the students, their social and emotional needs are not currently being fully met due to the quarantine, causing their psychological wellbeing to have shifted. Additionally, many young students are adapting to a new schedule and new routine for school, family, and dance. In consideration to routine, adding more to the schedule is unnecessary and can lead to burnout or other harmful physical and psychological outcomes. All of these mental and emotional changes should be considered by student, parent, and teacher in regard to safeguarding during online dance sessions.

Expectations of the dance class should adapt to respond to the changes in workspace- flooring, environment, and mental shifts. Although some students or teachers might have access to large open rooms and a ballet barre, not everyone has that privilege. Student’s safety and health is a teacher’s highest priority. But asking them to jump, turn, and do everything “full out” is not safe during this time.

It is the duty of the dancer to communicate what is possible for them to do in their space, and the responsibility of the teacher to adapt their teaching plans and demands to safeguard their students.

How can we create classes so that they are effective, progress training, and are accessible for each student–regardless of the space? Here are some places to start:

Consider the flow of the class:

First, and foremost, always, warm-up and cool-down. This goes for both teacher and student. Have your bodies and minds ready for the space you are about to move in (Quin et al, 2015).

Avoid jumps. Without proper flooring, and adequate cueing from the teacher (which are both difficult in quarantine times), jumping could cause harm to the student and to the teacher demonstrating the movement.

Avoid turns, particularly for those on carpet. Implement balance exercises or discuss the mechanics of the turns instead.

Although it is recommended to have a peak stage in a class in regard to the demand or challenge of movement, consider how this stage can be reduced for safety or done in a different context than being met physically, like through discuss, research, or watching it done in video.

To continue training these elements, consider doing conditioning work and utilizing motor imagery. Have the dancers visualize themselves performing the task or the dance full-out, as this has been shown to be beneficial for the firing of the muscles and success of the movement (Krasnow & Wilmerding, 2015).

Change the content of the class

Emphasize to your dancers they do not have to take every class offered. The body needs a physical and mental rest. Try to stick to your typical dance or workout schedule, including dance styles – avoid adding more in and do not feel obligated to participate.

Play a game! This is a great way to keep them moving, thinking creatively, and connected to their fellow dancers. This can be something from your usual dance class transformed to the virtual world or create something new.

Let them create movement rather than setting movement on them. We need to adapt to where they are, with a different setting and space allowance. So instead of setting our expectations and making them come to us, let’s come to them.

Watch dance together. Find a YouTube video or other platform to watch dance and discuss it together. After watching, the students can create a piece using the film as inspiration.

Discuss and implement psychological skills such as meditation, imagery, mindfulness, goal setting, and positive self-talk. It has been shown that teachers who discuss, encourage, and apply psychological skills have a positive impact on dancers’ wellbeing and overall performance (Klockare et al., 2011).

Consider implementing Somatic practices taught by you or a Somatic professional.

Introduce conditioning and strength training classes. There are various platforms available for Pilates, conditioning, etc. Be sure to check the qualifications of the instructor to ensure you are receiving correct and research supported information.

Ask the experts!

There are many professionals in the dance and dance wellness world currently stuck in their homes eagerly wanting to share their knowledge. Reach out and invite them to your Zoom session and discuss their expertise with your dancers. This is a great opportunity to engage our students with the dance and dance wellness communities on a larger scale. For example:

Invite a dance medicine PT in to talk about injury reduction.

Invite a nutritionist in to inform them that as delicious as salty potato chips are in the midst of a quarantine, we should keep a balanced diet to fuel our bodies with proteins, starchy carbs, good amounts of veggies, and fruits (Challis & Stevens, 2016).*

Ask a Pilates instructors or a conditioning coach to provide exercises that can be done with little to no equipment in small spaces to keep dancer’s bodies strong and mobile.

Reach out to a professional dance company to see if one of their dancers will share their experiences.

Need some contacts? Here are some sites to start searching:
- 4dancers.org (we have plenty of great resources right here!)
- International Association for Dance Medicine and Science; IADMS Medicine and Education Organization Page
- Denver Dance Medicine Associates
- OneDance UK
- Safe in Dance International

Although we all desperately miss our vast studios and the energy of the dance space, the quarantine is a necessity for the wellbeing of our communities and our economy, locally and globally. We are creative by nature and are able to continue moving, creating, learning, and sharing during this. Let’s be sure we are doing so in a manner that facilitates the safety and wellbeing of ourselves and our students.

(*Updated 4/11 to be more inclusive of healthy eating specifics.)

Sutton Anker has a strong passion for teaching: dance technique, dance science/wellness, Pilates, and creative movement classes for all ages and abilities. Her interest in dance medicine and science began at the University of Wyoming where she earned her B.F.A. in 2013 in Dance concentration of Science. Throughout her time at Wyoming, Sutton participated in and co-coordinated various dance science research projects, while also spending time on the stage both during her four years and post-graduation.

In 2015, Sutton graduated with her Masters of Science in Dance Science from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, U.K. Sutton has presented two of her mirror research studies including her Master’s thesis, An Investigation of Pedagogical Rationales for Current Mirror Use in a Ballet Technique Class at the 2016 IADMS conference in Hong Kong.

Sutton’s personal and academic interest in pedagogy and advocacy for safe dance practice is what drew her to be a Safe in Dance International (SiDI) Registered Provider, teaching safe dance practice to dancers, teachers, and parents throughout the U.S. Alongside teaching dance technique at a local studio, Sutton is a BASI Pilates instructor educating and working with individuals, and dancers, on their personal wellness. In 2019, Sutton joined IADMS as the Program and Marketing Specialist to assist teams across the organization to plan, coordinate, and implement successful conference programming and marketing campaigns. In addition to her teaching and IADMS role, Sutton teaches workshops on dance wellness and Pilates for dancers on behalf of SiDI and Denver Dance Medicine Associates.

References:

Cumming J, Duda JL. Profiles of perfectionism, body-related concerns, and indicators of psychological health in vocational dance students: An investigation of the 2× 2 model of perfectionism. Psychol Sport Exercise. 2012; 13(6).

Challis, J. & Stevens, A. (2016). Nutrition Resource Paper. International Associations for Dance Medicine and Science Resources Paper Online.

Laws, K. (2008). Physics and the art of dance: Understanding movement (2^nd ed). Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.

Klockare, E., Gustafsson, H., & Nordin-Bates, S. M. (2011). An interpretative phenomenological analysis of how professional dance teachers implement psychological skills training in practice. Research In Dance Education, 12(3). doi:10.1080/14647893.2011.614332

Krasnow, D., & Wilmerding, V. (2015) Motor Learning and Control for Dance. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Quin, E., Rafferty, S., & Tomlinson, C. (2015) Safe Dance Practice: An Applied Dance Science Perspective. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Skvarla, L. & Clement, D. (2019) The Delivery of a Short-Term Psychological Skills Training Program to College Dance Students. Journal of Dance Medicine and Science 23(4). https://doi.org/10.12678/1089-313X.23.4.159

Shifting Gears in My Dance Career

January 20, 2020 by 4dancers

by Luis Edwardo Gonzalez

I wanted to write about something I learned through an experience that I think most dancers – as well as others who have dedicated themselves to something for so long that they begin to mistake it for the fabric of their identity – can relate to. To me the experience has really been a lesson in telling the truth. One of my favorite writers Elizabeth Gilbert has a lot of great lessons to share about telling the truth, and how difficult that can sometimes be, but one of my favorite quotes I’ve read from her is, “you should do your best to have a completely honest relationship with at least one person in your life, and it’s probably best if that person is you”. People always talk about how you are what you do and maybe to a certain extent that’s true, but I also feel that there is something to be said about not needing to be or do a thing in order to have value. Also not evaluating one’s self-worth according to how well you are calibrating your life choices to what people expect from you. If you follow my writing at all or know me, you know that I’ve been dancing at Joffrey Ballet for the last four years. You may also know that through a series of difficult twists of life I began to fall out of love with my career. I don’t think I ever lost passion for the art form, but the life of a dancer in a company somehow lost its provision of purpose for me.

I have for some time understood that emotions are often situational and therefore, temporary. I also was aware that the questions that plagued my day to day may have just come with the territory of being twenty-five. Although the cliché of a quarter life crisis is not a notion I loved, I also had to come to terms with the fact that trying to ignore it would only make things worse. I had dealt with debilitating medical health complications, the death of a loved one, an uncomfortable dynamic at work, and a rocky romantic relationship. Each time I did everything I could to move past it and not feel.

Once I actually allowed myself to feel the effects of everything I came to a realization. I decided that even if I look back on this moment ten years from now and roll my eyes at the gravity of the moment, or if I change my mind a month from now and realize I’ve made a mistake – then this is a mistake I have to make. There is no way to know what the road ahead of has in store, and at times it’s hard to know what I want it to be, but I do know that standing still without purpose on roads I’ve already taken will slowly chip away at my spirit until any light that is left withers away like a plant without water.

At the end of last season, I chose to take a break from ballet.

Dancer Luis Edwardo Gonzales in Paris — Luis in Paris

I had been to Europe on tour the summer before all of this happened, and I knew that I just needed a break from my life; a moment to be completely alone. I decided to get a plane ticket and not tell anyone where I was going. I visited Poland, Switzerland, and France, and kept a journal along the way. I think I needed to write because it was really one of the most vulnerable moments I’ve ever had. I can honestly say that while I was away I could be completely present and submerged in the both exciting and terrifying feeling of not knowing. I felt selfish, because it was first time in a while that I gave myself permission to ask if I was happy, and if the decisions that dictate the trajectory of my life were based on what I wanted, what I thought I should want, what others want for me, or what feels safe to do. Contrary to what I had expected, almost every moment on my trip to find answers was full of stress and discomfort. I never expected I would be in all of the romance and splendor that Europe has to offer and in some moments be anxiously awaiting the day I got home.

I’ll start by saying I highly recommend traveling alone to anyone. There are obviously safety considerations to be taken, but all in all pushing yourself drastically out of a place of stagnant comfort is one of the most enlightening and fulfilling things. Like most things that are worthwhile, traveling alone did not come without its fair share of difficult moments. There were language barriers and many locals who were rather indifferent to foreigners. When I arrived in Poland, my Airbnb host was nowhere to be found, and it rained much of the time I was there. In Switzerland my bag was stolen out of the locker where I left it to walk around Zurich. I missed my flight in Paris due to a truck blowing up on the highway on my way to the airport. These are just a few of the difficulties I pushed through during the trip, but in every city I went to I also pushed myself to take class. As I was boarding my flight back to the U.S I realized that aside from the stunning architecture, amazing food, and occasional pleasant surprises with the locals, the happiest I was while I was in Europe was while I was dancing.

Honestly before the season began with Joffrey, I had already decided it would be my last. I think the main reason I decided to come back was that I had not yet come to terms with the fact that I didn’t owe it to anyone else to be there. A long time ago, I, like so many young ballet students fell in love with the idea of success – an idea that is sold to us by media as: making a big paycheck, dancing for a big company, and living in a big city. Since I had achieved those things, I felt I had no right to complain or to allow myself question why I wasn’t happy once I had them.

In different schools I’ve taught at I am sometimes asked to share my experience with students in a sort of question and answer format. Some of the questions I remember getting were things like; if I get a contract to somewhere like ABT but also a smaller company, which is better to chose? Or how do you know when is the right time to leave a company, or is it better to stay somewhere for a long time? I felt a bit of nostalgia I think, but also a realization that my perspective of things that once seemed so black or white had changed. I now saw the millions of other colors; millions of other variables in life that can completely change a sequence of events, a decision, or a situation.

I’m not from what one would call an artistic family, so it was kind of a hard sell for my Colombian parents (mother; Data Warehousing Engineer, Father; Architect) that I wanted to be a ballet dancer. I had to prove to them with my work and persistence that this wasn’t just a passing fad that I would eventually leave for the next hobby. For me, I think a part of staying at Joffrey was proof of my keeping of the promise I made to them, and myself, that I would one day be able to thrive with this dream that I had pushed them to spend their time and money on. I had to leave because I came to terms with the fact that I tried tirelessly to fit into the puzzle of a place that I knew hadn’t felt right for some time, and I could feel my enthusiasm for my work slowly fading.

It took me some time to be able to reflect on the fact that so many wonderful things also took place while I was in Chicago because at the time of my leaving things felt somewhat bleak. The four years I spent with Joffrey taught me so much and gave me a lot to feel thankful for; The people that I’ve worked with and for, the experiences I’ve shared with them, as well as the ways they have pushed me in one way or another. I have found that there is more agency over the trajectory of life than is superficially understood, and it’s all in listening to your heart and acting accordingly to both that and the present circumstances.

No one can tell you what the “right” choice is because everyone’s version of that will vary. In the end it’s only your choice that matters and you are the only one that can make it. The love and support I felt on stage when I took my last bow, as well as throughout the years I was there, honestly left me with only gratitude; for the opportunities that life has given me to grow but also the wonderful moments I’ve been given to enjoy and those I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy them with.

Partly by my own nature but also because I was raised to be, I am a people pleaser. Always be agreeable, never be a burden, don’t rub people the wrong way, don’t talk differently or too much, don’t walk differently, have good posture, be assertive but never bossy, always air on the side of reserved –but mostly do your best to always be well liked. As a result, I’ve spent a lot if my life making decisions, calculating actions and curating my life according to what I thought other people would want to see. This makes developing artistic integrity difficult. It’s hard to keep a sense of direction in life when the course is changed by what one anticipates someone else might find agreeable, and then changing it depending on who one is surrounded by. It’s almost like not being sure of where you want to go because you’re not really sure of why you’ve chosen to go where you’ve already been so in a moment of being unhappy with a present situation one just settles into unhappiness and gets comfortable sinking further into it until someone new comes along and says where to go next.

Dancer Luis Edwardo Gonzales — Luis on his travels

When I got back from Europe, I had a missed call and a supportive message from the man who gave me my first professional contract, Robert Hill. Almost as soon he had heard about my plans to leave Joffrey, he reached out to offer guidance and encouragement. We were in contact for some time going back and forth about what I wanted to do, but in the end, he pushed me to give dance another shot. He spoke of his tireless efforts to foster an environment in his company with a focus on the general health of the Organization and offered that it could be an ideal place to help me get back in touch with my passion for the art form.

In the meantime, I spent time with my family, and took class with my mentor Maniya Barredo who gave me the gift of ballet. It took me a few weeks to come to a conclusion, but Robert was patient and understanding of my need to have a moment to breathe. As I mentioned he gave me my first job many years ago, and I know he believes in passion for the art form as well as nurturing efficacy in his dancers. I’ve only been back to dancing for two weeks at this point, but the first choreographer we worked with was Jessica Lang who is setting her ballet Lyric Pieces. I had never worked with her in the past, but I resonated with her approach to working right away. During one of the rehearsals last week she said, “I believe in making the work the star, not you, not me not the company but the art”. She already had me at hello, but it’s so rare to work with someone who has a big name and still can keep that level of humility and respect for the art form. It was just the thing I needed at that moment. (? What do you think?)

I know that what happened to me was not was not some great injustice or a terrible tragedy, and that the issues I faced have happened to many others – as well as much worse. The thing that I’ve learned about pain though is that it’s all relative. Unhappiness, no matter what the cause, is difficult to overcome, and when a situation doesn’t feel right, ignoring that instinct and continuing to push for a lie corrodes at one’s resolve. I no longer feel a responsibility for knowing how I’m going to feel in the future, or even who or what I’m going to be. I know who I am now, and that is someone on a journey to live a life that fights for telling the truth even when it gets hard. I dance, love, write, sing, travel and make art because on the days that I want to because I love it, but I do my best to remind myself that I am not defined or validated by it. At some point I started to realize that it is not my responsibility to worry about what other people’s perception of me is, and holding myself responsible for other people’s thoughts is a burden that is really my choice to carry. It felt crazy and rebellious at the time but it has made a huge difference in my overall wellbeing to know that it’s O.K. to make mistakes and love things and people, make decisions that you change your mind about, and just generally live without fear and not be ruined by it.

I’ve done the reckless, selfish thing of changing my life on a whim that was honest, and I’m still here. And, as we all learn in dance, the finishing of one step – is the beginning of the next.

BIO: Luis Eduardo Gonzalez is originally from Bogota, Colombia, where he grew up before moving to Atlanta, Georgia. From a very young age, his training came primarily from the continued direction of Ms. Maniya Barredo, former prima ballerina of Atlanta Ballet and current director of Metropolitan Ballet Theatre. Mr. Gonzalez has received the Star Student award at Regional Dance America’s SERBA, took third place at the Regional Youth American Grand Prix competition in 2008, first place pas de deux at the American Ballet Competition in 2013, and was selected to compete as the only representative of Colombia in the 2014 Jackson International Ballet Competition.

Mr. Gonzalez began his professional career at sixteen with The Houston Ballet II, where he had the opportunity to dance works by Stanton Welch, Balanchine, Claudio Munos, Ben Stevenson among other renowned choreographers, as well as tour both nationally and internationally. At 18, he joined Orlando Ballet where he danced for three years, performing and originating works by director Robert Hill such as peter and the wolf, Ravel’s Bolero, Carmina Burana, Swan Lake and many others. In 2015 Mr. Gonzalez Joined the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago where he preformed and originated roles on stages all over the world. Some of the works in his repertoire include; Orphe and Euridice, Sylvia by John Neumeier, Mammatus by Anabelle Lopez Ochoa, Nutcracker and Swan lake by Christopher Wheeldon, Raku, Miraculous Mandarin, Anna Karenina by Yuri Possokhov, Glass Pieces by Jerome Robins, Body of your Dreams by Miles Thacher and many others. In 2019 Gonzalez retuned to Orlando Ballet and has since danced works by Victoria Morgan, Robert Hill, and Jessica Lang.

Are you trying to figure out what to do with your dance career? Want to know what some of your options may be? Here’s an ebook that interviews 60+ pros in various fields that is super helpful!

Dancing Joffrey’s Jane Eyre

October 15, 2019 by 4dancers

by José Pablo

My name is José Pablo, aka JP, at least that’s what everyone calls me in the Company–and I love it. I’m writing this to tell a little bit about how I got to The Joffrey Ballet, what it’s like being in a professional company and about the process of putting together the ballet Jane Eyre; but first, some background.

I was born and raised in Queretaro, Mexico, and started my ballet training at the age of six. I came to Chicago for the first time when I was 14 years old when Ashley Wheater offered me a scholarship for the Joffrey’s Summer Intensive in YAGP Mexico in 2015. Once I was in the summer intensive, I auditioned for the Joffrey Academy and was offered a full scholarship for the full year as a Pre-Professional Level VI student; so I moved to Chicago all by myself to continue with my training. I got the incredible opportunity of being in the children’s cast of Christopher Wheeldon’s The Nutcracker. A year later I was offered another scholarship, this time for the Conservatory Program; another year passed and Raymond Rodriguez, Head of Trainee and Studio Company at Joffrey, promoted me to Studio Company where I got to take classes with the main Company various times as well as learn, rehearse and perform with them. It was very exciting to see all the dancers in the Company especially when I wanted to become one of them one day.

JP in the Academy’s performance of Coppelia, 2018. Photo by Matt Glavin

This is my first season with The Joffrey Ballet, and my first season as a professional dancer. After being a student, everything is very different in a company. In the Academy, I had all sorts of classes, from ballet to contemporary or character, modern, or variations. In the Company we take ballet class first thing in the morning and then rehearse all day long. The most challenging thing for me right now is that I’m 17 and I’m still in high school. I do online school and I think it’s a great way to finish my academic studies, but sometimes it can be really frustrating.

Learning Jane Eyre has been fun. At times it was a slow learning process which is nice for me because I’m still getting used to learning so much choreography in such little time–but it has definitely been a wonderful experience to learn a ballet with such a beautiful and dramatic story. My roles in the ballet are a D-Men and little John. As D-Men, we do a lot of dancing with the “Janes” (there is a young Jane and an adult Jane), and it’s very interesting because our job is to be all the negativities and insecurities that Jane has, so even though the audience can see us, we have to feel and make them feel like we aren’t really there–almost as if we were ghosts– except we’re in Jane’s head. As John (Mom’s favorite son), I get to dance with my sisters Georgina and Elizabeth which are very spoiled as well, and basically what we do is make young Jane’s life impossible. We fight her, we kick her and make fun of her until our Mother decides that she needs to go. She thinks Jane is the troublemaker even though she came to our house because she didn’t have anywhere else to go.

I hope everyone can come see Jane Eyre and enjoy it as much as we do when we are dancing it. Want to know a little bit more about me? Go to joffrey.org/cuevas to read my bio and follow me on Instagram as @jpcastro_1912.

Joffrey’s Jane Eyre opens on October 16 and runs through the 27th. Tickets are still available.

José Pablo Castro Cuevas joined The Joffrey Ballet in July 2019.

Mr. Castro was born in Queretaro, Mexico, and started dancing at the age of six. He participated for the first time in the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) Mexico in 2013 and received scholarships for the Escuela Superior de Musica y Danza de Monterrey and for PROVER Programa Profesional de Ballet en Córdoba, Veracruz, Córdoba, where he moved to continue his training under the direction of Martha Sahagun and Adria Velazquez. In 2015, he competed in the National Ballet Competition in Mexico City and got an invitation to the L’École Supérieure de Ballet du Québec and was mentioned as an honorific dancer. He attended YAGP Mexico once again in 2015 in which he received a scholarship for the Joffrey Academy of Dance in Chicago.

Mr. Castro moved to Chicago at the age of 14 to join the Joffrey Academy’s Pre-Professional Program Level VI, and then the Conservatory Program, both directed by Karin Ellis-Wentz. Shortly, Raymond Rodriguez, Joffrey’s Head of Trainee and Studio Company offered him a promotion to the Studio Company. During his time at the Joffrey Academy, he had the chance to perform with the main Company several times, including Christopher Wheeldon’s world premiere of The Nutcracker in 2016, as well as in the following two seasons, and Wayne McGregor’s INFRA. He performed as one of the lead dancers in Gerald Arpino’s Viva Vivaldi and as Franz in the ballet Coppélia, both during his time as a member of Joffrey’s Studio Company.

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