4dancers – Page 108

National Dance Week 2010

April 28, 2010 by 4dancers

If you aren’t already aware, this week is National Dance Week, running from April 23rd to May 2nd…

Many activities are going on to celebrate dance this week in all forms and the official “National Dance Week” organization offers many ways to get involved. If you weren’t on board this year, take a look at some of the events and contests they offer and gear up for joining in next year…

This offers studio owners, schools and universities ample opportunity to bring about an awareness of dance, as well as raise the profile of the program or business within the community. Start planning now for 2011!

Dance Professionals: Why You Need Social Media

April 27, 2010 by 4dancers

Think you can do without social media? Perhaps you’d better think again…

Social media is fast becoming an important part of an overall marketing strategy and it continues to be embraced by a wide range of people. I fought it in the beginning, but I had to give in eventually!

I have found a great resource from Kodak that gives some terrific tips and strategies for utilizing various social networking platforms to your advantage. It also has some interesting stats in the document, such as:

Each minute, ten hours of video is uploaded to YouTube. This could be a commercial for your studio or a clip of you dancing that you link to from your website. You never know who might see the video.

There are 44 million (and counting) Twitter users. Can you afford to ignore them? I have had companies in the dance field contact me for reviews, interviews and other opportunities. It happens. Signing up takes only a minute. (Follow 4dancers!)

Over 120 million people log on to Facebook at least once a day. Creating a fan page or a place to connect with people on this social media site can be useful for communicating information. (Why not join our fan page too while you’re at it?)

If you haven’t signed on to the social media scene yet, why not begin today. Start simple. Set up a Twitter account or a LinkedIn page. Take it one step at a time. You’ll thank yourself later on down the road…trust me.

The Motion Manifesto

April 25, 2010 by 4dancers

One thing I want to be sure I do on 4dancers is highlight those who are up-and-coming in the dance scene. While those of us who have been around a while have plenty to offer dancers that are younger, they have an energy and fresh spirit that can energize us–if we let it!

Today I’d like to point out a blog called The Motion Manifesto, written by Purchase College student, Rachael Pazdan.

: Rachael Pazdan

Billed as a way to “Find the Latest Info on the Purchase College Dance Scene”, this lighthearted but passionate blog takes a look at what is going on in dance at this New York school. You will find things here like an interview with one of the deans in the dance department and photos/video of some of the dance performances that are going on around campus.

Purchase College offers a BFA in Modern or Ballet Performance, Choreography or Dance Production and a MA in Choreography or Performance/Teaching. They are also home to the Purchase Dance Corps, which is the performing company for the Conservatory of Dance at the school.

I’m so happy to see people out there blogging about what is going on in their part of the dance world–be it college, a dance company or even just a performance they attended. Through the magic of the web we can all see so much more of what is out there! Plus, I always enjoy the enthusiasum of young writers such as Pazdan who are involved in dance and share their love of it without reservation.

If you know of any other dance blogs that showcase young, fresh voices, please feel free to include them below in a comment for our readers to check out…

10 Questions With…Danny Ryan

April 20, 2010 by 4dancers

Today for our 10 Questions With… feature we have Danny Ryan…

1. How did you get involved with ballet and what are you doing now?

From the time I started school I was exposed to the arts. The elementary, middle and high schools I attended were all public arts schools, which covered all arts areas as well as dance. However, I never liked dance, and I had a terrible fear of performing on stage. Once I arrived in middle school you were allowed (in your second year) to choose two arts areas to focus on. I started playing music in elementary school so band was a natural choice, but dance I only choose because my best friends father was the teacher. That class consisted more of your creative movement, and introduction to very basic dance composition rather then any “real” technical training. It wasn’t until my sophomore year in high school after almost dropping the dance program completely and having suffered a soccer injury, that a man named Rafael Delgado, a Master Ballet Teacher, took me under his wing and taught me as much as he could in four years.

Now, after performing for the Louisville Ballet, and the Kansas City Ballet I am dancing for Ben Stevenson O.B.E. at the Texas Ballet Theatre in Dallas Fort Worth.

Danny Ryan

2. Do you have any advice for men who want to do this professionally?

First and foremost work your butt off!!!! Closely followed by dance like a man, be strong on stage but also be beautiful. Performance quality, acting, line, and the ability to convey emotion on stage will always trump tricks. Work on those things, get a very strong and clean technique. You can always work on the tricks later.

3. What have you found to be the most amazing thing about ballet?

Here is a recent example of just one of the things that makes this art form so amazing. At TBT we are in between performances of The Sleeping Beauty. In a recent show I went from 18th century court man, to an evil monster, to a prince from the south, to a peasant, and then Puss n’ Boots. That’s five completely different worlds, people and emotions in three hours. Not many people will ever know what it might be like to portray a cat, or a prince etc. and that’s what is so amazing about ballet.

4. Can you share an experience in dance that was particularly amazing for you?

As an apprentice for the Louisville Ballet, during my very first season in a professional company I was given the oppourtunity to perform Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs. It was the second rep show of the season, and my first major role. It was a Saturday night and the show was sold out, Wendy Whelan and Albert Evans were performing with the us as guests. My partner and I were the first pas in the ballet and I will never forget how I felt once we made it through and the crowd broke out clapping. I thought that feeling couldn’t be topped and walking off the stage I was so high on dance. The first person to grab my arm and say “great job!” was Wendy. I will never forget that.

5. Is there anything you don’t like about what you are doing?

I definitely don’t like when you go to the doctor to have them x-ray your foot to see if you’ve broken any bones, and as he’s looking says “well there is this” but continues on as if it doesn’t matter. So then after he’s done you ask him what was that he saw but passed over, and his response is “well since you’re a dancer its normal, its not a big deal just some wear and tear that is common among those that dance, but if you weren’t a dancer it would be a concern.” Yeah, its gonna hurt really bad later on!

6. Do you have any favorite dancers?

Nureyev is my number one, and when Yuri Possokhov was still dancing for San Francisco he was my hands down favorite of that time. Currently I really like John Michael Schert of Trey McIntyre Project. He has incredible lines, amazing articulation, control and musicality. I will forever love Wendy Whelan, the master of Mr. B’s leotard ballets. My two favorites however are Lucas Priolo and Carolyn Judson. Lucas is the most handsome prince and partner, the emotion and power behind every performance is amazing and his Romeo will make the hardest of people cry. Carolyn unleashes a magic on stage that Houdini himself would marvel at, pure classical lines and performance quality.

7. What do you think that the most important thing is in terms of practicing ballet?

The most important thing is finding a teacher that believes in you, pushes you and gives you sound guidance. Once you find that person the next thing is to work with them as often as you can. If they do a summer program be sure to go, no matter your age. Find a way to make it happen and submerge yourself, turn off the cell phone for four weeks and work!

8. Do you think you have developed skills in dance that have transfered to the rest of your life? If so, what are they?

Absolutely, in dance if you want to be good or become better you have to work hard, and that applies to anything else you pursue outside of dance. Also teamwork, problem solving, working under extreme pressure and with extremely sensitive and sometimes very difficult people. All these skills will also benefit you outside of dance.

9. What is the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you about dance?

First and foremost dance is a business.

10. What is next for you in your career?

Next on my plate is being at TBT and learning as much as I can from Ben and the artistic staff here. I have found the place that works best for me. This summer I will be enjoying home in Milwaukee to see my mom get married and then spending four or five weeks with my teacher John Magnus. Also I’d like to continue developing my choreographic skills and start teaching more. I’m trying to gather as much knowledge and information as I can, so down the road after my performing career I can stay in this field as teacher, ballet master, or director. This is what I love and care about and I want to pass it on.

Danny Ryan began his professional training with Rafael Delgado in his hometown of Milwaukee. He then went on to further his studies with the Joffrey Ballet School before joining the Louisville Ballet in 2006. After spending two seasons with the Louisville Ballet, Mr. Ryan joined the Kansas City Ballet. Mr. Ryan’s repertoire includes works by Twyla Tharp, Trey McIntyre, Alun Jones, and Agnes De Mille as well as world premières by Graham Lustig, Adam Houghland, and Lauri Stallings. Mr. Ryan has appeared as a guest artist in England, Canada and throughout the United States and during the offseason trains extensively with teacher and mentor John Magnus. Currently Mr. Ryan is performing with the Texas Ballet Theater under the directorship of Ben Stevenson O.B.E.

Flamenco Training Basics

April 13, 2010 by 4dancers

by Karen Stelling

It isn’t spoken of very often in flamenco classes but this dance form requires every bit as much body training as any other dance form. Granted most flamenco dancers do not have to master a mean Cabriole Double as part of their regular technique, (landing with boots or shoes would DEFINITELY make it interesting however!) or other feats of derring-do, but flexibility, strength and correct posture are de rigueur.

Stretching, strength building and posture improvement (look in the mirror, please!) not only improve a flamenco dancer’s anatomy but improve technique, increase a dancer’s ability to sustain energy and breath for demanding sections of heel work or turns and facilitate ones ability to go from stillness to “striking”, not unlike a cobra, unleashing energy in a controlled deliberate fashion.

I have found that especially for the “brazeo” or arm movements, stretching of the entire arm, usually in a position over and behind the head, on a regular basis allows greater movement of the arms into and out of any position. Imagine that you are “strung up” by your wrists, casually blowing in the wind like laundry on a summer day…Well, okay that’s probably a little too comfy a description, because it isn’t exactly that pretty but that’s the basic idea! There was a time that I used soup cans (full, not empty!) one in each hand, to pass through all the basic arm positions. I built strength and control as well by doing this.

Many students and dancers I observe often forget that the strength needs to continue into the wrists, hands and fingers to complete the line. I firmly believe that ALL the upper body and arm energy emanates from the center of the back, like the trunk of a great tree, with the branches carrying that energy outward. It makes sense then to keep the center both strong and flexible. Doing upper and lower abdominal strengthening movements along with the side-waist muscles or obliques builds the “core.” Proper footwork takes a strong center to lift the weight out of the legs and allow them to move freely but with great control.

Of course, there remains and likely always will be, a huge emphasis on heel work and banging out great sounds, which often diminishes what the rest of the body is doing, especially the center of the body and the arms, neck and head. I’ve often commented in my classes that “any knucklehead with a decent sense of rhythm can do heel work.” In other words, it doesn’t take much to pound the floor; a few cool combination’s and you’re a super star! But that isn’t flamenco dancing. The dancing incorporates both the isolation and the joining of all your “parts!” While the arms are moving one way, the hands may move another, while the hips, legs and feet do a counter movement and the face sends out the feeling and expression! Then there is the connection to the singing and guitar…many pieces form the mosaic!

Ultimately, a flamenco dancer wants to create the most responsive body possible…so that her ideas can be fully realized in a strong and beautiful way with all the inner truth, intent and feeling apparent from the first step.

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