4dancers – Page 50

Music Notes: Opus 1

June 22, 2012 by 4dancers

by Allan Greene

The first thing is, something always has to be moved. The piano, the seat, where to put the tea to keep from knocking it over, do I need to see this teacher’s feet or can I rely on her cadence… A quick look around the studio to see if there are any interesting visitors, if any regulars are missing. Once I know who my audience is, I can think about how to break the aural dryness. Often the choice is like a steakhouse menu, steak or non-steak, or, in this case, Chopin or non-Chopin. This presupposes, of course, that the teacher doesn’t decide to lead off with foot warm-ups or something. I almost always react to avant-pliés non-Classically. If a teacher wants to start a class Pawn-to-Queen’s-Knight-4, I feel it’s my duty to let the students know they’re no longer in Kansas. But it’s just going to be pliés, and pliés music must be a satin blanket that can never crease. Can the students handle drama, or will it have to be Bel Canto? Let’s try drama. Can they handle humor, or surprise? If they’re disciplined enough, I can really have fun with them. Let’s save that for the second side, after I’ve relaxed them. Okay, it’ll be a Chopin nocturne, no, a Liszt Consolation, no the Goldberg Variations aria, no, we’re about to begin, CHOOSE! “Préparation…” Hands on keys, oh, I’m playing D-flat arpeggios, Opus 9 No.1, D-flat Consolation, Berceuse, need a melody: an E-flat! It’s a V9 chord in G-flat major, and yes! the Schubert G-flat Impromptu, and we’re off! Second side, can we integrate the Well-Tempered Clavier into this? It should work.

I can’t speak for any other dance accompanist, so don’t draw any conclusions. But the above is precisely the way I think from the moment I walk into the dance studio through to the end of the class. It’s a 90-minute interior monologue interrupted by commands to start and stop, repeat, change the tempo, change the music, play more, play less. I have to make the whole thing sound improvised, yet intentional. It’s my job to reinforce whatever the teacher is teaching that day, never step on his message. Ninety-nine percent of the time I don’t want to draw attention to myself, even if the effect I choose is a Lisztian ocean of sound. Sometimes my choice doesn’t come off, sometimes I switch in mid-combination, or even in mid-phrase. But almost always, the result, after ninety minutes, is an artistic workout, the satisfaction of structural completeness, and the heightened sensitivity that serves as the emotional foundation for dance artistry. Or so I like to think.

Consider this column as my préparation for my future commentary on the relationship between dance and music. Some of my pieces will unlock the magic of great ballet choreography, looking at the symbiosis between the steps and the music. (Shall we tackle Swan Lake?) Some will cover my experiences working with the famous and the not-so-famous. (Interested in what it was like working with Agnes de Mille after her stroke?) We will undoubtedly get into the gnarly but indispensable subject of synesthesia, the study of how some peoples’ brains vividly cross-process sensory information. (I have arrived at the conviction that the truly great artists were all wired this way to varying degrees.) We might mix in a music lesson here and there. (Ever wonder what the significance is of the difference between 4/4 and 2/4?)

I can’t wait to share with you a few of those thoughts that rattle around in my mind, like dancers awaiting the curtain’s opening, for that Pavlovian word, “And…”

BIO: Allan Greene has been a dancers’ musician for nearly forty years. He is a composer, pianist, teacher, conductor, music director, father to Oliver, 9, and Ravi, 6, and husband to Juliana Boehm. He has also been an architect, an editor, a writer and a boiler mechanic. He lives and works in New York City. His ballet class music can be found on www.BalletClassTunes.com.

Dance Blog Spotlight: NYC Dance Stuff

June 19, 2012 by 4dancers

This month on Dance Blog Spotlight we are featuring Darrell Wood’s blog, NYC Dance Stuff…

1 – Can you tell readers a bit about your background in dance?

I am a retired dancer who loves dance. I have danced with the Jackson Ballet under the leadership of Thalia Mara, with Edith Stephen, Elaine Shipman/Situ, Eleanor Coleman, Keely Garfield and Poppo and the Go-Go Boys to name a few. In the past I have assisted both Igal Perry and Elisa Monte with the productions of their New York City seasons. I am classical trained and studied with Maggie Black and David Howard; I also studied modern dance with Paul Sansardo, Merce Cunningham, Lynn Simonson, Milton Meyers and Ana Marie Forsythe. In 1993 I produced The White Wall Series, the series helped young, new choreographers to present their work. Plus, I have written for HX and Vice magazines. I have a B.A. in History and Secondary Education.

2- When did you begin your blog—and why did you start it?

I started my blog October 7^th, 2011. I started my blog because I love writing about dance. I wanted a site that would not only critic performances in NYC but also to create a site that could help educate about dance past, present and future.

3 – What does your blog cover?

My blog is geared toward performance, dance videos, dance news and any aspect of dance history I can get my hands on. I’m fascinated by dance history.

4- What has been the best part about participating in the dance community online?

It’s about reconnecting with a community I love and cherish. I had been away from dance for well over 15 years and did not realize how much I missed dance as a whole. The first time I was in a studio again, I had been invited to view a rehearsal, was almost a religious experience.

Also it was very moving for me. Eleven years ago I was diagnosed with Spinal Cerebellum Degeneration. It is and has been in remission for years, for five years I was homebound, the first year and a half I was bedridden with the other three and half years I was wheelchair bound. So with acquiring first a Scooter and now a motorized wheelchair I once again have my independence and I am off to the races. I use the chair for long distances and short distances I walk with a crutch.

To view the majesty of the human form in movement is a great treasure to me. I know the work, sweat and study it takes to truly become a dancer. Plus, I am so in awe of today’s generation of dancer, their technique and capabilities far surpass those of my generation.

5 – What other dance blogs do you read?

Oberon’s Grove, I check daily. It’s what I want my blog to be when it grows up, I think it’s awesome. http://oberon481.typepad.com/oberons_grove/

Deborah Jowitt’s Dance Beat. Just because it’s Deborah Jowitt, someone who’s writing I have read for years and greatly respect. http://www.artsjournal.com/dancebeat/

Walter Rutledge, of Walter’s World from the Harlem World magazine, I think he is a great writer and enjoy his insight. http://harlemworldmag.com/2012/05/31/walters-world-rioult-premieres-the-violet-hour/

Tobi Tobias Seeing Things, also another writer who I greatly respect and have read for years. http://www.artsjournal.com/tobias/

Critical Dance Forum. It’s a great board with great discussions on dance around the world. http://www.ballet-dance.com/

BIO: Darrell Wood has a B.A. in Secondary Education and History. He would like to share the following:

I am hoping for a job teaching Social Studies so please send me positive energies. I became disabled in 2000 and had to re-invent myself. I am in the process of gathering research for a paper about the communications between Martha Graham and Agnes de Mille.

Review: Treasures Of The Russian Ballet (DVD)

June 18, 2012 by 4dancers

by Catherine L. Tully

If you love the Russians in ballet, this is something to see.

I was thrilled to have the chance to review Treasures of the Russian Ballet, which features Bolshoi and Kirov performances from the 50’s and 60’s. The complete works are not here, but some unbelievable pieces have been saved for us to see all these years later…

The ballets include: The Stone Flower, Swan Lake, Cinderella, Giselle, Gayaneh and Don Quixote–but that’s not all. You’ll get to experience ballerinas such as Galina Ulanova and Maya Plisetskaya on “film” and see why they commanded attention back then–and why they are known to this day.

I was fascinated to watch the choreography–it was so different. It seems like watching older choreography almost has the same appeal as seeing brand new movement–it has been so long since these patterns have been used that it is fresh and exciting. And of course, the emotion exhibited by these dancers is legendary.

The DVD runs 81.58 minutes and I enjoyed every single moment of it. A great piece to add to your library of dance videos.

Here’s a sample for you:

Keeping Dancers Dancing: Outside Conditioning – The Franklin Method Part II

June 15, 2012 by 4dancers

by Jan Dunn, MS

Today we continue our focus on the Franklin Method, with part II of thist series by Jan Dunn…

In the dance world, there is a long list of institutions / companies where the FM has been used and acclaimed– below are only a few of them:

-The Julliard School (NYC)

-Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (London)

-The Royal Ballet School (London)

-The Royal Danish Ballet

-“A Chorus Line” national touring company

-Cirque de Soleil

-Paris Opera Ballet

-Frankfort Ballet

-Hong Kong Modern Dance Academy

-The American Dance Festival

Articles about the FM have been in several dance publications over the years, such as Dance Teacher, Pointe, and Dance Magazine. These can all be found on the Franklin website www.franklinmethod.com, along with articles in other areas such as fitness and Pilates.

The FM is based on practical applications of neuroplasticity, and uses imagery as the primary tool to achieve positive changes in our bodies. There is much research to validate the use of imagery in teaching movement, especially in the sports world (there is research in dance as well, but only recently – whereas in sports, studies involving imagery go back many years). Experiential anatomy is also a major part of learning the FM. That means not only learning anatomy from a book perspective, but taking the knowledge into your body with movement – “embodying” it is a term often used for this, in Franklin as well as other movement education systems. Embodiment gives you direct physical awareness of the body’s function and design.

If you have never experienced working with the Franklin Method, the best way to start is by taking a workshop with a certified instructor. The FM is relatively new to the US – while the teacher training has been in Europe for over 20 years, here in the States it only started 8 years ago. There are still less than 200 instructors in the US, and as yet only a small percentage are also professionals in the dance world. You can find the list of certified teachers / their locations on the Franklin website, and also on the website www.franklin-method.us. I encourage you to take a workshop with whomever you find in your area, regardless of whether or not they are a dance person. Dancers usually relate instantly to FM, as it incorporates many concepts they have already had exposure to in their dance lives (Eric Franklin was, after all, first and foremost a dancer and choreographer J). Franklin himself gives several workshops a year in the US, so if you can locate one that works geographically for you, do it! You will most likely love it, and it will open your eyes to a whole new way of thinking about your body and movement.

If you do not have access to any workshops or certified teachers, there are still ways to experience the FM. All of Franklin’s books and videos are available through OPTP, a physical therapy supply house – www.optp.com. Two of his many books are especially useful for a dancer new to the FM, and are ones I recommended immediately:

-“Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery”

-“Dance Conditioning”

The second book has many actual conditioning exercises that dancers usually find very useful, and that will help give you that overall balance and strength that you need to avoid injury –something we’ve talked about before in this column!

If you are interested in becoming a Franklin-certified teacher, that information can also be found on the www.franklinmethod.com website. There are 3 levels of training, but you do not have to do all 3 in order to teach. You are allowed to teach whatever material is contained in each level that you complete, even if you do not go on to the next one. There are usually at least one or two Level One courses taught in the US each year.

Our next posting will continue with our topic of “conditioning”, only this time it will all about the importance of aerobic conditioning for dancers. Our guest author will be Emma Redding, PhD, who is head of Dance Science at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, and current President of IADMS (International Association of Dance Medicine and Science).

Editor Jan Dunn is a dance medicine specialist currently based on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, where she is affiliated with Pilates Kauai. She is also a Pilates rehabilitation specialist and Franklin Educator.

Originally a dancer / choreographer, she became university dance faculty, most recently as Adjunct Faculty, University of Colorado Dept. of Theatre and Dance. Her 28 year background in dance medicine includes 23 years with the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) – as Board member / President / Executive Director – founding Denver Dance Medicine Associates, and establishing two university Dance Wellness Programs.

Jan served as organizer and Co-Chair, International Dance Medicine Conference, Taiwan 2004, and was founding chair of the National Dance Association’s (USA) Committee on Dance Science and Medicine, 1989-1993. She originated The Dance Medicine/Science Resource Guide; and was co-founder of the Journal of Dance Medicine & Science. She has taught dance medicine, Pilates, and Franklin workshops for medical / dance and academic institutions in the USA / Europe / Middle East / and Asia, authored numerous articles in the field, and presented at many national and international conferences.

Ms. Dunn will be writing a new column, “Dance Wellness” for 4dancers in 2012 and will also be bringing in voices from the dance wellness/dance medicine field to share their expertise with readers.

Keeping Dancers Dancing: Outside Conditioning — The Franklin Method Part I

June 14, 2012 by 4dancers

by Jan Dunn MS

Happy Summer! Our last few posts have been about conditioning, and we’re still on that topic…

Today is all about the Franklin Method (FM). The FM is not really an “outside conditioning” method, although it can be used for only that – but it is really much more. It is something which can be integrated into dance training and your daily life — a movement education system that can be very beneficial not only for learning new movement, but also for “re-patterning”. That term refers to when we have a poor movement habit or postural pattern, and want to change it to one that is more efficient and healthy for our body.

The FM is science-based, founded on principles from physics, biomechanics, evolutionary anatomy (how the human body has evolved over time in its movement capabilities), concepts from both Western and Eastern science —and is especially based on the new science of Neuroplasticity – i.e, the plasticity of the brain.

This has been one of the most important scientific discoveries of the late 20^th / early 21^st centuries. Science is only beginning to understand how amazingly flexible our brains are, not just when we are infants / young children, but though out our lifespan. How we live, what we do and think on a daily basis, profoundly affects and shapes our brain –constantly. We DO have the capacity to change our brain, and thus our bodies as well (“The Brain That Changes Itself”, by Norman Doidge, MD, is a terrific book about this field – available on Amazon and in bookstore). The FM gives us the tools to accomplish those changes ourselves.

The founder of the FM is Swiss-born Eric Franklin, a multi-talented man who is a:

-dancer

-choreographer

-educator

-author (10 English-language books currently on the market, 3 of them completely dance-oriented)

-movement scientist, who began developing his work nearly 30 years ago.

The FM is now taught and used world-wide, in dance as well in many other environments, such as:

-Music (The Music Conservatory of Vienna, for example)

-Pilates (many FM instructors are also Pilates teachers, and it has been presented at Pilates conferences in the US)

-Yoga (again, a number of FM trainers also are Yoga instructors, and it is taught at Yoga centers and conferences in the US and UK)

-Sports (Franklin has worked with world-class athletes, including those at Olympic level)

-Medicine (US PT’s are increasingly becoming certified and using it in their clinical work, and in Europe it has been used for many years in healthcare systems, including physical therapy and midwifery)

Tune in tomorrow for a closer look at the FM in the dance world!

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