4dancers – Page 79

Dance Book Giveaway!

May 31, 2011 by 4dancers

Pass the word! Daphne Kalotay has generously offered to give away a copy of her book, Russian Winter to a lucky 4dancers reader!

To enter the drawing for this giveaway, simply comment below and I will pick a name out of a hat (yes, literally!) for the copy. Take a minute and enter–it costs you nothing…

This book would make the perfect summer reading for the beach, a trip, or simply to accompany you out in the yard as you unwind after a long day…or, if you aren’t a big reader, give it away to a dancer you know who is!

10 Questions With…Sarah Gold

May 20, 2011 by 4dancers

Sarah Gold

Today on 10 Questions With we have Sarah Gold, who just had the experience of auditioning for the Rockettes…

1. How did you become involved with dance?

My parents have always said I came out of the womb dancing. As soon as I could walk I was dancing around the living room to whatever music was playing in the house. When I was four years old my mom enrolled me in dance classes, and the rest is history.

2. What were you doing prior to this audition?

I am about to graduate as a part of the class of 2011 from CK DanceWorks where I dance as a member of both the competitive team, DancElite, and the hip hop crew, Acworth Dance Crew.

3. What made you decide to audition for the Rockettes?

It has always been a big dream of mine to audition for the Radio City Rockettes ever since the very first time I saw them perform. When my dance instructor, Christina Wiginton, told me about the “Jump the Line” contest I was ecstatic and we began to prepare a video to send in. It’s a dream come true in itself to have the opportunity to audition.

4. What was the experience like?

It was such a great experience. Not only was it awesome to be able to skip the line and go straight into auditions, but it was just an overall incredible opportunity to be able to audition for the Radio City Rockettes in Radio City Music Hall along side all the other amazing dancers auditioning. Even though I didn’t make it through to the final cuts, I am so incredibly thankful to have had such a wonderful first audition experience and will, with out a doubt, be back to audition once again.

5. Can you tell readers a bit about how you were selected through the “Jump the Line” competition?

The “Jump the Line” competition was basically an opportunity for one dancer to be chosen, flown out to New York, and be a part of the first group this season to audition to be a Rockette. I put a video together of a few clips of my dance technique in ballet, tap, and jazz, and was chosen as one of the top four finalists by their panel of judges. My video was then published to the Rockette’s website where it was voted on by the public for their “Favorite Dancer.” After a few days of getting all my friends and family to vote, and multiple hours of awaiting the big phone call, I found out that I was the winner and would have the amazing opportunity of auditioning this season.

Sarah Gold (left) Photo by Amanda Schwab, Starpix

6. How do you think this audition has impacted your career?

It was my first real professional audition, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. It taught me to be stay open minded, and remain confident in myself no matter what the outcome.

7. What is your “dance dream”?

My dance dream is to dance professionally as much and for as long as I possibly can. I would love to be a Rockette, as well as try out different outlets such as Broadway, cruise ships, commercial dancing, and whatever else may come my way. I am ready to follow my dream of doing what I love most in this world, dance.

8. Can you share a favorite piece of advice regarding dance?

I think one of the most important things to remember as a dancer is to always continue to push yourself to be stronger and better than you are. Never allow yourself to remain stagnant or focus on only one area of your dancing, but force yourself to become well rounded and trained in multiple genres and styles. You never know what you may need to do at any specific audition, and being trained in multiple styles will only make you stronger in all aspects of your dancing.

9. Do you have any advice for other women who want to audition for the Rockettes?

My main piece of advice would be to do your best and stay confident. There’s nothing better than walking out of an audition feeling that you gave your absolute best, no matter the results. Confidence is key to a great audition, and the judges really want to see you smile and give it all you got.

10. What is next for you?

My plan for Fall 2011 is to attend Oklahoma City University as a Dance Performance Major. I intend to get a BFA and pursue a career in dance, and maybe even one day have the opportunity to be hired as a Rockette!

Product Review: TwinkleTies

May 18, 2011 by 4dancers

TwinkleTies are designed to add a little sparkle to tap shoes, while being practical. The product is hand-made, and can also be used for gym shoes or even as a ponytail holder.

I thought these would be especially fun for a young dance student. The ties really are cute, and my 7-year-old niece was most definitely eyeballing them when I took them out of the package. You can choose from blue, green, pink and crystal.

I think these make a great alternative to the typical ties used for tap shoes, which often come undone at all the wrong times. A really super-cute idea, and easy to use!

Pass the word–comment below and enter yourself into a drawing for a giveaway! I’ll send a pair of red TwinkleTies to the lucky winner!

Dance Book: Russian Winter

May 16, 2011 by 4dancers

Today I’d like to share an interview with Daphne Kalotay, a writer who has authored a book that has ballet as a backdrop for the story…

1. Could you tell readers a bit about who you are and what you do?

I’m a dance-lover rather than a dancer; and I’m a writer with two books of fiction published, the first one a short story collection, the second one a novel.

2. What is your latest book called and what is it about?

It’s called RUSSIAN WINTER and centers on a Bolshoi ballerina during the last years of Stalin’s rule. The book goes back and forth between modern-day Boston, where the dancer has been living in the decades since her defection, and post-World War II Moscow, where we witness her life as a young dancer rising in the ranks of the Bolshoi and her friendships with other artists striving to fulfill their dreams while living in a totalitarian state.

3. Why did you decide ballet would play a part in your book?

From the moment I pictured this elderly Russian woman in Boston, I thought of her as a ballerina, maybe because the idea of exploring that world and learning about life in a ballet company was exciting to me. Then, in my research, I began to understand just how important the ballet was to the Soviet regime, which relied on the beauty and glamour of the theatre as a counter to the bleakness of daily life. I’m fascinated by how well that government understood the need for the arts in society and tried to foster—well, manipulate—ballet, opera, music, literature, if in an ultimately stifling manner. What I most wanted to show in my novel, though, was how art is this humanizing force that really can save us.

Only later did it strike me how appropriate ballet in particular was to the book, since I was writing about life in authoritarian state, and ballet can be seen as authoritarian, with its precise rules and strict discipline. Think of the corps de ballet, the self-abnegation and conformity ballet often requires. So it was a good parallel to what I was trying to say about Soviet life.

4. How did you make sure your information about dance was accurate? [Read more…]

On Watching Modern Dance…

May 11, 2011 by 4dancers

by Lucy Vurusic Riner

My husband took me to see the Chicago Moving Company on our first date back in 1996. A smart, and thoughtful, move on his part because eleven years and two kids later, we are going strong.

But when we look back on that first date now, Jim often reminds me how that first experience watching modern dance was very alienating for him. Of course, I didn’t know any of this at the time so I continued to drag him from one modern dance concert to another. It wasn’t until many years later that we candidly talked about how audience members can easily be disconnected from modern dance; especially if they walk in trying too hard to understand from the get go.

Historically, the novice dance audience member has obsessively tried to understand everything that is happening on stage. Ballet generally tells a narrative story with some pantomime and lots of theatrical elements that help guide the story. The program generally has some sort of director’s notes to give a brief synopsis of what the inspiration behind the ballet is and so the audience member is able to sit back and enjoy watching some beautiful dancing. The general public also has a perception of ballet dance and what it is. Even if it might not always correct, most people can conjure some sort of image of what they believe they might see if at the ballet.

Jazz dance provides audience members with excitement and particularly in America, it is one of the oldest forms of dance entertainment. There is precision, technical feats and a lot of flash to keep the audience engaged. So how do we entice the non-dancer to experience modern dance and “learn” how to watch it?

Theoretically, it hasn’t been around nearly as long as its counterparts. Every time I begin a new quarter of dance at school I have at least one student ask me what modern dance is. I have never had anyone ask me that about ballet or jazz. So after many years of performing, choreographing and most importantly, watching modern dance, here’s what I think (and sometimes don’t think) when I’m watching it: [Read more…]

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