Editorial – Page 45

10 Questions With…Christopher Duggan

August 25, 2011 by 4dancers

Today on 10 Questions With… I would like to welcome another new contributor to the blog–Christopher Duggan. Christopher is a dance photographer (and more, as you will see below) and he will be sharing some of his work with us the last day of every month here on 4dancers. The series will be titled simply, “Finis”. Join us this month on the 31st for the first installment, and in the meantime, get to know Christopher a little better…

1. Can you tell readers a bit about your background and how you got started in photography?

I got started in photography when I was 25 and working in a finance job. My friend from college was a photography enthusiast, took me to buy my very first camera and got me signed up for Intro to Photography at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. I loved it. I was learning the basics, developing film and making black and white prints. It was the first time I expressed myself as a visual artist.

2. How did you wind up doing dance photography?

I came into photographing dancers through my wife, Nel Shelby. She was a dancer, and since 2001, she’s been serving the dance community by way of creating dance film and documenting dance performance. I think it was in 2004 when I accompanied Nel on a performance shoot and asked if the choreographer would mind if I could sit on the side and shoot some pictures. Of course they said yes. I shot a whole bunch of images and caught one moment that I absolutely loved. Then I was hooked.

I graduated from SUNY Geneso with a BA in Theater, and because I loved being on stage and the adrenaline rush of putting up a show, it only seemed natural to do photography in that space. I really admire dancers. I love their bodies. The art they produce is unlike any other.

3. What are you currently doing in dance photography?

I am the Festival Photographer at Jacob’s Pillow and have been working in this capacity since 2006. My wife, Nel, is the Videographer there and she has a lot of dance clients in New York City, too. She and I work together often documenting performance, creating edited marketing videos, and working with choregraphers and dance companies to create what they need to market themselves with photography and films.

4. Do you have a “philosophy” regarding your dance photography that you can share? [Read more…]

Video Dance Contest: Coke Zero – Make It Possible!

August 23, 2011 by 4dancers

I’m excited to share this opportunity with 4dancers readers–

Jon Chu, director of Step Up 2, Step Up 3D, and creator of the LXD, has joined forces with Coke Zero to create a new dance from zero.

Jon and Coke Zero believe that one person’s actions can make anything possible and are reaching out to everyone passionate about dance to help them create the next hype global dance. This is a big opportunity to not only make an impact on dance culture, but also potentially be a part of the next global Coke Zero project.

Want to give it a try? Go to http://www.cokezero.com/makeitpossible, download one of the fresh tracks on the site, record your dance move and upload it. You can then share the video with your friends. The more standout and creative the video, the better.

Be sure to watch the video below for details–

Make It Possible.

And good luck!

Disclosure

For Young Dancers: The Duckle Dance Giveaway & Sweepstakes

August 21, 2011 by 4dancers

First of all, enter the 4dancers giveaway to win the prize package pictured here by leaving me a comment with your child’s shoe size and whether they are a boy or a girl. I’ll do a random drawing on the 1st of September and the winner’s information will be sent to the promotion company so you can get your prize! But there is more…

Parents can enter a video of their child’s performance in the Duckle Dance Sweepstakes Presented by Capezio and Wisharoo Park for a chance to win the special prizes and/or dance scholarships provided by Capezioand Wisharoo Park. To enter parents simply upload the video to their facebook or YouTube account, and then visit www.wisharoopark.com/duckledance where they submit the facebook or YouTube video link as part of the easy entry process.

Step one is for parents and kids to sit down together to watch the Duckle Dance video in order to see what the the Duckle Dance is all about. Once you are both familiar with the dance, invite your child to follow the steps or create and perform their very own version of all or any part of, the Duckle Dance — either to the ballet or tap music provided at the entry site. Parents join in the fun by capturing the child’s performance on video.

The Duckle Dance is a little bit of ballet, a little bit of tap, and a whole lot of whatever you want it to be…and be sure to keep in mind that although our promotional Duckle Dance video teaches specific dance steps, the Duckle Dance Sweepstakes Presented by Capezio and Wisharoo Park is all about fun, so dance submissions are completely open to individual interpretation. In the Duckle Dance no step is wrong, no leap falls short, no tap is off…you get the idea…

The Duckle Dance Sweepstakes Presented by Capezio and Wisharoo Park is open now through September 1^st, 2011 for video submissions. It presents countless opportunities for preschool dancers’ Duckle Dance videos to spiral out over the Internet as the next viral video stars. In keeping with Wisharoo Park’s mission, the promotion is intended to encourage children to ‘get moving’ and help them build confidence and self-esteem, encourage innovation, and above all have fun!

Enter the 4dancers giveaway by leaving a comment, and the sweepstakes by doing your very own video! Let us now how it goes!

Additional Info:

Wisharoo Park is dedicated to promoting positive self-image and self-esteem in preschool age children. It was originally introduced by airing as a children’s TV series on PBS stations across the country and is now rolling out as a dynamic multimedia program which includes the interactive website WisharooPark.com, DVDs and more! .

Unique among preschool programs, Wisharoo Park is designed to help children age 3 – 6 recognize and appreciate their individuality. With its groundbreaking technology-based curriculum, Wisharoo Park helps children discover and understand their personal strengths and put them on the road to developing greater self-esteem. The Wisharoopark.com enchanting online community stars a whimsical cast of loveable animated, puppet and human characters who are featured in games, videos, music and more! Each week exciting new activities and content are added that are sure to keep parents and their kids coming back again and again.

Wisharoo Park is proud to partner with Capezio. Dedicated to the art of dance since 1887, Capezio revolutionized the dance world with dancewear and footwear products for every dancer from beginner to professional. Capezio operates retail stores carrying the full lines of all Capezio/Ballet Maker Inc. brands in New York City and several major cities nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.capeziodance.com/.

No Audience Left Behind

August 17, 2011 by 4dancers

Recently 4dancers Contributor Lizzie Leopold said something that made me think….she talked about including program notes for the audience in effort to help them understand more about what was going on through the dance performance.

Brilliant. I wish more people would do this.

Back when I was growing up, ballet had this air of mystery surrounding it. It was almost as if the audience shouldn’t be allowed up close and personal. As if the magic would somehow be lost. I’m not the first person to point this out–but it was definitely a different atmosphere, and a very closed one. Still, it was set against a backdrop of story ballets, making it comfortable for the audience in terms of watching the dance performances and understanding the story.

These days, with Modern dance and other Contemporary dance performances, it is easy to leave the audience in the dark–but is it necessary–or even wise to do so? [Read more…]

Coming Up On 4dancers…

August 14, 2011 by 4dancers

From time to time I like to do a little preview of things that will be coming up on 4dancers, and this week I have a lot to share! In addition to the new column we have “The Business of Dance” by Lizzie Leopold, we are also adding two new features in the upcoming weeks….

Join us for “Finis” – a new monthly column that will feature a dance photo at the end of the month, and “Music & Dance” – a column that will highlight a composer/producer’s take on the relationship between sound and movement. You’ll be meeting both of the new contributors soon in our “10 Questions With…” series. And good news for those of you who have enjoyed our SYTYCD contributor, Kimberly Peterson’s writing…she’ll be staying on to write more for 4dancers on other topics…

Also–look for more interviews (on Mondays) and dance music reviews (on Wednesdays) as we finish up the summer and settle into fall. I am going to be taking more time to work on this blog, so expect to see more content overall as we take 4dancers to the next level.

Let us know if there is something you’d like to hear more about, and in the meantime, we’d just like to thank you for taking the time to visit. If you haven’t yet taken the time to link up with us on Facebook and Twitter why not join us now? There’s going to be a lot going on!

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