Editorial – Page 50

The Sweet Spot

June 11, 2011 by Kimberly Peterson

Today I’d like to introduce 4dancers newest contributor, who will be writing about “So You Think You Can Dance”, among other things. Read more about Kimberly Peterson’s background in her bio at the end of this post, and be sure and chime in if you have something to add to what she has said here. I’m thrilled to have her aboard…

You’ll find her writing to be more than a mere “re-hash” of the show, but rather a closer look at some of the deeper issues that are raised by it. Read on… – Catherine

Many dancers have been told of the illusive “sweet spot”, wherein very nearly all aspects of technique, movement elements and principles are present in a singular body.

This perfectly technical and yet expressive dancer is also inherently malleable, utilized simultaneously as both tool and material, from which a choreographer can construct their vision. It’s the purpose of the show, So You Think You Can Dance, to find a dancer who has found this illusive “sweet spot”.

While specializing in one particular genre, each dancer is tested and pushed to the limit in any number of genres from the highly classical and technical, to the guttural nature of street dance and every point in between. As the season gets underway, the audition process reveals much about the connections between genres, technique, performance and this “sweet spot”.

Watching the audition process and looking back over the previous seasons, there seems to be a clear pattern between the style of dance a dancer specializes in and the probability of getting straight through to Vegas vs. the choreography round. While open and aware of the trends and upcoming genres, it appears that certain styles do seem to lend themselves better than others to success in both the audition round as well as future success on the show. [Read more…]

Dance Book: Codename: Dancer

June 8, 2011 by 4dancers

Thanks so much for having me here today! I’m very excited to speak with dancers about my new YA book, Codename: Dancer.

I’ve been dancing pretty much my entire life. My mom enrolled me in a ballet/tap combo class at age 3 because she noticed I would jump around and spin whenever the Coke commercial came on. From that point on, I was hooked!

As a preteen and teen, I was in my dance studio’s company, and was dancing around 30 hours per week. Then in college, in addition to double majoring in Political Science and French, I studied flamenco, ballet, and ballroom. My junior year I auditioned for the ballroom dance team, and spent the next two years competing against other schools up and down the East Coast. It was a lot of fun!

I decided to write Codename: Dancer because it was the type of book I would have loved growing up. There were tons of fiction books about dancers for little girls, but not much for teens. There still isn’t, really, except for books about the ballets and choreographers. In other words, non-fiction.

So I decided to do something about that. I’ve always loved mystery novels, so why not write a mystery series about a group of dance students at a performing arts boarding school? And thus, Codename: Dancer was born.

Of course, I’ve never solved a mystery, nor did I go to a boarding school, so I still had a lot to learn. But I’d started reading Nancy Drew books in elementary school, and always used to win at Clue, so how hard could it be?

It actually ended up being a lot more difficult than I expected, but readers tell me they don’t figure out whodunit until right at the end, so hopefully I met my mark!

I hope you’ll enjoy my book. Here’s a little bit about it:

“Aspiring ballerina Dani Spevak is thrilled when hit TV show Teen Celebrity Dance Off comes to the campus of her performing arts boarding school. She trades the barre for the ballroom and gets set to cha-cha-cha to stardom with Hollywood wonderboy Nick Galliano.

At first their partnership is awkward, because Dani is in awe of her longtime teen idol crush. But soon their chemistry is heating up the dance floor and the attraction moves into real life.

Her excitement is short-lived, because someone wants her off the show. Bombs, poisoning, arson… Will Dani’s 15 minutes of fame be over before she reaches age 15? Dani and her friends are suddenly at the center of some serious sabotage. And if she doesn’t find out who is behind it, her next pirouette could be her last.

It’s like Nancy Drew in toe shoes in this light-hearted tween mystery, a finalist for Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart® Award for Best Young Adult Romance.”

You can learn more at www.amandabrice.net.

Would you like to win a copy of the e-book? If so, just leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite dance book or dance movie is. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Teaching First Time Movers at Any Age

May 25, 2011 by 4dancers

Dance can be a very intimidating art form for adults who have never danced before or who do not have an awareness or appreciation of their bodies. People have an image of a dancer and if they don’t fit the mold then they think they can’t dance. I felt this way as a young dancer. I wanted to look like and dance like every dancer I admired. What I discovered is that I had to listen to my own body, my own creative spirit and turn away from the mirror and turn off the judgment in my head. And that is exactly what I asked of a group of pre-teens and parents who took part in a Fit For Kids program I taught at a local hospital where I live.

The focus of the Fit For Kids program is to introduce different ways of exercising to kids and parents who have sedentary lifestyles. If you have the opportunity to teach dance to adults or a mixed age group who are either not used to moving, reluctant about moving or first time movers, it can be quite a challenge. My program started as it usually does when I work with nervous kids and adults: most of the kids were chatting with each other and the parents were trying to disappear into the back wall.

Here are a list of ideas, activities, and tools that I find helpful when teaching a class to people who are hesitant to participate:

1. It is important to engage the adults right away and encourage a positive social interaction between parent and child. Don’t ask if the adults would like to join in. Instead ask them to help by participating. They are more likely to participate if they feel they are being helpful instead of being put on the spot.

2. Adults are used to giving directions and children are taught to follow. Switch this idea around. Have the children lead an exercise and teach a movement to the adults. Also, create an activity where the children and adults have to be partners. In this situation the adults can feel safe by not having to lead something in which they are not comfortable. You are empowering the children to be in charge of their bodies and are giving them some control as well. [Read more…]

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!

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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