Editorial – Page 71

A Tribute To Margot Fonteyn

March 14, 2010 by 4dancers

Margot Fonteyn.

I was lucky enough to meet her in person when I was a little girl. I still have a black and white photograph that she gave me at the autograph signing. It was a moment, to be sure.

Each of us will have in-person encounters with different people in the dance world and it will mark us in some way.

Interesting how that works.

She was amazing–a true ballerina in every sense of the word. A juxtaposition of soft and strong, she was unlike anyone else I have ever seen. A unque, musical talent. I have compiled a few resources here for those who would like to read a bit more about this amazing lady…or see her dance; if only through the magic of the Internet.

From Ballet.co, a brief, well-done historical piece.

The Ballerina Gallery, a great collection of photos.

Voice of Dance, a video clip of her in Swan Lake.

Teaching Tip: About Practicing At Home

March 8, 2010 by 4dancers

I have beginning students ask me what they can practice at home to improve their dancing. My usual answer is…nothing. As a new student (especially in ballet), doing steps at home can actually be a bad thing. If the student doesn’t understand technique, they can begin to develop bad habits which can be very hard to break.

This view may seem extreme, but I have found it is a good one to advocate. When students have some knowledge of technique it is fine to give suggestions for practice, but with a rank beginner it is better that they come to class and learn how to do the movements right first. Understand the theory behind things a bit before they try to do it on their own. In my opinion it would be better for them to double up and take two classes if they want to get more practice.

It’s something to think about if you are a new teacher, or if you have never taught beginning students. Be ready with an answer–you are sure to be asked.

Finding Your “Voice” In Belly Dance

March 5, 2010 by 4dancers

by Karen Hersh

I have been in the belly dance community as an instructor and performer for several years, and I have had the pleasure of studying and performing with people who have been in this art form for decades. What drew me to stay in belly dance was a sense of sensuality, and a bit of sisterhood, especially since I started with learning American Tribal, as this form is generally done with a group of two or more. It’s a great energy to dance with a group!

Now, I realize that when ATS or Tribal in general was first brought into the light, some people who had been dancing classical Egyptian/Oriental had issues with it; it’s not pure Oriental, etc. Even so, little by little, Tribal was being accepted. It embraces the old with the new.

Belly dance is the one true form of dance that does embrace every body type – which is wonderful! We all share one common denominator: the love of dance. We are a sisterhood, a community. But are these words overused and spoken with emptiness? As a community of sisters, we should encourage each other and our students to continue their studies. This means taking not only additional belly dancing, but ballet or other styles–with various instructors. For our students, (and for us as well), these additional classes can assist in finding one’s own voice in dance.

There is nothing greater for me as an instructor than to see a student who has taken fusion, ATS, Egyptian, etc. to step out and perform, because they’ve taken a pinch from X, a handful from Y, a little bit of Z and mixed in their own personality – and now we see them really dance! We see a glimpse inside their soul.

Who are we to put limitations on our students and tell them they can’t take from other instructors? Don’t we as instructors seek to improve our quality of dance? Wouldn’t it be hypocritical for us to stop our students from furthering their knowledge? And shouldn’t we encourage/support their performance opportunities? Nothing would be more satisfying to me then to see a student of mine surpass me; grow past me. That truly would be the highest compliment I could receive.

Ole! Flamenco And Spanish Dance

March 2, 2010 by 4dancers

by Karen Stelling

Ole! A shout of encouragement given to the bravest, the strongest, the one who makes a connection to self and life. I thought I’d start my first blog post on 4dancers with that particularly Spanish expression and give myself a burst of confidence. (There’s also the term “mierda” which is typically used for good luck but I’ll go with the big “O” for now!)

I’m happy to be here sharing some info and news about flamenco and Spanish dance. My debut in blog land comes at a great time in that the Chicago Flamenco Festival is just winding down and there was plenty to see and hear over the past few weeks. It’s always a neat trick to get great musicians and dancers from Spain into Chicago when the weather is at it’s worst! We aficionados are always telling the artists to “regresa quando es mas caliente!” (come back when it’s warmer!) Thank goodness, the audiences are really warm and welcoming!

A highlight of the many performances was the terrific dancer Concha Jareno, a Madrid native, who is part of the new generation of flamenco dancer’s currently working. It was her first visit to Chicago and she received much high praise. I took a master class with her which was great, and enjoyed the fun material that I’m now trying to pass on to my students. She communicated entirely in Spanish but her movement’s were so clear and her rhythm so steady that the need for translation was an afterthought.

The hallmark of a performer as gifted as Concha is an amazing musicality that allows her to hear the music and move to it in a very rich way, with a vocabulary of steps that beautifully mixes old school with new. Even better, she can teach it so students get it. Que bueno! Many of those who attended her performance were part of the local flamenco scene. Most of them left the theater exclaiming how inspired they were by her dancing and couldn’t wait to get back to the studio or travel to Spain and keep that kind of energy happening. What a great compliment to Concha and isn’t it nice to be reminded that we can still become inspired by great talent and artistry? Ole to that above all.

The Radio City “Stage Door Tour”

February 27, 2010 by 4dancers

Sometimes you get the inspiration to write a post from the most unexpected places. I was talking to someone who took the backstage tour at Radio City Music Hall and they really piqued my interest about the venue. I did a little investigating, and was impressed enough to share it with you here on 4dancers. I know if I ever get out that way, I’m going to check it out myself!

The more you look, the more you see.

As I was reading up on the facts about this particular venue, I could easily understsand why this tour is so fascinating. There are many layers to Radio City Music Hall that you might not ever notice if they weren’t pointed out to you. For example, if you look underfoot, the Grand Foyer has a carpet that features the abstract designs of six musical instruments. More examples of this theater’s hidden majesty include the gigantic Wurlitzer organ which has so many pipes that it takes 11 rooms to house all of them, and the four hydraulic elevators which can be utilized on the stage.

Other facets of the theater are so grand that you can’t help but stare in wonder. Look up and you will see 4,000 pound chandeliers floating in the air. The stage itself is enormous–measuring 66 1/2 feet deep and one full city block wide. In fact, this venue boasts one of the largest stages in the world even today.

Home to the world-famous “Rockettes,” this is the spot where the Radio City Christmas Spectacular takes place. (The holiday show draws over 1.2 million people in an 8-week time period each year.) Part of the Stage Door Tour includes meeting a Rockette in person–a fun touch that has been added to the mix.

This art-deco style theater has seen over 300 million visitors since its debut in December of 1932. It acutally closed its doors for a brief period in 1978 before being designated a landmark. In 1999 a massive restoration project began that took $70 million dollars and spanned 8 months.

This spectacular venue has been the setting for everything from “Disney on Ice” to several WNBA All-Star Games in 2004, and it continues to be an important piece of American history when it comes to the entertainment field. For more information about tickets and tours, take a look at the website.

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