• Contributors
    • Catherine L. Tully, Owner/Editor
    • Dance Writers
      • Rachel Hellwig, Assistant Editor — Dance
      • Jessika Anspach McEliece, Contributor — Dance
      • Janice Barringer, Contributor – Dance
      • José Pablo Castro Cuevas, Contributor — Dance
      • Katie C. Sopoci Drake, Contributor – Dance
      • Ashley Ellis, Contributor — Dance
      • Samantha Hope Galler, Contributor – Dance
      • Cara Marie Gary, Contributor – Dance
      • Luis Eduardo Gonzalez, Contributor — Dance
      • Karen Musey, Contributor – Dance
      • Janet Rothwell (Neidhardt), Contributor — Dance
      • Matt de la Peña, Contributor – Dance
      • Lucy Vurusic Riner, Contributor – Dance
      • Alessa Rogers, Contributor — Dance
      • Emma Love Suddarth, Contributor — Dance
      • Andrea Thompson, Contributor – Dance
      • Sally Turkel, Contributor — Dance
      • Lauren Warnecke, Contributor – Dance
      • Sharon Wehner, Contributor – Dance
      • Ashley Werhun, Contributor — Dance
      • Dr. Frank Sinkoe, Contributor – Podiatry
      • Jessica Wilson, Assistant Editor – Dance
    • Dance Wellness Panel
      • Jan Dunn, MS, Editor
      • Gigi Berardi, PhD
      • James Garrick, MD
      • Robin Kish, MS, MFA
      • Moira McCormack, MS
      • Janice G. Plastino, PhD
      • Emma Redding, PhD
      • Erin Sanchez, MS
      • Selina Shah, MD, FACP
      • Nancy Wozny
      • Matthew Wyon, PhD
    • Music & Dance Writers
      • Scott Speck, Contributor – Music
    • Interns
      • Intern Wanted For 4dancers
    • Contact
  • About
    • About 4dancers
    • Advertise With 4dancers
    • Product Reviews on 4dancers
    • Disclosure
  • Contact

4dancers.org

A website for dancers, dance teachers and others interested in dance

Follow Us on Social!

Visit Us On YoutubeVisit Us On TwitterVisit Us On PinterestVisit Us On FacebookVisit Us On Instagram
  • 4dancers
    • Adult Ballet
    • Career
    • Auditions
    • Competition
    • Summer Intensives
    • Pointe Shoes & Footwear
      • Breaking In Shoes
      • Freed
      • Pointe Shoe Products
      • Vegan Ballet Slippers
      • Other Footwear
  • 4teachers
    • Teaching Tips
    • Dance History
    • Dance In The US
    • Studios
  • Choreography
  • Dance Wellness
    • Conditioning And Training
    • Foot Care
    • Injuries
    • Nutrition
      • Recipes/Snacks
  • Dance Resources
    • Dance Conferences
    • Dance Products
      • Books & Magazines
      • DVDs
      • Dance Clothing & Shoes
      • Dance Gifts
      • Flamenco & Spanish Dance
      • Product Reviews
    • Social Media
  • Editorial
    • Interviews
      • 10 Questions With…
      • Dance Blog Spotlight
      • Post Curtain Chat
      • Student Spotlight
    • Dance in the UK
    • Finding Balance
    • Musings
    • One Dancer’s Journey
    • Pas de Trois
    • SYTYCD
    • The Business Of Dance
    • Finis
  • Music & Dance
    • CD/Music Reviews

10 Questions With…Sophie Flack

September 19, 2011 by 4dancers

Sophie Flack

This week on “10 Questions With…” we’re featuring Sophie Flack, author of “Bunheads”… a book about the ballet world. I’m reading it right now, and it’s fabulous!

1. How did you get involved in dance?

When I was seven, the Boston Ballet studios were under renovation and they temporarily relocated to my school gymnasium. I’d see these lithe ballerinas lingering in the hallways as they stretched and spoke to one another between rehearsals. I begged my mother to take ballet classes, but I was too shy to walk into theclass that first day. I wanted my mother to go with me. It took me six months to find the courage to walk in alone.

2. What is your dance background?

I began my training at the Boston Ballet School learning the Vaganova technique. When I was eleven I was introduced to the Balanchine technique by Patricia McBride at the Chautauqua summer intensive. After watching a video of McBride dancing Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, I decided that I wanted to dance with the New York City Ballet, because I wanted to move like she did.

When I returned home, I transferred to Ballet Workshop of New England in order to study Balanchine technique. I spent my summers training with Suzanne Farrell, Gloria Govrin, Violette Verdy and Patricia McBride.

My mother would drive me to New York City in order to take private lessons with Nancy Bielski and Wilhelm Burmann, some of the best coaches in the country. I took open classes at Steps on Broadway alongside New York City Ballet dancers, and regular Pilates privates with Laurie Hurt.

At fifteen, I was accepted into the School of American Ballet on full scholarship and moved to New York City alone. At age seventeen, I joined the New York City Ballet as an apprentice and became a member of the corps de ballet the following year.

After dancing with the New York City Ballet for nine years, I retired from professional dance in 2009.

3. What is your book about, and who is it written for? [Read more…]

Filed Under: 10 Questions With..., 4dancers, Books & Magazines, Dance Gifts, FOR SALE Tagged With: Ballet, ballet book, book about ballet, bunheads, dance book, new york city ballet, sophie flack

Review: Modern Ballet Studio Melodies, Volume 3

September 7, 2011 by 4dancers

Yet another ballet class music CD by Christopher Hobson, and it does not disappoint. Modern Ballet Studio Melodies, Volume 3 has more of the excellent quality music that I have come to expect from his albums. Again, this CD is filled with unique arrangements of familiar music, such as “The Way We Were”, “Rehab”, “Misty” and more.

There are 17 tracks for the barre and 36 for the centre. Frankly, I think that owning all three of these CDs would be a great idea for any ballet teacher or studio owner. They add a bit of spice and verve to the class environment without being silly. It’s nice to change things up a bit here and there.

If you can’t have a live pianist, it pays to invest in good music that you will be able to use again and again. This CD of ballet class music qualifies–and it is available in the UK (as well as other places…see link below) – something that I get requests for all the time.

It’s obvious that Hobson plays for dancers. Not every pianist can arrange music so that it is paced correctly without taking the life out of it. He is able to maintain passion and energy while keeping proper time for the exercises. Well done indeed.

Keep an eye on what’s up with Christopher Hobson and his music by joining him on Facebook

or

If you like, purchase Modern Ballet Studio Melodies, Volume 3 here.

Filed Under: 4teachers, FOR SALE, Reviews, Studios Tagged With: ballet class music, ballet music, christopher hobson, dance class music, modern ballet studio melodies, piano music for ballet

Review: Modern Ballet Studio Melodies, Volume 2

August 24, 2011 by 4dancers

I reviewed Volume 1 of Modern Ballet Studio Melodies recently on the site and gave it a big “thumbs up”. This CD, Modern Ballet Studio Melodies 2 is another good choice if you are hoping for ballet class music that is different from the typical fare.

Again breaking out of the traditional box, Christopher Hobson puts out renditions of familiar songs such as “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'”, “The Swan, from Carnival of the Animals”, “I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin”” and even the “Mexican Hat Dance”! Treat yourself to lovely arrangements of these favorites and spice up your ballet class a bit without taking things over the top.

Hobson is obviously a top-tier player, and he also has experience arranging and playing classical piano music for the ballet class. This is an important factor, and the tunes here work well for both barre and centre exercises. The barre has 18 tracks to choose from, including staples such as plie, tendu, round de jambe and grand battement, and the centre offers a lovely adage, as well as pirouettes, jumps and several allegros to choose from.

All in all this is really a successful CD, and it is available in the UK, which, from what I’ve heard has a dearth of good ballet class music out on the market. I really enjoyed both this CD and the previous one. There’s one more coming up–so stay tuned (argh!) to hear what that one has to offer in the coming weeks.

If you like, you can buy Modern Ballet Studio Melodies Volume 2 here.

 

Filed Under: 4teachers, FOR SALE, Reviews, Studios Tagged With: ballet class cd, ballet class music, christopher hobson, dance class music, modern ballet studio melodies

A Few Fun Dance Gifts…

August 19, 2011 by 4dancers

Today I’d just like to share a few cute dance gifts with you…two darling dance books and a fun mug. Gwendolyn The Graceful Pig is a sweet book for kids–it’s hardcover–something they’ll read again and again.

This site also offers a mug to go with it…Gwendolyn appears on an unbreakable, lightweight, 11 oz. plastic cup. It’s dishwasher and microwave safe.

Finally, Soldiers of Beauty combines poetry and dance artwork–extremely pretty!

Do you know of any dance gifts out there that you can share with 4dancers readers? Please do tell…

Filed Under: Dance Gifts, FOR SALE Tagged With: dance books, dance gifts, dance mug

Review: Modern Ballet Studio Melodies, Volume 1

August 10, 2011 by 4dancers

This CD, Modern Ballet Studio Melodies, Volume 1, came highly recommended by a fellow dance professional, and it’s easy to see why. The piano music is excellent–and different. You will hear renditions of favorites such as “Summertime”, “Hernando’s Hideaway”, “Some Day My Prince Will Come” and “Somewhere Out There” – but they avoid the “cheesy” factor that is so often a part of this type of translation for ballet class music.

Instead, the tracks are easy and fun–as well as expertly played. Christopher Hobson is at the helm here, and he began training at age 4. He has experience working with dance schools, which is obvious by the arrangements here, which are metered, without being dull. His background includes working for Northern Ballet Theatre, Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts.

The intent of the CD is to add variety to the ballet class repertoire, which it does quite successfully. I am located in the US, but have had many UK dance teachers ask me for recommendations in their area in terms of ballet class music. I would pass this CD along without hesitation as something that would be fun to use for a welcome change of pace. There is both barre and centre music, and the quality of the recording is very good–another rarity in this type of CD–although I will admit it has been improving overall as a genre.

If you are searching for something fun to add to your collection as a dance teacher or dance studio, this is a good pick. Here are the particulars:

If you are interested, you can purchase Christopher Hobson’s Modern Ballet Studio Melodies, Volume 1 here.

Filed Under: 4teachers, FOR SALE, Reviews, Studios Tagged With: ballet class cd, ballet class music, ballet class music uk, christopher hobson, modern ballet studio melodies

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • …
  • 7
  • Next Page »

Dance Artwork

Get Your Dance Career Info Here!

Dance ebook cover

Podcast

Disclosure – Affiliate & Ad Info

This site sometimes features advertising, affiliate marketing, or affiliate links, such as Amazon Associate links and others. When you click on these links, we get a small sum that helps to support the website operations. Thank you! There’s more detailed information on ads and our disclosure policy under the About tab in our navigation at the top of the site. We clearly mark any and all posts that contain these features.

Copyright Notice

Please note that all of the content on 4dancers.org is copyrighted. Do not copy, utilize, or distribute without express permission. We take cases of infringement seriously. All rights reserved ©2022.

Copyright © 2025 · Metro Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in