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Review: Carla And Leo’s World Of Dance

July 20, 2011 by 4dancers

Quite frankly, this is an amazing book. Created by a former fashion model and dancer and designed for children ages 8 to 12, “Carla and Leo’s World of Dance” is well written and beautifully illustrated.

The book tells the story of best friends, Leo and Carla, who take classes at a dance studio. They sample everything from swing to foxtrot to tango. Throughout their journey, the reader learns about the history and background of each dance style as their teacher, Miss Paulina teaches them.

The book is visually engaging from the moment you see it. The cover features a darling picture of Carla and Leo dancing together, and he has sparkles on his tie while she has them dotted throughout her skirt–a detail you can’t see from the photo.

Thierry Perez is the illustrator, and he is nothing short of amazing. Every picture is imaginative and skillfully drawn–the book is really a feast for the eyes. It’s the kind of thing that as a child I would have cherished, and looked at again and again.

Author, Agatha Relota has done a wonderful job of capturing her love of dance here–it’s contagious. She strikes a nice balance between educating the reader and sharing the excitement of discovering dance for the first time. I also appreciated the fact that she chose something other than ballet to highlight, as so many dance books limit themselves to that as subject matter. This one exposes kids to a wide range of styles and teaches them what countries they hail from as well. You can tell a great deal of thought went into the format. Also, Relota’s friend, Jessica Alba penned a forward for her–something that was a bit unexpected, yet interesting.

If you are looking for a terrific dance book, “Carla and Leo’s World of Dance” is as good as they come. I wish I had something this cool when I was a 10-year-old girl.

It’s stunning.

You can purchase this book on Amazon.com.

Review: Michael Jackson, The Experience – XBOX 360 Kinect

July 15, 2011 by 4dancers

*Note: This XBOX 360 game requires a Kinect sensor in order to play

If you love Michael Jackson’s dance moves, now you have the opportunity to learn them. This XBOX 360 Kinect game, Michael Jackson, The Experience, features his actual choreography, as well as the chance to sing along with the music if you are so inclined. One of my favorite parts of this game was the stage backgrounds for the different songs. They were fun!

There are plenty of great MJ songs here to choose from, including Billie Jean, Smooth Criminal and Bad. To me, one of the things that makes this game is the fact that you are actually on-screen with the group, thanks to the advances with Kinect technology. It never ceases to amaze me how far we’ve come these days.

This game is a good one to play with friends, as there is a multi-player option, and other cool features include the opportunity to star in your own Michael Jackson video and “Michael’s Dance School”.

I’d be hard-pressed to say whether younger dance fans would find this game as fun as I did, since they are so used to this type of technology…but I enjoyed the chance to try my hand at the “King of Pop’s” moves. I’ve long been a fan of his dancing and thought the game was a good time. I will say that I had no difficulty picking up the dance steps, but hesitate to make a blanket statement about them being simple since I have a dance background.

The real value in this XBOX game is the fact that you can learn the actual choreography. Michael Jackson had some pretty smooth moves, and I always loved to watch him dance. It was cool to break the movements down and do them myself.

If you’ve played this game, I’d love to hear your thoughts…

Review copy courtesy of Ubisoft

CD Review: Music for Ballet Class III

July 13, 2011 by 4dancers

Mediaphorie has added another excellent ballet class music CD to their lineup with their latest – “Music for Ballet Class III” (Musique pour le Cours de Danse Classique).

It’s lovely to have original music to use, and this collection fits the bill. The tracks are expertly played by pianist and composer Ellina Akimova, who plays in France for the Ballet School of the Paris National Opéra, as well as the CNSMDP, at the CND, and at the Danse school of the conservatoire of the XVIIe district of Paris.

There is nothing quite like taking class with an accomplished pianist providing accompaniment, and if you can’t have live music, this is the next best thing. The phrasing is perfect, and the musical choices suit the exercises in a way that only someone who knows ballet well could choose, with perky music for tendus and a pretty selection for plies. Everything is well-matched.

The complexity of some of the tracks here make me lean toward recommending this CD to teachers with more advanced students. Some of the slower pieces may be a bit difficult for brand new students in terms of using the phrasing properly for movement. Advanced students will appreciate the opportunity to get into the spirit of things and practice their musicality. Akimova’s Russian roots shine through in her music, making the selections all the more beautiful.

This album features repeated tracks for easy instruction at the barre. There is a complete class here–barre and centre, with music for pointe and for tracks geared toward men.

This is what happens when you have an expert pianist at the helm–I can recommend this CD easily for ballet class. It would make a great addition to any teacher’s collection. The cost is $30, and you can find it, as well as other ballet music on Mediaphorie’s site.

Dance Bag – Hand Silkscreened By 4dancers

July 2, 2011 by 4dancers

Get your hand-silkscreened canvas ballet bag now–before supplies run out! I have made 7 of these unique tote bags and will be selling them for only $8 each! Get one for yourself, or as a gift for someone you know–they make a great bag to cart your dance shoes and miscellaneous gear back and forth to the studio, or even to show your love for dance and “go green” at the grocery store.

I got into silkscreening a while back and have been working on developing dance designs for the past couple of years. It’s a long process from photograph to finished product, but I now have several screens and I’ll be sharing the designs with the dance community over the summer months. The nice part about these bags is that you will never see them anywhere else–these are all my own designs.

Soon I’ll add t-shirts to the mix as well, so keep checking back. I’d love to hear what people think about the design–and I’d love for you to help me spread the word!

Here are the specs:

Canvas (cotton woven)

Navy Blue

10.5 x 12.5 inches

$8.00 (plus $2 shipping and handling – continental US prices – inquire about overseas…)

If you’d like to purchase one of these bags, drop me an e-mail at info(at)catherineltully(dot)com and we’ll work out the details.

Thanks!

10 Questions With…. Jennifer Carlynn Kronenberg

June 22, 2011 by 4dancers

Today on 4dancers we have 10 Questions With Jennifer Carlynn Kronenberg…

Symphony in THree 2 — Jennifer Carlynn Kronenberg, courtesy of The George Balanchine Trust, photo by Bob Mooney

1. How did you get started in ballet and what are you doing now?

I always loved to dance, since a was a little girl, and I was always entranced by ballet in particular. I used to watch PBS “Dance in America” specials on TV and try to copy what I saw. My parents finally took me for lessons when I turned 8 years old. I knew I wanted to dance professionally, and I was fortunate enough to be contracted as an apprentice with the Miami City Ballet at the age of 17. I am still dancing with MCB now, and have been a principal dancer since 2001. I also teach annually for the CB School Summer Intensive and I have been a guest artist and teacher with several other schools around the country.

2. You have written a book – “So, You Want To Be A Ballet Dancer”. Can you tell readers what this is about?

My book is essentially a “how to” guide for young aspiring dancers who are considering a professional career. It is also, in part, a memoir in which I share stories of my own pre-professional struggles and mishaps. It is meant to be informational and inspirational at the same time.

I found that on my own way to becoming a professional, as I find now in students of my own, that there are so many essentials that go untaught; such as: the in’s and out’s of the stage and backstage, studio etiquette, auditioning skills, injury prevention, healthy diet and nutrition, stage makeup and hair, pointe shoe preparation and maintenance, handling criticism and stress, etc.

My goal is to provide some insight into these areas so that young dancers are ready to cope with these challenges before they are contracted into a company. All of the information I provide will prove useful in their continued years of study as well.

3. Who can benefit from reading this book—and why?

There is something in my book for pre-professional dancers and students of all levels and age groups. I provide standard information that every young dancer will find that they need to know later on, as well as advice and tips that they can use during their student years. I think it is so important to be well prepared to enter a company, and that being well prepared will ensure a start “on the right foot”. A career in ballet, as wonderful as it is, is full of challenge, dedication, frustration, and sacrifice. My goal is to ease young dancers’ transition from student to professional – even if it is just a little bit.

4. Can you share a piece of advice for young dancers? [Read more…]

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