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Transitioning To Soloist

April 17, 2019 by 4dancers

Samantha Hope Galler, Miami City Ballet
Samantha Hope Galler and Chase Swatosh in Carousel Pas de Deux. Photo © Daniel Azoulay.

by Samantha Hope Galler

In my opinion, dance should be held up to the light like a precious stone. It should be examined, polished, and set out for display. Its beauty should not be taken for granted. I learned early on that dance would hold a special place in my life and have always tried to give my heart and soul to it. As dancers, we set goals for ourselves in categories, separating those that are more likely to be obtained from others. Being promoted was a goal of mine, but it was a goal that sat in the unimaginable category.

February 3rd, 2018 was a big day. It started out as a normal performance day with a matinee and an evening performance in West Palm Beach. I approached it with new energy, motivation, and confidence because it was another day to dance. After I performed, that moment happened. I was told I was now going to be a Soloist. It was a surreal moment that I snapshotted in my mind forever. For me, it is not just a promotion involving dancing, but of serving as a role model as well.

This adjustment has made me think about my days in ballet school where I trained hard to hopefully, one day, accomplish the basically impossible task of becoming a ballet dancer. I think about the few, but influential individuals that told me or my Mom that I would never get a job, or that I was too athletic looking, along with my torso being too long. I think this is one of the worst parts of the dance world. Underestimation. Or maybe, it is the wording behind the underestimation that affects a person and their thought process going forward. I am 29 now, and that criticism still sticks with me.

Adjusting to this promotion starts with realizing that it has actually happened. Then it is important to put it somewhere in your mind where it motivates you, and does not stop you from pushing or persevering. It can be about becoming more of the person you are because you are given different responsibilities under a different, but good type of pressure. The growth is different for every dancer. The path I took up until this point provided me an opportunity to work in the Corps de Ballet and then see the same dance world from another side. It has been very interesting and I could not be more grateful. To be given the chance to understand and appreciate each position individually is unmatchable in scope. I only look forward to learning more about myself during this time in my career.


Samantha Hope Galler. Photograph by Daniel Azoulay.

Samantha Hope Galler, a Bedford, Mass. native, spent 13 years training with The Ballet Academy, Inc., under the direction of Frances Kotelly in the Cecchetti Method. She performed six seasons with The Northeast Youth Ballet under the direction of Denise Cecere. She continued training, on scholarship, with Boston Ballet School and received the PAO Merit Trainee Scholarship. She received the NFAA Honorable Mention Award in Ballet. Galler spent summers training at Boston Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and Boston Conservatory. She danced with Cincinnati Ballet in their 2008-2009 season under the direction of Victoria Morgan.

Galler spent five seasons with Alabama Ballet under the direction of Tracey Alvey and Roger Van Fleteren. During her tenure there, she was promoted to principal dancer. She had the honor of performing some of her dream roles including Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, The Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty, The Sylph and Effie in La Sylphide, Myrtha and Moyna in Giselle, Dryad Queen and Mercedes in Don Quixote, the Rancher’s Daughter in Agnes De Mille’s Rodeo. Her Balanchine roles included Dark Angel in Serenade; The Sugarplum Fairy, Arabian and Lead Marzipan in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™; and the principal roles in Allegro Brillante and Tarantella. She has also performed in Jiří Kylian’s Sechs Tanze, and Van Fleteren’s Shostakovich and Romancing Rachmaninov, both world premieres.

Galler joined Miami City Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2014 and was promoted to Soloist in 2018. Galler was named a Capezio Athlete in August 2017.

Follow Samantha on her website and blog.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Ballet, ballet promotion, Miami City Ballet, Samantha Hope Galler, soloist

Need A Dance Healthcare Specialist? There’s An App For That!

August 30, 2017 by 4dancers

Aloha! I hope everyone is getting back “intro the swing of things” as the new dance / academic year starts up!

Today we are pleased to offer you another piece of exciting information from the UK — we last posted Erin Sanchez’s article on One Dance UK / NIDMS (National Institute for Dance Medicine and Science), and all the good work going on in that country.

This post is from Claire Farmer, another one of the younger generation of dance medicine & science leaders in the UK. Claire is a dancer / Associate Lecturer at Roehampton University, and is also affiliated with One Dance UK. She initiated the website Dance Longer Dance Stronger, and in 2016 launched the Performers Health Hub mobile app, to allow those in the UK dance community to connect more easily with dance medicine healthcare and resources. She now working on eventually launching a USA version of the app.

Enjoy reading about all her good work, and pass it on!

Aloha,
Jan

Jan Dunn, MS, Dance Wellness Editor


by Claire Farmer, MSc

Have you ever felt a twinge, or something that didn’t feel quite right but you’ve also got a class in 10 minutes, followed by a rehearsal and then a million other things to do, so you’ll work out what to do later?

BUT WAIT – STOP!! Shouldn’t our body be our first priority, as our main tool for our work? We know that dancers are busy, but that they also need to be able to quickly access specialist healthcare and to find reliable information on how to care for their body. Luckily, there is a wealth of information available from experts in dancers’ health – but unfortunately this information often doesn’t always make its way to the dancer.

That’s where the Performers Health Hub App comes in. Launched in the UK in November 2016, the app is now expanding to the US. The aim of the app is to quickly connect dancers with reliable, evidence based information on a range of topics including warming up and cooling down, fitness, stretching, hypermobility and nutrition. The app has been developed in response to the high injury rate among dancers and the lack of time available due to the nature of their work, to conduct thorough research in locating top quality healthcare.

If you do experience an injury, the app will also help you to search for a dance medicine specialist near you – either private treatment, practitioners who accept your insurance, or one of the few specialized dance medicine centres scattered across the US – or if you’re in the UK, one of the few free ones. Making sure you receive the best care to ensure you reach your optimal potential as a dancer, and receive the best rehabilitation as a performer, is our top priority.

A study into injury rates in professional modern dancers concluded that a total of 82% of dancers experienced between 1 and 7 injuries within the previous 12 months(1). Of those that sought medical attention 47% were to physicians, 41% to physical therapists and 34% to chiropractors(1). Similar research in the UK reported that 80% of all dancers (professional and student) will suffer an injury each year through training, rehearsal of performance(2) or as a result of fatigue and overwork, insufficient warming-up or cooling-down, recurring injury or not being able to respond to the early warning signs of injury(3).

This highlights the need for dancers to quickly, and easily find the specialist care that will enable them to return to dance training and performance as soon as possible. Resources on the Performers Health Hub are drawn from a consortium of UK organisations at the forefront of dance medicine and science research and advocacy – including: National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science (NIDMS), One Dance UK, Safe in Dance International, British Association for Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM), and also the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS). It will now expand to include resources and clinics in the United States and Canada.

Experiencing an injury can be a very lonely and challenging time for a dancer, and it is hoped that the app will not only help the dancer seek specialist care and information, but to also reduce that feeling of isolation. There are many things we can do to support each other as a dance community internationally and the Performers Health Hub app aims to draw these connections closer, providing support for dancers wherever they are in the world and connecting them with others who have gone through similar experiences.

The app will continue to grow as resources expand and through feedback from dancers, with regular updates taking place to ensure the most up to date information is in the palm of your hand.

The Performers Health Hub is available to download for iOS and Android. For more information visit Dance Longer Dance Stronger, or download from the Google and Apple stores.


Dance Longer Dance Stronger

Dance Longer Dance Stronger was established in 2014, growing out of a need to encourage dancers to be more open about injuries and training, the struggles they face and the training methods they use. Dance Longer Dance Stronger aims to open communication between dancers, and between health professionals so there is a two-way dialogue and so that should a dancer face an injury, they don’t feel alone in dealing with it.

Dance Longer Dance Stronger aims to connect dancers with other dancers who have faced similar health related issues and help dancers find specialist healthcare and easy-to-digest, reliable resources as quickly and easily as possible.


(1)Shah, S,. Weiss, D,. & Burchette, R. (2012) Injuries in professional modern dancers: incidence, risk factors, and management

(2)Laws, H (2005) Fit to Dance 2, Dance UK, Newgate Press, UK: London

(3)Brinson, P & Dick, F (1996) Fit to Dance, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, UK: London

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: BAPAM, Canadian Centre of Performance Psychology, Claire Farmer, Dance Healthcare Specialist, Dance Longer Dance Stronger, dance medicine, dance wellness, dancer injury, iadms, NIDMS, Once Dance UK, Performers Health Hub App, quality healthcare, Safe In Dance International

Coping With Mental Stress As A Dancer

October 14, 2016 by 4dancers

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Ashley Werhun and Alexander Hille. Photo by Jeremy Coachman.

by Ashley Werhun

Mental stress and strain can lead to burnout and depression, and it can be a major roadblock in not only a dance career, but in leading a healthy life. Here are a few thoughts on how we, as dancers, can take steps to support our mental health…and that of our fellow dancers.

Resist Negative Thinking

It is part of the human condition for our brain to make up stories. Our psyche connects the dots with the information we have to draw a conclusion for a scenario. How many times have you not been cast, and your brain thinks, “I am not good enough for that role” or, “I shouldn’t be in this company, I don’t fit in?”

Rarely would it say, “There must be something better coming” or, “I think the role I am in will challenge me in the exact way I need to grow.” Simply recognizing that our brains may tend to slant towards the negative is empowering and helps us evaluate whether or not this “story” our brains made up is actually true.

Often times I encountered this exact scenario. One time I even naively went to my director, concerned that I wasn’t integrated enough on stage and he said, “Patience Ashley–I didn’t put you in this rep that much because you will be the lead in the next creation”. I walked out and reminded myself to trust. Trust yourself, and trust that the director/choreographer is doing what is best for the company and for the production. This situation was a blunt reminder to get out of my thoughts and back into the work.

Resources:

The Power of Positive Talking – WebMD

The Power of Positive Self-Talk – Psychology Today

Utilize Meditation

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: ashley werhun, dancers, dancers and meditation, dealing with stress, mental stress and dance, mentoring in dance

Book: Dance Science: Anatomy, Movement Analysis, Conditioning

November 10, 2015 by 4dancers

Aloha! I would like to share with you a new book in the Dance Wellness field,  “Dance Science: Anatomy, Movement Analysis, Conditioning” by Gayanne Grossman, PT. Specific Information on the book is below.

Gayanne has a long background in dance medicine and science, working with injured dancers and teaching anatomy / kinesiology at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA, as well as heading up the Performing Arts Wellness Program for Lehigh Valley Health Network. The book is aimed at high school / college-level dancers, and is  a terrific resource for those looking to dig deep into the scientific arena, and to stretch their knowledge about the body and safe dance training / technique. It can also serve as an excellent scientific reference manual to keep on hand. Please pass it on!  Take care – Jan Dunn, MS, Dance Wellness Editor

dance_science_big

For students of human movement, kinesiology, dance science, and dancers, Dance Science takes a positive approach to what a dancer can do to dance better through an understanding of anatomy and an analysis of movement which, in turn, will decrease injury rates. It presents anatomy and motion in a dance-specific way that teaches readers to appreciate and take ownership of their bodies through hands-on experiential activities.The book concludes with an approach to exercise design for enhanced performance integrating the principles of dance science. Accompanied by 90 anatomical illustrations, 30 photographs, and 3 graphs.

320 pages, 7″ x 10″, Paperbound, ISBN 978-087127-388-8  $49.95
Hardbound   ISBN 978–087127-387-1  $39.95

Order from:  Princeton Book Company, Publishers

Here is an excerpt from the text:

Training Efficiently and Safely for Needed Stability

Start strength training using isometrics. Use varied positions and joint angles. They will facilitate motor learning in many positions.

For example, your hip joint hyperextends; the femoral head abuts the Y ligament well past normal hip extension. You do not gain stability from it soon enough. Your pelvis may be in posterior tilt before your femoral head stops moving forward. Compare with a dancer whose femoral head stops at the Y ligament with minimal hip hyperextension: this dancer feels stable because the lumbopelvic and hip alignment are closer to neutral at end range hip extension. The hypermobile dancer needs extra training to know how to feel where that position is located. Begin with isometric holds, focusing on femoral head placement. (See Stork Stand and Weight Shift exercises later in this chapter.)

Strength train hypermobile dancers with isotonics, too. Use in the inner ranges (smaller movements) at first then increase the range of motion. Here is an example:

Begin standing at the barre and resist the first few inches of hip flex–ion, then repeat for hip abduction, adduction, and extension. When improvement is noted, increase the range of motion another inch or two. Tie one end of a light-weight exercise band to the barre and the other end to your ankle. Because hypermobile people may gain strength at a slower rate, increase the resistance when you are able to.

Include proprioception training in standing, sitting, or pushing up on stable, then unstable, surfaces to increase the awareness of joint position. Include slower combinations to facilitate correct postural control. Should hypermobile dancers stretch? Not too much. Dancers love to stretch so this behavioral change can be a challenge. Hypermobile people have a lot of stretch and they have decreased proprioception. They have to stretch quite far to feel end-range motion, sometimes into an extreme range of motion that may not be safe. These dancers are looking for feedback from the joint receptors and an enormous ROM may be necessary to stimulate these receptors in a hypermobile person.

Filed Under: Books & Magazines, Dance Wellness, Uncategorized Tagged With: anatomy, dance science, dance science book, gayanne grossman, kinesiology, princeton book company

My “Last” Nutcracker

November 26, 2014 by 4dancers

Pacific Northwest Ballet dancers
Pacific Northwest Ballet corps de ballet dancer Jessika Anspach (center) with company dancers in Kent Stowell and Maurice Sendak’s Nutcracker. Photo © Angela Sterling.

by Jessika Anspach McEliece

The brisk fall air accosts my face as I push through the Phelps Center doors, home of Pacific Northwest Ballet. I scurry down the steps toward Mercer Street. I only have an hour. I only have a month, and some change…

An hour for lunch; a month till I have to say goodbye. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Editorial, Uncategorized Tagged With: ballet dancer, Jessica Anspach, pacific northwest ballet, pacific northwest ballet school, phelps center, professional dancer, stowell and sendak, the nutcracker

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