For dancers, dance teachers, and those who love dance. – Page 14 – A website for dancers, dance teachers and others interested in dance

Book Review: Misty Copeland

February 18, 2017 by 4dancers

This stunning book of photos is something that every Misty Copeland fan would love. The photographer, Gregg Delman was captivated by the dancer’s poise and athleticism, and reached out to ask if he could photograph her, and the result is this – 95 color photographs that depict Copeland in a wide range of poses that not only beautifully highlight her incredible physique, but also show Delman’s artistic eye.

The photographer has had work published in Vogue, Rolling Stone, Elle, and a variety of other well-known magazines, and has worked with other notable celebrities, such as Katy Perry, Jack White, Robert Plant, and John Lithgow. The pictures he has made here reflect his ability to capture moods and moments that wouldn’t be possible to see during a ballet performance onstage. It’s a more intimate, indeed, almost vulnerable Copeland we see here. An interesting perspective, juxtaposed against the dancer’s incredibly toned, athletic body.

These simple, tasteful photos aren’t costume-heavy. They don’t rely on tricks or heavy editing to make them pop. They just feature a gorgeous ballerina through the lens of a photographer that knows how to make her look her best.

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Battling Injury As A Dancer…

February 14, 2017 by 4dancers

Joffrey dancers — *Cara Marie Gary with partners Fernando Duarte and Edson Barbosa. Photo credit: Cheryl Mann.*

by Cara Marie Gary

My career as a professional dancer has been an incredible journey–and it has taught me many life lessons about discipline, commitment, sacrifice, and patience. Dance has always been my outlet for creativity and expression. I’ve gathered a variety of special moments throughout the years. For example, I still remember the exhilarating feeling I had after nailing my first challenging sequence of fouettes on stage. I’ve been blessed to travel and perform in incredible theaters all over the world, one of my favorite moments was performing at the Kennedy Center as Clara in Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker. I’ve also had stressful hair situations; in Christopher Wheeldon’s rendition of Swan Lake it was choreographed for me to entered the stage with my hair completely down and in a few seconds style it into a french twist that had to last throughout Four Little Swans and the entire ballet! I’ve had crazy things happen at gala performances like music stopping in the middle of a pas de deux and having to exit the stage and start completely over. As a dancer, you learn to be “ready for anything” and to be able to improvise if something doesn’t go exactly the way you rehearsed it.

However, what I wasn’t prepared for was an injury. [Read more…]

Atlanta Ballet Presents David Bintley’s “Carmina Burana”

February 8, 2017 by Rachel Hellwig

Atlanta Ballet in David Bintley's "Carmina Burana." Photo by Kim Kenney. Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet. — Atlanta Ballet in David Bintley’s “Carmina Burana.” Photo by Kim Kenney. Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet.

Atlanta Ballet’s production of David Bintley’s edgy, contemporary Carmina Burana returns to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre for its final weekend of performances from February 10-11. Carmina Burana is set to Carl Orff’s 1937 dynamic choral work of the same name and performed live by the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra and The Georgia State University Singers and Master Singers. The texts of the songs are taken from medieval poems about fate, love, revelry, and passion.

The 70-minute ballet, first performed by Birmingham Royal Ballet in 1995, follows the exploits of three seminarians who set off in quest of earthly pleasures. Atlanta Ballet’s Alexandre Barros portrays one of those seminarians and describes his character as “abandoning his position as a religious and pure man and embarking on a journey of self-discovery. In such a journey, he is exposed to drinking and eating excessively and to a bad crowd that teaches him how careless and mean people can be.”

The episodes in Carmina Burana are guided by “Fortuna,” the embodiment of the force of fate sung about in the work’s iconic chorus, O Fortuna. “The role of “Fortuna” represents the wheel of fortune, your fate, and the strength and power behind that,” says Rachel Van Buskirk, who dances the part. “I love that David Bintley has taken such an immense song and pared it down to one female in a vulnerable outfit–in high heels, blindfolded. He’s taken a stereotypical “sexy” look and empowered it from a female perspective.”

Van Buskirk feels that Bintley’s modern retelling of Carmina Burana’s texts through dance gives the work relevance and accessibility. “It’s amazing to imagine monks centuries ago going through the same common issues as us today,” she says. Barros adds that Carmina Burana is one of his favorite ballets. He says, “The production is incredible: ballet dancers, singers, and musicians come together to create something truly mesmerizing.”

From Atlanta Ballet’s website: “Parental discretion is advised.”

Tickets start at $25. Purchase here.

Next Chapters: Atlanta Ballet’s John Welker on Retiring from a Professional Dance Career

January 25, 2017 by Rachel Hellwig

by Rachel Hellwig

John Welker in "Seven Sonatas." Photo by Charlie McCullers. Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet. — John Welker in “Seven Sonatas.” Photo by Charlie McCullers. Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet.

“No matter how a dancer feels about their retirement and what they felt they did or did not accomplish, it is important to know you do not have to retire from dance altogether.” – John Welker

John Welker just completed a 22-year career with Atlanta Ballet, finishing with performances of John McFall’s Nutcracker in December 2016. Retirement can be a challenging time for a dancer and Welker offers thoughts and advice for those who are going through the process, considering it, or just want a window into this period of a dancer’s life…

How did you come to realize it was the right time to retire? What advice would you give to dancers who are trying to determine if this is the right decision for them?

For me personally, I could feel the time to retire from dancing was coming for several years – so it wasn’t some singular “ah ha” moment, it was a gradual process. While my body was holding up without injury and I felt great physically, I also knew my interests were increasingly outside the dancing studio. So, when it came to a point when I could feel a sense of ease when thinking about a life without the daily stresses of dancing, I knew it was time to retire.

Everyone is different, so there is no common template or universal path to retirement, but I do believe in trusting one’s own intuition as to what is best for your career and life. Overall, I would say trust your heart first, then act with your mind.

What’s next for you? How long have you been planning your second career? How soon do you think dancers should begin planning their second career?

I’ve been working at a dance degree at Kennesaw State University since 2009, so I’m looking forward to completing my undergraduate education in May 2017. I also will be applying for graduate school in Business and hope to begin working towards an MBA as soon as September 2017.

No time is too early to begin thinking about a second career, especially for professional dancers. Although dancers shouldn’t add more stress to themselves when they are dancing (there’s enough hardship to go around), it’s best to start at least exploring second career options incrementally when you have the luxury of time ahead of you.

Tara Lee and John Welker in "Four Seasons." Photo by Kim Kenney. Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet. — Tara Lee and John Welker in “The Four Seasons.” Photo by Kim Kenney. Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet.

What aspects of retirement have been harder or easier than you initially expected?

It is the ease of a structured daily schedule that you become so accustomed to when dancing. To not have that can be both liberating and terrifying. Also, we as dancers take for granted the community of creative people that we are always surrounding ourselves with on a daily basis. To not have that anymore to such a degree is also hard.

What have these past few months have been like as you concluded your dance career?

I have just started my post-dancing life, as you could call it, so I shall see as I progress. But I do know that I want to take it with a sense of adventure, in that to be uncomfortable is not a bad thing and to put yourself in situations which you might feel out of your element can be a very good thing. Also, I also want to be sure I stay physically active in some capacity, I know that will be very important to my sanity and health.

What advice would you give to dancers going through the process of retirement?

Retiring from a life’s passion is such a personal decision. No one is the same, nor are the circumstances surrounding one’s retirement from dancing which can dictate or determine why one decides to move on. But no matter how a dancer feels about their retirement and what they felt they did or did not accomplish, it is important to know you do not have to retire from dance altogether.

It’s important to note moving on from a professional dance career is a process and not just a momentary happening that signifies a complete break. Also, I feel dancers should cherish and value their accomplishments and memories, for these are the things that are yours to keep and cannot be taken away.

I believe it is very important for dancers to find what they are passionate about as they navigate a second career choice. What are the things that give back to you and make you feel like you’ve accomplished something? There are so many ways, other than dancing, to further enjoy and support dance that can give you a sense of fulfillment.

Don’t size up or confuse your personal path with someone else’s. And, most of all, enjoy whatever you set out to do!

Dancers-John-Welker-and-Christine-Winkler-The-Four-Seasons.-Photos by Kim Kenney. Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet. — John Welker and Christine Winkler in “The Four Seasons.” Photos by Kim Kenney. Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet.

Enhance Your Dancing With The Alexander Technique

January 11, 2017 by 4dancers

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I’m very pleased to bring you this current article, on The Alexander Technique, from a longtime dance / dance medicine colleague of mine, Nada Diachenko, faculty in the Dept. of Theatre and Dance at University of Colorado, Boulder.

Nada was a professional dancer in New York for many years, primarily with Erick Hawkins, before she went into the academic dance world. We first met at the American Dance Festival (Durham, NC) 30+ years ago, and formed a lasting professional and personal friendship based on our mutual interest in dancers’ well-being and health. Over the years we have had many opportunities to work together at CU-Boulder, teaching Dance Wellness course offerings and starting a Dance Wellness Screening Program, along with Pilates.

Nada’s particular focus for many years has been The Alexander Technique (AT) – teaching dancers how this particular neuromuscular re-education practice can help facilitate more comfortable and productive movement in their bodies, both in dance and daily life. I have experienced AT many times over the years, both with Nada and other practitioners, and always strive to incorporate many of the principles daily, to allow more ease in my body movements. I’m so pleased that she offered to write this article for us.
Nada has included some excellent links for further reading / researching on AT – enjoy and pass it on!

– Jan Dunn, MS, Dance Wellness Editor

by Nada Diachenko

Do you ever wonder why you get the same correction year after year?

Or why you continue to work on your turns and they don’t get better?

And maybe you struggle with learning a new style and can’t figure out how to make that easier.

Personal History

Honestly, if I had asked myself those questions as a young dancer I would have had to answer yes. In retrospect, I wish I had studied the Alexander Technique (AT) at 19 when I first discovered an AT book at a NYC bookstore. That book sat on my shelf for years. When I finally had a series of weekly lessons, I discovered ease, freedom of movement, balance, and an overall sense of organization. Then I read that book, Body Learning, by Michael Gelb which led me on a life changing journey as a dancer and teacher.

It wasn’t until I moved to Colorado after a 20 year career in NYC as a professional dancer that I began to understand the power of the technique.

While on faculty at the University of Colorado (CU), I realized I wanted to help dancers go deeper in changing inefficient movement habits. It also became clear to me that I needed AT for myself in order to continue to move and dance into the future with less strain and pain.

So I trained and became a certified AT teacher. I learned skills and gained tools that helped me change some of my very strong compensation patterns from injuries and imbalances from my scoliosis. Incorporating these skills and tools that helped me so much, I developed AT courses for undergraduate and graduate students at CU. One of their basic requirements is to read Body Learning. [Read more…]

Personal History

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