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About The Music…

January 3, 2011 by 4dancers

A while back I had a comment on this blog by a musician who talked about what it was like to watch the dancers on the stage as they played in the orchestra. The comment stayed with me and I thought I would do a post today on what a big difference it makes to dance to live music.

There is something magical about hearing the instruments warm up as you walk through your steps backstage. It adds to the excitement. There’s a synergy that dancers and musicians have that is unlike anything else. One feeds off the other–creating what amounts to live art. It’s astounding.

This isn’t the only place that dancers and musicians cross paths however. Many times a ballet classroom will have a live pianist, which is a treat, as anyone who has experienced it knows. In my day I had several, and I remember them all quite well. First there was Edith. She drove a yellow Volkswagen and was quite a character. I also had a reserved, thin gentleman who was amazing at the keys, and a dark-haired woman from Russia who had the most fantastic, dramatic music I’ve ever heard. Hats off to them all–they made my classes wonderful.

Is there a particular musician or pianist who stands out in your mind? It would be fun to hear your thoughts on this too…I’m sure that I am not the only one who has been impacted by the gift of live music in class or on stage…

Setting Your Dance Goals For 2011

January 2, 2011 by 4dancers

It may seem like extra work, but goal setting is actually quite effective. Have you set any dance goals for yourself in 2011? If not, there’s still time…

Goal setting can be tricky. You’ll want to make sure that when you set one that it has the following characteristics:

It is reachable. If you are just starting out in dance, setting a goal of being in a company before the end of the year may not be realistic. Take a good look at where you are and look at what the next steps would be terms of improving your current situation. Then, set a goal based on that. It may not be as exciting–but you won’t be setting yourself up for disappointment.

It can be broken down into steps. In order to reach a goal, you’ll need a “road map” for achieving it. This consists of a series of steps you can take to make it happen. Be sure to think that through as well. [Read more…]

On Professionalism…

December 28, 2010 by 4dancers

Today we have some musings from 4dancers contributor Karen Hersh on professionalism…

By definition, the word professional means to follow an occupation as a means of livelihood or for gain; professionalism or professional standards means the skill, competence, or character expected of a member of a highly trained profession. So while I can understand why everyone ties being a professional belly dancer (or any dancer really) as to being paid, I think we need to take a bit of a step back and extend the definition to attitude as well.

Recently, I was dancing as part of a ‘non-professional’ troupe at a local hafla, (an event held by belly dancers to showcase themselves or their students), when one of the women said something that just stopped me in my tracks. It was to the effect of ‘well, I know I don’t have too much to worry about because I’m not a professional’.

Why did it stop me? Because whether or not one is a ‘professional’, the attitude of always doing your best should be there, whether you are a student or a professional. Professionalism doesn’t start with your first paycheck, it starts the moment you walk into your first class as a student: you show up on time, ready to learn.

In belly dance, I think one of the goals for our students should be to have the opportunity to perform at haflas. While these are generally non-paying events (for the dancers), they should still be treated as if they were. Anytime one performs, that professional attitude must be there.

I strongly believe that all students should be taught early on that being a professional also means putting in the time and energy in to learn your dance piece, to be at rehearsals, be on time, and to be supportive and respectful of the rest of the class and/or troupe. And this is part of the instructor’s responsibility–to instill these qualities in their students.

All of us are putting ourselves out there in a performance setting for our peers and our friends and family. It seems only right to be showing our best professional attitude all the way around, doesn’t it?

Dance Chicago Choreography Awards

December 27, 2010 by 4dancers

Dance Chicago, in conjunction with the Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation, gave awards to several choreographers this year–including the Choreographer of the Year, Sam Cortez (Mexican Dance Ensemble). Mr. Cortez was selected based on the volume and depth of the seven distinctive works he created.

In addition to the Choreographer of the Year award, otheres were selected to receive the Dance Chicago Outstanding Choreographer (Body of Work) Award for their significant contributions to the 2010 festival, they are:

Billy Siegenfeld (Jump Rhythm Jazz Project)
Chris Courtney (Culture Shock Chicago, Chicago Dance Crash)

There were also awards for Outstanding Choreography (New Voice):

Melinda Wilson (Curie Metropolitan High School for the Performing & Technical Arts)
Jessica Deahr (Chicago Dance Crash, Independent Dancers)

And finally, The Dance Chicago Outstanding Choreography Award (Team Choreography) was awarded to:

Trae Turner, Angelina Grima, Susan Skrzymowski (BOOM CRACK! Dance Company)

Congratulations to all of the participants and winners this year!

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