For dancers, dance teachers, and those who love dance. – Page 243 – A website for dancers, dance teachers and others interested in dance

Tips For Buying Ballroom Dance Shoes

December 1, 2009 by 4dancers

If you are new to ballroom dance, it can be helpful to know how to go about buying your shoes. Here are a few resources that you can check out for tips on getting a good fit:

Showtime Dance Shoes – tips on both fit and caring for the shoes.

About.com – tips for choosing the right style, construction and more.

MIT Ballroom Dance Team – top notch tips on just about everything to do with ballroom dance shoes.

No matter what the dance style, having shoes that fit properly is key to having a good class or performance. Hope these resources help!

Teaching Tip: Using An Assistant

November 30, 2009 by 4dancers

Having a teaching assistant can be a great way to ease your class load a bit. Those who could benefit from having a student demonstrate for class include:

+ Older teachers or those with an injury. Instead of doing the movements yourself, you can utilize the student to communicate the movements for you. This is much easier on the body. I do it when I can, but if I keep teaching for much longer, I will need to rely on it more often!

+ Teachers with a heavy class load. A teaching assistant can ease the burden and help keep you from getting fried.

+ Studio owners who have a talented student who is in need. Using a gifted student as a demonstrator means they will get more class time and practice. This can be a good situation for a studio owner that wants to help out a family that cannot afford to pay for multiple classes.

Naturally there are others who can benefit from this type of situation, but the ones above stand out as reasons that I have seen it done. There are a few things you may want to keep in mind if you decide to go this route… [Read more…]

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 26, 2009 by 4dancers

Just wanted to take a moment out of my day to wish all those who read this blog a very Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful for you! I’ll be taking off until Monday to relax and enjoy the holiday with family and friends. Tune in next week for a ballet class CD review, a DVD review and more!

Hope your holiday is a good one!

Dance Class: Substituting For Another Teacher

November 23, 2009 by 4dancers

If you have ever had to substitute for another dance teacher you know how hard it can be. People don’t like change, and dancers become especially accustomed to having a particular routine. Recently I had to have a young lady step in to teach for me because I was traveling and it made me think about how challenging it is to be a sub.

Teaching for someone else can be a very difficult task, but there are ways to make it easier. Here are a few things that have worked for me:

+ Do your own thing. Don’t try to be like the person who was teaching the class, instead, do what you are comfortable with. You will feel more confident and things will go more smoothly. The students will adapt.

+ Ignore those odd stares you’ll get the first class or two. Some students will not like the change–especially at first. This has nothing to do with you. The other teacher has had time to develop a rapport with the students and you are new. Expect a few ruffled feathers and don’t take it personally… [Read more…]

The Arangetram

November 23, 2009 by 4dancers

NTPray — Copyright 2005, Catherine L. Tully

If you have never heard of an Arangetram, get ready to be amazed…

(I am going to break it down here into only the very basics, but there are many layers that I won’t cover, so know that there is a good deal more to this than meets the eye.)

Basically an Arangetram is a sort of “graduation” performance that is undertaken by a student of Bharata Natyam. This classical Indian dance form is a combination of complex movements that are expressive, along with a spiritual component. Dancers prepare for this for a long time, and the final performance is typically a large-scale event. Some families even have musicians flown in from India to play for the dancer. Many times an auditorium or stage is rented out for the performance, and friends and family attend to watch the graduation dance.

I have attended several Arangetram performances, and they are actually quite an emotional experience. The dancers (and their family) put their entire soul into this one day, and it is a very long series of demanding movements that they must undertake. Most Arangetram will last between two and three hours, and it is almost continuous dancing. The teacher is called the “Guru” and they are also present for the performance. If you ever have the chance to experience an Arangetram, I would highly recommend it. You will get to see something truly unique.

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