A website for dancers, dance teachers and others interested in dance
If you are looking for the definitive source on Internet marketing and social media for dance, this is the place to go. Great Dance is the perfect place to browse if you are searching for a way to learn how to use new media to promote your dance company, studio or even your blog. Author Doug Fox is a dance aficionado and has been on the web since 2005. Visit and learn!
LinkedIn is a great networking site for professionals. Basically it functions like a combination resume and networking page, and it can be very useful for those in the dance field. The marketing potential of this site is far different than Twitter or Facebook, but it can help you be visible in a different way… [Read more…]
The Dance Notation Bureau is a membership organization that seeks “to advance the art of dance through the use of a system of notation”. The Bureau uses Labanotation as the method that they employ to record dances. The notation process itself is interesting. A “notator” comes out to the rehursals for the dance and records the steps, but the documentation doesn’t stop there. Other things that are recorded include historical information, production information and marked musical scores. The cost for this service can vary widely, and it is based on things such as how many dancers are involved, how long the work is and the complexity of the movements.
One problem with dance is that when you first start out, you really shouldn’t practice too much at home. This is especially true of those who are in ballet. What is the reason? Until you truly begin to understand the principles behind the dance style and the technique, you can begin to develop bad habits if you do too much on your own.
If you do want to practice something at home, ask your teacher for some help in choosing what to do. That way they can help walk you through what it is that you can attempt by yourself. If you have questions about what they are telling you, be sure to ask. That way you’ll be making the most out of your practice time.
As you get more involved in dance, practice becomes a crucial thing, but when you are first starting just try to concentrate on learning how to do the movements in class. The time for practicing at home will come.
It’s all about solutions.
If you give a student an “empty” correction it isn’t useful. You have to somehow describe–in a way that they can understand–how not to repeat the mistake. Corrections come with solutions that can be applied will make someone a better dancer. Those that don’t will just erode a student’s self-esteem and make them feel frustrated.
Try to show the student the right way of doing the step, rather than just pointing out what they did wrong. Then break it down verbally for them if possible as well. The more feedback you can give them, the better the chance they will understand how to correct the problem!