Ballet – Page 23

Audition Notice: Parsons Dance

May 9, 2011 by 4dancers

This is a courtesy post:

Parsons Dance is holding auditions for both male and female dancers this month on May 21st at 12 PM.

The audition will be held at New York City Center, Studio 5, 130 W. 56^th Street in New York City. Appointments are required and all dancers need to bring a headshot and resume for consideration. The company is looking for dancers with strong ballet and modern dance technique, as well as partnering skills – and a passion for dance.

More about Parsons Dance:

Parsons Dance is committed to building new audiences for contemporary dance by creating American works of extraordinary artistry that are engaging and uplifting to audiences throughout the world. The company tours regionally, nationally and internationally. Since 1985, Parsons Dance has toured an average of 32 weeks per year, to a total more than 235 cities, 30 countries, six continents and millions of audience members. Many others have seen Parsons Dance on PBS, Bravo, A&E Network, and the Discovery Channel. Millions watched Parsons Dance perform live in Times Square as part of the internationally broadcast, 24-hour Millennium New Year’s Eve celebration. In New York City, Parsons Dance has been featured at The Joyce Theater, City Center, New Victory Theater, Central Park Summerstage, Guggenheim Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art and The World Trade Center. For more information, visit parsonsdance.org.

Back To Ballet: How To Re-Enter The Classroom

April 20, 2011 by 4dancers

As many of you already know, I teach a ballet class for adults. There are quite a few places out there that have classes for returning students–but they are not all created equal. Some are very serious, while others are more geared toward getting fit. (Mine is somewhere in the middle.)

As an adult, there are some things you’ll want to consider if you are going to take a ballet class. Finding the right match can be a bit challenging, but it pays off to do a little groundwork before signing up. Here are some tips that should help:

Observe a class if possible. Watching a class is the best way to see if you will enjoy it. If you can’t do that, see if you can try one class out before signing up for a session.
Talk to the instructor. Ask him/her about their philosophy regarding the class. What they tell you will help you evaluate whether or not you are on the same page.
Ask for recommendations. Do you know anyone who has taken an adult ballet class in the area? If so, inquire as to what their experience was. Would they go back? How difficult was it?
Check the dress code. At this stage of the game you may or may not be up for wearing tights and a leotard. In either case, you’ll want to know what people typically wear to class to see if you’ll be comfortable.
Ask about the flooring. A floor that is designed specifically for dance is crucial for protecting your body–and even more so as you age.

Once you find a good fit in terms of a studio, there are a few other things to keep in mind as well. If you haven’t taken class in some time, you may find your body uncooperative at first. In order to get back in the groove safely, take some of these suggestions into consideration–depending on your current fitness level:

Think about just doing the barre for a week or two. Ease back in and do it with the support of the barre. Just make sure to keep the teacher informed if you will be leaving prior to the end of class.
Stretch. Then stretch some more. You don’t have to wait for class to begin. Start now. You’ll thank yourself.
Brush up on terminology. Things may sound vaguely familiar, yet elude you for a bit at first. Refreshing yourself on the terms can be a confidence builder. Try ABT’s Dance Dictionary online to jump-start your memory.
Join with a friend. You can support and encourage each other through the tough times.
Talk with the instructor prior to class. Let them know where you are at in terms of your current fitness level and prior dance training. Also, be sure to communicate with them about any injuries you have.
Get to the studio early and warm up well. This can help prevent injuries.

Going back to ballet class after a long while away can be intimidating, but it can also be a lot of fun. Hopefully some of these suggestions will help you navigate your re-entry seamlessly.

If you are a teacher or someone who has returned to ballet class after a break–feel free to share any tips you might have!

10 Questions With…Joanna Wozniak

March 23, 2011 by 4dancers

Today for our “10 Questions With” feature, we have a dancer from the Joffrey–Joanna Wozniak…

_MG_8972 — Joanna Wozniak, Photo by Herbert Migdoll

1. How did you become involved with dance?

Becoming involved with dance can happen in a number of ways, but the way it started for me as a little girl, was probably in my kitchen and around the house. Once I had gone to a few dance lessons at the ripe age of childhood, it became my walk. I danced around the house instead of walking. I also loved music, and that I could express what I heard and felt from it through my dancing.

2. What are you currently doing in the field?

I am currently a dancer with the Joffrey Ballet. We just returned home from a two week tour in California as well as a stop in Colorado.

3. Would you share a special moment from your career with readers?

I think one of the most special moments was when I had the opportunity to perform “the Chosen One” in Nijinsky’s “Sacre du Printemps”. This is for a number of reasons, when I first started dancing with the company, this was the first ballet outside of the Nutcracker that I performed. I was in awe of ballet, and in love with it, as well as the company and the experience of it. Being the smallest part was exciting. Nearly ten years later, I was able to perform the incredible part, in essence nearly coming full circle to something that meant so much in my life. Beyond that, I was fortunate enough to receive recognition in the part from Hedy Weis, in Pointe Magazine as one of the standout performances of the year. This was and still is such an honor in the difficult world of dance, especially to be amongst artists from around the world in multiple top companies. [Read more…]

Dancers Unite Fine Arts Academy LLC

March 9, 2011 by 4dancers

Today we are running a feature on a dance studio for all you studio owners (or potential studio owners) out there. Take a closer look at Dancers Unite Fine Arts Academy in North Carolina…

Your Name/Title: Elizabeth Emery/Owner

Studio Name: Dancers Unite Fine Arts Academy LLC

Years in business: 2

Your studio’s philosophy: First and foremost, we want to make sure our dancers are learning the right way to do things. We want top quality instructors who teach our dancers correct terminology and body placement so that if they want to become professional dancers they have the proper tools to do so.

Secondly, we want it to be a postive environment. We want it to be a safe place to try things. We want to encourage our dancers to try difficult steps in an encouraging way. We are a family owned and operated studio, and we want all our customers to feel they are part of the Dancers Unite family.

Thirdly, we want them to have learned skills that would help our students in any aspect of life. For example, learning how to try new things if you fail, learning how to perform in front of large groups of people and learning how to accept criticism are all wonderful skills that can be used in any career choice.

Dance styles taught: Ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, tumbling, pointe, contemporary, musical theater dance, bellydance, zumba

Approximate # of classes per week: 40

Approximate # of teachers: 7

Biggest struggle in getting off the ground and how you handled it: Getting the word out about our studio. A lot of people choose a dance studio based on what their friends & neighbors recommend, and as a new studio it’s going to take awhile for your studio with the best word of mouth. You just have to be patient, not give up and work hard at building good relationships with your customers.

Also, try to get your name out in the community by working with local schools. For instance, my dance studio teamed up with a well respected private school in the area to host a dance camp out of their facilties.

Best advice you can give someone who is opening (or thinking about opening) a dance studio: Save up as much money as possible before opening a studio. I opened a studio with my sister and we worked hard in high school to get full scholarships for college and then lived at home with our parents and shared a car. Opening up a dance studio takes a lot of capital and there are expenses that you probably wouldn’t even think about before opening a studio!

One mistake you think potential dance studio owners make: Bending over backwards too much! People don’t appreciate it, and often the ones you bend over backwards for still aren’t happy and leave your studio anyway. Make sure you don’t spend so much time trying to please the hard to please that you forget about your supportive base of customers!

Specific tip for having a smooth recital: We had a checklist of every possible thing we would need for our recital going into it, and that really helped make sure we didn’t forget anything.

Best marketing move you’ve ever made: Having a really great website that my sister runs herself so it is constantly updated. We also constantly work our social networking. We’ve found most of our customers have found us through the internet.

Most rewarding moment: Walking through the lobby during intermission of our recital and seeing all the pleased parents. It was so nice seeing so many proud, happy parents and knowing that I had helped make a wonderful, memorable afternoon for them.

BIO: Elizabeth Emery began dance at the age of three, and started teaching dance at the age of thirteen. She taught dance throughout middle school, high school and college. She danced competitively since age seven and her routines won numerous overall awards. A personal favorite dance performance of hers was Disney World, a favorite vacation spot of her family. In addition to teaching and dancing at her studio, she was a member of the Charlotte Catholic Dance Team for four years. She was the only freshman on a team that placed first runner up in a national competition..

She graduated Charlotte Catholic with honors, and her dance and academic achievements helped her receive the Thomas Cooper Scholarship to the University of South Carolina. She then graduated cum laude from the nationally ranked Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina with a bachelor of science in business administration. She double majored in business economics and marketing, and minored in sociology where she took such courses as Childhood Sociology.

Elizabeth’s combined loves of business, dance and working with children has made owning a studio a natural dream of hers. Elizabeth strives to provide children with self-esteem, but at the same time provide them with a good dance background. Elizabeth continues her dance education today, and has taken numerous classes up and down the east coast, most recently at Broadway Dance Center in New York City, the Boston Ballet School, the Dance Complex, and the Jeannette Neill Dance Studio in Boston. She has taught hip hop and jazz for the after-school program for the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools (St. Patrick Catholic School, St. Ann Catholic School, St. Gabriel Catholic School, St. Matthew Catholic School, and St. Mark Catholic School) and the Summer Dance Camp at Charlotte Latin School

10 Questions With…Ashley Gilfix

October 26, 2010 by 4dancers

Welcome back to our “10 Questions With…” series where today we are featuring dancer Ashley Gilfix from Ballet Austin…

1. How did you become involved with dance?

My mom put me in ballet when I was 4 years old, and dance has been a part of my life ever since.

Ashley Lynn Gilfix — Ashley Gilfix, photo by George Brainard

2. What are you currently doing in the field?

I am currently in my 9th season as a company dancer with Ballet Austin. I have been fortunate to be a part of the creative process of innovative new works by director, Stephen Mills, and many other choreographers who are making waves in the dance world right now. At Ballet Austin, we are constantly pushing the envelope, yet keeping the old traditions alive. Last season, I danced Swan Lake and Coppellia, and also premiered several new contemporary works by Mills, and Dominic Walsh. I feel so lucky to be a part of a company that performs such a broad repertoire of both classical and contemporary ballets.

3. Would you share a special moment or two from your career?

One of my most treasured experiences onstage was dancing Don Quixote with partner, Jim Stein in his farewell performance. It was my first “Kitri” and his last “Basilio”. I can still remember the electricity in the air that night. There were so many emotions. It was such a gift to share his last performance with him in that way, holding his hand while he took his last bow. 3 other colleagues retired that weekend. It was bittersweet. That ballet will always be sentimental for me.

4. What is the best advice you have ever received regarding dance?

My teacher always used metaphors to communicate corrections and words of wisdom. One of the things she often told us was, “You cannot paint with just one color. You need a palette with all the colors of the rainbow.” She was telling us that a good dancer needs to be versatile, to not only dance one way all the time, to be open to new ideas, and become good at everything.

5. Do you have any advice for those who would like to dance professionally?

Find a good school and teachers who can provide well-rounded pre-professional training in classical ballet and modern dance. Sadly, many aspiring dancers find out too late that their training has not prepared them for a professional career. If you are not training 5 or 6 days a week, it is probably not enough. Also, supplementing your classes with private lessons can help you improve at a faster rate. And, for those who have gotten a late start or are not quite ready to be a professional by the end of high school, attending a university with a solid dance program can be an excellent option.

Photo by Anne Marie Bloodgood

6. What has been your biggest challenge in dance?

My biggest challenge has been working with an imperfect facility. I was not blessed with 180 degree turn out or much flexibility in my hip sockets and am constantly fighting for higher extensions and to appear more turned out than I actually am. In dance, it is a constant battle against nature. I am naturally a slow, fluid mover, so brisk movements and jumping have always felt uncomfortable for me. I have had to work very hard to become a faster mover, and to be more dynamic and versatile. I’m always looking for areas where I am weak, so that I can try to become a more balanced dancer. It is important to me to be able to do everything well, rather than being excellent at just one thing that comes naturally.

7. What is it that you love so much about ballet?

I love ballet because it is beautiful. I love the aesthetic and I love music. I love performing. It is such a gift to be able to express myself through dance. It is indescribable.

I also really love the quest for perfection, and constantly being challenged and pushed to the next level. You can never get bored because there is always that next hurdle ahead. It is not just the physical challenges, but the emotional and artistic ones too, especially when you are portraying a character and/or communicating a specific idea or message to the audience. There is hardly a dull moment because there is so much change. You are constantly rehearsing new ballets, and working with different choreographers. Even when we repeat old ballets, it is a unique experience. I’m always learning new things and looking at the world from different perspectives. It is such an interesting life.

8. Do you have a special routine that you go through before a performance, or is each one different?

There is usually an order in which I do things that I establish for each production. Depending on the show, I will usually eat a certain way, and do specific cross-training exercises, and do my hair and make-up in a certain order. If there is difficult partnering, or particular steps in the piece that stress me out, I usually like to rehearse them onstage either right after class, or right before curtain. I set a routine with my partner and we work on those steps before every performance. All that said, I am really not superstitious.

Photo by Tony Spielberg

9. Where you do think dance is headed?

I think dance is continuing to move away from tradition. Many choreographers are re-working the classics or abandoning them altogether, and trying to please a younger audience. I have seen a lot of dance that is more of a theatrical or “performance-art” type of experience. Dance has always transported its viewers, but now it is based less on storytelling and more on making impressions. It is becoming a multidimensional, mixed-media experience that is reflective of the technological era we live in. Dance is also moving toward a more raw emotional experience, not just capturing classical beauty and perfection, but exposing pain and uncertainty and the beauty that can be found in unconventional places.

10. What is next for you?

I am very excited about graduating from St. Edward’s University in August of 2011! It has been extremely challenging to split my time between my personal life, dancing, and school. I look forward to being able to spend more time with my husband, Mike, and focusing more energy on growing as an artist. I am also interested in volunteering around Austin, and becoming certified in Pilates.

BIO: Ashley Lynn Gilfix is a native of the Chicago area, where she received her formal training from Ms. Sherry Moray. Ms. Gilfix performed with the Alabama Ballet prior to joining Ballet Austin in 2002. During her eight seasons with the company, Ashley has had the honor of performing in many world premieres by Stephen Mills, and touring with the company to Italy, Slovenia, The Joyce Theater, and The Kennedy Center, where she was featured in Balanchine’s Episodes in collaboration with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet. Ms. Gilfix has also danced a variety of roles by such choreographers as Sidra Bell, Thang Dao, Thaddeus Davis, Nicolo Fonte, Gina Patterson, Dwight Rhoden, Amy Seiwart, Twyla Tharp, Michelle Thompson, Septime Webre, and Dominic Walsh, and recently appeared as a guest artist with Dominic Walsh Dance Theatre, and the Califa Arts Collaborative. Ashley has especially enjoyed dancing the roles of Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, Kitri in Don Quixote, Ophelia in Hamlet, Cinderella, Odette in Swan Lake, and Swanhilda in Coppelia. Ashley was honored to receive a 2009 Austin Critic’s Table Award for Outstanding Dancer for her performance in Balanchine’s Episodes, Mills’ Hamlet, and Fonte’s Left Unsaid. Ms. Gilfix is currently pursuing a degree in Dance and The Humanities from St. Edward’s University.

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