dance – Page 4

Student Spotlight: Kelsie Moreno

February 18, 2013 by Rebecca H. Walker

For today’s Student Spotlight we give a warm welcome to dancer Kelsie Moreno…

541446_10150664405691868_611825027_n — Dancer, Kelsie Moreno

1. Can you tell readers how you became involved with dance?

My mom put me in gymnastics when I was 5. I did it for 2 years but because I wasn’t very flexible I didn’t really enjoy it after a while. I tried soccer at 8, but it wasn’t for me. My mom put me in ballet just before my 9^th birthday. I did ballet 1 hour a week for 6 months before I also added jazz. I started taking more classes after that and by the time I was 12 I was competing. Even though I had been competing since I was 12, I didn’t really get into dance or discover my passion for it until I was 16. I am so glad and very grateful that I was put into dance.

When I was 17, my old studio closed down and it left me without a place to dance. I went to another studio for a bit but it just wasn’t the right one for me and I started to question my commitment to dance. I found Nuevo School of Contemporary Dance after seeing them at a dance competition. Once I started taking classes at Nuevo, I rediscovered my passion for dance and why I wanted to be a dancer. Being here has given me the right tools to develop into a much better and well-rounded dancer.

2. What do you find you like best about dance class? [Read more…]

Critique As Love: Constructive Criticism and Curation

February 13, 2013 by Kimberly Peterson

by Kimberly Peterson

I just finished reading a fantastic book called “Girls to the Front” which carries you through the Riot Grrrrl movement of the 90’s in fantastic form. Filled with feminist theory and punk ethos, I find many similarities between the openness and experimentation of this movement, and post modernist theories of dance. Much like my alma mater’s motto of “Every Body Dances”, there is a deep seated recognition and unapologetic validity of the creative journey, and wherever you may find yourself along that path.

It is a noble attitude, one I embrace and look for in dance communities. However, there does exist a personal, social and collective aesthetic which shapes not only the work we create, and the work we enjoy seeing, but also influences the works created in the future.

As artists, we tend to make work that we enjoy and emulate the work and themes we relate to. Through our individual choices, we not only shape the concerts we see, but the funding that is directly or indirectly given to those performances. Through our communal aesthetic, we shape the definition of our art form in the common vernacular. So intertwined are these connections that aesthetics at the personal level, can in fact, shape the type of work we see on a global level.

Criticism is the vehicle by which we shape our individual aesthetic values, and through this, our collective and social aesthetic values. This process of critique, artists with like minded ideas about how art is made, and what art is effective, tend to draw together. This kind of self curation is one that fascinates me as an artist – further, it causes me to contemplate how artists may be able to use this as a curatorial process to our own advantages in models of artist representation. [Read more…]

Student Spotlight: Ana Porta

February 4, 2013 by 4dancers

This week our student spotlight is Ana Porta from Chicago Ballet Arts…

Can you tell readers how you became involved with dance?

I initially began dancing at my preschool, and I also took classes at a couple studios in the area. That was before my mom found out about Chicago Ballet Arts from one of its current co-directors, Leslie Saunders, who happens to also be a mother of a family in my school district. Nobody else in my family had danced before, so it started out as just a hobby.

What do you find you like best about dance class?

For me, the best part of dance class is at the barre. I love taking the time to see how my body is feeling, what hurts, and what feels good. It is a time to become centered and focused, and it lets you think about what you want to accomplish that day. I love being intricate with my movement, and barre helps me find my core to perform for the rest of class.

What is the hardest part about dance for you?

The hardest part of dance for me is overcoming the physical obstacles that stand in my way. Ballet has never come easy for me; I have always had to work very hard to keep up with my peers. Being born with limited turnout and knee problems has always been a barrier for me, but the rewards that come from hard work are irreplaceable.

What advice would you give to other dancers?

My advice would be to keep working, no matter how difficult it may seem. Dance teaches discipline and grace, which are both qualities that everyone can benefit from. Not everyone is cut out to be a professional dancer, but nothing is more rewarding than having a blast in class and on stage.

How has dance changed your life?

Dance has had a huge impact on my life. When I was going through difficult times, ballet was a haven for me, and an outlet where I could release my anger and sadness, as well as joy and excitement. Ballet has always been there for me, and it has helped shape me into the person I am today. I hope that I continue to learn from dance and grow as a person, and I know that the lessons I have learned in my dance education will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Student Spotlight: Hannah Keife

January 28, 2013 by 4dancers

1. Can you tell readers how you became involved in dance?

I began dancing at a very young age; however, I did not realize how passionate I felt toward the art until I was about 13 years old. Before I joined my current dance studio, Nuevo School of Contemporary Dance, I was dancing at a studio that had a very negative vibe. I was never excited to dance and was scared of the teacher. When I joined Nuevo, my love for dance grew tremendously and I immediately knew it was my home.

2. What do you like best about dance class?

What I like best about dance class is the satisfaction you feel knowing you did your best. When I am in class, it is the time for me to train, practice, but also have fun. If I ever have something on my mind then I can go into class and let out all of my feelings. I understand that no one is judging me and I can dance just because I love it.

3. What is the hardest part about dance for you? [Read more…]

Interview With Tyler Christopher Jay

January 25, 2013 by Ashley David

dancer in forest — Tyler Christopher Jay

I “met” Tyler Christopher Jay on Twitter recently and after a short chat, thought he’d be great to feature on the site. He has a varied background in dance and theatre, and a lot of energy! Here’s more about his life in the arts…

1. How did you get started in dance?

I suppose it was just expected of me to dance. My mother was a dancer and taught dance, and my sister was a dancer so I was constantly at the studio. I think when I was 7 I finally was able to push my mother to let me start taking classes. At that time I started taking ballet, tap, and jazz and have taken many more different styles since then.

2. What made you pursue it as a career?

Well, its not my full career. I also make my career out of acting, and singing. The limelight has always been in me from my first dance class to going to see my first musical. For me, going into the arts was never a question. I always knew that I wanted to be onstage somehow. I also enjoy choreographing though and being behind the scenes. I specialize in musical theater choreography, but don’t mind teaching ballet, contemporary, or partnering.

3. What are you currently doing?

Currently I am dancing with the Metropolitan Ballet for their 2012-2013 season in the Twin Cities; right now we are working on ‘Swan Lake.’ I also choreograph for a local theater company.

4. What do you think is the most challenging aspect of a career in dance—and why? [Read more…]

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