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Interview With Author Germaine Shames

February 15, 2012 by 4dancers

Today we are happy to share this interview with author Germaine Shames…

Author, Germaine Shames

What is your background in dance?

Like the protagonist in my novel I began taking ballet classes at the age of four with a teacher whom, my parents liked to boast, had studied under Martha Graham. Like other young girls, I dreamed of becoming a prima ballerina.

But I was not like most girls.  Shy, stubborn, I balked at following choreography and often found myself stranded alone on one side of the studio while the class, moving as one body, occupied the opposite side.  And then suddenly, before I had mastered a single step, it was time for my first recital.  A chorus line of us baby ballerinas was positioned center-stage as the towering velvet curtain slowly, slowly opened.  One look at the audience and I froze, mouth wide-open, hands clamped to my cheeks.

My parents removed me from ballet class and enrolled me again thee years later—with similar results.  There would be no more recitals.

Flash forward half a century…

I have ripened into, not a ballerina, but a writer with abiding creative and emotional ties to dance and dancers.  My forthcoming ballet-themed novel You, Fascinating You will be released within days.

The protagonist of my novel, Margit Wolf, begins the account of her life, “They say ballet chooses the dancer.”  Regrettably, I was not among the chosen.  How I envy those of you who are!

How did you become a writer? [Read more…]

Filed Under: 10 Questions With..., Books & Magazines, Dance Gifts, Dance History Tagged With: ballerina, Ballet, book, dancer, germaine shames, margit wolf, martha graham, you fascinating you

Student Spotlight: Chris Scott

February 13, 2012 by 4dancers

4dancers would like to introduce a new feature–Student Spotlight. In this column, we’ll be sharing some information about students from all over–a little glimpse inside their world as they work to move into a career in dance. Today is our first….

Chris Scott

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

I was first exposed to dance through the Physical Education curriculum at my local state school. All of the students at my school had to take dance on rota like all the other sports, such as rugby and football. At that time I was playing rugby at a very high level. After breaking my wrist twice in the same year I was forced to spend more time off the pitch, and coincidentally ended up heading to the dance studio for refuge.

The ball just started rolling from there. I was intrigued by what I saw and the dancing I experienced. Even though I was a sportsman as a child, I was always interested in theatre, dance appeared to be the natural and obvious way that both my interests found harmony; it was physically and theatrically exciting.

From there I started joining local youth dance companies and then regional youth companies, eventually I was dancing every day after school with a different group in a different place. Then I decided to pursue it as a career and continued my training at London Contemporary Dance School.

2. What do you find you like best about dance class?

There are countless positive experiences that dance brings me every day, and that truly is the joy of following an art form you are passionate about. But if I were to just consider class, which is a different environment to rehearsal let’s say, it would have to be the simple physical satisfaction the movement brings.

Class is evidently a repetitious process that any dancer endures through their career; the satisfaction of movement keeps me curious. I value being able to step into class, and no matter what challenges and dramas you face in the outside world, the class becomes a time for you to leave it all at the door and bask in the enjoyment of movement. Even though a lot of the time classes present their own challenges, it can become almost a meditation allowing the body and mind to physically and artistically release.

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

Filed Under: Student Spotlight Tagged With: chris scott, dancer, london contemporary dance school, state university of new york's purchase college dance conservatory, student

Treatment of Warts in the Dancer By Dr. Sinkoe

February 9, 2012 by 4dancers

Warts are a virus which infects the outer layer of the skin.  They are considered opportunistic and will enter the skin via a small wound or under a callous or blister.  Thick calloused tissue grows over the developing wart and is painful.  The surrounding area may also feel swollen due to the immunological response of the skin, reacting to a “foreign body”.  Warts may occur as a single lesion or may be clustered forming several warts.

Causes in dancers: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Dance Wellness, Foot Care, Pointe Shoes Tagged With: dancer, dancers foot problems, dr. sinkoe, treatment of warts, warts, warts in dancers

Dance Wellness: Causes of Dance Injuries (Risk Factors) Part I

February 1, 2012 by 4dancers

KEEPING DANCERS DANCING

by Jan Dunn, MS

Jan Dunn, MS

This month’s topic in our ongoing Dance Wellness series is “Causes of Dance Injuries” (also called “risk factors” in the dance medicine world).  We all know that dance is a risky business – injuries do happen.  But learning what causes them can go a long way in helping to reduce that risk, and keep you “Dancing Longer / Dancing Stronger” (actually the title of an excellent dance medicine books for dancers!).  All of the information in this article is supported by dance medicine research over the last thirty years.

The risk factors discussed below are NOT listed in any order of importance!  In many dance injury situations, more often it is a combination of “causes” that may result in injury (I will explain what I mean by at the end !). We’ll cover five today, and five tomorrow:

1)  Poor alignment and faulty technique:

While it is true that many injuries result from a combination of factors, this one is usually agreed to be one of the most important.  Dr. Justin Howse, longtime physician to The Royal Ballet in England (now retired) and one of the early pioneers in Dance Medicine, went so far as to say that all injuries were the result of faulty technique. Most current experts would agree that while faulty technique is a major component of injuries, they would not necessarily concur that it is the only factor.

By “Alignment problems” we mean such postural patterns as:

-forward head (the head not in good alignment with the spine and torso)

-forward shoulders (rounded shoulders)

-lumbar lordosis (“swayback”)

-thoracic hyperextension (protruding ribcage)

-hyperextended knees (knees straightened beyond 180)

– foot pronation or supination (rolling in or out)

A dancer who has good alignment is more likely to have “efficient movement” (using only the muscles and amount of energy necessary to accomplish the movement), and is less likely to be putting strain and tension on soft tissue (ligaments / tendons / muscles) around the joint, thus resulting in less possibility of injury.

An example:

A young dancer complains of knee pain. The dance medicine physical therapist or physician gives a diagnosis of patellofemoral syndrome, which frequently involves the patella (kneecap) not tracking properly in the patellar femoral groove (the groove in the femur through which the patella glides, on knee flexion and extension).  Looking at the dancer’s plie in first, the medical specialist and the dance trainer note that the dancer’s feet are turned out to 65 degrees, and the knees are not aligning over the toes, but falling instead in front of the great toe.  Foot pronation (rolling in) and lumbar lordosis (“swayback”) is also noted. The dancer’s external rotation (turn-out) in the hip joint is then tested lying prone (on the stomach), and is found to be 48 degrees – so she is “forcing her turn-out”, which can cause knee pain (and possibly other problems).  Recommendations are given for medical treatment for the knee pain, and she is also given cueing for proper plie technique, using her natural turn-out of 48 degrees, and not forcing at the knee and ankle.

The crucial point here is that ALL injuries in dance need to be evaluated for technique concerns, to see if this may have played a causative part.  If the dancer rehabs the injury without knowing if faulty technique is involved, the injury is more likely to re-occur when returning to full dance activity.

2). Anatomical limitations: [Read more…]

Filed Under: 4dancers, Dance Wellness, Injuries Tagged With: ballet injuries, causes of injury in dance, dance injuries, dance medicine, dancer, dancer wellness, injury, injury in the dancer, jan dunn, the royal ballet

Dancer Spotlight: Lisa Barrieau

January 30, 2012 by 4dancers

Today we’re introducing a new feature at 4dancers–the “Dancer Spotlight”. We’ve gotten such great feedback on our “10 Questions With…” series that we thought it might be fun to do a series of shorter “interviews” with dancers as well. These will pop up from time to time, and dancers will answer a few interesting questions in a more abbreviated format.

Today we have Lisa Barrieau with us from Atlanta Ballet…

Lisa Barrieau, photo courtesy of Atlanta Ballet

What is the best advice you have ever received from a teacher or mentor regarding dance?

The best advice I ever received from a teacher was: Dancing is something that people only dream of doing… the day you wake up not wanting any part of it anymore is the day you should stop. Until then, work as hard as you can to fulfill your passion.

Do you have any advice for dancers who want to go on to a professional career?

Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t be a professional because there is a company out there for everyone as long as you fight for it and accept the challenge.

Do you have a special routine you go through prior to a performance?

Before every performance, I say a little thank you to my grandpa who passed away. Without him I wouldn’t have started dancing as a kid and I want him to know that I am dancing for him.

What is your favorite ballet and why do you enjoy it?

My favorite ballet of all time is Michael Pink’s Dracula. I love the choreography and music. I think I also love that Dracula is such a passionate and misunderstood character and Michael Pink’s ballet helps to illustrate it. It is definitely not your typical ballet.

What do you enjoy most about your life in dance?

I love the people I work with and I love that, unlike other careers, I get to wake up and go to work and be something I am not… be a peasant or a vampire, a princess or a goblin… I get to express myself through movement in a way that so many can’t fathom.

BIO: A native of Milwaukee, WI, Lisa started dancing at the age of four and continued training in Connecticut with New Haven Ballet School and Joyce DiLauro. Her additional studies include intensives with Boston Ballet School, American Academy of Ballet, and Milwaukee Ballet School, where she was offered a contract into Nancy Einhorn’s Milwaukee Ballet II program. There, she danced the role of Blue Fairy in Bruce Well’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, was seen in Antony Tudor’s Offenbach in the Underworld, and Michael Pink’s The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty. In 2009, Lisa joined Minnesota Ballet where she performed the roles Lustful Virgin in Agnes De Mille’s Three Virgins and a Devil, and Zulme in Giselle. Last season, Lisa danced with Milwaukee Ballet and performed in Edgar Zendejas’ world premiere of Mara in the International Choreographic Competition. Lisa’s career has offered her the chance to dance works by Alvin Ailey, Kee-Juan Han, Jose Limón, Trey McIntyre, Adam Miller, Pilobolus, Twyla Tharp, and Chet Walker. Lisa is looking forward to her first season with Atlanta Ballet and she thanks her family for all of their love and support.

Filed Under: Dancer Spotlight Tagged With: atlanta ballet, Ballet, dancer, dancer interview, Lisa Barrieau

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