dancer – Page 7

Teaching First Time Movers at Any Age

May 25, 2011 by 4dancers

Dance can be a very intimidating art form for adults who have never danced before or who do not have an awareness or appreciation of their bodies. People have an image of a dancer and if they don’t fit the mold then they think they can’t dance. I felt this way as a young dancer. I wanted to look like and dance like every dancer I admired. What I discovered is that I had to listen to my own body, my own creative spirit and turn away from the mirror and turn off the judgment in my head. And that is exactly what I asked of a group of pre-teens and parents who took part in a Fit For Kids program I taught at a local hospital where I live.

The focus of the Fit For Kids program is to introduce different ways of exercising to kids and parents who have sedentary lifestyles. If you have the opportunity to teach dance to adults or a mixed age group who are either not used to moving, reluctant about moving or first time movers, it can be quite a challenge. My program started as it usually does when I work with nervous kids and adults: most of the kids were chatting with each other and the parents were trying to disappear into the back wall.

Here are a list of ideas, activities, and tools that I find helpful when teaching a class to people who are hesitant to participate:

1. It is important to engage the adults right away and encourage a positive social interaction between parent and child. Don’t ask if the adults would like to join in. Instead ask them to help by participating. They are more likely to participate if they feel they are being helpful instead of being put on the spot.

2. Adults are used to giving directions and children are taught to follow. Switch this idea around. Have the children lead an exercise and teach a movement to the adults. Also, create an activity where the children and adults have to be partners. In this situation the adults can feel safe by not having to lead something in which they are not comfortable. You are empowering the children to be in charge of their bodies and are giving them some control as well. [Read more…]

10 Questions With…Beth Terwilleger

February 2, 2011 by 4dancers

Today we have with us Beth Terwilleger from Ballet Austin….

1. How did you become involved with dance?

When I was growing up my family used to put on music and dance around the house. I always loved dancing, and when my grandfather showed me my first ballet video I knew that this was the kind of dance I wanted to do. My mom signed me up for classes and I immediately fell in love.

2. What are you currently doing in the field?

I am currently a ballet dancer with Ballet Austin.

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

There are so many special moments. I remember the moment I realized I could move, like really dance. I had always been a bit typecast at the school I grew up in as being very much a ballerina and not a contemporary dancer. Then, during my second apprentice year at Ballet Austin I was in a rehearsal for our end of the year show doing a piece set to salsa music and I realized “this feel great!” Really letting go and moving in all kinds of new different ways was really what I wanted dance to be for me. I was told that the way I moved in this show and the fact that I did have this realization was the reason I was hired into the company. It was major turning point for me. [Read more…]

Editorial: What Dance Means To Me…

November 3, 2010 by 4dancers

I asked 4dancers contributor Karen to share a few words with us today about what dance means to her…here’s her reply…

It’s funny….when I was a little girl, my mom wanted me in dance classes. However, I–being the rebel–wanted nothing to do with them. And yet, I was the girl who secretly danced for years in her bedroom (although, once I stole my mom’s black patent leather pumps and showed her my little routine to “What’s New Pussycat”).

It wasn’t until I was in my early 20’s that I really found dance. I realized then that dance was more than just ballet and jazz. And the more classes I took, the more I fell in love, even if I felt the class was challenging. Today, I still take classes as well as teach and perform and my love for dance has not weakened in the slightest.

As I grew as a dancer, dance began to have more meaning to me. Dance has become food for my soul. Yes, I know it sounds cliché, but it’s true. I feel lost when I can’t take a class, like something is missing. It has become my piece of mind. When I went through a very rough time of taking care of my mom, dance was the one thing that kept my stress down. When I danced, I felt free. My mind could relax and focus on something else for a moment and become recharged.

My mom knew and understood this and she made it a point to make sure that even though I needed to be there for her, I needed to be there for myself as well. So I still danced. Even after losing her, I can still hear her voice every now and then telling me to make sure I dance. Dance is therapy for the heart, soul, mind and body. And in my travels, I’ve talked to a lot of women from various parts of the globe who all feel very much the same. Some discovered dance after their spouse died, or after suffering from a stroke; it filled a void, helped their memory loss, and in essence, gave them their life back. It is that powerful.

Dance is as essential as drinking water. I would feel very empty if dance was no longer in my life.

Karen shared some very personal thoughts about dance here…what does dance mean to you?

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.

10 Questions With…Miriam Landis

October 19, 2010 by 4dancers

Today we have an unusual interview–with writer/former dancer, Miriam Landis. She is the author of a book about ballet…but I don’t want to give everything away so…read on!

1. How did you wind up in dance?

My mom noticed early on that I was walking around the kitchen on my tippy-toes, so she put me in dance classes before I was even three. As I grew up I enjoyed ballet more and more and discovered I was good at it. When I was thirteen I started going away for six weeks to ballet summer programs in San Francisco, Philadelphia, and eventually New York. When I was sixteen, I attended the summer program at the School of American Ballet and they invited me to return for the full school year. I moved away from my family in Salt Lake City and lived in a dorm at Lincoln Center to attend SAB for my last two years of high school. After the annual workshop performances at the end of my senior year, Edward Villella invited me to join the Miami City Ballet.

2. What was your career like?

It was a whirlwind. I joined Miami City Ballet when I was eighteen and started dancing soloist and principal roles within a year. My first big part was the Flower Festival in Genzano pas de deux. I worked hard and the big parts came quickly. I danced leading roles Scotch Girl in Scotch Symphony, the ballerina doll in The Steadfast Tin Soldier, and even Liberty Bell in Stars and Stripes. By the time I was twenty-two I felt like I had accomplished what I wanted in ballet and was ready for a change of direction. Ballet was such a core part of my identity that it was difficult to move on. It’s still a huge part of who I am today and I’ve been able to apply the discipline and other skills in many other aspects of my life. I also made lifelong friends who I’ll feel connected with forever. I was fortunate to have the experience of dancing with such a prestigious company and felt so close to the people I trained and performed with every day for four years. My whole world revolved around dance during that time in my life.

3. What have you done since you retired from dance?

I branched out my interests when I left. I traveled through Europe and did two different study abroad programs in France. In fact, much of the book was written while I was living in France at a time in my life when i could reflect in a meaningful way. I completed all of the pre-med courses in college but eventually decided I didn’t want to become a doctor. l found it hard to go from working with bodies in perfect form to bodies with disease without becoming emotionally overcome. I switched my major to English instead and pursued a career in publishing. I started writing “Girl in Motion” during my junior year of college. After I graduated from Stanford I moved back to New York and worked as an assistant editor at a major publishing house in New York. Three years later I had a great opportunity to move to Seattle and work at Amazon in book merchandising. I’ve been in Seattle for three years and met my husband here.

4. Why did you decide to write the novel, “Girl In Motion”?

There were two reasons. One was that I read a lot of ballet books as I grew up and never found one that fully reflected what my experience was like. I felt a real need to share what I learned with younger ballet students. Second, the writing was also for myself. I was trying to come to terms with leaving the ballet world, and writing was a good way to process my experience.

5. What audience is the novel aimed at?

It’s for ballet students and their parents, and anyone who is interested in ballet.

6. How did you draw on your personal experience with dance in terms of your writing?

I wrote about the emotions I felt and the struggles I watched my friends go through. The feelings remain vivid in my mind ten years later. It was easier to examine how we became professionals through the lives of fictional characters because so many of the themes are universal to every young dancer.

7. What was the experience of writing a novel like?

It was so challenging. There was too much I wanted to say and didn’t know how to express in words. Dancing is all about saying things without words, and writing is completely the opposite. I wrote so many drafts of “Girl in Motion.” At certain times it was in third person, had different titles, and focused on different characters. I tried so many different ways of expressing the story.

8. Do you have any advice for people who might be thinking about writing a dance novel?

The publishing industry is difficult and a unique business world, which makes getting published through traditional routes a real challenge, especially if you don’t already have a persuasive way to market the book. Publishers want to see that. I’d say to worry about that later though, and first try to write the book. I always felt the challenge was to refrain from over-dramatizing ballet the way you often see it in done in films. It wasn’t easy to make the dancers seem like real characters that normal people can relate to, and that’s really important in a novel. Most people don’t go through the specific intense competition involved in a dancer’s life, and dancers’ experiences aren’t universal. Fiction needs to have more universal themes.

9. Can you share a favorite memory from when you were dancing?

One of my favorite memories was my very first performance with Miami City Ballet. We were dancing Western Symphony at the Olympics in Atlanta. I remember standing in the wings and watching all the dancers creating the ballet together, and there was just this incredible feeling of teamwork and love for what we were doing. I could see every person pushing themselves, concentrating, and striving for something larger than we could have done alone. The energy was just incredible.

I was so excited to be a part of it.

10. Where can people purchase your book?

Writing About Dance — Human Kinetics Book

The easiest place to find “Girl in Motion” is on Amazon.com.

You can also join the “Girl in Motion” Facebook page.

I’d love to know what people think of “Girl in Motion,” so don’t hesitate to post a review on Amazon or make comments on the Facebook page.

I hope people enjoy the book!

BIO: Miriam Wenger-Landis was a student at the School of American Ballet and a professional ballerina with the Miami City Ballet. She graduated from Stanford University and lives in Seattle.

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