dancer – Page 9

What's In Your Dance Bag?

November 16, 2009 by 4dancers

: Copyright 2007, Catherine L. Tully

Your dance bag is a personal thing. Everyone has certain items that they feel are vital to carry with them, be it for class or for a tour. When I was dancing, some things I typcially had inside my bag included:

+ An extra pair of technique shoes

+ Lambs wool

+ First aid tape (I didn’t use band aids…found them too bulky)

+ Granola bars

+ An elastic for my waist

+ An extra pair of tights (that seemed to always be wrapping themselves around everything else in the bag)

+ Tissue and toilet paper (for wrapping toes after I got sick of lambs wool)

+ A small bag of makeup

+ Brush, hair bands and bobby pins

+ A hand towel for wiping the sweat off my brow during class

+ Leg warmers

+ A sweater

I had a pretty big bag, and sometimes I stuffed extra things inside, such as leotards, a notebook or even a book once in a while… [Read more…]

Bunions 101

November 1, 2009 by 4dancers

bunion

First of all, the disclaimer–I’m no doctor, I am not a nurse–don’t take anything I say as medical advice. This is for informational purposes only. That said, this is about bunions. If you are a female dancer who has done pointe work for any length of time, you know what I’m talking about. Not all dancers get bunions, but many do–and they can be painful. If you want to learn more about them….start by visiting the Calgary Foot Clinic (photo is from them as well) for a good primer.

Remembering Rebecca Wright

October 22, 2009 by 4dancers

wright When I was a young girl I was cast as an angel in the Ruth Page production of The Nutcracker in Chicago. It was a small part, and after I danced I had to sit on stage–on a hard wooden stool–all the way through the second act. There was only one thing I looked forward to during these perfomances…seeing Rebecca Wright dance the Sugar Plum.

Ms. Wright was the picture of femininity as she floated across the stage. She made me hold my breath when she danced, and she could turn faster than anyone I had ever seen. I still remember the beads of sweat flying off of her as she spun madly around the stage–the lights catching each drop and lighting it up for those of us who were close enough to see… [Read more…]

Michael Jackson: Reflections

October 20, 2009 by 4dancers

This post is a bit different. I watched Michael Jackson dance again today and was struck (as always) by how easy he looked as he moved. The body did what came naturally and it flowed. Every time I see it I am in awe. I went out in search of some of the things that have been written about his dancing and would like to share these links with you here. No matter what you think of the man, Michael Jackson, the dancer, was without peer in his genre. There are precious few people I have seen move like that in my lifetime. Maria Tallchief. Fred Astaire. Suzanne Farrell. A handful at best.

Enjoy this reading. Each of these pieces has something to say or show about the artistry of dance:

The New Yorker – A thought-provoking piece about Jackson’s dance moves.

NY Daily News – An interesting reflection on how Jackson’s dancing impacted today’s dance world.

Dance.com – This shows several clips of Jackson dancing, along with a brief commentary on his life.

Teaching Tip: Don’t Just Correct…Repair!

August 30, 2009 by 4dancers

teach 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!

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