dancers

Enhance Your Dancing With The Alexander Technique

January 11, 2017 by 4dancers

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I’m very pleased to bring you this current article, on The Alexander Technique, from a longtime dance / dance medicine colleague of mine, Nada Diachenko, faculty in the Dept. of Theatre and Dance at University of Colorado, Boulder.

Nada was a professional dancer in New York for many years, primarily with Erick Hawkins, before she went into the academic dance world. We first met at the American Dance Festival (Durham, NC) 30+ years ago, and formed a lasting professional and personal friendship based on our mutual interest in dancers’ well-being and health. Over the years we have had many opportunities to work together at CU-Boulder, teaching Dance Wellness course offerings and starting a Dance Wellness Screening Program, along with Pilates.

Nada’s particular focus for many years has been The Alexander Technique (AT) – teaching dancers how this particular neuromuscular re-education practice can help facilitate more comfortable and productive movement in their bodies, both in dance and daily life. I have experienced AT many times over the years, both with Nada and other practitioners, and always strive to incorporate many of the principles daily, to allow more ease in my body movements. I’m so pleased that she offered to write this article for us.
Nada has included some excellent links for further reading / researching on AT – enjoy and pass it on!

– Jan Dunn, MS, Dance Wellness Editor

by Nada Diachenko

Do you ever wonder why you get the same correction year after year?

Or why you continue to work on your turns and they don’t get better?

And maybe you struggle with learning a new style and can’t figure out how to make that easier.

Personal History

Honestly, if I had asked myself those questions as a young dancer I would have had to answer yes. In retrospect, I wish I had studied the Alexander Technique (AT) at 19 when I first discovered an AT book at a NYC bookstore. That book sat on my shelf for years. When I finally had a series of weekly lessons, I discovered ease, freedom of movement, balance, and an overall sense of organization. Then I read that book, Body Learning, by Michael Gelb which led me on a life changing journey as a dancer and teacher.

It wasn’t until I moved to Colorado after a 20 year career in NYC as a professional dancer that I began to understand the power of the technique.

While on faculty at the University of Colorado (CU), I realized I wanted to help dancers go deeper in changing inefficient movement habits. It also became clear to me that I needed AT for myself in order to continue to move and dance into the future with less strain and pain.

So I trained and became a certified AT teacher. I learned skills and gained tools that helped me change some of my very strong compensation patterns from injuries and imbalances from my scoliosis. Incorporating these skills and tools that helped me so much, I developed AT courses for undergraduate and graduate students at CU. One of their basic requirements is to read Body Learning. [Read more…]

Coping With Mental Stress As A Dancer

October 14, 2016 by 4dancers

unknown — *Ashley Werhun and Alexander Hille. Photo by Jeremy Coachman.*

by Ashley Werhun

Mental stress and strain can lead to burnout and depression, and it can be a major roadblock in not only a dance career, but in leading a healthy life. Here are a few thoughts on how we, as dancers, can take steps to support our mental health…and that of our fellow dancers.

Resist Negative Thinking

It is part of the human condition for our brain to make up stories. Our psyche connects the dots with the information we have to draw a conclusion for a scenario. How many times have you not been cast, and your brain thinks, “I am not good enough for that role” or, “I shouldn’t be in this company, I don’t fit in?”

Rarely would it say, “There must be something better coming” or, “I think the role I am in will challenge me in the exact way I need to grow.” Simply recognizing that our brains may tend to slant towards the negative is empowering and helps us evaluate whether or not this “story” our brains made up is actually true.

Often times I encountered this exact scenario. One time I even naively went to my director, concerned that I wasn’t integrated enough on stage and he said, “Patience Ashley–I didn’t put you in this rep that much because you will be the lead in the next creation”. I walked out and reminded myself to trust. Trust yourself, and trust that the director/choreographer is doing what is best for the company and for the production. This situation was a blunt reminder to get out of my thoughts and back into the work.

Resources:

The Power of Positive Talking – WebMD

The Power of Positive Self-Talk – Psychology Today

Utilize Meditation

[Read more…]

Journaling For Dancers: Why You Need It & How It Helps

March 28, 2016 by 4dancers

by Grier Cooper

You work hard during ballet class because you know your hard work will pay off. But how do you know what’s working and what isn’t? Aside from occasional comments or critiques from your teachers, you don’t. But you can change that! By implementing this simple journaling process, you can track your progress so you have a clear idea.

You’ll be doing some writing so you’ll need a small sketchbook or journal (choose a pretty one!) and a pen. Be sure to give yourself a few minutes before and after class to read through the questions and write down your thoughts. This process is just for you, so keep it light, simple and fun.

Before class begins, do the following:

Set an intention

Take a few moments to set an intention. An intention is a purpose, or a desired action or result. Close your eyes and ask yourself what your intention is for this particular class. The answer may come as a thought, feeling or vision. Write down whatever comes to mind, even if it’s just one word. An example might be wanting to feel centered and grounded throughout class. Setting an intention can be quite powerful because it helps us focus on what’s most important.

Choose your goals

Next, write down 2-3 goals. Keep them simple and achievable. You may be struggling with en dedans pirouettes, for example. While you can’t guarantee that you’ll be able to pull off a triple turn by the end of class, your goal could be to ask your teacher or a friend to watch your turns and help you determine what’s off.

After class is finished, set aside a few moments to jot down responses to the following questions. Since this is a self-assessment, be honest (and fair… dancers are often their own worst critics) when you answer.

What did I do well?
Where do I need to improve?

List at least three answers to each question and make sure it’s a balanced list with the same number of things for each category. Remember: it’s just as important to acknowledge what you did well, perhaps even more so, since this area is often overlooked–most dancers are too busy being hard on ourselves.

Taking a few minutes every day to work with this journaling process is a powerful tool will help you stay focused and give you a clear picture of your performance in class. Work with it regularly and you’ll never leave class again wondering how you did. Over time you’ll be able to track your results and achievements.

Write on!

Grier Cooper left home at fourteen to study at the School of American Ballet and has performed San Francisco Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and others, totaling more than thirty years of experience as a dancer, teacher and performer. She blogs about dance and has interviewed and photographed a diverse collection dancers and performers including Clive Owen, Nicole Kidman, Glen Allen Sims and Jessica Sutta. She is the author of the Indigo Ballet Series ballet novels for young adults. Visit Grier at http://www.griercooper.com

What Alan Rickman Taught Me About Dance

February 27, 2016 by 4dancers

by Ashley Werhun

The recent death of Alan Rickman sent me on a YouTube “runaway train” – watching interview after interview of him speaking about the craft of acting.

Lessons about dance aren’t always (or even, usually) learned from dancers.

Some of my best growth as a dancer has happened while learning from different artists, and this is no exception. The lesson that Alan Rickman was taught over and over again at acting school was “less is more”. The most important thing to find in the work was – clarity. “Truth” was the word that seemed to roll off of every teacher’s tongue. These complex ideas required many years of training to trickle down and really settle into Alan’s mind.

He spoke of being taught the humble lesson that he may “never be as good as the play,” in fact, that no actors really are. The intent was to be a servant to the craft. It was this level of depth in training that made him a director’s dream when he moved to Hollywood. After over a decade of acting in the theater he moved to Los Angeles, and because of his deep understanding of the art form – which was required in the theater setting – he could easily slip into a script.

He was cast in Die Hard just two days after arriving in Hollywood.

Alan has said, “Anything involved in telling stories is not just worthy. It is crucial. Otherwise – how the hell do we find out who we are – unless we explain ourselves to each other via books, cinema, theater, documentary….”

This is a reminder to all that art is a reflection of life occurring around us. It is a look into humanity’s current state – the political climate, the condition of nature, social change; society as a whole. When looking at history we read about wars, leaders, business, and technology. But where learn about the feeling, the essence of the era, is the music, books, films, painting…and dance.

Recently Old Navy produced a shirt crossing off aspiring artists and put “astronaut” or “president”. If Alan taught me one thing- it is that the arts are indeed a worthy path and profession. Alan was formerly a trained graphic designer – but he knew that his greater purpose to reach the world was being an actor. In a society that is changing as rapidly as it is – if we don’t have actors, musicians, photographers, poets, film makers, dancers and writers to document this era…what will we have? All progress, and no reflection of it?

When Alan speaks of his artistic process – it is universal to all creative endeavors. “I think there’s some connection between absolute discipline and absolute freedom,” he has said.

This describes dance perfectly. The physical ownership of the form – and the emotional release of that control. The lessons he learned about being a “channel for the writer” sound exactly what it feels like to be the channel for a choreographer – to be a part of the process of creating something larger than yourself. Something that connects to universal themes. To know that the impact of a performance is far greater than just your muscles and bones – that it is a culmination of the creation process with a choreographer, the dancers around you, the lighting design, the score and the audience as a participating collective. Alan stated that an audience responds when “you can tell there is truth happening in the theater…when there is a real connection between the actors”.

In remembering the life of Alan Rickman let us remember that as artists, we are part of a bigger process. We are truly being asked to be a part of nurturing creativity in our society. And, as Rickman reminds us, this task is not “just worthy, but crucial”.

Ashley Werhun, Photo by Christopher Peddecord

Contributing writer Ashley Werhun began her formal training Edmonton, Alberta. Her training was supplemented by attending The National Ballet of Canada, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, The Banff Center, and The Juilliard School during the summers. Werhun later studied at The Alberta Ballet School and Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet. Ashley is currently dancing with Les Ballet Jazz de Montreal for the 2014/ 2015 season, where she will be performing the works of Barack Marshall, Adonis Foniadakis Cayetano Soto, Wen Wei Wang, and Rodrigo Pederneiras.

Prior to joining BJM Werhun was a guest artist with Ballet British Columbia and was a founding member of Trey McIntyre Project. In six seasons with Trey McIntyre Project, she has been featured in world premieres including: Ladies and Gentlemen, The Sweeter End, Pass Away, and Ten Pin Episodes. Her performances have been acclaimed in publications such as the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Seattle Times, and Chicago Tribune. Her work has been described as “simultaneously grand and cozy”, and with her partners she creates what has been called a “beautiful, melancholy duet… intertwining bodies in interesting ways; their movements growing with desperation as the work culminates in tragic climax.”

She has toured North America, South America, Asia and Europe performing, teaching master classes, and engaging through outreach with schools and hospitals. During her time as an Artist in Residence at St. Luke’s Children Hospital, she used dance as therapy to promote joy and healing. She cherishes these experiences and finds inspiration in each moment. She has spent her last two summers on faculty at The Sitka Fine Arts Camp in Alaska. Ashley is so happy to have returned to her native country of Canada and to and be part of this group of extraordinary artists.

Flash Feldenkrais for the Busy Dancer: Part I

October 29, 2015 by 4dancers

We’re pleased to offer you “Flash Feldenkrais for Dancers” — by Nancy Wozny. Nancy is the Somatics expert on our Dance Wellness Panel — she wrote the article introducing Somatic work, and why it matters for dancers, “A Somatic Update for Dancers” in August of 2014. Nancy is a Feldenkrais practitioner herself, and is sharing her expertise with you in this series of “Flash Feldenkrais” postings — here is the first one. Try it – I think you will like it. Enjoy! – Jan

Jacob's Pillow — B: Brandon Collwes, Molly Griffin, and Brandin Steffensen of Liz Gerring Dance Company in glacier. Photo Christopher Duggan

Note: This is the first in a series of Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement Lessons that have been streamlined for dancers.

by Nancy Wozny

Watching Liz Gerring’s dancers in glacier this summer at Jacob’s Pillow navigate their way through a glorious feast of highly nuanced movement reminded me of how somatically rich some contemporary dancers’ lives are these days. Because Gerring’s vocabulary is so mind bogglingly detailed, her dancers are neurally nourished with novelty on a daily basis. Gerring’s dancers also move as if each step is a question, embracing an exploratory process, so that each movement feels like an act of discovery. The sheer abundance of specificity not only makes for compelling choreography, but has an added benefit to the dancers, and possibly the viewers as well. Just watching these deft movers made me feel as if I was getting a month-long Feldenkrais retreat thanks to those handy mirror neurons at work.

Sometimes, we forget just how diverse a dancer’s life is when considering the role of Somatics for today’s dancer. Somatics, defined by philosopher Thomas Hanna, is the study of the body as a lived experience. In my first piece for 4dancers, A Somatics Update, I outlined the characteristics of the field, which include cultivating an accurate sense of awareness, the use of non-habitual movement, resting between actions and attention to our habits, to name a few. The Feldenkrais Method, one of many somatic practices, is particularly useful for performing artists, especially dancers because of their complicated movement lives, which includes both repetition and novelty.

Contemporary choreographers and educators regularly look to change the status quo in what they are asking dancers to do. The movement in today’s dance classes and choreography is considerably more varied than it was say 20 years ago. What does all this have to do with Somatics?

You are busy, and all of us dance health folk are always trying to make you busier. Do this! Do that! The list of what a dancer needs to do besides daily technique class to stay healthy seems to grow each year.

I understand the demands of today’s dancer enough to know that anything can be streamlined to fit an artist’s schedule, even the prolific work of Moshe Feldenkrais, who created over 3,000 brilliant Awareness Through Movement lessons. And trust me, each one is a gem. Although it’s always beneficial to do longer and more complicated lessons, especially when you are in recovery mode, it’s possible to receive a benefit from shorter lessons.

Feldenkrais could very well be the father of cross training as well as somatics, as he addressed expanding our habits head on by introducing the role of novelty in movement as a neural refresher.

We also need to keep in mind that Feldenkrais Method and dance share some of the same domain, which includes inventive movement. The average dancer has no shortage of novelty in their lives, as they regularly meet the demands of today’s choreographers who tirelessly look for new ways to put the human body into action.

Maintenance mode doesn’t quite need the same time commitment, especially when you are getting a good amount of somatic diversity in your daily classes and rehearsals. However, a dancer’s time and energy budget is tight, so perhaps a need-to-know approach may be more doable when it comes to maintaining your somatic health.

With all of this in mind, I offer Flash Feldenkrais for the Busy Dancer, streamlined lessons that address common conditions in a dancers’ working life, which sometimes involves an abundance of novelty. That can be discombobulating in its own right. Sometimes, we need to scale back, look to more central organizations, and simply calm the whole system down. And because it’s Feldenkrais, a tiny bit of novelty pops in at the end because we always need a little post Feldenkrais play time.

Flash Feldenkrais Lesson #1: Returning to Neutral

When to do this lesson: When you have been doing a lot of performing or traveling, or both at the same time. Anytime something has thrown you off from your center, this lesson will help reel you in. I find it to be a somatic palate cleanser, and a “returning to your baseline” lesson.

Why do this lesson: You will find a wonderful ease in your limbs afterward. It’s the Feldenkrais equivalent of straightening out your holiday lights when they get all in a jumble.

What do you need to do this lesson: A soft mat or blanket and 15-20 uninterrupted minutes in a quiet room.

Remember: Rest between each step and before you fatigue. Do each instruction just a few times. Make the movement as easy as possible.

Lie on your back with your legs long and your arms by your side. Sense your contact against the ground. Bring your right arm up so that your fingers point to the ceiling and your palm faces your midline. Notice the effort it takes to do this movement.

Bend up your knees and bring your feet to standing. Bring your right arm up again and move your right arm slightly toward and away from your midline. Notice the “sweet spot” when you pass through neutral.

Bring your right arm up again and move it slightly toward your head and then toward your feet. Notice when you pass through neutral.

Bring your right arm up again and move it toward the midline and away, then toward your head, then your feet, always returning to neutral between each movement.

Repeat steps 1-5 with the left arm.

Repeat steps 1-5 steps with both arms at once.

Repeat steps 1-5 with the right leg in the air.

Repeat steps 1-5 with the left leg in the air.

Bring all limbs into the air and spend some time improvising. Play with the limbs moving toward and away from each other in various configurations. This is where the imagination can slip in while you find some new and fun ways of moving your limbs in space.

Rest on your back again. Lift your right arm into the air and notice how easy it is now. Come to sitting, then standing. Walk around and notice your sense of ease and grace.

NEXT UP: Stay tuned for the second installation of Flash Feldenkrais for the Busy Dancer, which will focus on organizing oneself for a shift and cleansing the kinesthetic palate.

Nancy Wozny is editor in chief of Arts + Culture Texas, reviews editor at Dance Source Houston and a contributor to Pointe Magazine, Dance Teacher and Dance Magazine, where she is also an contributing editor. She has taught and written about Feldenkrais and somatics in dance for two decades.

Personal History

Resist Negative Thinking

Utilize Meditation

Set an intention

Choose your goals

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