I love this idea and think EVERY studio should adopt it ASAP! If you are like me and want your students to watch others perform to increase their knowledge of themselves as a dancer? Then This is perfect for you…..it is a student to student “award” that your students can give to others they see and admire at conventions & competitions.
I highly recommend you introduce www.dancebutton.com to as many studios as you can!
Popularity: 59% [?]
- Get off the floor when you hop, and PRESS into the balls of your feet (Forced Arch) TAP
- Don’t dance; Perform
- Straighten the supporting leg!
- Spot eye level, on the accent to turn as a unit.
- No Fouettes in Tap! Save them for your Jazz, Modern, Lyrical and Ballet - Use Tap Turns!
- Don’t forget to Pointe` your feet - especially when going into & getting up from in floor sections!
- Every transition is equally as important as each individual step!
- Be sure to stretch before every performance.
- Preview and discuss each stage, at each performance, for proper staging and spacing!
- Express, Emote and SMILE!!!!
I choose these 10 because they apply to 90% of the the dances I adjudicate. They are here to help you avoid the most common pit falls I encounter. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is see ourselves - but when we do, we can become the person we want to be by working on what actually makes up who we are as a person. Then we love ourselves and have the ability to love others. It works that way with Critical Criticism! Listen to what everyone has to say, Take it all with a grain of salt, then place appropriate value to all you have heard and apply it properly to your life!
Popularity: 64% [?]
Let talk about lyrical at competition…As a performer you need to express the lyrics of the artist you are dancing to with you face, body and movement. Your job is to connect the audience to the emotion of the song. Be aware of musical changes and DO A LYRICAL REPORT.
A lyrical report is a book report for a song….You should listen to the words and the way the artist’s voice changes during the song. What emotions are expressed? How do I express them properly? What are the right moments to express them? and so on….This will help you perform on stage rather than just “spit dance steps back” at your audience…..It is hard to put yourself out on the line emotionally in front of a wide variety of people BUT that is what we should do when performing a lyrical dance.
Age - I know lyrical is very enticing to all ages BUT remember a few things. For younger students I tend to introduce them to expression on stage with Theatre and Character dances. This teaches students that it is O.K. to dance with different expression and emotions on stage and to perform as a character and NOT dance like themselves….Plus it is hard to judge a lyrical dance when the student is 10 and she is smiling through a whole dance about being a battered wife…I see things like this every weekend when I judge and it happens ALL DAY, NOT JUST ONCE OR TWICE!
If you have younger students who really want to become great lyrical dancers, start with the theatre dance and easier character stuff when they are younger so they can get used to expressing themselves in front of an audience - This will make it easier to transition into heavier, deeper, and more mature emotions when they get older and tackle lyrical pieces.
O.K. - That is all for this topic at the moment…Hope this is helpful…..It seems like teachers really fine my lyrical report system useful and I hope you do to…
Tap w/u Soon,
Anthony
Popularity: 90% [?]
I have been on a health search lately. Almost 4 weeks ago a put my back out. I simply twisted, not even fast, to grab my cat…Surprise - STUCK! I have had this happen twice before over the last couple of years. It’s happening more often now!!! It’s causing bigger problems, and lasting longer than in the past!!! Thank goodness for Dr. Hoffman - My Chiropractor. He is a Blessing.
I originally injured my back while performing in Tap Dogs. I slipped why tapping UP the ladder during a show in NY. Tore up my whole lower back! I have never been the same since. That was with 2 1/2 weeks of physical therapy.
I have never been out this long before and it is driving me a bit crazy! Let’s remember - dance teachers don’t have a union. I used to be a SAG member years ago but have let that go since not Living in NYC for many years. That means, no 401k, no health coverage, and the real problem - NO SICK DAYS -
Anyway, I was using stumble upon (one of my favorite internet tools EVER!) and found an interesting site about dancers and health. I copied their about section and posted it below. The name of the site is “The International Association for Dance Medicine & Science”I think any person related to dance will bookmark this page for future reference, I know I did……
“The International Association for Dance Medicine & Science was formed in 1990 by an international group of dance medicine practitioners, dance educators, dance scientists, and dancers. Membership is drawn equally from the medical and dance professions, and has grown from an initial 48 members in 1991 to over 900 members at present world-wide, representing 35 countries. The organization has held an annual conference since its inception, drawing several hundred participants each year. Beginning in 1997, a separate “Day For Teachers” has been held before or after the annual conference. In 2005 a “Special Interests Group (SIG) Day” was held in association with the Annual Meeting for the first time and included separate programs for dance educators, kinesiology teachers, and orthopaedic surgeons. The 2007 SIG Day included separate programs for: dance educators; physiotherapists and other allied health professionals; and dance movement researchers.
The 16th Annual Meeting was held in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA in October 2006 with 300 delegates in attendance at the full meeting and 190 attending SIG Day. The 17th Annual Meeting was held in Canberra, Australia in October 2007, with 370 delegates in attendance at the full meeting and 260 attending SIG Day. (Click here for a complete table of past Annual Meetings.) The 18th Annual Meeting of IADMS will be held in Cleveland, Ohio, USA on October 23-25, 2008. “Special Interest Groups Day” will be held Sunday, October 26, 2008.
IADMS was formed to foster several related goals in the dance medicine and science field; the purposes and objectives of the organization are summarized in its Mission Statement:
The International Association for Dance Medicine and Science was created to serve as a forum for education, promotion of research, and public service in the field of dance medicine and science. The organization is committed to providing continuing education for the dance and medical communities as well as the public regarding efficient training for dance, correct physical conditioning to prevent illness and injury resulting from dance activity, proper nutrition for the dancer, and appropriate treatment and rehabilitation for dance-related injuries. The education is in the form of meetings, publications, audio-visual resources, and other media. Communication and cooperation are encouraged and developed between dancers and those persons in the fields of medicine, science, and education concerned with dancers’ physical and psychological welfare. IADMS works to enhance the visibility of dance medicine/science specialists within the dance community and the general public.
IADMS has always striven to promote an international network of communication between dance and medicine. To this end, membership and conference participation is recruited internationally from both fields, and a balance of medical and dance professionals is maintained among the officers and Board of Directors.”
Tw/uS,
A.
Popularity: 100% [?]
There is a great product called Juiceplus. It is all your fruits and veggies dried into a powder, and placed in a capsule. It is a food supplement and it is approved by the FDA. The stuff is fantastic for dancers. Bethany uses it, loved it so much she sells it to. Go to www.mysupplementsolutions.com and dancer or not the benefits of Juiceplus are excellent for everyone! I can see the change in Bethany since she started taking it.
Tw/uS,
A.
Popularity: 76% [?]
Being a dancer I found this web site really cool. It is mechanical knee implants for injury and replacement.
Check it out at www.makosurgical.com
Tw/uS,
A.
Popularity: 58% [?]
Check out this new website I was informed about. How much does www.zazzle.com rock. It is the newest form of sites like www.cafepress.com.
This zazzle however is everything in one. On my first visit I created a tee shirt and posted it on thee zazzle site, my j4t blog, and my danceregister blog. Plus I registered for the site. This was in about 30 - 40 minutes - which is the most amazing part. It’s easy, fun, and you’ll be creating in no time at all….
This site is worth checking out and putting sometime into.
Tw/uS,
A.
Popularity: 66% [?]
Popularity: 43% [?]
When I was I kid I forever wore Capezio. The Last Pair I put on my feet was k360s after T-Dogs. I tore through the seem in 2 1/2 weeks and Capezio said they couldn’t do anything about it. Thanks.For a While I thought my Boots for T-Dogs would be the only thing I could wear. Then I discovered Miller & Ben. The Best Tap shoes I put on my feet since I was just a kid learning how to tap dance and Capezio was the tap shoe king!
Anyway you should check these shoes out. I use the jazz tap master. I have own 3 pairs so far. 10 months, TEN, after I used the shoes for regular class I noticed a small tear near a seam. I told Ben about the rip. He was so sorry - mean while I couldn’t believe how well they stood up to my pounding for so long. He proceeded to give me a new pair of shoes and 5 months later I loved my second pair so much I bought my third pair! If you perform, Teach, or your foot has fully grown get a pair NOW! The first week or so they are tight. That is because the leather is of excellent quality and they stretch out. I notice a small amount of baseball glove oil speeds up the process.
Anyway, It comes down to my Blundstones or my B & Ms. However, if you want shoes for your students and price is an issue ( when isn’t it?) get Bloch techno taps. They last, they have a good all around sole, they sound excellent, and they don’t strip (the screws) as easy as Capezios.
Tw/uS,
Anthony
Popularity: 69% [?]
Before Danceregister finally became a reality in March 2007 I watched the inter net for 6 years to see what kind of dance web sites I could find. Incredible what 6 years means on the inter net. When I started I could really find nothing significant. There was one site that has been there for the start and I still stop there time to time just to see what people are chatting about: www.dance.net. It is basically the Craig’s list of dance and worth stopping in. Be sure to mention danceregister when you are there! Thanks.
Tw/uS,
A.
Popularity: 58% [?]