" The beauty of life is, while we cannot undo what is done, we can see it, understand it, learn from it and change so that every new moment is spent not in regret, guilt, fear or anger but in wisdom, understanding and love." - Jennifer Edwards
In the dance world unfortunately it is pretty common that a dancer gets injure or has to miss a competition. This means formation changes, and choreography changes. This can get very stressful very quickly for a dancer but you must remember to stay calm. With change comes mistakes. You have muscle memory of other choreography and different formation changes to the same piece of music and you have to teach yourself to not go on auto pilot but instead to focus and execute the changes. However, mistakes are inevitable, they will always be present. There are very few times when a group comes off stage and not a single person messed up, maybe everyone was on time, knew the choreography, and knew all their formations but someone might have forgotten to point their toes on a jump or something of the sort.
What seperates dancers in times of change is how they cope with it. Do they get upset? Do they take the challenge? Do the give up and be pessimistic? Or do they stay optimistic? I believe that in times of change a dancer should stay optimistic, change might mean a better spot in the formation, or practicing a new skill. It can even just mean moving your body in a different way. However all of these things contribute to them becoming a better dancer.
In the end you choose your own outcome you choose if you are going to find the good in life or focus and dwell on the bad. You choose if you make up for your mistake and push harder or let it effect you the rest of the dance and the rest of the day. So keep in mind there is good that can come out of everything whether it is becoming a better dancer or becoming a better person and learning a lesson and it is your choice to make stressful situations into learning experiences.
Friday, April 22, 2016
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Learn how you Learn
"The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice." - Brian Herbert
Learning comes differently to everyone. Some people are visual learners while others are verbal learners and some are both. Some pick things up faster than others and some give up in the learning process. However, it is extremely important to figure out how you learn best. If you learn better standing in the front, or maybe in the back, centered or off to the side. One way of learning isn't necessarily better than any other, it just matters what way is most effective for you.
Once you figure out how you learn you can be more aware of yourself and then this is where you have to be a smart dancer. This means maybe not standing next to your best friend it means taking initiative and doing what is going to benefit you the most. By knowing how you learn best also can show you what you need to improve on. If you are more of a visual learner, try to work on learning verbally. It wont be easy but it will make you a more rounded dancer and improve your memory and retention which is a crucial part about being a dancer especially in an audition.
Now learning dances is not the only type of learning you do in dance, you also learn a lot of life skills like time management. You have to figure out when to do your homework, eat dinner, hang out with your friends, and make it to school events while still keeping up with dance. You also learn how to give and take corrections with a positive and constructive attitude. This will not just help you with dance but it will also help you when you enter the work force. Getting and applying corrections is very important and I believe there is no better place to learn this than at dance class. On top of this you also learn good team skills and commitment. While dancing you have to be there for one another pump each other up when it feels as if there is no oxygen left in the room. Dance also takes a bunch of time so it is a big commitment. Employers in the future will value this greatly.
So basically what I am trying to say is that if you can figure out how you learn best you will not only further your dancing abilities but you will also become a better person. What could be better? All it takes is a little effort and hard work.
Learning comes differently to everyone. Some people are visual learners while others are verbal learners and some are both. Some pick things up faster than others and some give up in the learning process. However, it is extremely important to figure out how you learn best. If you learn better standing in the front, or maybe in the back, centered or off to the side. One way of learning isn't necessarily better than any other, it just matters what way is most effective for you.
Once you figure out how you learn you can be more aware of yourself and then this is where you have to be a smart dancer. This means maybe not standing next to your best friend it means taking initiative and doing what is going to benefit you the most. By knowing how you learn best also can show you what you need to improve on. If you are more of a visual learner, try to work on learning verbally. It wont be easy but it will make you a more rounded dancer and improve your memory and retention which is a crucial part about being a dancer especially in an audition.
Now learning dances is not the only type of learning you do in dance, you also learn a lot of life skills like time management. You have to figure out when to do your homework, eat dinner, hang out with your friends, and make it to school events while still keeping up with dance. You also learn how to give and take corrections with a positive and constructive attitude. This will not just help you with dance but it will also help you when you enter the work force. Getting and applying corrections is very important and I believe there is no better place to learn this than at dance class. On top of this you also learn good team skills and commitment. While dancing you have to be there for one another pump each other up when it feels as if there is no oxygen left in the room. Dance also takes a bunch of time so it is a big commitment. Employers in the future will value this greatly.
So basically what I am trying to say is that if you can figure out how you learn best you will not only further your dancing abilities but you will also become a better person. What could be better? All it takes is a little effort and hard work.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Production
The Dancers Edge Company (competition group) always puts on a big production number that is always a hit. Every person in the company participates in this production number. This year their was 90 plus dancers ranging from ages five to eighteen years old. The Dancers Edge production numbers are always very well thought out and this weekend at Masquerade dance competition they received the creative concept award for the brilliance of the piece.
This year the piece is called "Field Trip" where a young group of school girls goes to visit the United States History Museum. On this trip two girls disobey the teacher and escape the group to go off and explore on their own. While they do this the museum comes to life. First they are startled and chased by statues. Then the five year old girls come on in six foot tall dinosaur costumes because they want to play catch the girls are startled and then realize they are friendly. After that the Tiki Warriors and Cave Women scare the dinosaurs away and dance with shields and spears. Next the security guards realize what is going on and try to get ahold of the museum people, only until they get distracted by a box of donuts and the warriors get away. The Huns then come on and fight the security guards away from the donuts. While a Hun is scaring the two mischievous school girls the wild west cowboys and girls save the day and lasso the Huns away. After the wild west hoedown they greet Cleopatra and her girls who then great the United States Presidents who are actually ten year old girls that entire from behind a giant American Flag. The best part about these presidents are that they are doing hip hop. After this all ninety plus students swarm on the stage and do some choreography together. The Museum then goes back to how it was and the school girls along with their class and teacher get back on the bus and ride back to school.
This piece is around eight minutes long and is a lot of work. It forces a lot of dancers to go out of their box to become characters other than themselves. Overall it is a huge hit and a lot of fun. It is a great way to be pushed and become a better dancer.
This year the piece is called "Field Trip" where a young group of school girls goes to visit the United States History Museum. On this trip two girls disobey the teacher and escape the group to go off and explore on their own. While they do this the museum comes to life. First they are startled and chased by statues. Then the five year old girls come on in six foot tall dinosaur costumes because they want to play catch the girls are startled and then realize they are friendly. After that the Tiki Warriors and Cave Women scare the dinosaurs away and dance with shields and spears. Next the security guards realize what is going on and try to get ahold of the museum people, only until they get distracted by a box of donuts and the warriors get away. The Huns then come on and fight the security guards away from the donuts. While a Hun is scaring the two mischievous school girls the wild west cowboys and girls save the day and lasso the Huns away. After the wild west hoedown they greet Cleopatra and her girls who then great the United States Presidents who are actually ten year old girls that entire from behind a giant American Flag. The best part about these presidents are that they are doing hip hop. After this all ninety plus students swarm on the stage and do some choreography together. The Museum then goes back to how it was and the school girls along with their class and teacher get back on the bus and ride back to school.
This piece is around eight minutes long and is a lot of work. It forces a lot of dancers to go out of their box to become characters other than themselves. Overall it is a huge hit and a lot of fun. It is a great way to be pushed and become a better dancer.
Friday, April 15, 2016
Core
Having a strong core is a crucial part about being an amazing dancer. Your core holds all of your control and is where all of your movement should initiate from. Many dancers believe their core is engaged and is being used correctly but recently my teacher at The Dancers Edge discovered that the majority of dancers are not using their core correctly. She explains proper core usage in three steps.
First: pull your core in, feel like you are getting your belly button all the way to your spine however you should still be able to breathe.
Second: pull your hip flexors upwards to create proper alignment and minimize the curvature in your back (a little curve is fine but there should be a noticeable difference from when you were standing relaxed and how you normally do.)
Lastly. lengthen through your spine separating each vertebrae out through the top of your head. While doing this it should push your shoulder down engaging your back as well.
This seems like a lot of steps but once you get the hang of it, it becomes natural and makes a huge difference. Not only does it keep you on your balance but it makes you look way more powerful and can improve your technical abilities. In just weeks by doing this I have added two more rotations on my pirouettes to get me up to five rotations now. Along with this it eliminates your shoulders from rising while dancing which is a problem many dancers run into and get comments on at dance competitions.
If it doesn't work for you the first time keep trying because you have to get worse before you get better because you are trying something new that you body isn't used to. So keep trying because I have yet to see this method fail. My teacher is a genius.
First: pull your core in, feel like you are getting your belly button all the way to your spine however you should still be able to breathe.
Second: pull your hip flexors upwards to create proper alignment and minimize the curvature in your back (a little curve is fine but there should be a noticeable difference from when you were standing relaxed and how you normally do.)
Lastly. lengthen through your spine separating each vertebrae out through the top of your head. While doing this it should push your shoulder down engaging your back as well.
This seems like a lot of steps but once you get the hang of it, it becomes natural and makes a huge difference. Not only does it keep you on your balance but it makes you look way more powerful and can improve your technical abilities. In just weeks by doing this I have added two more rotations on my pirouettes to get me up to five rotations now. Along with this it eliminates your shoulders from rising while dancing which is a problem many dancers run into and get comments on at dance competitions.
If it doesn't work for you the first time keep trying because you have to get worse before you get better because you are trying something new that you body isn't used to. So keep trying because I have yet to see this method fail. My teacher is a genius.
First Lasts
There comes a time in life where things you love come to an end and today I am experiencing my "first last" when it comes to dance. Today is the last time I will ever try out for the Kennedy Varsity Dance Team which I have tried out and been a part of for the last three years. It is very bitter sweet.
I will not miss the nerves of tryout week or having to be three places at once and being the "young duckling" on the team(what the seniors called us freshmen year). But I will miss getting the phone call and excitement of being told I am on the team, getting to meet many new people and welcome them into our Kennedy Dance Team family like they did to me 3 years ago, learning new choreography spending every day of the summer at early morning practices with my favorite people. I have one year left and I am going to make the most of this however this year will be very different from the past three considering I along with the other 7 senior girls have big shoes to fill and a lot of responsibilities to meet.
It is now our time after the long a waited three years to pick out the clothing we wear to football games and camp. What dances we do at half time, where to have team meals and what to have to eat at them. It is also our turn to lead the team and create a new powerhouse. Although knowing this is the first of many lasts I will experience this year I think it is time, I believe us eight juniors, soon to be seniors are ready for the challenge and to bring new ideas to the team. Not only do we need to lead the team but we need to also figure out and plan for our futures.
So in a way this year isn't only going to be a year filled with lasts, but also a year filled with numerous new beginnings that have been long awaited.
I will not miss the nerves of tryout week or having to be three places at once and being the "young duckling" on the team(what the seniors called us freshmen year). But I will miss getting the phone call and excitement of being told I am on the team, getting to meet many new people and welcome them into our Kennedy Dance Team family like they did to me 3 years ago, learning new choreography spending every day of the summer at early morning practices with my favorite people. I have one year left and I am going to make the most of this however this year will be very different from the past three considering I along with the other 7 senior girls have big shoes to fill and a lot of responsibilities to meet.
It is now our time after the long a waited three years to pick out the clothing we wear to football games and camp. What dances we do at half time, where to have team meals and what to have to eat at them. It is also our turn to lead the team and create a new powerhouse. Although knowing this is the first of many lasts I will experience this year I think it is time, I believe us eight juniors, soon to be seniors are ready for the challenge and to bring new ideas to the team. Not only do we need to lead the team but we need to also figure out and plan for our futures.
So in a way this year isn't only going to be a year filled with lasts, but also a year filled with numerous new beginnings that have been long awaited.
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Share your Story
"Dancing is an art. The floor is the canvas. And I am the brush. And whatever I create comes from the heart." - anonymous
One of the biggest challenges of being a dancer is the performance aspect and "selling" the piece, making it believable. Some dancers are lucky and are born with it and others have to work extremely hard at it. However, the number of dancers who master it are slim, especially in a lyrical or contemporary piece. This is because it is easy to smile and be cheesy, but to look genuine while dancing a story about heart break or loss is hard to not over do and make it look believable.
The beauty of every lyrical and contemporary dance is not in big moves, sky high jumps, or powerful reaches; it is in the rawness and realness of the dancers. While dancing contemporary you can not force your face to look heart broken, or confused, helpless, hopeful, or anything you can imagine. You have to feel it internally and let it show out. You have to think of a time in your life and relate it to that and tell your story, and that's what is so beautiful about it. When watching a contemporary piece that is performed well you don't necessarily know each persons story but what you do know is that it is real. You are watching someone dance their feelings and share their story. That's as personal as it can get, and they are sharing it with people that they have never met before or maybe even people that put them in that place.
So something to help you reach this state of performance is to write out the story line, figure out what you are dancing about and then write your story down. Next listen to the words and let the music move you and tell its story. Then without a care or worry in the world. Allow yourself to share your story with out any words and have your story be where your mind is not on how high you can jump or how flexible you are. Have your mind on you.
One of the biggest challenges of being a dancer is the performance aspect and "selling" the piece, making it believable. Some dancers are lucky and are born with it and others have to work extremely hard at it. However, the number of dancers who master it are slim, especially in a lyrical or contemporary piece. This is because it is easy to smile and be cheesy, but to look genuine while dancing a story about heart break or loss is hard to not over do and make it look believable.
The beauty of every lyrical and contemporary dance is not in big moves, sky high jumps, or powerful reaches; it is in the rawness and realness of the dancers. While dancing contemporary you can not force your face to look heart broken, or confused, helpless, hopeful, or anything you can imagine. You have to feel it internally and let it show out. You have to think of a time in your life and relate it to that and tell your story, and that's what is so beautiful about it. When watching a contemporary piece that is performed well you don't necessarily know each persons story but what you do know is that it is real. You are watching someone dance their feelings and share their story. That's as personal as it can get, and they are sharing it with people that they have never met before or maybe even people that put them in that place.
So something to help you reach this state of performance is to write out the story line, figure out what you are dancing about and then write your story down. Next listen to the words and let the music move you and tell its story. Then without a care or worry in the world. Allow yourself to share your story with out any words and have your story be where your mind is not on how high you can jump or how flexible you are. Have your mind on you.
Monday, April 11, 2016
Stay Hydrated
As a dancer it is very important that we keep our bodies healthy due to the strenuous activities we put it through. One of the hardest things for me is to stay hydrated. Crazy I know. I am the type of person that thinks if I am not thirsty then I don't need to drink anything. However, this is very bad for my body because once you think you are thirsty you are already dehydrated. Hydration may seem like a minuscule of a problem but in the large scheme of things it can cause countless issues.
Not only does it cause big issues but it also causes small ones like headaches and such. Nobody likes headaches but if you drink the right amount of water you can reduce the amount of headaches you get by about half. I know this from personal experience. Not only does it do that but staying hydrated improves how you feel over all. Ever since I have stayed hydrated I have a lot more energy, I am more lively and talkative. It is easier for me to focus and I am a million times more productive. I am also happier. Not to mention I haven't got sick since I have been regulating my water intake.
So here are some things that you can do to make sure you are staying hydrated.
Set goals for how much water you should drink before a certain time and make sure you reach that goal.
Then you must make sure you always have a water bottle with you so you can actually drink it.
Next if you do not necessarily like water or would prefer to drink something else then you can buy water flavor enhancers. They make many different brands and flavors and they have zero calories. When ever I squeeze these in my water I can't stop drinking it because it is so good.
These silly trick have made my life more lively and fun. If I knew a year ago that all it would take was more water to improve how I felt then I would have been a happy camper. However, it is never too late to start a good new habit and keeping yourself hydrated is one that you will not regret.
Not only does it cause big issues but it also causes small ones like headaches and such. Nobody likes headaches but if you drink the right amount of water you can reduce the amount of headaches you get by about half. I know this from personal experience. Not only does it do that but staying hydrated improves how you feel over all. Ever since I have stayed hydrated I have a lot more energy, I am more lively and talkative. It is easier for me to focus and I am a million times more productive. I am also happier. Not to mention I haven't got sick since I have been regulating my water intake.
So here are some things that you can do to make sure you are staying hydrated.
Set goals for how much water you should drink before a certain time and make sure you reach that goal.
Then you must make sure you always have a water bottle with you so you can actually drink it.
Next if you do not necessarily like water or would prefer to drink something else then you can buy water flavor enhancers. They make many different brands and flavors and they have zero calories. When ever I squeeze these in my water I can't stop drinking it because it is so good.
These silly trick have made my life more lively and fun. If I knew a year ago that all it would take was more water to improve how I felt then I would have been a happy camper. However, it is never too late to start a good new habit and keeping yourself hydrated is one that you will not regret.
10 reasons why I dance
Dance has been a huge part of my life since I was 2. Without dance my life would be completely boring and I would have half of the friends I do now. So here is the top ten reasons why I dance in no particular order.
1.) It keeps me in shape and it is a great way to exercise
2.) Dance has helped improve my memory which is extremely helpful in a school setting and just in life in general
3.) With having dance so often I have learned how to manage my time in an effective way. This is a skill that will be useful all through out my life time and something that everyone should learn.
4.) I have met a numerous amount of amazing, kind hearted, hardworking people through this art form. I have met many of my best friends through dance.
5.) It gives me an escape. When I'm sad or happy or frustrated I know that no matter what I can dance it out and feel better. It's something that will always be there for me and that no one can take away from me.
6.) It keeps me busy. I love to always be on the go and dance probably made me this way. With going from school to practice to another practice makes every moment exciting.
7.) You have the ability to not only let out your emotions but make others feel something. By dancing and doing what I love I have the ability to move people.
8.) There are no rules. You can be yourself and do what you want and no one can stop you because it's you, music, and an empty room.
9.) Being on stage performing is the best feeling that one can possibly experience. Knowing everything you worked for was for that moment and having it pay off is incredible.
10.) Dance has shaped who I am. It has made me more comfortable and confident with myself, and it has led me to the incredibly talented and loving people that are in my life today.
Dance has and always will hold a special place in my heart and I will continue to do it till the day I die.
1.) It keeps me in shape and it is a great way to exercise
2.) Dance has helped improve my memory which is extremely helpful in a school setting and just in life in general
3.) With having dance so often I have learned how to manage my time in an effective way. This is a skill that will be useful all through out my life time and something that everyone should learn.
4.) I have met a numerous amount of amazing, kind hearted, hardworking people through this art form. I have met many of my best friends through dance.
5.) It gives me an escape. When I'm sad or happy or frustrated I know that no matter what I can dance it out and feel better. It's something that will always be there for me and that no one can take away from me.
6.) It keeps me busy. I love to always be on the go and dance probably made me this way. With going from school to practice to another practice makes every moment exciting.
7.) You have the ability to not only let out your emotions but make others feel something. By dancing and doing what I love I have the ability to move people.
8.) There are no rules. You can be yourself and do what you want and no one can stop you because it's you, music, and an empty room.
9.) Being on stage performing is the best feeling that one can possibly experience. Knowing everything you worked for was for that moment and having it pay off is incredible.
10.) Dance has shaped who I am. It has made me more comfortable and confident with myself, and it has led me to the incredibly talented and loving people that are in my life today.
Dance has and always will hold a special place in my heart and I will continue to do it till the day I die.
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Core
"Practice like you have never won. Perform like you have never lost." - anonymous
Many people do not think of dancers as being strong and muscular; they think of them being small and dainty. However, dancers are some of the most muscular athletes you may come across even if they don't look like it. Football players and dancers both have to have a lot of core muscle to perform well, but how they build that core muscle is quite different. Football players core muscles are built outwards and bulge to create the six-pack affect. This is very effective and efficient for them, although, it is not for dancers. Everyone has multiple abdominal layers, and what dancers do is focus on the inner abdominal muscle, and build from the inside. Even though a dancer might not look like they have a six-pack they still might have a stronger core than football players.
This is an effective way for dancers to build muscle because your core is also your back and your sides. The studio I attend (The Dancers Edge) likes to think of your core like a cereal box, there are all sides including a top and a bottom and if you take one side out of the box all the cereal will spill out. If a dancer doesn't properly use all the sides of her core simultaneously her/ his alignment will be all out of whack causing an issue in her/ his dancing.
I have been taught that to properly engage your core as a dancer you must complete three steps.
The first step is to tighten your abs, however while doing this you must think of sucking your belly button into your spine. This does not mean just suck in, you should be able to breathe easily while completing this step.
Next you have to also engage your gluts and hip flexors, your hip flexors should be pulled up, decreasing the curvature in your spine.
The last and hardest step is to separate each vertebrae and lengthen up, while doing this you must pull your shoulders back and down and let your head grow a few inches taller.
By engaging your core the proper way like this you are ensuring great alignment and lowered shoulders through out your movement and technical steps. On top of all of this it also gives your movement more power to add to your performance.
Many people do not think of dancers as being strong and muscular; they think of them being small and dainty. However, dancers are some of the most muscular athletes you may come across even if they don't look like it. Football players and dancers both have to have a lot of core muscle to perform well, but how they build that core muscle is quite different. Football players core muscles are built outwards and bulge to create the six-pack affect. This is very effective and efficient for them, although, it is not for dancers. Everyone has multiple abdominal layers, and what dancers do is focus on the inner abdominal muscle, and build from the inside. Even though a dancer might not look like they have a six-pack they still might have a stronger core than football players.
This is an effective way for dancers to build muscle because your core is also your back and your sides. The studio I attend (The Dancers Edge) likes to think of your core like a cereal box, there are all sides including a top and a bottom and if you take one side out of the box all the cereal will spill out. If a dancer doesn't properly use all the sides of her core simultaneously her/ his alignment will be all out of whack causing an issue in her/ his dancing.
I have been taught that to properly engage your core as a dancer you must complete three steps.
The first step is to tighten your abs, however while doing this you must think of sucking your belly button into your spine. This does not mean just suck in, you should be able to breathe easily while completing this step.
Next you have to also engage your gluts and hip flexors, your hip flexors should be pulled up, decreasing the curvature in your spine.
The last and hardest step is to separate each vertebrae and lengthen up, while doing this you must pull your shoulders back and down and let your head grow a few inches taller.
By engaging your core the proper way like this you are ensuring great alignment and lowered shoulders through out your movement and technical steps. On top of all of this it also gives your movement more power to add to your performance.
Nashville
" See your goal
Understand the obstacles
Create a positive mental picture
Clear your mind of self doubt
Embrace the challenge
Stay on track
Show the world you can do it." -anonymous
This quote is a great example of what Kennedy High Schools Varsity Show Choir Happiness inc. did at show choir nationals in Nashville Tennessee this weekend.
Happiness inc is generally a very competitively successful group. Winning many grand champions and even winning showchoir nationals before and being named Americas favorite show choir. However this year was an off year for them. With the evolution of show choir some individuals didn't love the show and some didn't understand that their wasn't a theme throughout. Even though their show wasn't translating and they didn't get all the out comes they had wanted, they still continued to work hard and push through.
After going back through to clean their choreography and taking out a whole number they headed to Nashville Tennessee. They were lucky enough to be able to stay at the Gaylord hotel and perform in one of the most iconic music venues in all of history; The Grand Ole Opry. Just that was a once in a life time opportunity.
Happiness went out and did their best show knowing that the judges may not be in their favor and keeping in mind that the future is unknown. However despite the odds Happiness made finals and finally got rewarded for their hard work. They wanted to attempt to move up in finals but that didn't happen however they still are the 6th best showchoir in America.
To get their they had to take some risks. An acapella ballad with out a conductor is one of them. No one else did that and it is a very difficult thing to do. They also took out a whole number, a whole number that they just took out and decided to never do again. Some people would think these things are outrageous things to do but happiness did them and finally go the outcome they wanted and deserved.
Understand the obstacles
Create a positive mental picture
Clear your mind of self doubt
Embrace the challenge
Stay on track
Show the world you can do it." -anonymous
This quote is a great example of what Kennedy High Schools Varsity Show Choir Happiness inc. did at show choir nationals in Nashville Tennessee this weekend.
Happiness inc is generally a very competitively successful group. Winning many grand champions and even winning showchoir nationals before and being named Americas favorite show choir. However this year was an off year for them. With the evolution of show choir some individuals didn't love the show and some didn't understand that their wasn't a theme throughout. Even though their show wasn't translating and they didn't get all the out comes they had wanted, they still continued to work hard and push through.
After going back through to clean their choreography and taking out a whole number they headed to Nashville Tennessee. They were lucky enough to be able to stay at the Gaylord hotel and perform in one of the most iconic music venues in all of history; The Grand Ole Opry. Just that was a once in a life time opportunity.
Happiness went out and did their best show knowing that the judges may not be in their favor and keeping in mind that the future is unknown. However despite the odds Happiness made finals and finally got rewarded for their hard work. They wanted to attempt to move up in finals but that didn't happen however they still are the 6th best showchoir in America.
To get their they had to take some risks. An acapella ballad with out a conductor is one of them. No one else did that and it is a very difficult thing to do. They also took out a whole number, a whole number that they just took out and decided to never do again. Some people would think these things are outrageous things to do but happiness did them and finally go the outcome they wanted and deserved.
Inspire
"Do it for the little beginners who used to watch the big girls in their sparkles dresses and think I want to be her someday." -anonymous
Many dancers find themselves watching other amazing dancers and comparing themselves to them. Wishing and wondering why they can't be them, why they aren't as talented or gifted as them. Well, this is the exact opposite of what you should do. Doing this will just decrease your self confidence and lessen your talent because you will play it safe and be worrying about what you look like and who is judging you. Now, what you should do is let other people's talent inspire you. Make others talent a tool for your improvment.
As a dancer it is very very important to be inspired whether it improves your performance or your improv or just makes you want to move more and work harder. To be inspired is important and a feeling that everyone should feel at least once in their life time. However, not only is it a great thing to be inspired but it is also a great feeling to inspire
Whether you know it or not you always have someone looking up to you; a little girl, a class mate, or even a teacher wishing they had your abilities and passion when they were young and nimble like you. You can lead the young girls that look up to you in a good or bad way, and hopefully you choose to make it a good way. The little girls don't just watch you dance when you are giving it your all on stage under the hot lights, but they also watch you in class. This being said they often pick up your class and rehearsal habits along with this.
The little girls that think the world of you might not understand yet that talking in class is not the most effective way to improve your dancing abilities and achieve your goals in a timely manner. They also may see you not always giving one hundred percent and this will cause them to do the same. In other words, being an older girl at the studio is a big responsibility, basically the studio is in your hands. Although it is a lot of pressure it is easy to make the right decision and set a good example to the little ones you inspire. While doing this you will improve and further your talent even more. It's a win win and it is just as easy to inspire as it is to be inspired.
Many dancers find themselves watching other amazing dancers and comparing themselves to them. Wishing and wondering why they can't be them, why they aren't as talented or gifted as them. Well, this is the exact opposite of what you should do. Doing this will just decrease your self confidence and lessen your talent because you will play it safe and be worrying about what you look like and who is judging you. Now, what you should do is let other people's talent inspire you. Make others talent a tool for your improvment.
As a dancer it is very very important to be inspired whether it improves your performance or your improv or just makes you want to move more and work harder. To be inspired is important and a feeling that everyone should feel at least once in their life time. However, not only is it a great thing to be inspired but it is also a great feeling to inspire
Whether you know it or not you always have someone looking up to you; a little girl, a class mate, or even a teacher wishing they had your abilities and passion when they were young and nimble like you. You can lead the young girls that look up to you in a good or bad way, and hopefully you choose to make it a good way. The little girls don't just watch you dance when you are giving it your all on stage under the hot lights, but they also watch you in class. This being said they often pick up your class and rehearsal habits along with this.
The little girls that think the world of you might not understand yet that talking in class is not the most effective way to improve your dancing abilities and achieve your goals in a timely manner. They also may see you not always giving one hundred percent and this will cause them to do the same. In other words, being an older girl at the studio is a big responsibility, basically the studio is in your hands. Although it is a lot of pressure it is easy to make the right decision and set a good example to the little ones you inspire. While doing this you will improve and further your talent even more. It's a win win and it is just as easy to inspire as it is to be inspired.
Line Dancing
Being a dancer, any opportunity to dance is very exciting for me. Luckily for me, on my trip to Nashville not only did I dance on the Grand Ole Opry stage, I learned a new dance style on the floor at the Wild Horse Saloon.
Upon walking into the saloon I was overwhelmed with excitement. The first thing I saw was a large group of people who were my age, having fun on the dance floor. I grabbed my all of my friends right away and ran out to the floor. Everyone was doing something called line dancing. Line dancing isn't just standing in rows dancing, which is what I thought it was prior to this trip. What makes it different from other dance styles is that it is interactive. This means that usually, someone is teaching the group a dance or even is dancing with the group. In my case, there was a woman up on the stage, located right in front of the dance floor, teaching us the dance. Once she decided that we had practiced enough, she turned on some music and we showed off our new skills. For example, we learned a dance called the triple step. It's a short dance sequence with different variations of step-touch moves. For me, the dance was very easy to learn, considering my past as a dancer. On dance team or in classes at the dance studio I attend, you have to be able to catch on to the dance you are learning rather quickly to be able to keep up with the group, and keep the learning process going. So, with such simple moves, and in a easy going environment, learning this dance was no challenge for me.
I had so much fun learning a new dance style in Nashville. Being able to experience dance in new ways with unique people and different cultures is one of the reasons I love dance so much. No matter where you go, there is always a way to dance. The styles practiced around the world are all so different. They can have different music, beats, style, speed and more. Every dance is truly unique. It excites me when I am allowed the opportunity to share my talent with people from all over. In situations like this one, I feel as though all of these years of hard work have finally paid off. I get personal joy from dancing at home, but I know that at the Wild Horse Saloon, I was able to show off my skills, and spread joy to others.
Upon walking into the saloon I was overwhelmed with excitement. The first thing I saw was a large group of people who were my age, having fun on the dance floor. I grabbed my all of my friends right away and ran out to the floor. Everyone was doing something called line dancing. Line dancing isn't just standing in rows dancing, which is what I thought it was prior to this trip. What makes it different from other dance styles is that it is interactive. This means that usually, someone is teaching the group a dance or even is dancing with the group. In my case, there was a woman up on the stage, located right in front of the dance floor, teaching us the dance. Once she decided that we had practiced enough, she turned on some music and we showed off our new skills. For example, we learned a dance called the triple step. It's a short dance sequence with different variations of step-touch moves. For me, the dance was very easy to learn, considering my past as a dancer. On dance team or in classes at the dance studio I attend, you have to be able to catch on to the dance you are learning rather quickly to be able to keep up with the group, and keep the learning process going. So, with such simple moves, and in a easy going environment, learning this dance was no challenge for me.
I had so much fun learning a new dance style in Nashville. Being able to experience dance in new ways with unique people and different cultures is one of the reasons I love dance so much. No matter where you go, there is always a way to dance. The styles practiced around the world are all so different. They can have different music, beats, style, speed and more. Every dance is truly unique. It excites me when I am allowed the opportunity to share my talent with people from all over. In situations like this one, I feel as though all of these years of hard work have finally paid off. I get personal joy from dancing at home, but I know that at the Wild Horse Saloon, I was able to show off my skills, and spread joy to others.
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Sacrifices
"Working hard becomes a habit, a serious kind of fun. You get self satisfaction from pushing your self to the limit, knowing that all the effort is going to pay off." -Mary Lou Retton
Every serious dancer has had times when dance doesn't seem like the most fun thing to do at the moment, or their friend calls and asks them to hang out and do something fun. The most common response from a dancer is probably "sorry i am busy" or "sorry I have dance". This can be really difficult through the teen years. Friendships can be weakened, grades can plummet, and stress can heighten. It is hard to balance all these things, dance, a social life, and school. But these things are what sets dancers apart.
Every teacher wants to work with a passionate, dedicated dancer and sadly they aren't always easy to come around. Growing up as a dancer I have been lucky that school tends to come easy to me but what has been hard is balancing a social life and dance. However, dance pretty much is my social life. Most of my best friends I've meet from dance but not all of them share the same love for it as I do or go to the same studio. I also have best friends that don't dance which is also important. But with this I have realized that to be the dancer I want to be I must make sacrifices that means staying up till midnight most Wednesday nights even if I have a huge test the next day. It means getting my homework done on Fridays before I can hang out with friends, dancing all Sunday, and in competition season not hanging out with some of my friends for weeks on end. This can be hard and make you grow apart from friends but it is a decision you have to make if you want to reach your full potential.
Now, I'm not saying drop all of your friends and never have fun all you can do is dance. You need to also make time for those things as well because there is a lot more to life than just dance; but you need to manage your time. I go to almost all of the football and basketball games I've gotten to go to every school dance and spend many weekends having fun with my friends. But I also have had to be willing to give up those things once in a while to improve or have extra rehearsals.
In the end the hard work will pay off, you will reach your goals and your true friends will stick by your side and encourage you on your journey their. Their certainly is more to life than just dance but being a dancer certainly is a life style and one that is not for everyone.
Every serious dancer has had times when dance doesn't seem like the most fun thing to do at the moment, or their friend calls and asks them to hang out and do something fun. The most common response from a dancer is probably "sorry i am busy" or "sorry I have dance". This can be really difficult through the teen years. Friendships can be weakened, grades can plummet, and stress can heighten. It is hard to balance all these things, dance, a social life, and school. But these things are what sets dancers apart.
Every teacher wants to work with a passionate, dedicated dancer and sadly they aren't always easy to come around. Growing up as a dancer I have been lucky that school tends to come easy to me but what has been hard is balancing a social life and dance. However, dance pretty much is my social life. Most of my best friends I've meet from dance but not all of them share the same love for it as I do or go to the same studio. I also have best friends that don't dance which is also important. But with this I have realized that to be the dancer I want to be I must make sacrifices that means staying up till midnight most Wednesday nights even if I have a huge test the next day. It means getting my homework done on Fridays before I can hang out with friends, dancing all Sunday, and in competition season not hanging out with some of my friends for weeks on end. This can be hard and make you grow apart from friends but it is a decision you have to make if you want to reach your full potential.
Now, I'm not saying drop all of your friends and never have fun all you can do is dance. You need to also make time for those things as well because there is a lot more to life than just dance; but you need to manage your time. I go to almost all of the football and basketball games I've gotten to go to every school dance and spend many weekends having fun with my friends. But I also have had to be willing to give up those things once in a while to improve or have extra rehearsals.
In the end the hard work will pay off, you will reach your goals and your true friends will stick by your side and encourage you on your journey their. Their certainly is more to life than just dance but being a dancer certainly is a life style and one that is not for everyone.
High School Dances
Dancing brings many people joy, people often find themselves dancing around their rooms, the grocery store, when they are with their friends and many other places. Even people without rhythm Dane when they are having a good time. The best thing about dance is the vast amounts of different ways you can dance.Now, school dances are nothing like competition dancing, although surprisingly they do have some similarities.
School dancing is a lot more free than competitive dancing, you can do whatever you want because there isn't certain moves you have to do at a certain time with certain music. It is just you dancing with your friends and classmates having a good time. You are squished in a room with everyone and it is very possible that your body is touching multiple people at once because everyone is squished in the center. School dances consist of a lot of jumping, singing, and fist pumps to the top radio hits and of course some classics like the cha cha slide, YMCA and the Cupid shuffle. Also it is extremely hot, sweaty, and humid at school dances.
The similarities between competition dancing and school dances is the amount of time girls put in to get ready. They spend a great amount of time making sure their hair and makeup looks perfect. They do their hair different than everyday and they generally apply more makeup than usual just to look their best for one night. Along with this also comes stress because of course your hair in makeup is never going to look perfect and girls usually always find something that could have looked better. Also it can be expensive just like competitive dancing, boys and girls go out and buy new outfits, shoes and all just to wear once. They also go out to dinner and pay for tickets to get into the dance, not to mention paying for pictures at the dance as well.
Some of your best memories in high school can be from the days of school dances because you are surrounded by a bunch of beautiful people having fun together. What could be better? I encourage everyone to go to every school dance they get a chance to go to and go in with in open mind. Who knows, you might have the best night of your life.
School dancing is a lot more free than competitive dancing, you can do whatever you want because there isn't certain moves you have to do at a certain time with certain music. It is just you dancing with your friends and classmates having a good time. You are squished in a room with everyone and it is very possible that your body is touching multiple people at once because everyone is squished in the center. School dances consist of a lot of jumping, singing, and fist pumps to the top radio hits and of course some classics like the cha cha slide, YMCA and the Cupid shuffle. Also it is extremely hot, sweaty, and humid at school dances.
The similarities between competition dancing and school dances is the amount of time girls put in to get ready. They spend a great amount of time making sure their hair and makeup looks perfect. They do their hair different than everyday and they generally apply more makeup than usual just to look their best for one night. Along with this also comes stress because of course your hair in makeup is never going to look perfect and girls usually always find something that could have looked better. Also it can be expensive just like competitive dancing, boys and girls go out and buy new outfits, shoes and all just to wear once. They also go out to dinner and pay for tickets to get into the dance, not to mention paying for pictures at the dance as well.
Some of your best memories in high school can be from the days of school dances because you are surrounded by a bunch of beautiful people having fun together. What could be better? I encourage everyone to go to every school dance they get a chance to go to and go in with in open mind. Who knows, you might have the best night of your life.
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Nuvo
This past weekend I attended the Nuvo dance competition and convention. It was a long, sweaty, fun, inspirational weekend that I will remember for a long time. One of the coolest parts of Nuvo is their amazing faculty. Nuvo is directed by Ray Leeper, and some other big names that are apart of their faculty are: Travis and Denise wall, Stacey Tookey, Kim Mcswain, Ivan Koumaev, Chebar Williams, Jason Parsons, Mark Meismer, and many more. Most dancers likely know a few of these professional dancers.
My favorite part about Nuvo and its faculty is how accepting and encouraging they are. They make sure you know you are special and know that where you are is a safe place where you can take risks. It is very important to take risks as a dancer and to push your limits to improve, and the staff did exactly that. They made sure you knew that just because someone was better than you today, you can always be better than them tomorrow if you work for it. The staff just put off a good positive vibe that was very encouraging. This lowered the pressure and made the weekend a lot more fun.
Another great thing about Nuvo is that they had a wide variety of classes. They had Contemporary, Lyrical, Jazz, hip hop, heels, tap, and ballet. Surprisingly one of my favorite classes was tap. This is strange because I do not take tap and haven't since I was probably around five years old. This was one of my favorites because of the teacher Anthony Morigerato. Not only was he an amazing teacher and a huge inspiration but he also holds the worlds record for the most amount of taps in one minute. Anthony understood that tap wasn't a lot of the dancers strong suits or may have seemed like a foreign language but he still encouraged everyone to try. To my surprise I still remembered basic steps from when I was younger and even picked up on a few ones but despite that I probably looked like I had two left feet. That didn't matter though because I was trying and having fun.
The whole weekend was one to remember I grew a ton as a dancer and even as a person. I have been inspired and look at learning choreography in a new way, I also feel a lot more confident because I know new things I can work on and have different tricks to approach things I need to fix. Lastly I got to dance with the best of the best and that is something I will never forget.
My favorite part about Nuvo and its faculty is how accepting and encouraging they are. They make sure you know you are special and know that where you are is a safe place where you can take risks. It is very important to take risks as a dancer and to push your limits to improve, and the staff did exactly that. They made sure you knew that just because someone was better than you today, you can always be better than them tomorrow if you work for it. The staff just put off a good positive vibe that was very encouraging. This lowered the pressure and made the weekend a lot more fun.
Another great thing about Nuvo is that they had a wide variety of classes. They had Contemporary, Lyrical, Jazz, hip hop, heels, tap, and ballet. Surprisingly one of my favorite classes was tap. This is strange because I do not take tap and haven't since I was probably around five years old. This was one of my favorites because of the teacher Anthony Morigerato. Not only was he an amazing teacher and a huge inspiration but he also holds the worlds record for the most amount of taps in one minute. Anthony understood that tap wasn't a lot of the dancers strong suits or may have seemed like a foreign language but he still encouraged everyone to try. To my surprise I still remembered basic steps from when I was younger and even picked up on a few ones but despite that I probably looked like I had two left feet. That didn't matter though because I was trying and having fun.
The whole weekend was one to remember I grew a ton as a dancer and even as a person. I have been inspired and look at learning choreography in a new way, I also feel a lot more confident because I know new things I can work on and have different tricks to approach things I need to fix. Lastly I got to dance with the best of the best and that is something I will never forget.
Friday, March 11, 2016
Healthy Dancers
Everyone knows that it is important to have a good diet, well dancers generally know that this is crucial. When doing so much physical exertion it is important that you are getting all the nutrients that you need.
Water is your new best friend. I especially have trouble with this on,e I forget to drink water or I just simply don't want to. Reality is that I have to suck it up and drink it anyways to keep me healthy. Not only does staying hydrated keep you healthy but it also decreases the probability of receiving a cramp. I think every dancer knows how it feels to be in the middle of a bar combination and have their foot cramp and have sharp excruciating pain. Luckily water can solve these minor road blocks.
Carbs are also very important. It is misconceived that carbs are "bad" for you when in all reality they are necessary for carrying out living functions they give you energy. Yes their are certain types of carbs that aren't as good for you like white bread and white rice. The only reason they are bad though is that they aren't natural they have been stripped of important nutrients.
Protein this can be received through shakes or bars, or regular food. Proteins are one of the most important foods you can be eating because they are considered "the building blocks of life." They just like carbs help carry out necessary functions to keep your body going. The only downfall of protein is if you get a protein over load causing strain on your kidneys. Luckily this is not common and would take outrageously immense amounts of protein which would make you feel sick before you got to the over load point.
These are only a select few of the important things that you need in your diet to keep you going through long hard dance practices. Make sure you keep a well rounded healthy diet all the time.
Water is your new best friend. I especially have trouble with this on,e I forget to drink water or I just simply don't want to. Reality is that I have to suck it up and drink it anyways to keep me healthy. Not only does staying hydrated keep you healthy but it also decreases the probability of receiving a cramp. I think every dancer knows how it feels to be in the middle of a bar combination and have their foot cramp and have sharp excruciating pain. Luckily water can solve these minor road blocks.
Carbs are also very important. It is misconceived that carbs are "bad" for you when in all reality they are necessary for carrying out living functions they give you energy. Yes their are certain types of carbs that aren't as good for you like white bread and white rice. The only reason they are bad though is that they aren't natural they have been stripped of important nutrients.
Protein this can be received through shakes or bars, or regular food. Proteins are one of the most important foods you can be eating because they are considered "the building blocks of life." They just like carbs help carry out necessary functions to keep your body going. The only downfall of protein is if you get a protein over load causing strain on your kidneys. Luckily this is not common and would take outrageously immense amounts of protein which would make you feel sick before you got to the over load point.
These are only a select few of the important things that you need in your diet to keep you going through long hard dance practices. Make sure you keep a well rounded healthy diet all the time.
Unused Potential
"Nothing holds you back more than your own insecurities." - anonymous
Dancing is abstract exotic movement, it can be beautiful, unique, intense, anything you want it to be and the only person stopping it from being what you want is yourself. Many dancers are scared to try new things and put their self out there for the fear of messing up, or being judged, or possibly even ruining their image. But what we as dancers need to realize is that others simply do not care enough to judge you. Dancers are so focused on their own selves and their own self images that they have no time to judge one another. If you thing about it, while you are dancing, do you judge anyone around you? No probably not. So why do we tell ourselves that other will?
The first step is to stop being your own worst enemy is to stop caring what the dancers around you think because chances are they aren't thinking about you in the first place. You are the only one holding yourself back from being better. What a shame it will be when your time as a dancer is up and you haven't reached your full potential because you were scared.
If you see a cool new challenging trick, try it. If you see a girl that is dancing bigger than you, try to dance even bigger than her. If you see movement quality or style you like but have never tried it now is the time to do it. Don't let the fear of messing up or looking weird or spastic stop you from increasing your talent level. You will be able to tell if you look crazy or your teacher will tell you. If or when this happens take it as a learning experience and not an embarrassing comment. In the end it is only going to help you improve.
Us dancers need to come together to help encourage one another to get out of our comfort zones and push each others boundaries. Do not let your potential go unused and wasted because what a waste that will be when your time as a dancer is up.
Dancing is abstract exotic movement, it can be beautiful, unique, intense, anything you want it to be and the only person stopping it from being what you want is yourself. Many dancers are scared to try new things and put their self out there for the fear of messing up, or being judged, or possibly even ruining their image. But what we as dancers need to realize is that others simply do not care enough to judge you. Dancers are so focused on their own selves and their own self images that they have no time to judge one another. If you thing about it, while you are dancing, do you judge anyone around you? No probably not. So why do we tell ourselves that other will?
The first step is to stop being your own worst enemy is to stop caring what the dancers around you think because chances are they aren't thinking about you in the first place. You are the only one holding yourself back from being better. What a shame it will be when your time as a dancer is up and you haven't reached your full potential because you were scared.
If you see a cool new challenging trick, try it. If you see a girl that is dancing bigger than you, try to dance even bigger than her. If you see movement quality or style you like but have never tried it now is the time to do it. Don't let the fear of messing up or looking weird or spastic stop you from increasing your talent level. You will be able to tell if you look crazy or your teacher will tell you. If or when this happens take it as a learning experience and not an embarrassing comment. In the end it is only going to help you improve.
Us dancers need to come together to help encourage one another to get out of our comfort zones and push each others boundaries. Do not let your potential go unused and wasted because what a waste that will be when your time as a dancer is up.
Dancing for free
Dancing is an activity that many possibly hundreds participate in to fill their time with something they particularly love to do. Dancing is - contrary to belief - a physically demanding sport that is something that I especially like to indulge in, with full participation. Although dancing like everything, has its downfalls, the biggest thing being the time and how costly it is. It being timely is not a big issue for die hard dancers that love the art, but money sometimes is an issue.
Being a competitive dancer costs an immense amount of money from studio time, to choreography costs, to costumes, to competitions, to travel costs, to hotel expenses and many other things. Luckily I have amazing parents that support me and will do whatever they have to, to give me the best opportunities to do what I love. For that I am endlessly grateful. However, just because you can't afford dance doesn't mean that you should let that stop you. There have been many extremely successful dancers that didn't have money on their side on their journey to the top. One example is Misty Copeland. Misty danced at her local boys and girls club and now is known as one of the most successful and influential dancers of modern time.
Generally boys and girls clubs will have average quality dance lessons adequate for most, but another option is to ask for a scholarship at a studio. Many studios are willing to give financial aid to young dancers with big hearts, goals, and dreams. You would have to already know basics and have a good foundation for them to be willing to do this. I would guess that an application and essay would need to be written for this as well.
Another great idea would be to start teaching your self on your own at first. Even some great collegiate dancers have done this. This is uncommon but it is a possibility. It is easy enough to look up YouTube videos and master skills, or stand in front of a mirror and see what moves or style you like best. It doesn't have to be costly to be a gifted dancer you may already have natural talent that is going undiscovered currently that you haven't tapped into yet. The worst thing you can do is let money keep you from doing something you love. It costs virtually nothing to find an empty space and move, not be told how to move but to move how you want to move. "It will cost you nothing to dream, and everything not to." - anonymous
Being a competitive dancer costs an immense amount of money from studio time, to choreography costs, to costumes, to competitions, to travel costs, to hotel expenses and many other things. Luckily I have amazing parents that support me and will do whatever they have to, to give me the best opportunities to do what I love. For that I am endlessly grateful. However, just because you can't afford dance doesn't mean that you should let that stop you. There have been many extremely successful dancers that didn't have money on their side on their journey to the top. One example is Misty Copeland. Misty danced at her local boys and girls club and now is known as one of the most successful and influential dancers of modern time.
Generally boys and girls clubs will have average quality dance lessons adequate for most, but another option is to ask for a scholarship at a studio. Many studios are willing to give financial aid to young dancers with big hearts, goals, and dreams. You would have to already know basics and have a good foundation for them to be willing to do this. I would guess that an application and essay would need to be written for this as well.
Another great idea would be to start teaching your self on your own at first. Even some great collegiate dancers have done this. This is uncommon but it is a possibility. It is easy enough to look up YouTube videos and master skills, or stand in front of a mirror and see what moves or style you like best. It doesn't have to be costly to be a gifted dancer you may already have natural talent that is going undiscovered currently that you haven't tapped into yet. The worst thing you can do is let money keep you from doing something you love. It costs virtually nothing to find an empty space and move, not be told how to move but to move how you want to move. "It will cost you nothing to dream, and everything not to." - anonymous
Monday, February 29, 2016
Change
"It will cost you nothing to dream and everything not to." -anonymous
Every athlete has had low points, times in life when they want to quit and throw everything that they have worked for right down the drain. This is when you must take a step back and evaluate what you really want, and think about the consequences you would go through if you just simply gave up and quit. My advice is don't. I too have been to this point where I'm sore, tired, and beyond stressed. For a short amount of time what you love isn't fun anymore, well it won't stay like this forever.
Maybe like I did you just need a change of scenery. I switched studios my 12th year of dance and the change made me realize why I feel in love with dance in the first place. Not only did I get out of my quitter brain I was offered many new and amazing opportunities that I forever will be grateful for. I realize now that I would rather have a million hard practices to the point where I puke and succeed at what I love than slack off and just have fun at practice. Yeah, fun practices are always great but what won't be great is not doing as well as you want at competition, or not making it onto the college dance team that you've always dreamed of because when you were given a challenge and the opportunity to work hard, you didn't. The biggest mistake is regretting and opportunity you didn't take. Working hard may suck now but it won't later and it will create a great reputation for you. Everyone wants to be known as a hard worker and motivated and they will also want that person on their team.
Another thing is that failing to work hard will not only hurt yourself but also will hurt the others around you. Negative energy is more contagious than positive energy. Make sure you are always the positive energy that is ready to work and contribute to the teams competitive success.
Every athlete has had low points, times in life when they want to quit and throw everything that they have worked for right down the drain. This is when you must take a step back and evaluate what you really want, and think about the consequences you would go through if you just simply gave up and quit. My advice is don't. I too have been to this point where I'm sore, tired, and beyond stressed. For a short amount of time what you love isn't fun anymore, well it won't stay like this forever.
Maybe like I did you just need a change of scenery. I switched studios my 12th year of dance and the change made me realize why I feel in love with dance in the first place. Not only did I get out of my quitter brain I was offered many new and amazing opportunities that I forever will be grateful for. I realize now that I would rather have a million hard practices to the point where I puke and succeed at what I love than slack off and just have fun at practice. Yeah, fun practices are always great but what won't be great is not doing as well as you want at competition, or not making it onto the college dance team that you've always dreamed of because when you were given a challenge and the opportunity to work hard, you didn't. The biggest mistake is regretting and opportunity you didn't take. Working hard may suck now but it won't later and it will create a great reputation for you. Everyone wants to be known as a hard worker and motivated and they will also want that person on their team.
Another thing is that failing to work hard will not only hurt yourself but also will hurt the others around you. Negative energy is more contagious than positive energy. Make sure you are always the positive energy that is ready to work and contribute to the teams competitive success.
Competition Season
"Don't practice till you get it right. Practice till you can't get it wrong" -anonymous
With competition season on rise this time of year is particularly one of the busiest for adolescent dancers: extra rehearsals, people striving for perfection, and stressed out instructors come along with this. However, I can assure you this will all pay off once you are on the stage with the stage lights warming your skin, doing what you love. The gift of performance will always be more rewarding if you work hard before hand.
Another thing sometimes dealt with around this time of year at studios is restaging. Dancers get injured or may have a conflict with a competition and have to miss one. This creates and immense amount of stress for the other dancers in the group and tests their maturity and ability to adapt, which is important in becoming a great dancer. This is another reason that extra practices are scheduled. Restaging doesn't always mean just new spots but it also means learning new parts most of the time; occasionally dancers might basically learn a whole new dance.
These mandatory extra rehearsals will definitely be time consuming but they will be crucial in your groups success. This may mean giving up you Friday nights with friends or Saturday and Sunday mornings, or ever Tuesday and Thursday school basketball games for a couple weeks. Yes, that sucks and you are only in high school once but later in life you are not going to remember having to miss a basketball game that your friends are in; you are going to remember doing what you love and doing it well and succeeding.
Keep in mind through this strenuous part of being a competitive dancer that you must work now and be rewarded later. Before you know it competition season will come to an end and you want to make sure you give every last ounce of energy to your team like they will do for you. Unfortunately not everyone gets the opportunity to dance competitively so prove that you indeed do deserve it. You won't get to compete forever so make it great while it lasts so you can bathe in the memories later.
With competition season on rise this time of year is particularly one of the busiest for adolescent dancers: extra rehearsals, people striving for perfection, and stressed out instructors come along with this. However, I can assure you this will all pay off once you are on the stage with the stage lights warming your skin, doing what you love. The gift of performance will always be more rewarding if you work hard before hand.
Another thing sometimes dealt with around this time of year at studios is restaging. Dancers get injured or may have a conflict with a competition and have to miss one. This creates and immense amount of stress for the other dancers in the group and tests their maturity and ability to adapt, which is important in becoming a great dancer. This is another reason that extra practices are scheduled. Restaging doesn't always mean just new spots but it also means learning new parts most of the time; occasionally dancers might basically learn a whole new dance.
These mandatory extra rehearsals will definitely be time consuming but they will be crucial in your groups success. This may mean giving up you Friday nights with friends or Saturday and Sunday mornings, or ever Tuesday and Thursday school basketball games for a couple weeks. Yes, that sucks and you are only in high school once but later in life you are not going to remember having to miss a basketball game that your friends are in; you are going to remember doing what you love and doing it well and succeeding.
Keep in mind through this strenuous part of being a competitive dancer that you must work now and be rewarded later. Before you know it competition season will come to an end and you want to make sure you give every last ounce of energy to your team like they will do for you. Unfortunately not everyone gets the opportunity to dance competitively so prove that you indeed do deserve it. You won't get to compete forever so make it great while it lasts so you can bathe in the memories later.
Pain is Beauty
"Pain is beauty." A famous quote that girls are told from childhood on. Well, being a dancer all my life, I know that this quote to most certainly be true. Everyone knows that dancers are supposed to look beautiful on stage, but the time and effort that goes into creating the look is vastly overlooked. However, it may be one of the most important aspects of the performance.
First, comes the hair, or the "pain" portion of that quote. Hair can either hurt or help you in a performance. If your hair is messy or in your face or in a crazy style, it could be a huge distraction. At a competition, the judges are trying to score you based on your dancing and if your hair is catching their eye rather than your leaps it could really cause damage to your score. That's why my dance studio requires tight, gelled, pulled back buns. Not only do they look clean and crisp, but they also are functional. Dance requires a lot of balance and focus and with your hair off center or in front of your eyes it can cause you to lose control.
Next, comes the "beauty" part of the quote, which is my favorite. I love makeup and the way it can transform anyone's look. To me, it's like an art form, much like dance! For dance, the makeup is really dramatic and incorporates bold colors and thick lines. For the face makeup, we wear foundation to make our skin all one tone. Then we use dark colors to define the bone structure of our face. Lastly, we use blush to make our faces have a natural glow. These steps help to unify the look of the group, along with adding definition to everyone's faces. We also put a lot of makeup on the eyes. We darken our eyebrows, add dark eyeliner, bright eye shadow, and fake eyelashes. The idea behind this is too extend every line on the eyes to make the change in facial expressions easier too see which will help us score better because the judges will be able to pick up on our emotions more easily. And lastly, who could forget that lipstick to show off that wonderful smile!
It's a lot of small details that add to the performance in a big way. It may take a lot of effort but in the end it's worth it to look good, feel good, and score well.
First, comes the hair, or the "pain" portion of that quote. Hair can either hurt or help you in a performance. If your hair is messy or in your face or in a crazy style, it could be a huge distraction. At a competition, the judges are trying to score you based on your dancing and if your hair is catching their eye rather than your leaps it could really cause damage to your score. That's why my dance studio requires tight, gelled, pulled back buns. Not only do they look clean and crisp, but they also are functional. Dance requires a lot of balance and focus and with your hair off center or in front of your eyes it can cause you to lose control.
Next, comes the "beauty" part of the quote, which is my favorite. I love makeup and the way it can transform anyone's look. To me, it's like an art form, much like dance! For dance, the makeup is really dramatic and incorporates bold colors and thick lines. For the face makeup, we wear foundation to make our skin all one tone. Then we use dark colors to define the bone structure of our face. Lastly, we use blush to make our faces have a natural glow. These steps help to unify the look of the group, along with adding definition to everyone's faces. We also put a lot of makeup on the eyes. We darken our eyebrows, add dark eyeliner, bright eye shadow, and fake eyelashes. The idea behind this is too extend every line on the eyes to make the change in facial expressions easier too see which will help us score better because the judges will be able to pick up on our emotions more easily. And lastly, who could forget that lipstick to show off that wonderful smile!
It's a lot of small details that add to the performance in a big way. It may take a lot of effort but in the end it's worth it to look good, feel good, and score well.
Friday, February 19, 2016
Start from Scratch
The basics.
Starting from square one.
Technique is on the rise and the pressure to get yours perfect is rising with it. The issue today is that it is much easier to "master" harder things than to rework your alignment and basic technique by starting from square one and working upwards. Good dancers practice the hard stuff while smart and great dancers revisit the basics that will strengthen their more difficult technical steps, and speed up the mastering process for them while working on new elements.
However even though I know this it is still very hard for me to follow through with it. I will be the first to admit that going over the basics isn't always fun. You see a flawless technical step and want to execute it the same way the quickest way possible, and that doesn't always mean the most effective. Its boring, yeah i get it! But i promise it will be well worth it. You will never get a consistent quad if you cant execute a clean double one hundred percent of the time.
However, without reviewing and polishing up the basics before attempting to learn a new element you will most likely create a plethora of other bad habits. Now that the element is in your muscle memory it will take twice as long to break those habits. This all can be reduced; it is easy. Review and master the basics before trying to perfect the more rigorous steps. maybe video tape yourself like i talked about in my last post.
Whatever way you approach this give it time. You will most likely find error in your alignment and when you have to fix that everything else will be thrown off as well. It WILL get worse before it gets better nine times out of ten. You have to push through and make sure to tell yourself it will be worth it and that it will eventually pay off because it will. Once you polish up and master the basics the rest comes easier. Make sure you go back and refresh your self often though because it is easy to resort back to old bad habits that you worked so hard to throw away.
Starting from square one.
Technique is on the rise and the pressure to get yours perfect is rising with it. The issue today is that it is much easier to "master" harder things than to rework your alignment and basic technique by starting from square one and working upwards. Good dancers practice the hard stuff while smart and great dancers revisit the basics that will strengthen their more difficult technical steps, and speed up the mastering process for them while working on new elements.
However even though I know this it is still very hard for me to follow through with it. I will be the first to admit that going over the basics isn't always fun. You see a flawless technical step and want to execute it the same way the quickest way possible, and that doesn't always mean the most effective. Its boring, yeah i get it! But i promise it will be well worth it. You will never get a consistent quad if you cant execute a clean double one hundred percent of the time.
However, without reviewing and polishing up the basics before attempting to learn a new element you will most likely create a plethora of other bad habits. Now that the element is in your muscle memory it will take twice as long to break those habits. This all can be reduced; it is easy. Review and master the basics before trying to perfect the more rigorous steps. maybe video tape yourself like i talked about in my last post.
Whatever way you approach this give it time. You will most likely find error in your alignment and when you have to fix that everything else will be thrown off as well. It WILL get worse before it gets better nine times out of ten. You have to push through and make sure to tell yourself it will be worth it and that it will eventually pay off because it will. Once you polish up and master the basics the rest comes easier. Make sure you go back and refresh your self often though because it is easy to resort back to old bad habits that you worked so hard to throw away.
Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself
"Check yourself before you wreck yourself" a common quote that many people use while reprimanding others that are making bad choices. Sometimes used by adolescents in high school to cause an even more immense conflict between the two. However this quote can also apply to dance.
It is a common thing for dancers to give one another constructive criticism or corrections. It is also unfortunately common for a dancer to create an excuse or block out that correction simply because they are unaware that they really were doing it wrong.
This is where technology comes in handy. Video tape. Seeing yourself doing it can bring a great amount of clarity to the cleaning process and speed things up. Often when I watch a video of myself dancing I realize it looks nothing like what I thought it did. This is were the progress happens.
Go through the video and write down corrections for yourself and things you want to change. Then take action and fix them. Throughout this process video tape again to pick up other details or to just track your improvement. Keep in mind that watching the video is not a one time thing. Sometimes I spend up to two hours starting and stopping my videos hunting for things to make perfect or improve on.
Another thing that is especially helpful while cleaning technical elements such as: leaps, turns, and jumps is slow motion it is really amazing how much it helps. Slow motion is very effective because it really shows you every last detail you can check alignment in great depth and those kinds of things with slow motion. However do not get down on yourself while watching your slow motion video, make sure you keep in mind you are doing these things to better your self as a dancer not to tear your self down.
Just remember that people are giving you corrections based on their observations that you might be unaware of. So keep an open mind and take the corrections and run with them it will only make you a better dancer.
It is a common thing for dancers to give one another constructive criticism or corrections. It is also unfortunately common for a dancer to create an excuse or block out that correction simply because they are unaware that they really were doing it wrong.
This is where technology comes in handy. Video tape. Seeing yourself doing it can bring a great amount of clarity to the cleaning process and speed things up. Often when I watch a video of myself dancing I realize it looks nothing like what I thought it did. This is were the progress happens.
Go through the video and write down corrections for yourself and things you want to change. Then take action and fix them. Throughout this process video tape again to pick up other details or to just track your improvement. Keep in mind that watching the video is not a one time thing. Sometimes I spend up to two hours starting and stopping my videos hunting for things to make perfect or improve on.
Another thing that is especially helpful while cleaning technical elements such as: leaps, turns, and jumps is slow motion it is really amazing how much it helps. Slow motion is very effective because it really shows you every last detail you can check alignment in great depth and those kinds of things with slow motion. However do not get down on yourself while watching your slow motion video, make sure you keep in mind you are doing these things to better your self as a dancer not to tear your self down.
Just remember that people are giving you corrections based on their observations that you might be unaware of. So keep an open mind and take the corrections and run with them it will only make you a better dancer.
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Goals
Prove them wrong.
As a young dancer it is very important to set goals. You should set big long term goals and set smaller short term goals as well. Goals are important for a lot of things, one of which is progress.
Having a goal and sticking to it with a "failure is not an option" attitude while create immense growth in whatever you are doing. This is huge because once most dancers get "good" then plateau and don't improve vastly but maybe slightly, even though they have the potential to make their talent sky rocket.
Another reason to have goals is to create an excitement or something to look towards. How exciting and rewarding is it when you achieve a goal that you have been reaching and working so hard to grasp? That may be one of the best feelings in the world. It shows you that you have made progress and that now its time to set a higher goal.
One thing that you really have to remember while working towards a goal is that you have to stay positive. Positivity is key and negativity will only draw you back even further from reaching your goal the is definitely obtainable. Reality is that people are going to tear you apart and tell you that you are never going to reach it and to be more realistic. That's when you look at them and decide in that moment that you are going to prove them wrong.
When people tell you that your goals are too high and to keep dreaming let it be motivation, let it fuel your fire. Of course it is going to sting like an open wound that comes in contact with hand sanitizer but you must get over that and push forward. Why would you ever let someone else ruin something for you that you are willing to work for and give everything to. You can do so much more than you actually know so set your goals big and work for them until you reach them. Prove the negative people who want to see you fail wrong. Never give up; achieving high set goals is a lengthy process but what more do you have to lose than regretting not taking a chance at an opportunity that is rightfully yours to better your self.
"You only fail when you stop trying." - anonymous
As a young dancer it is very important to set goals. You should set big long term goals and set smaller short term goals as well. Goals are important for a lot of things, one of which is progress.
Having a goal and sticking to it with a "failure is not an option" attitude while create immense growth in whatever you are doing. This is huge because once most dancers get "good" then plateau and don't improve vastly but maybe slightly, even though they have the potential to make their talent sky rocket.
Another reason to have goals is to create an excitement or something to look towards. How exciting and rewarding is it when you achieve a goal that you have been reaching and working so hard to grasp? That may be one of the best feelings in the world. It shows you that you have made progress and that now its time to set a higher goal.
One thing that you really have to remember while working towards a goal is that you have to stay positive. Positivity is key and negativity will only draw you back even further from reaching your goal the is definitely obtainable. Reality is that people are going to tear you apart and tell you that you are never going to reach it and to be more realistic. That's when you look at them and decide in that moment that you are going to prove them wrong.
When people tell you that your goals are too high and to keep dreaming let it be motivation, let it fuel your fire. Of course it is going to sting like an open wound that comes in contact with hand sanitizer but you must get over that and push forward. Why would you ever let someone else ruin something for you that you are willing to work for and give everything to. You can do so much more than you actually know so set your goals big and work for them until you reach them. Prove the negative people who want to see you fail wrong. Never give up; achieving high set goals is a lengthy process but what more do you have to lose than regretting not taking a chance at an opportunity that is rightfully yours to better your self.
"You only fail when you stop trying." - anonymous
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
First Performance
"Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it they will want you to come back and do it again and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do." Walt Disney
I'm sure every performer has a funny first performance story. Whether they missed their stage time, tripped and fell, forgot the dance, or froze on stage. Mine however might be a little different than most.
I started dance at the age of 2 so basically right after I started walking. I sat at the studio through the first two years of my life watching my older sister McKenna in her dance classes. I couldn't stop dancing so my mom put me in classes early. I imagine that I was most likely a teachers pet and a little ball of energy, eager to learn that had an attention span of probably about 5 minutes.
My class was 30 minutes ballet and 30 minutes tap but our recital dance was going to be tap. Our recital dance was to Look At That Doggy in the Window. We wore full Dalmatian suits with ears and everything. Back then and even to this day I have been terrified of dogs so you have to imagine the terror on my face when I saw myself in that dog suit.
After getting over the fact that innocent "monsters" or dogs turned me into one of them I was ready to dance. We got on stage and the stage lights blinded me. I couldn't really see anyone and forgot the dance so I just thought it was the warm up. So two year old Macy stood on stage picking her nose shaking her butt. My finger was so far up my nose I was probably poking my brain. About halfway through the song I turned around and started wagging my tail to the audience that I just though was an empty black room.
Although I didn't do the right dance I was quite the entertainment and made the crowd laugh. So I guess my first recital wasn't a complete blow out, just slightly embarrassing looking back on it. Now 14 years later I am no longer picking my nose on stage I actually do the right dance.
I'm sure every performer has a funny first performance story. Whether they missed their stage time, tripped and fell, forgot the dance, or froze on stage. Mine however might be a little different than most.
I started dance at the age of 2 so basically right after I started walking. I sat at the studio through the first two years of my life watching my older sister McKenna in her dance classes. I couldn't stop dancing so my mom put me in classes early. I imagine that I was most likely a teachers pet and a little ball of energy, eager to learn that had an attention span of probably about 5 minutes.
My class was 30 minutes ballet and 30 minutes tap but our recital dance was going to be tap. Our recital dance was to Look At That Doggy in the Window. We wore full Dalmatian suits with ears and everything. Back then and even to this day I have been terrified of dogs so you have to imagine the terror on my face when I saw myself in that dog suit.
After getting over the fact that innocent "monsters" or dogs turned me into one of them I was ready to dance. We got on stage and the stage lights blinded me. I couldn't really see anyone and forgot the dance so I just thought it was the warm up. So two year old Macy stood on stage picking her nose shaking her butt. My finger was so far up my nose I was probably poking my brain. About halfway through the song I turned around and started wagging my tail to the audience that I just though was an empty black room.
Although I didn't do the right dance I was quite the entertainment and made the crowd laugh. So I guess my first recital wasn't a complete blow out, just slightly embarrassing looking back on it. Now 14 years later I am no longer picking my nose on stage I actually do the right dance.
Beauty in Simplicity
"To watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak" -anonymous
Many people in the audience don't realize that the simple details are what completes the story line in a dance. The little details draw you in to focus on certain things and make you feel a certain way without you even knowing.
The simplest details that make the biggest amount of difference is the texture of your hands. Once a dancer figures this out and realizes how to utilize it correctly they have the ability to control the audiences emotions to a certain extent.
The hands can portray strength, weakness, poor, excitement and pretty much anything else you could think of. To do this effectively you must do it sincerely, you have to believe the storyline and follow it to make it come across correctly to the audience.
My favorite hand texture is what my studio The Dancers Edge calls the Jaimie hand after Jaimie Goodwin who taught them this the first time she came to their studio. How to create the texture is to put your hand up to your cheek to achieve the desired shape and then leave it in that shape or somewhere close to that while you dance.
The other thing that creates all the difference is your eyes, your eyes have the ability to tell the story themselves. The biggest thing to avoid is shaky eyes, this means don't continue to shift your eyes. If you don't lock contact and find points to connect with the audience and stick to a focus during certain moments your story seems less believable.
Go through your piece and pick parts to link focuses too, almost like you see a person and you don't want to look away. This will create all the difference and make your story one hundred percent more believable and effective.
These are two of the most simplest details and if you can achieve and master these you have the power to move people. The simplest details make the biggest amount of difference.
Many people in the audience don't realize that the simple details are what completes the story line in a dance. The little details draw you in to focus on certain things and make you feel a certain way without you even knowing.
The simplest details that make the biggest amount of difference is the texture of your hands. Once a dancer figures this out and realizes how to utilize it correctly they have the ability to control the audiences emotions to a certain extent.
The hands can portray strength, weakness, poor, excitement and pretty much anything else you could think of. To do this effectively you must do it sincerely, you have to believe the storyline and follow it to make it come across correctly to the audience.
My favorite hand texture is what my studio The Dancers Edge calls the Jaimie hand after Jaimie Goodwin who taught them this the first time she came to their studio. How to create the texture is to put your hand up to your cheek to achieve the desired shape and then leave it in that shape or somewhere close to that while you dance.
The other thing that creates all the difference is your eyes, your eyes have the ability to tell the story themselves. The biggest thing to avoid is shaky eyes, this means don't continue to shift your eyes. If you don't lock contact and find points to connect with the audience and stick to a focus during certain moments your story seems less believable.
Go through your piece and pick parts to link focuses too, almost like you see a person and you don't want to look away. This will create all the difference and make your story one hundred percent more believable and effective.
These are two of the most simplest details and if you can achieve and master these you have the power to move people. The simplest details make the biggest amount of difference.
10 Reasons
"We dance because it is what we love to do."
There is an immense amount of reasons to dance wether it's celebration, to cope with feelings, or just for fun. Generally though, dance has a deeper meaning than some would guess. Dance can save people it can pull them from poverty into the American Ballet like it did for Misty Copland, it can give you the opportunity to meet new people and create new friendships that can change your life , and it can even allow you to move other people.
Here are the top ten reasons why i am a dancer.
1. It allows me to express myself. When there are words I can not find I can dance to get everything bottled up inside, out.
2. There are no rules. Of course there is technique you have to worry about but you actually are so free with what you do. The more unique and personal it is the more beautiful it is.
3. I love to perform and be on stage. Performing is my absolute favorite thing in the whole entire world. To get lost in a performance and know you nailed it by the time you exit the stage is by far the best feeling in the world.
4. It has lead me to meet many new people and create great friendships that will last a life time. My life would be completely different if I didn't know the people I have met through dance.
5. It's a fun way to exercise. Not only am I having fun doing what I love but I am keeping my body healthy and staying in great shape.
6. It has also helped me become a better academic learner. Because dance is memory and retaining information I can memorize and retain information faster in a school setting. This allows for reduced stress which leads me into the next reason.
7. Dancing makes you feel good. Whether you are stressed,upset, furious, nervous: dancing helps. It can clear your mind and get rid of all of your bad feelings to the point where sometimes you forget why you even felt like that in the first place.
8. It has taught me how to communicate with others. If I didn't dance I would probably still feel awkward using eye contact. With dance you have to create a physical and mental connection with your partners and you have to get over the "this is awkward feeling." Now I am able to hold eye contact great in fact I love it because you can read so much about a person through their eyes.
9. It's natural. I find myself dancing almost all the time, even when there isn't music on, it just something that I always do because I love it.
10. Dance is my escape. I can be anyone, play any role, act any part and for that time being I can escape reality and breathe for a little without any worries.
These are some of the many reasons why I dance and have continued to spent countless hours on it since the age I was two. Dance is a part of me and always will be.
There is an immense amount of reasons to dance wether it's celebration, to cope with feelings, or just for fun. Generally though, dance has a deeper meaning than some would guess. Dance can save people it can pull them from poverty into the American Ballet like it did for Misty Copland, it can give you the opportunity to meet new people and create new friendships that can change your life , and it can even allow you to move other people.
Here are the top ten reasons why i am a dancer.
1. It allows me to express myself. When there are words I can not find I can dance to get everything bottled up inside, out.
2. There are no rules. Of course there is technique you have to worry about but you actually are so free with what you do. The more unique and personal it is the more beautiful it is.
3. I love to perform and be on stage. Performing is my absolute favorite thing in the whole entire world. To get lost in a performance and know you nailed it by the time you exit the stage is by far the best feeling in the world.
4. It has lead me to meet many new people and create great friendships that will last a life time. My life would be completely different if I didn't know the people I have met through dance.
5. It's a fun way to exercise. Not only am I having fun doing what I love but I am keeping my body healthy and staying in great shape.
6. It has also helped me become a better academic learner. Because dance is memory and retaining information I can memorize and retain information faster in a school setting. This allows for reduced stress which leads me into the next reason.
7. Dancing makes you feel good. Whether you are stressed,upset, furious, nervous: dancing helps. It can clear your mind and get rid of all of your bad feelings to the point where sometimes you forget why you even felt like that in the first place.
8. It has taught me how to communicate with others. If I didn't dance I would probably still feel awkward using eye contact. With dance you have to create a physical and mental connection with your partners and you have to get over the "this is awkward feeling." Now I am able to hold eye contact great in fact I love it because you can read so much about a person through their eyes.
9. It's natural. I find myself dancing almost all the time, even when there isn't music on, it just something that I always do because I love it.
10. Dance is my escape. I can be anyone, play any role, act any part and for that time being I can escape reality and breathe for a little without any worries.
These are some of the many reasons why I dance and have continued to spent countless hours on it since the age I was two. Dance is a part of me and always will be.
Monday, February 8, 2016
Dance and Football
"It takes an athlete to dance but an artist to be a dancer" -anonymous
Many people do not believe dance should be qualified as a sport, and many dancers except that because it's more to them than just a sport. If you think about it though dance is not all the different from football.
First is the team setting. Football teams have to be close to each other and get along, they feed off of each others energy and they get down off of each others negativity. Dancers have to be close to each other as well they have to feel each others energy to stay in sync with each other and they have to be able to motivate and encourage each other.
Next is the pre training, dancers lift and do a lot of cardio just like football teams. They have to be in top shape to be able to complete their dances and make it look effortless. The beauty in dance comes from the simplicity of it. In order to achieve this beauty a dancer has to be very strong and fit.
Another thing is passion, football teams have to want the tackle and the touchdown and win. Dancers have to want to be on stage and do what they love and make a connection with the audience and judges to move them. "Passion is greater than technique because someone can always have better technique but no one can take away your passion" -anonymous
Something that may be hard to believe for many is that the risk factors are close to the same. Every time a dancer dances they know the risk they bend their bodies in ways it's not meant to and the exceed their bodies limits. It is very common for a dancer to have back issues, torn ACL's and many other things. Football players also put themselves at risk because of physical contact it is very common for a football player to get a concussion and other injuries a like.
Lastly is the pressure. Many football players take drugs such as steroids to get bigger, stronger, faster, and better. This is a severe health risk but some players feel like it is the only way to get noticed. Similarly some dancers have eating disorders to get the "desired" dancer body type. This is extremely unhealthy and can shut the body down very quickly.
As you see dancers and football players aren't all that different in the end.
Many people do not believe dance should be qualified as a sport, and many dancers except that because it's more to them than just a sport. If you think about it though dance is not all the different from football.
First is the team setting. Football teams have to be close to each other and get along, they feed off of each others energy and they get down off of each others negativity. Dancers have to be close to each other as well they have to feel each others energy to stay in sync with each other and they have to be able to motivate and encourage each other.
Next is the pre training, dancers lift and do a lot of cardio just like football teams. They have to be in top shape to be able to complete their dances and make it look effortless. The beauty in dance comes from the simplicity of it. In order to achieve this beauty a dancer has to be very strong and fit.
Another thing is passion, football teams have to want the tackle and the touchdown and win. Dancers have to want to be on stage and do what they love and make a connection with the audience and judges to move them. "Passion is greater than technique because someone can always have better technique but no one can take away your passion" -anonymous
Something that may be hard to believe for many is that the risk factors are close to the same. Every time a dancer dances they know the risk they bend their bodies in ways it's not meant to and the exceed their bodies limits. It is very common for a dancer to have back issues, torn ACL's and many other things. Football players also put themselves at risk because of physical contact it is very common for a football player to get a concussion and other injuries a like.
Lastly is the pressure. Many football players take drugs such as steroids to get bigger, stronger, faster, and better. This is a severe health risk but some players feel like it is the only way to get noticed. Similarly some dancers have eating disorders to get the "desired" dancer body type. This is extremely unhealthy and can shut the body down very quickly.
As you see dancers and football players aren't all that different in the end.
Core Strength
"You get what you work for... Not what you wish for." -anonymous
Every dancer knows that it is very important to have a strong core. Almost every move, trick, turn, comes from power within your core. However not every dancer had the discipline to work on their core, even though it makes all the difference.
My favorite core exercise is called "the series of five" I learned it at my dance studio "The Dancers Edge." It is quick fun and very effective. Now, before I teach you how to execute the series of 5 ab workout you must know how to start. Dancers want a strong core on the inside not abs that body builders have that stick out. It is more effective for dancers to have stronger inner core muscle and to achieve this you must lay with your back completely flat on the ground. Yes, I know this is hard but you need to eliminate any space that there is between your back and the floor. Think of your belly button as a bathtub drain and anchor the drain to the bottom of the tub (the floor). You must remember to keep your back like this the whole time. You also must engage your core the entire time as well to get the most out of it.
1. Lay on the ground like we talked
2. Lift shoulders off of the ground as well as legs straight lifted slightly of the ground
3. Move one knee up to chest leave the other straight then switch at the same time. Do this for 2 counts of eight or 16 counts.
4. Next leave one leg straight hovering above the ground while you lift the other leg (still straight) towards your body and pull it back even more, switch and continue for 16 counts.
5. After that you are going to do the table top, extend arms over head hovering above the ground and have legs extended straight hovering above the ground, then pull in legs to a table top position while you pull in arms as well do this for 16 counts
6. For this one you get to rest your neck and put your shoulders down but make sure your back is still flat. You are going to do 16 counts of leg lifts lowering your legs to hovering above the ground all the way up to 90 degrees.
7. Now we are on the last one, you are going to repeat me the bicycle kicks but this time when your knee comes to your chest you touch your opposite elbow to it. Do this also for 16 counts.
When you are done stretch it out. This is a super quick and fun way to get a strong core. However, make sure you do it correctly.
Every dancer knows that it is very important to have a strong core. Almost every move, trick, turn, comes from power within your core. However not every dancer had the discipline to work on their core, even though it makes all the difference.
My favorite core exercise is called "the series of five" I learned it at my dance studio "The Dancers Edge." It is quick fun and very effective. Now, before I teach you how to execute the series of 5 ab workout you must know how to start. Dancers want a strong core on the inside not abs that body builders have that stick out. It is more effective for dancers to have stronger inner core muscle and to achieve this you must lay with your back completely flat on the ground. Yes, I know this is hard but you need to eliminate any space that there is between your back and the floor. Think of your belly button as a bathtub drain and anchor the drain to the bottom of the tub (the floor). You must remember to keep your back like this the whole time. You also must engage your core the entire time as well to get the most out of it.
1. Lay on the ground like we talked
2. Lift shoulders off of the ground as well as legs straight lifted slightly of the ground
3. Move one knee up to chest leave the other straight then switch at the same time. Do this for 2 counts of eight or 16 counts.
4. Next leave one leg straight hovering above the ground while you lift the other leg (still straight) towards your body and pull it back even more, switch and continue for 16 counts.
5. After that you are going to do the table top, extend arms over head hovering above the ground and have legs extended straight hovering above the ground, then pull in legs to a table top position while you pull in arms as well do this for 16 counts
6. For this one you get to rest your neck and put your shoulders down but make sure your back is still flat. You are going to do 16 counts of leg lifts lowering your legs to hovering above the ground all the way up to 90 degrees.
7. Now we are on the last one, you are going to repeat me the bicycle kicks but this time when your knee comes to your chest you touch your opposite elbow to it. Do this also for 16 counts.
When you are done stretch it out. This is a super quick and fun way to get a strong core. However, make sure you do it correctly.
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Performance Rush
"It's an amazing thing to be able to perform and get a reaction from people that don't know you. They don't automatically think you're wonderful because they love you, they love you because of the story you're telling on stage." - Aviva Wolmen Werne
As a dancer something I love more than anything in the world is performing. The feeling of being on stage or in a gymnasium in front of a bunch of people with the hot lights hitting you, doing what you love. What could be better than sharing your love of dancing and performing with a huge audience?
Some of you may know that I am also a member of Kennedy High Schools Varsity Show Choir, Happiness Incorporated. Show choir and dance are very similar in how they are both subjective activities, their is no way to ensure the win because everything is based off of opinion. Well, something magical happened on the hot sweaty stage during the night round at Davenport North's show choir competition, The Big Dance, while Happiness Inc. was performing. This feeling I hope every performer gets to experience sometime in their life.
Happiness after day rounds was ranked in fifth place and no one understood why. However, the group of talented singers and dancers took this as a challenge. During the night rounds we fixed things like diction, movements, dynamics, etc. everyone remembered everything and the show just sort of clicked. It was the type of feeling that radiated off of one person into the next, the whole group was roaring with excitement. Not only did we make an emotional connection with ourselves and each other, but we made an emotional connection with the audience. We moved the audience to tears in our ballad and had them rolling with laughter in our novelty.
After the show we all knew we nailed it, the feeling we had as a group is a something that none of us will ever forget. We were all jacked up on energy and felt like we could go out there and do it all over again but at the same time we were so extremely exhausted. Now, that night the judges still had ranked them in fifth even after the super hype and emotional show. The placement didn't matter because we were our own judges and we knew we had a great show and moved people and ourselves and the feeling we got after we performed was a feeling that a first place trophy could never bring us. That feeling is the thing every dancer and performer lives for. That feeling is why I love what I do.
As a dancer something I love more than anything in the world is performing. The feeling of being on stage or in a gymnasium in front of a bunch of people with the hot lights hitting you, doing what you love. What could be better than sharing your love of dancing and performing with a huge audience?
Some of you may know that I am also a member of Kennedy High Schools Varsity Show Choir, Happiness Incorporated. Show choir and dance are very similar in how they are both subjective activities, their is no way to ensure the win because everything is based off of opinion. Well, something magical happened on the hot sweaty stage during the night round at Davenport North's show choir competition, The Big Dance, while Happiness Inc. was performing. This feeling I hope every performer gets to experience sometime in their life.
Happiness after day rounds was ranked in fifth place and no one understood why. However, the group of talented singers and dancers took this as a challenge. During the night rounds we fixed things like diction, movements, dynamics, etc. everyone remembered everything and the show just sort of clicked. It was the type of feeling that radiated off of one person into the next, the whole group was roaring with excitement. Not only did we make an emotional connection with ourselves and each other, but we made an emotional connection with the audience. We moved the audience to tears in our ballad and had them rolling with laughter in our novelty.
After the show we all knew we nailed it, the feeling we had as a group is a something that none of us will ever forget. We were all jacked up on energy and felt like we could go out there and do it all over again but at the same time we were so extremely exhausted. Now, that night the judges still had ranked them in fifth even after the super hype and emotional show. The placement didn't matter because we were our own judges and we knew we had a great show and moved people and ourselves and the feeling we got after we performed was a feeling that a first place trophy could never bring us. That feeling is the thing every dancer and performer lives for. That feeling is why I love what I do.
Monday, February 1, 2016
Lessons not Mistakes
"A mistake should be your teacher, not your attacker. A mistake is a lesson not a loss. It is a temporary, necessary detour, not a dead end." - anonymous
Any dancers biggest and worst fear is making a mistake, messing up on stage in front of judges and tons of people. However what if we looked at mistakes from a different point of view to bring positivity to the situation.
In the scheme of things mistakes can be a beautiful thing, they show that you are in fact human. No mortal is ever going to nail a performance perfectly every single time. Mistakes show there is room for improvement it makes a realization occur that there are things you can do to better yourself as a dancer. This realization is refreshing and a great reminder, hopefully you take it as motivation to work on what you messed up on and other things as well.
In the case that you do mess up on stage on accident here are some things to do.
1. Do not panic that might be the worst possible thing you can do
2. Keep your performance up on your face, if you do this chances are that most people will not even realize a mistake was made
3. Do not freeze, improv if you have to just feel the music and make something up
4. Forgive yourself and move on don't let your mistake ruin the rest of your performance.
5. Do not let is discourage you, a mistake doesn't make you any less of a dancer, however, how you handle it can make you a better dancer
These things can help turn your mistake into a positive who knows, maybe your mistake made your performance even better. Just know that every dancer makes them even principles in outstanding ballet companies. It's a normal thing but break the norm of a dancer being upset from mistakes and make sure you turn it into a positive thing. It is something to work on to make you better, who wouldn't be excited to know what they can work on to improve?
"You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed and you are still beautiful." -Amy Bloom
Any dancers biggest and worst fear is making a mistake, messing up on stage in front of judges and tons of people. However what if we looked at mistakes from a different point of view to bring positivity to the situation.
In the scheme of things mistakes can be a beautiful thing, they show that you are in fact human. No mortal is ever going to nail a performance perfectly every single time. Mistakes show there is room for improvement it makes a realization occur that there are things you can do to better yourself as a dancer. This realization is refreshing and a great reminder, hopefully you take it as motivation to work on what you messed up on and other things as well.
In the case that you do mess up on stage on accident here are some things to do.
1. Do not panic that might be the worst possible thing you can do
2. Keep your performance up on your face, if you do this chances are that most people will not even realize a mistake was made
3. Do not freeze, improv if you have to just feel the music and make something up
4. Forgive yourself and move on don't let your mistake ruin the rest of your performance.
5. Do not let is discourage you, a mistake doesn't make you any less of a dancer, however, how you handle it can make you a better dancer
These things can help turn your mistake into a positive who knows, maybe your mistake made your performance even better. Just know that every dancer makes them even principles in outstanding ballet companies. It's a normal thing but break the norm of a dancer being upset from mistakes and make sure you turn it into a positive thing. It is something to work on to make you better, who wouldn't be excited to know what they can work on to improve?
"You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed and you are still beautiful." -Amy Bloom
Your biggest Critic
"The only dancer that you should compare yourself to is the one that you used to be." -anonymous
Every dancer wants to get better because who wouldn't want to be the best? However, what most dancers don't realize is that they are the ones holding their own self back. This may sound weird but just step back and think about it. When is the last time you have compared yourself to another dancer? When was the last time you envied someone because of their outstanding talent? When was the last time you looked back on all of your hard work and congratulated yourself for how far you have come? If you answered these questions like I did then maybe you will realize just like me that you are the one holding yourself back.
The first way to stop being your own obstacle is to get out of your head. Stop worrying about what other people will think, or if you look weird. Who cares? You are doing what you love and the only way you are going to get better and improve is if you just go for it and don't let other people intimidate you and scare you out of getting better at what you love.
The next step is to use other people's talent and maybe even your own jealousy as fuel. Let watching other people light a fire in you to get better. Tell yourself that one day you will be able to do exactly what they are doing too. Don't be afraid to try new things, that is your worst enemy. You must try new things to get better it's a fact. Make sure you aren't afraid to ask for help. There are so many people out there that are very willing to help so don't be afraid to use outside resources.
Lastly don't forget to reward yourself, look back on old videos and laugh at how clumsy you used to be and then watch new videos and congratulate yourself on your improvement. Don't be too easy on yourself though, make sure while watching resent videos that you wrote down corrections and things that you would like to work on.
By doing these things you can turn yourself from being your worst enemy and biggest obstacle to your best friend and biggest helper. It's easy. Just believe that you have what it takes to be the best and it will get you that much closer to it. Looking at things with a positive outlook and open mind will never fail either.
Every dancer wants to get better because who wouldn't want to be the best? However, what most dancers don't realize is that they are the ones holding their own self back. This may sound weird but just step back and think about it. When is the last time you have compared yourself to another dancer? When was the last time you envied someone because of their outstanding talent? When was the last time you looked back on all of your hard work and congratulated yourself for how far you have come? If you answered these questions like I did then maybe you will realize just like me that you are the one holding yourself back.
The first way to stop being your own obstacle is to get out of your head. Stop worrying about what other people will think, or if you look weird. Who cares? You are doing what you love and the only way you are going to get better and improve is if you just go for it and don't let other people intimidate you and scare you out of getting better at what you love.
The next step is to use other people's talent and maybe even your own jealousy as fuel. Let watching other people light a fire in you to get better. Tell yourself that one day you will be able to do exactly what they are doing too. Don't be afraid to try new things, that is your worst enemy. You must try new things to get better it's a fact. Make sure you aren't afraid to ask for help. There are so many people out there that are very willing to help so don't be afraid to use outside resources.
Lastly don't forget to reward yourself, look back on old videos and laugh at how clumsy you used to be and then watch new videos and congratulate yourself on your improvement. Don't be too easy on yourself though, make sure while watching resent videos that you wrote down corrections and things that you would like to work on.
By doing these things you can turn yourself from being your worst enemy and biggest obstacle to your best friend and biggest helper. It's easy. Just believe that you have what it takes to be the best and it will get you that much closer to it. Looking at things with a positive outlook and open mind will never fail either.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Cardio for Dancers
"It takes an athlete to dance, but an artist to be a dancer." - anonymous
It is very important for dancers to be fit because while doing this art form you contract and release every single muscle in your body. One struggle of many dancers is what cardio to do, obviously do core workouts and stuff like that but specifically what for cardio is a big debate.
Many professionals believe that running is terrible for dancers. This is because running uses muscles in different ways than dancers do and this creates a great amount of muscle in your quadriceps group. However muscle is great and dancers need a lot of it, it is not good when your quadriceps over power your hamstrings. This is because the hamstrings help straighten your legs and those are the muscles you are supposed to use to lift your legs in a dance to make it look more effortless and cause less strain. Another issue with dancers running and overdeveloped quadriceps is that it makes it look as if the dancers legs are not fully straightened because of how the muscle builds and looks. This is a problem, and I would know since I am a dancer who also runs a lot. Judges mistake your runners legs for softened knees and will doc you points, this seems unfair but while you are dancing they are unable to tell if your legs aren't straightening because of your muscle curvature or just out of pure laziness.
Don't worry there are many other ways to get in your cardio, my favorite way by far is definitely Zumba. Not only is this type of cardio fun but it is perfect for dancers because it is dancing. You can make up your own routines to hit songs, go to a Zumba class, watch a video and follow along, or there is even Xbox and Wii Zumba games so you can play and compete with friends for points while also getting a cardio work out in. While this isn't the only cardio workout to get you to stay away from running it is a great alternative.
Also don't be discouraged if you love to run, you can still continue to do that and be a phenomenal dancer just make sure to stretch out your hamstrings really good after you run, this will keep your ability to straighten your legs. The worst thing that you could do though is not do any cardio at all.
It is very important for dancers to be fit because while doing this art form you contract and release every single muscle in your body. One struggle of many dancers is what cardio to do, obviously do core workouts and stuff like that but specifically what for cardio is a big debate.
Many professionals believe that running is terrible for dancers. This is because running uses muscles in different ways than dancers do and this creates a great amount of muscle in your quadriceps group. However muscle is great and dancers need a lot of it, it is not good when your quadriceps over power your hamstrings. This is because the hamstrings help straighten your legs and those are the muscles you are supposed to use to lift your legs in a dance to make it look more effortless and cause less strain. Another issue with dancers running and overdeveloped quadriceps is that it makes it look as if the dancers legs are not fully straightened because of how the muscle builds and looks. This is a problem, and I would know since I am a dancer who also runs a lot. Judges mistake your runners legs for softened knees and will doc you points, this seems unfair but while you are dancing they are unable to tell if your legs aren't straightening because of your muscle curvature or just out of pure laziness.
Don't worry there are many other ways to get in your cardio, my favorite way by far is definitely Zumba. Not only is this type of cardio fun but it is perfect for dancers because it is dancing. You can make up your own routines to hit songs, go to a Zumba class, watch a video and follow along, or there is even Xbox and Wii Zumba games so you can play and compete with friends for points while also getting a cardio work out in. While this isn't the only cardio workout to get you to stay away from running it is a great alternative.
Also don't be discouraged if you love to run, you can still continue to do that and be a phenomenal dancer just make sure to stretch out your hamstrings really good after you run, this will keep your ability to straighten your legs. The worst thing that you could do though is not do any cardio at all.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Corrections
"Surround yourself with those who challenge you push you and motivate you." - anonymous
As a dancer one of the best traits you can have is the ability to take corrections. This can transform a good dancer in to a beyond comparable dancer. However, taking corrections isn't always the easiest thing to do, it can make you feel bad about yourself, or turn you into a monster that you normally are not.
To be a good teammate it is crucial that you give the people on your team corrections to push them and make not just the person improve as a dancer but the team as a whole will improve. There are some things you must keep in mind while giving corrections though. You must give corrections with a positive tone because corrections can be taken very harshly. Another thing to keep in mind is what mood is the person in at the moment if they are having a bad day make sure you take it a little easier, but still point out the correction. In most cases the correction will not be applied right away every time and you need to realize that that is perfectly ok. Lastly make sure you explain your correction thoroughly so they understand, and that you give them a positive as well and congratulate them on their accomplishments.
Some things to keep in mind while taking a correction are that corrections aren't personal, the person is correcting you because they know you have the potential to do better and they want you to get better. Take corrections with a positive mindset, always thank them because they are giving you corrections to make you better. Lastly make sure you attempt to apply them right away and ask if you do not understand the correction.
These things can improve a team tremendously, just remember that corrections are supposed to be positive things not negative things.
As a dancer one of the best traits you can have is the ability to take corrections. This can transform a good dancer in to a beyond comparable dancer. However, taking corrections isn't always the easiest thing to do, it can make you feel bad about yourself, or turn you into a monster that you normally are not.
To be a good teammate it is crucial that you give the people on your team corrections to push them and make not just the person improve as a dancer but the team as a whole will improve. There are some things you must keep in mind while giving corrections though. You must give corrections with a positive tone because corrections can be taken very harshly. Another thing to keep in mind is what mood is the person in at the moment if they are having a bad day make sure you take it a little easier, but still point out the correction. In most cases the correction will not be applied right away every time and you need to realize that that is perfectly ok. Lastly make sure you explain your correction thoroughly so they understand, and that you give them a positive as well and congratulate them on their accomplishments.
Some things to keep in mind while taking a correction are that corrections aren't personal, the person is correcting you because they know you have the potential to do better and they want you to get better. Take corrections with a positive mindset, always thank them because they are giving you corrections to make you better. Lastly make sure you attempt to apply them right away and ask if you do not understand the correction.
These things can improve a team tremendously, just remember that corrections are supposed to be positive things not negative things.
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Rope Stretches
"I will find strength in pain." - anonymous
Any dancer knows that stretching is a very important part of your warm up and something that can help improve your abilities. Now do not confuse being flexible with being a good dancer because there are some great dancers who are not flexible. However, increasing your flexibility can improve your lines and make them more beautiful while you dance.
Many dancers do not realize that stretching normally does not improve your flexibility, it just warms up your muscles and stretches them to their full potential at the moment, but that is not making you more flexible than you were a week ago. To permanently improve your flexibility you must do deeper stretches. This is where the quote ties in, the stretches today that I am going to explain can be very painful and make you sore but in the end the improvement will be worth it. Also keep in mind this is something that must be done continuously for results.
Rope Stretches:
1. you must have a rope the length of your wing span
2. lay on your back with your hips square and legs bent with your knees facing the ceiling
3. put on leg straight up in the air the you foot fully flexed and your heel trying the go towards the wall behind your head.
4. put the rope around the sole of your foot with each end in your hand and pull as far as you can attempting to get your heal to the wall behind you head. Make sure your leg is completely straight.do this for 30 seconds.
5. using the rope bend your knee but leave the heel where it is and pull your leg closer to you. Do this for about 15 seconds.
6. Slowly extend leg all the way straight attempting to get the heel closer to the wall.
7. repeat steps 4-6 about five times and then switch legs.
Be aware that your legs and arms will shake and it will hurt but it will improve your flexibility if you tough out the pain.
Any dancer knows that stretching is a very important part of your warm up and something that can help improve your abilities. Now do not confuse being flexible with being a good dancer because there are some great dancers who are not flexible. However, increasing your flexibility can improve your lines and make them more beautiful while you dance.
Many dancers do not realize that stretching normally does not improve your flexibility, it just warms up your muscles and stretches them to their full potential at the moment, but that is not making you more flexible than you were a week ago. To permanently improve your flexibility you must do deeper stretches. This is where the quote ties in, the stretches today that I am going to explain can be very painful and make you sore but in the end the improvement will be worth it. Also keep in mind this is something that must be done continuously for results.
Rope Stretches:
1. you must have a rope the length of your wing span
2. lay on your back with your hips square and legs bent with your knees facing the ceiling
3. put on leg straight up in the air the you foot fully flexed and your heel trying the go towards the wall behind your head.
4. put the rope around the sole of your foot with each end in your hand and pull as far as you can attempting to get your heal to the wall behind you head. Make sure your leg is completely straight.do this for 30 seconds.
5. using the rope bend your knee but leave the heel where it is and pull your leg closer to you. Do this for about 15 seconds.
6. Slowly extend leg all the way straight attempting to get the heel closer to the wall.
7. repeat steps 4-6 about five times and then switch legs.
Be aware that your legs and arms will shake and it will hurt but it will improve your flexibility if you tough out the pain.
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Listen to Your Body
"Be Patient. With your body. With your time. With yourself." - anonymous.
It is a common trend that dancers are sore, overworked, or tired. As dancers we know there is a certain risk we are putting ourselves up for every single time we take the floor. What most people do not realize is that a dancer is putting their body at just as much risk as a football player is.
The first step at making sure you don't get a career ending injury is listening to your body. You know your limits. If you are profusely hurting or in excruciating pain then you must listen to your body right then in that moment. When you ignore your body attempting to tell you that something is wrong you are raising that risk of injury even higher. Now, dancers, soreness from workouts is a good type of hurt that is making you get better so do not stop from doing your abdominal or other workouts because it "burns," that type of burn is something you should crave not despise.
The scary thing about this is that most dancers know their body is hurting and that they should sit but they can not accept defeat. What dancers need to get over is that rest is not defeat, it is just a realization of what your body needs so that you may get better. High expectations is a great thing until you don't allow yourself rest because of it. Rest one rehearsal now or miss three competitions in the future, it is ultimately your choice. Just remember a small injury now can turn into a career ending injury within the future.
It is absolutely crazy how a dancer knows how much risk their is but we forget about it in the moment to be able to do what we love. Maybe this is because dance is a way of expression and a way to get everything out that couldn't be put into words, and it just makes you feel good.
Something to think about: "Yes, I am in recovery. Because even though today was hard, I'm still choosing to be here tomorrow." - anonymous
It is a common trend that dancers are sore, overworked, or tired. As dancers we know there is a certain risk we are putting ourselves up for every single time we take the floor. What most people do not realize is that a dancer is putting their body at just as much risk as a football player is.
The first step at making sure you don't get a career ending injury is listening to your body. You know your limits. If you are profusely hurting or in excruciating pain then you must listen to your body right then in that moment. When you ignore your body attempting to tell you that something is wrong you are raising that risk of injury even higher. Now, dancers, soreness from workouts is a good type of hurt that is making you get better so do not stop from doing your abdominal or other workouts because it "burns," that type of burn is something you should crave not despise.
The scary thing about this is that most dancers know their body is hurting and that they should sit but they can not accept defeat. What dancers need to get over is that rest is not defeat, it is just a realization of what your body needs so that you may get better. High expectations is a great thing until you don't allow yourself rest because of it. Rest one rehearsal now or miss three competitions in the future, it is ultimately your choice. Just remember a small injury now can turn into a career ending injury within the future.
It is absolutely crazy how a dancer knows how much risk their is but we forget about it in the moment to be able to do what we love. Maybe this is because dance is a way of expression and a way to get everything out that couldn't be put into words, and it just makes you feel good.
Something to think about: "Yes, I am in recovery. Because even though today was hard, I'm still choosing to be here tomorrow." - anonymous
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