"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.
Monday, February 29, 2016
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.
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