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.
Monday, April 11, 2016
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.
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