"Some people dream of success while others wake up and work hard at it." -anonymous
As the winter months are coming and the snow and cold are settling in many peoples motivations are sliming. However, this is not acceptable for dancers, mediocrity should never be acceptable by anyone but especially not by a dancer. This means still working hard in rehearsal and eating healthy outside of it as well; but it also means not getting lazy on the little things.
This may seem pea sized in the scheme of things but it is very important in the winter months to wear the proper attire in correlation to the weather, especially while warming up and going in and out of where ever you are rehearsing. This may seem like a waste of time but it can be saving you from an avoidable injury, and prevent excruciating pain. No dancer wants a pulled muscle or to be extremely sore and a common reason for both of these two is not having your muscles warmed up properly.
If you walk outside in the cold your muscles tense up in order to try to warm you up, this is bad for when you go to stretch. Wearing pants and a coat is always a must on the chilly, frosty days of the winter. Just because it takes an extra thirty five seconds to put these necessities on is not an excuse what so ever for not doing it. Rehearsals can be long and tiring or you may be running late but both of these situations are better than having a pulled muscle and being injured.
Another crucial thing to do once jack frost has arrived is you must make sure you stretch good enough that you wont hurt yourself. Stretching your regular amount will not cut it and do it justice. These little things all add together to make sure you are taking care of your body the best way you possibly can. So, make sure you don't skip the little things because in the long run those little things could lead to a big injury.
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Kennedy Dance Team
Kennedy Varsity Dance Team is a group of twenty high achieving academic leaders and dancers that attend Kennedy High School. All of these girls strive for excellence, so along with that they are some of Kennedy's hardest workers.
The girls practice and compete all year round; starting in May of the year before and go all the way through March. They have two competition dances they learn in May and those are their main dances that they work on and precisely clean and take to competition; but they also learn probably close to at least twenty five more dances through out the year. The team dances at football games, basketball games, pep assemblies and compete locally and in other states as well.
Most of the girls are some of Kennedy's best and brightest, ranking at the tops of their classes. They have won the highest GPA out of Kennedy's girls athletics in 2014 along with the highest GPA out of all of the high school dance teams in the state of Iowa, which is over two hundred and seventy teams. Not only do these girls get good grades in the class room, but they also score high at competitions. The Kennedy Dance Team was regional champions in Pom and Jazz in the 2014-2015 regional dance competition, and gets a bid to nationals every single year.
Another impressing thing about these dance team girls is that a majority of them are also involved in other sports, and clubs at Kennedy and do club sport activities outside of school. Not only are these girls very involved in their school, they also do a lot of things out in the community. A number of the girls participate in America Reads day at surrounding elementary schools, and the team has help motivate the Ragbrai riders this summer. A favorite of many is the kid's clinics that they hold for kindergarten through fifth grade. They teach them a dance, give them pizza, and at the end of the night have a performance to show their parents all they have learned during that fun filled night.
The girls are always giving back and representing their school in the best of ways and still little to none come to support them at their local competitions. That doesn't seem to stop them, for the past few years they have dominated the more local dance competitions, even without support and motivation from their peers. Hopefully in the future Kennedy's Jungle will be spotted cheering for them too.
The girls practice and compete all year round; starting in May of the year before and go all the way through March. They have two competition dances they learn in May and those are their main dances that they work on and precisely clean and take to competition; but they also learn probably close to at least twenty five more dances through out the year. The team dances at football games, basketball games, pep assemblies and compete locally and in other states as well.
Most of the girls are some of Kennedy's best and brightest, ranking at the tops of their classes. They have won the highest GPA out of Kennedy's girls athletics in 2014 along with the highest GPA out of all of the high school dance teams in the state of Iowa, which is over two hundred and seventy teams. Not only do these girls get good grades in the class room, but they also score high at competitions. The Kennedy Dance Team was regional champions in Pom and Jazz in the 2014-2015 regional dance competition, and gets a bid to nationals every single year.
Another impressing thing about these dance team girls is that a majority of them are also involved in other sports, and clubs at Kennedy and do club sport activities outside of school. Not only are these girls very involved in their school, they also do a lot of things out in the community. A number of the girls participate in America Reads day at surrounding elementary schools, and the team has help motivate the Ragbrai riders this summer. A favorite of many is the kid's clinics that they hold for kindergarten through fifth grade. They teach them a dance, give them pizza, and at the end of the night have a performance to show their parents all they have learned during that fun filled night.
The girls are always giving back and representing their school in the best of ways and still little to none come to support them at their local competitions. That doesn't seem to stop them, for the past few years they have dominated the more local dance competitions, even without support and motivation from their peers. Hopefully in the future Kennedy's Jungle will be spotted cheering for them too.
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Rest is Important
"Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You can not serve from an empty vessel." -Eleanor Brownn
Dance is a very time consuming activity and sport, and it is also very tiring. A lot of dancers over work themselves and don't realize till it might be a little too late. It's very hard to take off time.
I can speak to this topic from experience. I am generally a very healthy high schooler I rarely get sick but this fall was rough for me. I got to go to the doctors office every two weeks from October 2nd till November 2nd. This was during the busiest time of the year for me since my team was preparing for the high school dance team state competition.
My life is crazy busy between show choir dance team and studio dance so when I was tired all the time for four weeks I didn't really think much of it at first. After four weeks of this feeling I made my first trip to the doctors office. I tested positive for walking pneumonia. Now this is were I needed to take a break and slow down, rest and get better, but I thought by resting I would let my team down. What I didn't realize was by not resting I was letting my team down.
I had to go on four different antibiotics through out two months to beat the walking pneumonia. That was two more months of me being fatigued all the time.
I thought pushing through it would help my team be better but it wasn't the case at all. I just made myself get worse and not be at my top ability for a longer amount of time. I was healthy for about two weeks, or so I thought I was. Then the week of state I felt worse than ever so I got to make another trip to the doctors office. Yes, I was sick again with strep throat two days before the state competition.
Now I realize that if I would have rested and slowed down at the beginning I wouldn't have gotten so sick in the end. So dancers, it is ok to take time to rest and get better, the healthy you is going to be so much more helpful for your team than you are when you are sick. Nearly two months later I finally am realizing what it's like to actually feel healthy again and I regret putting my self through all of that trouble and awful feeling just because I was to scared to rest and take time to get healthy.
Opinion Sport
"Don't waste your energy trying to change opinions. Do your thing, and don't care if they like it." -Tina Fey
In most sports there is generally a clear winner, or a stronger team, and they score the most points to win the game or get the fastest time in their race. Dance however is not this way. Dance is an opinion sport and this is what makes it so difficult. You will never be able to read a judges mind and know what they are looking for or what they like.
Some judges look for showmanship and passion while others look for technique.
Some like over done faces and others like suttle ones. Some judges like busy dances with a bunch of little groups while others like clean together unison dances.
You can spend hours on hours perfecting your performance and your technique and even be the most amazing dancer in the area but maybe the judge doesn't like your song, or your costume, or just your choreography in general. No matter what you do, you can never be sure.
Because you can't control what others think of your dance, all you can do it execute it well. The most important thing is making people believe you love doing that dance piece. If you love it there is a better chance that the judges will love it as well. It's refreshing to see someone dance and perform and be able to tell that they love it. Also if you are 100% there in the moment in your dance people will probably be 100% in the moment in the dance with you. If you can get an audience to move with you and feel something then that should be rewarding enough.
What dancers don't always realize is that a trophy, medal, or plaque doesn't matter, what matters is knowing you left it all on the floor and you did everything you could do to perform and dance at the best of your abilities.
If you don't place with the rating, or score you hoped, dreamed, and worked for then all you can do is practice and work for the next one because a dancers work is never done. Take the judges corrections to heart and adjust things accordingly but don't let them get in your head and or take them personally because judges comments are just suggestions. Always remember there's always the next one and there is always room for improvement.
State
This Thursday and Friday were the long awaited days of many high school and college dance teams in the state of Iowa. It was the annual state dance team competition, that over two hundred and seventy high school dance teams participated in. Iowa has the largest state dance team competition in the nation, with two hundred and seventy high school teams and twenty five colleges, so the stakes are high and everyone has their end result on their mind.
Teams are allowed to compete 3 routines and there are endless amounts of categories such as military, hoopla, coed, production, lights, and the most popular Pom, lyrical, jazz, and hip hop.
The Kennedy dance team participated in this state competition just like they do every year, but this year they were even more excited than years past. They have the largest team they have had in many years. They left on Thursday night shortly after school. On Thursday at school they had the winter pep assembly where they performed their jazz routine for their student body of over two thousand. This was in preparation for the weekend and to show the school all they had been working towards. Many staff members and students reported back to the dance team that they believed it was the best jazz routine they have seen from the Kennedy dance team in many years.
Kennedy dance team is usually known for their upbeat hard hitting Pom routines. So, at the state competition they competed their two routines Pom and jazz.
The Kennedy high school dance team performed at 1:30 and 6:40 awards were shortly after where they received division one ratings in both dances and placed sixth in both routines as well. This is a huge accomplishment considering they are in the top divisions for both of their routines due to the enormous amount of kids that attend their high school.
The dance team has had such a great season so far, but they are not done yet, they will be defending their title as regional champions in Pom and jazz and the UDA regional dance competition at the Mall of America in January. Believe me, they will be stronger than ever for this competition to show everyone this is their best year yet.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Point your feet
"You've got what it takes, but it will take everything you've got." -Anonymous
Many people who watch dance but are not dancers and haven't been very involved in dance don't realize how much effort goes into it. Most people can see when dancers toes aren't pointed or when they are sickled (which is never wanted), but they don't usually realize how much effort dancers have to put into that before it becomes natural.
Some people say "pointe your toes," but what people should really say is pointe your feet because if you just pointe your toes it is not the proper line so you must engage your leg and pointe all the way through your ankles. Yes, crazy enough there is a right and wrong way to pointe your feet. When your toes are pointed your Achilles tendon should go up your calf not clench. Many people who arent properly trained just clench their Achilles tendon not thinking anything about if because it looks pointed but what they don't know is that their pointe is not reaching its full potential and it could cause injury in the future. Stretching your ankles can help improve your pointe but some people have shorter Achilles tendons than others. This makes all the difference because shorter Achilles tendons means that you wont be able to pointe your feet as well as someone with longer Achilles tendons.
Yes, some dancers naturally have beautiful feet and they can pointe them with no problem, or if you are properly trained from the moment you start dance it is easier to pointe your feet than for people who started dance with improper training. This is because it takes three times as long to retrain and correct your bad habits. To retrain people to naturally pointe their toes it takes a lot more than just practicing pointing your feet, their are pointing exercises because you have to gain muscles and create stronger neural passage ways. So next time you are giving a correction to "Pointe your toes," actually say "pointe through your ankle" or something of the sorts, and don't be too hard on your self if you are a dancer with not the best feet because sometimes its genetic and other times it is improper training, and it takes a lot more work than most realize.
Many people who watch dance but are not dancers and haven't been very involved in dance don't realize how much effort goes into it. Most people can see when dancers toes aren't pointed or when they are sickled (which is never wanted), but they don't usually realize how much effort dancers have to put into that before it becomes natural.
Some people say "pointe your toes," but what people should really say is pointe your feet because if you just pointe your toes it is not the proper line so you must engage your leg and pointe all the way through your ankles. Yes, crazy enough there is a right and wrong way to pointe your feet. When your toes are pointed your Achilles tendon should go up your calf not clench. Many people who arent properly trained just clench their Achilles tendon not thinking anything about if because it looks pointed but what they don't know is that their pointe is not reaching its full potential and it could cause injury in the future. Stretching your ankles can help improve your pointe but some people have shorter Achilles tendons than others. This makes all the difference because shorter Achilles tendons means that you wont be able to pointe your feet as well as someone with longer Achilles tendons.
Yes, some dancers naturally have beautiful feet and they can pointe them with no problem, or if you are properly trained from the moment you start dance it is easier to pointe your feet than for people who started dance with improper training. This is because it takes three times as long to retrain and correct your bad habits. To retrain people to naturally pointe their toes it takes a lot more than just practicing pointing your feet, their are pointing exercises because you have to gain muscles and create stronger neural passage ways. So next time you are giving a correction to "Pointe your toes," actually say "pointe through your ankle" or something of the sorts, and don't be too hard on your self if you are a dancer with not the best feet because sometimes its genetic and other times it is improper training, and it takes a lot more work than most realize.
Conventions
"Dancing stimulates the mind, body, and sole. It has been proven to increase cognitive strengths and prolong life; that is the Miracle of Dance." - Lai Rupe's Choreography
There are many different things that are involved to make a great dancer become an exceptional dancer; one being the dancers ability of picking up choreography quickly which also leads to being trainable and applying corrections quickly and effectively. These qualities can make a dancer shine above other outstanding dancers.
A thing that tremendously help improve these things in a fun, challenging environment is a dance convention. You can attend dance conventions pretty much anywhere; their are endless amounts of them. Dance conventions are competitions plus their are classes you can take there. The class taking part is the part that will really expand a dancers abilities. The convention will have a number of the top dancers and choreographers in the dance world there teaching you combos.
When you sign up you are signing up for all the classes at once and their are different age rooms so you are with dancers around the same age as you. You get a number and have to wear it all weekend so the instructors have some way to identify and remember you if you are a stand out dancer. There are usually around 6 classes a day. You can go to all around conventions where you get all classes from hip hop, jazz, modern, contemporary, ballet, tap and improve, or you can just go to an all genre convention, like monsters of hip hop is an all hip hop convention.
Every genre is taught by a different professional instructor, this can be very stressful and push a dancer outside of their comfort zone but it is also a great growing experience and will help the dancer in the long run. Since each combo has a different instructor you are learning how to deal with different teaching styles and also might get to try some styles you have never done before. Not only do you learn how to adjust to new dance styles and teaching styles it also helps you become a more spatially aware dancers since their are hundreds of dancer in one big room attempting to dance all at the same time.
At the end of the convention there is a ceremony where the instructors pick dancers who really stood out and were exceptional. These stand out dancers receive scholarships of some sort to honor their talent and hard work. These scholarships can range from a free admission to next year to asking them to go on their convention tour with them and be helpers for free. I think that every dancer should go to a convention of some sort during their dance career because it is one of the best things to help a dancer grow.
There are many different things that are involved to make a great dancer become an exceptional dancer; one being the dancers ability of picking up choreography quickly which also leads to being trainable and applying corrections quickly and effectively. These qualities can make a dancer shine above other outstanding dancers.
A thing that tremendously help improve these things in a fun, challenging environment is a dance convention. You can attend dance conventions pretty much anywhere; their are endless amounts of them. Dance conventions are competitions plus their are classes you can take there. The class taking part is the part that will really expand a dancers abilities. The convention will have a number of the top dancers and choreographers in the dance world there teaching you combos.
When you sign up you are signing up for all the classes at once and their are different age rooms so you are with dancers around the same age as you. You get a number and have to wear it all weekend so the instructors have some way to identify and remember you if you are a stand out dancer. There are usually around 6 classes a day. You can go to all around conventions where you get all classes from hip hop, jazz, modern, contemporary, ballet, tap and improve, or you can just go to an all genre convention, like monsters of hip hop is an all hip hop convention.
Every genre is taught by a different professional instructor, this can be very stressful and push a dancer outside of their comfort zone but it is also a great growing experience and will help the dancer in the long run. Since each combo has a different instructor you are learning how to deal with different teaching styles and also might get to try some styles you have never done before. Not only do you learn how to adjust to new dance styles and teaching styles it also helps you become a more spatially aware dancers since their are hundreds of dancer in one big room attempting to dance all at the same time.
At the end of the convention there is a ceremony where the instructors pick dancers who really stood out and were exceptional. These stand out dancers receive scholarships of some sort to honor their talent and hard work. These scholarships can range from a free admission to next year to asking them to go on their convention tour with them and be helpers for free. I think that every dancer should go to a convention of some sort during their dance career because it is one of the best things to help a dancer grow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)