"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.
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Monday, February 8, 2016
Dance and Football
"It takes an athlete to dance but an artist to be a dancer" -anonymous
Many people do not believe dance should be qualified as a sport, and many dancers except that because it's more to them than just a sport. If you think about it though dance is not all the different from football.
First is the team setting. Football teams have to be close to each other and get along, they feed off of each others energy and they get down off of each others negativity. Dancers have to be close to each other as well they have to feel each others energy to stay in sync with each other and they have to be able to motivate and encourage each other.
Next is the pre training, dancers lift and do a lot of cardio just like football teams. They have to be in top shape to be able to complete their dances and make it look effortless. The beauty in dance comes from the simplicity of it. In order to achieve this beauty a dancer has to be very strong and fit.
Another thing is passion, football teams have to want the tackle and the touchdown and win. Dancers have to want to be on stage and do what they love and make a connection with the audience and judges to move them. "Passion is greater than technique because someone can always have better technique but no one can take away your passion" -anonymous
Something that may be hard to believe for many is that the risk factors are close to the same. Every time a dancer dances they know the risk they bend their bodies in ways it's not meant to and the exceed their bodies limits. It is very common for a dancer to have back issues, torn ACL's and many other things. Football players also put themselves at risk because of physical contact it is very common for a football player to get a concussion and other injuries a like.
Lastly is the pressure. Many football players take drugs such as steroids to get bigger, stronger, faster, and better. This is a severe health risk but some players feel like it is the only way to get noticed. Similarly some dancers have eating disorders to get the "desired" dancer body type. This is extremely unhealthy and can shut the body down very quickly.
As you see dancers and football players aren't all that different in the end.
Many people do not believe dance should be qualified as a sport, and many dancers except that because it's more to them than just a sport. If you think about it though dance is not all the different from football.
First is the team setting. Football teams have to be close to each other and get along, they feed off of each others energy and they get down off of each others negativity. Dancers have to be close to each other as well they have to feel each others energy to stay in sync with each other and they have to be able to motivate and encourage each other.
Next is the pre training, dancers lift and do a lot of cardio just like football teams. They have to be in top shape to be able to complete their dances and make it look effortless. The beauty in dance comes from the simplicity of it. In order to achieve this beauty a dancer has to be very strong and fit.
Another thing is passion, football teams have to want the tackle and the touchdown and win. Dancers have to want to be on stage and do what they love and make a connection with the audience and judges to move them. "Passion is greater than technique because someone can always have better technique but no one can take away your passion" -anonymous
Something that may be hard to believe for many is that the risk factors are close to the same. Every time a dancer dances they know the risk they bend their bodies in ways it's not meant to and the exceed their bodies limits. It is very common for a dancer to have back issues, torn ACL's and many other things. Football players also put themselves at risk because of physical contact it is very common for a football player to get a concussion and other injuries a like.
Lastly is the pressure. Many football players take drugs such as steroids to get bigger, stronger, faster, and better. This is a severe health risk but some players feel like it is the only way to get noticed. Similarly some dancers have eating disorders to get the "desired" dancer body type. This is extremely unhealthy and can shut the body down very quickly.
As you see dancers and football players aren't all that different in the end.
Core Strength
"You get what you work for... Not what you wish for." -anonymous
Every dancer knows that it is very important to have a strong core. Almost every move, trick, turn, comes from power within your core. However not every dancer had the discipline to work on their core, even though it makes all the difference.
My favorite core exercise is called "the series of five" I learned it at my dance studio "The Dancers Edge." It is quick fun and very effective. Now, before I teach you how to execute the series of 5 ab workout you must know how to start. Dancers want a strong core on the inside not abs that body builders have that stick out. It is more effective for dancers to have stronger inner core muscle and to achieve this you must lay with your back completely flat on the ground. Yes, I know this is hard but you need to eliminate any space that there is between your back and the floor. Think of your belly button as a bathtub drain and anchor the drain to the bottom of the tub (the floor). You must remember to keep your back like this the whole time. You also must engage your core the entire time as well to get the most out of it.
1. Lay on the ground like we talked
2. Lift shoulders off of the ground as well as legs straight lifted slightly of the ground
3. Move one knee up to chest leave the other straight then switch at the same time. Do this for 2 counts of eight or 16 counts.
4. Next leave one leg straight hovering above the ground while you lift the other leg (still straight) towards your body and pull it back even more, switch and continue for 16 counts.
5. After that you are going to do the table top, extend arms over head hovering above the ground and have legs extended straight hovering above the ground, then pull in legs to a table top position while you pull in arms as well do this for 16 counts
6. For this one you get to rest your neck and put your shoulders down but make sure your back is still flat. You are going to do 16 counts of leg lifts lowering your legs to hovering above the ground all the way up to 90 degrees.
7. Now we are on the last one, you are going to repeat me the bicycle kicks but this time when your knee comes to your chest you touch your opposite elbow to it. Do this also for 16 counts.
When you are done stretch it out. This is a super quick and fun way to get a strong core. However, make sure you do it correctly.
Every dancer knows that it is very important to have a strong core. Almost every move, trick, turn, comes from power within your core. However not every dancer had the discipline to work on their core, even though it makes all the difference.
My favorite core exercise is called "the series of five" I learned it at my dance studio "The Dancers Edge." It is quick fun and very effective. Now, before I teach you how to execute the series of 5 ab workout you must know how to start. Dancers want a strong core on the inside not abs that body builders have that stick out. It is more effective for dancers to have stronger inner core muscle and to achieve this you must lay with your back completely flat on the ground. Yes, I know this is hard but you need to eliminate any space that there is between your back and the floor. Think of your belly button as a bathtub drain and anchor the drain to the bottom of the tub (the floor). You must remember to keep your back like this the whole time. You also must engage your core the entire time as well to get the most out of it.
1. Lay on the ground like we talked
2. Lift shoulders off of the ground as well as legs straight lifted slightly of the ground
3. Move one knee up to chest leave the other straight then switch at the same time. Do this for 2 counts of eight or 16 counts.
4. Next leave one leg straight hovering above the ground while you lift the other leg (still straight) towards your body and pull it back even more, switch and continue for 16 counts.
5. After that you are going to do the table top, extend arms over head hovering above the ground and have legs extended straight hovering above the ground, then pull in legs to a table top position while you pull in arms as well do this for 16 counts
6. For this one you get to rest your neck and put your shoulders down but make sure your back is still flat. You are going to do 16 counts of leg lifts lowering your legs to hovering above the ground all the way up to 90 degrees.
7. Now we are on the last one, you are going to repeat me the bicycle kicks but this time when your knee comes to your chest you touch your opposite elbow to it. Do this also for 16 counts.
When you are done stretch it out. This is a super quick and fun way to get a strong core. However, make sure you do it correctly.
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Performance Rush
"It's an amazing thing to be able to perform and get a reaction from people that don't know you. They don't automatically think you're wonderful because they love you, they love you because of the story you're telling on stage." - Aviva Wolmen Werne
As a dancer something I love more than anything in the world is performing. The feeling of being on stage or in a gymnasium in front of a bunch of people with the hot lights hitting you, doing what you love. What could be better than sharing your love of dancing and performing with a huge audience?
Some of you may know that I am also a member of Kennedy High Schools Varsity Show Choir, Happiness Incorporated. Show choir and dance are very similar in how they are both subjective activities, their is no way to ensure the win because everything is based off of opinion. Well, something magical happened on the hot sweaty stage during the night round at Davenport North's show choir competition, The Big Dance, while Happiness Inc. was performing. This feeling I hope every performer gets to experience sometime in their life.
Happiness after day rounds was ranked in fifth place and no one understood why. However, the group of talented singers and dancers took this as a challenge. During the night rounds we fixed things like diction, movements, dynamics, etc. everyone remembered everything and the show just sort of clicked. It was the type of feeling that radiated off of one person into the next, the whole group was roaring with excitement. Not only did we make an emotional connection with ourselves and each other, but we made an emotional connection with the audience. We moved the audience to tears in our ballad and had them rolling with laughter in our novelty.
After the show we all knew we nailed it, the feeling we had as a group is a something that none of us will ever forget. We were all jacked up on energy and felt like we could go out there and do it all over again but at the same time we were so extremely exhausted. Now, that night the judges still had ranked them in fifth even after the super hype and emotional show. The placement didn't matter because we were our own judges and we knew we had a great show and moved people and ourselves and the feeling we got after we performed was a feeling that a first place trophy could never bring us. That feeling is the thing every dancer and performer lives for. That feeling is why I love what I do.
As a dancer something I love more than anything in the world is performing. The feeling of being on stage or in a gymnasium in front of a bunch of people with the hot lights hitting you, doing what you love. What could be better than sharing your love of dancing and performing with a huge audience?
Some of you may know that I am also a member of Kennedy High Schools Varsity Show Choir, Happiness Incorporated. Show choir and dance are very similar in how they are both subjective activities, their is no way to ensure the win because everything is based off of opinion. Well, something magical happened on the hot sweaty stage during the night round at Davenport North's show choir competition, The Big Dance, while Happiness Inc. was performing. This feeling I hope every performer gets to experience sometime in their life.
Happiness after day rounds was ranked in fifth place and no one understood why. However, the group of talented singers and dancers took this as a challenge. During the night rounds we fixed things like diction, movements, dynamics, etc. everyone remembered everything and the show just sort of clicked. It was the type of feeling that radiated off of one person into the next, the whole group was roaring with excitement. Not only did we make an emotional connection with ourselves and each other, but we made an emotional connection with the audience. We moved the audience to tears in our ballad and had them rolling with laughter in our novelty.
After the show we all knew we nailed it, the feeling we had as a group is a something that none of us will ever forget. We were all jacked up on energy and felt like we could go out there and do it all over again but at the same time we were so extremely exhausted. Now, that night the judges still had ranked them in fifth even after the super hype and emotional show. The placement didn't matter because we were our own judges and we knew we had a great show and moved people and ourselves and the feeling we got after we performed was a feeling that a first place trophy could never bring us. That feeling is the thing every dancer and performer lives for. That feeling is why I love what I do.
Monday, February 1, 2016
Lessons not Mistakes
"A mistake should be your teacher, not your attacker. A mistake is a lesson not a loss. It is a temporary, necessary detour, not a dead end." - anonymous
Any dancers biggest and worst fear is making a mistake, messing up on stage in front of judges and tons of people. However what if we looked at mistakes from a different point of view to bring positivity to the situation.
In the scheme of things mistakes can be a beautiful thing, they show that you are in fact human. No mortal is ever going to nail a performance perfectly every single time. Mistakes show there is room for improvement it makes a realization occur that there are things you can do to better yourself as a dancer. This realization is refreshing and a great reminder, hopefully you take it as motivation to work on what you messed up on and other things as well.
In the case that you do mess up on stage on accident here are some things to do.
1. Do not panic that might be the worst possible thing you can do
2. Keep your performance up on your face, if you do this chances are that most people will not even realize a mistake was made
3. Do not freeze, improv if you have to just feel the music and make something up
4. Forgive yourself and move on don't let your mistake ruin the rest of your performance.
5. Do not let is discourage you, a mistake doesn't make you any less of a dancer, however, how you handle it can make you a better dancer
These things can help turn your mistake into a positive who knows, maybe your mistake made your performance even better. Just know that every dancer makes them even principles in outstanding ballet companies. It's a normal thing but break the norm of a dancer being upset from mistakes and make sure you turn it into a positive thing. It is something to work on to make you better, who wouldn't be excited to know what they can work on to improve?
"You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed and you are still beautiful." -Amy Bloom
Any dancers biggest and worst fear is making a mistake, messing up on stage in front of judges and tons of people. However what if we looked at mistakes from a different point of view to bring positivity to the situation.
In the scheme of things mistakes can be a beautiful thing, they show that you are in fact human. No mortal is ever going to nail a performance perfectly every single time. Mistakes show there is room for improvement it makes a realization occur that there are things you can do to better yourself as a dancer. This realization is refreshing and a great reminder, hopefully you take it as motivation to work on what you messed up on and other things as well.
In the case that you do mess up on stage on accident here are some things to do.
1. Do not panic that might be the worst possible thing you can do
2. Keep your performance up on your face, if you do this chances are that most people will not even realize a mistake was made
3. Do not freeze, improv if you have to just feel the music and make something up
4. Forgive yourself and move on don't let your mistake ruin the rest of your performance.
5. Do not let is discourage you, a mistake doesn't make you any less of a dancer, however, how you handle it can make you a better dancer
These things can help turn your mistake into a positive who knows, maybe your mistake made your performance even better. Just know that every dancer makes them even principles in outstanding ballet companies. It's a normal thing but break the norm of a dancer being upset from mistakes and make sure you turn it into a positive thing. It is something to work on to make you better, who wouldn't be excited to know what they can work on to improve?
"You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed and you are still beautiful." -Amy Bloom
Your biggest Critic
"The only dancer that you should compare yourself to is the one that you used to be." -anonymous
Every dancer wants to get better because who wouldn't want to be the best? However, what most dancers don't realize is that they are the ones holding their own self back. This may sound weird but just step back and think about it. When is the last time you have compared yourself to another dancer? When was the last time you envied someone because of their outstanding talent? When was the last time you looked back on all of your hard work and congratulated yourself for how far you have come? If you answered these questions like I did then maybe you will realize just like me that you are the one holding yourself back.
The first way to stop being your own obstacle is to get out of your head. Stop worrying about what other people will think, or if you look weird. Who cares? You are doing what you love and the only way you are going to get better and improve is if you just go for it and don't let other people intimidate you and scare you out of getting better at what you love.
The next step is to use other people's talent and maybe even your own jealousy as fuel. Let watching other people light a fire in you to get better. Tell yourself that one day you will be able to do exactly what they are doing too. Don't be afraid to try new things, that is your worst enemy. You must try new things to get better it's a fact. Make sure you aren't afraid to ask for help. There are so many people out there that are very willing to help so don't be afraid to use outside resources.
Lastly don't forget to reward yourself, look back on old videos and laugh at how clumsy you used to be and then watch new videos and congratulate yourself on your improvement. Don't be too easy on yourself though, make sure while watching resent videos that you wrote down corrections and things that you would like to work on.
By doing these things you can turn yourself from being your worst enemy and biggest obstacle to your best friend and biggest helper. It's easy. Just believe that you have what it takes to be the best and it will get you that much closer to it. Looking at things with a positive outlook and open mind will never fail either.
Every dancer wants to get better because who wouldn't want to be the best? However, what most dancers don't realize is that they are the ones holding their own self back. This may sound weird but just step back and think about it. When is the last time you have compared yourself to another dancer? When was the last time you envied someone because of their outstanding talent? When was the last time you looked back on all of your hard work and congratulated yourself for how far you have come? If you answered these questions like I did then maybe you will realize just like me that you are the one holding yourself back.
The first way to stop being your own obstacle is to get out of your head. Stop worrying about what other people will think, or if you look weird. Who cares? You are doing what you love and the only way you are going to get better and improve is if you just go for it and don't let other people intimidate you and scare you out of getting better at what you love.
The next step is to use other people's talent and maybe even your own jealousy as fuel. Let watching other people light a fire in you to get better. Tell yourself that one day you will be able to do exactly what they are doing too. Don't be afraid to try new things, that is your worst enemy. You must try new things to get better it's a fact. Make sure you aren't afraid to ask for help. There are so many people out there that are very willing to help so don't be afraid to use outside resources.
Lastly don't forget to reward yourself, look back on old videos and laugh at how clumsy you used to be and then watch new videos and congratulate yourself on your improvement. Don't be too easy on yourself though, make sure while watching resent videos that you wrote down corrections and things that you would like to work on.
By doing these things you can turn yourself from being your worst enemy and biggest obstacle to your best friend and biggest helper. It's easy. Just believe that you have what it takes to be the best and it will get you that much closer to it. Looking at things with a positive outlook and open mind will never fail either.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Cardio for Dancers
"It takes an athlete to dance, but an artist to be a dancer." - anonymous
It is very important for dancers to be fit because while doing this art form you contract and release every single muscle in your body. One struggle of many dancers is what cardio to do, obviously do core workouts and stuff like that but specifically what for cardio is a big debate.
Many professionals believe that running is terrible for dancers. This is because running uses muscles in different ways than dancers do and this creates a great amount of muscle in your quadriceps group. However muscle is great and dancers need a lot of it, it is not good when your quadriceps over power your hamstrings. This is because the hamstrings help straighten your legs and those are the muscles you are supposed to use to lift your legs in a dance to make it look more effortless and cause less strain. Another issue with dancers running and overdeveloped quadriceps is that it makes it look as if the dancers legs are not fully straightened because of how the muscle builds and looks. This is a problem, and I would know since I am a dancer who also runs a lot. Judges mistake your runners legs for softened knees and will doc you points, this seems unfair but while you are dancing they are unable to tell if your legs aren't straightening because of your muscle curvature or just out of pure laziness.
Don't worry there are many other ways to get in your cardio, my favorite way by far is definitely Zumba. Not only is this type of cardio fun but it is perfect for dancers because it is dancing. You can make up your own routines to hit songs, go to a Zumba class, watch a video and follow along, or there is even Xbox and Wii Zumba games so you can play and compete with friends for points while also getting a cardio work out in. While this isn't the only cardio workout to get you to stay away from running it is a great alternative.
Also don't be discouraged if you love to run, you can still continue to do that and be a phenomenal dancer just make sure to stretch out your hamstrings really good after you run, this will keep your ability to straighten your legs. The worst thing that you could do though is not do any cardio at all.
It is very important for dancers to be fit because while doing this art form you contract and release every single muscle in your body. One struggle of many dancers is what cardio to do, obviously do core workouts and stuff like that but specifically what for cardio is a big debate.
Many professionals believe that running is terrible for dancers. This is because running uses muscles in different ways than dancers do and this creates a great amount of muscle in your quadriceps group. However muscle is great and dancers need a lot of it, it is not good when your quadriceps over power your hamstrings. This is because the hamstrings help straighten your legs and those are the muscles you are supposed to use to lift your legs in a dance to make it look more effortless and cause less strain. Another issue with dancers running and overdeveloped quadriceps is that it makes it look as if the dancers legs are not fully straightened because of how the muscle builds and looks. This is a problem, and I would know since I am a dancer who also runs a lot. Judges mistake your runners legs for softened knees and will doc you points, this seems unfair but while you are dancing they are unable to tell if your legs aren't straightening because of your muscle curvature or just out of pure laziness.
Don't worry there are many other ways to get in your cardio, my favorite way by far is definitely Zumba. Not only is this type of cardio fun but it is perfect for dancers because it is dancing. You can make up your own routines to hit songs, go to a Zumba class, watch a video and follow along, or there is even Xbox and Wii Zumba games so you can play and compete with friends for points while also getting a cardio work out in. While this isn't the only cardio workout to get you to stay away from running it is a great alternative.
Also don't be discouraged if you love to run, you can still continue to do that and be a phenomenal dancer just make sure to stretch out your hamstrings really good after you run, this will keep your ability to straighten your legs. The worst thing that you could do though is not do any cardio at all.
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