What Scientists Can Learn From Ballet

Sylvie Leotin

Dance and science are not so alien disciplines as one may think. As a ballerina and scientist, I've experienced many commonalities. Dr. Root-Bernstein (who co-authored this article) also gathered a wealth of of data on the topic.

Scientists attending a dance performance will undoubtedly relate to the physicality and geometry of dance. The movement through time, the geometry of interactions, the symmetry of the lines, the balance of the bodies. All these have parallels in the physical interactions that occur in every science, from astronomy and physics, to chemistry and biology.

As professionals, dancers and scientists also exhibit many common qualities. Both share a desire for challenges, an ethic of hard work, a drive to transcend limits, and the perseverance to see projects through despite setbacks - and sometimes literally pain. Both put in the ten thousand hours required to master their skills, and make progress through perspiration and iterations; rewarded by occasional bursts of inspiration. Dancers practice the same steps over and over; the same way passionate scientists relentlessly repeat and tweak experiments until they yield the results they thrive to achieve.

Learning From Other Disciplines

Everyone who studied the creative process across disciplines agrees that it is virtually identical, despite real differences in materials and goals. Studies also show that scientists with creative avocations are often more successful than those without. We believe it's because they are able to apprehend problems with greater breadth, simultaneously linking intuitive and subjective ways of feeling, with objective and communicable ways of knowing.

Many breakthrough discoveries also resulted from scientists seeing links between their profession and other fields. Leonardo da Vinci and other Renaissance polymaths are prime illustrations. C. H. Waddington, a celebrated embryologist, was a dancer. He linked his work to the unfolding of a set of dance instructions, causing him to rethink embryology as a process rather than a mechanism, and resulting in a novel approach.

2. Learning Empathy

Empathy is a key skill for innovators. Scientists need to empathize with their materials, and immerse themselves into the problems they seek to illuminate. Einstein visualized travelling astride a speeding light beam, and pondered what the world would look like if he traveled at the velocity of light. Nobel Laureate Barbara McClintock imagined being the genes of the corn plants she studied, even claiming to become their "friend".

Dancers are masters of empathy. Ever since antiquity dancers have been great translators and purveyors of emotions and meaning. They inhabit music, characters, objects, and give life to them in front of our mesmerized eyes. We can learn from them. MacArthur Fellow John Cairns generated valuable insights about bacterial processes by dancing his experiments.

3. Learning Teamwork

Dancing is inherently collaborative. As children we learn to dance with others. We practice exercises in teams and in rhythm. Some of us get the pleasure to participate in performances and/or learn to dance pas de deux. Through these experiences, we assimilate the importance of being attuned to others, and surrendering to the harmony of the whole.

Scientists also advance their research through collaborations. Jim Watson and Francis Crick worked together to discover the DNA double helix. The resulting human genome project mobilized hundreds of people working in concert to crack the nature of human genes.

Learning teamwork in dance can help us work more effectively with others.

4. Learning to Transcend Limits

Dancers have a special attitude towards success. If you ask the world's best dancers if they are as good as they could be, they will undoubtedly say no.

As a young girl, my dance teacher used to say that every day we go to class to do better than yesterday - no matter our level (or how bad we feel that day). If we don't progress, we regress. We learn that our foremost competitor is ourselves. It is not good enough to be better than others. Peter Sims, best-selling author of Little Bets, calls it healthy perfectionism, a key ingredient for successful innovators.

Steve Jobs once said: "Most entrepreneurs get the product 90% right and feel satisfied. Great entrepreneurs, like great artists, push for the final 10% that makes all the difference." Every scientist would agree.

Conclusion

There's much more that dance and science share, and we plan to explore the topic in greater depth, but for the moment we just want to conclude by suggesting that next time a dancer meets a scientist or a scientist watches a dancer, instead of focusing on the differences, search for similarities (or better learn to dance). Dancers and scientists do share a common creative process, the mastery of complex skills, a drive to transcend limits, and a desire to excel. We can learn from each other!

This article is a collaboration with Dr. Robert Root-Bernstein, Professor of Physiology at Michigan State University.

Follow Sylvie Leotin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@sleotin

Connecting the Dots: Choreographing a Memorable Routine

By Richard Powers

You love dancing and want to create your own. How do you start? Choreography is not just stringing together steps and figures, especially if you're choreographing a production routine with many dancers at once.

First, ask yourself why the audience is there. What do they want to see? What would interest them? Why should they like your piece? Or even if they don't like it, how will it impact them? (Art doesn't have to please.) What will hold their attention at each moment? Keep your audience in mind during every step of your design.

This helps prevent one of the most common mistakes in choreography — self-indulgence. Many beginning choreographers approach their choreography as simply "I love to do this!," assuming that viewers will enjoy watching, as much as dancers enjoy dancing. That's assuming too much, and your audience may quickly lose interest unless you know how to hold their attention and make it meaningful for them.

Specifics

A good place to start is by asking yourself what's the unique character of the dance form you're choreographing. Which qualities distinguish it from other dance forms? Highlight and expand those qualities. Utilize contrast to keep the audience interested. Otherwise they tend to acclimate and zone out soon.

You will want to develop contrast within the piece and also contrast between the different dances. Contrasting elements include angular vs. curvilinear, gentle vs. strong, slow vs. fast, consonance vs. dissonance, order vs. chaos. If you're doing a partnered dance, vary dance positions — waltz, skaters, open, akimbo, solo, etc. Contrast the numbers of dancers onstage. Use tension/resolution dynamics. Use space, silence, freeze-frames and voids for contrast.

Give special consideration to floor patterns. Break up line-of-direction. Use the entire stage. Design visual patterns formed by dancers. Use contrast in arranging different patterns.

Emotions

What emotions do you want to convey with your piece? Keep these in mind as you're designing your work. Revisit the emotional aspect as you develop your piece.

Do you want to develop any relationships and interpersonal dynamics? A simple romance? Competition or one-upmanship? Cat and mouse game? Jealousy? Manage à trois? Relationship to someone in the past? Fatal relationship? Someone wanting to belong or feeling left out? Other group dynamics?

You want your dancers to appear to move in a natural, musical, artless manner so that every motion moves naturally or logically from the previous one, executed with great precision and confidence. The art of choreographing is concealing the artifice of choreography.

Highlight Moments

Our life, or rather our memory of our life, is composed of moments. Many of these moments are as brief as snapshots. Similarly, a choreography may likely be remembered for its notable moments. Achieving a mood for an hour is good, but will likely not be noticed or remembered as much as vivid moments are.

Choreograph for the moments you want — a few startling, strong or memorable moments. Work hard to make those few focused moments spectacular, even if they're difficult and take a lot of time to perfect. Spend more of your time on the most memorable moments. Then surround them with phrases to highlight those key moments/movements, using contrast and continuity, pacing, etc.

If you have different dancers doing different things at the same time, draw the audience's eye to the part you want to highlight. A stage is large, and viewers hate it when they miss something good because they're looking at someone on the opposite side of the stage. Therefore have the soloists (or whoever you want the audience to watch) do something to draw attention to themselves before their highlight. Or have the key dance movement dive into an "active area" which the audience is already watching.

Think About the Dancers

In addition to your responsibilities to your audience, you also have responsibilities to your dancers.

Be efficient with your dancers' rehearsal time. This includes running efficient rehearsals, of course, but there are also choreographic considerations. Try to get the maximum theatrical effect from the minimum of difficulties for your dancers.

Only have your dancers learn something difficult if they will be seen or featured doing it.
An unnecessarily difficult choreography not only creates stressful and fatiguing rehearsals, but it impairs the final performance as well, as your performers' faces show concentration and concern. If your choreography is a little easier, your dancers can focus on performance flair, with a confident air, instead of hoping that they can get through it without screwing up.

Design especially logical phrases and timing patterns which will be easier for your dancers to remember than random steps and timings. Use the individual talents of your dancers. Ask them what special skills and talents they have.

Other Considerations:

Give thought to your entrances... anything except standing onstage waiting for the music to begin. Perhaps use a different kind of entrance for each dance.

Consider the many ways in which specific costuming might enhance your piece. Integrate costume colors into the color palette of the stage. Use costume colors to enhance the emotions you want to express. Consider how the flow of fabrics can enhance the movements you're creating.

Ask yourself whether special lighting is necessary, or how lighting will help highlight the important aspects of your work. Use lighting colors to enhance emotions. When looking for ways to add contrast to your work, consider the role lighting can play.

Consider noises or sounds made by your dancers, ranging from small exhalations of effort or surprise, stamps/slaps/etc., to speaking or singing.

Consider how you might use props.

Consider integrating other media, projections and effects.


Enjoy the process of creating your ownpiece of work. Don't focus only on the final result; enjoy the satisfaction of the creative process, and the joy of dance, along the way.

Richard has been teaching contemporary and historic social dance for over thirty years.  He leads workshops around the world and is currently a full-time instructor at Stanford University's Dance Division. More info about him here

Night's Dancer: The Life of Janet Collins, African American Pioneer

Dancer Janet Collins, born in New Orleans in 1917 and raised in Los Angeles, soared high over the color line as the first African-American prima ballerina at the Metropolitan Opera.

Night’s Dancer: The Life of Janet Collins,chronicles the life of this extraordinary and elusive woman, who became a unique concert dance soloist as well as a black trailblazer in the white world of classical ballet. During her career, Collins endured an era in which racial bias prevailed, and subsequently prevented her from appearing in the South.

Nonetheless, her brilliant performances transformed the way black dancers were viewed in ballet. The book begins with an unfinished memoir written by Collins in which she gives a captivating account of her childhood and young adult years, including her rejection by the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Dance scholar Yaël Tamar Lewin then picks up the thread of Collins’s story. Drawing on extensive research and interviews with Collins and her family, friends, and colleagues to explore Collins’s development as a dancer, choreographer, and painter, Lewin gives us a profoundly moving portrait of an artist of indomitable spirit.

Born in New Orleans, March 7, 1917, Janet  moved with her family to Los Angeles at age 4. She received her first dance training at a Catholic community center and went on to study primarily with Carmelita Maracci, one of the few ballet teachers who accepted black students, and with Lester Horton and Adolph Bolm.

She auditioned in Los Angeles for the Ballet Russe but said she had been told that she would either have to have special roles created for her or dance in white face. ''I said no,'' she told Anna Kisselgoff in a 1974 interview in The Times. ''I sat on the steps and I cried and cried.'' But the rejection spurred her, she said, to work even harder, hard enough to be an exception.

Janet danced with Katherine Dunham and performed with the Dunham company in the 1943 film musical ''Stormy Weather.'' She also danced a solo choreographed by Jack Cole in the 1946 film ''The Thrill of Brazil,'' and worked with the filmmaker Maya Deren.She toured with Talley Beatty in a nightclub act that was sometimes billed as Rea and Rico De Gard to prevent speculation about the two light-skinned dancers' race.

Janet taught dance, choreographed, performed on Broadway and in film and appeared frequently on television. But she was best known as the exquisitely beautiful dancer who was the first black artist to perform at the Metropolitan, four years before Marian Anderson sang there.

''She was a great inspiration to me as a child in Trinidad,'' the dancer and painter Geoffrey Holder said. ''What she did by dancing the way she did -- to be prima ballerina at the Metropolitan Opera House -- gave everybody hope.''

Janet made her New York debut in 1949, dancing in her own choreography on a shared program at the 92nd Street Y. John Martin, dance critic of The New York Times, described her as ''the most exciting young dancer who has flashed across the current scene in a long time,'' calling her style an eclectic mix of modern dance and ballet.

''There is a wonderful sense of aliveness in the dancer's presence and in her moving,'' Martin wrote. ''She is not self-absorbed, but is dancing completely and wholesouledly for an audience. On the other hand, there is no air of showing off about it, no coyness or coquetry, but only an apparent desire to establish and maintain a communicative contact.'' He praised her for the sharp, clean precision, ''the piquant tang, the arresting mental vigor'' of her dancing and choreography.

Janet's next triumph came the following year on Broadway in the Cole Porter musical ''Out of This World.'' Playing the role of Night, she danced an airborne solo created for her by Hanya Holm. She went from there to the Metropolitan, where she appeared as a principal dancer.

She performed lead roles in ''Aida,'' ''Carmen,'' the Dance of the Hours in ''La Gioconda'' and the Bacchanale in ''Samson and Delilah.''

It was not until two decades after she left the Met, however, that she was to receive major attention again in New York when, in 1974, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater paid homage to her and Pearl Primus as pioneering black women in dance.

Janet was most active during the 1950's, when she toured with her own dance group throughout the United States and Canada and taught at academies including the School of American Ballet, affiliated with the New York City Ballet, Harkness House and the San Francisco Ballet School. She died on May 28, 2003 at the age of 86, in Fort Worth, Texas. In recognition of her great work and dedication, her renowned cousin Carmen De Lavallade established the Janet Collins Fellowship which would honor aspiring talented ballet dancers.

Five minute trailer on the documentary, To Dance is to Live!, which highlights Janet'slife and career.

Dance Classes on a Tight Budget

There's nothing worse than wanting to become a dancer, or helping your child realize a dream, but don't have the funds needed for classes. One of the most surprising things about signing up for a dance class is the ongoing cost of classes and accessories. There are a few ways that you can still make your dream come true.

Offer a Service in Exchange for Classes

If you can’t afford dance classes, perhaps you could offer a service such as helping clean the dance studio, handle the phones, babysit for the owner, or possibly assist teaching young children. If you or a parent can sew, you could help make costumes for recitals.

Scholarships

Many studios also provide scholarships to deserving students. When you call to get information
about classes, ask if they offer a scholarship program, and get the appropriate, application details.

Your Parents Don’t Want You to Take Classes

If your parents are against you taking dance classes, maybe financial problems are the reason.

Maybe they are worried about money or it could be something else, such as thinking that classes will take away from your schoolwork.

Whatever you find out, try to reason with your parents and let them know it is really something you want to do.

Let them know exactly how you plan to pay for classes,
Handle all of your school work and practice too.
If you have an action plan in place, they may be more willing
to let you take classes.

And if you are having trouble convincing your parents, ask a teacher, friend or other family member to help you speak to them and prove your point.

Automatic Debit and Early Registration

If you can register early for classes, or pay by automatic bill payment from your debit card or credit card, you can often receive a 10%-40% savings on dance lessons. Check the company’s website for details about early registration, and discounts for using automatic debit to pay for lessons.

Online Dance and Music Lessons

Consider signing your children or yourself up for dance and music lessons online. Companies that offer online training use webcams and online tutorials to instruct children. In addition to the low costs of the classes, families can save money on gas by taking online music and dance lessons.

Cheap Leotards For Specific Age Groups

Toddler Leotards

Toddlers in creative movement classes are often free to wear whatever style of leotard they want, provided it is form fitting and allows free movement. Let your daughter help pick her own leotard to ensure that it is something she enjoys wearing and in which she feels comfortable. Leotards for very young children often include attached skirts. If you choose a style with a skirt, make sure it is not long enough to trip her or get caught on ballet barres. In most cases, the simpler the leotard design the better. Find leotards for toddlers at dance retailers, online or for a discount at consignment stores.

Pre-Ballet and Beginner Leotards

Most ballet schools begin implementing dress codes when children enter pre-ballet and beginning dance classes. Schools usually require pink or light blue leotards for children of this age and level. If the instructor does not assign a specific style or brand of leotard for your child, look for a basic style without any designs or attached skirts. Choose a leotard with a "ballet-cut" leg, meaning it will not ride up as your daughter dances. Most teachers prefer leotards with cap sleeves, long sleeves or tank sleeves as opposed to spaghetti straps or halters for young children. Find basic leotards for pre-ballet and beginner classes at dance retailers or online.

Leotards for Older Children

Dance schools have different requirements for older children in intermediate and advanced levels of dance training. In pre-professional ballet schools, girls will usually wear a black leotard from about the age of 10 onward. For jazz, tap and modern classes as well as less strict studios, older children may be permitted to wear whatever color leotard they choose. If your daughter's teacher has no preference for style or sleeve-length, purchase tank leotards for spring and summer months and a few long-sleeved varieties to keep your young dancer warm during the winter.

Leotards for Teens

As your daughter becomes a teenager she will likely become more particular about the style of leotard she wears. While most teens are still subject to dance studio dress codes, those that are allowed to wear what they want to dance class often choose leotards with bold colors and flattering designs. Halter, spaghetti strap and leotards with zip fronts are popular with pre-teens and teenage dancers for ballet, jazz and modern classes. While bright colors and subtle patterns are fine for class wear, avoid leotards with large patterns, rhinestones and other extra accents that might be a distraction in dance class. Some websites let teenagers can design their own leotards.

Getting leotards at cheaper prices can also do wonders for a wardrobe. Not only do leotards work perfectly for dance classes, they are handy to have around as a versatile fashion piece for mixing with street clothes. Nothing can show of a trim waistline like wearing a leotard with a good-fitting skirt. Because they fit close to the body and have a wonderful stretch, they become perfect for layering under heavier, bulkier clothing in fall and winter.

Don’t Get Discouraged

Write down your key problems. Then, think of creative ways to overcome these obstacles. If you just don’t know where to turn, contact the studio owner. Explain your situation, and try to come up with some options.

Keep trying and don’t give up. You or your child can always watch classes for free, and learn this way too.
It's not expensive classes or clothes that determine a dancer's fate. Passion and determination are qualities money can't buy.

Is Dance Class Right for Your Child? Tips on Deciding

Choosing whether a dance class is appropriate for your child involves much thinking. While this can be a fun and rewarding experience, there are other aspects of involving your child in extra-curricular activities that should be considered. Many questions are likely running through your mind. Here are some guidelines to help.

Know The Schedule First

Dance classes will meet regularly and before committing your child to them, you should know the schedule. Some will meet for 30 minutes at a time, while others may meet for longer periods,even hours at a time. Some may be more days per week than your child or family can handle. This information should be thoroughly considered before signing your child up for dance classes.

Considering Schoolwork

Some children will tire easily when taking dance lessons, so if your child tires easily, it would be best to choose dance classes that are offered on the weekends or school holidays. Sending a tired child to school too often could lead to poor grades. Also, if your child often has a large amount of homework, dance classes during the week could prevent your child from doing a thorough job on that. If your child is in home school, this is likely not much of an issue, as the assignments can usually be scheduled around dance classes so that your child will be fully alert during school time.

Enjoyment

Enjoyment of dancing is a very important factor when considering dance classes. This may seem obvious, but it isn't always so. If your child does not already enjoy dancing, putting your child in a dance class may not be the best idea. Instead, consider immersing your child into something he or she enjoys better. While dancing can certainly be enriching and fulfilling, not everyone will enjoy it. Never force an interest on a child.

Commitment

Before committing your child to dance classes, be sure it is something your child can make a commitment to. If your child is the type who easily loses interest in activities, dance class may not be the best option. Listening, behaving, and following instructions are all essential to a child being successful at dance lessons. All of the above are things to keep in mind when making the decision to allow your child to be involved in dance. A child does not have to be a perfect dancer to take a dance class, only willing to learn and follow directions.

Availability

If dance class scheduling may conflict with other items on your family's schedule, it is probably not the righttime to involve your child in dance. Once your child signs up for these classes, he or she has made a commitment to be at classes as well as performances. Each child's role is important to the class and one child missing can ruin a show. This is not to say that emergency situations aren't acceptable because they certainly are. Just remember that your child should be available for every dance appointment, wherever possible. If you know your child is likely to miss more than a couple rehearsals, dance class can wait until your family can better commit to the schedule.

Fees Associated With Dance Class

Most dance lessons will have a fee as well as the cost of outfits for each performance and other small fees. If your funds are not very flexible right now, do not commit your child to dance classes. If you are unable to make a payment and your child can no longer attend, it could be embarrassing or disappointing for your child. To avoid this, pre-pay for dance fees, wherever possible and set aside funds so that if an unexpected fee comes up, your child will be covered.

Considering Illnesses or Special Conditions

If your child has asthma, a heart condition, another medical condition, or a disability, consider that before signing your child up for dance. Speak with your child's doctor/s and make sure it is alright for your child to take the classes. Also be sure that should a problem arise, the staff at the dance location will be able to accommodate your child's needs. Children who have illnesses, conditions, or disabilities may also require special accommodations in order to participate in a dance class. For instance, a child with asthma will need an experienced staff member available in case of an asthmatic episode. A child in a wheelchair will need to be enrolled in a dance class that is equipped properly to allow a wheelchair during practice and performances. Be sure the facility and staff are prepared for any special needs your child has.

Self-Consciousness

If your child is afraid to dance in front of others or is easily hurt by constructive criticism, dance classes may not be the best option for your child. Instead, think about letting a family member help the child learn to dance.

Extra Benefits

If your child enjoys dancing and is in need of an opportunity to meet new friends, dance classes could be a good idea. If your child isn't very popular in school, dance classes could provide your child a chance to start over with making friends. If your child is schooled at home and enjoys dancing, dance classes could provide your child with an extra place to make friends, as well as provide your child with some extra physical education. Being involved with extra-curricular activities such as dance classes can help a child overcome shyness, improve flexibility, and can be a wonderful addition to a college resume. Dance classes are also a great way to expose your child to other cultures.

These are just some of the many things to consider when enrolling your child in a dance class. Before getting your child involved in any extra-curricular activity, be sure that it is right for your child, as well as for your family. Weigh all the factors before committing your child to dance classes. Doing so will ensure that if your child does join, he or she will benefit.

Why You Dance is More Important Than How Well

“Dance is to express, not to impress.” Author Unknown

That saying is old, but very true. Just as we distinguish music from sound, we can distinguish dance from movement. What makes music and dance identifiable is the intention to express something - joy, anger, sadness - and the motivation behind it. No matter how elegantly someone walks down the street, it is not dance until they intend it to be; the dancer literally wills a dance into existing, simply by wanting it to be expressed. Whatever they mean it to be, it is.

The true urge to dance doesn't or shouldn't come from a desire to impress. Champions come and go. If someone aims for the external impact or the "promised" happiness of attaining a certain goal, you can be greatly disappointed.


Within the dance universe, motivation plays an even larger role. Not only does motivation define dance as more than movement, but it can further define dance within itself. When simplified to the most basic principles, dance is a form of expression, and there are 3 things that motivate people to express dance - Abstracts, Audience Experience, and Self Experience. What are these and how can you apply them?

How Abstract Concepts Can Motivate Dancers

Any dancer who chooses to learn, apply, and follow a technique for the reward of properly learning and executing it is a dancer motivated by abstracts. This dancer strives for flawless technical ability, wanting to refine his/her movement to match the abstract concept of ‘correct and incorrect,’ and they derive their deepest satisfaction by knowing that he/she has succeeded. This dancer will thrive through constant and steady improvement, noticed by themselves, respected peers, or mentors.

How the Audience Experience Can Motivate Dancers

Any dancer who longs to connect with an ‘other’ person and provoke something within that person is a dancer motivated by audience. This is a common motivation—performance is very closely related to dance—and it can present in many ways.

This dancer could long for the audience’s approval, and will work to gain respect or prestige from his/her audience. In this case, the dancer wants more than just an observer but a powerful connection that will cause the observer to have a positive reaction; this positive reaction is what he/she thrives on. However, there are other dancers who are driven by audiences whether their reaction is positive or negative. In this case, the dancer is more likely to be in pursuit of art than in positive reinforcements, and will thrive when receiving thoughtful and insightful feedback.

How Self Discovery and Experiences Can Motivate Dancers

Any dancer who dances because of his/her internal experience is a dancer motivated only by himself/herself. This seems to be the rarest of motivations, however it could be that the many people who are truly self-motivated keep their dancing to themselves, and the outside world knows nothing of it.

This dancer will thrive as his/her dancing teaches them about his/her own body, psyche, or even how he/she views the world. The appeal could be a kinesthetic awareness, or a sensual pleasure in feeling the body with precise awareness, or even a cathartic way to experience emotions, but the distinguishing factor is that the dancer’s satisfaction does not rest on the correctness of their movements or any observer.

Why Understanding Motivation Is Important

Understanding motivation is crucial for both the dancer and their instructor (if applicable). When motivation is clear, proper rewards and punishments can be found, for example, a dancer who falls into the ‘Self Experience’ category may not respond well if his/her studies are focused on technique. Additionally, a dancer who knows his/her motivation will have an easier time making choices regarding individual training because he/she will have a well-defined idea of what will fulfill him/her and what won't.

Whatever your motivation may be, remember that your goal is not to impress. You will not please everyone, and at the end of the day you are left with only yourself to answer to. If you ignore yourself and attempt to become what you think others will be pleased with, you are guaranteed to fall apart. You are the only one you should please. There is no satisfaction in other people regarding you as "great". Maybe at first it is thrilling, but it is a cheap thrill which doesn't last and leaves you craving more.

It is not technique or champion status that makes a dancer great. It is the energy of the mind and the sheer joy of dancing expressed.

What motivates you? How can you use it to your advantage in the next year?

The Beauty Within a Beast or Phantom: Two Love Stories

The romanticism of love triangles has always been the driving force in many forms of literature and films. In modern books, such as Twilight, two opposites love the same girl. The vampire, Edward Cullen, and the werewolf, Jacob Black, are drawn to Bella, a neutral force in the story. That is how most love triangles work. There is a neutral party (the girl), a light side (the handsome man), and the darkness (the beast). Two of the most famous pieces of literature that contain love triangles are, in fact, extremely similar. These spellbinding pieces are Beauty and the Beast and Phantom of the Opera.

In Beauty and the Beast, the characters involved are Belle, Beast, and Gaston. Belle is a unique girl during the time frame in which she is portrayed. She is beautiful and captivates most men, but she prefers spending her time reading a book than becoming a proper lady and wife. Gaston is the “perfect man”; the “pretty boy.” He is the man that all the girls want to marry, but he sets his eyes on the girl who plays hard to get. He drinks, shoots, and hunts, everything a man was expected to do at this time. His goal is to “tame” Belle so she will be a diligent housewife, when that is exactly what Belle doesn’t want. However, Gaston is secure financially, good-looking, and well-respected. He is desirable, but his ego is what truly makes him ugly.

Beast personifies darkness. Likewise, Gaston personifies light. Beast truly is the exact opposite of Gaston: ugly on the outside, beautiful on the inside. In fact, Beast was turned into an ugly beast because at one point he was similar to Gaston. As time goes on, Beast believes he will be doomed to remain a beast forever. When Belle enters his castle, he hopes that she will love him, but his anger clouds his manners and his judgment. He falls deeply in love with Belle, but Gaston, who also wants Belle, plans to stop him.

In Phantom of the Opera, the three characters that form the love triangle are Christine, Raoul, and Phantom. Christine is a girl with a fatherless past. When her father passed away, he sent her to an opera house, promising her he would send an “angel of music.” She waited, and soon a man came and taught her to sing; she believed he was her angel of music. Soon her singing was amazing, but she still had no idea who the man was or what he looked like. The mysterious man was actually Phantom, who wanted to be near her because he loved her. After her first solo in front of an audience, she finds her lost love and childhood friend, Raoul. Phantom, who is jealous, finally reveals himself, wearing a mask to cover his face.

Raoul is the light in this musical. In fact, many of the lyrics reference him as so. He is perfect, good-looking, rich, and everything else that is desirable in a man. Christine has always loved him and was happy when he decided to donate to the opera house. In the middle of all the action, he proposes to Christine, and they plan to wed. Phantom, on countless occasions, tries to kill the young lover but is unsuccessful.

Phantom is, of course, the darkness. He had been tortured as a child and believes that humans, in general, are evil. Once he escaped to the opera house, he made it his “artistic domain,” writing beautiful masterpieces that he heard preformed by many talented singers. He lived for the day when Christine, his only love, would sing one of the songs he wrote. He hides himself from her, hoping she will fall in love with his voice.

There are a few differences in the plots of the stories. In Phantom of the Opera, Phantom’s singing adds to the character of Phantom. In Beauty and the Beast, there is no significant singing. Phantom was born with permanent scars and hides his face throughout the musical until the end. Phantom is forced, whether he likes it or not, to live with those scars for the rest of his life. In Beauty and the Beast, Beast looks the way he does because of a magic spell, and he shows himself to Belle in the beginning. Once Belle kisses Beast, he becomes a prince again, and the ugliness disappears. While Raoul and Gaston are very similar, Raoul is compassionate and truly cares for Christine. Gaston, however, has a huge ego and believes women are meant to be stuck at home. Nevertheless, the biggest difference is the choice that the girl makes. In Phantom of the Opera, Christine chooses Raoul. In Beauty and the Beast, Belle chooses Beast.

As for the similarities, the characters are almost identical. The girls, Christine and Belle, are both drawn to the darkness. They love the fact that darkness is mysterious. They both learn to look past ugliness and see something beautiful. They are both portrayed as being sensual and sexy. They draw both sides of the spectrum to them: the dark side and the light side. They are equally ambitious. Christine strives for a singing career, which is helped by Phantom’s musical talent. Belle does not wish to be like the other girls but prefers striving to be an educated women rather than becoming a stay-at-home mother. She discovers she can be herself when around Beast. Both girls do not really have the choice to leave until the “beast” gives them permission to do so. Christine fears for her life if she leaves. In the beginning, Belle also fears her life, but she must serve beast as a “prisoner.”

The beasts - Phantom and Beast, are practically the same person. They both have a horrible past, filled with pain. They hide from civilization, one in a castle and one under an opera house, both of which are under their control. They both personify darkness. Phantom, in fact, sings about it in many of the musical pieces performed throughout the musical. They both love the girl from the moment they first lay their eyes on their pure and innocent faces. However, it takes them quite a while to realize it. The only reason they meet the girl in the first place is because of each girl’s father. When Christine’s father dies, and she is sent to the opera house, she first hears Phantom’s voice. When Belle’s father tries to find refuge in the castle, he is thrown into the dungeon. Belle saves him, but sacrifices herself in his place.

Another important similarity is the role of the rose. In Phantom of the Opera, Phantom gives Christine the rose as a sign that she had a wonderful performance. In the end, there is a rose on her grave with the engagement ring attached to it. In Beauty and the Beast, the rose is enchanted and is key to the entire plot of the story because it determines Beast’s fate. If Belle falls in love with him before the last petal of the rose has fallen, than Beast will become human again.

Once the story has ended,there is a lesson that the beasts learn and one that we all realize - That something ugly on the outside can be beautiful on the inside. It just requires the beholder to look deeper.

What Should You Wear to a Ballroom Dance Class?

By Pam Wood


I am often asked by students “what should we wear to class?” Here are a few tips for new dancers.


Attire: Instructor responses may vary on this but my rule of thumb is cool, casual & comfortable. Some dance class venues are very cold; some are quite warm. If you are cold natured, bring a sweater the first night until you see what the temperature is like. This is a social outing so if you are trying to impress someone I’d leave the frayed jeans at home. But, if its summertime and you are attending a dance workshop in a warm room with no AC, then shorts can be acceptable.


Shoes: When you are just starting out you want all the help and stability you can get. Ladies, I do not recommend wearing spiky open toed/heel shoes for your beginner lessons. You haven’t discovered your “dance balance” yet and exceptionally high heels might make things worse. What I like to do with bridal couples is to get their choreography under their belt while wearing more practical shoes; then graduate to the wedding shoes for the last couple of lessons. 


Chances are you will step on toes or be stepped on which is why I recommend closed toe shoes for beginner lessons. Avoid flip flips or shoes that you slide into (i.e. for ladies this includes clogs, mules, etc.). A secure shoe that can’t fall off your foot is best. You sure don’t want to risk injury on the first lesson. A rubber soled shoe, like a tennis shoe is really not ideal as it may cause you to stick on the floor. A leather sole is best and should allow you to “slide” a little. 


You don’t need to purchase expensive dance shoes or “practice shoes” unless you know for sure you are going to continue with this new and exciting time on the dance floor. A street shoe will be fine for beginners. As you progress and you want to purchase a dance shoe you can expect to spend anywhere from $50-150.  Several of my students have taken a pair of their own shoes to a shoe repair store and have had a dance sole put on the shoe. This is generally pretty budget friendly at your local shoe store. But, remember, they are now dance shoes, so protect them – don’t wear them outdoors or get the soles wet.

Accessories: It’s good to bring a bottle of water with you to class to keep hydrated. If you are dancing an hour of high energy East Coast Swing you’ll probably need it. Bring a towel if you tend to perspire. Those who know me well know I don’t go anywhere without my sweat towel! I don’t glisten when I teach and dance, I down right sweat – so have one handy. If you do tend to get overheated while dancing, you might want to bring along an extra t-shirt and change into if needed. If not just for yourself, then for your dance partner.

Social Dances: Locally most of the ballroom/social dance venues are hosted by local USA Dance chapters (www.usadance.org) have a “dressy casual” dress code. This translates to no jeans. Ladies typically wear dresses, skirts, or slacks and a dressy blouse. Men don’t generally need a tie or jacket (unless indicated) but a nice button down shirt or seasonal sweater is nice. Be sure to inquire about the dress code of a dance event prior to arrival. It may be black tie or cocktail attire so don’t be caught off guard by arriving in a sundress when everyone else is wearing formal attire. 


There are 3 USA Dance chapters in our area: Salisbury and Easton, Maryland and Dover, Delaware. Check them out!


Other questions? Feel free to contact Pam at www.ballroommadesimple.com.
You can follow her on Twitter @ballroomdanzr and on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/ballroommadesimple.

Using Facial Expressions in Dance

When you are dancing, you are usually busy concentrating on your technique, body placement, timing, and other dancers who are performing with you. But have you ever stopped to think about what your face is doing? Facial expression adds to a performance, but how should you look? Here are a few tips:

Dance in Character

You play a role when you dance. Whether you're portraying Gisselle or just dancing to music, you need to act a certain way. This is where acting ability comes in handy. During rehearsals, ask yourself how your character would feel during a particular dance number. Would he or she be happy, sad, joyous, jealous, angry, etc.? How does your character react to other characters? Let the music be your guide. Is it upbeat, romantic, inspirational? Create a mood and let your face show it.

Really think about the character you are playing before you dance. Then, be that character when you are dancing, facial expressions and all.

Try to Relax

Dance is not easy, and there is a lot to think about. Spend your rehearsal time perfecting your movements and know the choreography backwards and forwards. you’ll probably be less nervous when it’s time to perform and have a more natural look on your face. Practice using facial expressions in the mirror to become more comfortable with how your face appears.

Use a Partner

Sit on a chair in front of a partner. Take turns performing facial expressions without sound. Do not tell your partner what your expressions mean. Have your partner guess what your dance is about.

See Yourself Through Photos

Have someone take a close up picture of you demonstrating different facial expressions. Put the printed photos in a book or journal entitled" I dance with my face".

Use Your Eyes

The most important part of your face is your eyes, especially from the stage. It may seem obvious, but make sure that they’re open and active when you’re on stage. Don’t just let them wander here and there, unfocused because your mind is on the choreography. Start using them in rehearsal, focusing your gaze with deliberation rather than apathy. When your gaze has direction, your entire face has direction. This will give your dancing a sense of intent and conviction. Look out over an audience and make brief contact. You don't want to have constant eye contact because it detracts from your performance.

If you don’t have a lot of time to learn new dance movements prior to a performance, try to remember to look pleasant when the curtain goes up. That way, if you make a mistake, the audience will be looking at your smile and not your botched dance moves.

When it’s time to perform, think of how lucky you are to be a dancer and have this experience. You may be nervous, but you get to dance… and others would love to be in your shoes at this very moment. If you love to dance, let that shine through.

Pride of Paris: Josephine Baker: Dancer, Singer and Actress

“I wanted to be more like Josephine Baker, because she didn’t, she seemed like she just was possessed and it seemed like she just danced from her, her heart, and everything was so free“ - Beyonce on Good Morning America.

Josephine Baker was born in a poor, black slum in East St. Louis, Illinois, on June 3, 1906, to 21 year-old Carrie MacDonald. Her mother hoped to be a music hall dancer; meanwhile, she was forced to take in laundry. She was of mixed ethnic background: Indian/Negro (as they would say in 1906) or Native American/African American (as we would say today). She descended from Apalachee Indians and black slaves in South Carolina. Olive-skinned Eddie Carson, her father, was a vaudeville drummer and was not seen much by his daughter.

"Because I was born in a cold city, because I felt cold throughout my childhood ... I always wanted to dance on the stage," Josephine offered as explanation of why she was determined to be a dancer (in the first of her five autobiographies). From watching the dancers in a local vaudeville house she "graduated" to dancing in a touring show based in Philadelphia (where her grandmother lived) at age 16. She had already been married twice: to Willie Wells (for a few weeks in 1919) and to Will Baker (for a short time in 1921). She took her second husband's name as her own — Josephine Baker.

Josephine joined the chorus line of the touring show of Shuffle Along in Boston in August 1922. The comedy was produced in Manhattan by a renowned African American songwriting team, Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake; it was the first all-black Broadway musical. Subsequently, Josephine was in New York for the Chocolate Dandies (at the Cotton Club) and the floor show at the Plantation Club in Harlem (with Ethel Waters). She drew the attention of the audience (at the end of the chorus line) by clowning, mugging, and improvising. With her long legs, slim figure, and comic interludes, her special style as an entertainer evolved.

Baker Goes to Paris

The Parisian cultural scene was ready for things African in the 1920s. African American music had penetrated to such European classical composers as Debussy, Ravel, and Stravinsky since at least 1908. But Parisians became aware of jazz only in the 1920s (the first jazz band in Paris played in 1917). African art and sculpture was one of the influences on the Cubist movement and Art Deco.

Josephine was the favorite of artists and left-intellectuals such as Picasso, Pirandello, Georges Roualt, Le Corbusier, e. e. cummings, Jean Cocteau, Aleksander Wat, and Ernest Hemingway (who thought she was "the most beautiful woman there is, there ever was, or ever will be," in hyperbole). But Josephine had not been to Africa and she knew nothing of the culture there, at that time. She had a relatively small repertoire of dance steps ("Charleston knock-knees for eight counts, camel-walk eight counts") and a small vocal repertoire, too (her keynote song, "J'ai deux amours," was repeated over and over again in various contexts); but the core materials were absolutely perfect with her body style and fitted to the era.

Josephine endured a breach-of-contract lawsuit about her abandoning Le Revue Nègre for a star billing at the Folies-Bergère in 1926. (The legal case was one of many in her life.) She was 20 when she was a sensation in the "jungle" banana dance: naked but for a string of rubber bananas around her waist. Soon banana-clad Josephine dolls were selling like hot cakes! Feet stomping, elbows flapping, knees bent, she would bump and grind a Charleston, puffing out her cheeks and crossing her eyes and always having a perpetual grin on her face. She was likened to a snake, a giraffe, and a hummingbird. Also, in 1926, she recorded her throaty voice for the first time. Magazine covers and posters added to her fame.

In December 1926 she opened her own nightclub in Pigalle called Chez Joséphine (later moved to rue Francois I, a more fashionable spot). She became a chic, affluent woman with expensive idiosyncrasies, like parading her pet leopard down the elegant Champs Elysées. She went on a world tour for two years in 1928–1930, and received thousands of love letters. In France she was called simply "Joséphine" or "La Baker." In 1937 Josephine officially became a French citizen.

A Heroine in World War II

Josephine married Jean Lion, a French industrialist, but the two were divorced by 1940, during the early months of World War II (1939–45; a war in which German-led forces fought against the United States and European nations). When Germany occupied Belgium, Josephine became a Red Cross nurse, watching over refugees, or those forced to flee their own countries. When Germany finally occupied France itself, she worked for the French Resistance (the secret army that fought against the occupying German forces) as an underground courier, transmitting information "pinned inside her underwear" to Captain Jacques Abtey. She was awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Légion d'Honneur by General Charles de Gaulle and the Rosette of the Résistance.

After spending years avoiding the United States, Josephine returned in August, 1963 to attend the civil rights march in Washington, D.C., a march that pushed for equal rights among all races. In October of that year she made a trip to Manhattan to sing, dance, and "fight bias," as The New York Times said.

Describing herself, Joséphine Baker said "I have never really been a great artist. I have been a human being that has loved art, which is not the same thing. But I have loved and believed in art and the idea of universal brotherhood so much, that I have put everything I have into them, and I have been blessed" More than that, Josephine Baker pulled herself out of poverty and the trauma of humiliation and made herself an international star, principally due to her love of dancing.

She died in her sleep of a stroke on April 12, 1975, after 14 successful performances ofJoséphine. The Roman Catholic funeral service was held at the Church of the Madeleine in Paris, which was, after all, her true home.

Josephine singing La Vie En Rose with still pics of her dancing.

Sources

Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd Ed., Vol. 17. Gale.

For Ballroom Partners and Married Couples: The Importance of Connection

Ginger Rogers once said that the secret to dancing is connection - with yourself, the music and with a partner. Her advice, as usual, was spot on and has been a tremendous help to me.

When we first learn a new dance, it is natural to focus on the steps and the figures. But if we want to feel good and look good, we need to go beyond technical accuracy and incorporate into our dancing a relationship with the role we may be portraying,, music and audience. And there definitely needs to be communication, a connection with a partner. Without a connection, or relationship, the dance is just steps. But if the dance contains emotion and communication, then we have something more than technique. We have art.

Of course, we need to execute the steps, but the steps only make up the foundation of a dance. Built on top of the steps, we need to feel the fun, the story that the dance might be telling, or the picture that it’s painting. If we can show that we enjoy our partner, if we can play off our partner and respond emotionally to the music and to the movements of the dance, then we can achieve a richness that goes well beyond the dance routine.


Communicating Through Dance

Partner dancing requires two people to communicate without using words. The lead dancer, typically and for the purposes of this article, the man, will guide the follower, the woman, around the floor without verbal communication.

How to keep the connection? First and foremost, you must remain connected to your partner. Without this teamwork, you are not moving in harmony. You must be constantly aware of where your partner is, what they are doing and how what you are doing relates to them. Even if you are not looking at them, your body is always trying to face them. In Latin dancing and swing dancing, you have many opportunities to look directly at your partner, which helps you to connect on a lead and follow level, but also on an emotional level.
In partner dancing, you communicate through your dance frame and through any other body contact you have. Keeping your center turned toward your partner wherever possible and maintaining a solid frame by keeping tone in your muscles (not flexing them, stiffening your arms or trying to crush your partner) will keep you connected to your partner for better leading, following and harmony.

Next, you must remain connected to the music. Dancing on the beat is only part of this, although it is certainly the most important part. You also need to listen to the music and do what it tells you. Is it telling you to move softly and smoothly, or quick and staccato? Try to fill every microsecond of music, even when your feet are not moving-continue your hip action in Latin dancing and fill out your shapes in ballroom dancing by stretching your body and arms. If there is a hold in the music, it is an added touch if you strike a pose and hold it.

Finally, stay connected within your own body. Make sure your whole body is telling the same story. It is easy to let your arms flail around, completely disconnected from your body. Arm styling does not look very good if it does not seem to be matching your body-feel as though you are using your body to start each arm movement. Also, do not let the sides of your body, from your ribcage to your hips, collapse when you make body shapes; rather, keep both sides straight and stretch one side more than the other. Every line in your body should flow smoothly to the next.


Married Couples

Dancing is a great way for married couples to maintain romance in their relationship. With Ballroom dancing, Latin dancing, and other partner dancing available, couples can take lessons to learn how to move to different rhythms and then go out dancing at nightclubs to practice their skills. To make it even more exciting, married couples can engage in youthful play to add mystery and fun to the mix.

Couples should set up a date to give priority to the occasion. Getting prepared to go out for a night of dancing requires time and should be taken seriously to make the impact of the moment memorable. Be sure to arrange to meet at the dance venue to surprise each other with an upscale appearance and maybe even a small gift. Then, pretend to be strangers and playfully flirt with each other like people meeting for the first time. Once the dancing begins, feel the connection on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level as one person leads and the other person follows. Dancing, love, and romance are the perfect ingredients for a recipe of a successful marriage along with trust, respect, similar values, and other factors.

The best dancers are able to pull all the pieces together and have a beautiful connection to each other, the music and within their own bodies. They seem to float across the floor together in perfect time to the music, their bodies portraying every note. Every piece of technique you learn helps you to get a little closer to this high degree of connection. While it may take some time to reach this level, focusing on improving your connection to your partner, music and self will greatly improve your dancing.

When Words Hurt: Coping With Criticism

Criticism can be constructive. Criticism can be destructive. Criticism can be impossible, unintended, expressed in order to manipulate or control, or in a person's nature. It is criticism that makes us work harder to improve our performance or lead to hurt and harm. However, as the quote at right suggests, the words that hurt the most are the ones never spoken; when a parent, teacher, friend just seems like he/she doesn't care.

No matter what your profession is, you will be criticized. The first step to coping with criticism is to determine what type of criticism is being expressed.


Constructive Criticism:  If a teacher, supervisor or judge in a competition, etc. is being specific, truthful, and indicates that improved performance is required, then there is no option but to improve in the areas specified or to expect poor performance evaluations or termination.

Destructive Criticism:  If a person offers vague criticism and dodges answering questions about specific ways to improve, then it may be time to put a more competent person in charge of one's job and career by carefully getting answers and guidance from someone else. This aids in the strategy of excelling on your own and in ways that are visible to the supervisor's peers and superiors. If one's job performance is good, but the supervisor is vague or evasive when justifying criticism to his or her own supervisors, then the supervisor may be the one who is told to improve.

Unintended Criticism:  A person may simply express a dislike without knowing that others will be offended. A polite and private notice that people are present who may be offended may be enough to discourage or help the individual. A nurse who deals constantly with the disabled may express criticisms of the disabled that are well within standards for nurses, but which may appear to be offensive to others. A discussion with the person may reveal that the unintentional critic did not intend to offend.

Controlling Criticism:  Some criticism is intended to make a person feel inferior, or as if they "need" to be told what to do. This is a warning sign of controlling behavior, which is a well-known precursor to abusive behavior. Whether encountering this behavior in a friendship, work relationship, or romantic relationship, an individual needs to set boundaries and stick to them. Otherwise, it is time to determine whether the relationship should develop any further.

Criticism by Nature:  Some people simply walk through their own world, expecting others to either join them or to serve as the enemy. By a certain age, these people have been told, again and again that they are unthinkingly critical and to knock it off. One coping strategy is to brush off the criticism and to understand that it means nothing. The alternative is to decide whether the automatically critical person is an acceptable annoyance or if you would be better distancing yourself.

Handling Criticism

Most criticism is probably based, at least in part, on some truths. Criticism may appear negative. But, through criticism we have the opportunity to learn and improve from their suggestions.

You go to dance class to learn and improve. To improve in anything, we need feedback to know what is working and what is not. Just being told the positive will not help you grow. Try not to take criticism personally. It has nothing to do with your overall ability - Even professionals get criticized - but what is happening at this moment. Remember when a correction is offered, it is because the person believes that you can not only can correct a situation but are capable of it. Someone with no ability usually gets less feedback. That does not mean he/she is better. It usually means there is less to work with.

Respond to the Suggestions not the Tone of the Criticism.

The problem is that people may make valuable critical suggestions. However, there tone and style of criticism means that we respond not to the suggestions but remember there confrontational manner. In this respect we need to separate the criticism from the style of criticism. Even if people speak in a tone of anger, we should try to detach their emotion from the useful suggestions which lie underneath.

Value Criticism.

The problems is that quite often, we only value praise. When people speak kind words we feel happy. When people criticise we feel miserable. However, if we only received insincere praise and false flattery, how would we ever make progress? If we wish to improve and develop we should invite constructive criticism and appreciate their suggestions.

Don’t Take it Personally.

This is often the biggest problem which occurs with regard to criticism. If I criticize my friend's cooking, she may feel personally offended. But it is a mistake to identify ourselves with an apple pie. Somebody may find good reasons why our cooking is bad; but this does not mean they are criticizing us. When people criticize us directly, we should remind ourselves they are not criticising our real self, just an aspect of ourselves.

Ignore False Criticism.

Sometimes we are criticised with no justification. This is a painful experience. But, potentially we can deal with it more easily than criticism which is justified. One option is to remain aloof and ignore it completely. We should feel that false criticism is as insignificant as an ant trying to harm an elephant. If we remain silent and detached the criticism is given no energy. If we feel the necessity of fighting it – in a way, we give it more importance than it deserves. By remaining silent we maintain a dignity that others will come to respect.

Don’t Respond Immediately

It is best to wait a little before responding. If we respond with feelings of anger or injured pride we will soon regret it. If we wait patiently it can enable us to reflect in a calmer way.

Accept Critism If It's Correct

This is always a good way to learn and improve so if you think critics are right, accept it and learn from it so that you can improve.

Be Kind to Yourself

Handling criticism with maturity and positivity requires inner strength. You have to love yourself and forgive yourself. Just remember, a dancer never stops learning. Once one challenge is overcome a new one will crop up. Learn to work within your body's limitations. We all have them. As you progress you will become your most important critic. Stay humble. Develop a tough skin. Just be the best dancer you can, and the best person.

Learn More About Dance with Volunteer Opportunities

By Rachel Hanson

Volunteer opportunities for dancers look great not only on your resume, but they also provide invaluable experience working in dance and theater from many angles.

There are many different types of volunteer opportunities for dancers; the most commonly chosen volunteer activities are teaching children to dance and working at theaters as ushers, wardrobe help or ticket sales agents. It all depends on what is available in your area and what it is that you would like to gain from your time volunteering.

Weekly Volunteer Activities

A little research of the dance schools in your area should reveal a few possibilities for volunteering options specifically for dancers. For example, many studios offer an exchange situation where you are responsible for helping a senior teacher teach young children's dance classes or you are responsible for answering the phone two evenings a week. In many cases, you will be rewarded for such services by being granted free dance lessons at the school. Free dance lessons is not the only benefit though; whether you call it volunteer work or simply 'work', it will look good on your resume as well as getting you tuition-free classes.

Another great way to get involved in the performing arts community is to volunteer at area theaters. Theaters are almost always looking for ushers and other types of helpers. Whether you help backstage with the wardrobe department or you help people find their seats, you'll be gaining valuable experience inside the theater. Many performers find it fun to do this kind of 'behind-the-scenes' work, and it certainly gives one a better overall view of how the theater operates from front door to load-in dock. Again the perks are multifold: you get to see many shows for free, as well as putting the experience on your resume.

Intensive Volunteer Opportunities for Dancers

If you'd like to spend a summer doing volunteer work or interning, there are many exciting possibilities available. You can go to the American Dance Festival and spend the summer interning or you can even go abroad and teach dancing to children. Abroad opportunities generally take up more time, but they also offer the invaluable experience of being abroad and of learning another language. Abroad opportunities are ideal for dancers looking to take a year off in between high school and college.

Opportunities in the U.S.

In addition to the informal options mentioned above, dancers living in bigger cities will have many opportunities for volunteer activities. Look up your area online, and even if the website of a nearby facility does not mention needing volunteers, it can never hurt to send in a solicitation letter. You might just find yourself volunteering for the New York City Ballet! You never know, so just send in your letter asking about volunteer opportunities and stating why you are interested in volunteering and what your dance experience is.

A sample of places who advertise volunteer activities online:

• American Dance Festival Internships: Spend the summer interning at the American Dance Festival in North Carolina
• American Dance Festival Volunteers: Volunteer for various duties at the American Dance Festival in North Carolina
• Ballet Austin Guild Volunteers: Various volunteer opportunities in the ballet world of Austin
• Mosaic Dance Theater Company: Volunteer and apprentice positions in Glen Ridge, New Jersey
• Chicago Volunteers: Volunteer and intern opportunities in Chicago

Oppertunities Abroad

If you'd like to take a year off to experience something totally new, one of the opportunities below might be ideal. Most opportunities abroad require a minimum of three months' commitment, but can go as long as a year in most circumstances. These activities look fantastic on your resume and build your dance experience as well as your international perspective and foreign language abilities.

• Delphos Dance School, Mexico: Study and volunteer at a top-notch contemporary dance school.
• Xiutla Dance School, Mexico: Learn Mexican folk dances and the history of folk dance and teach dance to disabled children; minimum of three months.
• Philippines Dance Initiative Volunteer opportunities range from raising money (at home in the U.S.) to send to build a dance studio on location, to traveling to the destination to teach children at the facility.
• Projects Abroad in Romania
• Circus Arts (Dance) in Costa Rica Program Share your dance, theater, and/or circus expertise by volunteering with a circus arts group that helps empower a community in Costa Rica’s Southern Zone. 

Lifts or Not? The Controversy in Competitive Ballroom Dance

The breath-taking, unforgettable "lift" is considered the ultimate highlight and "wow" factor in most professional dance performances, leaving its audience mesmerized.

Yet "Dancing with the Stars" Judge Carrie Ann Inaba is notorious for policing the “no-lifts” during dance performances. While the dance instructors vehemently deny feet or toes were off the floor, eagle-eyed Carrie Ann chooses to differ; hence points are deducted.

Why is the case? While lifts are permitted in other genres of competitive dance, such as Ballet and Contemporary, they are rendered as a definite "no-no" in Ballroom Dance Competition. This has been an on-going controversy since competitive dance was created.

Ballroom Competitive has its own format which restricts the contender to three dance steps. They have one minute and thirty seconds to execute their routine. Both feet must be touching the ground at all times. Any attempt to defy this ruling can and has resulted in disqualifying the contenders.

Lifts are not allowed because ballroom competition can have 14 couples on the floor at a time. Every couple has their own routine. Lifts are not safe because they fragile in terms of balance if someone bumps into you.

There is, however, show dance, in which the couple are allowed to include any style of dance which they feel best demonstrates their proficiency, including lifts with set rules:

A maximum of three lifts are allowed during each performance.
Lifts are only permitted in the transitional elements between dances.
Each lift may not exceed 2 measures of music or 15 seconds in duration.

DWTS has one couple at a time, but they are still not allowed to do lifts because they are supposed to dance regular ballroom, not show dance. Technique on the floor is more important.

Currently, Ballroom Dance Competition allows an approximate fifteen-second open choreography both at the beginning and end of a dance routine. Within this tight window, one lift might be executed, hence returning to the “contact” dance segment of the routine, which separates competitive dance from the regular dance showcase.

Integrating lifts into the Competitive World of Ballroom could be either a milestone or a setback. Most contenders might welcome more lifts as an extra perk, but also realize that weight control and center balance would then play a heavier role, since every step and movement must be in sync, connected and flawlessly executed.

But some argue that while lifts can enhance most genres of dance competitions, they would defeat the true concept of what Ballroom Dance Competition represents, the focus on technique and stage presence rather than flash and dazzle.

Toni Redpath gives excellent insight into the lift policy