May 2011
35 posts
Finding Inspiration in Everyday Life
We are told that we are in this world for a purpose, yet it often doesn’t feel that way. Days are filled with a certain amount of boring and trivial work assignments, homework, chores, obligations. It is out of these that inspiration comes that helps us get through the rest of the day. The key is finding those moments of inspiration that come from ordinary, everyday things.
Just around the...
Torvill and Dean Portraying Ginger and Fred on Ice
I love posting videos about the art of dance relating to the art of figure skating. Here are two videos of Torvill and Dean performing Ginger Rogers/Fred Astaire routines. The first is titled Fred and Ginger from their tour with the Russian All Stars in 1988, featuring a medley of tunes. Note Jayne’s feathers on her dress seem to shed much like Ginger’s. The second is from 1982,...
Dancers Are Different: DNA Study Confirms
via @SherronU @DanceBooks @griercooper
From Become a Ballerina.com
Dancers really are different than the average human. In a study published in the American Journal, Public Library of Science Genetics, Psychology Prof. Richard P. Ebstein, head of the Hebrew University Psychology Department’s Scheinfeld Center for Human Genetics in the Social Sciences and his research associates have shown,...
Peter Gennaro: Forgotten Choreographer of The Big...
Mention famous choreographers and names like Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Jerome Robbins and Bob Fosse come up to name a few. But unless you’re old enough to remember Perry Como’s television show and Your Hit Parade, you probably don’t know about Peter Gennaro(1919-2000). He was, in the late 1950’s and early ’60s, probably America’s favorite dancer-choreographer....
Figure Skating in the Rain - Kurt Browning as Gene...
From a 1994 TV special of Kurt’s, You Must Remember This
Anonymous asked: Which Torvill and Dean pro routine do you think is the most artistic? I'm writing a paper on the lack artistry in figure skating today vs the past and want to include a pro performance from T&D instead of one from their amateur career.
Jack Cole: Father of Theatrical Jazz Dance
The trademark style of Jack Cole (1911-1974), renowned as the father of theatrical jazz dance, lives on in the musical-theater and modern jazz choreography of today.
Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, Peter Gennaro and Matt Mattox were all influenced by his legacy. “Jack Cole’s contributions were so far-reaching that without him present-day theatrical dancing would not be the same,” a...
Why Dancers Can't Afford To Work For Free →
franciscogella:
“One of my favorite people in the world, whom I’ve never met, is John Jantsch, author of “The Referral Engine” and “Duct Tape Marketing“. He recently wrote an article entitled, “5 Reasons Why Free Is Hurting Us All”, which really struck a cord with me. I immediately began to reflect on dancers, and all of the reasons why we can’t afford to work for free, but for some reason...
Hurricane Katrina Video - Reminder to Stay Safe...
With hurricane season here again, I wanted to pay tribute to all the people who suffered during Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005, many who are still rebuilding homes and lives. I lost my own home there, but was fortunate not to have lost any family members. This video was edited by Monica Dugas with photos taken after the storm, showing why no one should ever forget about this tragedy. Song -...
Remembering Oksana Baiul: Ballerina on Ice
I’m often asked questions about ballet being helpful to skaters. I thought I’d show one of the most beautiful performances of Oksana Baiul, 1994 Olympic Champion and a true ballerina on ice. This video is of her performing The Dying Swan, or The Swan a short ballet choreographed by Mikhail Fokine in 1905 to Camille Saint-Saëns’s Le Cygne from Le Carnaval des Animaux(Carnival of...
From Tokyo: Kris Kosaka reports on @BRB 's Tsunami... →
Birmingham Royal Ballet & Miyako Yoshida in Japan
by KRISKOSAKA on MAY 20, 2011
Via @theballetbag
Birmingham Royal Ballet are currently on tour in Japan. This is a very welcome visit during challenging times for the Japanese people. In the wake of the post-earthquake nuclear crisis, when so manyconcerts and dance performances have been canceled, BRB are bringing two different programmes to...
Like Ballroom Dance? Vote in Swarovski Elements...
Swarovski Elements recently teamed with Dance USA to host a costume competition. At the April 2011 Dance USA Championship, held in Baltimore, 10 top couples in various divisions were dressed in a costume designed by one of four leading costume designers.
They want your input on which costume (and / or couple) you like best. The winning designer and couple will be announced June 8.
Here are 2...
Love this: Gene Kelly Tap Dancing on Roller Skates...
One of my favorite routines that always puts me in a good mood - Gene Kelly performing on roller skates in It’s Always Fair Weather
Become a More Flexible Dancer With Exercises at...
Image courtesy of sportsclipart.com
For the advanced or pre-professional dancer, getting flexible isn’t just a good thing — it’s a necessity. If you’re stuck with a 90-degree arabesque and extensions that won’t go that extra inch, don’t give up. Try this simple, quick, and effective stretching routine. Just fifteen minutes a day of consistent work at home can take your dancing up a...
Mao's Last Dancer, Susan Stroman Among 2011...
The Fred and Adele Astaire Awards once again recognized excellence in dance on both stage and film. This year’s Awards gala took place May 15,2011 at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts at New York University, 566 LaGuardia Place) New York City 10019. The gala evening began with a VIP cocktail reception at 6pm with the Awards Presentation and Show at 7:30 pm. Once again the...
WatchBallet Inspiration in Photos. Music is Cristofori’s Dream by David Lanz
In 1709 in Florence, Italy, a harpsichord builder named Bartolomeo Cristofori completed work on what is regarded as the first piano. He replaced the harpsichord’s plucking mechanism with a hammer action that allowed keys to respond to varying degrees of pressure, resulting in a sound that could range from soft to...
The Bolero: One of the Most Sensual Latin Ballroom... →
One of the most sensual of the Latin ballroom dances, The Bolero’s roots can be traced back to Spain in the 18th century, has the same Afro-Cuban roots as the Rumba and is thought to…
Some of the Best Dance Workout Videos
Dancing exercise offers a fun and sociable way of getting your body fit and healthy. However, before you jump straight into dance training, you might want to take a look at one of the many dance workout videos out there, offering advice on routines and steps. Here are some that I’d recomend.
Dance Floor Workout
Set to original music videos, the 22 workouts on this dance DVD contain a...
WatchLooking Back at Two Terrific Ballroom Kids on Dancing With the Stars
In May of 2008, these two incredible, talented 13 year olds, Brandon and Brittany, won the Jr. Ballroom Dance title on Dancing With the Stars. Evan more amazing is that Brittany is deaf in one ear. If you haven’t seen them efore, or to refresh your memory, here is a video of their amazing Paso Doble, argualy the best the...
My 6-Year-Old Son Takes Ballet—You Got a F#$%^$#@... →
nichelledances:
Several Twitter peeps passed this along to me. Nice to see that bullying was addressed by teachers. What do you think about some of the comments? My note: to see the comments Click here
Jacques Berlinerblau
Edward Villella in Balanchine’s “The Prodigal Son.” (Photo at LIFE.com)
Readers of this blog may be aware that my older son is a hockey player, but I...
Late Starters in Ballet: Facts Versus Myths
Many older teens and adults, both female and male, are under the impression that if they didn’t start young that there is no place for them in ballet. That’s where they’re wrong. Ballet is for ALL ages, and ballet studios cater to all types of people, encouraging everyone to take up this wonderful dance form as a life-long hobby. With ballet, its never too late.
There are young...
Martha Graham's Legacy in Modern Dance History →
She stood alone on an empty white semicircular platform. Her straight black hair fell like silken threads of fringe behind an oval face with chiseled cheekbones, deep set dark eyes, and a…
Graceful Body, Graceful Hands - How to Hold Them... →
When you’re dancing a difficult part, it seems that hands would be the last thing you need to worry about. But remember, ballet is all about lines and aesthetics. Stiff hands…
The Enduring Legacy of Fred Astaire: With Favorite...
May 10 marks what would have been Fred Astaire’s 112th birthday, and, incredibly, he still is popular today, not just to older generations, but to teens as well. For me, he seemed larger than life, yet a brief meeting of him when I was a child a couple of years before his death showed me a very modest, kind human being. But then, Fred Astaire, as I learned from family and research, was a...
5 Ways to Show Mom You Care on Mother's Day →
This Mother’s Day, don’t just buy Mom a gift. Show her how you truly feel by expressing your love and appreciation in a way that fits her style. Dr. Gary Chapman, the author of the…
Interesting article about Figure Skating's Art &... →
As a companion to my earlier post about the origin of music used in my Torvill and Dean Royal Tribute found Here, I came acros an excellent article written by Lorna Brown, on skating, its direction, relationship to dance, and more.
Lorna Brown is a British and World Professional ice skating champion and a world and Olympic figure skating coach. In this article, she gives some thoughts on figure...
Shifting Landscapes: 3 Impact Points of Technology... →
By @jenniferedwards
Editorial note: This spring we have asked several members of Dance/USA committees and the board to provide their personal take on our four program envelopes that will be considered at “Design It. Dance It: Be the Architect of Your Future,” the July 2011 conference: Management, Artistry, Technology, and Audience Engagement. Here Jennifer Edwards considers technology. In...
Anonymous asked: Hello,
Thanks for making the video montage, it was lovely.
Could I ask about the T&D exhib halfway through? Do you have any info about which routine it was, and what music it was skated to?
Many Thanks,
Longtime T&D Fan from London.
I am not a member here, (a friend sent me the link your musings).
Thanks for making the video montage, it was lovely.
Could I ask about the T&D exhib halfway through? Do you have any info about which routine it was, and what music it was skated to?
Many Thanks,
Longtime T&D Fan from London.
I am not a member here, (a friend sent me the link your musings).
The Ballet Bag's 10 Favorite Things About British... →
By Behind Ballet
Today we’re tickled satin-shoe pink to be hosting the media-savvy and super-sassy editors of The Ballet Bag, one of our fave-ever (and one of the world’s best) ballet blogs. With our British Liaisons program due to open tonight, it seemed a good time to ask Emilia and Linda what’s cooking over in the UK dance scene.
The Australian Ballet is about to premiere British Liaisons,...
Some Dance Recital Theme Ideas →
It’s that time of year again when dance students look forward to recitals. The task of choosing a recital theme is a hard one for a teacher. A well-chosen theme will make the recital…
