Stage Confidence Lessons

Today I taught and learned one of the best dance lessons I can.

Yesterday and today I taught a two day dance class with the middle school kids. We had a blast as we danced to songs from Broadway musicals, talked about Julie Andrews & Dick Van Dyke, and learned to have fun with dance.

Last night, I found this quote: "It takes an athlete to dance, but an artist to be a dancer." ~ Shanna LeFleur

Hmm...I thought, I want to teach them that tomorrow. As I got ready for bed, I remembered I wanted to bring in some scarves for dancing with so I rounded them up. About halfway into class today, I pulled them out and had everyone pick one. Then I told them about this quote.

Every one of them did sports, gymnastics, dance, or some sort of athletic activity. I then asked how many considered themselves to be an artist. Only a few raised their hands. I reminded them to have confident in their abilities as an artist. Whether they were good at drawing or dancing or sports or a hobby, they had to give it everything.

That's when the scarves came in to play. I put on "Let's Go Fly a Kite" from Mary Poppins. Their mission? To go from one side to the other. Their own way. So one at a time they danced their way across. Some gave it their all with leaps and twirls. Some needed encouragement to just simply walk across. The next time around the bold relaxed and just enjoyed themselves, and the timid began to understand. We tried it one more time and everyone just went across with everything they had, including a grin. 😊

It was a great lesson for boosting stage confidence, in what they enjoy doing, and in themselves. All in all, it resonated with me. I'm going to keep that little lesson in my files for future dance teaching times. 

Advent Albums: Day 3

Some people may think me a nut, yet the holiday season can never be fully enjoyed without Nutcracker music! I danced with the Moscow Ballet's Nutcracker for 5 years in a row when I was younger. Some of my best dance memories are from that! 

The first half sounds exactly like the Moscow's rendition although this is the Bolshoi Ballet's. The second half there are some variations with the way the music is played. Still an amazing treasure to listen to! Makes my feet want to get up and dance!❤❤❤

Throwback Tuesday: Mother Ginger....continued!!

So last year, I posted Mother Ginger!! :~D 

As today marks exactly one year since I posted the post, I thought I'd share a couple pictures from this year's Mother Ginger! Same costume, but updated as now you can see how it works! 

Mother Ginger is a doll from the Nutcracker Ballet! She has little children hiding under her skirt...

It's a lot of fun to do this dance....except when they all get goofy and start tickling your legs!! *shudder*

Winslow photo-bomb!!! :~D

All in all, dancing our mini-Nutcracker has to be one of the highlights of our Christmas season! T-Tot is Clara, and the Russian doll; Lil' G is the Chinese doll and the Spanish doll; L-Jo is our Arabian doll; and I'm the Sugar Plum Fairy, the French doll, the Arabian doll, and Mother Ginger!!

What Dance Is: A Guest Post

 Today I have a guest post from the lovely Emma who blogs at thedancechronicles.blogspot.com

Dance is a tangible way to express intangible thoughts and feelings.  Every specified movement of the hand, every distinct turn of the head, is part of the character you’re playing. Dance is captivating for me because you can imprint emotions on an audience through movement.  It's presented to audiences as a pure art form composed of flawless steps and gravity-defying movements.  

But I've seen--and experienced--first-hand the struggles dancers go through every day.  I see the girls I dance with crying in class or in the hallways as we hug them.  I see them fall on their faces.  I see them fall apart as a muscle or tendon swells to three times it's size.  I see them cry for each other.  I see them dance until they can't breathe, work until they overheat.  I see them come in and many days say, "I don't want to do this," then give everything they have to their teacher.

But I also see them get back up.  Come back.  Go back to class still crying.  Dance through the pain.  Push their leg an inch higher than the highest leg in class, no matter how much it hurts.  Put pointe shoes on bleeding feet.  Pull it together.  Wince and push through it.  Rehearse for several hours.  Keep dancing.

Because a true dancer knows that they can never stop dancing.


Other posts related to dancing you might enjoy:

Beautiful Feet
Dance Shoes
What's in my dance bag?
The History of American Ballet Performances
Ballet Shoes
 

My new dance shoes!!!!!!!!

These are my broken worn out ballet shoes. 

These are my new ones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :~D I love them!!!!! :~D

For the past 5 years I've had to wait for my feet to stop growing and now I finally have my Irish Hard-shoes!!!!!!!! :~D Sooooooooooo excited about these!! :~D 

The Ballet Mirror

What is in my dance bag!?!?!?!

So this is what I have in my dance bag:

A water bottle

Pointe shoe pamphlet

Deodorant (random stuff, thank fully haven't had to use it!)

Baby powder

Hello Kitty tin with bobby pins and hair ties

Studio key

Ace ankle braces

Homemade scrunchie

Bun cover, pins, and hair tie set

Black ballet stockings

Homemade hand cream

Ballet Essay 

Papers for the library I set up at the dance studio

A notebook for writing ideas

Old dance newsletters

A fun foam Christmas tree

A blue pen

That is all the stuff from the outside pockets of my bag!

On the inside:

My Ballet flats size 9 (leather)

Pointe shoes and padding (Gaynor Mindens) size 9

Inhaler and "Aero chamber"

Ghillies for Irish Step size 9

Spool of thread

Size 1 kids ballet flats (leather)

Size 11 kids ballet flats (leather)

Size 9 kids ballet flats (leather)

Random Walmart ballet flats size 11 kids

Size 13 kids tap shoes

Size 7 1/2 kids tap shoes

Tap shoes size 9 (mine)

Random hair tie

Random black bun cover

A pink feather

And I have 5 Cds:

• Mary Poppins
• The Piano Guys
• The Sound of Music
• White Christmas
• Disney's Cinderella 

I should also have a pair of black ballet shoes, but I'm not sure where they went.

:~)

And it all fits in this bag! :~D

What is in YOUR dance bag or sports bag? 

History of American Ballet Performances

History of American Ballet Performances

By Moriah Peters 

In America the first ballet performance was a group of 3 short ballets pieces. It was performed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1735. Henry Holt from England brought his group to America. Because of heavy Puritan influence they could not start a ballet company.

The first full length ballet performance was in 1791 in Charleston South Carolina. Alexander Placide and his wife presented it with John Durang dancing in it. John Durang was America's first professional dancer. He was also a favorite of George Washington.

The first full season was in 1792 in New York City, again presented by the Placide's. That year they also off branched to New Orleans presenting full ballets. Mme Placide became the prima ballerina of New Orleans Theatre. In New Orleans they performed ballets by Noverre (who was the creator of modern ballet) and Dauberval (who was famous for "La fille mal gardée").