Dance News - September 28, 2010

Dance is the Most Popular Elective at Rutgers - NJ.com

Choreography Takes Flight - The Star

Building a Dance Empire - SF Examiner

Dancing About Trash - The Brooklyn Paper

100 Years of Ballet Russe - Telegraph

Follow Anyday on Twitter: Tap Dance!

If you don't use Twitter, you don't know what you're missing! Twitter can be an overwhelming onslaught of mini-messages, but it can also be very useful to a dancer looking for audition updates or an inside look at being a professional dancer.

Here are a few of our favorite tap dance Twitter-ers :)

@ChicagoTap - Bio: Building community with rhythm

@TapDancingNews - Tap news and resources - maintained by TerranceTaps (author of Tap Dance Man site) & Fee Peper

@TheTapFloor - Tons of tap videos posted almost daily, although it is mostly the same tappers everytime. Bio: If you love tap dance, follow me!

@TapDanceChor - Bio: TDC.com is a premier dance resource for tap routines & information; featuring the personal collection of original works by noted tap choreographer, Joan Gerrard

@Boogie2TheMusic - Tap dancer posting tap dance links!

@TapDanceMadeEasy - Bio: Eli Newsom, Owner/Instructor. I'm here to help to spread the joy of tap dance around the world.

And of course, you can find all of our buzz on our Twitter page: www.twitter.com/thedancebuzz

Pas de Trois Response: How Important Is Barre-practice?

Another interesting question posed at the Pas de Trois dance blog: How important is barre-practice?

I can't tell you how many times my younger dancers have asked this question (in a variety of ways... mostly some variation of "Ballet barre is boring, why do we have to do it?!").

If you look at any sport or art form, you will see that they will do their own version of the ballet barre: a singer will sing scales during warm-up, soccer players run drills - my students understand this metaphor (even if they don't like the result: more ballet barre).

Barrework allows you to focus on minute sections of your body that when you perform, will be (hopefully) more automatic because of your preparation at the barre.

If it wasn't so important, then why do professional ballet company's ballet barres begin with the same preparation the youngest beginner-level dancer does: plies and tendus? These are the building blocks to your technical skills.

Henrik's reply on the blog said it best:

"Barre work is...the place where the necessary skills for freedom of expression are built."

Studio Owner Buzz: New Season Wisdom

I apologize for my absence over these past two weeks - my studio just finished our opening week of the season! 400+ families in and out of the doors makes for a very tired (and slightly cranky according to my boyfriend) studio owner!

Here is some "wisdom" I gained from this past week:

• Name labels for the preschool students seem like a good idea until you find one stuck right in the middle of your newly cleaned marley floor.

• The waiting room walls you painted this summer will be scuffed within 30 seconds of opening the doors.

• Take some time to evaluate what items/decor in your lobby looks climb-able to younger brothers and bolt them to the wall of floor, using twice the amount of bolts you think is necessary!

• Important Assistant Teacher Training Topic: Identifying the "toddler potty dance" and taking immediate action
  

• Write a handy list of FAQ's with stock answers for your receptionist/office manager to reply to parents with. Topics should include, but are not limited to: "When can my 3 year old go en pointe", "My child is much too advanced for this class" and "I have soccer practice/cheerleading/piano lessons - can I just start in November"?

And probably the best advice:

• You can't please everyone!

Here's to a great season for all of you Studio Owners who are starting up!

Fascinating Talk on Spreading Ideas

If you have a few minutes, take the time and watch this great video on how the internet is helping innovation in all areas, including dance! If you don't have 20 minutes, at least watch the first few minutes about how dancers are learning from YouTube and innovating faster than ever before!




If you enjoyed this video, check out TEDTalks - there are some fascinating ideas out there!

New Music Mondays: Ballet Music

Looking for some new ballet music?

Here are our current favorites:

1. Aly Tejas - Music for Ballet Class III

Described as "haunting" and "beautifully melodic", her album Music for Ballet Class III is one of her best and most recent. You can't really go wrong with any of her stuff, but we especially love this album.

2.Dancing Fingers Volume 8 - Michael Roberts
We've been using Michael Roberts' album "Between the Barres" for years, but his new album, "Dancing Fingers" is another classic. 34 songs, most of them between 1 and 2 minutes makes them perfect for class.

3. We've mentioned Sunny Choi in a previous New Music Monday post - but she has some cool covers... available for FREE on Facebook.

4. Musique de la Danse (Ballet Class) - Fernando Davil 

Enjoy!

Follow Friday on Twitter: Bloggers & Dance Magazines

If you don't use Twitter, you don't know what you're missing! Twitter can be an overwhelming onslaught of mini-messages, but it can also be very useful to a dancer looking for audition updates or an inside look at being a professional dancer.

Here are a few of our favorite dance Twitter-ers :)

@DanceTWorkshop - DanceTheaterWorkshop - Bio: DTW maintains an uncompromising mission to identify, present, & support independent contemporary artists & companies to advance dance & live performance.
Our favorite recent tweet:

DanceTWorkshop: Line the dance floor with bubblewrap. #UnsolicitedDanceAdvice

@KinerEnterprises - Love this blog too! Bio: Kiner Enterprises Inc. provides dance studios & dance companies with social media marketing training and coaching,and dance teacher staffing consulting.

@Sheri_Is - Another dance blogger - good stuff! Bio: Semi-Retired Ballet dancer, choreographer, p/t ballet/ballroom instructor. Also an animal lover, interested in psychology, inspiration.

@danceMarketing - His tweets are funny and informative Bio: Hey, I LOVE dance. I also love marketing. I specialize in helping dance teachers & dance studios get more students. Get paid for dance!

And of course, you can find all of our buzz on our Twitter page: www.twitter.com/thedancebuzz