With this issue we introduce a new column, “Teachers’ Tools.” It’’ a mini profile of instructors and school owners along with their favorite dance products and other items that support their daily routines—both in and outside the studio. Lisa Lockwood of Steps on Broadway helped us kick things off.
On a similar note, I was delighted to discover that Suki Schorer is a fashion maven. She came to her cover shoot with a range of stylish clothing options, complete with accessories. My eye went immediately to a row of sultry high heels lined up against the wall. As I was noticeably salivating over them, Schorer told me they were her tango shoes (and where I could get a pair for myself!). That’s right, 14 years of the tango have kept Schorer, now 72, as fit and trim as, well, a ballet dancer.
This month she celebrates a notable career accomplishment: 40 years with The School of American Ballet. I don’t know if her students fully appreciate the direct connection Schorer has to Balanchine and his style, but New York City Ballet company members like Tiler Peck do. They regularly stop in to take her class—and her advice. We’re pleased to have Schorer demonstrate some of the finer points in “Technique.”
If, like Schorer, your career plan includes working into your 70s and beyond, you might be interested in how certain somatic practices can extend and fortify your dancing life. In “Personal Growth,” writer Nancy Wozny selected eight fitness and mind-body methods that are popular with dancers. She talked with teachers about what it took to become certified and how it’s affected their teaching.
And don’t forget to send us your nominations for the 2012 Dance Teacher Awards. Every year we honor the career achievements of outstanding educators in three categories: studios and conservatories, colleges and universities and K–12. The awardees will be featured in July Dance Teacher and accept their awards onstage at the Dance Teacher Summit in New York, July 27–29. Details here.
Here’s to your career and your life. We’d love to hear how you keep it together. “Like us” on Facebook and join the discussion.
