Letter from the Editor: Matters Close to My Heart
February 10, 2022

Dear DT+ Community, 

February may be the shortest month on the calendar, but it’s also the only one explicitly dedicated to matters of the heart. So what better way to celebrate Black History Month than by saluting the extraordinary artists and educators who enlighten and inspire us all year long!

Head over to our dance history profiles where you’ll find films, facts and teaching resources about the life and legacy of dance icons like Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. A trailblazing tap dancer, Robinson broke down racial prejudices in performance, paving the way for countless tap dancers—including one of today’s luminaries, Chloe Arnold. Explore Arnold’s top tap teaching tunes in this month’s playlist, and delve into how she uses storytelling as a way to connect students with their musical side.

Later this month, look out for heart-to-heart conversations with celebrated dance artists like Carolyn Adams, the newly appointed director of education at The Paul Taylor Dance Foundation, and Joan Myers Brown, the founder of PHILADANCO and the Philadelphia School of Dance Arts, about her equity scholarship fund that awards more than $50,000 a year to young dancers.

Our Technique & Artistry feature this month contains valuable advice on how you can help your students’ with their head and neck articulation. Not only will this skill enhance your students’ full-bodied movement quality, but it will also help them tackle challenging choreography.

February is also a time to remind ourselves to pay attention to our overall physical and mental well-being. And with National Eating Disorders Awareness Week coming up (Feb 21–27), you’ll find expert advice in our health & body coverage on everything from helping your students heal their relationship with food and body image to an upcoming story on managing the delicate dilemma around whether students with eating disorders should be allowed to continue participating in classes.

Auditions are underway, too, this February, and video auditions are now the new normal. While this might expand opportunities for your students, video auditions also give you a whole new set of responsibilities, right from vetting summer study programs to planning combinations, filming the videos and even editing them. Sounds exhausting? Don’t fret! We’ve got you covered with professional tips on filming audition videos.

Speaking of auditions, we now have a brand-new events calendar where you’ll find the latest dance performances and happenings, including the University of Alabama’s upcoming auditions and our Dance Media Live! Master Classes with Tiler Peck.

We’ll be sharing new stories throughout the month, and I’d love to know which ones you enjoy reading most. Send me a note at [email protected]. I can’t wait to hear from you!

With gratitude,
Reanne Rodrigues

P.S. Do you know any extraordinary dance educators? I’m guessing the answer is yes! Nominate them for a 2022 Dance Teacher Award via this form by Thursday, March 31.

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