We’re living in unprecedented times, and for many of us, that means unprecedented screen time. (So please cool it with your Screen Time notifications, Apple.) For dancers used to moving their bodies and working collaboratively, social distancing at home can come with particular challenges—not to mention the fact that many dance artists are out of […]
Q: I don’t have the turnout I wish I had. I’m somewhat knock-kneed and I’m wondering if this is affecting my rotation. A: Being knock-kneed does not determine the amount of turnout you have at the hip, but it will influence how easily you can stand in fifth and third positions. Both positions are a […]
Q: My teen says she wants to quit dance, but I’m not so sure she should. She’s very talented, and I think she’s just tired. Plus, we’ve paid for the semester and recital. Help! A: You’re right to question if your dancer is experiencing burnout or a true lack of interest. Christy Curtis, owner of […]
It’s time to talk seriously about safety in dance education. As the physical and psychological demands put on student dancers escalates—thanks to competitions, social media and ever-evolving choreography—there is a pressing need to consider how we can successfully safeguard young dancers. In the wake of the #MeToo movement, we’ve heard numerous accounts of unethical, dangerous […]
Martha Graham Dance Company created The EVE Project to mark the upcoming 100th anniversary of U.S. women’s right to vote. The female-focused initiative includes new works, as well as the company’s classic repertoire highlighting Martha Graham’s heroines and antiheroines. In April, the company is showing the newly reconstructed Circe, Graham’s 1963 interpretation of the Greek […]
Q: I have adult ballet students who are asking me about foot cramping, soreness and achiness when dancing, especially in the heel and arch area. Could it be plantar fasciitis? A: Feeling soreness and pain in the heel and arch area can be a sign of plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a thick band […]
Q: My tween is begging me to go to a faraway summer intensive, claiming “all my friends are going.” How do I know if she’s ready? A: It can feel like a rite of passage for serious dancers to attend an intensive at a major ballet school. They dance all day and often explore the […]
After a long tennis match or a basketball game, elite athletes often head straight to the locker room and hit the exercise bike. On first thought, this might seem to be overtraining, but in fact, they are pedaling as a way to cool down properly. “All of our blood vessels get dilated and blood goes […]
In February, San Francisco Ballet principal Dores André will originate the 11th role of her 15-year professional career with Trey McIntyre’s highly anticipated new work, The Big Hunger. The work is inspired by the big hunger/little hunger philosophies of the bushmen in the Kalahari desert. “Little hunger” represents the superficial desires we focus on during […]
With a plethora of activities to choose from, why should an elementary-schooler choose dance? To speak on the topic and continue the discussion about childhood development is Luna Dance Institute teaching artist Heather Stockton, who teaches K–5 students in Oakland Unified School District. At Luna Dance Institute in Berkeley California, teaching artists keep childhood development […]