Q: Despite stretching, my knees stay at least a foot off the ground when I sit or lie down in butterfly. When I gently push my knees down, I feel a sharp pain deep in the hip joint. What can I do? A: There are wide variations in hip-joint shapes and facings. The socket can […]
It’s December, people! That means it’s time to put together your wish list for this holiday season. We did some brainstorming and came up with the best possible dance teacher list we could think of. Every dance teacher/studio owner can relate! Let us know what else you’re asking for! XOXO! 1. Dancers who are prepared […]
Q: I’ve made the transition from ballet to modern and have noticed an alarming decrease in ankle stability when on relevé. I assume this is due to a loss of ankle strength. What kinds of exercises are best for strengthening my ankles to alleviate this problem? A: Modern dance often asks you to control your […]
Q: My 13-year-old daughter has always been flexible, but last year she suffered an acute injury to her hip flexor from an overstretch position. Since then I have told her not to participate in over-splits or other extreme positions. Is that the right thing to do? A: You are right to caution her. There is […]
When Alicia Burghardt entered Dean College in Massachusetts as a freshman dance major, it hadn’t occurred to her that the Boston Celtics had a dance team. A competition kid with aspirations for Broadway, Burghardt never imagined herself as an NBA dancer. But by the time she was finishing her senior year, she’d not only joined […]
Q: How do you approach gender when teaching in 2020? When I was training, male dancers were encouraged to make their movement masculine, while female dancers were encouraged to keep their movement feminine. Today, gender has become much more fluid, and the line between masculine and feminine performance has blurred. How does that impact the […]
New York City–based pre-professional training troupe Z Artists Group, along with dancers from eight professional companies in the city, are joining together to combat gun violence with, “DANCERS DEMAND ACTION,” a performance aligning art with activism at The Joyce Theater, this Monday, November 11, at 7:30 pm. Dancers from Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Alvin Ailey Dance […]
Since she was hired in 2006 to create a dance program at Washington & Lee University in Virginia, Jenefer Davies has operated as, essentially, a one-woman show. She’s the only full-time faculty member (with regular adjunct support). Over the last 13 years, she has created a thriving program along with a performance company—at a school […]
Q: I’ve just seen the most extreme case of hyperextension I’ve encountered in 30 years of teaching. When the dancer stands in second position, her knees are only a few inches apart. How can I help her have a beautiful line without hurting herself? A: Hyperextended lines are revered and desired, yet research shows that […]
Q: Two years ago, one of my dancers fractured her ankle and was out for six months. Upon her return, I cautiously allowed her to take pointe class, but treated her as if she was a beginner, because she was rolling out into supination, and I was fearful she would reinjure her ankle. Her mother […]