I didn’t realize how much the whole movement meant to me until I saw the mass of male dancers congregated in front of “Good Morning America” led by the likes of Travis Wall, Alex Wong and Robbie Fairchild. It was pre-7 am—I was all packed up and ready to begin my trek to work when […]
We’re preaching to the choir when we say that a strong core can make all the difference in a performer. You are all excellent at giving your students combinations that will strengthen their abdominals and give them the freedom to dance with abandon onstage. But sometimes those ab exercises can feel a little stale. After […]
Most parents start off pretty clueless when it comes to doing their dancer’s hair. If you don’t want your students coming in with elastic-wrapped bird’s nests on their heads, you may want to give them some guidance. But who has time to teach each individual parent how to do their child’s hair? Not you! So, […]
Since the dawn of time, performers have had to deal with annoying, constant blisters. As every dance teacher knows (and every student is sure to find out), blisters are a fact of life, and we all need to figure out a plan of action for how to deal with them. Instead of bleeding through pointe […]
Q: I can’t straighten both legs and maintain a closed fifth position. I believe it’s mostly because one leg is longer than the other one. What can I do? A: It sounds like you have a true leg-length difference rather than a functional discrepancy. A true leg-length difference is when the length of the bones […]
A tap dancer’s upper body might be hunched or upright, quirky or smooth, depending on the individual’s style. “People might think it looks silly when hands or arms are doing awkward things, when the dancer is reaching for infinite possibilities,” says Jared Grimes, tapper and choreographer based in New York City. “But that’s what the […]
Having survived two consecutive decades as a dedicated ballet dad, I’ve collected some tidbits of wisdom over the years. With apologies to David Letterman, I’ve loosely organized these pearls of wisdom into roughly 10 simple—and not so simple—rules and guidelines of being a black-belt ballet dad. Some are obvious. Some are challenging. Others can be […]
Q: How can I improve my middle splits? A: Middle splits can be quite challenging depending on your hip structure. Sitting in a straddle and leaning forward, as well as having your legs in a straddle against the wall, are both stretches that dancers can do to lengthen the inner thigh muscles. I find that […]
Deep in the throes of “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 16, the euphoria of summertime and live shows is causing us to reflect on seasons past. While much has undergone change since the show’s inception—movement trends, choreographers, dancers, judges and fashion—the positive impact it has on the trajectory of the winner’s future remains […]
In the lead-up to competition season, “Again! From the top!!” can be overheard in studios across the nation. As students rehearse their routines ad nauseam in the final push to get ready, longer hours can sometimes mean that warm-ups get lost and increased repetition can create overuse injuries. Plus the extreme tricks and greater demands […]