Dancer

“I have been dancing for the past fourteen years of my life. My parents made the decision to enroll me in classes when I reached the age of four years old. From then on it was my decision to keep coming back. I made that decision based upon the love I had gained for what I was being learned and the heart warming, over joy feeling I received from any ounce of dance I could perform, see, hear, even taste and smell. I am hungry to dance, it is my overwhelming desire to improve both my dancing and myself as a person. The lessons I have learned from dance are those I have and will continue to take in my life, and share with others. I have realized so much about myself, and have an outspoken personality, strong will, high confidence, eager mind and creativity development. I don’t dance for selfish reasons. I dance to dance. When I am dancing I feel the utter most love and accomplishment. Dance inspires me and gives me motivation to reach my goals. I could go on and on as it is my favorite topic, but I some ways there are just no words, just silence and appreciation for both the art and sport I have grown up with. I am not the best on my team, in my class, in the state or the world, but to me that does not matter, because I am the best me, which I know is from my life as a dancer. To thank I have Cherie’s Dance Studio and Extensions Dance Academy. The day I have to say goodbye to dance, is a day I never want to face. I love dance, dance will always be a part of me, the best part of me, my burning passion and desire I love to showcase.”

~Julia Brewer

Team Bonding Pays Off

"First comes the sweat. Then comes the beauty if you're very lucky and have said your prayers."

- George Balanchine

Team bonding is a vital fundamental for a whole team to prosper. Group dancers are together for an immense amount of hours several nights a week, week after week, and because dance is an all year round sport it is uncommon to find dancer’s never getting break from one another. I look at this to be both a positive and negative experience, for the most part positive although with that many hours it can become difficult. Effort from the whole entire group and their background support make the efforts to be either negative or positive. An easy solution to either outcome can come from team bonding.

With so many hours spent together it can be easy to grow tired of those you are working with. Personalities can clash, ideas are thrown, and mistakes will be made. It is life in a whole new scenario. Completely taken inside the dance room. Team members should always remain courteous to one another, to their teachers, parents and general spectators. Dance can bring about a lot of pressure to any dancer at any given age. The environment should remain positive and constructive. I believe that harsh overwhelming comments don’t further a dancer as far as demonstrating weaknesses and approaching on a positive element way to fix the errors. Of course not everything can be happy and go lucky, but the point should not have to get to an emotional breakdown. Strides need to be taken and always showing improvement.

With these tiring hours being taken in a studio, sometimes relationships formed in the studio leak out or vice versa, for this I believe it to be necessary for dancers, parents and teachers alike to both take breaks and make room for outside group activities. Being with the same people over and over, repeatedly can detriment even the strongest, long lasting relationships. Take personal time and give time to others who don’t necessarily always get that time, such as grandparents, friend of school, even treating yourself. On the other hand time with your team should also be spent outside of the studio, doing normal people activities. Go bowling, to a trampoline park, paint pottery, go out for dinner, to the beach, DIY something fun. Easy light activity where everyone is involved and talent and skill doesn’t matter. Team bonding is so important in keeping strong relationships with all your team mates. It will not only increase strength within your team’s social aspect, but on the dance floor as well you will grow closer. That quality time can be transforming in the long scheme of things.

~Julia Brewer

 

Costumes

“Ballet is a universe of the imagination, a place of magic and enchantment, beauty and romance. Its many worlds vibrate with graceful dancers, glorious music, and sumptuous costumes.”

-Trudy Garfunkel

Costuming can be a make or break in the execution of a performance. So much can go wrong with costume malfunctions, and at the same time the costuming can completely transform the piece, making it come to life and feel so real within a manner of two to three minutes. Costumes are everywhere, from second hand stores, to online costume resources, fabrics and gems from local craft stores, or just a simple leotard. Dance costuming is an endless opportunity.

Sometimes, for a more vintage, old time piece you might be looking for a raggedy costume that you can’t quite find anywhere other than a second hand or antique store. Dancers can magnify these pieces to their old former glories by representing them in their time era piece. It is in my opinion somewhat fresh, incidentally to see an old, worn clothing item on the stage bringing new art to an audience. Not to mention that when you can make an old costume seem new, it is much less expensive, a very affordable option.

Online resources are easy. There are such a wide variety of options among online costume companies. To name a few there is Art Stone, Weissman, Curtain Call and Kelle. With so many options, sizes and styles across many genres of dance these websites are able to grant dancers matching costumes to help bring their piece to life. One of the greatest benefits to ordering costumes online from a company is the guarantee that they will all look identical, most especially important in large group number pieces. The trouble however is that sometimes the costumes do not fit precisely to the dancer’s body it was ordered for, as they are not designed specifically, but generally. This can lead to tightness limitations, as well as droopiness, ultimately ending multiple costume malfunctions. Also, ordering online needs to be taken well into advance to ensure all aspects of the costume are taken care of and will be received well in time of the performance date.

Costumes do give you the opportunity to be personally stitched, sewed and stoned to fit exactly to the dancer’s body. Most commonly done for solos, or smaller groups, because the detail and time required to pull off an originally tailored costume needs to be meticulous. On my team many parents design and create the costume from simple leotard, sports bra and spandex articles, adding fabrics, gems, and décor pieces to fit the style, song, and form of the dancer. Handmaid costumes that are original pieces are also made by professional seamstress private businesses at dance boutiques and online dance boutiques. These range to be highly expensive, so I would suggest to invest money, time and dedication to basic dance wear with additions from craft stores like Michaels and Jo Ann Fabrics.

Simplicity is a magical device. Not every costume as to have huge flowers, ruffled bottoms, a million bedazzles or be extremely risqué. Sometimes the dance can be focused on greatest with the simplest costume. Glitz and glamour is not for everyone on the dance floor. A plain leotard, matching booty shorts and tight crop top, or plain black dress may be the hitch a dancer needs to make a lasting impression. In the end it comes down to the dancing, and although a beautiful, full sequences, feathered costume is gorgeous, it is about the dancer’s personality and technique. A costume is a small part of that masterpiece, it can best be done high profile or within a low key simple piece. All are great options, just be sure to fit the costume to the dancer, style, song and vision of the choreographer.

~Julia Brewer

Instructor Teaching Methods

“Dancing in front of your students pushes you to practice what you preach.”

-Michelle Dorrance

As a dancer matures in age and experience they pay great attention to detail, in choreography, and instruction by their teacher. All dancers are either visual, kinesthetic or auditory learners, or a mixture of the sorts. Therefore, it is important that an instructor recognizes this, and sees that the most helpful way to direct chorography is by both saying and doing it for their students, and adjusting them to change to the vision of the chorographer. I believe it is most effective for dance instructors to use all three learning types when in class, whether it is a technique, choreography, or competition class. Using these three learning techniques also enables the dance instructor to showcase to their students what they want the piece to look and feel. Students find it beneficial because they are able to be corrected in motion, on the spot, hearing their correction and also seeing it demonstrated by the individual who has given their selection of choreography. This teaching method also justifies the dance teacher’s abilities in the field. Not every dance instructor is going to be a skilled professional in the genre, which is why some instructors only use the auditory method. It takes more than that though, students need to be taught, and with that, be taught correctly, most effectively achieved through visual, kinesthetic and auditory demonstration. Displaying the dance to students to give them the best outcome for their realization of the overall outcome of their choreography, technique skill or dance routine. Seeing the click from students is much more rewarding than any trophy they could ever win, it begins by the instruction given to dancers.

~Julia Brewer

Dance Dictionary: Assemble and Attitude

“Socrates learned to dance when he was seventy because he felt that an essential part of himself had been neglected.”

-Source Unknown

Rounding off the A’s to the dance dictionary are the ballet terms of assemble and attitude. Both commonly used in across the floor, at the barre, and in dance routines.

Assemblé [a-sahn-BLAY]

Simply put it means when two legs are joined together in the air. It is when the dancer shoots one leg up into the air and then jumps the second leg to join the two legs together in the air. Usually the dancer will land in fifth position of plie after the jump. A dancer can also take note that this term looks similar to the English of assemble. So, in an even simpler note, this term literally means to assemble the feet. They are apart and assemble together to finish.

 

Attitude [a-tee-TEWD]

An attitude is a standing position on one leg with the other leg lifted in the front or the back with the knee bent at an angle of 90 degrees and well turned out so that the knee is higher than the foot. The knee must be higher than the foot, otherwise the attitude turns into a jazz foot flick in comparison to the technical ballet attitude. The supporting foot may be à terre, sur la pointe or sur la demi-pointe. The arm on the side of the raised leg is held over the head in a curved position while the other arm is extended to the side. A dancer’s back in attitude should be straight, hips should be down, with a raised head to finish out the pose. Attitudes are also commonly done within turn sequences, or used in half in some leaps. Generally in ballet, they are poses, done with seamless execution.

~Julia Brewer

Team Values

“There is no reason why a strong back can’t get you as far as a strong mind. Work together, grow together, conquer together.”

-Larry J Cowell

Being a part of a dance team brings up values of commitment, team work, ownership, effort, connection, and kindness. Dancing with a group is much different in comparison to a solo. In a solo it is justified to be focused on yourself, you can be off the music or improv without a judge’s notice. However, dancing among others, a dancer must acknowledge that they are to if not be identical, similar enough for anyone to understand that they are a match, or fit within a group. Being a part of a dance team disciplines a dancer to value the time and effort meant to coordinate group dance. Yes, it takes a tremendous amount of skill, confidence and experience to solo in front of an audience, but there is so much more to learn by dancing within a group.

When on a team, every dancer must be dedicated to the betterment of themselves, and their fellow teammates. Commitment also has to be made to the choreography and choreographer. A dancer should be committed to the chorography they were assigned, making something small into something important. The dance will not always be established exactly to the dancer, but it is the dancer’s responsibility to do what they are given, and do it to the best of their ability. Commitment to the choreographer is equally as important, it should not be on them for losing a team member, dancers should always finish what they start and make the most of it, no matter the scenario. If it doesn’t work, out take opportunity elsewhere once the commitment is finished.

A group dancer, dances for everyone else in their group before themselves. In rehearsal you better be going just, if not more full out that the person next to you, for when you are on stage the expectation will be fulfilled by every member doing their absolute best. Team work also comes by being each other’s motivators. Dancers within a group should have full trust in each other. If the feeling of team outside of dance rehearsal is mutual and strong, it will only grow stronger in performance. Going along with team work, is effort by every team member. Weak links should never exist on a team, everyone needs to be pulling their weight whether they are considered the “number 1” girl or not.

Taking ownership in your dancing is important within a dance team. Yes, sometimes it is hard to hear the flaws you make as a dancer, but it is a teammate’s way of encouraging you to correct them, they want to see you succeed just as much as you want to. Take ownership of that and work on making it correct to yourself and your team. As a dancer takes ownership of their dancing, they will be able to master connection with their teammates. Connections made both o and off the floor will be acquired and used to advance a dancer in their training.

Finally, between all of these qualities being a part of a dance team, large or small, kindness will always be an asset that should remain priority. It is a team you are apart, therefore it a job that you should feel, and respond proudly towards. Be kind to everyone, watch tone of voice, support each other no matter what and speak of one another with gratitude. Respect will only mature and strengthen all of the values that come along with dancing in a group and being a part of a dance team.

All values to be learned from being part of a dance team are in relation to each other. It is important to learn these as they will help a dancer progress in the professional dance world, continuation with more group work and in everyday life. Values learned from being a part of a team and dancing in a group are greater in comparison to any solo. Also, what’s not to say a dancer won’t every get a special solo part within the framework of a group routine?

~Julia Brewer

Dance Dictionary: Arriere, Avant

“The vocabulary and manner of classical ballet express a high order of discipline and restraint, a sense of harmony with forces larger and more lasting than the individual.”

- Marsha B. Siegel

Dancing at the barre can be done in two different rotations, forward and backward. A teacher will indicate by referring to them in their technical ballet terms of arriere and avant. It is important to distinguish the difference, because they will set and complete the combination.

Arrière, en [ah na-RYEHR]

Means to go backward. Used to indicate that a step is executed moving away from the audience.

And on the completely opposite side of the spectrum…

Avant, en [ah na-VAHN]

Avant means to the front or Forward. A direction for the execution of a step. Used to indicate that a given step is executed moving forward, toward the audience.

Learning, knowing and understanding these two simple ballet terms will discipline a dancer to complete them appropriately when given a barre or ballet combination.

~Julia Brewer

Dance Solo Routine

“For a dancer, to be able to perform well, most of his waking hours must be devoted to preparing for the holy white instant of performance.”

- Paul Taylor

There are many preparations a dancer takes to make their performance on stage. All the backstage action is what results in the look, stretch and overall dance that the dancer presents. It differs by dancer, but I have a continuous routine that I stick to at every competition, and performance. With that here are the steps I take in order to take the stage, from the moment I wake up to get ready for my solo.

First I have to feel fresh, no makeup, no hair, freshly showered and calm. I then proceed to putting my hair up loosely, starting my makeup. The usual; foundation, powder, blush, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, eyebrow gel and then lipstick with gloss.

Once I have finished my makeup I begin on my hair. At my studio we put our hair in a bun, with side braid leading to it. So, I begin by parting my hair and braiding it down toward my hair, and then backwards toward the direction of desired ponytail placement. Then I hair tie the rest of my hair with the braid inside of it on the spot I am going to build by bun. As a method to my madness I do this with all my fly aways, and baby hair everywhere, because I then take both gel and hairspray. It helps to ten take out the ponytail and get all the extra, little hairs up and attached, so there is nothing poking out. After everything is up, I secure it with a ponytail yet again in the place where I’m going to build your bun. Now I should have a ponytail, to make the ponytail into a bun, I use a snap bracelet bun maker, straightening out my hair, rolling it up to the top of the hair tie and then snapping it to hook in the back. I next fasten the hair towards the back, and use bobby pins to secure it in place. From here I am left with a perfect, solid, tight bun.

After hair and makeup, I put on my costume. Pretty straight forward, hair piece, costume, jewelry and dance shoes.

Now I’m already in terms of my looks. The next concern is stretching. I do pretty basic, everyday dancer stretches, on the ground left, right, needles, splits, calf raises, back bends, and any turn combinations. I keep stretching until I feel confident that my body is ready to tackle a dance without pain, or restriction. After my body is ready and stretched, and I have done some of the major tricks in my dance, I run through it several times with the music. At first I just park it to hear my timing. The second time to the music I do everything full out, of course sometimes there is limited room and carpeted flooring, but I do my best. The third time I practice with the music I mark through most, but do all of my turns and some of my more challenging skills, or any bumps I had from either of the first two. Sometimes I do it more that, but I always do a minimum of three times.

Once I feel confident, I take to the stage. This routine makes me feel very good at my performance, and contributes immensely to how I perform and feel. I would widely encourage to any dancers seeking a routine to prep themselves.

~Julia Brewer

The Reality of Dance Moms

“My dream is to continue dancing forever. I would kill myself if I didn’t dance.”

– Maddie Ziegler

A common household dancing reality show is brought to viewers from the Lifetime television channel, Dance Moms. Dance Moms was centered on a junior elite competition team of young girls from the Pittsburgh area, dancing on a competition team that traveled around the nation, attending a new competition every weekend. The show is famous for great dancing, bickering moms, and a psycho dance teacher and studio owner Abby Lee Miller. Since the show has aired, dancing has improved, dancers have come and gone, Abby’s in trouble with the government, the moms are becoming their children’s agents and more loco than ever, and the team has moved from Pittsburgh to a new studio location in Los Angeles, California.

Dance Moms is a huge exaggeration on the dance industry, competitions and rehearsals. Abby’s teaching methods are anything, but kind, motivating or inspiring. The moms are in a constant fight with each other over who has the best dancer, and total hypocrites when it comes to special advantages with their daughters. The dancer’s however are the shadowed over portion of the show, they hardly show their improvement in the studio, because it’s all about the moms. It is amazing to see what they have accomplished in a matter of three days preparation for a regional competition, considering they do something new week after week.

One key piece of insight to remember when watching an hour episode of Dance Moms is that although producers may not say its stage, I have never seen a grown woman act so horrible at a dance competition in front of the choreographer, her children, the competition faculty and other spectators. If I was one of the mothers on that show I would be ashamed of the actions I put on television, my representation of the studio and in the example I would be setting for my kids. With this, Dance Moms is only an hour long special that is taken from a week’s worth of time. A viewer has to acknowledge that it is a reality show, so they are going to feature the most dramatic of moments in order to keep the show “entertaining.” Personally as a dancer I find the most entertainment at the end of the show, when all of the dancers perform their solos, duets, trios and groups on stage. I wish Dance Moms would show more dancing instead of the immense amount of tension involving the moms and Abby.

I have been dancing in the competition scene for the last eight years of my life, and never have I ever seen anything even remotely similar to the actions on the show of Dance Moms. Yes, it is a cut throat sport, but it is still a positive environment. Maybe it is just a Midwest feng shui, but I would certainly hope that it is like that across the nation. Moms should be the support for their daughters at their highest and weakest moments. The dancers should be able to trust and rely on each other both on the dance floor, in rehearsal and everyday life. While the dance teacher’s job is to TEACH their student to DANCE, giving them an appropriate amount of attention and time, noticing their flaws and finding ways to improve them, inspiring them to be the best dancer they can. It is not always amount winning, but the improvements made both on and off the competition stage.

 

~Julia Brewer

 

Dancing Feels

“You have to love dancing to stick to it. It gives you nothing back, no manuscripts to store away, no paintings to show on walls and maybe hang in museums, no poems to be printed and sold, nothing but that single fleeting moment when you feel alive.”  

-Merce Cunningham

The feeling of dancing is extraordinary. Gives you a sort of rush that is indescribable, it is just an overwhelming feeling of joy, that is just completely surging through your body. You know when something makes sense, because it causes you to smile contagiously and passionately, whenever the thought, speak or action of the topic comes about. And for me, I feel that way with immense gratitude on every discussion of dance.

I may not be the very best one in my dance class, or on my dance team, but I sure do love what I am doing, and can’t imagine ever giving dance up by choice. I want to do it forever, even when I’m anciently old with arthritis in every bone, I hope to always be a dancer. The heart I have gotten from dance, the things I have learned, the experiences I’ve had, the friends I’ve met aren’t even comparable to any other sport of my knowledge. There are so many opportunities, and ever changing ideas in the fields of dance. It is a sport and an art in one that prepares you for so many walks of life.

I am proud to wear the label of a dancer, because it is something I take great pride in, as it brings out my greatest personality, attributes. Motivation, everything. It is the most heart defining passion I could have and I know I am not alone. The feeling of dance is so widely stretched, there are so many words, ideas, examples to be had within it, but the only way of truly experiencing what dance can bring you is in doing it yourself. So dance, dance, dance and never look back, because your heart will be full, troubles empty, mind relaxed and happiness lingering longer than a child’s trip to Disney World.

~Julia Brewer

 

Telling a Story

“A fine work of art - music, dance, painting, story - has the power to silence the chatter in the mind and lift us to another place.”

-Robert McKee

Dances are meant to tell a story, move an audience to feel a certain emotion portrayed by the dancers, entertain the crowd to the point they want to hop on stage and join them, as well as force observers to evaluate themselves on a controversial issue.

To achieve this point in a piece of choreography, dancers must not only have great technique, but powerful movements, facials and connection. Connections must be made in many different ways, between dancers, between the audience, between the music and between their movements. When all of these main components are achieved, you can be sure to feel confident that no matter the dance, dancers will create a bond to their subject, others will see and understand that passion and begin to feel in the same way the dancers do.

To better understand what I mean by dancers telling a story I will give some examples. Some may tell a story in simple terms, maybe through musical theatre, like the story of The Wizard of Oz. However a story may be told in broader terms, not so easily expressed like a jazz for the Great Gatsby, with a song from one of their recent tracks. Other stories are told to move an audience, bringing emotions they have bottled up from experience to be completely poured out in a packed performance hall, example being a contemporary about the effects of drunk driving. Other stories are more positive booster ups like a highly entertaining jazz dance that uses a lot of highlighting facials, big leaps, kicks and jumps as wells as energy from every dance. These stories make you want to get up and dance and be just like everyone performing them, you can compare this to a performance brought to you by Beyoncé. Finally, stories can be told to bring awareness about controversial issues, possibly a hip-hop on the stance of gun control, a lyrical about cyber bullying, even a tap on the issue of school dress codes. These are only some examples on how stories can be told through a dance performance, there are of course several others.

Telling a story is a very important concept in the dance world. Choreographers are not looking directly for that silenced, pin dropping audience, standing ovation or jaw dropping moment when they are creating these routines, but more for showing off their dancer’s talent through an idea that is important for them to show the world. It is the message that they want their dancers to convey that is the most important to them. With that message, dancers can make an audience, laugh, cry, smile, or silence.

~Julia Brewer

Improv

“I see dance being used as communication between body and soul to express what is too deep to find words.”

-Ruth St. Denis

Improv is basically dancing freely to a selection of music, or just endlessly in your living room. It is an impromptu, very informal dance that is made up on the spot. Consistent improving for purpose of creating art in a free expression, no string attached can really bring out a dancer or choreographers creativity and emotion, as well as an enhancement of their natural talents and feelings. Improv is done so fluidly, there should never be a blank spot, because it is all up to you to decide what comes next.

Choreographers of all backgrounds improv, both the best and the worst. In order to create a dance a choreographer must improve, and figure out the best formation for all of their ideas. Every single dance, no matter what begins with improv and ends with a new, innovative dance routine. The chorographer has to be able to use their talents to create something that goes seemingly with the music and emotion of a piece. It may take many attempts, but since improvisation is limitless, they are able to do whatever they want to have it all come together.

Improv is not only an element used by choreographers, but it is also used for dancers themselves. It helps dancers learn to listen to their music, and decide based on hat what story they are trying to tell. Should the accent be determined by a turn, sway, leap, snap, body hit, head turn or foot flick? That is for them to ultimately decide in a split second. Dancers at most auditions will be asked to improve, so those hiring them will see their musicality when they have been given nothing, but a newly heard or classical piece of music. Dancers should be showing that they can balance their dance tricks and turns with, reaches, emotion and fluid filler. Some may say that will just wing improv, but I do not suggest this going into an audition. You can indeed practice improv, by playing music and really listening for accents, and flavored musicality. You should never go into an audition to wing improv, because it can sometimes be awkward and you should not feel embarrassed to do what you love, dance.

Improvisation is endless in dance. It is up to the dancer to decide what comes first, next, in between, after that to the finish. It helps a dancer display their talent, creativity, feelings, emotions and fluidity. Improving has the ability to use varieties of music and instrumentals, however music is not even needed. A dancer is improving whenever they dance freely even if no music is playing. Improv also lets you get comfortable with new music and styles, and a great tool for aspiring choreographers. In my opinion the best part of improve is that it is limitless and carefree. It is one of the truest expressions in dance because there are truly no rules.

~Julia Brewer