Hit The Spot

“It's not magic! It's physics. The speed of the turn is what keeps you upright.”

 -Deborah Bull

Spotting is a concept widely understood by dancers, but can be very confusing to the average observer. Spotting is the way in which a dancer completes their rotations during turns such as in chaines, pirouettes, piques, fouettes or alsicones. It requires you to fixate your eyes on a nonmoving object or image that is at your same level height. Spotting helps your turns rotate with control, and gives you the ability to complete multiple, all while preventing dizziness and loss of control. When spotting it’s important to keep your body position and alignment centered and tight, the spot is not the only piece of the turn that keeps you going. To complete a solid turn you must also have strong arms, a high releve, straight leg, straight hips and back, shoulders down and an engaged core. Just never forget that you need all of these to have a successful turn, with the assistance of a sturdy, controlled spot to keep you locked in at the same location you began at.

 

~Julia Brewer

Split-Second Timing

“Dancing is like bank robbery, it takes split-second timing.”

 -Twyla Tharp

Whenever one is dancing with a partner or group it’s vital that timing matches everyone. There are counts in a dance to keep everyone on the same beat and look in unison. Of course there are times when you are noticeably not supposed to look identical, but in the cases where you are, it is essential that you meet the standards of matching.

If you think about a part of your routine where everyone is supposed to match, imagine a photographer taking a time lapse photograph of all of you. The images should all seem like you are moving as one. Angles, positioning, lengths should all look identical, and match each other. It is difficult to come to this point as some turns shift in rotation and spot, some leaps are higher than other creating some legs coming down to soon.

There is no doubt matching to music, timing and each other can be struggle, but with heavy concentration of all of these, timing and matching will surely become cleaner and crisper.

~Julia Brewer

Ballet Base

“On the plié and rélevé is based the whole structure of the classical ballet. “

 -Christian Johansson

Ballet is the base or foundation in every style of dance there is offered, their fundamentals are worked to incorporate the ballet foundation. The technique, discipline, structure and concepts are portrayed through the styles of other dances. Therefore, in order to master other dance styles in the industry you must first be well rounded in the most important structure, which is of course ballet.

Some may say that you don’t actually need ballet in a dance schedule, or that ballet isn’t really used in all forms of dance. I do not agree with this at all. Ballet is used in jazz, modern, lyrical, contemporary, ballroom, pointe, hip-hop, acrobatics and tap.

Jazz hold ballet in its core with the need of balance. Balance is a great category in the field of ballet and requires you to have a strong core, spot and strength in muscles. These requirements must be possessed to perform a piece of jazz choreography to its fullest potential. This is because jazz contains many elements containing turns, jumps, leaps. The angle of the body would become awkward and incorrect if the body’s balance didn’t help control the jazz elements. Ballet is also a base for jazz in essence of the technique. A dancer would not be able to execute the releve of a pirouette, the straddle for a center leap or the stretch of a battement if the basics of ballet were not learned.

Modern dance uses the plie one must acquire through the construction of ballet. The body’s center is the basis for dancing in modern, it requires a strong center and control, deep within the dancer's body but dancers are free to deviate from this axis as well. Ballet plays a role in the balance and grand plie of modern, however the difference in modern is the body is constantly at a free move within that axis as the modern style is a motion of gravity pulling you down.

Lyrical’s foundation is made from the fusion of jazz and ballet, therefore ballet plays a huge role in the lyrical style. Again, lyrical dances rely on a centered axis of balance from the education of ballet. Lyrical also depends on the correct placement of ballet technical skills. Lyrical uses more pointed feet and strong ankles, clean lines, light footed movements and turn out from the hips.

Contemporary dancing is the most modern style for slow pieces of choreography. Its roots are much more based off of modern styles rather than traditional, but it still hold the ideas of ballet in its framework. The main similarity is in the slow music of the routine, but also including a fast pace area to crescendo. However this is only true in some cases as contemporary can range from delicate to riveting, taking spins off of jazz, lyrical and modern. Which In this case all three of the spinoffs use the elements of ballet in their structure, which translates to the use of ballet in the contemporary style as well.

Ballroom uses many intricate footwork patterns that are used from the base of ballet, as well as body lines. I do not know much about ballroom dance, but from observing, it is noticeable to see the straight lines used in both styles and the elaborate footwork that goes into each. Ballroom also uses skills from head, arms, body, leg and feet technique.

Pointe obviously requires an immense amount of training in ballet. Ballet gives pointe every element it needs to be successful. The only true difference between the two is the difficulty level. It takes a very advanced ballet dancer to properly complete the facilities of a pointe routine. This mastery comes with being a top of the block of a pointe shoe and completing the already mastered ballet ideas.

Hip-hop may seem farther from the roots of ballet, but there is definitely works of ballet in hip-hop. For example a well-rounded dancer will be able to compete a ballet dance just as meticulous and fluid as they would a hip-hop. Hip-hop uses ballet’s grand plie enormously. A large grand position in hip-hop is very important. It helps hip-hop dancers give illusions of bigger movement and change within a piece of choreography. It’s what helps them get down and low.

Acrobatics takes ballet to a whole new level. Acrobatics and ballet both center on the athlete’s body movements requiring strength, balance, flexibility and artistry to be displayed in performance. Although acrobatics requires a different type of technique they both have elements that share common qualities and are essential to the formation of each.

Tap is the final style I will relate to the base of ballet. One of the most basic executions in a tap dance is a shuffle, and in order to complete this shuffle, a dancer must be able to point the ankle and bring it forward and backwards. Tap is its own language, but for some of the most basic moves, ballet is a fundamental that is needed.

My message is to inform that ballet is the most important dance style. It is used in nearly every form of dance imaginable in one way or another, Please take ballet seriously and work hard to improve on all the elements, skills and technique it requires.

 

~Julia

Floating Floors

“Dancing is the world's favorite metaphor.”

- Kristy Nilsson

I attend the new studio of Extensions Dance Academy in Cedar Rapids. At the studio we have two dance studios that contain Harlequin floors, and one room with wooden floors that are used for tap. This is my first year on the new floors, and although it took some adjustment I have learned to love them all they are doing to help my body.

Here is an excerpt from my studios website http://www.extensionsdanceacademy.com/about/our-facility/

Dance is a very physical activity that can put a lot of stress on the bones and joints. Most dance footwear provides very little, if any, cushioning or support, so the shock of dance movement can place a lot of pressure on the knees and back of a dancer. The best way to prevent against potential injury is by choosing a studio with a professional “floating floor”. A floating floor is a dance floor that rests on a system of high-density foam, to absorb the shock of landing. A high-density foam base is superior to a “sprung” floor, which usually consists of a wood structure built on a regular floor. The top layer of the dance floor is also important. A vinyl and rubber composite “harlequin” floor is accepted as the best surface layer for recreational to professional dance. Facilities such as the Joffrey Ballet of New York and Chicago, American Ballet Theater of New York, and Riverdance are just a few of the many professional dance organizations that use harlequin floors as their dance surface. A harlequin floor will protect your child from slips and falls as well as overuse injuries and muscle fatigue.

This floor has proven benefits to me as I have previous knee pain and injuries from dancing on concrete and gym floors for dance team. I feel less pain than I usually would and for that I am grateful. I believe that the outcomes from this floor are so beneficial and should be spread to all dance studios, to give relief to dancer’s body, they will not be young forever.

~Julia Brewer

School Dances for a Dancer

“I try to dress classy and dance cheesy.”

-Psy

School dances are a lot different than any other type of dance style recognized by a competitive or professional dancer. My experience of school dances is held at the high school level, with narrow knowledge as I have only attended four of my high school dances, with most of my understanding coming from the fall Homecoming dance held each year at my school. Let me tell you high school dances are not just your average fist bumping middle school parties, they are an all-out rave.

These high school dances resemble a mass huddle of people surrounding the DJ, moving together to the beat of the music in a hot, sweaty and condensed area. When you flash back to the moment, it can make you feel uncomfortable, because in that moment you were sweating with exhaust, hair falling out and next to all your peers that you are going to see at school in two days acting like absolutely nothing odd happened, because, well everyone was doing it. Administration is walking through the crowds of teenagers making sure everyone is being “appropriate” and respecting each other’s bodies.

The music is loud and the room is dark, with the exception of the DJ’s light show that matches the music. Vibes can be killed to the high school students when the songs they would rather listen to are interrupted by the chicken dance, Macarena, YMCA, cha cha slide, and sometimes the frustration of too many slow songs. Why is that high school students only feel comfortable dancing to crazy, loud, popular songs?

School dances look like a mass gathering of people all on each other like they are attacking a football during the most important game of the season. The upperclassmen gather nearer to the DJ, while the underclassman head for the back unsure for what they are about to be exposed to. By the end you can typically find all grades bumping and grinding with each other. Recounting what it looks like is a prickly subject, so I’m going to move on.

The scent you receive by the end of the night is absolutely horrid. As I mentioned everyone is sweating profusely, releasing extreme amounts of body odor in one area that is not enjoyable for anyone. It doesn’t help that the area is usually in a gym, therefore when a massive student body is contained in it, it gets very humid and hot, extremely quickly. Guys are most typically wearing pants and long shirts, which results in them becoming quite stinky, and girls tend to get hot all the time anyway, so it’s just a sweaty mess of body odor across the whole gym, being transferred to everyone in the clutter of people. Please put on your deodorant people!

School dances can be what you least anticipate as a freshman, but become fairly expectant as you become more accustomed to them. Although the sight, smell, feel, and sound may be uncomfortable, they are fun and I hope that all high school students take the opportunity to attend at least one of their high school dances, whether they are known as a blast or bust.

~Julia Brewer

Turning Like A Top

“Dancing faces you towards Heaven, whichever direction you turn.”

-Terri Guillemets

Turns can be a struggle if you are attempting to do them on an unfamiliar surface. Typically a studio contains all the same flooring, therefore you become accustomed to that surface for turns, and when attempting to turn on anything other than it, your turning capabilities seem to differentiate. In order for a dancer to have their turns under control, they must learn to adjust to any surface and still contain consistent turns.

Turning can differ by surface, for example, you may be used to turning on wood, so when you try to turn on Marley it is more difficult, and uses more of a push, because Marley is a stickier surface than wood. Gym floors all differ tremendously, and can also be struggle some. If the gym recently had wresting mats down, the floor is more neutral, not super sticky, but also not too slick. If the gym floor was recently used by volleyball or basketball it tends to be stickier, and in need of a greater push to get rotations around. Finally if the gym floor was just swept and cleaned it will be very slippery and turns may not have much control. A dancer has to know their floor to enable them to turn like a top.

There are always tricks to get better turns, no matter the surface, a dancer can train their body to turn anywhere. It takes practice and several attempts, but it's learning what positioning your body needs to be in for the best results. A trick that I have learned is applied to the dance shoe, and that is either water or deodorant. If the floor is too sticky for your liking, it's easier to make your turns more slippery by applying deodorant under your turning shoe and then rubbing the shoes together, transferring some deodorant to the opposite shoe while leaving the majority on the turning foot. The other application can be used on the use of floors that are overly slippery. The option for a slick floor is to use water to tighten up the turn, or I know gross, but licking your hand and putting it on the shoe. It's a little bit gross, but if need be in a hurry it is very efficient. The last option that can be applied to a dance shoe to make it stickier is spraying perfume on the bottom. It pulls the shoe’s bottom together tighter, and makes the turn seem fresher as if the shoe is brand new.

Some stages are just too slippery and not ready to be performed on by dancers who are going to be doing a mass amount of turns. In order to take away the chances of a slip some directors may take cola bottles and pour them across the floor. It’s reliable on making the floor less slippery, but don’t take my word on the mess, stink, cost it may result in.

Keep turning like a top and practice on various dance floor surfaces to build up your muscles and releve in order to perform on any floor. It takes a lot of work, but you can use some of these sneaky tips and tricks to help you along the way.

~Julia Brewer

 

 

 

 

Steps To Use A Snap Bun Maker

“On the highest peak of the heavens, angels glanced at the sky and saw a glimpse of a gateway to a world of artists whose guardians were dancers.”

-Shah Asad Rizvi

 

Step 1- Buy the snap bun maker

You obviously have to purchase the snap bun maker to create the snap bun hairstyle. They are available at dance retailers online, Claire’s, studios and some drug stores. The brand I use is from the company Hairagami.

Step 2- Slick hair back into a ponytail

Use either hairspray or hair gel to click back a tightly secured ponytail on your head. Using hairspray or hair gel helps in reducing fly aways, giving a professional look to the bun when it is finished.

Step 3- Use the snap bun maker to create the bun

First split it in half so that one side covers the back of the ponytail and the other side covers the front of the ponytail. Be sure the middle part between the snaps is not twisted, if it is twisted than the bun will not snap in a direction after the hair is gathered. Next, take both ends and slide it down your ponytail. It is easiest to go the farthest down, but not too far to the point that layers are falling out. Finally you need to roll the bun maker in a circular motion, coming toward the top of your ponytail. Note that if you roll it upwards the bun will clasp in the back, and if you roll it downward it will clasp in the front. Either method works to create the bun, however I prefer rolling it upward so that if it isn’t created perfectly, it is more messy in the back than in the front, and easier to fix.

Step 4- Pull the bun tight

Once you make the bun the back of the bun maker will still be exposed. To complete the whole bun you have to take from the front corner bun and pull it a motion that moves it to the back of then bun. This makes the bun look fuller and not sparse in the back.

Step 5- Secure bun to the head

To secure the bun to the head you need to use bobby pins. Open the bobby pins and split them between the fly away hair and hair on head, push them inward so that the open part is inside of the bun. Also use hairspray to keep fly aways around the hair line and bun contained. Some dancers also use one last ponytail around the bun to make sure it does not wiggle on tricks or turns.

Hopefully these steps help to make the perfect dancer bun.

~Julia Brewer