Reuse your old tights

makeroomforstyle.blogspot.com

If you have a lot of tights you may like this article. You don't even have to have any dancers in the family.

Top Three Low-Tech Props For Little Dancers | Dance Advantage

This year I have been teaching a creative dance class for 8 and 9 year old girls. I am always looking for ideas to help them explore movement and to find confidence in themselves. This link below is great to share with you because it gives you an idea of what a creative dance class is like, and to give you ideas if you ever have a time where you are teaching young ones. They love to move, and moving is a great way to learn.

Top Three Low-Tech Props For Little Dancers | Dance Advantage

Dance Night

Here they are waiting for their dates. Don't they look handsome.

G's first date.

T's third time to sweethearts with her. They have a lot of fun together. Both boys went with different groups and both had a great time.

Sweethearts dance

Uhhh...not ready for this one to turn 16 and be dating. Here he is checking out his room that was decorated by a cute girl asking him to the Sweethearts dance. He had to find the balloon with her name on to find out who was asking. He responded with a tub of ice cream and re-labled it saying, "Ice screamed when I saw my room. I would love to go to sweethearts with you." What a fun time of life. Wonder if he'll mind if I tag along:) JK!

December Happenings

Here is the daughter at her first piano recital. She said she was nervous, but I couldn't tell.
Here is Son #1 with his date for the Yule Ball. So handsome! And I've gotta get me a dress like that. It was so beautiful.

How to do the Footloose line dance.

Just thought you might like an easy Footloose line dance. I'm not sure who this is either, but it is simple but fast. Great workout. Good luck!

I'm also trying to distract you from noticing that I didn't run today. You see the truth is I teach some dance classes and today about killed me. I will be doing day 6 tomorrow. It's getting a little cold outside, might have to find my running gloves and beanie cap.

Odessey Dance Company's "Thriller"

This weekend our family went to a fun Halloween dance concert. Before and after the concert the Thriller zombies were wandering around scaring people. My kids loved it and look forward to it every year. Kodos to the young dancers who never come out of character. Except for my daughter who played along so well. She was the only one to get them to smile and even got a high five.

Thriller Line Dance

There are a bunch of Thriller line dances on Youtube but, this one is easy and fun.

You can all learn this and do it at your Halloween parties next weekend.

Five Reason's Your Dancers should take Creative/Modern Dance

I found this great article about Modern Dance. If you have a child who loves to dance or you have one in a studio without modern dance classes you should consider this.

5 Ways Postmodern Dance Principles Can Positively Impact Your Studio.

1. Creates a sense of individuality
Postmodern dance is more about discovering your own unique voice through movement than imitating an already prescribed aesthetic. While most studio class offerings ask students to replicate shapes, tricks and routines, postmodern dance asks students to explore their own movement vocabulary through dance improvisation. Having students explore movement from a “personal place” can enhance their sensitivity towards dance and help them find new meaning and joy through personalized movement.

2. Promotes creative composition
Have you ever had a student say, “I don’t know what to do next!” when choreographing? Postmodern dance principles promote a sense of creative choreography in young dancers. It leans them away from relying on familiar steps or classroom exercises to constitute choreography, asking the dancers to improvise new movement, try out new ideas, and think about choreography as an ongoing creative process versus an end result for show.

3. Focuses on process over product
While every studio wants to have their students perform at a high level, most end up putting pressure on students to deliver an impressive end product. With a postmodern approach to studio directing and classroom instruction, students can feel free to enjoy the process of rehearsing, choreographing and training as much as the final outcome. Traditional students put all of the emphasis on the performance day, the big year-end recital, or the national competition. Postmodern principles require that dancers and instructors engage in the process of creating new work, not just look forward to the end product.

4. Promotes a balance between artistry and technique
Postmodern training encourages dancers to be more than mere technicians and helps to develop living artists that have emotions and individuality on stage. Excellent virtuosic technique is great to have, but so is a sense of self and a true “identity” while performing. Most dancers can channel familiar emotions of happiness and sadness. The postmodern approach to emotion is one of discovery, requiring dancers to move from a deeper level and tap into real emotions and experiences. This approach can help set your studio dancers apart from “everyone else” in the large and rather competitive dance world.

5. Lessens the fear of competition
Speaking of competition, in case you didn’t know—the dance world is full of competition. Not every studio participates in organized competitions, yet owners have to work to get students in their studios, solo artists have to compete for grant money, and dance companies compete for funding. In fact, there are elements of competition in just about every aspect of dance. Post modern dance tells us to think of competition as a chance to share yourself with the world. Young dancers given the opportunity to show their talent, drive and passion to the world while others do the same develop a “sharing” approach to all aspects of dance competition making it seem less scary to the young dancer. With the absence of fear, students have a better shot at performing to their full potential—whether that happens to be a national competition, admission to a college dance company, or even secure funds for an artistic endeavor. Post modern dance celebrates creativity and uniqueness. If dancers can learn at a young age that it is okay to be unique, they will have less fear, anxiety and self consciousness when approaching “competitive” situations. In turn they will feel eager to share their unique gifts with the dance world. This type of confidence and sense of self is priceless for an aspiring dancer.

Ballroom Dancing

Today I had a few free hours so I went to a Ballroom Dance competition. There were a boat load of dancers from all ages. The music was beautiful and so were their dresses. I think we all should have to dress up like that every once in a while. That would be so fun. I know my husband would rather die though.

I actually went to see my niece compete, but they changed the time she would be dancing for later, so I missed it. I hung out for a couple of hours anyways and completely enjoyed myself. I'll have to catch her next time.