Winter Warm-Up Wear

Well its that time of year again when the snow starts piling up, the winter wear comes out and the heat is constantly cranked. Let's face it dancers we live in Canada and it's chilly here throughout the winter months. You arrive at the studio all bundled up in your warmest winter boots and coat and then have to take that all off to head into class wearing only a bodysuit and tights! Not exactly fun on a -20 night now is it!

As a teacher I want my students to come to class feeling comfortable and warm (there's nothing worse than freezing for the first 15 minute of class) however I have a hard time in the winter months when my students come to class wearing hoodies and baggy sweat pants. If its a particularly cold night I'll be kind and let it slide for the first exercise but usually after that I'll ask for the loose fitting clothes to come off.

The problem with wearing hoodies, sweat pants and loose fitting tops to class is that your teacher is unable to see your body. This mean they cannot tell if you are using your posture correctly and therefore cannot adequately give you corrections. It's also slightly disrespectful to the art form and can be a distraction in the classroom to you and other students (especially clothing with large logos etc.)

Dancers do not fear there is such a thing as appropriate warm-up wear . Let me share with a you a few great styles that I'm sure your teachers will be happy to let you keep on during barre, jazz warm-up or whatever class you might be taking.

These Irina & Max Warm Up Bootie Boots by Bloch are great for keeping the feet warm in the studio both before going to class and if you're hanging around for awhile waiting between classes and rehearsals. They are comfy and stylish for use at the dance school and come in a variety of colours. 

The Marcy Roll Over Waist Knit Pants are super cozy and warm. These pants are fantastic because they provide full leg coverage for optimal warmth during the coldest winter months, and are snug and fitted so do not pose any problems for the teachers ability to see and give corrections. 

This full body jumpsuit is a classic and wonderful piece of warm-up wear for any Canadian dancer. These suits can be purchased through Dance Direct and a variety of other warm-up suits can be purchased from Capezio & Bloch.

Ballet sweaters will always be around in a variety of colors and variations of the same basic style. You would be able to find something similar to these Bloch sweaters at any dance store and can often find similar styled sweaters at a variety of women's clothing stores. As long as it is fitted and snug it should be acceptable for a ballet or dance class.

Lastly a good pair of leg warmers can go a long way! They are always so cozy to wear to class and are great for keeping feet and ankles warm in the winter months. They can be found in so many different lengths, colors and styles these days so have fun! 

Cute Capezio leg warmers. 

With Christmas just around the corner these items would be great to put on your Christmas wishlist! As with any dace wear please make sure to check with your studio dress code policy before purchasing warm-up wear. Some schools only want sweaters of a certain color (ie. black) so make sure you'll be able to use what you purchase!

Also remember to shop locally and support your neighborhood dance shops- I'm sure you will be able to find similar styled items.

Happy Dancing-

Miss Jordan

What Your Ballet Teacher Is Looking For

I often find myself on constant repeat in the ballet class. I'm always looking for the same things. 

Most ballet teachers are. 

1. Strong Use of Correct Posture: As soon as a dancer becomes aware of how to properly engage the core muscles- closing the rib-cage, pulling up the lower abdominal muscles and lengthening through the obliques the ability to move forward with the learning and execution of ballet steps increases exponentially. Posture is everything in Ballet but is also 100% necessary and Jazz, Contemporary and Lyrical. Understanding how to use your posture correctly will open many doorways in dance. 

2. Dynamic Variation: Not all balletic movement should look the same. Learning how to show the different qualities of movement (slow and smooth versus sharp and quick) will ultimately improve your ability to connect with your audience but also show your teacher that you are developing more maturity as a dancer. 

3. Expression of Music: Dance is an art form. Expression is the goal and tool of artistry. If you can express something to your audience (aka your ballet teacher) you show them something interesting that catches their eye and speaks to them. Expression means sharing a piece of yourself with your viewers, it means telling your audience something, not just executing the movement correctly. 

4. Application of Technique: A dancer in Grade 3 Ballet, Grade 8 Ballet and Advanced Ballet can all show application of technique appropriate to their level. Applying your technique means using the tools the that you have learned throughout everything you do in class. Eg. going through the floor to execute a tendu shouldn't begin and end with Tendus at the barre, it should be carried forth through Battement Jete/Glisse, Grand Battements and Sautes etc. 

5. Positive Attitude: Come to class with a willingness to learn, the energy to work hard, and a readiness to take corrections. It is always so unfortunate when a student chooses to give up on something because they feel their teacher is picking on them, or not giving them enough attention. Ballet (and all dance) is a very personal art form and the student must be willing to dedicate and apply themselves at each class. There will be no improvement or lavish praise without a LOT of hard work. Bringing a positive attitude to class shows the teacher you want to learn and improve.

As I work in a "non professional" dance school I'm not expecting every student to be a prima ballerina. But I still want my students to show me that they want to be in class and that they are working hard, not for me but for their own personal success. One student may be able to pursue a career as a professional dancer while another may just develop a love for the art- but both students are valuable and important. The areas of work that have been suggested can be applied to a variety of levels and dance abilities as well as to recreational, competitive and pre-professional students. If you focus on trying to show your teachers even one of these 5 things you will see improvement in yourself and probably find more joy in your weekly classroom experience too! 

Miss Jordan 

~Live to Dance. Dance to Live.~

The Art of Dance

I've had the chance to attend a little bit of a two different dance competitions over the past few weeks and had both great and disheartening experiences. Hopefully I can explain and you will understand a little better both my like and dislike for dance competitions.

There are lots of great things about dance competitions. Dance competitions are a wonderful opportunity for young dancers to have a goal to work towards. They spend hours rehearsing and preparing group numbers, solos, duets etc. and work diligently in order to dance the best that they can. Dance competitions are also an amazing place to get another perspective on your skills and abilities as a dancer. Often teachers become so familir with a student they can miss out little details that other judges may see- both things that are great and things that could use improvement. Competitions are also a wonderful place to see other great dancers. It is always inspiring to see another group or another solo that reminds you of why you dance and just how incredible someones talent can be.

However, in my personal opinion there are also downsides to dance competitions. Sometimes in the quest for perfection of technique and group precision dancers can lose sight of the joy of dancing. While rehearsals are supposed to be hard work they should also always be a reminder of why you love to dance. Competitions are also a breeding ground for...you guessed it competitiveness! I'm not saying there is anything wrong with a little healthy competition. In fact competition is important as it often motivates one to push their limits further than they have known. But competition can also become mean and when this happens it is just simply inappropriate. Finally, probably my largest pet peeve with dance competitions, is that often in the quest for that gold medal the art of dance gets lost along the way.

Before I go on I just want to reinforce that there are always exceptions! And there are plenty of wonderful experiences to be had by attending dance competitions. I don't in any way intend to cut down something which I obviously support, having enetered students in competitons!

But back to the art thing. To me, dance is art. And art is about something bigger than a silly gold medal at a dance competition. Sure it's great to feel good enough to get a gold, but shouldn't it feel greater to know that you stuck the landing on that pirouette, you did the perfect grand jete, you got through all your fouettes, or danced your solo with more energy than you ever have before? Dance is about making a connection with your audienec, telling them a story and sharing a part of yourself with them while you are on stage. It's about doing amazing technical things and using your body as a vehicle of expression. It's about entertainment that is real, not fake. It's about feeling something so powerful that you have to dance to get it out. There are no words, just movement.

Maybe I'm a bit of a dreamer but I wish that more students were taught this. My heart always feels a little heavy when I go to competitions and see wonderful talented young dancers who don't know what dance is really about. They are there to win, or to smile, or to do great tricks. They are not there to dance. I know that being a dancer does not mean being the best. Of course it helps to be great, but you can be great at dancing and not be a great dancer. A true dancer is something special to come across. And each time I see a real dancer I hope very hard that they have the right tools to get them to where they want to go.

Like I said I'm a bit of a dreamer, but in my world one day everyone will know what dance is really about and the beauty and artistry of it all.

Jordan

Ballet Exams Are Over!

With a sigh of relief I am glad to say that Ballet exams are done! I am simply exhausted after 2 long days and glad to be home in my comfy clothes. All in all it went well, and was a wonderful first experience for me in entering exam candidates. I will most certainly look forwrad to entering students again in the future. For those of you who don't know much about ballet exams, they are somewhat similar to piano exams. There is a set syllabus for each Grade (Primary- Grade 8) and students are required to prepare the set work and then perform it (from memory) in front of an examiner, with a live pianist. It is quite a wonderful experience which really allows the girls to devleop their technique, presentation and performance qualities. As well as learning how to deal with nerves under pressure. I am so proud of all our dancers who completed their ballet exams over the past two days. Everybody worked hard and really dedicated themselves to completing their exams successfully. Of course there were a few little hiccups along the way (only to be expected) but over all things ran smoothly. Here are some photos to document my first set of RAD Ballet exams!

Exam Day

Well it's finally here. After months of hard work and diligent practice it's ballet exam day! I'm feeling nervous and excited at this point. I know just how nerve wracking exams can be for some students. But they also tend to be a great way to push and pull the best out of others. I'm hoping all my lovely little ballerinas will have a spectacular experience with their first ever ballet exam and be ready to do it all again next year! I don't have much time so I will be on my way. But I promise to take photos of the excitement and post a lovely blog after exams are all said and done later tomorrow.

Jordan

Spring Break

So I haven't exactly been motivated to write lately because I've been on Spring break and not teaching, and well, I've just been lazy! It's funny to me how one week without the usual schedule can make such a huge difference in the way you feel and what you do, or don't do!

I must confess as a former dancer and as a teacher I do now just how much of a difference a week off can make in the body of a dancer. It may seem very small- 7 days, but to a dancing body that is used to training 4 or more times a week 7 days off is a whole lot. Normally it just takes a week or so to get back to the condition you were in before your little break, and usually this is ok. If you're not training as a professional it's good to give the body a little rest. But I must confess that this week it has worried me as our ballet exams are next weekend. That's right April 8-9! And what's most terrifying is that after many months of hard work and diligent practice our girls have had 1 week to forget all their individual ballet corrections and just relax their bodies. A little scary because we will have only 1 week (2 classes) to get them back into the right mentality and physicality to go in their exams and excel! Totally do-able, but also worrisome to me- as a bit of a perfectionist of a teacher!

In any case. I'll make sure to give a report on exams once they are through.

And that's all from me right now.


Jordan

Singin' In the Rain!

I'm not sure how many of you out there have seen the famous musical, Singin' In the Rain. But it is one of my absolute favourites! The acting, comedy and spectacular musical numbers make this movie/show an absolute classic. I couldn't imagine life without it! If you haven't seen Singin' In the Rain I suggest you plan for a movie night!

Yesterday I went to HMV as I have decided to begin a collection of musical movies, and can you imagine just how excited I was when I found Singin' In the Rain for $10. A crime really but I was thrilled and immediately scooped it up to bring home and enjoy!

Then today a friend of mine posted a link to this commercial that she is in by Dove:

http://www.youtube.com/dovecanada#p/a/u/0/j_oni4ZQBUs

Great isn't it!

And then I was reminded of this number in a past episode of Glee. I know there were many who felt that this number ruined the classic song- but I loved it! I hope you enjoy a little bit of what Singin' In the Rain has to offer. It's timeless really!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbZcYy6AAGg