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

Dream

Last year I had the opportunity to choreograph a junior lyrical piece for the competitive team at one of the studios I was working for. While it may sound silly this was totally a dream come true for me! I absolutely love doing choreography and for many years as I moved to various cities around the country with my husband I didn't have the opportunity to get involved with the competitive dance scene anywhere that I taught. Finally after settling down in Calgary I had that chance!

I chose to choreograph my piece to the beautiful and thought provoking song Dream by Priscilla Ahn. Such an inspiring piece of music, that reminds us of the dreams we had as children and then allows you to refelct on what you have done with those dreams.
For me I have done my absolute best to live them. Things obviously haven't worked out exactly the way that my young 8 year old mind envisioned. But I have done all that I could to live my life in pursuit of my dreams. Dance has always been my greatest passion and while I could not actualize my dreams of becoming a prima ballerina or even a full time dancer in another style, due to physical limitations, I have lived my dream by becoming the best dancer I could and then going on to share my love and passion for dance with children of all ages all over the country.

For me dance is life. And life would not exist the way that it does if I didn't have it. To many this may make no sense, but I know that all you other dancers out there can understand completely. And so I say to you all contuiniue to live your dreams and never lose hope. If you haven't achieved them yet there is always time. And if you have there are always new ways to keep on dreaming.

Jordan

Ballet Art

Recently an old friend of mine posted a link to this Etsy Shop on her art blog. I immediately loved all the amazing and interesting dance art that this artist has to offer. Thought you may be interested in checking it out!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BalletArt

Sarah McLachlan & The Alberta Ballet

So I am thrilled about the upcoming new work and world premiere of Alberta Ballet's performance Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, set to the music of legendary Canadian artist Sarah McLachlan. This performance promises to be an amazing experience for ballet lovers and music lovers alike! The combination of Sarah McLachlan's genius music and incredible voice, with the equistite technique and effortless movement of the Alberta Ballet dancers will certainly be a night to remember!

If you are interested in learning more about this amazingly Canadian artistic debut check out the links below.

http://www.albertaballet.com/page/sarah-mclachlan/1000552

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/theatre/photos-sarah-mclachlan-at-alberta-ballet/article1936996/

And if you are interested in purchasing tickets so you can attend this incredible night I think there are still a few available!

http://ticket.albertaballet.com/single/psDetail.aspx?psn=306


Jordan

My New Blog

Welcome to my new blog dedicated to my passion for dance! Through this blog I hope to share the beauty of this disciplined art form with dancers and non dancers alike. If you are even a little interested by the rigors of dance, the dedication, or the artistry of dance then this blog is for you! I hope to share dance stories, experiences, tips and inspiration from my own life as well as highlight some of the many stories of talented dancers across our country. Canada has much to offer and the dance world here is simply brimming with talent! I won't be able to ignore all the other great talent around the world but I will make a special effort to keep you in the know about who's great here in Canada! I hope you are able to sit back and enjoy a little bit of art and inspiration from Dance As Life.


Jordan