Dance Blog Spotlight
Dance Blog Spotlight: Rogue Ballerina
Today I’d like to welcome fellow Chicago blogger Vicki Crain to the Dance Blog Spotlight–
Vicki Crain of Rogue Ballerina
1. Can you tell readers a bit about your background in dance?
I started taking dance lessons when I was little – jazz, tap, tumbling – adding in ballet around 6th grade. After taking a few years off for extra curricular activities with school (choir, band, cheerleading), I came back to dance. I was a founding member of the Decatur Ballet Company (tiny) and joined the Springfield Ballet Company, where I danced on and off for 15 years.
I also performed with the Twin Cities Ballet in Bloomington, IL. I taught jazz, tap and pointe classes and managed the affiliated school in Springfield, while finishing my degree in English. Once in Chicago, I danced for a season with Zephyr Dance and for a number of years with a production company, while also serving as President’s Assistant/Dance Captain/Casting Director/Girl Friday. It was a blast!
2. When did you begin your blog—and why did you start it?
Dance Blog Spotlight: Dave Tries Ballet
Today on 4dancers we are pleased to feature “Dave Tries Ballet” as our Dance Blog Spotlight for January…it’s a fun read–be sure and check it out!
Dave
1. Can you tell readers a bit about your background in dance?
Umm… I don’t have any background! When I first started taking ballet last year I had no experience in any kind of dance – I’m a maths/computer science PhD student so this was way out of my comfort zone! Now though, I guess I can put down over 150 ballet classes, some partnering, a little bit of jazz, a couple of classes in contemporary and even a performance on stage! Plus, I’m hoping to add some tap to that list very soon!
2. When did you begin your blog—and why did you start it?
I first started DaveTriesBallet about 18 months ago. Initially it was just a twitter account – I was pretty nervous about starting ballet and I saw it as a way to get advice and inspiration. Following a few emails to David at BalletForMen.com he suggested I start a blog. He thought it might be interesting to see the journey from the eyes of an adult beginner. I haven’t looked back since…
Dance Blog Spotlight: Maria’s Movers, Move. Create. Educate.
Each month we are featuring a different dance blog on our “spotlight” at 4dancers. Here’s the one we have chosen for December–Maria’s Movers, Move. Create. Educate.
Maria Hanley
1. Can you tell readers a bit about your background in dance?
I grew up dancing. Since the age of 3 I loved it. I think that might be why I love teaching 3′s so much. My Mom and Dad signed me up for dance because they thought it would bring me out of my shell! I think it worked, but not until later in my life.
The thing is I never wanted to be a professional dancer, I always wanted to be a dance educator. When I was at college for dance so many of my classmates wanted to be professional dancers. I remember one of my professors saying to the class of aspiring dancers, ” teaching will always be your fallback.” I never agreed. I work hard everyday to make sure I am a loving and creative dance educator who really want kids to love and appreciate dance.
2. When did you begin your blog—and why did you start it?
I started Maria’s Movers, Move. Create. Educate. because I wanted a place to keep and share my ideas. When I first started out, I had trouble finding people who wanted to talk about teaching young children. I thought this would be a way I could talk about it and whoever wanted to talk, read, and join in was welcome. It has become such an amazing resource for me and I hope other dance educators find it useful too.
3Dance Blog Spotlight: Dance Advantage
Today on Dance Blog Spotlight we have Dance Advantage–one of the leading blogs about dance on the web. Read about how Nichelle got started on this endeavor below…
Nichelle Strzepek, Photo by Lorie Garcia, Studio 4d4, Satin Stitch, Frame Dance Productions
1. Can you tell readers a bit about your background in dance?
I grew up in a small town, next to a slightly larger college town in Pennsylvania. I was very involved in the arts: community musicals, school plays, band, church choirs, color guard, and of course dance. My childhood dance school is a pretty typical ballet/tap/jazz studio, with one exception, and that is that the owner’s specialty is none of those. In her “creative modern” classes movement is a medium and she helps children and youth “paint” their own pictures, giving them the structure and the tools to express themselves artistically. It’s creative movement very much in line with Virginia Tanner and Anne Green Gilbert. I firmly believe that foundation and the care with which it was provided is why I am still in love with dance today.
I did it ALL at that studio from about age 5 through high school. It was not a pre-professional dance education but when I majored in dance, what I lacked in training I made up in enthusiasm, dedication, and diligence. The technique came along and I had some fantastic teachers. I married my husband halfway through college and when I finished, I did a lot of teaching in all kinds of environments: college, studios, community programs, homeschool groups, theaters. I danced in a few modern dance companies and choreographed at every opportunity.
Though I’ll admit there have been times I’ve wished I was just spectacular at ONE thing, I am a Jack of all trades (master of none) with a variety of experiences and skill sets. It’s not a bad place to be, actually.
4Dance Blog Spotlight: Tights And Tiaras
Welcome back to our new feature “Dance Blog Spotlight” where we will be highlighting some of the best dance blogs on the web! Last month we turned the spotlight on Tendus Under A Palm Tree, and this month we have Henrik, the author/creator of Tights And Tiaras – another one of my all-time favorites!
Tights And Tiaras Creator, Henrik Lamark
1. Can you tell readers a bit about your background in dance?
I have been dancing all my life. When I was a kid, my parents tell me, I was running around the house doing all sorts of movements all the time, and I told my mother I wanted to be a dancer already when I was three years old. But it wasn’t as easy as it sounds, I was born with a severe hip-displacement, and went through extensive surgeries when I was about 6 to 8 years old. After a recovery-period, I finally started dancing ballet at a local studio. From there, it’s been a bumpy road, but always heading for the same goal I set out as a three year old: I’m going to be a dancer. And a dancer I became. Today I have been working professionally with ballet and dance since I graduated from ballet academy several years ago.
2. When did you begin your blog—and why did you start it?
0Dance Blog Spotlight: Tendus Under A Palm Tree
Welcome to the latest 4dancers feature–Dance Blog Spotlight! Each month we will be highlighting a blog on the web that we want to share with readers, and this month it is Tendus Under A Palm Tree. Read on to learn more about the author and what kind of content you can expect to see on this wonderful site!
Rebecca King
Can you tell readers a bit about your background in dance? I am a Corps de Ballet dancer with Miami City Ballet and have been with the company for five years.
When did you begin your blog- and why did you start it? I began my blog, Tendus Under A Palm Tree, in June of 2010. I have always enjoyed writing and the idea of starting a blog had come up before, but I was not convinced that people would be interested in what I had to say. One morning, in the middle of the company’s summer layoff, I was sitting in my apartment and came across a friend’s blog, http://rhymeswithdarling.blogspot.com. I realized that there was indeed an online demand for the writings of a professional ballet dancer. On a whim, Tendus Under A Palm Tree was conceived. Since then I have become very dedicated to this venture; I take it very seriously and consider it to be a part of my job.
The career of a ballet dancer is fleeting and can often be cut short without warning. As a result, dancers find it necessary to prepare themselves with a career back-up plan. These days, social media is a rapidly growing field that is becoming infinitely more important to businesses. In the future I can see myself pursing work in this area as a career transition, and Tendus Under A Palm Tree is a perfect way to gain experience.
What does your blog cover?
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