dancers
Feet–Glorious Feet
by Stacey Pepper Schwartz
Summer is a time when you see people walk around in bare feet. Usually I only see this in a creative movement or modern dance classes. People can be very shy about their feet. We tend to see feet as a mode of transportation instead of a body part. We hide our feet in shoes, boots or sneakers. But in summertime out come the feet. Sandals, flip flops, and yes, sometimes bare naked. Around Memorial day I heard a lot of my friends proclaiming they needed pedicures because summer was coming. I found this comment so strange because I don’t feel feet need to be dressed up to be shown in public.
Most kids love to pull off their shoes and socks the moment they get a chance. Whenever I ask my daughter to take off her shoes, her shoes come off and then her socks fly off in two different directions. I can’t keep track of her socks because I can’t keep them on her feet. At some point, maybe in the teenage years when feet start to sweat or smell, people become shy or even disgusted by feet. Now is the time to explore our glorious feet because they are not hidden away in some formidable boots.
10 Questions With…Summer Templin Culp
This week 10 Questions With… features Summer Templin Culp…
Summer Templin Culp
1. How did you become involved with dance?
I grew up in a small town (less than 2000 people) and when I was young, there were not any dance teachers or studios in the area. My father took me to see dance concerts whenever they were nearby, but although I loved dance very much and would dance in my own living room or back yard, I was never able to take classes.
When I was 14, a dance studio opened in a town that was about an hour and a half away and I enrolled in every class that I could on Tuesdays and Saturdays – my parents would take turns driving me to dance class and I was able to take 8 hours of classes per week in this manner. When I turned 16, my parents moved across the state, to a much larger town, and I was able to enroll in a conservatory training program, dancing 6 days per week.
2. What are you currently doing in the field?
I currently teach ballet and modern to ages 4 – adult. I have just recently moved, but prior to my move I was dancing with an aerial dance company and a modern dance company. I am looking for additional performance opportunities in my new community.
3. Would you share a special moment from your career with readers?
The first person I remember seeing on stage as a dancer has been an incredible inspiration to me throughout my life. In college, I asked her to be a part of a choreographic project in which she collaborated with the director of the ballet company I danced for and one of my modern teachers to create a cohesive piece of choreography which displayed my talents as a dancer and performer. The experience of being able to work with three of my mentors at the same time was absolutely awe-inspiring. I wish everyone would have such an opportunity!
4. What is the best advice you have received from a teacher or mentor?
On Giving Back…Part 1
Today we have part one of two from Contributor Lucy Vurusic Riner–tune in on Wednesday to read the rest–
Lucy Vurusic Riner
I didn’t really begin my dance training until high school. My mom signed me up for ballet and tap as a little girl and I hated it. It wasn’t until I was a sophomore in high school that I decided I wanted to take another stab at it.
I had my share of disappointments but I worked twice as hard to make up for lost time in training. And although I have come across my fair share of nay-sayers, the people that had the biggest influences on my life were my dance teachers. I had some bad ones, we all do, but the ones that I attribute to getting me to where I am today always had my best interests at heart. Those teachers never told me I had the wrong body, never told me I started too late in life, and never made me feel like I didn’t have choices.
The good teachers recognized my strengths and gave me options on where those strengths might lead me. The good teachers never tell you that you won’t make it. Simply put, they can’t know that.
Over the last 20 odd years I have found myself in every position a dancer might have to take on to make ends meet. I started humbly, by moving to New York over a summer and trying to find “gigs.” These were most notably at conventions, conferences, even a bar mitzah. When New York quickly lost it’s luster (for me) I came back to Chicago, finished school by getting a teaching certificate and began teaching high school dance.
I danced with several companies, produced my own shows, and soon learned that in most small to mid-level companies I would serve dual roles as a dancer and (in my case) benefit coordinator, board member, dancer liaison, etc. Last year I decided to start my dance company so that I could focus on choreography and arts administration a bit more. I’m sharing this information because through all of these experiences I have met dancers from every walk of life who share their “training experiences” with me. The stories that always get to me are of the teacher that might have told them to throw in the towel; or that thought that by knocking them down, they would stand up stronger. And it is because of those experiences that I compiled a new list (my last one went over pretty well) on “Giving Back to Your Students”…
0The Sweet Spot
Today I’d like to introduce 4dancers newest contributor, who will be writing about “So You Think You Can Dance”, among other things. Read more about Kimberly Peterson’s background in her bio at the end of this post, and be sure and chime in if you have something to add to what she has said here. I’m thrilled to have her aboard…
You’ll find her writing to be more than a mere “re-hash” of the show, but rather a closer look at some of the deeper issues that are raised by it. Read on… – Catherine
Many dancers have been told of the illusive “sweet spot”, wherein very nearly all aspects of technique, movement elements and principles are present in a singular body.
This perfectly technical and yet expressive dancer is also inherently malleable, utilized simultaneously as both tool and material, from which a choreographer can construct their vision. It’s the purpose of the show, So You Think You Can Dance, to find a dancer who has found this illusive “sweet spot”.
While specializing in one particular genre, each dancer is tested and pushed to the limit in any number of genres from the highly classical and technical, to the guttural nature of street dance and every point in between. As the season gets underway, the audition process reveals much about the connections between genres, technique, performance and this “sweet spot”.
Watching the audition process and looking back over the previous seasons, there seems to be a clear pattern between the style of dance a dancer specializes in and the probability of getting straight through to Vegas vs. the choreography round. While open and aware of the trends and upcoming genres, it appears that certain styles do seem to lend themselves better than others to success in both the audition round as well as future success on the show.
5Use Social Media To Your Advantage
There are many ways to use social media. You can connect with other dancers in the field, keep up on the latest happenings in terms of a company you like–or get the word out about your latest performances.
But don’t overlook sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn for things such as research.
If you are going to be interviewing for a job somewhere, check out the LinkedIn profile of the organization, or peek at their Facebook page for the latest info. Many employers are doing just that these days when it comes to screening potential applicants–why shouldn’t you use it to your advantage as well?
You just might pick up on a detail that will help you get the gig.
Swimmers Vs. Dancers
Want to know who is more fit when you compare international swimmers and international ballet dancers? Check out the findings on this Scientific Blogging site–then let me know if you expected the answer–or if you were surprised.
A Quick Dance Quote…
Thought I would start the week with a lovely dance quote that I just heard…
“Always the question for dancers is: Can we fly?” – Jean-Christophe Malio
Now that I am not able to soar through the air as I once was, I do miss that feeling. I used to love to practice leaps, and see how high I could get…or how much distance I could travel. Not everyone gets to experience that type of sensation–especially propelled by their own body.
It’s an amazing thing.
Dance Professionals: Why You Need Social Media
Think you can do without social media? Perhaps you’d better think again…
Social media is fast becoming an important part of an overall marketing strategy and it continues to be embraced by a wide range of people. I fought it in the beginning, but I had to give in eventually!
I have found a great resource from Kodak that gives some terrific tips and strategies for utilizing various social networking platforms to your advantage. It also has some interesting stats in the document, such as:
Each minute, ten hours of video is uploaded to YouTube. This could be a commercial for your studio or a clip of you dancing that you link to from your website. You never know who might see the video.
There are 44 million (and counting) Twitter users. Can you afford to ignore them? I have had companies in the dance field contact me for reviews, interviews and other opportunities. It happens. Signing up takes only a minute. (Follow 4dancers!)
Over 120 million people log on to Facebook at least once a day. Creating a fan page or a place to connect with people on this social media site can be useful for communicating information. (Why not join our fan page too while you’re at it?)
If you haven’t signed on to the social media scene yet, why not begin today. Start simple. Set up a Twitter account or a LinkedIn page. Take it one step at a time. You’ll thank yourself later on down the road…trust me.
Social Media For Dancers: Branding
If you are looking to firm up your “brand” on social media, there is much to know. Whether you are a dance studio owner trying to present a certain image or a freelance dancer looking to get noticed, knowing good branding techniques can help you out.
There is a great piece on this–100 Personal Branding Tactics Using Social Media–that offers tips on everything from adding a link to your blog in your e-mail signature block to commenting on other blogs. Take a peek and see what you can use…
Facebook For Dancers: Fan Page Or Group?
If you plan on using Facebook to market your dance studio (or yourself), you’ll need to decide if you want to do a group or a fan page. What are the advantages and disadvantages to these? Find out on this great page that gives you a simple chart to compare the two. You can weigh the differences and decide what works better for your particular situation.
(And come join the new 4dancers fan page if you haven’t already!)
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