dancing
10 Questions With…Tammy Lechner
Tammy Lechner
Today on 10 Questions With… 4dancers welcomes Tammy Lechner…
1. How did you become involved with dance?
My mom is a dancer and I grew up dancing. I used to go with her when she taught and danced at the back of all her classes. I was her “demonstrator” at conventions and just grew up in the theatre.
2. What are you currently doing in the field?
I am currently publishing a series of dance novels. I also still teach and choreograph.
3. Would you share a special moment from your career with readers?
Firsts are always big moments in my memory. The first time I performed professionally onstage, my first successful audition, the first recital at my studio, the first student who went on to a professional career and my first book sale.
4. What is the best advice you have received from a teacher or mentor?
Do what you love and the audience will love what you do.
5. What has been your greatest challenge?
In the arts world my greatest challenges are usually around money. I find the more I let go of expectations for a certain income, the more my income increases. I wish I had discovered this earlier in my career.
6. Do you have any advice for dancers that want to go on to a professional career?
Be versatile. Learning just one syllabus is limiting. Taking class at just one studio is limiting. And always protect your body. Choreographers and instructors will sometimes push you in a way that can be damaging to your body long-term so learn about anatomy and protect yourself from injury.
7. What do you enjoy about being involved in publishing dance books?
Anyone who has danced knows that there are so many great stories to be told. It is exciting to write books for the next generation of superstars that might inspire them along the way.
8. You have also been a studio owner—what is the best thing about doing that?
My studio is like a huge extended family. The connections made through dancing will go on for generations and the lessons learned in dance class will influence so many lives.
9. What do you enjoy most about your life in dance?
I remember teaching a piece on chairs, with hats and the thought popped into my head “this is such a cool job…who else gets to dress up and hang out with a bunch of teenagers and listen to music for a living- way better than the 9-5 business suit thing”!
10. What’s next for you?
I am joining the Board of Ballet Victoria and taking my daughter to study at Los Angeles Ballet so a ballet focus right now. Who knows after that!
BIO: Tammy Lechner grew up in a dancing family and she continues to be a dedicated dancer and teacher. She was the founder and Co-Director of Dance London where she taught, ran a performance company and developed a well known special needs dance program. Tammy studied dance intensively in Canada at such establishments as Quinte and Les Ballets Jazz. Her performance career had her appearing in many commercials, television programs, films and stage productions. Currently Tammy is teaching in Victoria as well as piloting a co-curricular dance program for Glenlyon Norfolk Independent School. Tammy is a gifted teacher and choreographer with an in-depth knowledge of many dance styles. She incorporates the Paula Morgan method of teaching which combines elements from a variety of syllabus to train strong, versatile dancers. Tammy uses her motivational training skills to instil a positive attitude and self confidence in her students.
Human Kinetics Book
Tammy’s latest creative adventure is Lechner Syndications. Her desire to ignite a passion for reading in children has led her to create series about the things that kids love and to offer books containing messages that reinforce the life skills they are learning through their involvements. The dance series is the first series released by Lechner Syndications and Tammy has played a key role in all aspects of writing, cover design and marketing.
Ballet & The Body
When I quit dancing full time the thing that shocked me the most was the fact that I didn’t hurt all over anymore.
Catherine L. Tully, 1987
I had been taking class for literally as long as I could remember, and was always some combination of sore, bruised or bloody. Sometimes I was just plain tired. The funny thing is–it had become normal to me after all that time. I didn’t realize how badly my body hurt all over.
After just a few weeks of rest, I realized that I felt different. I could get out of bed in the morning and get moving right away. At night, I was no longer so tired that I would drop into bed and sleep heavy until daybreak. It was a very strange thing for me.
Throughout my adult life I have gone through periods where I work out heavy and some where I don’t. The amazing part is–I’m actually more comfortable in my own skin when I’m sore, or physically tired. As a former dancer, when I push myself to the limit of my body’s capability, it feels….right. There’s something about being truly spent that is good for the soul.
At least, if you’re a dancer.
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.
Teaching Tip: For The Older Teacher
I am a teacher who is over 40, and I have noticed a few things that I would like to pass along to teachers who are no longer dancing full-time. Please feel free to share your own if any come to mind that aren’t on this list:
+ Be sure to warm up your feet and ankles prior to teaching a class. Taking a few minutes to stretch out your Achilles tendon and calf muscles can make a world of difference. I’ve noticed that my ligaments and tendons need a little blood flow to work properly now. Demi plies and slow ankle circles make a good warm-up.
+ Choose shoes carefully. I found that once I stopped dancing full-time it was less comfortable to wear regular technique slippers. I now use “dance sneakers,” but have seen teachers wear everything from character shoes to jazz shoes for teaching class. The important things are comfort and the ability to show the steps clearly to students.
+ Utilize students for demonstration. I’m no longer up to doing a grand jete–much less doing one without having done a barre first. When you can, use a student to demonstrate steps that can possibly cause you injury. It makes the student feel good and saves your body the impact.
+ Schedule yourself sensibly. You may want to spread classes out over a few days rather than doing four of them back-to-back. Your body will tell you what it can and cannot handle, so be sure to pay attention to the signs of overdoing it. If you feel stiff, bruised or exceptionally tired, you may be taking on too much at once.
It can be very difficult to adjust your teaching style to adapt to changes in your body as you get older. As dancers we don’t like limitations–we have been taught to push our bodies as hard as we can. Even so, making some minor adjustments can mean that you are able to teach more effectively as well as feel better physically, so it really is worth it in the long run.
Any tips to share?
Dancing With The Music
Dancing with the feet is one thing, but dancing with the heart is another. ~Author Unknown
There was a girl in my early ballet classes that had it all–or so I thought. She had perfect feet, a perfect body and flawless technique. Every combination was executed exactly as it should be. Every position was correct. I thought I wanted to be her…
Then I discovered something…she had no musicality.
Now…I don’t mean she couldn’t dance to the beats of the music. She did that. But there is a certain something that sets a dancer apart when she becomes one with the music instead of dancing to it. And that…she didn’t have.
It can be difficult to explain why a dancer captures an audience. There is a certain, elusive “something” that they have that by its very nature defies quantifying. Even so…you know it when you see it. And it is my firm belief that you either have it–or you don’t. I think that musicality is something that is innate. I don’t think it can be learned. That is why the quote above speaks to me. It puts forth the same type of idea as dancing to the music as opposed to dancing with it.
Tap Legends
If you are a tap dance fan, check out this page on the International Tap Association’s site. It lists many of the “greats” and has biological information on them as well. Click on the photo to see a YouTube video of them dancing…pretty neat!
