tights and tiaras
4dancers Turns 2
What began for me in November 2009 as a very part-time, “side thing” to practice blogging for my writing site, Freelance-Zone.com has almost become a full-time job. For those of you who don’t know, I started 4dancers on a whim. As I developed the site, to my pleasant surprise, I found that there is a pretty amazing audience of dancers, dance teachers and other dance lovers out there on the web.
When I began the blog, there weren’t as many sites out there dedicated to dance. Nichelle, with the popular site, Dance Advantage was one of the biggest out there (and still is!), and there were other fun dance blogs I discovered along the way too. I had no idea at the time how rich the online dance world would become. Now I am fortunate enough to be in the good company of sites such as Tights and Tiaras, Tendus Under A Palm Tree and Move. Create. Educate, all of which are featured for 2011 in the new column, “Dance Blog Spotlight”. I’ll be adding to that list in 2012–there are plenty of sites out there to highlight!
Today 4dancers has a network of 2000+ Twitter followers, a stable of 11 amazing Contributors, and because of you–the readers–this blog will be my primary focus in 2012. I’ve found “home” here in the online dance community, and since 4dancers is turning 2 this month, I thought I would take the time at Thanksgiving to say a big thank you to each and every one of you that have supported me and the other writers here along the way.
After all, this site isn’t for me–it’s for you.
In the coming year you can expect to see more interviews with Joffrey ballet members, information on the upcoming documentary “Joffrey-Mavericks of American Dance“, interviews with members of Ballet San Jose and other companies (TBA), more on The Rockettes, teaching tips, products and video. There’s plenty to come!
If there is something in particular you would like to see on the site, leave a comment, or shoot me an e-mail at info (at) catherineltully (dot) com. Over the next month I’ll be putting an editorial calendar together, and I’d be happy to include some things with input from readers.
Once again, my most heartfelt thanks for visiting this site. Have a lovely Thanksgiving holiday, and check in on Monday to see the first interview with a member of Ballet San Jose.
- Catherine
Review: Black Swan
by Catherine L. Tully
Better late than never–right?
It has taken me a long while to get around to doing this review. I was hesitant about watching this movie–not sure if I wanted to see what the depiction was of the ballet world. Somehow I knew it would fall short, and for me it did.
As I had heard, the movie rang true to overarching stereotypes of ballet dancers and what goes on behind the scenes, and I found myself disappointed that it didn’t try a little harder to stretch beyond the typical. After all, not every director is “grabby”, not every retiring ballerina is morose and suicidal, and not every dance mom is overbearing. It would have been nice to depart a bit from these images and strive to create real characters with dimension rather than falling back on old, tired images of these roles. Here, the director played it safe, but, admittedly, it is difficult subject matter to tackle. Still, it would have been nice to have had more range.
The behind-the-scenes look into the ballet world was again somewhat typical, but served as a decent bit of background for those who may not be aware of what goes on in a dance company. Many dancers can relate to things such as the cramped physical therapy office, the nerves as everyone checks the board for their name when ballets are posted and the hush that comes over a room when the director appears.
I loved the scene where you get to see how pointe shoes are “worked” and broken in and the realism of the dancers sitting around in the hallway with their ballet bags. How true, how true. Still, it would have been wonderful to have a little more of that–I think it would have helped explain dancers in a way that would have helped make sense of things better in the movie. After all, there is a lot more to the life of a ballet dancer than people may realize.
Dance 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?
0Starting A Dance Blog
Starting a dance blog can be a very satisfying thing. If you love dance, researching and writing about the subject may be something you would enjoy. Getting a blog up and running is pretty simple, and it doesn’t have to cost you anything either. If you want to just try it out and see how it goes, here are some tips for getting started:
Think up a name for your blog
Set up a free account at WordPress.com
Brainstorm some topics you’d like to write about
Choose from the list for your category headings
Go behind the scenes and play around a bit
Write an “about” page that tells readers a bit about who you are
Write and publish your first post
It may sound simple—and it really is if you just want an outlet to express your thoughts and ideas on dance. Getting a more formal blog up and running can be more challenging, but starting out this way lets you play around with ideas and get your legs under you. If you find that you would like to do something a bit more serious, you can always upgrade your account with WordPress and get more features.
I started 4dancers on a whim—following the steps I just described above. I had no special knowledge of blogging, and I didn’t have a grand plan for what I was going to do with the site. I just jumped in.
If you are going to try your hand at a dance blog, I recommend looking at some other sites to see what they are doing that you like—and what they are doing that you don’t care for. It can help you pick some subjects and find a general direction. Here are some that you can peek at for ideas–or check out my blogroll:
If you do decide to blog, be sure and drop me a note—or leave a comment here so I can check out your site!
5LinkedIn Groups For Dance Professionals
LinkedIn Groups can be a good resource for dance professionals. There are a variety of different groups for dancers out there–including the one I run with Henrik from Tights and Tiaras and David, from Ballet For Men, Dance Writers.
Do yourself a favor and take a peek when you have a few minutes to dedicate to networking.
0Free Dance E-Book: Ballet Crash
Today I’m passing along some good information for all you dance lovers out there–
Henrik, the dynamic writer behind the Tights and Tiaras blog, is giving away copies of his new e-book Dance Crash for free! I’ve read it–and it’s a fun resource for both dancers and non-dancers alike. All you have to do is sign up for the Tights and Tiaras newsletter–which is also great!
Take a quick minute and start your week off right with something fun to read in your down time!
2Dance Web Roundup
Today I’d like to share with you some great posts from around the “dance web”. Take a peek at some of these great blog entries and let me know which one you connect with the most–and why:
“Life Lessons on Injury: Arriving at Plan C” by Lauren Warnecke on Dance Advantage
Bedtime Stories: Spartacus by Henrik Lamark on Tights and Tiaras
The First of My Many Realizations About Modern Dance by Rebecca King on Tendus Under A Palm Tree
Dance Journal For Success by David Hunter on Ballet For Men
A Night At The Ballet by David Wilson on Dave Tries Ballet
If you’ve recently read something you liked a lot–feel free to share that here in the comments section as well…
Pas de Trois: How Can Someone Get Into Watching Dance?
For more about Pas de Trois (dancing3.com) and how this post came to be, please check out the site and read about our effort–we’re hoping to get a lot of conversations started over there!
Today it’s my turn to give an opinion about how someone can get into watching dance.
I think it’s important to see a live performance if possible. Something about seeing dance in person is so much more powerful. I’ve gone to shows that have showcased dance styles I don’t even particularly like and enjoyed it because I could feel the energy radiating from the stage. It’s magic.
If that isn’t a possibility (I would say though for most people it is!), then video is the next best thing. It can help to select something you think you might enjoy. For example, if ballet bores you to tears, you probably aren’t going to go crazy with joy watching a video of Swan Lake. TenduTV has a channel on YouTube that offers a variety of videos you can choose from.
Learning a bit about dance can also be helpful. For example, you may enjoy the ballet Giselle more if you have an idea of the storyline before you go. Check out Henrik’s fun take on some of the main ballets on Tights and Tiaras–he tells the stories well! There are also some at BalletMet Columbus that offer great overviews.
Going with someone else can also be a great way to get into the performance. Much like seeing a movie and talking about it afterwards, there is a reward in sharing the experience.
What do you think? Add your answer to our latest question on Pas de Trois–we’d love to hear your voice!
A Blog Sampler
Today I’d just like to take a moment to point out a few of the dance blogs I read on a regular basis. There are a lot of good ones out there, so this list is by no means comprehensive–but I thought I’d highlight a few in case you haven’t had the chance to check them out.
As always, if you have any suggestions, feel free to add them in the comments section!
Ballet for Men - Written by David Hunter, this blog is a great resource for guys who are interested in ballet. Not only is there a ton of “how to” information there, but you can listen to podcasts as well.
Tights and Tiaras - This blog is authored by Henrik Lamark, a Norweigan ballet dancer with a flair for the written word. Read up on the stories of the great ballets, get behind the scenes and learn some ballet terminology or learn about life as a dancer from his point of view.
Demicontretemps - Eric Taub’s writing is a joy to read, and he recently started posting video on his site as well. Drop by and check out his musings on dance for a treat.
Art Intercepts - Meet Lauren Warnecke, a Chicago-based dancer and educator and enjoy her posts on topics such as anatomy for dancers, dance injuries and other scientific information.
Dance Advantage - Nichelle’s mega-resource for dancers, teachers and parents. You could spend hours looking through all the great information here.
Dave Tries Ballet - A new site by – you guessed it – Dave, who is just starting out in ballet. A very interesting read.
Dance.com Blog - Another dance blog you could spend an afternoon browsing. Here you’ll find dance news as well as posts on all types of dance styles.
KinerEnterprisesInc. Blog - This recently re-vamped site offers tips on social media, business advice and more.
The Ballet Bag - Expect the unexpected on this delightful ballet blog. Always entertaining, well-written and informative.
Pas de Trois at dancing3.com - Not to toot my own horn here, but our new site (David Hunter, Henrik Lamark and I) is something I’d love for you to check out if you have the time. We’re hoping that people will really join in the conversation so we can all learn more about one another.
Tendus Under A Palm Tree - A lovely blog by Rebecca King, a Corps De Ballet dancer with Miami City Ballet.
New Dance Site: Pas de Trois at dancing3.com
Well, to end the week we’ve got a new announcement here at 4dancers…
There is an exciting new project that I am a part of which will be starting on Monday. Henrik at Tights and Tiaras, David at Ballet for Men and I have been preparing this new site for a little while now…it’s called Pas de Trois (at dancing3.com) and we hope that you will join us as we explore the world of dance together.
Through Pas de Trois, we hope to get a lot of different perspectives on dance. Each week we will be featuring a new topic that will be posted on the site. Every couple days one of us will share our answer on our respective blogs, and we’ll always be encouraging you to take part as well.
It is our hope that Pas de Trois will serve as an online community where both dancers and dance lovers can talk about a variety of subjects related to the art.
We’ll announce our first discussion topic later today on the site. Also, check out our Facebook-page, join the discussion on Twitter, or add our RSS feed to your reader.
We look forward to hearing your thoughts as well!
