Judith Jamison has announced that her mantle as Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will pass to Robert Battle. Battle is a fast-rising choreographer who has created ballets for the Ailey company and Ailey II since 1999 and has served as an artist-in-residence with The Ailey School. Mr. Battle, 37, will be the third person to head the company since its founding by Alvin Ailey in 1958. He will serve side-by-side with Ms. Jamison as Artistic Director Designate from now until July 2011, when she takes Emerita status and he assumes his full responsibilities.
Judith Jamison stated, “We are enormously fortunate in being able to secure the leadership of Robert Battle. Combining an intimate knowledge of the Ailey company with an independent perspective, he is without question the creative force of the future.”
Accepting his appointment as Artistic Director Designate, Robert Battle stated, “I don’t know whether to call this the proudest moment of my life or the most humbling. With the help of Judith Jamison and the great, great dancers in this company, I hope to be worthy of this tremendous responsibility that I’ve been given, and to honour it in the only way Alvin Ailey would have accepted: by keeping it new, alive and moving forward.”
“In seeking a new artistic leader for the company, it was important to find someone who has his own vision, his own experience,” Judith Jamison explained. “Robert has his own company and is a maverick in his choreography. He’s edgy and forward-thinking, very talented and savvy-a lovely, intelligent person who in many ways reminds me of Alvin. He also has a worldview and is capable of taking this company in new directions, while at the same time understanding our traditions. Choosing Robert Battle is the giant leap I want to take to ensure that this company stays vibrant in the future.”
What a magical combination, Twyla Tharp choreography with Frank Sinatra music!
If you’re a fan of Sinatra, or a fan of Tharp, this show is for you. However, if you are looking for a typical Broadway musical, go and get tickets to one of the classics, as Come Fly Away, is not your average musical. In fact, I wouldn’t call it a musical, but more of a dance performance accompanied by some live music. There is a very simple story and minimal speech, but a whole lot of show stopping dancing.
Tharp’s cast consists of outstanding dancers with ample stage presence, sizzle and sass. All have impressive resumésand experience that shows. The story unfolds around eight main characters that enter a night club. As the night progresses, they meet, dance, flirt, and build and break down relationships. The set does not change, as the entire story is played out in the dance club.
The chemistry between the couples is hot and the quality of dancing is outstanding. As a dancer, I simply loved Come Fly Away, because of the dancing. The pas de deux work is impressive and the stamina and strength of the dancers cannot be flawed. Karine Plantadit as ‘Kate’ is made for the Broadway stage and one can tell that she was a soloist with the Ailey company for seven years. Holley Farmer as the sexy vixen ‘Babe’ is beautiful and her strong Merce Cunningham training (she was with his company for 12 years) shows. With her extensive modern dance background I did not expect her acting and characterization to be as convincing as it was, but she lived her character and lured us in. Farmer’s main partner John Selya, playing ‘Sid’, is a commanding and masculine dancer and a pleasure to watch also.
The stand out dancer of the production, however, is Charlie Neshyba-Hodges. As the love sick suitor for ‘Betsy’, played by the adorable Laura Mead, Charlie is an acrobatic dancer with fantastic training. His control and precision are impeccable and he performs incredibly difficult choreographic sequences with ease and pizzazz. There were moments where I actually gasped as he so impressed me with his talents. He really is a delight to watch.
The ensemble dancers are all talented also, with Meredith Miles catching my eye. She is beautiful on the stage and more than capable of a lead role.
Come Fly Away took me away. I wanted to be in the nightclub with the performers, enjoying the music, atmosphere and dance. I encourage dancers to visit the Marquis Theatre and enjoy the show.
In its ninth year, Project Dance once again brought dance to the streets of New York City, and excitement to the hearts of dancers from across the world. A dance conference with a difference, Project Dance allows dancers of all styles to perform on stage in the middle of Times Square with an all day dance performance dedicated to the city of New York.
A movement that started in the months after the terror attacks of 9-11, Project Dance brings happiness and healing to the city. The conference draws together dancers who seek to positively impact culture through artistic integrity.
As the music blares down the streets off Broadway, Times Square, the dancers perform from 9am to 8pm, entertaining and touching the tourists and locals passing by. Some dance in the streets with the performers and others watch in awe, or even shed a tear.
Every hour, on the hour, the dancers of Project Dance run onto the streets to present a fun and uplifting group dance. The dancers, and passersby in Times Square, enjoy the exuberance.
But Project Dance isn’t just about using dance to touch others, it also aims to nurture each dancer that attends, helping them to reach their own potential. With a dance expo, live music concert, inspirational and informative talks, auditions, and a full day of dance classes, the weekend is packed with everything a dancer could want.
The Sunday classes from 10am to 3pm give the attendees a chance to take every style from Hip Hop to Ballet, and even African Fusion. With faculty like Desmond Richardson of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Chet Walker and Jared Grimes, this year, the students enjoyed a feast of high quality dance tuition, and left the event tired, but inspired and full of joy.
Project Dance is not just confined to New York. This year alone the convention has or will travel to Houston, Toronto, Manila (Philippines), Atlanta and Sydney (Australia), with plans for London and Brisbane (Australia) next year.
So what exactly does it take to become a back-up dancer for the likes of Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and Usher? How does video clip choreography differ to that of a show or tour? What pressures do you experience as a dancer? Dance Informa caught up with LA based dancers Marc Inniss and Kevin Wilson, plus Sydney based Ilona Fabiszewski to answer these questions…
How does the choreography in a video clip differ from that of a show or tour?
Ilona: Generally you just choreograph smaller sections for a video clip. For example you might do 4 lots of 8 counts to the chorus, and have 3 different versions rather than choreographing the whole song. Dancing for the camera is very different to the stage, there is no point doing amazing footwork and big arms if it’s a tight shot. So you always need to consider the frame of the shot when doing the movement.
Kevin: When shooting video choreography you may not have to do as much choreography because music videos normally have a storyline. Sometimes the dancers will only be used for a chorus and breakdown. For live performances you will do a lot more choreography because you don’t have the option of video edits.
Marc: The choreography in a show doesn’t differ much from the video; usually it would be the same choreography from the video, especially if it’s a hit song! People want to see what they remember.
What are the typical pressures/difficulties you encounter as a dancer on the shoot for a video clip?
Ilona: Maintaining your energy and vibe for the entire shoot. Music videos can take hours to shoot, so there is a lot of waiting around whilst lighting and camera angles are changed. You need to be able to switch your energy and character back on as soon as they say ‘action’. It’s a lot of stop and start.
Kevin: Difficulties vary. Sometimes it’s weather. Sometimes the surface you are dancing on. For example, I was shooting a video in NYC and they kept wetting the street with a fire hose to create a certain atmosphere. It made the ground really slippery and dangerous. In circumstances like this, a lot of times you will be given a bump in pay called ‘hazard pay’. There is also huge pressure to maintain your stamina because you will do the dance multiple times sometimes, back to back, without a break in between – just enough time for makeup touch ups and a quick drink of water.
Marc: Mostly the hurry up and wait rule. It’s like they get you in early for wardrobe and makeup if necessary, and then you wait until it’s your scene and do it for 4-8 shots…or sometimes more.
For a typical video clip, how many hours would you spend in front of the camera?
Ilona: A music video can take around 10 hours, sometimes more, sometimes less. Of this time, it’s hard to say exactly how many hours are with the camera ‘shooting’. Generally you are on set in the same spot ‘camera ready’, for the whole 10 hours unless there are several locations, and apart from meal breaks of course!
Kevin: Depending on how much choreography you’re doing, normally on a 12 hour shoot day you will spend 4 – 6 hours in front of the camera. That leaves a lot of downtime also. In music videos, it’s always about the artist, so there are a lot of solo shots and setups in which the dancers are not used. In some situations, the dancers can be used in other scenes, as friends, love interests, or club goers. This would require more time in front of camera, but not necessarily choreography.
Marc: That depends on what the director wants. I’ve been on sets from 6pm to 9am, and then sets where I was only on there for an hour. It all depends if the directors get enough footage that they can use.
On average, how much would you get paid for a video clip?
Ilona: In Australia a lot of music videos are unpaid or they pay a few hundred per dancer. It depends on the artist and the budget.
Kevin: Including rehearsals you could easily come away with $800-$1200. This always depends on how many days of rehearsals, if there is overtime, how many shoot days etc. There is a bit of regulation that happens for music videos by Dancers’ Alliance. They set rates for rehearsals, shoot days, surface conditions etc. Although there is an effort made to protect dancers, these standards are not always followed. They are sometimes negotiated.
Marc: Touring definitely pays more, is more consistent than videos, and you meet more people. So I would pick touring (over videos).
What advice wouldyou give to dancers who would like to appear in film clips?
Ilona: As far as getting work in video clips, most of my experience has been through word of mouth and networking. I was either recommended by a friend or dance contact, or there was an audition. Some auditions are through agents only (being signed to an agency may be your only chance of attending the audition) and some are ‘open’ auditions. Get yourself out there in the dance community. Perform in shows, attend classes of choreographers, network and sign to an agency. These will all help open doors and opportunities.
Kevin: Music videos are a lot of fun to do. As a dancer, everyone should at least try to do one. You can learn a lot from the experience, like how to work on a set and work with an artist in an intimate professional manner. It can give you an understanding of other elements required to produce a video, like lighting, camera, director, and craft services. It will also prepare you for working in film and television. I wouldn’t advise dancers to set their sights only on doing music videos. I would really push to do live tours and live shows. You will receive a consistent weekly pay cheque for tours and live shows. The rehearsal process is a lot longer also, which will allow you to make more money.
Marc: Well just be prepared for the hurry up and wait rule! And make new friends…you never know who you could meet there and it could lead to your next job!
Photo credits: Ilona’s photos by Simon Hewson/Fa tog ra fi, Kevin’s photo by Patrick Mattison
Having performed with Australia’s Chunky Move, Lucy Guerin Inc, Prue Lang, Kim Itoh, Shelley Lasica, and Luke George, dance veteranKristy Ayre is one seasoned performer. And she’s far from done yet. Fresh from the successful Melbourne season of Chunky Move’s Mortal Engine, Kristy is set to reprise her role for Sydney audiences in May. Dance Informa’s Grace Edwards caught up with the talented dancer and emerging choreographer to chat about Chunky Move’s acclaimed work and her experiences with the company.
You’ve been dancing regularly with Chunky Move since 2002. Over that time, what do you feel has been the driving force behind the company’s success? Well as you know, Chunky Move isn’t a full-time company, so all of the dancers and collaborators who are involved in making the works only come in and work for the amount of the time that the work is created for, and then are re-engaged to come on tour at later times. But I think what’s most interesting about the company is [Chunky Move Artistic Director] Gideon’s interest in what he’s trying to make, both spatially within whatever set is used and in the thematics of each show. The creative team and dance that make up each work at Chunky Move have been quite different from work to work, and the end results have been really different.
You’ve got everything from the really high-tech, fixed dance steps and raked stage of Mortal Engine to something like Tense Dave, which had a few sort of dancer-actor performances that, to me, could be classed more in the realm of physical theatre. I mean, it certainly was dance-based, but there were a lot of theatrics involved and there was a revolving set. It was very low-tech in a lot of ways, so yeah, I think it’s been the diversity of experience and the number of collaborators that has made the company exciting to follow.
Mortal Engine, in particular, is full of technological interactions. What’s been involved for you when working with movement-sensitive technology as a dancer? It was interesting because we actually began the process with the solo work, Glow, which was made in 2006. I was one of the original soloists engaged to work on that show, so I was already quite experienced and knew how to work with Calypso when we came into the creative process of Mortal Engine. But I’d like to share with people that it’s a really liberating way to work as a performer. Unlike in previous works that I’ve done with conventional lighting, where there’s a spotlight that you have stay within or a place you have to be within a certain amount of time – works in which your relationship to light is really crafted, in this work the light is following you in a lot of the piece, because of the motion-tracking. So you have the freedom, as a dancer, to not be concerned with all of that and you can absolutely surrender to the physicality of the work, which is really, really nice.
There are so many interesting aspects of Mortal Engine, from the sense of collective ownership between collaborative artists, to the play on opposites such as mortal and engine, and light and shade. Where, for you, does the beauty of the piece lie? I think the beautiful thing about Mortal Engine is that, because of the light and the way we’ve integrated the movement and the way that, as performers, we kind of selflessly give ourselves to the visual effects of this show and to the sound, it creates a very hypnotic world.
I mean, I say this when I’ve only ever seen the show on DVD, I’ve never actually sat in the audience to watch this show! But I think, having talked to people continuously all around the world because we’ve toured this show a lot now, people really feel like they have a kind of…“body-snatching” experience.
Because the sound is so consuming and the visual effects are startling, beautiful and dark, as a dancer, you really feel like you’re a part of some special, make-believe land for a period of time in the show. That’s really nice, because not all works have all the elements in place to do that and be successful in that way. So I think that Mortal Engine‘s beauty is that kind of escapist, voyeuristic experience for the audience.
I completely agree. In fact, I took a friend of mine along to see the recent Melbourne season of Mortal Engine. Although she had never been to a contemporary dance show before, she was blown away by it all! I believe she had that voyeuristic experience you just mentioned. Oh, I’m so thrilled to hear that. Yes, it’s a show that I really encourage people who haven’t seen a lot of dance to see for that reason, because I think it actually can appeal on a lot of levels. You know, I almost like to refer to Mortal Engine as simply a moving live visual artwork, because I think the dancer plays a really strong role, but it’s certainly just a component of what that work gives over to the audience.
Kristy, you’ve done numerous performances of this work. How does each performance differ? This show is different, as was Glow. Because you’re working with motion-tracking, it does have a real sense of ‘liveness’ to it. I mean, all dance is live, but because you’re not in a fixed place or time in space, you can really absolutely give yourself over to the physical experience because the technology is following you. So we’ve guessed that one show has never been exactly the same.
I imagine there is now a core group of dancers who know and have danced in Mortal Engine, so what is the main focus in rehearsal these days? Well actually, the biggest predicament with this work, and this is one of the things Chunky Move suffers from because unfortunately they can’t employ a full-time group of dancers, is that occasionally when we’re touring the show now, we won’t be able to have our original cast. Most of the performers who work for Chunky Move are also engaged in independent work of their own, or with other people, so the flux of this work is that we generally have at least one person who wasn’t a member of the original cast joining us for each new season. When we get back together, it’s kind of a culmination of bringing in someone new, and then them trying to learn the new material and become part of the group. It’s good in a way, because it keeps things really fresh for us. There’s a lot of partnering and intricate duets in this show, so when there are changes to the combinations of dancers that affects everyone, so that’s kind of nice about it.
As a performer with many years experience behind you, what keeps you going and how has your approach to your own dancing changed? I guess I’ve become interested in different things. I’ve been dancing all my life and certainly as a professional artist I’ve been working for about nine years now.
The thing that I love about contemporary dance, the thing that always attracted me to it, is that it’s an ever-evolving form, and I think it’s really great that people are continually pushing the boundaries of what it is, what it can inhabit as a technical, physical, or performance medium. That’s interesting because you feel that you are very much a part of a contemporary dance form which is constantly evolving and doesn’t seem to sit in a world that’s too repetitive.
I think that one’s interest in the physicality of movement really changes. I’ve been working with independent artist Luke George this year and I’ve started making my own works seriously for the first time. So there is this transition happening, from being a tool for choreographers for a period of time when working in a company-based environment, to making works where you make the stuff that you want to make, utilising the physicality that you like. That’s been a really interesting process for me as I’ve matured.
Chunky Move’s Mortal Engine heads to Sydney Theatre from Wednesday 5th to Saturday 15th of May.
Book tickets online at www.sydneytheatre.org.au or phone (02) 9250 1999.
Rock the Ballet starts with a disclaimer – “this is not a usual dance performance, you may experience involuntary acts of head bopping and toe tapping”. The audience laughs, relaxes and gets ready for a fun night of dance and entertainment. They are not disappointed.
Rasta Thomas’ Rock The Ballet is energetic and engaging. It is quite simply just about the dance, with no apologies. There is no elaborate storyline, no set, and simple costumes, but there is extreme and exciting dance! With a cast of six strong male dancers, and one beautiful female, there is a small cast, but a talented one.
With Rasta Thomas in the lead, his Bad Boys are all at the top of their game, with incredible technique and control, and ample stage presence and performance. A stand out, Anthony Colantone, is entertaining and oozing personality and talent. His flexibility and acrobatic skills are outrageous. Michael Keefe, with his strong stage presence, is also amazing and versatile, showing off his tap dance skills in Act 2.
The strongest dancers, however, are Rasta Thomas and his adorable wife, the only female dancer, Adrienne Canterna-Thomas. Rasta’s elevation, strength and charisma explode onto the stage. It is no wonder he has won so many dance competitions in his long successful career. He performs incredibly difficult and exciting tricks, amongst advanced and technically challenging choreography, at every turn. Rasta Thomas is an inspiration. Adrienne complements Rasta well, as they dance many vibrant pas de deux. Their chemistry is engaging and they make a beautiful couple on the stage. Adrienne is sassy and cheeky, oozing character as she performs quick and precise chainés, pirouettes and leaps. Her extension to second is stunning and she reminds us of it, again and again.
To popular music by U2, Cold Play, Lenny Kravitz, Michael Jackson and even Queen, the dancers perform technically challenging choreography with moments of humour, passion and precision, displaying acrobatics, pas de deux work, and jumps with outstanding elevation. There is even a very comical dance featuring blow up dolls and a hysterical, theatrical rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody to the audiences’ amusement.
The ‘feel good’ music invites the audience to join in. Many in the crowd bop in their seats and clap to the beat, as they coo over the dancers’ great feats and even call out for more, prompting two encores. The choreography uses strong ballet technique, but has more of a contemporary and jazz feel to it. At times we even see popping, locking and hip hop. Usually such blends of styles can be awkward, but the Bad Boys of Dance pull it off with ease. They strut, spin, and even hip thrust as they rip their shirts off in a moment of cheeky fun, but then they remind us of their training and talent as they present flawless sequences of classical ballet and contemporary dance. The Bad Boys present an exciting and vibrant expression of dance and remind us of why we love it.
Rock The Ballet is not a conventional ballet performance, but is more of a casual, yet brilliant, dance display. It is fun, feisty, cheeky, and at times, even sexy. Each dancer is such a delight to watch, each dance is so challenging and/or entertaining, and each piece of music is so infectious, that Rock The Ballet will get you rocking in your seat!
Bad Boys of Dance will be touring Australia from June 1st. For more information visit www.badboysofdance.com
Fame: the musical is a fun and energetic romp full of big dreams and dashed hopes with a healthy dose of romance thrown in. If you are a fan of the film, you’ll love the musical.
Based on themovie released in 1980, Fame follows a group of high school students at New York’s esteemed High School of the Performing Arts. The musical focuses on several main characters: Carmen Diaz, a sexy Hispanic student and confident performer obsessed with fame; Schlomo Metzenbaum, the son of a famous violinist and himself a gifted flautist who is tired of the world’s expectations; Tyrone Jackson, a talented but illiterate hip hop dancer from a disadvantaged background; Iris Kelly, a graceful but socially insecure ballet dancer; Mabel Washington, an overweight dancer desperate to lose weight but who finds food irresistible; Serena Katz, a shy drama student, and Nick Piazza, a serious classical actor.
Opening with the energetic prologue Pray I make P.A, the relatively young principals make for a believable set of teenagers, fitting their characters like a glove. The remaining cast are evidently strong dancers with the ensemble dance scenes both polished and vibrant.
Photos by David Wyatt
Perhaps one of the hardest things to get right in any musical is the casting of talent in the lead roles; in Fame, there is one crucial decision that needs to be made for each character: to cast a singer-who-dances, or a dancer-who-sings?
As singers-who-dance, American import Darlene Love (Miss Sherman) and Jazz Flowers (Mabel Washington) raise the calibre of the overall production. Love’s powerful gospel tones reach their pinnacle in the number These Are My Children, in which she palpably conveys her character’s misunderstood love for her students. Flowers gets her moment in Mabel’s Prayer, a hilarious plea to the powers above to stop her from becoming the world’s fattest dancer. At points her vocal control and athleticism threaten to bring the house down.
On the other hand, the characters of Tyrone and Iris are given to dancers-who-sing, which is an understandable choice given that both roles require far more dancing than singing. Banking on the success of So You Think You Can Dance Australia, 2009 finalist Timomatic and winner Talia Fowler make their appearances together as the famous dance leads. The results, however, are somewhat mixed.
Timomatic’s strength, the hip hop sections of the musical, provide some of the most powerful, electric dance moments of the evening. This is partly because of the ensemble dancers’ tight performances. But Timomatic is also a soloist and in one scene, he is duplicated on several large screens positioned behind him as he busts out a series of dance moves, including the moonwalk in a show-stopping moment. Indeed his larger-than-life role more than makes up for the odd moment of insecurity in his vocal performances. As the demure Iris however, Fowler suffers more obviously from the disparity between her dancing and singing skills and ultimately, the pair were lacking the necessary chemistry as the famous love-hate couple.
But at the end of the day, there is no doubt that Fame will secure fans an entertaining night out, and is guaranteed to have you humming catchy tunes for days. Cheesy, fun, dynamic and voyeuristic, it bears all the hallmarks of a classic musical. What more could anyone ask for?
As West Side Story makes its way to the Australian shore, I thought I’d go and see the Broadway rendition. A fan of the movie, which I watched several times as a young girl, I was excited to see the stage production, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Based loosely on the tale of Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story tells the story of a young couple pulled apart by racial differences and gang violence. The story is hard hitting and passionate.
For the Broadway production the casting is strong and the dancing proficient. Some of the performers are definitely more actors than dancers, and some are better at dancing than acting, however, all are competent and committed.
Josefina Scaglione as Maria is cute and youthfully innocent, and a good fit for the role. Her vocals are beautiful and her acting is strong. However, she is a little hard to understand at times, coming in and out of her character’s Puerto Rican accent, taking away from her generally very solid performance. In the last, tragic scene, she is all too convincing as she mourns Tony’s death.
Josefina Scaglione and Jeremy Jordan play Maria and Tony
Jeremy Jordan as Tony is perfect as the young, love struck teenager. He is a capable actor and talented singer. He has a lovely voice, is good looking and engaging, and seems every bit the ‘high school heart throb’.
I was happy to see that the dancing performed is the original, iconic Jerome Robbins choreography. At times it feels a little dated, but this can be forgiven as the moves are not only legendary, but deceptively challenging. I enjoyed every dance scene immensely, as lucky for me, West Side Story contains a lot of traditional, Broadway style jazz.
Anita and her Puerto Rican friends are fun, colourful and entertaining. Karen Olivo seems made for the role of Anita, as she commands the stage and everybody’s attention. Although not a technically brilliant dancer, she is a strong and sassy performer.
The Jets ensemble are all skilled dancers, with Ryan Steele a stand out. His extension and precision shine. Amy Reyerson as Riff’s love interest, Graziella, is also eye-catching.
The musical score is brilliant, and favourites such as “I Feel Pretty”, “Maria” and “When You’re a Jet”, pull you into the story. “America” performed by the Shark ladies, is full of kicks and skirt shaking fun and is a highlight of the show.
With much Spanish featured in the lines and lyrics, I found some lines a little hard to understand, but this gives the story an authentic feel.
The sets are brilliant, with the rumble scene complete with overhead bridge and chain linked fencing, making it all seem very real.
West Side Story has it all; a ripper story line, strong and exciting dance, catchy and beautiful songs, and passionate, dedicated acting. It is a night of high quality theatre, not to be missed.
We all know that we love dancing and that it makes us feel great, but do we realise just how good it is for us? Below are a few reasons why dancing is a great workout and very beneficial to our health and well being.
So never stop dancing!
Keeps us trim
Dancing burns anything from 100 to 500 calories an hour! Salsa and aerobic dance workouts burn the most calories, but ballet can burn around 300 calories per hour.
Tight and firm
Dancing strengthens and tones the legs and body. If the core stomach muscles are engaged at all times, as they should be, dancing can help build that six pack! Particularly if stomach work is incorporated into your warm ups.
Flexibility
Dancing builds and maintains flexibility of joints and muscles which helps prevent injury in our daily lives and keeps us mobile as we age.
Strong bones
The impact of movement and jumping actually helps strengthen bones, aiding in the prevention of osteoporosis.
Lubricated joints
The moving of the joints helps keep them mobile and lubricated, helping in the prevention of arthritis.
Mental strength and memory
Have you ever had to learn a routine quickly and then reverse it to the other side? This is a great workout for your brain. Dance improves memory by making you recall steps, positioning and patterns. This helps keep your brain alert, quick and open.
Keeps us young
Dancing is a great anti-aging treatment, retarding the aging process immensely as it benefits our heart, cardiovascular system, lung capacity and overall wellbeing. It helps to keep us looking young too, as it keeps us supple.
Lowers bad cholesterol
Dancing aids in lipid control which lowers bad cholesterol levels.
Balance
In dancing we have to balance in many different positions on a regular basis. This strengthens our stabilizer muscles and builds our core, keeping us less prone to injury in daily life.
Happiness
Dancing elevates our mood, and gives us feelings of happiness by raising our endorphin levels. The adrenalin associated with nerves before entering stage or mastering a difficult trick or lift can help give us a natural high also. If you’re feeling down, just pop on some music and get up and dance!
Social Benefits
Your dance partners and dance class peers can become an important part of your life. You have fun with them and share many experiences that only dancers understand. Dancing can help you build great friendships, as it is both recreational and entertaining. Friends provide us with support, many laughs and a chance to grow and learn from others.
Reduces stress and increases energy
Have you ever just wanted to dance to get away from the stresses of daily life? Dancing increases blood flow and reduces tension, and with any aerobic exercise, dancing can help build stamina and energy levels.
References:
2006, B. Craddock, ‘Benefits of Dancing & Quick Tips for Staying Healthy’ www.dancescape.org
‘The Health Benefits of Dancing-Including Specific Benefits of Different Dances’ www.SixWise.com
R Allen, ‘Over 20 Great Benefits of Dancing’ www.rjdance.com
Renowned Indian dancer and choreographer, Akram Khan returns to Australia in May with his new solo work, Gnosis. With two performances only at the Opera Theatre, Sydney Opera House, tickets will see out fast. Visit www.sydneyoperahouse.com or call 02 9250 7777 to book your seats.
Akram Khan – Gnosis
Dates: May 26- 27 Venue: Opera Theatre, Sydney Opera House
Contact: 02 9250 7777 www.sydneyoperahouse.com
Ilona: Generally you just choreograph smaller sections for a video clip. For example you might do 4 lots of 8 counts to the chorus, and have 3 different versions rather than choreographing the whole song. Dancing for the camera is very different to the stage, there is no point doing amazing footwork and big arms if it’s a tight shot. So you always need to consider the frame of the shot when doing the movement. 
Kevin: Difficulties vary. Sometimes it’s weather. Sometimes the surface you are dancing on. For example, I was shooting a video in NYC and they kept wetting the street with a fire hose to create a certain atmosphere. It made the ground really slippery and dangerous. In circumstances like this, a lot of times you will be given a bump in pay called ‘hazard pay’. There is also huge pressure to maintain your stamina because you will do the dance multiple times sometimes, back to back, without a break in between – just enough time for makeup touch ups and a quick drink of water.
Marc: That depends on what the director wants. I’ve been on sets from 6pm to 9am, and then sets where I was only on there for an hour. It all depends if the directors get enough footage that they can use.
