Creative careers in dance related industries – Part One.

By Emily Yewell Volin. 

The Chinese philosopher, Confucius said, “choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life”. This is one of my favorite quotes; however, when I reflect upon it with students I am often met with cynical disbelief of its practicality. People want to experience career success; and we want to be able to say we enjoy and find relevance in our work. Most dancers aspire for professional performance work and many will achieve this goal but the fact remains that a dancer’s prime performance years are limited; if ever realized. The high incidence of injury and burn out leaves many dancers facing a career transition when least expected. However, if dance is a person’s passion, an evolving career within the field translates to immense job satisfaction for many transitioning artists. Developing your passions within the field of dance is a lot about diversifying your potential and developing the practical application of your talents. The analytical skills, perseverance and discipline learned through the study of dance are well known to help individuals recognize and commit to virtually any aspiration. With a little creativity and an open mind, a dance artist can produce and enjoy a lifetime of work in the field long after leaving the stage. 

I’ve contacted many dance artists and collected their stories of dance life beyond the stage for this new series of articles. I treasure the conversations I had with these artists.  The resulting interviews are both informative; and perhaps even more importantly, inspiring.  Enjoy.

Allie Parsons, presently with Cental PA Youth Ballet, wearing a Tutu.Com Polka Dot Practice Tutu. Photo: Brian Mengini

Costume Design
Claudia Folts, Co-Founder and a costumer for Tutu.com
Tutu.com specializes in classical and romantic tutus, having made them for dancers worldwide, both aspiring dancers and professionals in companies like NYC Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet and NC Dance Theatre. http://tutu.com

“I was a trainee at the Harkness House for Ballet Arts in NYC back in the 70′s.  I danced in various companies: NYC Opera, Baltimore Ballet, Chicago Ballet, etc.  I founded a ballet school and regional company called Charlotte City Ballet and I taught for NC Dance Theatre’s company and school. I was like the “Princess and the Pea” with costumes – always taking them home and cleaning them, adding ribbon to cover up itchy seams, and re-working headpieces, etc.  When I was in Baltimore Ballet, I got some tutus that had been made at the Royal Ballet and had been ruined in a fire. I took them apart and made my first patterns. A dancer I knew named Sylvester Campbell had just retired and was heading the new Baltimore School for the Arts.  He heard I was teaching myself to make tutus and called and asked me to make 12 for the school. By the time I finished, I had a vague idea what was involved, and I was hooked. I think that costuming and design, for me, was a natural extension of dancing. My background as a dancer gives me such helpful knowledge. I know all the ballets, I know what costumes are appropriate, I understand the movements and the necessity of certain costuming techniques to help give the dancers freedom of movement, and I know how to listen to both the dancer’s and the choreographer’s concerns and needs.

Find something that you are passionate about and understand that the process is the most important thing.  You really have to enjoy whatever you choose to do in order to give it your best and be good at it. I think that dancers who have worked in the profession successfully, really do understand this, so as long as they find something they are passionate about, they will be successful.”

Arts Administration
George Thompson, Director Ferst Center for the Arts at Georgia Tech University
George has over 25 years of experience in Arts Administration. A former dancer with ABT with performance experiences on Broadway and in contemporary dance.   www.ferstcenter.gatech.edu 

 “The fact that I was lucky enough to dance with the American Ballet Theatre and experience the intense performance schedule of preparing for and performing 8 concerts a week got me used to multi tasking. I learned how to manage my energy to move forward and to wear many hats. My performance career also taught me that politics are everywhere. The Puritan concept of working hard being enough to get you recognition only goes so far. Hindsight has allowed me to realize how these political events in dance have prepared me to stand up for myself in Arts Administration.  My professional performance career has also instilled in me the dancer’s tradition of passing the torch and collaborating in order for all to flourish. These help me because I strive to create more and more connectivity between my role and the community’s role in working together to become bigger and better.  So, while one would originally think of a performance career as something that would only inform an aesthetic view, those experiences really did inform my approach to management.

I would advise dancers to really take a look at every opportunity they have to grow.  Find the opportunities to create connections to your passion. College dancers have a specific opportunity to take elective classes of interest. For instance, a leadership seminar, a foreign language or an accounting class may make future opportunities possible. Also, you might get out of school and in two years decide to start your own company. Then you find yourself responsible not only for the artistic product but the check book, the grant writing, virtual or real social networking and other business responsibilities. The pursuit of a terminal degree in the fields of dance or management is also a valuable tool. 

And, you need to take the time required for yourself.  Dance is one of those careers where you are encouraged to ‘hurry up and get there’.  Life does not stop at 30 years of age!  Explore opportunities with multi-generational companies. There are increasing opportunities for older dancers.”

Sphyrl - Cortney Michelle, dancer, © Keiko Guest, Photographer

Photography, Dance and Fine Art
Keiko Guest, Keiko Guest Photography 
Keiko Guest is an Asian/African American fine art photographer and a former professional dancer. She is most known for her portrayals of Atlanta’s dance community and was chosen to photograph international rhythmic gymnasts from all over the world during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, USA. 

A celebrated dance photographer, Keiko choreographs for the camera and is able to direct her subjects with a supernatural eye for capturing the human form. For more than 30 years, top media outlets have featured her photographs. Keiko’s photography has graced countless programs and playbills as well as several dance publications and newsletters.

Her work is in high demand in the performing arts community, and her credits include having served as company photographer for the Atlanta Ballet and the Atlanta Opera. www.keikoguestphotography.com

“I am a partner in business with Scott Nilsson in Keiko Guest Photography. I spent 40 years focused on ballet and contemporary, having danced with the Louisville Ballet and the Ruth Mitchell Dance Company.  Now I’m working more on funk, lyrical and hip hop, plus tumbling, for the last two years.  This year I added aerial fabrics, acro yoga, jiu jitsu and extreme tumbling. I will be turning 61 in January, so I should be peaking around 75!

I actually still dance and will perform if the timing and circumstances allow.  Being a dancer myself gives me the freedom to become one with the dancer and their timing when I am photographing them.  I may not always catch the right moment, but I know when that moment is….. without thought.

I would advise dance artists to stay connected and support the groups that utilize your talents.  Dancers have a knack for camaraderie, so, developing closeness and relationships will keep you “their” vendor/servicer/provider of choice.”

Dance training is about more than performance; it’s about discovering and cultivating potential to perpetuate arts and movement in our culture. Next edition I will speak with more inspiring artists about successful careers in dance related industries.

Top photo: Keiko Guest at work
CREDIT: Keiko Guest – © Scott Nilsson, Photographer 

Sport and dance have long been regarded as competitors but it may just be that they are on the same team these days.

By Paul Ransom.

Remember all that stuff they told you about how jogging or playing basketball was bad for you? Well, suppose it wasn’t? 

Since the 1980s huge advances have been made in sport specific training, recovery programmes and injury management and it is clear now that much of this new expertise is in the process of crossing over into the dance world. Indeed, the old chasm between sport and dance is rapidly narrowing.

Physical therapist Michael Heyman is perhaps emblematic of this change, working as he does in both elite sport and professional dance. Heyman not only runs the rule over star footballers in the Australian Football League, but consults with the world renowned Australian Dance Theatre (ADT).

“I think that dance and sport are more similar than they are different. If you look at both there are technical aspects, the skills that need to be learned, the psychological aspects of performance and even nutritional requirements,” he argues. “The wise old heads say that you shouldn’t go jogging because of the aesthetic impacts but I think that’s a flawed idea because developing fitness and general athletic ability can really enhance technique.”

Over at the Australian Ballet, principal physical therapist Susan Mayes suggests that although sport does pose some risks to a dancer it can also be highly beneficial. “One of the main considerations when recommending an elite dancer’s participation in sport is the risk of injury,” she begins. “At the elite level, dance is their career, their livelihood and their dream and any injury may be a potential risk to their performance.” 

However, the positives are significant. “Having said that,” she continues, “cross training and different activities can provide a benefit in terms of general fitness and challenge which can enhance the dancer’s wellbeing.”

Michael Heyman is even more specific in his choice of sporting activities for dancers. Citing gymnastics and figure skating as having rather obvious parallels, his best advice is tennis. “It’s great,” he enthuses. “Burst of power, volley, run, stop, go get the ball, reset, go again. In terms of the energy systems and the amount of physical work, they’re actually not too dissimilar.”  

From up on stage ADT dancer Larissa McGowan is well positioned to offer a performer’s perspective, having grown up playing a variety of sports, which ultimately nurtured an ambition to compete in athletics at the Olympics. However, once she made the switch to dance, certain changes were required.

“I kept running through my college training days and continued once joining ADT,” she recalls, “but I had to start to pull back a bit as it shortened my hamstrings slightly making it harder to pull up the leg in ballet. It also bulked up my thighs and gluteus which, when too big, hamper some rotation range.”

McGowan would of course be participating in Michael Heyman’s regular forty minute circuit training sessions at ADT headquarters; a routine he has developed specifically to meet the bend, stretch and twirl needs of the dancer.

“In sport you might have key requirements like strength, power, flexibility and balance but a lot of them are also the key requirements for dance,” Heyman declares. “One way of thinking of dancers is as aesthetic athletes. If you’re backing up night after night the physiological and fitness aspects are just as important as the skill component. You can’t keep doing the dance unless you’re fit enough and strong enough to do it.”

Susan Mayes is happy to concur, noting that each show comes with its own set of physical requirements. “Gym programmes should be individualised so that both male and female dancers focus on specific areas which will be loaded during the performance season,” she says simply. “At The Australian Ballet we analyse the potential injury risks of the upcoming repertoire and design specific exercise programs for the dancer’s role in a particular ballet.”

However, beneath the particulars of exercise regimes and sporting preferences there is one clear synergy. According to Mayes, “The worlds of elite sports and dance are exceptionally competitive, due to the level at which they perform and the relatively small numbers of professional positions available. Dancers are very often perfectionists; and with this quality comes a great competitive nature, and like athletes, they strive to achieve a great performance every time they’re onstage.”

Larissa McGowan is certainly glad to have grown up doing sport. “My sporting background has sculpted my body and strengthened it over the years, allowing me to continue dancing for the past ten years with only minor injuries.”

In conclusion, it appears that much of the remaining sport/dance schism is largely cultural, a leftover from old ways of thinking and doing. As Michael Heyman observes, “All sports and activities have a certain culture around them. Footballers behave in certain way because footballers in the past behaved that way and for dancers it’s no different.”

The message, it seems, is quite clear. Dancers wishing to maintain a level of performance and reduce injury can be well served by targeted fitness training and even the odd set of tennis. You might even say that the ball is in their court.

Photo: © Stephen Coburn | Dreamstime.com

With Tina Sparks of Stand Out Cosmetics

Can’t master the smokey eye, or winged eyeliner? Want your skin to look less shiny in photos? Here at Dance Informa we are going to tackle your makeup mishaps head on, with a little help from professional artist Tina Sparks. Tina is a professional dancer, teacher, choreographer, adjudicator, and makeup artist. Creating her own line of specialist makeup for performers -‘Stand Out Cosmetics – On Stage and Off’, Tina runs makeup workshops for studios, professional productions and individuals.

By Kristy Johnson.

Back to Base
When selecting a foundation or makeup base, consider the effects of stage lighting on your skin tone. Stage lighting can tend to wash out skin tones and make you appear pale. Tina suggests looking for a shade that is one to two shades darker than your normal skin color in a warm tone, as neutral tones that have a pink base can appear silky under the spotlight. Have dark skin? Opt for a foundation that evens out your complexion naturally.

Lights, Camera, Makeup
When preparing for a photo shoot, some foundations can produce a ‘high-shine’ look. So what are the best products or techniques to prevent this? “Our skin determines how a foundation reacts, so if you have oily skin, no matter what foundation you use for photos, you will look shinier than you actually are. Dry sensitive skin can appear red on a photo shoot, so concealers that are used can sometimes look oily too,” says Tina. All skin tones should look for a non-caking blot powder. Choose a translucent loose powder that is finely milled and won’t cake your skin.

Highlight and Shade
Specific makeup techniques work perfectly to add contouring or dimension to the face, and can require just as much practice as perfecting a pirouette or hip hop routine. Tina suggests shading under the jaw and along the neckline, and to highlight the areas you want the audience to see, such as the cheek and collar bone.

Beauty Bag Essentials
So which makeup products or tools should you have readily on hand when performing on stage? For the most essential items, Tina wouldn’t be without:
- five eye shadows that work for any occasion – a gold, brown, white, lemon base and black
- two blushes acting as a highlighter and shader
- pink based red lipstick
- eye liner
- mascara
-  false lashes for the girls and professional glue
- an invisible blot powder.

Makeup Faux Pas
Educating dancers about the difference between makeup for the stage and photography is important, says Tina. “Sometimes what looks great in a magazine looks wrong for the stage. That’s because the camera lens can get nice and close and show all the definition in the makeup. However, when we do the same for stage, since we are far away from the audience, the stage lighting washes out our features, colors mix together, and you create the look of a bruised eye instead.” To prevent the ‘bruised eye look’ apply your makeup and have your teacher or friend stand in the audience and give you honest feedback. Remember, when applying makeup in the dressing room that the audience won’t be as close as the mirror!

Makeup versus Overall Grooming
Makeup is a crucial part of the judging process and it’s imperative to take it into careful consideration. As an adjudicator, Tina has spoken to fellow judges and says that makeup can become a deciding factor when picking a winner between two dancers or dance groups with flawless routines.  So how do we stand out in our routines with our makeup? “One stand out example is a lipstick. This is such a bright part of makeup and if all the shades are different in a group, this will be the most noticeable,” says Tina. If at least all the lipsticks are the same, you will be on the right track to becoming an unbeatable team! 

Runway to Reality
Any runway or industry trends that dancers should be giving a go? “One simple makeup application that can make a huge difference to your end result is eye brows,” says Tina. “Stay away from pencils and crayons in the brows, as they can move with sweat and tend to look fake or harsh on the dancer.” Which color should you opt for? If you have dark brows, opt for brown and grey eye shadows, for light brown to blonde brows use light brown or taupe shades, and red heads should look for terracotta colors.

Hair teasing is making a return and Tina suggests giving backcombing a go. “This simple technique can give all hair types a fuller ballet bun or runway up style. Celebrities won’t be seen without a donut in their hair this summer; a fun and easy style that’s perfect for dance exams, routines and everyday wear.”

The Perfect Portfolio
When producing a portfolio of images to present to a potential client or agent Tina suggests choosing one to five pictures in a portfolio with a few diverse looks, so the agent has a good mix of jobs they can see you suitable for. “Examples I suggest are a good natural head shot with minimal make up, one glamour look, and a ‘character make up’ shot such as a Cabaret look, that is completely different with wig, costume and make up that changes you enough to show diversity in your look.”

Beauty Bootcamp
Grooming and beauty are not just skin deep. Eating the right foods can help you achieve a perfect complexion. Tina suggests the following tips for flawless skin:
- Drink plenty of water. This is the cheapest skin treatment available!
- Choose makeup that won’t clog your pores
- Always use a primer
- Wash your face after sweating with a non-soap wash
- Clean your makeup brushes and throw away sponges after use
- Don’t share your makeup
- Clean mobile phones that touch your cheeks
- Eat foods rich in antioxidants
- Try a Berry Fresh fruit juice or make your own skin cleansing miracle tonic: in a juicer blend one beetroot, one carrot, two red apples, and one stick of celery, drink and watch your skin glow!

Photos: © Kelliem | Dreamstime.com © Yuri Arcurs | Dreamstime.com

By Nicole Saleh.

To all the tap dancers who’ve wanted the rhythmic precision and brilliant feet of Jason Samuels Smith, you’re now one step closer!

In a highly innovative collaboration, Bloch, who are experts in technical dance footwear, have partnered with Jason Samuels Smith, one of the world’s greatest tap dancers, to create a professional tap shoe to meet the needs of today’s tap dancer.

It’s taken over four years to perfect, countless hours of research and testing to develop the Jason Samuels Smith Professional Tap Shoe SO313. This beautifully crafted tap shoe is not only comfortable and stylish, it also produces an amazing sound like a well tuned instrument… but don’t take my word for it. You can now try it out for yourself!

On his recent trip to Australia, Jason officially launched the SO313 at Bloch’s flagship store in Sydney. I caught up with him during his whirlwind visit to learn more about this uniquely crafted tap shoe.

As a Tap Dancer, how important is it to have good tap shoes?
The tap shoe is your instrument and it’s an extension of your foot, so it’s very important that it’s made well and has a decent sound that you prefer. It needs to be comfortable enough to wear for a long period of time and stylish enough to be presentable on stage. Tap dancers deserve a good shoe to accompany the art form. Tap dancing is too amazing not to have an instrument that can deliver.

How did your relationship start with Bloch?
Some Bloch representatives approached me four or five years ago at a national tap dance event. They had been keeping track of me and were very aware of my career, and were interested in developing a professional tap dance shoe. I knew I wanted to create a shoe but I didn’t know how I was going to do it, so when Bloch approached me it was perfect timing. They were really open to the idea of allowing me to have full creative say over the design of the shoe, and were willing to make whatever changes I asked.

Jason Samuels Smith shows off the tap shoe at Bloch York Street, Sydney

How involved were you with the design of the tap shoes?
I was completely involved. In the beginning Bloch sent me a model of their top professional tap shoe that looked more like a steel-toe boot than a dress shoe. I gave them a shoe that I liked in a classic Hollywood 30’s or 40’s style and once they had the core design we kept altering it.

I had seen a clip of Coles (Honey Coles) and Atkins (Cholly Atkins) tap dancing and they’re wearing shoes that have a straight cut across the toe and the toe is in a different colour to the back of the shoe. I always liked how this looked and so we have done two versions of the stitching for our shoe. One has the hard cut that goes across the toe – that’s the ladies version. The other one cuts across and has a sharper cut that goes to the back. So there is slightly different stitching on the shoes, which gives more options in terms of customisation.

So you have a female version and a male version of the shoe?
Right now we have a basic design for a male and a female shoe, where the sole, the leather and interior are all the same. The female shoe has slightly different stitching but it’s not necessarily gender restrictive. I know guys that have bought the female shoe because it’s a narrower cut of the male shoe. My foot is naturally wide and Bloch designed the shoe based on my foot, so the male shoe that comes out of the box is wide.

What was the most important thing for you working on this project?
The main thing was to create a professional high quality tap shoe as a complete package which to me means a shoe that is a total entity and lasts the distance. We worked on the durability of the shoe and the style, and it was also important that the shoes have their own distinctive sound.

The shoe also needs to be comfortable. If you’re teaching three or four classes a day, your feet are just throbbing by the end of the day. Bloch really attacked this, even before I approached it. Their shoes are some of the most comfortable dance shoes in the world, so I was really happy about that.

Sound is an important aspect of tap. What process did you undergo to ensure the shoes produced an exceptional quality sound?
At the beginning of the whole process Bloch did a focus group. They called in a bunch of tap dancers: Derrick Grant, Michelle Dorrance, Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, Chloe Arnold, Dianne Walker, and myself. They had taps from the past and the present and we tested the sound independent of the shoe, and also on the shoe, and every dancer would say which tone they preferred. I was really feeling confident with the shoe and we were at the end of the process when Bloch wanted me to try these new bigger taps that covered the entire surface of your toe to the ball of your foot. The sound was really unique and the tone produced by the bigger tap was so rich, deep and base heavy that I loved it immediately! The sound I can produce with the taps is actually my favourite part of the shoe.

Jason Samuels Smith signs autographs at Bloch York Street, Sydney

Are the shoes designed only for professional dancers? What are some of its unique features?
It’s a comfortable shoe that any level tap dancer can use. If you’re buying a tap shoe it should come as a tap shoe with taps on it already. With our shoe it’s ready to use straight out of the box, and it doesn’t have a long break in time. It also comes with optional pieces of rubber for the sole of the shoe. I don’t particularly like the rubber because it limits your ability to slide, so we have given this as an option.

The shoe comes with a build up (additional half soles on the toe and heel), which changes the tone giving it a deeper base and helps to balance the bottom of the sole. The build up also gives a richer sound and more versatility, so if you want to use the top edge of the toe, you have more surface area to create that sound or to do a toe stand.

My mission was to develop an instrument that can withstand the force that we use to create our sound. When we’re tap dancing we’re destroying our shoes and tearing them to shreds. My goal was to create a long lasting shoe. We’ve really tried to reinforce the stitching over and over again so people will get the most life out of it. It won’t obviously last forever but I believe in business, if you do the job right the first time, people are going to come back the second time. I also think the shoe will make a lot of tap dancers happy because it’s made for tap dancers by a tap dancer. 

What is your hope for the Jason Samuels Smith Professional Tap Shoe?
One of my dreams for the shoe is for every tap dancer on the planet to try them once, and hopefully they will like them and continue to support them. Personally I want to continue to make the shoe better like we have done over the last four years. I want people to give me feedback because it’s not about what I want, but about what we (the tap community) want.

To get your pair of Jason Samuels Smith’s Tap Shoes SO313, contact your nearest Bloch retailer by visiting www.blochworld.com

Jason Samuels Smith’s tips on buying Tap Shoes
1. What are you are trying to accomplish in your tap shoes?
Are you buying them to perform, teach, practice, or because they look nice?
If you’re a teacher and you teach sixteen classes a week you need something that is comfortable and immediately feels good. You should never have pain when you start wearing a pair of shoes and you don’t want to have to break them in. If you can feel your toe at the tip of the shoe and it’s uncomfortable, then it doesn’t fit and you need another size. It’s got to be comfortable!
2. It has to produce a sound you like, so you need to test it out on a wood surface to get a feel for the sound.
3. It needs to look good. But it doesn’t matter how it looks, if it doesn’t sound or feel great.

Top photo by Michael Higgins

By Paul Vander Straaten.
Health & Fitness Consultant.

I recently attended The Australian Dance Festival. My focus there was to help the dancers I met learn more about nutrition and the important role it plays in their health and ability to perform. I was impressed by the commitment and dedication they had for their passion of dance. I learnt that many dancers invest anywhere between 15-30 hours per week dancing.

I was also amazed by the number of dancers who told me they don’t eat breakfast, don’t have time for lunch and are too exhausted to cook themselves dinner. My question to them was ‘what do you eat?’ With a shrug of guilt and a giggle of embarrassment when they realised what they were saying, I was told ‘I don’t know? Red bull, coke, Maccas, anything easy’.

As the weekend progressed I learnt that a large percentage of the dancers I met are constantly falling sick and missing classes. They explained their frustration and disappointment from hours and hours of hard work and sacrifice, only to find they were too sick to dance in the performance they had been rehearsing for. Many dancers told me they were just sick of being sick.

My dance career is limited to nightclub dance floors in the 80’s, dance parties in the 90’s and these days the lounge room floor with my kids when we are watching So You Think You Can Dance. However, I can appreciate the pain dancers experiences when their hard work turns to nothing.

So I would like to share with you some insights into human physiology and help you understand what a powerful dance tool food is. Food is our fuel for movement and performance. It also gives our bodies all the goodies it needs to be healthy and free from illness.

We have an immune system that fights the common cold and flu. In fact it does much more than that. Our immune system helps us fight lifestyle related diseases like heart disease, cancer and stroke.

Our immune system is built on food and totally depends on it to survive and function. Food provides our immune system with thousands and thousands of plant chemicals. So it is very important that we consume plenty of fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts every day. These are loaded with antioxidants which arm our immune system and give it a fighting chance.

Fast foods, soda, candy, cakes, shakes and fries break down our immune system. They are loaded with empty calories. They are full of dirty refined sugars which tear down our immune system and have absolutely no nutritional value. So keeping these foods to a minimum and not relying on them as a source of fuel is important if you are trying to become a powerful dancer with longevity. 

If you are sick of being a sick dancer then at a nutritional level you simply have to step up. Every time we eat we have the opportunity of becoming stronger and healthier or weaker and sicker. Why not team up with some dancing buddies and help motivate each other into becoming healthier dancers by getting your nutrition right?

It’s quite normal if you struggle to find the time to shop, prepare and cook. And organising healthy snacks to recharge between meals can be tricky. However, if you’re dancing your butt off and know that you’re not backing it up with the right nutrition, then you need to make a change. You will reap the benefits. Get to the fresh food aisle in your grocery store and stock up your fridge. You can also consider some nutritional support. I recommend a whole food based supplement such as Juice Plus because it has the nutrition from 17 different fruits and vegetables. If you need to boost your immune system check out www.fruitandvegwithjuiceplus.com

Give your body what it needs to keep on dancing!

Paul Vander Straaten
Health & Fitness Consultant
Director of Healthaddiction Personal Fitness Training
Certificate IV Personal Trainer

Paul has been working in the fitness industry for 9 years. His focus for the last 6 years has been on nutrition and how important it is in achieving optimal health. He believes that nutrition is vitally important when it comes to good health and that a plant based diet must rule our daily nutritional plan if we are to live long and strong. Good health is easy and Juice Plus just makes it even easier.

Discount Dance Supply is the leading dancewear company in the United States for good reason.  Not only do they have the largest inventory and most extensive selection of styles in the US, they have something other dancewear companies’ don’t – heart.  This is demonstrated in several aspects of DDS, from the strong history of dance in its background and the network of customer-service driven staff it employs who feel like members of a family rather than co-workers to the creative and ambitious owners Brian and Rhonda Hill who continually strive for nothing less than excellence in all aspects of their business.

Perhaps the theme of family runs strong throughout the company because that is exactly how it started.  Before it became the ‘one stop shop for everything dance’ conglomerate that DDS is today, it was a small family owned shop run by dance teacher and enthusiast Linda Hill and her husband Ted Hill.  It was here, working at Hill’s Dance Shop everyday after school beside their parents that Brian and Rhonda Hill watched, learned and came to love everything dance.  It seemed like a natural progression, then, for them to join forces as a brother-sister duo and take Hill’s Dance Shop to the next level.

And take it to the next level they did, with six Discount Dance Supply stores in the Southern California area, a DDS mail order catalogue and website. DDS also works with several of the largest and most prominent dance companies, shipping internationally and taking orders from around the world.  In fact, the Discount Dance Supply name is so synonymous with dance that you’d be hard pressed to find a dance medium where they aren’t reveled. 

Part of DDS’s success can be attributed to their breath within the dancewear world.  They market to just about every dance form-ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, lyrical, ballroom and liturgical, and carry the top dance brands.  And their product lines for these various forms of dance include everything a dancer could need from shoes and dancewear to jewelry, hair accessories, bags, makeup and a line of informational books and DVD’s.

Discount Dance Supply is also know for its string of successful catalogue cover models.  Equipped to do photo shoots in-house or on location, DDS has worked with the top dance companies like New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Pennsylvania Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Alvin Ailey, Washington Ballet, Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and Boston Ballet.  DDS has also worked with TV personalities from shows such as So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With The Stars.  They also have dancers from the local studios come in to model the youth products, and run several Model Contest’s to give kids from every state a chance at winning their place on a DDS catalogue and/or cover. 

But just because the stars shine brightly on DDS and the company they keep, they are always quick to give back and support the dance community in need with monetary and material donations. Recipients of DDS’s generosity have included St. Joseph’s Ballet, Hurricane Katrina victims, the National Dance Association, and various Breast Cancer Foundations and they are continually looking for new opportunities to give.  DDS has also implemented a teacher’s reward program in an effort to recognize the hard work and dedication of dance teachers’ nationwide and promote dance education.

But perhaps the most important ingredient to DDS’s recipe for success is exactly what customer feedback reports-outstanding customer service.  With a foundation of dance experienced and dance knowledgeable employees who strive daily to make every customer’s experience with DDS a great one, Discount Dance Supply is a dancewear company-or dare we say dancewear empire-that is dedicated to and passionate about its products, its clients and its art form.  Now that’s something to dance about!

Shop online today and see the incredible range.
www.discountdance.com
Or call Discount Dance on 800-328-7170.

The Sugarplum Fairy along with her Cavalier, and other characters from New York City Ballet’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ will ring the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, December 23 at 9:30am.

The Opening Bell ceremony celebrates the 56th season of New York City Ballet’s presentation of the holiday classic which runs through January 2, 2011 at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.

Set to Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky’s glorious score, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ features choreography by Balanchine, scenery by Rouben Ter-Arutunian, costumes by Karinska, and lighting by Mark Stanley, after the original design by Ronald Bates. The production includes the Company’s entire roster of more than 150 dancers and musicians, as well as two alternating casts of 50 children from the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet.

For more information on New York City Ballet’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, visit www.nycballet.com.  The New York Stock Exchange is located at 11 Wall Street. The Opening Bell Ceremony can be viewed live online beginning at 9:15 AM at www.nyse.com.

Photo: Ashley Bouder as the Sugarplum Fairy by Paul Kolnik

Al Hirschfeld Theatre, New York.
Dec 2010.

By Jessica Innes.

Magic was created within the walls of the majestic Al Hirschfeld Theatre as young and old gathered to be swept up in the enchanting Christmas tale of ‘Buddy’, a human who was raised by elves in the North Pole. Upon discovering he is a human, ‘Buddy’ sets out to find his real family in the big bad city, sprinkling New York with Christmas cheer.

The Broadway musical was heavily based on the hilarious 2003 New Line Cinema film starring Will Ferrell, leaving the cast with some big curly shoes to fill. Elf on Broadway succeeded in bringing the film’s characters to life, immersing the audience in the magic. I even overheard a little boy squeal with excitement “I hope an elf doesn’t jump in my lap!”

Sebastian Arcelus did justice to his character ‘Buddy’ and his energy and enthusiasm was contagious as he bounded around the stage like an excitable puppy. His vocal range was extremely impressive and the animation he added to each song had every member of the audience falling in love with his congenial character.

A mention must go to Matthew Gumley as Buddy’s younger brother ‘Michael’. Showing professional maturity far beyond his years, the teen prodigy wowed the audience with his piercing voice and emotive acting abilities. Gumley’s talents were beautifully showcased in “I’ll Believe in You” and “There is a Santa Clause” which he sang with his on-stage mother ‘Emily’, played by Beth Leavel. The two sung the stirring duets together in perfect unison.

Composer Matthew Sklar captured the essence of Christmas carols through musical numbers with upbeat tempos and cheery concordant harmonies.  The orchestra set the mood with the use of jingling bells, glockenspiel, flute and brass instruments. A standout was the smooth blues number “Nobody cares about Santa” which was performed by an all male ensemble with remarkable strength and style. The darker tone of this number was juxtaposed against the show’s sugary sweet approach and allowed a little adult humour to be introduced. The subtle innuendos gave an excuse for the parents and more mature members of the audience to have a private chuckle. Meanwhile the children giggled as ‘Buddy’ entertained them with his melodramatic slapstick comedy.

The set design, by Tony Award nominee David Rockwell, proved his genius by creating a children’s wonderland with creative sets bursting with interactive props and projections. The sets remained thematically in tune with the storybook narration of the play and large-scale cardboard cut outs created a childlike innocence. The use of props added to the visually inspiring choreography as the company danced with tinsel, office chairs, spinning cubicles and more, proving that the whole world can be a playground.

Director and Choreographer Casey Nicholaw challenged his cast with a wide variety of dance numbers including jazz, tap and even figure skating! As ‘Jovie’ and ‘Buddy’ enjoyed a magical first date at Rockefeller Center, the ensemble performed “A Christmas Song” as they skated effortlessly across a portable ice rink that was incorporated into the set. Such ingenuity allowed the audience to believe anything was possible and reiterated the musical’s strong themes of hope and magic.

Spirits were high as the audience clapped along to the kaleidoscopic finale, which boasted some very intricate tap work. There was magic in the air and we were granted the quintessential Christmas wish…a white Christmas.

Elf is an adorable, vibrant and uplifting musical that will get the whole family into the Christmas spirit. It is a must see this holiday season.

Photos: Joan Marcus

By Deborah Searle. 

Choreographer Nadine “Hi-Hat” Ruffin hails from New York. Focusing on hip hop and street styles, Hi-Hat has made a name for herself working in film, television, and commercials and for musical artists across pop, country and rock. Working with names such as Missy Elliott, P.Diddy, Shakira and Mary J Blige, to name a few, Hi-Hat recently choreographed for Step Up 3D, out on DVD and Blu-ray on this December. In anticipation of the DVD release, Dance Informa spoke with Hi-Hat about the movie and her successful career to date.

Step Up 3 is a 3D movie. How did this change your choreographic process?
This is the first time dance has been in 3D, of this magnitude, because the movie has done so well. It’s different because it’s now in 3D as opposed to 2D. So when you’re thinking of a routine you have to think dimensions, chain reactions, and big movements. Because it’s B-Boys you have flares, headstands etc. You want to use all those great tricks so it feels like the viewers are in the film while watching the move, or have a foot, arm or body part that is coming at you.

What were the rehearsals like?
I had a week to prep without the dancers, to think of how we were going to approach it, and then I went in for maybe two weeks. I had three scenes. It was not only myself. We had Dave Scott, Rich & Tone, and Jamal Sims and each of us had a crew, and the crew was named ‘House’. Everybody had ‘House of Pirates’, and another house. I had the water scene. My scene was all about water, speed and energy.

We had all these magnificent choreographers coming together, and everybody was assigned different things. So the competition was on! It’s like making a secret project in a science lab and you just want to out-shine everybody. That’s the approach everyone took. So when you see the one project you’re like ‘wow, that’s magnificent’. Everybody did their job.

Was all the music chosen for you, or did you get a creative licence?
We’re all masterminds and we worked in collaboration with the director. We said ‘this is the music we want to use and this is how I see it’. That’s the only way it’s going to work, because our minds all work differently. It of course has to be a collaboration of effort with the director giving suggestions and getting with the music director and seeing the line of music that they have. There’s also the clearance issue as well, and that costs money. You just narrow down the massive amount of music that they give you to choose from and select the best one that fits your scene.

What was the inspiration behind your choreography?
I knew the scene involved a fountain eruption. That inspired me. So, I thought ‘what can I do to make this visual come to life?’ Knowing the concept and knowing what it’s all about motivates you to make the visual come to life.

Were you happy with the outcome?
Oh yeah, very happy because I knew about all the obstacles we had to go through. B-Boys with water just doesn’t work! They were slipping, falling and bumping about, but they were all troopers. They knew we had a great project and minus the falls and the bumps we were able to work through it for the outcome. To me, knowing behind the scenes of what went down, it’s a phenomenal outcome.

You have worked with everyone in the industry, in film, television and commercials. Is there anyone that you haven’t worked with yet, that you would love to work with?
The person that I haven’t worked with, that I would have loved to work with, is now not with us – Michael Jackson. I’d like to work with a lot of old school people from the past that are no longer with us; artists that inspired me to dance, like the Nicholas Brothers, Fred Astair and Michael Jackson – all the legends. We have our inspirations and unfortunately a lot of mine are from the past.

There are so many dancers in the Step Up movies, what do you look for when choosing dancers?
For both Step Up movies for me, (Step Up 2 & 3), we had to get spectacular dancers, unique dancers, original dancers – the ones with the unique moves. I look for unique talent and how quickly a dancer can pick up choreography because the time process is really, really short. Of course you know that the directors are looking for faces, but I’m all about skill. If the face passes with the director then we’re good.

What’s one thing you would like dancers to leave with after working with you?
That the job they’re doing is a passion and that everyone is treated with respect. I aim to stay innovative and be a trend setter so that the kids look up to me and look up my history of work and are inspired. Like how I did my research with Fred Astaire and Nicholas Brothers footage. I’m hoping to leave that impact, so that they can use this as their reference to keep dance going.

What is your background and training? Did you have a lot of formal training?
Mine is natural talent, teaching myself, and being inspired when I was young by cartoons and anything that moved, like karate movies. I just wanted to create a big picture from that. I’ve always been a creative mind. I’d come home and do my homework, and after homework I’d start dancing and making moves, that was my thing.

I grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Brooklyn is all about flavour, and rhythm. When it comes to street dance and hip-hop it’s all about a rhythm, a groove and a flavour, and I found it at a very young age.

What advice would you give to young dancers who would like to star in dance films?
You can’t hop on the band wagon. You have to be passionate and you have to love what you’re doing. You can’t just say you want to do this because it’s the thing and you’ll be in the limelight. You have to have the passion, and once you have the passion for it, you’re not going to give up. For me, my passion is dance, choreography and creative directing. If I don’t dream about my job, then it’s not worth having.

And what would Hi-Hat say to those who haven’t seen the movie yet?
You must see the movie! 

See Hi-Hat’s work in action:

Photos: Scenes from Step Up 3D. Photos by K.C. Bailey, 2009 Copyright Summit Entertainment LLC

By Emily Yewell Volin. 

Nan Giordano, Artistic Director of Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, spoke with Dance Informa’s Emily Yewell Volin whilst overseeing the Company’s international season.  There was obvious excitement in her voice as she shared that the Company had just arrived in Austria to begin their European tour.  We enjoyed a candid conversation about many aspects of Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago and the history and evolution of jazz dance. 

Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago was founded by Gus Giordano, your father, in 1963. 
What inspired Gus to create the Company?  What was unique about Gus and his approach to dance?   How do you honor his unique approach today?
My dad began the company in 1963 under the name Dance Incorporated Chicago. In 1968, at the invitation of renowned dance critic, Ann Barzel,  the company performed American jazz dance for the touring Bolshoi Ballet who were so impressed that an invitation was extended, and the company eventually toured the Soviet Union in 1974. We were the first jazz dance company to do so.

Nan Giordano

This focus on jazz dance led to a new name — Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago — and its current mission to develop and preserve the indigenous American art form of jazz dance, thereby creating an awareness of jazz dance as a true artistic expression of American life.

As Artistic Director of the Company I really work to always bear in mind the Giordano tradition my father began. You have to be the beautiful technician but you also have to be able to dance from your soul. Otherwise, just forget it.

GJDC is celebrating its 48th season this year.  How does the Company maintain relevance in the ever changing look of dance?
Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago remains relevant because we are innovators; not imitators.  We do not follow trends in dance; we define them.

Chicago audiences seem to crave jazz dance.  How do you think the geographic location of Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago helps the Company thrive? 
Gus Giordano, for a long time, WAS the Chicago dance scene.  And still, you go to any company in this city and, guess where many of their leadership and talent trained or performed?  It all came out of Gus Giordano.  He was a true dance pioneer in our city.  Chicago has become a thriving dance town and my dad really laid the foundation for that success.

Giordano dancers are recognized for their athleticism, technical mastery and performance charisma.  In an audition how do you know when you have found a future Giordano dancer? 
It’s a feeling I get.  It’s about connecting with a young dancer. A lot of times I like to know that we’re going to get someone who is going to be open to being molded; someone not so set in stone who thinks, ‘I’m a great dancer and already know exactly what to do’.  I find it’s all about energy. Really a feeling about what kind of energy that dancer has to be a step above the rest.

The Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago repertoire is noted for its broad inclusion of jazz dance styles.  How do you select repertoire to showcase these skills?
I like to go with new or unknown choreographers. Just today I was speaking with a ballroom choreographer about the possibility of working together.  He’s somebody on the high post in his world and virtually unknown to the concert dance community.  I am always looking to initiate trends, not to imitate them.

How do you feel Jazz dance has changed in the almost 50 years of Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago’s existence? 
The major change is that jazz dance is now a recognized art form.  Thank you Mr. Giordano! It used to be that audiences didn’t come to jazz dance concerts because they didn’t understand what we were doing. We’d say, “come on, you’ll love it, you’ll feel it”.  So, now I think the biggest change is the recognition of concert jazz as a qualified art form. 

Is there any particular style or quality of jazz dance that you would like to see renewed?   
I notice right now that the quality of so much movement is all the same. So much jazz dance now is too abrasive for my taste, there’s no feel, there’s no beauty. I’d like to see this raw emotion in more balance with stylistic elegance. One of the characteristics I particularly treasure about the Giordano technique is its elegance.

Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago perform Give & Take, 2009, choreographed by Brock Clawson. Dancers Jarrett Kelly and Maeghan McHale. Photo: Jake Laub

Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago’s mission is ‘to develop and preserve the indigenous American art form of jazz dance’.  How do you think our current social and economic circumstances in the United States are impacting the look and feel of American jazz dance? 
I think the fact that television has done a huge, huge amount to raise the awareness of everything from ballroom dance to dance in reality shows has been good on one hand but also one sided. This type of exposure to dance focuses so much on the commercial side of the form. I think dance on television is becoming a little too dramatized instead of focusing on the dedication, the passion, and the discipline of the art. I wish these shows included more basic components.

Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago has an impressive portfolio of Educational Outreach.  What types of programs do you offer and how do you feel these programs impact the participating children and GJDC Company members? 
Our Enrich Lives with Dance Partnership Program offers numerous opportunities for individuals or businesses to partner with the Company to help enrich the lives of others through dance.  We offer pre-packaged artistic and educational partnerships as well as tailored partnership programs.  All these partnerships help the Company build upon our mission to do outreach.  Our outreach programs include making it possible for large groups of socioeconomically and culturally diverse children to attend our concerts.  Many of these children and their families have never been to a theater, much less to a dance concert. 

However, in addition to this type of outreach we have also developed an in-school science and health program as well as a dance program. For these programs, we partner with 4^th and 7^th grade students in two Chicago Public Schools to integrate dance into the curriculum. The science and health programs are taught by Giordano dancers and administrators and meet twice weekly. The programs provide real life teaching in basic anatomy, nutrition, the relationship of the body systems and injury prevention.  We’ll be starting our 5^th year of this partnership in January 2011.  It’s all about looking at science through dance.  We follow a rubric for grading and administer exams.  Scores in the Science portion of the ISAT (Illinois Standards Achievement Test) have gone up drastically as a result of these partnerships. We created the whole thing and are really proud of it.

The Jazz Dance World Congress is a five-day event celebrating the uniquely American art form of jazz dance.  How does this event support the mission of Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago and what can a registrant expect from attending this world class event? 
The Jazz Dance World Congress completely embodies the Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago mission to elevate the level of jazz dance and create awareness of it as a true American art form. Registrants can expect a very powerfully invigorating and inspirational experience. Dancers become immersed in the culture of jazz dance as they learn about so many different jazz dance styles through participation in the classes and by attending the innovative evening performances.

Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago will make an announcement in January about the next Jazz Dance World Congress. We’re working on something new as we move forward.  Keep an eye on the website (www.jazzdanceworldcongress.org) and contact the Company for more details. 

See Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago perform!
For more information on Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago and the 2010-2011 performance calendar visit http://www.giordanodance.org/company/calendar.html

Giordano Company Audition Dates:
New York, January 9, 2011 at the Alvin Ailey Dance Studio
Chicago, March 13, 2011 at the Giordano Dance Center
Check the website for further information

Top photo: Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago perform. Cheryl Mann Photography