By Leigh Schanfein.

Marlena Wolfe is living the quintessential American dance dream.  She has performed the works of many of the last century’s notable choreographers, was a member of a popular and large dance company, was a featured dancer and then rehearsal director and repetiteur of that major dance company, choreographs for her own group of freelance dancers, is a master teacher and guest instructor, coordinates an international professional training program for pre-professional dancers, and continues to perform.  She seemingly uses every moment of every day to continue reaching for the working dancer’s goal, not only forging the tracks towards her own improvement but also contributing to the development of other artists.  She strives for something greater while navigating a seriously vigorous schedule full of rehearsal, education, performance, administration, and a social life to boot.   And, believe it or not, she has done all of this before the age of 30.

I’ve been impressed with Marlena since the day we met, and have discovered since then how determined she is as a person and as an artist.  It seems that we often expect high-level dance educators and administrators to have had years upon years of experience because professionals and students will glean from that by default.  Yet, Marlena turns that notion on its head as someone who can put her youth and current status in the professional dance world to exquisite use.  I asked Marlena to share some of her background, her decision to go to college, her experiences with choreographers such as Robert Battle (Founder of Battleworks Dance Company and current Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater), and her current work as Coordinator of the two-year Certificate Program at Peridance Capezio Center, an international dance hub in New York City.

You were a member of Robert Battle’s Battleworks.  What was it like to work with Robert?

I joined Robert’s company in 2007. To work with Robert was a blessing. Robert had many muses, his foremost being Erika Pujic who was with him for 20 plus years. However, I was honored and privileged to be the creative tool in seven critically acclaimed ballets that he created during my four-year stint with the company. The first ballet was a solo he created on me called Ella.  In this process, I immediately learned of Robert’s sensitivity to the individual and humanity. Any dancer he intimately works with in the creative process is a muse; he cares about the dancer as well as the person within the dancer. Robert told me after the process of creating the solo that after he first met me, he knew I was a person capable of multi-tasking, doing 1000 plus things at once. That I was a dancer who liked to move fast, relishing in the challenge, always wanting to take the risk, was a perfectionist, caring for and desiring to fulfill Robert’s choreographic vision, and overall believed in his work … most of these characteristics describe every dancer who ever danced with Battleworks and for Robert. Don’t be mistaken, with all the work created, Robert maintained a sense of humor that never failed to bring about that laughter with the tears, belly ache, and that overall, cannot contain yourself feeling. That was always one of my favorite parts when working with him!

How did you transition into serving as Robert’s rehearsal assistant?

The transition was a quick one! My first project with Robert was at The Juilliard School where I assisted him on creating a 33-minute ballet called No Longer Silent. For the process, I spent five months with him and he would translate choreography to me, from movement to staging, imagery, etc. The cast was large, 18 dancers in total. He would literally translate each dancer’s part, sometimes two-three minutes worth of choreography. I would do the movement for him and scribe the staging for when I went into the next meeting with him or once rehearsals started, for the next rehearsal. He wouldn’t come in for the first hour of the rehearsal with the dancers and I would set the choreography he had set the week before with me. You can imagine my nervousness with so much trust and faith put into my abilities to assist him in this way and in consideration of the importance of this project to his choreographic voice. I hadn’t been with him more than five months when I took this project on. He taught me so much that I couldn’t begin to explain how valuable that experience was, as I believe it led to where I am at now in my career. He was one of my greatest mentors and I continue to learn from my experiences I had with him.

You recently began working with choreographer Camille A. Brown.  Tell us about it.

Camille hired me into Camille A. Brown & Dancers in February 2012, so I have only been with her for a little over two months. Working with Camille has been invigorating; her work is her own and Robert’s work is his own, but in my bold opinion the two are cut from the same cloth when it comes to being curious about humanity, which fulfills me as an artist. Robert helped me find security in my voice and Camille has given me the opportunity to reinvent, continue to explore, and grow within that voice. This is the continuous and endless cycle of the evolution of an artist, and I couldn’t be more grateful to be given the opportunity to continue on this path with Camille. As far as being indulgent in my dancer-self, her explosive and physically demanding movement as well as her innate musicality is satisfying.

Marlena with her sisters

Tell me about growing up and dancing in Ohio.

I grew up in a small town called Champion. My Dad had a dairy farm with my grandfather, which was great-grandfather’s in the early 1900′s. We had over 300 cows, which I treated as my pets. I was a country girl. I was dramatic at a very young age and my sisters would call me Queenie. When I wasn’t playing at the farm or swimming in our swimming pool, I was creating plays and shows in my basement; anyone home had to attend. I would hire my willing neighborhood friend to participate and would direct her. Mostly, I trained at a competitive dance studio, Studio L Dance Centre, for 15 years before I went to Marymount Manhattan College. My sister, Amanda, was one of my teachers there and it’s from her that I cultured my work ethic. She challenged and encouraged me as she saw me develop and knew that I had potential to seek a professional career. She believed in me and will always be one of my greatest teachers alongside my teachers before her, Linda Poniewasz and Tracie Lenox.

You are still an active performer, but in 2011 you took the position of Certificate Program Coordinator at Peridance Capezio Center, working with pre-professionals in a collegiate-type program.  What led you to take this job?

I have always had the need to teach. I had always dreamed of being more than a teacher in the studio. I thrive on connecting with students, being on their level and helping them find their way through the haze that exists between themselves and their ultimate goals as aspiring artists. I have always had an open mind and heart. I do my absolute best to stray from what’s typical and uncover what’s unique when offering advice to students. I wanted to instill my sense of practical, yet holistic training, so that the students don’t get caught up in academia and are truly prepared to be artists in the real world. Igal Perry, the Program’s Director, has had this vision. With his grace, he’s allowed me to share in this vision and make it a reality. I am a nurturer, but I also have a firm hand. I believe in professionalism to the utmost. Professionalism is about respect. Respect is about honor. Honoring our art as dancers is the only way to truly be fulfilled, successful, and have our voices be heard.

Top photo: Marlena Wolfe, by Jaqlin Medlock

Published by Dance Informa digital dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events for the professional dancer, dance teacher and dance students.

As the dance community continues to debate over how to bring dance to a larger audience, some individuals are making strong efforts to etch the art form’s way into mainstream culture. With hit television shows like ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance, the average Jane and Joe are becoming interested and gaining awareness of the blood, sweat, and tears that dancers pour into the profession. Starting this summer, Ovation TV – the nation’s only “multi-platform network” devoted entirely to arts culture – is taking this cause to the next level. In collaboration with television juggarnauts, Simon and Nigel Lythgoe, Ovation is gearing up to premiere a brand new kind of dance on television experience called A Chance to Dance.

Excited to be an integral part of arts advocacy in America, Ovation’s Senior Vice President of Programming Kris Slava claims that A Chance to Dance will further prove “how art makes for compelling TV with mass audience appeal.” Slava is also “jazzed” to work with two of television’s most recognizable reality TV personalities, siting Simon and Nigel’s combined commitment to the arts and “a track record for making addictive TV.”

Michael Nunn and William Trevitt

The feeling is mutual. “Simon and I are thrilled to be working with Ovation, a network that truly speaks to our artistic passions,” says Nigel Lythgoe. He and his son Simon have a close relationship and have been working together for over 20 years. They have already experienced huge television and ratings success with shows like American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. Now, they plan to use their respective production companies, Nigel Lythgoe Productions (NLP) and Legacy Productions, to continue to “tap into an insatiable craving for dance on television.”

However, A Chance to Dance is different from any other dance series currently on television, offering a documentary feel versus the reality show competition formula Americans have grown accustomed to. It follows former Royal Ballet dancers Michael Nunn and William Trevitt of BalletBoyz as they audition hopeful dancers, narrow down the talent, and launch an all-male American dance company. “The show is based on exactly what [Nunn and Trevitt] do for a living,” explains Simon.

Simon met Nunn and Trevitt a few years ago through a mutual friend, while visiting North London. He had the pleasure of observing a BalletBoyz rehearsal and says, “I knew instantly they were something very special.” And special they are…they have experienced great success around the world, but have yet to tap into American talent. The idea for the series came from Nunn and Trevitt, but incorporating the Lythgoes and their years of television expertise will surely help make the show a huge success.

Dancers audition for the company.

Every episode will be unique, showcasing the very real “trials and tribulations of forming a dance company under extreme conditions.” Viewers will witness the two work with “a limited amount of time and resources” to nurture young, talented dancers and produce a final performance.

The series starts with Nunn and Trevitt scouring the country for dancers. Dancers will go through a rigorous audition process, without the typical glamour of a series produced in a television show. If the dancers show promise in the open auditions throughout the country then they will move on to New York City, where they will be put to the test with an “intensive dance boot camp.” From this crop of dancers, Nunn and Trevitt will select twelve to perform in a finale gala, a charity event for the arts. Out of these twelve individuals, only eight will tour with the BalletBoyz. The final eight will make up the American company, which will be based out of Manhattan and perform a variety of dance styles all over the country.

Simon speaks passionately about furthering the arts in America because, ultimately, all parties involved hope to see more results from the show than merely high ratings. “Sadly in these tough times, the first thing that gets cut is arts funding. I’m hoping this show will highlight how talented American dancers are and ensure the next generation has the same opportunities for success.” Through series like A Chance to Dance, as well as organizations such as the Actor’s Fund and Dizzy Feet Foundation, Simon hopes to help the arts continue to thrive. But he also emphasizes the potential of a united front within the dance community. “Combining strategies, staying ahead of the curve, using every means possible to promote companies through new media…and old media — it’s the only way dancing will flourish. The public needs to be informed about the arts in order to watch and appreciate dance.”

A Chance to Dance will premiere on August 17, 2012 on Ovation TV. For more information, visit Ovation at ovationtv.com.

Published by Dance Informa digital dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events for the professional dancer, dance teacher and dance students.

By Stephanie Wolf.

A dancer’s ability to work and earn income is dependent on optimal health and physical condition. Therefore, proper healthcare is essential for longevity in the dance profession. But, unfortunately, many American dancers are under or uninsured due to the rising costs of healthcare and the complexity of applying for an insurance plan. Finding affordable health insurance is a dizzying feat, especially for freelance dancers who lack the option of obtaining insurance through their employers. The Internet is inundated with information and the nation’s capital is all a buzz with talk of healthcare reform, but what does it all mean?

Many dancers fall into the 10 to 11% of Americans who get their insurance through the individual healthcare market and dancers are amongst the highest percentage of uninsured artists. High premiums make it challenging to find the right plan. Additionally, because of the intense physicality of the dance profession, many dancers have difficulty getting approved for a plan because of a pre-existing condition. Organizations such as the Actor’s Fund, Media Bistro, TEIGIT, the Freelancer’s Union, and other artist-based unions provide tools and resources for healthcare options, playing a role in ensuring the health of American artists.

The Actor’s Fund (AF) is at the forefront of this cause – helping more than 400,000 performers every year gain access to healthcare – and gears a lot of their services towards dancers. Since 1998, AF has worked with dancers, and now has several comprehensive online tools and one-to-one counseling options to help dancers continue to perform at their best. One tool is the Artists’ Health Insurance Resource Center (AHIRC), which provides listings for workshops, counseling, and an online database of plans, subsidized healthcare, and government programs for each state. Spearheading these programs is AF’s Director of Healthcare Services James Brown who has an extensive background in health insurance and is a healthcare regulator in New Jersey.

Currently, AF is conducting a large dancer healthcare initiative through a grant from the Doris Duke Foundation. The project involves workshops and seminars in 10 dance-centric cities around the country: Manhattan, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Chicago, Washington DC, Houston, Seattle, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis/St. Paul. Brown will conduct the workshops and engage with both dancers and people who run dance organizations in conversations about the laws and availability of health insurance in each of their corresponding cities. AF is also working on creating webinars for those that can’t attend the workshops.

On the individual level, Brown will address dancers’ questions and concerns about finding affordable health insurance. Understanding that health insurance is “a local business,” he’ll give details on the laws, availability, and costs surrounding individual plans. Brown will also discuss affordable or free healthcare options available in each city, such as clinics and pharmaceutical programs.

For those in managerial positions, Brown will break down the Small Business Health Insurance Subsidy, which is part of the Affordable Care Act – also known as Obama Care. “This is an opportune time for dance organizations,” says Brown of the healthcare reform, because it might give small dance companies the ability to afford coverage for their dancers. This piece of legislation offers small businesses and arts organizations, who pay at least 50% of their employee’s health insurance costs, the chance to receive a subsidy from the government to help cover the extra expense. Brown will walk arts administrators through the eligibility factors, the protocol of applying, and what aspects need to be discussed with an accountant.

On a regular basis, AF also conducts individual healthcare counseling. Dancers can access these services by either calling the fund at 1-800-798-8447 ext. 280 or e-mailing Brown at jbrown@actorfund.org. Brown will discuss individual coverage options, as well as coverage for spouses, partners, or family members.

However, many dancers simply can’t afford insurance. For these individuals there are a number of free or sliding scale based healthcare facilities throughout the country. Dancers residing in Manhattan can receive treatment at the Al Hirschfeld Clinic, an AF run clinic in Midtown. The facility is New York’s only completely free clinic and administers healthcare services for anyone in the performing arts or entertainment industry who “has done a certain amount of work over the past two years.” Dr. James Spears, a doctor and professor with NY Presbyterian Hospital, is the full-time medical director and the clinic has a network of specialists through a program called Broadway Docs. There are a number of similar clinics throughout the country, including the Cleveland Free Clinic, San Francisco Community Consortium, and the Performing Arts Clinic in Los Angeles.

AF also offers a variety of other services for socio-economic issues that come with being a performing artist. Recently, the fund collaborated with Broadway and television star Bebe Neuwirth for a program called Dancers’ Resources – helping dancers cope with being injured and the recovery process.

The information is overwhelming, but the reassuring aspect is that there are organizations and individuals striving to give dancers the healthcare they deserve. Nevertheless, it’s crucial for dancers to stay informed on healthcare changes currently being debated in Washington. The evolution of Obama Care can, and likely will, greatly impact the dance community. Starting in January 2014, the laws and guidelines surrounding healthcare in this country will change drastically, especially if the Supreme Court rules in favor of a major mandate in the Affordable Care Act. Thus, the ‘game,’ as we know it, will change.

Get informed about Obama Care and the future of American healthcare in part 2 of “Healthcare for Dancers” – out in June’s issue!

Resources to get insured or access to affordable healthcare:

• The Actor’s Fund: actorsfund.org
• Dancers’ Health Insurance Research Center: dhirc.org
• Artists’ Health Insurance Research Center: ahirc.org
• The Freelancers Union: freelancersunion.org
• Media Bistro: mediabistro.org
• TEIGIT: teigit.com
• Health Pass (for small business owners or sole proprietors): healthpass.com
• Needy Meds (free and low-cost medications): needymeds.org
• Some major retailers offer inexpensive medication, such as Target and Wal-Mart
• The National Mental Health Service Locator: store.sarnhsa.gov/mhlocator
• The Performing Arts Clinic in LA: brighamandwomens.org/Departments_and_Services/neurology/services/PerformingArtsClinic.aspx
• The Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland: thefreeclinic.org/
• The San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium: sfccc.org

Top image © Andre Blais | Dreamstime.com

Published by Dance Informa digital dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events for the professional dancer, dance teacher and dance students.

By Emily C. Harrison MS, RD, LD.

What’s the secret for dancing stronger, improving body composition, building muscle, having more endurance, and improving performance? Energy Balance.  Backed by sound science, the concept of energy balance is all about timing healthy meals and snacks to work for you.  Managing your energy balance can even play an important role in injury prevention.

What is Energy Balance?

Energy Balance is eating exactly the right amount of fuel for the activity you are about to do.   It is meeting and adjusting your body’s energy (calorie) needs as they change throughout the day depending on how hard you are working.   Let’s say you are going on a road trip….
Which option would you choose?

1. Ok car, I’m not going to give you any fuel now, but when we get there I’ll give you all the fuel you need?
2. Ok, car, I’m going to give you all the fuel you need for the trip now, but you have to figure out where to store it?
3. Or…Ok car, I’ll fuel you up now for the next 2-3 hours and then I’ll stop and fuel you up again when you need it?

Obviously, we should choose option 3, but all too often dancers choose option 1 or 2.  Providing enough calories from healthy foods at carefully planned intervals when dancing gives the body the fuel it needs to perform its best.  When athletes have enough fuel, preferably from carbohydrates, they have been shown to have higher jumps and more endurance. Also, when dancers eat regular healthy snacks they tend to not overeat later.   If a dancer gets extremely hungry because he or she hasn’t eaten in a while, he or she tends to overeat more than needed within a certain time frame and those extra calories get stored.  Some is stored as a much needed type of fuel called glycogen which is easy to access when dancing the next day, but some is converted to body fat.  This is why eating smaller more frequent meals not only leads to better performance but also to more muscle and less fat.   We all know that working in an aesthetic art form means that we have to be judicious about what we eat, but planning meals and snacks wisely throughout the day can actually lead to better, stronger muscles and lower body fat percentage.

Whether someone dances two hours a day or ten, in order to perform their best they have to provide exactly the right amount of fuel to their system at the right time.  Going for too long without eating can backfire by forcing the body to come up with fuel from somewhere. When running on empty, the body breaks down muscle tissue and converts it into a type of fuel that the muscles and brain can use.

There are several problems with the all too common dancer strategy of not eating before and during classes/rehearsals/shows and waiting until later to eat: The body lowers your metabolic rate to adjust, the body burns muscle for fuel and thus makes you weaker and more prone to injury.  The brain has a harder time concentrating with no fuel, so choreography is harder to pick up and ultimately you end up with a higher body fat percentage and less muscle. Eating a small snack would have been a much more efficient source of fuel.

Here are my top 10 energy balance tips.

1. Eat breakfast!
2. Have a 100-250 calorie morning snack especially if you have rehearsals
3. Provide some calories every 2-3 hours during your day
4. Eat smaller more frequent meals
5. Plan a 100-250 calorie afternoon snack around 3:00-4:00pm to stave off hunger
6. Eat a reasonable dinner with carbohydrate, protein, and some healthy fats
7. Do eat after dancing, but don’t overdo nighttime snacking
8. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate all day
9. Sip on a sports drink if dancing for a long time and eating isn’t possible
10. Focus on fruits, veggies, and whole grains when meal/ snack planning – these carbs are good!

Pack a snack in your dance bag like a granola bar, banana, dried fruit, nuts, and whole grain crackers and peanut butter or make a wrap with hummus, veggies and rice. Make some pasta salad with whole grain pasta, black beans, tomatoes, corn, and red peppers – yum!  Planning is the key to making healthy food convenient.

Want to know more?
Here is some additional info:
Working muscles require calories in order to provide enough readily available energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and creatine phosphate (CP) particularly for the short, high intensity bursts of activity that we dancers do in class and in performance.  Longer bouts of exercise (Swan Lake for example) require the use of stored glycogen and fats. The body adjusts what it uses for energy based on the intensity of work and level of training. Providing calories before exercising preferably from carbohydrates, results in better performance and helps preserve muscle mass.  For longer shows, sipping on a sports drink or having a granola bar during intermission will help dancers finish strongly.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, “Inadequate energy intakes can result in loss of muscle mass, menstrual dysfunction, loss or failure to gain bone density, an increased rate of fatigue, injury, and illness”.  Injuries or illness can greatly affect a dancer’s training.  Dancers can have fewer injuries and illnesses by managing their energy balance.

Emily Harrison
Emily Cook Harrison MS, RD, LD
Emily is a registered dietitian and holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nutrition from Georgia State University. Her master’s thesis research was on elite level ballet dancers and nutrition and she has experience providing nutrition services for weight management, sports nutrition, disordered eating, disease prevention, and food allergies. Emily was a professional dancer for eleven years with the Atlanta Ballet and several other companies. She is a dance educator and the mother of two young children. She now runs the Centre for Dance Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles. She can be reached at emily@dancernutrition.com www.dancernutrition.com

Top photo: © Ivan Mikhaylov | Dreamstime.com

Published by Dance Informa digital dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events for the professional dancer, dance teacher and dance students.

The Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) is a prestigious annual ballet competition dedicated to student dancers ages 9-19, attracting approximately 5,000 competitors to its twelve US regional and four international competitions.  Of the 2012 competing dancers, 300 students from 26 countries advanced to the finals.  Dance Informa spoke with YAGP founder Larissa Saveliev just before the annual finals, which convened from April 22-26 in New York.  She shared that “more than ½ of the finalists leave NY with some sort of scholarship to pursue their dance education further.”

The Youth America Grand Prix has been receiving some deserved attention thanks to the award-winning ballet documentary First Position scheduled to come to cinemas in May 2012.  The documentary follows six young dancers as they balance the physical and emotional demands of competing in the Youth America Grand Prix with the similar inherent demands of adolescence.  As the movie suggest, the process is riveting and demanding.  Dancers competing in the YAGP are adjudicated on two performances; a classical piece selected from an approved list of repertoire, and an open piece intended to allow opportunity for the dancers to show themselves in a different style of dance. Some opt to forgo pointe shoes in favor of showcasing themselves in a modern piece while others select new classical choreography to showcase their performance range.  Saveliev explains, “right now you cannot find a company in the world who only does Swan Lake.  We try to prepare them for a future career and try to guide them in how to find a job and how to find scholarships.  You have to be versatile. It is an extremely important point we try to teach them.”

Friedemann Vogel & Alicia Amatriain of Stuttgart Ballet perform at YAGP Gala 2012. Photo by Liza Voll

The YAGP is unique in its service to the youngest set of student ballet dancers and the rewards of competing last a lifetime.  Scholarships pair promising young dancers with premier training and have resulted in an impressive list of alumni.  Former YAGP award-winning dancers are performing in companies around the world, including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Royal Ballet, The Hamburg Ballet, The Stuttgart Ballet and others.  Saveliev praises the integral YAGP networking opportunities for helping dancers find their career paths.  And, for the 9-12 year old dancers who are typically too young to leave the country or commit to professional dance, Larissa says YAGP provides them “goals so they can work towards something and tries to educate them about what’s gong on in the world of ballet right now.”  She adds, “We look at ourselves as a membership club.  If you compete once, you become a member for a lifetime.  Any service you need, you get it for the rest of your life.  We’ll be there to help them.”

Larissa has been true to these goals since she and Gennadi Saveliev founded the 501c(3) YAGP organization in 1999.  She is a former dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet who desired an “outlet to learn and get guidance as a teacher” after moving to NY in 1995. Competitions were very popular in Russia.  “You learn so much by seeing it. Teachers watch and see what other teachers are doing,” says Saveliev.   In the 1990s there was nothing in the United States that paralleled the Russian Competitions.  “That’s what gave me the idea to come up with something that would serve this need”, she expands. “We started very small and we worked very, very hard.”

Ballerina Assoluta, Natalia Makarova in honored by YAGP. Photo by Liza Voll

In honor of teaching and inspiring young and old, teacher and student, the YAGP competition includes feature performances.  This year the YAGP presented a tribute event honoring Ballerina Assoluta, Natalia Makarova. The performance celebrated Ms. Makarova’s contribution to the world of ballet by presenting some of her most memorable roles performed by today’s leading dancers, including performers from Stuttgart Ballet, NYCB, ABT, San Francisco Ballet, The Royal Ballet and more. Saveliev adds, “(Makarova) designed the program herself. It had a lot of archival video footage that had never been seen before and she told us about it and talked about her life and the choreographers she worked with.”

The YAGP’s focus on serving young dancers also extends to its historically sold-out culminating Gala performance.  Performed in the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, and heralded as “The highlight of the season” by Clive Barnes of the New York Post, the gala brings future stars and established stars of today onto the same stage.  “We try to bring all different kinds of choreography and styles to the Gala performance”, says Saveliev.  This year’s event was chaired by American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe, Black Swan choreographer Benjamin Millepied and prima ballerina Susan Jaffe.  The performance was highlighted with world choreographic premiers by Dresden Ballet’s Jiří Bubenĺček, with an original score by Karen LeFrak, ABT’s Marcelo Gomes, with an original score by Ian Ng, and NYCB’s Justin Peck.  This program featured YAGP alumni who currently perform with over 50 international ballet companies. The opportunity for selected 2012 competition finalists (the stars of tomorrow) to share a concert with current premier dancers from around the world (the stars of today) is awe inspiring.

The Youth America Grand Prix is a crucial coming together of the ballet community – YAGP competitors, alumni, teachers, choreographers, composers, dance legends, enthusiasts, and the attending public.

For more information visit www.yagp.org

Top photo: Grand Defile, photo by Liza Voll

Published by Dance Informa digital dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events for the professional dancer, dance teacher and dance students.

Muntu Dance Theatre, based in Chicago, is currently celebrating its 40^th anniversary season.  Founded in 1972, the company is the largest African dance company in the US and holds central its focus to present authentic and progressive interpretations of contemporary and ancient African and African-American dance, music, and folklore. The Muntu company is acclaimed for its gripping ability to transform a space with infectious performance energy.  It’s also revered for honoring the Bantu word for which it is named – ‘muntu’ translates to mean ‘the essence of humanity.’

Dance Informa spoke with Artistic Director Amaniyea Payne and President Joan Gray who share that “the response (to Muntu) is the same no matter where” they are performing.  Ms. Payne describes it as a “collective energy…Muntu brings an energy that interconnects with the audience. People leave (our performances) with creative, spiritual and artistic rewards.”  Gray adds “the company is not happy unless people are trying to jump up on stage.  We don’t like it if people are sitting and quietly clapping.  When you come to a Muntu concert you will see people from the cradle to the grave…we like it when the audience does the ‘amen’ of what we’re doing!  We see our cultural connections to each other as world citizens and the art making we do as being that connection. We want to share it.”

Photo by Marc Monaghan

Muntu is best known for its historical works and, according to Payne, frequently collaborates with elders, scholars and practitioners who specialize in the study of a particular dance in order to honor both the research and creative responsibility associated with this type of work. Payne says, “We project the most authentic aspects of (the work) to complement the creative.” Gray adds, “It’s very important for us to present positive and accurate interpretations of the culture.  We are very interested in how African culture has influenced dance and music of people in countries around the world where Africans are now settling.  For example, we spent several weeks in Brazil researching cultural connections between Brazilian culture and African culture. The resulting choreography reflected the convergence of these cultural styles – what we call the race memory.”

Muntu frequently shares concert billings with other dance companies; often in the crowd pleasing position of opening or closing the show.  However, during this anniversary season Muntu will perform its first ever collaboration with dancers from another company.  Muntu and DanceWorks Chicago were awarded a grant from Audience Architects to broaden audiences by going to venues where they had not previously presented themselves. So, on the weekend of May 11-13 DWC and Muntu will perform at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, IL.  Payne beams as she discusses the project. “DanceWorks Chicago opened up its studio for our dancers to engage in the genre of ballet and I will be going to teach at the Ruth Page Dance Center to engage the DWC dancers, and that community, in an African Dance experience.”  The grant provided the two companies the opportunity to bring in a dynamic choreographer, Monique Haley, a former Company member of River North Dance Chicago.  “She has been able to put a piece on both companies that we will perform during the shared performances in May and separately while the companies are on tour independently”, explains Payne.  The piece is titled See (in) Me and wrestles with issues of stress, stamina and trust; all set to a rhythmically inclined score.  Payne adds that it has been rewarding to see the dancers and artistic directors, “have the opportunity to work, share, and inform each other.”

Photo by Marc Monaghan

The community qualities that are essential to the collaboration with DWC are evident throughout all of Muntu’s work.  Muntu maintains a teaching presence in 11 Chicago-based schools and community organizations and offers open adult division classes to the community.  Gray says, “Muntu has a dual function, we are definitely a professional performing arts company that performs around the world and self produces our season every year.  But equally as important to me, is that when there is an important event of significant happening in the community, Muntu is called upon to bear witness to that and to bring the appropriate cultural celebrations.”  Muntu is ‘honored’ to regularly perform for weddings, funeral celebrations, parades, block clubs, and during visits of foreign dignitaries.

Dance Informa asked Gray and Payne what advice they would give to fledging dance companies.  Gray advised, “be sure that you have a vision for your work; and you have to have clarity about how you are going to express that vision. You’ve got to have something to say. You also have to set realistic goals and objectives for your work and how you are going to advance that work and take it one step at a time. You have to think about a model of operations for the resources that you have or you will have in the foreseeable future. When Muntu first started it was the artists who did all the management stuff, too.  We weren’t paid at that time…we had to do everything.  If you are not prepared to do all of those different types of things until you get to the level where you can contract people, you shouldn’t get started. I don’t believe that every dance company has to have a vision of (lasting) into perpetuity.  Every dance company that gets started may not want to be an institution.  They may want to survive the lifetime of its founding director.  Be clear about what you want to achieve.  If it’s for a single choreographer’s vision, that’s fine, just explore different ways you think. Holistically, it can work for you.”  Payne adds, “you cannot do this by yourself.  It’s important to get a trustworthy team that shares the vision.”

When asked to reflect upon a single wish for Muntu during this anniversary year Payne confided, “one of my single wishes is a wonderful facility in order for Muntu to continue to do the valuable artwork and share it with the community.”  Gray adds to that, “where the whole organization could be under one roof.  We know we could deepen our impact and our expression, and make it easier for everybody, if we were all under one roof.”

Connect with Muntu’s website www.muntu.com to learn more about the company and this season’s 40^th anniversary celebrations.  As Payne said in closing, “be part of the celebration!”

Top photo: Muntu Dance Theatre. Photo by Marc Monaghan.

Published by Dance Informa digital dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events for the professional dancer, dance teacher and dance students.

Dance/USA, established in1982, is a national dance service organization operating with the mission to do work that sustains and advances professional dance by addressing the needs, concerns, and interests of dance artists, administrators and organizations. A member organization serving over 400 dance companies, service and presenting organizations and individuals, Dance/USA enhances the infrastructure for dance creation, education, and performance. Based in Washington DC,  Dance/USA also has branch offices in Philadelphia and New York City.

“In my 25 years of dance management, no single association has done more than Dance/USA to support my organization’s work through its advocacy, data gathering, and networking activities  or played a more important role in my own professional development and that of our staff,”  says Glenn McCoy, Executive Director of the San Francisco Ballet.

Amy Fitterer, Executive Director of Dance/USA since January 2011 has an infectious enthusiasm for the organization’s dedication to “embrace all things and move forward.” She spoke with Dance Informa regarding Dance/USA’s overarching goals, the people it serves, her personal background in the arts and Dance/USA’s exciting preparations for the 2012 conference during this, its 30^th anniversary year.  Amy says, “Dance/USA has made some very important strides over the years in advocacy and ensuring dance has had a place at the table in Federal policy discussions.  Dance/USA is the sole member based national association for professional dance.”

Amy Fitterer, Executive Director, Dance/USA

What is your background and how does it impact your work as Executive Director of Dance/USA?

“I grew up training as a classical ballet dancer and also as a classical pianist.  I allowed those two art forms to comingle and to impact my education and my career. I was able to run a small music school, perform as a concert pianist, and also perform in a regional ballet company in California until my late 20s.  Then I became very interested in where art meets government.  I decided to get a Masters in Arts Administration and went to Columbia University, which had Student Advocates for the Arts (it was founded there and is a national student-run arts advocacy network). Right before getting into Columbia I was active in everything I could get my hands on with advocacy and policy.  I was able to interview a variety of city council members in NY on their arts policy backgrounds and platforms and I organized students to go to Albany to lobby for the NY State Council of the Arts. I also began to coordinate with Student Advocates For The Arts to come down to Washington to lobby on the federal level for arts policy.  So, it was actually through my graduate studies and my work in government affairs that I encountered Dance/USA.  I was hired after graduate school to be the Government Affairs Director for Dance/USA, which is a shared position with Opera America.  So, for about 3 years, I was able to be on the Hill and at the Federal Government agencies speaking to members in the opera and the dance field around the country about federal advocacy issues.  So I bring to this role both my hands-on experience in making art as a dancer and pianist but also my passion for policy.”

Dance/USA’s work is viewed in 3 umbrella categories:   Leadership & Learning, Research, and Advocacy.  Tell us more about Dance/USA’s work in these areas.

Dance/USA Advocacy:

“Dance/USA maintains a registered lobbyist on staff and we are a founding member of the Performing Arts Alliance, the national advocacy coalition representing over 28,000 members including dance, opera, orchestra, theater, arts presenters, chorus and so forth.  Dance/USA has tracked a variety of issues with the coalition. The top issues we have always been paying attention to include visa policies for foreign guest artists, arts education, cultural exchange, charitable giving laws, and funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.  Recently, we’ve been lobbying on issues related to wireless microphones and the internet so we’ve been having meetings with the Federal Communication Commission.  All of these policies impact the work that dance companies do in this country.  Dance, in coalition with the rest of the performing arts, needs to have a seat at the table.”

How can people support the advocacy being done by Dance/USA?

“People can sign up to be part of the Dance Advocacy Network, a member listserve we have that sends timely advocacy information, including information about recent meetings on the Hill.  They can respond to calls to action over email action alerts.  Those do make a difference and legislative offices track those records and those responses.  What’s also very important is that anyone working in the field of dance views themselves as an advocate, in the broadest sense, for the art form.  And that they talk about their work not just with their friends and family but with other people they come across.  We all have the responsibility on our shoulders to continue to raise the visibility and the recognition of the public value of our work.”

Dance/USA Leadership and Learning:

“Leadership and Learning goes back to the way Dance/USA was started, it creates a national network of dance leaders.  One of our core membership structures is called ‘Councils’. We group our membership into different Council categories where managers, agents, artistic directors, students and educators can sit in a closed room discussion with their colleagues from another part of the country.  They also get to participate in conference calls and listserves throughout the year.

Also, the national conference for professional dance (hosted by Dance/USA) is the largest annual convening of dance professionals in the United States.  It includes a variety of keynote speakers, break out sessions, council meetings  and dance performances and allows us to focus in on one dance city each year and really try to raise the visibility of dance in that city.

We also do professional development in this category throughout the year.  Right now we have a partnership with NTEN, on a technology leadership training program for individuals in the dance field and a program called The Institute for Leadership Training, which allows for one-on-one coordinated mentorships with individuals across the country and participation in a leadership training seminar.”

Dance/USA Research:

“One of the longest standing programs of Dance/USA is the financial and data surveys it does each year.  It allows participating dance companies who fill out these surveys to see a variety of data points compared across companies.  They can see overall organizational expenses, how ticket revenue is doing and what shows are being performed.  They can also look at staffing size, different staff and board and the breakdown of different revenue sources.  It really allows a dance manager to check in and say, ‘Okay, how am I doing?’.  It’s hard to work in a dance organization because you can feel very isolated.  So, to be able to stop and see how you compare to a fellow dance organization of the same budget size is very informative.”

Tell us more about this year’s Dance/USA conference, which will convene in San Francisco from June 27-30.

“This year’s Dance/USA conference celebrates 30 years by looking forward and moving forward; change is now the norm.  So, with this year’s conference our goal is to embrace trying new things.  We’re partnering with Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and ODC Dance Commons so all our conference sessions, breakouts and performances will be held in arts venues (dance studios and theaters), rather than in a conference hotel.  We are trying to bring the art form more front and center so we have a dance performance during the day that everybody at the conference can attend. We are getting proposals, booking speakers, and coordinating with the host company in San Francisco to decide the themes and threads we want to touch upon.  I’d say the three threads that have come out so far are diversity, community partnerships and technology.  We have a great keynote speaker, Simon Sinek, who not only loves dance but has really innovative approaches to leadership.  I know he is really excited to work with the dance community.”

Learn more about Dance/USA and this year’s conference at www.danceusa.org and www.conference.danceusa.org

George Balanchine said, “See the music, hear the dance.” The choreographer, like many dancers, found inspiration for movement within music. To be able to move one’s body to music can be magical enough. And to be able to dance to live music is, for many dancers, a dream.

Here, Dance Informa speaks with professional dancers who enjoy the privilege of performing to live music. The Australian Ballet’s Brooke Lockett, Miami City Ballet’s Rebecca King and Joffrey Ballet’s Fabrice Calmels share their expertise and the joy of making the music come alive.

Brooke Lockett, dancer with The Australian Ballet, backstage during a performance of Sugar Plum. Photo courtesy of Brooke Lockett

Do you prefer dancing to live or pre-recorded music?

Brooke Lockett, Coryphee with The Australian Ballet
The positive to recorded music is you get an inner rhythm and timing, and the work becomes very consistent, and in some cases, almost predictable. You can never assume anything when it’s to live music. The tempo can be faster or it can slow down parts you prefer faster, but all issues aside, nothing gives me goose bumps more than the sound of a sublime live orchestra playing Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. The curtain goes up and the music floods onto the stage from the pit. It goes through your bones and brings everything you have been rehearsing to life.

Fabrice Calmels, Principal Artist at the Joffrey Ballet
(View Fabrice’s website here)
For me, it is preferable to dance to live music, but there are actually times when I find pre-recorded scores a safe alternative, like in a very difficult performance on tour.

For you, what is the biggest challenge of dancing to live music?

Rebecca King, Corps de Ballet dancer with Miami City Ballet
The music’s tempo can be a challenge. Even though the conductor knows exactly what the dancers need, the speed can still vary from performance to performance. It is our job to be completely in tune with the orchestra because you never know what is going to happen. Because the musicians, like us, are susceptible to human error, sometimes the music can sound different, which can catch the dancers off guard. This is the beauty of live theater – you never know what you are going to get.

For you, what is the greatest reward of dancing to live music?

Brooke Lockett
When a ballet is extremely difficult or you are quite nervous about a role, music is an incredibly powerful escape that has the ability to take you away to another place on stage. Without it, I don’t know that my profession would be as powerful or as rewarding.

Fabrice Calmels, principal artist with the Joffrey Ballet, in Jessica Lang's 'Crossed'. Photo by Herbert Migdoll

Fabrice Calmels
Here’s what is going on with live music: You have a full orchestra with different instruments working together as a team, following a score and led by a conductor, who, in turn, is watching and observing every move from us, the dancers. With the conductor’s expertise, he is able to match the choreography with the music and create the flow. For me, it is communication at its best.

How does dancing to live music compare to dancing to recorded music?

Fabrice Calmels
The beauty of live music is the clarity of the sound, and performing at Chicago’s Auditorium Theater, we have one of the best engineered houses in the world. It was built for live music, and its acoustics are incredible. Live music is simply rich. There is something about the quality of instantly created sound and vibration that is priceless. Recorded music has so many factors that come into play, such as how well the track may be recorded, the quality of the player or speakers, static, or speakers that sometimes do not separate well the low-bass from the mid-bass.

Brooke Lockett
The sound is the biggest comparison. It’s like when I see a live music concert, and no matter how loud I play the CD after the show I can never recreate that same feeling or volume. You hear so many more elements and instruments when it’s live.

Rebecca King, dancer with Miami City Ballet. Photo by Susan Stocker, Sun Sentinel

For a piece that you will eventually perform to live music, what is the process of incorporating the musicians or conductor into the rehearsals?

Rebecca King
Our conductor, Gary Sheldon, spends a lot of time with us in the studio during rehearsals. He not only comes in the week before we take a program to the theater, but he also tries to be around when the choreographer or repetiteur is in town working with us. He has told me that he finds it very important to familiarize himself with our works as much as possible. This makes it easier for him to know when certain cues are coming up, or what tempos different dancers are comfortable with.

Do you usually try to build some kind of rapport with the conductor and musicians?

Brooke Lockett
Absolutely. Sometimes you are feeling a little flat or have an injury, and it’s important for them to know those things. And for those shows when you are on fire and loving it, you can really bounce off one another.

Rebecca King
I think all the dancers at Miami City Ballet have a great rapport with our conductor. He always makes an effort to say hello in the hallways, wish you “merde”, or good luck, before a show, and commend you on your performance after the curtain comes in. You can tell he really makes an effort to know the dancers, which we really appreciate. We don’t have a lot of interaction with the musicians, but we do always make an effort to thank them when we see them leaving the pit. Without them, their talent and extraordinary effort, we would not be able to do what we do.

What’s been a memorable moment of performing to live music?

Fabrice Calmels
The beginning of Lar Lubovitch’s production of Othello starts with a very powerful overture by the orchestra. This leads to the first dance, “The Prayer”, when Othello rises from a kneeling position for a stunning solo done only by creating circular movement with his arm. In every rehearsal and performance, I become Othello in that moment, located near the first panel of the stage, waiting for the main curtain to go up. I am already kneeling with both hands gathered as a prayer resting against my forehead. The orchestra is playing the score, the drums become explosive and so powerful that I feel my hand bouncing up and down from the vibration they create from underneath me. It completely gets in me, my heart begins to beat like a drum. It’s an experience unlike any other.

Brooke Lockett
We had a guest conductor for a season of Swan Lake once and we had all been talking about how slow it was, and in our final Act II entrance as a Cygnet it was like we were doing Willies from Giselle, it was so slow. We had the giggles for the entire entrance and had to quickly pull ourselves together.

Rebecca King
My first year in the company, we were performing Balanchine’s Symphony in 3 Movements, with a score by Stravinsky. Ask any dancer and he/she will tell you that the complexity of Stravinsky’s music has no doubt kept them up at night. Trying to memorize every note and count is no small feat. During a section of the first movement, the three principal couples were on stage, and there was a brief pause followed by a change in the music. Something was missing. The dancers suddenly realized that the instrument that was, at that moment, in charge of keeping the beat was nowhere to be found. They started counting aloud to each other to keep themselves in sync. Thankfully, this confusion only lasted a few bars before another change in the music arrived. We found out later that the musician playing the instrument in question had fallen asleep in the pit!

Top photo: Fabrice Calmels, principal artist with the Joffrey Ballet, in Edwaard Liang’s Age of Innocence. Photo by Herbert Migdoll.

Published by Dance Informa digital dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events for the professional dancer, dance teacher and dance students.

It’s Recital Prep time!  Are you ready?  Preparation is the key to a confident and polished recital performance. You might have your costumes, music, lighting, and of course the right moves – but what about your makeup and hair?  Even the most seasoned performer should have a makeup and hair rehearsal.  Applying makeup together with fellow performers will help insure everyone is on the same page, in the right look, uniform and polished.

To help you out this season we have a few easy to follow stage makeup step by step application videos with stage beauty expert Christine Dion from Mode Dion. To learn more go to modedion.com.

A polished face is a must.
Here’s how to apply Foundation, Concealer and Powder like a pro:

Eyebrows frame your eyes and create balance.
Here are the steps to perfect brows:

Stage eye steps made easy:

False lashes are the Eye Openers:

Create lips that show off your smile and cheeks that are perfectly flushed
and contoured to perfection:

Era and Theme Makeup for Recitals

Recital make-up is important as it complements the costume and sets the mood of the dance piece.  Those little extras capture the era and style of the number.  Whether the dance is 1950’s Grease, a ballet classic, or futuristic pop, it’s the make-up and hair that finishes the look and creates the fantasy.

Here are a few make-up color rules to keep for the next time you create a fantasy face. Remember the theme of the look. Make-up changes every era just like fashion.

The make-up era looks that set the style in their day:

• In the1920’s black shadow across the lid and deep burgundy rosebud lips were the choice of every flapper girl.
• In the 1940’s liquid liner sweeping up only on the top lid, with rounded rich red lips were popular.
• In the 1950’s blue shadow and pink lipstick were the colors of the moment.
• The 1960’s saw heavy lined eyes, white shadow all over the lid and gray shadow through the crease.  The lips were washed out in light beige to keep the eyes the focus.
• In the 1970’s blue shadow was back in, but with frost for the lid and white shadow highlighted under the brow. The face was brightened with pink cheeks and pale pink glossy lips.
• In the 1980’s, the era of excess, we saw three colors of bright shadow, heavy brows, and bright lipstick.  Think Cindy Lauper.

When creating a fantasy, the era may not play a role at all. Instead you might want to play on the imagination of the audience.  Create magic by defining the character of the piece.

Fantasy character looks and the colors that make them come alive:

• The ShowGirl.  Feathers in the hair, big lashes and glitter everywhere. The brighter the colors the better.
• The Spanish Flamingo Dancer.  Heavy black eye liner sweeping up at the corners, red lips, and a split curl along the side of the cheek.
• The Cat.  Whether you choose a lion, a leopard, or a tiger, the drama is purr-fect for a feline fantasy. Use face pencils or greasepaint in black, brown, orange, yellow, white, and red/brown.
• Fairy Princess.  A favorite for classical pieces, this look is soft and sweet.  Use lots of glitter and sparkling shimmers, placed only on the key light catching spots.
• Man look.  This look includes a suit and tie with hair parted and slicked back, but the face is feminine.  Lips are red or defined with lots of gloss, cheekbones are contoured and eyes are shaded in browns with thick black lashes.
• Make-up to accent costumes.  Add rhinestones and glitter to the face in complimenting colors to draw attention to unique costume detail.  Other accents can include:
  Glitter, sparkling powders.  These light catching products can turn any look into a magical fairy princess or a futuristic intergalactic arrival.
  Wigs- Try a wig or hair piece.

RECITAL SPECIAL FROM MODE DION!

Special Discount Offer just for Dance Informa readers.
Mini Stage Kit with Professional Eye liner Brush.
Retails at $63.50, but Mode Dion is offering a Dance Informa Reader SPECIAL for only $48.00!
($15.50 off!)

The Mini Stage Kit contains the perfect stage makeup to create a polished and professional performance face. Rich high quality pigment, the 5 color eyeshadow pallet doubles as cake eye liners too, with a professional eye liner brush for flawless lining application. Two versatile defining eye shadow shades allow for multiple looks. Stage Red cheek color flushes cheeks to perfection and compliments the Stage Red long lasing lip color and liner for enhancing and shaping lips.
Phone 760.837.9433 to order

Christine Dion has worked internationally as a makeup artist in fashion, print, television and stage. She has been in the beauty industry for over 30 years as an artist and educator. Check out her website modedion.com for more information.

Top photo: © Jorgosphotos | Dreamstime.com

Published by Dance Informa digital dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events for the professional dancer, dance teacher and dance students.

1. Which of the following characters would you NOT find in Chicago?

a) Mary Sunshine
b) Roxy Hart
c) Lilli Vanessi
d) Billy Flynn

2. In the 1972 film Cabaret, Sally Bowles is a performer at what club?

a) The Kitten Klub
b) The Kit Kat Klub
c) The Top Kat Klub
d) Top Hats ‘n’ Kats

3. The 1953 film Kiss Me Kate was inspired by which Shakespeare play?

a) Romeo and Juliet
b) The Taming of the Shrew
c) Much Ado About Nothing
d) Othello

4. The video for Beyonce’s Single Ladies was inspired by what Bob Fosse number?

a) All That Jazz
b) I Gotcha
c) Mexican Breakfast
d) Bye Bye Blackbird

5. Rich Man’s Frug is a number from which Fosse film and stage show?

a) Sweet Charity
b) Pippin
c) The Pajama Game
d) Damn Yankees

6. In the semi-autobiographical All That Jazz, who plays the elder “Joe Gideon”, the character based on Bob Fosse?

a) William Shatner
b) Michael York
c) David Hasselhoff
d) Roy Scheider

7. As a Choreographer and Director, Fosse won nine Tony Awards and one Academy Award. What film was the Oscar for?

a) Cabaret
b) The Little Prince
c) Lenny
d) Kiss Me Kate

8. In the 1969 film Sweet Charity, who played Charity Hope Valentine?

a) Gwen Verdon
b) Shirley MacLaine
c) Liza Minnelli
d) Ann Reinking

9. Which of the following is NOT a number in The Pajama Game?

a) Steam Heat
b) Hernando’s Hideaway
c) Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo
d) Small Talk

10. What moniker is given to Amos Hart in Chicago?

a) Fred Casely
b) Mister Cellophane
c) Pal Joey
d) Mr. Applegate

Answers:
1 – c; 2 – b; 3 – b; 4 – c; 5 – a; 6 – d; 7 – a 8 – b; 9 – c; 10 – b

Top photo: The Female Ensemble in Australia’s Chicago. Photo by Jeff Busby, 2009.

Published by Dance Informa digital dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events for the professional dancer, dance teacher and dance students.