From Christine Dion of Mode Dion

Start the year off fresh. Now is the time to review your makeup tools, clean out makeup cases and wash makeup brushes. Begin by clearing out old products. It is not always easy to know when the end has come, so here is a time line of expiration dates on your favorite cosmetic must haves:

Facial Foundation and Moisturizers- Up to 2 years. Most last only about a year. When it starts to separate, change consistency or smell funny then it’s time to toss it. You can extend the life of these even longer by dipping a clean Q-tip into the product for application instead of your finger.

Concealer/Cover up- Lasts a year or two longer than foundation.

Face Powder- Loose powder can last up to 3 years or more if it doesn’t begin to smell bad. It’s loose dry formulation prevents bacteria build up. Compact Powder can harden and change color from your skin oils getting onto the surface.  Bacteria can also form. Refresh compact powder by using a toothbrush to scratch the bad surface layer off. This can help it last up to to 3 years.

Cheek Color/Blush- Like a compact powder, bacteria can build up and powder can harden from facial oils. Treat with the toothbrush technique and keep for 2-3 years.

Mascara- 3-4 months after opening, mascara begins to have bacteria build up that can cause infection and eye irritation.

Eye Shadows- Keep the top layer clean and these should last up to 3-4 years. Look for color changes, bad smells, and itchy eyes to point the way to the trash.

Eye and Lip Liners -these can last a long time if you keep them well sharpened. For lip and eye pencils look for moldy build up and a change in texture to signal if they’ve gone bad. Liquid liners last about 1-2 years because of a higher risk of bacteria build up. To keep these fresh longer use a separate clean brush for application instead of the one that goes back into the container.

Lipstick- After 2 years color and texture changes and bacteria starts to build up. A chemical smell is another sign that it’s time to toss it.

Face Masks -(creamy)- 6 months to 1 year.

Nail Polish- 2 years, give or take. Adding a little nail polish remover can help thin out old polishes that have become thick, but bubbles can form when polishes are old, so it’s best to buy smaller polishes and throw them out after 2 years.

Fragrance- Perfumes aren’t really a beauty tool, but are an important part of beauty. So keep your fragrances out of light in a dry, cool place. Most people keep their perfumes in the bathroom, which is the worst place of all! Fragrance should last from 3-6 years if taken care of correctly. If you notice an off odor, then toss them.

How to care for your products and keep them fresh
Store your products in a cool, dark place like the fridge (cold inhibits bacteria) or a box. Keep them out of sunlight and warm humid places like the bathroom. Shake liquids up every once in a while. If pigments separate and don’t shake back together, then it’s time to throw them out. Avoid touching products with your fingers -use sponges, brushes and Q-tips whenever you can. Keep lids closed tightly and never share products.

Remember to keep make-up brushes clean. With daily use, wash brushes a few times a month or weekly if you’re prone to breakouts.

How to wash your make-up brushes:

1. Fill the bowl with warm water.

2. Add one squirt of dish-washing liquid.

3. Swish brushes into water and gently work soap through hairs.

4. Empty water and fill bowl again with fresh warm water.

5. Repeat until water is clear and brushes are clean from soap.

6. Pat onto dry towel and lay flat on dry towel until dry. Tip: Never dry brushes standing up. The moisture can drip into the base where the hairs are glued and start rotting. Soon the hairs will come loose and fall out. Never pull on brush hairs.  Always pat them dry.

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:  © Tomasz Tulik | Dreamstime.com
Second photo: © Vitalii Netiaga | Dreamstime.com

By Steve Sirico of Dance Teacher Web

In this special two part series we will explore tips to running a successful studio.  If you missed the first seven tips visit (www.danceinforma.com/the-secrets-to-running-a-successful-studio). Think about your business and how these tips apply to what you are doing. Even if you are implementing what I recommend, try to think in terms of how you might switch up your approach for even greater success. Remember that growing your business begins with self-examination. So let’s get started!

Build additional streams of income
These can include rentals or subletting space, birthdays and other parties. Think outside the box to help you generate more revenue. During down times see about subletting a studio to a yoga class or contact your local theater to see if they need space for rehearsal. Think about taking your classes to area groups and schools. This is a great way to generate additional income and to spread the word about your studio and programs.

Get out of your studio and build your network
Build relationships! Years ago we did a local performance and met a woman who was in charge of a program called ‘After the Bell’, a unique after school program where the parents’ club found outside companies to run classes like tennis, agility and dance, amongst others. By doing this outside show we had the opportunity to meet her and for her to see our work. We have since been doing her ‘After the Bell’ program at our local grade school for years! You will be the best kept secret in your town if you don’t get out and meet people.

Be proactive in the community
Lend a hand with fundraising events, help out with people when you can and work with a group you are passionate about. Join your local Chamber of Commerce and let it be known that you are a source in your town when it comes to providing entertainment and volunteers who can help with a worthy cause.

Know your numbers
Build a target to hit. How many students do you need to pay the bills? How many to make a profit? Do you have a formula for what each student is worth? Now set a target for what you want your studio numbers to look like. Track it each week during the first three months of your season, then once a month after that. If you have a goal, you will chip away at it and hit it eventually. When your mind is focused on growth instead of survival, it will put you in the right frame of mind.

Your front desk will make or break you
Your employees probably treat your customers about the same way you treat your employees. Let that soak in for a minute, and think about the ways your everyday behavior might be affecting your school’s ability to generate referrals.  Keep training your staff and make it fun. Happy employees, happy students and happy parents are how you need to measure your success.

Build your referral system
Get your clients talking about you. Do the unexpected. Create an environment of ‘WOW’. The best way to do this is to let your employees know that you are open to ideas that will create a ‘wow moment’ for your customers. The more you create ‘wow’, the more they will talk about you. For your best clients you could offer a $50 off referral program where if they bring in a new student who registers, you deduct $50 from both their tuitions.

Create a marketing plan, stick to it and track your results
Decide what your objectives are, what you will spend and where you will spend it.  Not all marketing efforts work—sometimes the fish just aren’t biting. Track results to know how to proceed. My recommendation is to focus your marketing dollars first online and work out from there.  Try a targeted list that you can send a postcard to. Next consider doing a mailing to past clients with a special offer to try one week for FREE! Remember, marketing is not just about getting new clients, but also cultivating your current ones. If they are taking one class, why not try to get them to take two, three or more? For more marketing tips view past article www.danceinforma.com/magazine/grow-your-enrolments

Here’s to your success!

By Emily Yewell Volin.

Where’s the jazz?  Literally.  Where’s a concert jazz dancer to look for performance opportunities?  Jazz dance is uniquely American, with an emphasis on syncopation, isolation and groundedness.  And, like all art, jazz dance is bound to current societal trends and progress in related movement fields.  As a result jazz dance has changed into either an increasingly commercial commodity that is inherently removed from concert venues or an increasingly ballet based form that does little to represent the African dance roots of true jazz dance.  A few companies dedicate their mission and vision to the preservation of classical jazz works.  Many jazz companies explore classic and contemporary jazz dance in its many forms including, but in no way limited to, classical, lyrical, contemporary and hip hop.  Many of these dance companies remain dedicated to keeping jazz inspired works in their diverse repertoire, though would not be aptly labeled as jazz companies.

Jazz dance classes offered in studios and university/college programs are consistently over capacity.  You could call them big sellers and crowd favorites. Yet only a select few of these organizations produce jazz or jazz infused works in concert and dancers move out of most programs unsure how their passion for jazz dance can pair with their passion for a career in concert dance performance.

What’s an aspiring concert jazz dancer to do?  Begin by reading below.  It’s a listing (admittedly partial) of North American jazz dance companies as well as dance companies committed to including jazz works, or works influenced by jazz styles, in their diverse repertoire.

Jazz is alive and well, rooted in its history, and growing into its future.  Soulful, passionate, electric, athletic and virtuosic; you’ll know when you’ve experienced jazz or jazz inspired work.  And, it’s likely you’ll leave the concert or class wanting more.

Concert Companies Dedicated to Jazz Dance Repertoire
(Listed in Alphabetical Order)

Dancer Kimberley Cooper of Decidedly Jazz Danceworks in 'Wilds'. Photo Trudie Lee

Decidedly Jazz Danceworks
www.decidedlyjazz.com
Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, from Alberta Canada, was founded in 1984 with the objective of creating concert jazz dance that sustains the spirit and traditions of jazz. After more than two decades of work, a distinct and eclectic style that mixes groove, African roots, rhythm, improvisation, interplay with musicians, and deeply human soul, has distinguished DJD on the international jazz dance stage. The company founders and artists are progressive historians, innovating boldly while maintaining a respectful and loving eye on the roots of jazz.

Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago
www.giordanodance.org
Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago is the original jazz dance company, captivating audiences worldwide with dynamic performances and the diversity and wide appeal of its repertoire. Known for its high-energy, high-impact artistry, GJDC continually expands the boundaries of jazz dance while diversifying the repertoire, and receives critical and audience acclaim worldwide.

The mission of Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago is to create and present new and innovative jazz dance choreography, often redefining and expanding the very definition of jazz dance, and to bring this invaluable American art form to audiences and students of all ages and from all ethnic backgrounds.

Jump Rhythm Jazz Project in 'Spring'. Photo William Frederking

Jump Rhythm Jazz
www.jrjp.org
Jump Rhythm Jazz is a Chicago-based, Emmy-Award-winning dance theater company that was founded by Billy Siegenfeld in New York City in 1990.  The company’s rhythmically explosive ensemble celebrates dancing and singing to the beat-driven sounds of swinging jazz and the blues, hard-hitting funk and hip-hop, and world music.  Jump Rhythm performs its rich blend of percussive musicality and story-based dance theater in annual festivals in Chicago as well as on tour nationally and internationally. Jump Rhythm company members are also teachers and workshop-leaders of the unique approach to movement study called Jump Rhythm Technique.

Patti Rutland Jazz
www.pattirutlandjazz.com
Patti Rutland Jazz is a professional contemporary, jazz and hip-hop dance company based in Dothan, Alabama.  One of the most innovative dance companies in the Southeast, PRJ has created a new vocabulary of dance that appeals to diverse audiences and dancers alike.  The PRJ aim is to make dance accessible to the widest possible audience through professional concerts and to instruct youth on how to utilize technical skills as tools to develop a strong work ethic, self-esteem, respect for others and a positive outlook on life.

Concert Companies with Jazz or Jazz Infused Repertoire
(Listed in Alphabetical Order)

Atlanta Dance Connection
www.atlantadanceconnection.com (see review of their recent performe of The Dark Allure)
Bridging the gap between classical Ballet and traditional African dance, the Atlanta Dance Connection’s mission is to create and produce art, entertainment, and education at its highest level, while providing a venue for established, emerging artists to showcase their work. Public performances, educational programs, and artistic collaborations serve as the impetus for the Atlanta Dance Connection’s vision.

Rasta Thomas' Bad Boys of Dance. Photo Oliver Fantitisch

Bad Boys of Dance
www.badboysofdance.com
Bad Boys of Dance was founded in Maryland by dance superstar Rasta Thomas in 2007. BBD debuted at the 75th anniversary season of the world renowned American dance festival “Jacob’s Pillow”. BBD’s mission is to push the boundaries of male dancing and deliver the most exciting dance shows in the world. Today the company brings their magic to the masses, giving over 150 shows a year and has performed for over 500,000 fans worldwide. These amazing dancers’ versatility and talent push the bounds of dance today with athletic jumps, endless turns and endearing individuality. The Bad Boys seamlessly combine ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, tap and acrobatics to make for a dance experience you’ll never forget.

Cangelosi Dance Project
www.cangelosidanceproject.com
Kris Cangelosi’s work with her company in Baton Rouge LA, is abstract, defined by a vibrant and passionately moving drive that blends modern dance’s shaping and classical ballet’s exactness and lift. When Cangelosi constructs the movement and overall structure of a piece, she works from an inner story which forms the route of the dance.  In the preparation development she works with dancers with improvisation as well as constructed movement phrases to consider possibilities to outline clarity and heighten individuality, creating productions that are natural, sensitive and inspiring.

Cerqua Rivera
www.cerquarivera.org
Cerqua Rivera of Chicago is a company that has redefined the concept of a “performance ensemble”.  By uniquely fusing dance, live music, and visual art together on stage, CRDT performances truly satisfy the senses.  Each concert focuses on a new segment of society and a new era, reaching out to ethnically diverse audiences and communities, and expressing stories that span the diversity of American society. Cerqua Rivera’s multifaceted, innovative performances include an array of musical styles and original compositions, including jazz, classical, Latin, rock ‘n’ roll, and blues.  Its contemporary dance choreography fuses jazz, modern and ballet.

DanceWorks Chicago
www.danceworkschicago.org
DWC is proud to promote excellence in dance through creation of an eclectic repertory featuring who is new and what is next in contemporary dance, as well as showcasing exciting work from established choreographers. Committed to fostering a culture that values diversity relating to artists and their collaborators, the work of art on stage, and the audience served, DWC accomplishes its mission by bringing people together with a wide range of skills, approaches, and experience. Creating an environment for meaningful exploration is an important part of the continued forward movement of the art form as well as part of building Chicago as a destination for dance.

Houston Metropolitan Dance Company in ‘Zoom’. Photo Ben Doyle, Runaway Productions LLC

Houston Metropolitan Dance Company
www.houstonmetdance.org
Houston Metropolitan Dance Company aims to enhance the quality of life for individuals and society through the instruction and performance of dance. The company does not have an artistic director but an artistic committee that sets the season for the professional company. The committee always tries to keep jazz idiom as a part of their seasoned concerts and feels it is important to show the diversity of the company’s repertoire.

Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theatre
www.lvcontemporarydancetheater.org
Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater is dedicated to preserving and presenting the work of generations of great artists, choreographers and teachers, as well as showcasing the work of emerging talent in a broad spectrum of dance styles. LVCDT seeks to maintain a world-class performing arts company, creating multicultural opportunities to build artistic bridges beyond our borders. Through educational outreach programs, LVCDT seeks out at-risk youth and provides a path to confidence, discipline, and excellence that will benefit the youth and their community way beyond their participation in the dance program.

Les Ballets Jazz De Montréal
www.bjmdanse.ca
An internationally renowned repertory company, BJM – Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal has continued to grow with all the energy and spirit of exploration for which it has been known since its birth in 1972. Thanks to the enduring faith of Geneviève Salbaing and co-founders Eva Von Gencsy and Eddy Toussaint, this vitality has made its mark through the years. Since Louis Robitaille was nominated artistic director in 1998, BJM is now, more than ever, in tune with the times. While preserving the essence of the company, BJM works today with some of the most prestigious figures in the world of dance and contemporary ballet.

LehrerDance. Photo by Nate Benson

LehrerDance
www.lehrerdance.org
LehrerDance is an inspiring and innovative contemporary dance company based in Buffalo, NY. Under the direction of Jon Lehrer, the company showcases Jon’s unique choreography and embodies his definitive style. Jon’s extensive background in both the modern and jazz dance idioms fosters choreography that is organic, artistic, accessible and often humorous, reflecting life experience and the human condition. The LehrerDance style is based on three main elements of movement: circularity, 3-dimensionality, and momentum.  These combine to create a form best described as “organically athletic” – integrating the approach and fluidity of modern dance with the excitement and energy of jazz dance to create an expressive, engrossing style of movement.

Philadanco!
www.philadanco.org
The Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadanco) is a world renowned company celebrated for its creativity, administrative acumen, and adherence to the standard of excellence established by its founder Joan Myers Brown. Philadanco presents the highest quality of professional dance performance and improves the skills of emerging and professional dancers and choreographers in a nurturing environment, while increasing the appreciation of dance among its many communities.

River North Dance Chicago in 'Simply Miles...'. Photo Jennifer Girard

River North Dance Chicago
www.rivernorthchicago.com
River North Dance Chicago is dedicated to the creative advancement, presentation and preservation of jazz based contemporary dance regionally, nationally and internationally. Some works are “jazzy”, some jazz-infused, and some are more contemporary and/or edgy.   Audiences always receive a balanced offering, including the basic three facets of River North: the romantic and lyrical, the contemporary, and the jazzy.

River North Dance Chicago recently presented ”Simply Miles, Simply Us”, a tribute to the great American jazz legend, Miles Davis.  The work, choreographed by River North Dance Chicago’s Artistic Director, Frank Chaves, premiered at the Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University in Chicago, as part of their month-long Miles Davis Festival in April 2011.

Top photo: Philadanco. Dancers Chloe O Davis and Joan Kilgore. Photo by Lois Greenfield. www.loisgreenfield.com

By Stephanie Wolf 

These days, former Bolshoi Ballet Artistic Director Alexei Ratmansky is in high demand for his choreographic skills in the ballet world. Since being named American Ballet Theater’s Artist in Residence in 2009, he has traveled the world, choreographing for some of the industry’s best dance companies. His next big undertaking brings him back to New York City, where he will create his fifth ballet for ABT – his own adaptation of Igor Stravinsky’s The Firebird.

This is not Ratmansky’s first time mounting the one-act story ballet. Previously, he choreographed a production of The Firebird for the Royal Swedish Ballet in 2002. His version for ABT will showcase the work of two other Russian artists: Simon Pastukh’s scenery and costumes by Galina Solovyeva. The trio also worked together on Ratmansky’s 2009 ballet On the Dnieper.

The new production will receive its world premiere from March 29 – April 1, 2012 at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, CA, coinciding with the center’s 25^th anniversary. Shortly after the five performances in Costa Mesa, the ballet will stage its Manhattan premiere at the Metropolitan Opera House during ABT’s spring season.

ABT’s Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie feels Ratmansky and his Russian design team possess the heritage and talent to recreate a ballet of such historic significance. “Alexei’s background in Russian music, culture and symbolism combined with his incredible facility for story-telling, will surely have an important impact on how he brings this enchanting tale to life,” he says.

The Firebird depicts the Russian fairytale of Prince Ivan and his quest to conquer evil and win the love of his princess. Ivan becomes lost in the forest of the evil Kostchei. As he struggles to gain his bearings, he encounters an enchanted Firebird. The Firebird’s likeness to both woman and bird hypnotizes the prince. He captures her, and she offers one of her magical feathers in return for her release. After his encounter with the Firebird, he finds himself at Kostchei’s castle, where twelve maidens greet him. He meets Tsarevna and falls in love. Kostchei appears and casts a spell to turn Prince Ivan into stone. In defense, Ivan waves the magical feather, bringing forth the Firebird herself. Together, the prince and Firebird defeat the evil Kostchei, allowing Ivan and Tsarevna to wed; thus, receiving their happy ending.

Michael Fokine choreographed the first production of The Firebird on Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes at Paris’s Theatre National de l’Opera on June 25, 1910. Over a century later, ABT plans to present Ratmansky’s interpretation, which is the fourth time for Ballet Theater to revive the ballet. The first time ABT premiered Stravinsky’s The Firebird was in 1945 at the Metropolitan Opera House, with choreography by Adolph Bolm and sets and costumes by Marc Chagall. Christopher Newton restaged Fokine’s choreography for the second ABT production of The Firebird in 1977 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, CA. And, they revived Fokine’s choreography again in 1992. Nicholas Beriozoff produced this third rendition for ABT, which premiered in Mexico City at the Palacio de Bellas Artes.

Ratmansky’s version will star three of ABT’s remarkable ballerinas as the illusive creature: Misty Copeland, Isabella Boylston, and Natalia Osipova. Both Boylston and Copeland are soloists with ABT, and Osipova is a principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet and a guest artist with ABT.

Ratmansky’s previous ballets for ABT, including The Nutcracker, The Bright Stream, and Dumbarton, received great responses form both critics and patrons. With a team of skilled collaborators and ABT’s roster of excellent dancers, Ratmansky’s new The Firebird possesses the potential to make its own mark in ballet history.

Sources: ABT Broadway World, The Ballet Dancers’ Guide

Nutrition recommendations for preventing and recovering from bone breaks, stress reactions, or stress fractures.

By Emily C. Harrison MS, RD, LD

With our highly active and high impact lifestyles, dancers can be prone to bone stress. What can you do ensure your bones are ready for the demands of dance?

Bone is living tissue, and good bone health requires good nutrition. One way to avoid stress fractures/ reactions is to get adequate calories from protein, carbs, and fat. Calorie needs for dancers can vary depending on your size, age, gender, and activity level. (See Dancernutrition.com for information on estimating calorie needs). Going for long periods of time without eating or extreme dieting will compromise bone mineral density and jeopardize your bone strength. Cutting your calories too heavily will not help you become a stronger dancer.

Hormones also play a big role in bone health. Decreased or absent menstruation in females is a warning sign. Please see a health care professional if dietary intake or menstruation is a problem.

Vitamins and Minerals for bone health, ages 13 and up
Calcium: 1300-1500 mg
Vitamin D: 10-15 micrograms (600-800 IU) avoid large doses and get 15 min of sun/day
Vitamin C: 100 mg (avoid large doses)
Vitamin K: 75-90 micrograms
Phosphorus: 1250 mg/day

Did you know that you can get all these from food sources?

Protein: Did you know that too much can actually compromise bone health over time?
Protein needs vary throughout our lifespan. For more information about recommended protein intake read Protein Needs for Dancers from the November Edition. More than enough protein is not necessarily better. Dancers who are adolescents and still growing, as well as engaging in athletic activity several times per week, can estimate protein on the higher end of the range, but shouldn’t over do it. High protein diets can lead to more calcium being lost from the bones – a big problem for dancers who are at higher than average risk for stress fractures. Protein overload = weaker bones. Get your protein from food sources like beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains and if necessary, get small amounts from meat or dairy. Protein supplements or powders are not necessary and can even be dangerous.

Dietary sources of bone building nutrients:

• Everyone knows that dairy is a great source of calcium, but there are other plant-based sources of calcium too, like almonds. If your dairy intake is restricted, choose calcium fortified soy milk, almond milk, or orange juice w/ calcium.
• Greens: spinach, kale, collards, chard
• All fruits (great sources of vitamin C and phytonutrients)
• Tuna, eggs, beans
• Sunflower seeds, almonds
• Enriched cereals, oatmeal with almond milk

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, USA. 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: © Linda Bucklin | Dreamstime.com

By Tara Sheena 

A dance performance seems like a simple equation: one part choreography, two parts proscenium stage, and three parts talented cast. Add a few lights and some great music, maybe even a set piece or two, and you have the perfect show. Easy enough, right? Too easy, it seems, for the Los Angeles-based choreographer Heidi Duckler of Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre. Duckler has made a living creating site-based work in the greater Los Angeles area for over twenty-five years. A “non-traditional” choreographer, as she prefers to call herself, she has run a successful contemporary dance company in an area of California where dance seems to be dominated by commercialization and the persona of Hollywood. However, after speaking with Duckler and her Managing Director, Emily Wanserski, it became clear that this idea of celebrity, privatization, and, conversely, accessibility in the Facebook-era feeds into the company’s overall mission.

“We like the idea of bringing dance to a location versus expecting an audience to come to us [and the dance]”, Wanserski stated. This zeal to reach out to audiences, whether they know they are being an audience or not, has characterized a lot of Duckler’s most notable works, including Laundromatinee, which takes place inside a laundromat, and Expulsion, which always occurs in a vacant lot.

Their newest piece, based on the life of Cleopatra, will premiere in February 2012 on the 51^st floor of the City National Bank Tower building in downtown Los Angeles. As a project Duckler has been longing to do for a while, Cleopatra ~ On the Banks provides “so much untapped opportunity” in the site and the story. The site-specific choreographer sees great challenges in the performance, as it mixes the corporate lifestyle of the 1980s Los Angeles power suit with the elusive feminism of the iconic Cleopatra.  Coming into an extravagant site like the bank tower, which has been abandoned for over ten years, is par for the course for Duckler. “Sometimes when you have an idea, you have to wait until you find the right venue to express it,” Duckler says of her work. Her company almost always rehearses in the site they are performing in, and this creates, what Wanserski refers to as, their aim to “animate the landscape” wherever they are. 

Of L.A., a city she has lived and worked in for almost thirty years, Duckler finds daily muses in the city and its pace which is constantly changing and evolving. She states, “I’ve lived here for 30 years and can still drive down a street that I’ve never been on.” Duckler hardly shies away from the idea of celebrity and media that seem to define the entire city. Instead, she chooses to mirror those ideas through her own artistic viewpoint. In fact, a contributing point of inspiration for the Cleopatra work came from a quote by pop star Macy Gray. Duckler also draws upon the talents of another female artist; author Stacy Schiff, to find ingenuity and inspiration to drive this work. In Schiff’s new book, Cleopatra: A Life, she explores a feministic point of view on the Egyptian queen and exposes how Cleopatra was not only an object of beauty and desire, but how she possessed qualities both cunning and opportunistic.

The parallels between the ancient and the new are reflected in Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre’s mission to challenge the relationship between audience and art through site-specific performance. It is evident that finding connections in our world is inherent to Duckler as both an Artistic/Executive Director and choreographer, for she believes, “on some level, people want to [ultimately] be united.” And this performance will be no exception.

“Cleopatra ~ On the Banks” will have its world premiere in February 2012 in Los Angeles.  Find ‘Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre’ on Twitter, Facebook, and at heididuckler.org.

Photos by Andrei Andreev

By Rebecca Martin

“With over 20 years of experience behind me I have seen the evolution of dance through the 90′s and the following decade and can honestly say that MBC has evolved faster than I ever would have dreamt. The technique and quality of the dancers do justice to the demanding choreographic works. The dedication and skill of our artistic team, our dancers and, of course, our audience has brought us this far. In order to maintain a high quality of dance and a well earned high profile we now look to New York for dancers with goals and drive, passion and precision and a true adoration of dance.” -Robert C Kelly, Ballet Master/Choreographer

Melbourne Ballet Company is thrilled to be holding its first auditions outside of Australia in 2012. On January 15^th, Artistic Director Alisa Finney and Principal Dancer Sharon Fernandez will utilize the world famous Ailey Studios on 55^th Street, New York, for its auditions. Consisting of a classical class, MBC contemporary repertoire workshop, pointe work, and partnering, the audition will put dancers through their paces, ensuring the high standard of performance expected of Melbourne Ballet Company is upheld. Short-term season contracts will be offered as well as traineeships to young graduate dancers.

Having returned from Las Vegas in August 2010 where Finney and Fernandez were guest lecturers at the Dance Teacher Web Conference & Expo, they realized there was a huge demand from dancers in the US to work with Melbourne Ballet Company. In addition to interest from American dancers, Australians living abroad were also keen to have the opportunity to dance back home.

Melbourne Ballet Company has previously featured international dancers including Mikhael Plain from California, Shannon Ellis from Canada, three dancers from Paris, two from Italy, two from Japan, three from New Zealand, and one from South America. The company hopes to take a full season to the US in 2013.

Alisa Finney and the staff at the Gay Wightman School of Ballet in Melbourne will also be taking 100 people to Los Angeles in April 2012 for a 10-day student performance and study tour. The dancers have five performances in venues including Disneyland, California Adventure Park, Universal Studios and Hollywood Boulevard. The students will also be attending Master Classes and workshops at top LA dance institutions.

Alisa Finney in 2007, with resident choreographer Simon Hoy and Principal dancer Sharon Fernandez founded the Melbourne Ballet Company. The team had a vision to create a contemporary ballet company that upheld a commitment to classical technique. Over the past four years the company has presented nine original programs, incorporating over 30 works that have been acclaimed by MBC audiences.

New York Audition
Sunday January 15th 2012, 3pm – 5pm
The Ailey Studios The Joan Weill Centre for Dance
405 West 55th Street New York, NY 10019

Candidates will be auditioned in a classical ballet class, pointe work, partnering and contemporary workshop conducted by Melbourne Ballet Company Artistic Staff. Depending on the number of candidates, there may be more than one class. Candidates will be grouped into classes in order of sign-in. A recall class may follow the initial audition class, and a brief interview with Artistic Staff will also normally be conducted for the final short-list. Audition cost: $30.00 payable on the audition day.

For further information, contact the Artistic Director Alisa Finney on +61450959769 or info@melbourneballetcompany.com.au
www.melbourneballetcompany.com.au

By Laura Di Orio

When a dancer steps down from the stage and “hangs up his or her shoes”, it doesn’t always mean an end to a dance-centered career. Many go on to teach, open a studio, direct a company, design costumes, and several choose the route of choreographer. Those who make the shift from dancer to choreographer may find a most freeing, creative outlet to express themselves. And a former life as a dancer just may make that transition smoother and richer.

Dance Informa hears from two established choreographers, both former professional dancers, on how and why they made the jump and what their life as choreographer provides them artistically.

Did you always know you wanted to choreograph? When did those desires begin to surface?

Edwaard Liang, freelance choreographer, USA
www.edwaardliang.com
I never had the thought or desire to choreograph. I had a one-track mind in terms of what I thought I wanted in my career. When I was dancing with Nederlands Dans Theater, I was urged to try my hand creating in their annual choreographic workshops. I had such a great time with the process. I had no clue what I was doing, but loved it.

Where are you along this transition from dancer to choreographer? Have you completely shifted?

Edwaard Liang
I have completely shifted from dancer to choreographer. I don’t feel sad about not performing, I think because I’m still a part of this world. I get to take class and feel like a dancer and move when I want to, but don’t have the same pressures I used to before to be perfect. I get to enjoy movement for movement’s sake. Plus, I never got the ‘juice’ or ‘high’ from performing, so it was not hard to leave.

What does your life as a choreographer offer you that life as a dancer has not?

Stephen Baynes, resident choreographer for The Australian Ballet, rehearsing Baynes's "Beyond Bach". Photo by James Braund

Stephen Baynes
As a choreographer, I have relinquished the challenge and fulfillment of performing but have been challenged and fulfilled in a different way by creating my own dances and seeing them interpreted by wonderful artists.

Edwaard Liang
My life as a choreographer has given me more freedom and input into what I want to say. Making ballets are like making mini movies. You get to decide the music, costumes and sets. You feel like you’re able to mould the whole package.

For dancers who want to either delve into choreography or who want to transition completely, what suggestions do you have?

Stephen Baynes
Be very sure that you really feel you have something to say. Try to get as much experience in making dance as you can. It is a very practical endeavour and needs constant practice, but that can be difficult. More than anything else, search for your own voice, which doesn’t always mean that you can be completely original, but at least it is uniquely yours.

Edwaard Liang's "Age of Innocence" performed by Fabrice Calmels and Victoria Jaiani. Photo by Herbert Migdoll

Edwaard Liang
Keep working and creating, whether it’s a big or small project. The only way to get deeper, better and do richer pieces of dance is to get in there and create. Try not to edit. Find your own voice. Enjoy the process and time. This profession is one of the hardest, physically and mentally, so try to find joy in some of the little things that happen. Don’t always wait for the big promotions to celebrate yourself.

What’s next for you as a choreographer?

Edwaard Liang
I finished presenting my work at Fall for Dance at City Center in New York. I am now starting my first full-length ballet – a new production of Romeo and Juliet for Tulsa Ballet and also new works for San Francisco Ballet, Washington Ballet, Joffrey Ballet and a project with Yuan Yuan Tan and myself.

Stephen Baynes
I am busy with commissions until the end of 2012, including a full-length Swan Lake for The Australian Ballet’s 50^th anniversary, and hopefully there will be more after that.

Top photo: Edwaard Liang rehearing with Victoria Jaiani. Photo courtesy of Edwaard Liang

Known worldwide for his Emmy nominated work with Madonna , Alex Magno is a highly regarded international director and choreographer for the stage and screen. His diverse resume includes works for Madonna, Yanni, Britney Spears, the Parisian Lido,  Ballet Hispanico, Ringling Brothers, and the Academy Awards, to name a few, as well as his own highly acclaimed dance company With Passion.

Alex took time to share his unique story with Dance Informa.

Tell us about your upbringing in Brazil and the impact it had on you as a dancer and choreographer.

My upbringing has absolutely had a strong influence on the kind of dancer and choreographer I am today.  As a Brazilian, improvisation is part of your DNA, it is entrenched in the culture, the music and the way of life, and I am no exception to that rule.

I grew up in a small town called Vila Kenned outside Rio De Janeiro, and at an early stage of my life I learned how to cultivate my imagination, to improvise (in life and dance), and  create my own world in which anything was possible, even though the world outside me had infinite roadblocks. I remember every Sunday getting together with the entire family and gathering around in a big circle for an impromptu music and dance jam, with the entire family playing rhythms on whatever was around that could be used as an instrument. This is where I learned not only rhythm, but how to improvise, listen to the music, and let it move me.

I did not grow up taking dance lessons, but I did do Capoeira and two different styles of Karate. In my teens, I put a dance group together called “Old Jazz” and we used to go to different night clubs and perform. I would make up the routines that were influenced by watching different dance videos and films. So I actually began choreographing before I began training as a professional dancer. I ended up getting discovered in one of those clubs and got a scholarship to begin training.

How did you get to LA?

I arrived in LA in 1986 after winning a choreographers competition in Brazil (sponsored by Paramount Pictures) in which the prize was a trip to LA with all the expenses paid for one week.

It was very surreal for me; they had a limo waiting with the driver holding a sign with my last name. This was a far cry from the harsh reality of life in Brazil at that time.

I ended up staying and received scholarship at one of the best dance studios in the US at the time – Dupree Dance Academy. There I took classes with amazing dance teachers such as Doug Caldwell, Hama, Jackie Sleight, Randy Allaire, Rosemary Randy, Tony Cappola, Melinda Cordell, and Vicktor Manoel, amongst others.

You’re known worldwide for your Emmy nominated work for Madonna. Tell us about your experiences with her.

I worked with Madonna on two worlds tours. The first tour was The Girlie Show Tour – a tour that was all about staging, choreography, costume and lighting. It was one of Madonna’s few tours that relied heavily on theater, and the choreography shared an equal spotlight with Madonna herself.

The first thing Madonna told me after I auditioned as a choreographer for her was, “Alex, just so you know, I approach each of my songs from a character point of view. I need you to not take it personally if I don’t like a certain step or if I challenge you to tell me the reason why you’re choreographing this step or that…You are going to be fine as long as you keep those guide lines”.

Lucky for me, that was the way I used to work, in a very theatrical way. All of my movements came out of a character.

There is an interesting story behind me working with her a second time. A few months prior to the Drowned World Tour starting production, there was news that Madonna was going to be touring again, but I had no information on who was to be her next creative team. So I submitted to Madonna’s manager a full tour concept, along with my new choreography reel. It happened, just by coincidence, that some of the concept I sent to her was very similar to the direction that Madonna and her director Jamie were thinking. That synergy was what got me the gig the second time, and eventually the Emmy nomination. This tour was the perfect balance of music, theater and hi-tech production.  It was one of the most challenging tours, because I had to choreograph all different styles of dance, ranging from Martial Arts, to Tango, Flamenco, Contemporary, etc.

Madonna is an artist who is highly intelligent, deeply in tune with herself and always true to what moves her. She makes no excuses for her motivations and beliefs. As an artist, it is inspiring to be able to create alongside someone so bold and fearless. The other great thing about Madonna is that she is always clear – she loves it or she hates it. That may be harsh at times, but in the end you always know that she is truly happy with the final product. She will push until it is perfect.

What was it like to be nominated for an Emmy?

Being nominated for an Emmy, for doing what I love, was an absolute honor. The Drowned World Tour was actually the only one of Madonna’s tours to be recognized with that honor.

You are often called a “story teller” when it comes to your body of work. Why do you think that is?

Because I explore the movement from a character’s point view, from real emotions we all can relate to. Dance is an art that can be both abstract and communicative, but in order for it to be effective, it must provoke emotion.

Most of my work has universal themes that cross frontiers, language, age, culture and gender, but when you apply them to a specific setting they become much more tangible and emotionally effective. I appreciate dance that is about the beauty of the movement, but for me the steps are secondary to the emotion.

In every work I do I try to bring all of the colors of the music to life through the movement, showing the unspoken poem of the song and getting to the core of the music itself. The idea is to have the music translate visually through each body movement.

You’re an avid dance educator in addition to being an award winning choreographer. Why are you so passionate about teaching?

Because it keeps the flame of dance alive. I had some amazing teachers that inspired me to be what I am today, so I feel that is part of my job to pass that on.  It is also what keeps me artistically alive. It is my “creative workshop” where I create the castles out of “playing cards”, it is a place where I see magic being created.  I learn from my students, they teach me to become a better teacher, choreographer and director.

What is next for you?

I am currently directing, choreographing and producing Benise’s The Spanish Guitar world tour. I am also in development for a new dance multimedia show starring actress/dancer Jenna Elfman, as well as shooting a series of dance short films.

Alex Magno is represented by The Movement / A Dance Management Company
www.MovementMGMT.com

By Steve Sirico of Dance Teacher Web.

In this special 2 part series we will explore tips to running a successful studio. Think about your business and how these tips apply to what you are doing. Even if you are doing what I recommend, try to think in terms of how you might switch up your approach for even greater success.

Keep in contact with your current customers.
This means emails, newsletters, surveys, customer events and anything else you can think of. The reality is that everyone is busy and you are low on their radar. If you lose contact, then you risk losing business. Most people stop coming to a business because they think you don’t even know they exist. And don’t worry about being a pest. Just keep giving them useful information and special offers that they will love to receive.

Keep marketing to your current customers.
Most businesses focus on attracting new clients and marketing to them. But think about this: If you are doing business with a company you like, you are more apt to buy more of the same. A lot more! When you have devoted clients, you can ask them to give you testimonials so you can then promote what they love about you.

Create WOW moments for your customers.
Make plans to have special events that are both publicised and unannounced at your school. Think of ways to surprise your students and their families. Ideas include highlighting a special student of the month, free giveaways for students who work hard, special projects where everyone wins something, and just random acts of kindness. They will make you the talk of the town.

Get your staff and faculty to buy into your philosophy…or sever the relationship.
Donald Trump likes to say “hire slowly but fire quickly”. Most people do the opposite. They hire on a gut reaction and then try to hold on when things go south. If you are having an issue with any faculty member or staff member it is best to try to resolve the issue immediately! If no solution is at hand then use that apprentice line—“You’re fired!”

Build your preschool program.
If you build it they will come. Make a special brochure or schedule exclusively for them. The more time offered the bigger your program will get. Try doing a special show that is short and informal with just these younger students—both enjoyable and easy on the families and their time.

Build programs for each niche.
Beyond preschool, offer programs for all ages and special areas that include athletes, kids who are singers and actors, recreational, competition teams, dance teams and even adults. Now the key is to find ways to market to each group exclusively. “Find a need, fill a need”—if you do, you will always have plenty of business.

Don’t let the parents run the ship.
Parents will love to give you their two cents about all kinds of things: Who should be teaching, what they should be teaching, during which hours they should be teaching. And it doesn’t stop there. Listen to your customers, but do not waiver from your company vision. Your parents will take over if you let them and then you will have a hard time regaining control. It’s your business, you are in charge. Make sure they know that and they won’t over step the boundary.