Off to New York City Again for Auditions

Well our next couple of weeks are full of audition travelling to New York City. Finally, some good auditions have come up. Took a long time after the holidays for us to get back in the swing of things. Can't wait to go. One day trips, mostly, but it will be fun!

America's Ballroom Challenge

I'm having a great time learning about ballroom dance. D will go to NYC to audition for some dance shows in March, but, for now, it's all about ballroom. I watched America's Ballroom Challenge on PBS last night. It was amazing. I think I really like things that sparkle. Those dresses were amazing. The dancers were exceptionally fit and gorgeous. Yes, I think my daughter will like this type of dancing a lot.

Finally gone!

So glad that Master P has finally been voted off! Where he did have moments of looking like a good person, he definately squashed those when he started calling everyone 'haters'. Pleassssse. Just goes to show that I should not have second guessed that dance judge for being so harsh. He knew exactly what he was doing and is obviously more experienced than I. All I can say is poooor Ashley.

I am excited to see how everyone is progessing in the ballroom dancing. Jerry Rice (Who is getting a lot of exposure i.e. Miss America Judge), is actually doing a great job and has an outstanding attitude! Tia Carrere .... wow, girl that extra baby weight just dripped off you. You look great. Unfortunaly, it will take tons more training for her to get comfortable with dance, but it helped her out and that works for me. My fav is still is Drew and Cheryl. He really puts the performance into the dance and works really hard to dance technically right.

I like the mix of dance

I think it's great that Dancing With the Stars is mixing it up by including an exhibition of break dancing. CAN'T believe that Master P made it this far AGAIN!!! Well, good for him. Actually, Master P seems like a really nice guy. But, O.K. Master P, It's time to bring it! Let's see what you got! Drew and Cheryl are adorable together, but who knows who will win this season. George Hamilton is fun to watch simply because he's such a legend. Love the wrestling chic .... what long legs .... beautiful for dance. I really liked the news lady too. She was hot latin and has a great attitude! The soap star is good too, great legs and is beginning to move really well. These old ladies are inspiring me to kick it up! Haha. Actually, I did do about 30 seconds of the New York City Ballet Workout this morning. Go me!

Harsh Dance Judge

OK, the Dancing With the Stars judge was right about Master P's performance. He does need to leave the show. But, ouch! What a way to say it! ... a little harsh, if you ask me. Master P is the underdog and now I'm finding myself seeing his efforts and feeling sorry for him. He is starting to try ... a bit late ... but at least he's starting. He needs to leave the show, keep practicing with Ashley Delgrosso, who is so full of spirit and has a great attitude after getting stuck with such a problem (that would be Master P). Then they need to surprise everyone at the end of the show with a stellar performace by Master P (reentering him to the compeition, of course). That would be a good show! "Hey, Master P .... You owe it to Ashley to try harder! Oh, and you don't need a reason to be on the show. How about dancing for yourself instead of your 'people' or your 'sisters, brothers, uncles, deceased brother-in-law..... dance for yourself! Don't make excuses as to why you're on the show!" Enough already!

Dancing with the stars no longer about dance!

Wow, I'm shocked that Master P is still on the show. Good for him, however, in all honesty, he didn't pull the dance off. The show has just moved from a program showcasing what beginners can do in dance, to a social statement. Not good. All I can say is that I hope he really puts in the effort this week because I think that Tatum was putting in tons more effort and it's just not fair to kick someone off who is making effort because the other person, who isn't making a great effort simply has more "people" on his side. Wrong format for me. Don't get me wrong .... I'm glad Master P has a third chance .... I really hope he shows his "people" how to make a really good effort and tries harder than ever. While doing so ... please remember the title of the show "DANCING with the stars". Not, "Gansta show and tell." ... Not, "Dancing for Flood Victims". While we all feel for the tragedies that have happened, I think that "Dancing with the stars" is an escape that we watch to relieve ourselves from the constant bombardment of death, loss, and tragedy. Not every moment needs, or should be a reminder of depression and tragedy. Sometimes our minds just need to rest and think about happy things for .... gee, mayone one hour while watching a show about ..... hmmmm, let me think ......Dance? Give it a rest Master P and let everyone escape for an hour or two!

Dancing With the Stars 2

I have to say I was pretty disgusted last week when Master P didn't even try to dance. I was delighted this week, however, when he stepped it up and actually did half way decent at the Quickstep, which I am told, is one of the hardest dances in Ballroom. Master P gave a great effort and I was very pleased to see him try "for his people" (whatever that's all about)! It was great he tried, anyway. Unfortunately, he'll have to get voted off. There isn't anyone else who was worse. Although, I recognize his effort, I'd have to vote him off too!

My other problem with him is that he won't wear ballroom shoes. The first thing that great Hip Hop Masters tell people when they ask "How can I get better at hip hop?" is "Don't dress in ballet clothes when coming to hip hop class, wear hip hop clothes. You don't wear hip hop clothes to ballet do you?" Other tips do follow ... however, you get my point. It's like playing tennis with a baseball bat. Anyway, the guy should put a pair of ballroom shoes.

Ballroom Dancing

Ballroom Dancing is the newest dance form on my daughter's list. She took Argentine Tango a while back, but now has been taking lessons daily since August. Loves it! She has learned the foxtrot, waltz, viennese waltz (however it's spelled) and the Tango. She is also learning the latin dances. It's interesting to note that after fifteen years or so of ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical and modern that ballroom dancing uses entirely different dance muscles. Isn't that strange?! Anyway, the technique is entirely different and she just loves it! She enters her first competition in January. Can't wait to learn all about this new endeavor! We won't return to NYC for a couple of months. Taking a break to prepare for ballroom competition.

Work, Stretch and Dance CAREFULLY!

Dancers: The colder months are upon us. Many of the dance injuries that occur happen in January, February and March .... when the cold is bitter and dance studios keep the studios at subzero temperatures. Be sure to warm up your bodies properly.

Try taking a hot bath before class, bring extra socks so you can change wet socks and keep your feet warm, bring some cushy slippers to class so you can warm your feet during off times!

Eat! If your energy is down and your body is cold, you will be more prone to injury. So, bring little snacks and nibble between classes. Also, drink lots of water.

You can also heat up one of those corn filled heating pads that you microwave and stick it in your dance bag to heat your feet up on or to warm your shoes.

Broadway Dance Center Needs Your Help! Read Please!

After reading this blog, please link it to your blog or sent it via e-mail to people who may be interested in this topic. Speading the word is the best help I can provide to this cause. Thanks. Here is an article from Backstage and other links.

Dancers Rally for NYC Center
December 01, 2005

Dancers rallied Thursday morning in support of the Broadway Dance Center, which is in the midst of a legal battle to retain its space on West 57th Street in Manhattan.

About 150 people gathered at the facility, said Bruce Cohen, press representative for the center, on Thursday afternoon.

For two decades the center has served the rehearsal, training, and conditioning needs of thousands of dancers, according to Cohen.

"More [than] 40,000 members, including Rockettes and Broadway chorus line dancers, consider the Broadway Dance Center their professional home and the place to stay in shape," said a press release announcing the rally.

The New York Times reported on Nov. 23 that the dance center might lose its home, a victim of Manhattan's "heated real estate market," which "is squeezing arts groups in the city."

The center is involved in a legal battle with its landlord, the Extell Development Company, to keep its space at 221 West 57th St.

Extell purchased the building and an adjacent site in June for a reported $67.5 million, according to the Times story, which added that the Broadway Dance Center's lease expires in 2012. Allison Ellner, chief executive officer and director of the center, told the Times that Extell had offered her $1 million to leave the space but that she had declined and that she had estimated the relocation cost at $3.4 million.

Franklyn Snitow, an attorney for Extell, told the Times that the company was prepared to operate the building "while there are existing valid leases for the premises." He would not comment on negotiations for relocating the dance center, except to say, "We were not willing to accept the dollar figure they presented."

-- Roger Armbrust

http://www.backstage.com/bso/news_reviews/stage/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001613074

Also visit the new BDC Support site: http://www.supportbdc.org/

Great Suggestion from Julia

Fellow Blogger Julia Wrote .........
She can still do her breathing excercizes and do gentle humming excercizes and other voice related practise that doesn't make a lot of noise. Perhaps her teacher can show her some for the next time, a soundless workout for the voice! ........

Thanks! What a great suggestion! We'll do that at her next session.

The Holiday Struggle

We went visiting this Thanksgiving. It was tough for my daughter to keep in shape with all the food and lack of dance classes. She went to the exercise room daily and rode the stationary bike, elipical rider, roman chair and lifed weights. She recently got the New York City Ballet Workout I and loves it! She remembered the exercises and did them in the apartment we were visiting. It all worked and she is in great shape, but, wow, it took a lot of dedication to keep going every day!

The singing practice just stopped for seven days. We were visiting out relatives in an apartment building and no noise was allowed. So practicing sing was just OUT!!!! We both became very aware of the struggles of people who don't live in neightborhood housing. Very difficult to be a singing or musical instrument artist if you live in an apartment building where you have to be quiet!

Nicest Dance Teachers on Earth

There are two sisters who run a dance school. They are both extremely talented and actaully the sweetest people on earth! No, really, they are incredibly sincere and would literally give you the shirts off their backs if you were in need. You don't meet many people like that and when you do, you are obligated, under the rules of the human race, to acknowledge that sincere, nonmalicious, kind and giving people actually exist. I didn't really believe it, at first, and then I watched them interact with people for a year. Unbelievably giving. Never two-faced or insincere. Never .... can you believe that? It's true.

We stopped by to see them yesterday to let them know about my daughter's latest adventures in dance. It was great to see them both and hear what their school and kids were up to. This was the school that my daughter attended in her last year of dance before turning 18. And, guess what ...... they just hired a voice teacher so they could add voice to their regular weekly dance classes ..... these ladies really know the business of dance!

Another dance pic

This is a pic from her jazz solo. Although you can't really see it clearly, I made both of these costumes and I'm very proud!

My daughter dancing

This is my daughter one year ago, doing a layout in her modern solo.

I'm really impressed with the voice teacher!

She had her second lesson in voice. The voice teacher records each class so she can take the tape home and repeat the lesson and practice for the next week. I don't stay for the class, but I did hear her practice today. Wow, what a great class!!!! The entire class is packed full of vocal excercises to build the voice. I do hear a lot of improvement, even in one week. The last 15 minutes is devoted to a audition song. They haven't chosen a song yet, but he has some really intelligent choices for next week. I like what I hear!!!

You know what this is about.

Yes, another dance school, another rant. I shouldn't even have to title the topics anymore because each paragraph seems to be the same thing. My complaining about, yet another, teacher or school. This time we tried out a new place. This school is a 'professional' ballet school located in a nearby city. It runs the dance program for a local university and has a VERY good reputation. With that said ..... we will never attend classes at this reputable school again! What a let down. Granted, it was a 7:30 pm class for ages 15 and up to adult. Not one student was stretched, not one student could extend past a 90 degrees (and 90 is a generous description). Every student fell out of turns.... all of them. The teacher did not know how to choreograph safe moves (no linking steps). I was in fear for my daughter's legs and ankles. Leaping .... well, lets say hopping .... didn't go well for them either. Techno music from the seventies ..... enough said.

Singing Lessons - Books for Vocals

The vocal coach gave my daughter some great tips. He said that when you audition for musical theater (which he has performed in on Broadway and off), you will have to sing your audition piece in the key that the musical is in and that plain old piano music isn't always in the key that you need it to be in. He recommended the series of books The Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology which comes in different singing styles such as Tenor, soprano, etc. We haven't purchased the specific book yet, but when we do, I'll write about it.

Rude, Rude Dance Teachers!

O.K. I'm going to rant, yet again, about dance teachers .... believe me, there are plenty of dance teachers I adore. It's just that those teachers run a class as it should be .... there's nothing to rant about, because the are simply exceptional people and teachers. But, after my story, I'm sure you'll agree...... My daughter had to hit a ballet class with real people. She's been doing David Howard video classes and just needed to take a class with a real teacher and real dancers. So, we went to the professional ballet school she attended last year. Well the place was shook up last year and the ballet mistress left and, well, new people have taken over. Still, exceptional instructors ...... except for one....... Get this, in the middle of ballet barre, the instructor who choreographs the Nutcracker for the weekend rehearsals comes in ..... with her three year old. We all know that three year olds are full of energy and run everywhere and get into everything we don't want them to get into. This three year old was no different.... full of energy. So, the ballet instructor, is giving this incredible sophisticated and packed with knowledge class and ..... the visiting ballet instructor .... gives her kid a TAMBORINE!!!!!!!!! A three year old with a tamborine in the middle of the classroom, during ballet barre..... (feeling my rant yet?). She made the stupid little comments that most horrible parents make when they know their kid is disturbing other people "now play quietly little, Johnny." and she also pulled him into the hallway, every once in a while so he could continue his tamborine playing in the hallway .... as if the teacher and dancers couldn't hear him play by the door. hmmmmm. Then she just left him...... all alone. And of course, being the typical three year old, he wandered back in with all the dancers and sat in the middle of the classroom for .... about ten minutes as she sat in the lobby (where I was sitting watching this horror) talking with the members of the board and who appeared to be her father. I could hear that the boy was in the classroom and that he was, indeed, becoming very skilled on the tamborine. After a while she finally went in and took the tambroine away..... well he cried.... so she gave it back to him and GRABBED A TAMBORINE HERSELF .... SO THAT SHE COULD JOIN HIM IN PLAYING!!!!!!!!!! (FEELING MY RANT YET???????) At this point, I got up and walked out into the hallway and stayed there. You may be saying "Why didn't you say something?" Well, the answer is simple. I have spent my daughter's entire life clearly saying something and she asked me to let her handle everything herself now. So I let her handle it. How rude some people can be. If you have kids, please don't be this rude.

Cover Up Fat Dancers

I think it's fine that fat girls want to dance recreationally. If you're going to dance and you have a choice of what to wear, please (and I'm pleading with you here), please don't wear two piece dance costumes and costumes with no back. I attended a competition yesterday and there was a good combination of dancers, thin, fat, short, tall. The thin girls had long sleeves and closed front and back dresses....the fat girls wore short, backless and two piece costumes. Now come on ladies! I don't want to see your four inches hanging over your pants and jiggling when you dance. Really....I don't. Save the skin dresses for those who can wear them.