Watch A Class..
by UmeAndTheDancefloor on Nov.13, 2008, under Dance Education
13th November 2008
If you want to learn to dance ballet, start with finding a reputable dance studio. Many dance academies will allow you watch a class if you like.
Whether you are only interested in classical ballet, or other forms of dance like hip hop, modern and ballroom (there are many more!) it is best to learn some classical ballet technique.
The correct use of your posture, turn out and learning correct placement will help you to build strength and avoid injuries.
Even football players learn ballet to prevent sports injuries!
Simple ballet wear is preferred by teachers because they can see how you use your muscles (or not), and they can easily see how your joints are aligned. The visual result is important in ballet, but the proper technique is also related to preventing injuries.
The freer forms of dance depend on good technique as much or more than ballet, because dancers are asked to do more innovative and untested movements, repeatedly, in modern choreography. The risk of strain and sprain are less predictable.
Of you are an older student and a have a late start on ballet, have a couple of soft ice packs in the freezer! You will feel soreness and stiffness the day after your ballet class. Ice is soothing to your muscles, a drug free solution to the results of your exertion. Unless the ice pack is fabric covered, be careful not to put it on bare skin.
There are specific exercise routines with many of the finer details of technique, which will move you toward dancing in pointe shoes safely. Understanding your foot type, what the intrinsic foot muscles are, and finding out about the flexibility of your ankle and foot joints is important.
Also realize that any ballet move you do that is a little awkward will seem much more so on pointe, and must be corrected before you start pointe.
If you have time to study a little anatomy and movement mechanics you’ll understand why some things are easier for you than others. You’ll see the reasoning in many technical rules, the do’s and don’t’s. It is designed for safety and step by step progress.
Safe stretching is another area you need to learn about. All dancers need flexibility, although all dance forms do not require that you have to do the splits, or close to the splits, to dance at a performance level.
If you want to learn to dance ballet, start where you are. Start early or start late. To get the most enjoyment out of your ballet or other style of dancing, be patient learning the basics. It may seem like a slow start, but all the elegance and beauty of ballet is present in the first steps, too.
Ballet Shoes
by UmeAndTheDancefloor on Jun.24, 2008, under Ballet Shoes
24thJune 2008
So the time has come to purchase a new pair of ballet shoes, maybe they are your first ever pair or maybe they are a replacement for the battered old ones you have finally decided to throw away. Either way, with so many different outlets out there selling ballet shoes you are absolutely spoilt for choice.
With this is mind, it makes sense that if you are looking for a new pair of ballet shoes then it’s a good idea to have a look on the web as there are many companies that provide dance accessories and apparel on the internet. When you are buying your new ballet shoes try and go for a company that has a website with a returns policy, this way you will be more confident that you will be dealing with the right kind of company. Plus it means that if for any reason the shoes aren’t right you can send them back or exchange them without any problems.
Obviously every dancer has his or her own opinion on what the best material for ballet shoes is, but leather is normally thought of as more durable and more pleasing to look at than canvas. Generally speaking leather shoes will last much longer than canvas ballet shoes, but it varies depending on the floors you dance on, how much you weigh and what condition your feet are in to begin with.
When it comes to ballet shoes your weight is something that is important to consider because your weight will determine how much friction you will feel between the floor and the shoe. That is why because male dancers tend to be heavier they usually opt for canvas shoes, because wearing leather shoes would cause their feet to stick to the floor rather than gently slide along it. If you are purchasing a pair of leather ballet shoes make sure that you aware that the sticking action caused by leather shoes can result in marks on the studio floor and makes lunges and splits difficult as well as causing more stubbed toes.
As for canvas ballet shoes, they are popular amongst dancers too. Canvas shoes are likely to be cheaper in price and on a vinyl floor, they can last for up to three months of daily lessons. However canvas shoes do not hold up well if you will be dancing on rough wooden floors as the uneven surface tends to rip the canvas. If you do decide to go for canvas ballet shoes and you want them to last then pick the pair made from the heaviest canvas as these will be more resistant to wear and tear.
Both canvas and leather ballet shoes are widely available and we’ll be offering sections on how to care for your shoes and useful general information about dancing.
Thanks Collin.
Ingrid
Canvas or Leather..?
There are so many different kinds of shoes that it is not at all easy to find the right one for you. It is a trial and error process, and an expensive one too! You need to start from what type of foot you have,wide or narrow, well-arched or not, very flexible or not so flexible, etc. Then you have to try different ones to find what works for you and what fits you best. Your teacher should have some recommendations to start with, as she knows your foot type best. Sometimes it is necessary to order certain things in a shoe to make it right for you, for instance the vamp length. A very high instep and arch may need a higher vamp than a foot that is less arched, for instance. The early years of pointe work are generally spent in a search for the right shoe for your foot, and what works well for you might not work so well for someone else.
The Stage Setting Of La Bayadere
by UmeAndTheDancefloor on May.29, 2008, under La Bayadere
29th May 2008
Remember I mentioned how incredible the stage setting was for La Bayadere.Almost 3D, and it stayed in my memory for a long long time. It was as if I’d been there,a real life experience of a place and time.
Well I’ve just discovered what really contributed to the effects ..read this.
Lighting Inspiration
When attending a performance, one of the most dramatic distinctions in any performance, is the stage lighting. Stage lighting sets cues, and helps paint the picture the creator envisioned. It carries out the dance as it were a dream and makes it a spectacle rather than mere movement. If used creatively, it can add to the success of the production. Lighting design is actually mapped out, depending on how complicated the production is.
Typically the stage is broken down into a number of areas when considering a lighting design. Lighting is something that is calculated and cued just as much as the dance itself. The timing and intensity of it is extremely important. Lighting not only sets the mood, but more importantly, the atmosphere of the entire production.
The artistic director of a production is in charge of explaining the lighting to the lighting director. A choreographer
sometimes also commands the design; especially if they envisioned a particular set up when creating the dance. The lighting designer ultimately decides on the best set up, but is in high communication with the choreographer and/or artistic director of a production/number during lighting rehearsal.
The stage is equipped with a multitude of lights coming from several angles and set in several different sizes and films
. A film is a color or texture that the light flows through. Films can create quite an atmosphere; from red light to a water effect. it can also block the light to appear in sectional flows. A light can make an actual set as well.
Lighting can create several different dramatic effects, such as shadowing, silhouette, blocked sectional lighting, overhead spotlight, bright heavy light or low-level lighting. There are many components to lighting the stage.
Generally, all stage lighting has to do with the lighting of the performer. Performers tend to work in areas, so they are mainly lit with spotlights. Spotlights are basically concentrated pools of light in one area. A spotlight can be moved around to follow the performer.
After lighting the performer, it may or may not be necessary to provide additional lighting to the surrounding stage. It depends on if there’s a set or not.
Backgrounds/backdrops should all be illuminated separately from the actor and from the set.Lighting can get very complicated for a stage manager and an artistic director. The director is appointed a set amount of time with the lighting manager. Together, they work out all the possibilities and cues, then they rehearse these cues with the performers at dress rehearsal.
Lighting can get very complicated for a stage manager and an artistic director. The director is appointed a set amount of time with the lighting manager. Together, they work out all the possibilities and cues, then they rehearse these cues with the performers at dress rehearsal.
The dramatic emphasis that lighting gives, is important and necessary to every stage production. Lighting design should be studied by every choreographer. The more tools we have, the more success we have.
Ballet Tendonitis
by UmeAndTheDancefloor on Sep.09, 2007, under Ballet Shoes
9th September 2007
Tendonitis
Very real. It is not rare to hear that a dancer has developed tendonitis. Many dancers will complain of pain behind their heel and ankle. This is where the Achilles Tendon is located.
Each movement in dance, requires the use of many muscles and tendons in the foot and ankle – this area is taxed especially with pointe work. The tendons tend to strain and can become inflamed if not properly taken care of. This inflammation is called tendonitis.
A number of things can cause tendonitis. If a dancer is dancing several times a week at 3 hour stretches each time, they are prone to tendonitis.
A dancer may also get a flare up if they do not properly warm up before rehearsal or class. A proper warm up includes stretching and light movement until the body is ready to endure the rigors of class.
Dancers with poor technique develop this sort of injury the quickest. And improper turn-out and “rolling in” will most likely lead to improper jump landings and take offs.
If you are landing wrong, your entire body will not be aligned nor supported, and the entire impact will rest on your tendons and feet.
Turn out should be from the hips, and should align all the way down through the knees to the toes. The feet should not be rolled inward. A dancer with inverted knees or “knocked knees” is prone to this and must be the most careful.
The tendons in the foot that are most prone to tendonitis is not only the Achilles tendon, but the flexor hallucis longus tendon as well.
The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the lower leg, it attaches the calf muscles to the heel bone. It can become inflamed when movements are repeated frequently such as jump landings and take offs. Also, pointing the foot constantly and releve contributes to this inflammation.
To determine if you have tendonitis you have to evaluate your foot. If you notice swelling or tenderness and pain, then changes are that tendonitis is developing or is already present.
You may also feel a clicking sound or may feel your foot getting frozen in certain positions as if our tendon has been caught out of place. Tendonitis can become so severe that is has the ability to end a dancer’s career.
Treatment for tendonitis includes large amounts of rest, proper warm up and avoiding pointe work especially.You might take an anti inflamatory.
A heating pad and lots of warm up coverings also ease an inflamed tendon. Use your leg warmers and a heat pad before warm up – and take it easy on jumps during this time. The best thing to do by far though, is to take some time off and rest.9th September 2007
Tendonitis
Very real. It is not rare to hear that a dancer has developed tendonitis. Many dancers will complain of pain behind their heel and ankle. This is where the Achilles Tendon is located.
Each movement in dance, requires the use of many muscles and tendons in the foot and ankle – this area is taxed especially with pointe work. The tendons tend to strain and can become inflamed if not properly taken care of. This inflammation is called tendonitis.
A number of things can cause tendonitis. If a dancer is dancing several times a week at 3 hour stretches each time, they are prone to tendonitis.
A dancer may also get a flare up if they do not properly warm up before rehearsal or class. A proper warm up includes stretching and light movement until the body is ready to endure the rigors of class.
Dancers with poor technique develop this sort of injury the quickest. And improper turn-out and “rolling in” will most likely lead to improper jump landings and take offs.
If you are landing wrong, your entire body will not be aligned nor supported, and the entire impact will rest on your tendons and feet.
Turn out should be from the hips, and should align all the way down through the knees to the toes. The feet should not be rolled inward. A dancer with inverted knees or “knocked knees” is prone to this and must be the most careful.
The tendons in the foot that are most prone to tendonitis is not only the Achilles tendon, but the flexor hallucis longus tendon as well.
The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the lower leg, it attaches the calf muscles to the heel bone. It can become inflamed when movements are repeated frequently such as jump landings and take offs. Also, pointing the foot constantly and releve contributes to this inflammation.
To determine if you have tendonitis you have to evaluate your foot. If you notice swelling or tenderness and pain, then changes are that tendonitis is developing or is already present.
You may also feel a clicking sound or may feel your foot getting frozen in certain positions as if our tendon has been caught out of place. Tendonitis can become so severe that is has the ability to end a dancer’s career.
Treatment for tendonitis includes large amounts of rest, proper warm up and avoiding pointe work especially.You might take an anti inflamatory.
A heating pad and lots of warm up coverings also ease an inflamed tendon. Use your leg warmers and a heat pad before warm up – and take it easy on jumps during this time. The best thing to do by far though, is to take some time off and rest.
La Bayadere The Ballet
by UmeAndTheDancefloor on Apr.13, 2007, under La Bayadere
london dance co. Posted: 13 April 2007
The Royal Ballet has announced its new 2007/8 season. Highlights include a new production of George Balanchine’s Jewels, further performances of Wayne McGregor’s award winning Chroma and new work by Kim Brandstrup, Christopher Wheeldon and Wayne McGregor – alongside six full length ballets during the season, including La Bayadere and Romeo and Juliet. Jewels was composed in 1967 for the new York City Ballet and consists of three separate ballets: Emeralds – set to music by Faure, Rubies – to Stravinsky and Diamonds – to Tchaikovsky. The original costume designs by Barbara Karinska will be used – with new sets designed at the Royal Opera House. Wayne McGregor’s Chroma had just six sell out perfomances last November, alongside Christopher Wheeldons’ new work DGV. In February 2008 it will be revived for another 5 performances, in a programme with two works by Kenneth Macmillan – Different Drummer and The Rite of Spring. A new work by Wheeldon will appear in February/March 2008 and Kim Brandstrup’s first work for the Royal Ballet will be performed in April 2008. Royal Ballet Director Monica Mason also confirmed that Sylvie Guillem would not be dancing with the company again. She had been invited to appear in this season but wasn’t available: “I understand that now she wants to give herself completely to contemporary work. I also invited her to give a farewell performance. But I can understand that as she is still appearing she did not wish to say farewell. Her audiences will follow her wherever she still performs.” Guillem’s last performances with the Royal Ballet were in June 2006. Darcey Bussell is due to give her final performance with the company on 8 June this year.
londondance co.
April 2008
I remember La Bayadere. The justice that this video do is that you can see the detail of the stage scene. I have never seen a stage appear in 3D as the scene settings in La Bayadere. Not to mention the Dance choreography.The whole thing was Spectacular. After three standing ovations , I noticed a very quiet audience leaving the theatre.We were awestruck !
January 1970 The Royal Ballet School London
My brother Colin Dye auditioned for the Australian Ballet Company and as a result of his acceptance was offered an audition at the Royal Ballet School. His training was rigorous to say the least.A combination of talent,hard work and some of the best teachers in the world launched his career in Ballet. He was accepted into the Royal Ballet Company,London, and showed great promise.Unfortunately due to a foot injury he was forced to give up the Art for a full year.This lead him into other directions and he soon found the discipline of Dance could be transformed to everyday life.He is now exceptionally successful and is known for his ability to hold a crowd spellbound which he says is merely an extension of his stage training. This means that any training that a young person receives has huge benefits regardless of their career path.
In recognition of your contribution to dance Collin.
Your brother Ray Dye and Rays wife Ingrid author and administrator of dancinghomeschool.com
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A Warm Welcome
Welcome to Dancing Home School. I hope to fill my site with everything we all love so much,Dance...and especially the education of dance that brings us to the emotion of Dance on the stage.That emotion that takes everyones breath away in awe of this silent beauty.
