Attitude magazine

ATTITUDE Training tips for dancers of all ages inside!

Breyanna Maples tells us why she Dances.

How to balance dance life and school life.

What gear is trending the most in studios accross America?

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Magazine

Table Of Contents Curtiain Call 11. ATTITUDE”S

Dancer of the Month is...

Trending

17. This month’s

rehearsal faves are so cute!

Bloopers!

14. Pumpkin Panic.

Submission by: Kathryn Lodwick from Los Angeles, California

Issue 1. November/December 2015. Volume 1.

Features 18. Why I Dance. Breyanna Maples of Philadelphia, PA tells ATTITUDE why she Dances.

27. Balancing Act.

In-Motion Dance Troupe Leader Stephanie Arcadia balances Dance, Work and School.

Editor:

Contact Information:

Damani Johnson

johnson_damani@ attitudemag.net 717.555.6738 (b)

Publisher: Toree Baxter ABC Lettering

Writers: Hunter Wolfe Joseph Stefanini Amari Johnson Dominique Wilson Ariel Jenkins Sara Evans

717.555.2794 (f)

Website: www.ATTITUDEmagazine .com

Frequency: Bi-Monthly

Cost: Per issue- $5.99

Training 22.Tricks to Bigger and Better Jumps. Get your

Health 23.Get the 5 latest Fit

Tips of the Month from the Best of the Best!

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7 November/December 2016

Letter from the Editor: Dear Reader,

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for picking up this issue of ATTITUDE Magazine. If you’re thinking about pursuing a dance career, get used to making tough choices, especially if you want to take your training to the next level: Which school is right for me? Should I move away from home? Which path will lead to professional opportunities? It’s hard to predict the future, which is what makes this period so stressful. But you’ll find inspiration from some of your peers in this issue of ATTITUDE Magazine. They share their fears and turning points as students and dancers, and show that it’s okay to follow your instincts and take risks. Not only that, we provied some of the best fit tips from our top professionals. Don’t forget to check us out online to keep up with

the latest dance news!

8 November/December 2016

XOXO, Damani Johnson

Curtain Call ATTITUDE’s Dancer of the Month is:

Kyndall Harris from:

To anyone who has ever dared to dream, here she stands as hope and proof that dreams do come true. Kyndall Harris, a 13 year old dance phenomenon taking the hip-hop world by storm, truly embodies the essence of persistence, strength & courage. Kyndall began her career as an entertainer when she was just 6 years old, dancing for fun with family and friends, which lead to dancing for the NBA Jr. Grizzlies team in Memphis, TN. She is a powerhouse of an entertainer, also referred to as a beauty & a beast, known for her potent and precise dance execution & her ability inspire others while paving her way in the entertainment industry. Kyndall’s, “never give-up” spirit has yielded a favorable impact on her young life by landing her a coveted spot on the Janet Jackson Unbreakable World Tour, Radio Disney Awards 2016, Little Big Shots, Elle Magazine-Feature, America’s Got Talent and the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Kyndall Harris is one of the youngest dancers to ever go on tour with one of the greatest icons of our time- Janet Jackson and she embodies the talent, grace, charm and skill that one can expect from anyone dancing & performing alongside such a remarkable entertainer. She is the champion of fighting for what you want with heart, integrity and commitment. Go Kyndall!

11 November/December 2016

Bloopers!

This issue’s Dance Blooper was submitted by Kathryn Lodwick from Los Angeles, California.

Pumpkin panic.

My junior year of high school I was cast as Cinderella in my dance studio’s ballet production of Cinderella. As every true dancer/performer knows, the real action happens back stage as opposed to on stage, and that fact became a reality to me the night of dress rehearsal.

The beginning of the first act was coming to a close, and I had just danced with the Fairy God mother as she showed me to my pumpkin carriage. Considering this was a completely amateur ballet production run by the local dance studio, the entire cast was local high schoolers, including brothers and boyfriends of the female dancers.

Two of my friends who happened to be twins, Chris and 14 November/December 2016

Jon, were the “palace guards/ pumpkin carriage drivers”, which was quite possibly the worst jobs they could be appointed to. Their job was to pull the pumpkin carriage on stage, open the door for me, then pull me off stage. This is precisely what they did, and as they pulled the carriage off stage I was impressed by their professionalism. When we finally arrived off stage however, things started to go downhill. Chris and Jon pulled the carriage deep into the hallway (which happened to be the exact width of the carriage) then left me there.

Since the carriage was stuck, I was not able to open the doors. I also wasn’t able to climb out since the sides were too high. So there I was, clad in my tutu and huge tiara, trapped in my own pumpkin carriage. Talk about royal

treatment….NOT I didn’t want to start calling for someone since the music was playing on stage and people were still dancing, but I had to make a music cue and be on stage in less than 5 minutes. My first instinct was to take my signature Cinderella broom and attempt to pole vault out, but I decided that wasn’t the best idea…..and that’s when I finally heard my ballet instructor calling; “Cinderella!

Cinderella?! Where the [insert profanity here] are you?!

Christopher and Jonathon, where is Kathryn?!” I began calling her desperately, and soon I was discovered and rescued from my gourd like transportation device.

Let’s just say Chris and Jon won’t be pulling any more

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This look inspired by Dance Wear Solutions. Model: Taylor Hitalla.

Find out where to get all these looks plus more on our website www.ATTITUDEmag.com

17 November/December 2016

Why I Dance

Breyanna Maples By: Damani Johnson

F

without and that’s what

or some people, makes it so magically comdancing is a fun hobby. But prehensive. for other people, dancing

Some people would is a lifestyle. And it’s far question why anyone from being an easy lifewould ever want to make style. Dancing takes hard dance their lifestyle if it effort, lots of patience and requires so much work, serious dedication. It push- time and effort. For dancer es your body to the exBreyanna Maples, it’s betreme physically and their cause dancing can be anypassion is the daily force thing that she wants it to that keeps dancers moving be. Dance is much broader everyday. than what most people

Dance is practiced think. It isn’t just about balin many forms and for let. Dance is movement, many reasons including that can be translated into social, educational, polanguage. Dance is univerlitical and even for thersal. apeutic reasons. Dance

As hard as it is, it’s is a performance art form even harder to stick with that consists of purposeit when most people first fully selected sequences begin to dance. “I first of movement. The movestarted dance in 2000 and ments are aesthetic and I hated it. I’m short, I’m symbolic. Dance can be black, and I’m not the stanwith music or it can be dard. I never wanted to go 18 November/December 2016

to rehearsals and I would cry. However, I was willing and able and I believed I could get things done if I trust my gift. Then my first recital happened and they couldn’t get me away from the stage.” Says Breyanna.

For her it was a battle that she had to fight with herself to stick with dancing.

Until the first recital, when the rush from a crowd full of cheering people applauded the performance she had just completed.

It’s an absolutely amazing and invigorating feeling to be on a stage and have an auditorium full of people praise your job well done.

To transform a stage and allow the people watching you to forget about their worries for a little bit. It’s a great feeling.

Breyanna recalls her very first dance recital, “My first major show I preformed in in would say was fall of 2010 with Greater Dance II. That was my first company show and the start of a new beginning for me.”

She practiced day in and day out for that first recital and when she was finally able to see her hard work have an impact and shine through on stage, it was a feeling that was indescribable.

More so, it made her even more excited about the fact that she stuck it through even through the countless failures. There isn’t one specific time that Breyanna has failed because in a field such as this dance you’re always going to fail in some ways.

One day you may be injured, one day you may be off your leg, another day you may audition and you may get cut in round one.

But as a dancer you have to push yourself to never give in even if it’s not your time.

done by me. My natural ability. When I figured out that I was truly talented and I had a chance, there was no way I could give gift away.”

Dance also can open doors to bigger and better things, like traveling. Breyanna shared her experience with me about the time she spent over the summer in the Big Apple. “I spent 6 weeks out of my 2016 summer in New York City doing the Ailey summer Intensive Program at Alvin Ailey Dance Company. It was the BEST experience in the world! I met new people learned new things polWhen asked what was the ished the techniques that moment that she realized I already had and made she wanted to dance for some personal improveas long as she possibly ments not only in my danccould, Breyanna said, “At ing but in the way I take the end of my freshman and appreciate class.” year of college, initially I

Breyanna also got to hated it and I said get me share the experience with out of this art school and a close friend of hers, Jhesend me to an HBCU (His- lan Gordan who started torically Black Colleges dancing around the same and Universities), then I time that she did. found a groove. A groove

that only I held. And something that could only be 19 November/December 2016

Jhelan participated in this 6-week intensive dance program as well and had an equally amazing experience.

When asked what she loved about dance the most she stated, “I’ve done some choreography as well and to teach a dance routine and then to see it come alive on stage is unbelievable. I get to watch something that I’ve created from the audience’s perspective and it’s just an amazing experience. It sounds weird but it’s kind of like an out of body experience.”

Both dancers

20 November/December 2016

appreciate the things that they’ve learned along the way and are extremely grateful for the friends and experiences they have come across.

“Dance gave me friends that understand me, and it gave me friends that also could relate to my demanding and super busy schedule. Dance disciplined me, matured me and it gave me an outlet for my feelings.

Dance helped me see the world through new lenses,” says Breyanna.

Dancers love coming to rehearsals and trainings knowing that they can help transform

the stage into a place of magic and help the audience forget about their worries for a few hours.

They are able to tell the stories of my triumphs and heartbreaks without even saying a word, and maybe even let someone in the audience know that they are not alone. When you are given the gift to communicate through movement, it is meant to be shared.

Dance was always much more than pirouettes and extensions, and steps.

Dancers dance because it truly is the only universal language.

Training

Get Bigger & Better Jumps Proper alignment is key in quality jumping.

In vertical jumping, especially, it helps to imagine stacking your body parts (the head, the torso, the pelvis, the knees, the feet) on top of one another like stacking stones. When one stone is out of place, a horizontal element is added to an otherwise vertical force. This slows the jump and reduces its height.

What keeps the stones in alignment is a strong core. This does not mean you should be stiff like a pogo stick when you jump. The center is strong and active so that the rest of the body can stay connected

22 November/December 2016

The quality of your jump is only as good as the pliĂŠ that proceeds it. And, a quality pliĂŠ is defined by not only the action of the legs but also by its supporting base (the feet).

The ankles (or, more correctly the tarsus) should not roll in or sickle before or during lift off and there should be a feeling of widening and lengthening through the feet and toes so that the

whole foot (including the heel) is used for optimum leverage. For height and power, it may be helpful to imagine your legs in pliĂŠ as a coiled spring ready to release straight into the air.

Lift Off:

As the legs lengthen and the body is leaving the ground, remember that vertical height is greatly increased when the feet roll sharply through to pointed toes beneath the pelvis.

In vertical jumping, especially, it helps to imagine stacking your body parts (the head, the torso, the pelvis, the knees, the feet) on top of one another like stacking stones.

Health

Fit Tips of the Month

1. Use the plank to tighten and tone. ‘A simple plank every

day is very good for your whole body to strengthen. Just one minute during the whole day. You can also build up to two minutes when you feel you are getting fitter and stronger,’ explains Tierney Heap, a dancer in the Royal Opera House’s corps de ballet.

2. Try juicing. Charlotte Gooch, who plays Penny in Piccadilly Theatre’s Dirty Dancing, fills her fridge with vegetables, salad, eggs, and yogurt.

But her secret is juicing. ‘I have recently become a big fan. It’s great for energy levels, provides lots of vitamins and nutrients, and doesn’t pile on the pounds,’ she says.

3. Sample pilates, the exercise of choice. ‘Pilates is a par-

ticularly useful part of my training. I would recommend it for dancers and non-dancers alike. Starting the day off with pilates gets me energised and gets my body centred,’ says Darcel Frederick-Osei, a dancer in The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre.

4. Or brave a bit of Bollywood. Carol Furtado, a lead dancer in Merchants of

Bollywood at Sadler’s Wells, recommends Bollywood dancing. It’s ‘a high energy fitness workout – great cardio – that has you sweating in no time. It’s also a great deal of fun, which is more important because if people don’t enjoy their workout session, they’re more likely to slack off.’

5. Tone the bum with squats. Amy Thornton, dance captain of Matilda The Musical at the Cambridge Theatre, notes that running after 29 kids definitely keeps her fit. But recently, she’s become obsessed with squats. ‘I’m determined to get a J.Lo bum. I like to do three sets of 20 every day. If I’m feeling extra hardcore, I will tie a resistance band around my legs, just above the knee. It’s a killer.’

23 November/December 2016

Balancing Act: Dance Life & School Life By: Hunter Wolfe

W

hen she was three, Stephanie Arcadia cried at her first dance practice, so her mother quickly withdrew her from the program. At age four, she tried it again, and 17 years later, Stephanie is still dancing.

Stephanie, 21, from Horsham, PA, has long, tangled hair, and her dark brown glasses shield focused, green eyes. Nothing about her feels manufactured, but rather raw — genuine.

She applies her makeup conservatively, because chances are she’ll have dance practice tonight.

And a simple hoop nose ring peeks from her right nostril, complimenting the pearl earrings that hide behind a curtain of brown hair.

Stephanie doesn’t have time for high fashion, because her leadership

role in Shippensburg’s Dance Troupe keeps her busy nearly every day of the week.

As a freshman, she auditioned for and was inducted into the troupe, which is typically comprised of dancers with at least ten years of experience. Dance Troupe’s history at the campus was storied, and she admits to feeling anxious about the commitment from the start.

The Dance Troupe observes three “seasons” each academic year — the Homecoming Spirit Rally, the traditional February

stage performance and an end-of-year competition, and practices for each season can range from 2-5 hours per weeknight.

Although the university recognizes it as a club sport, Stephanie is quick to differentiate between the commitments between Dance Troupe and other club sports.

“Dance Troupe is more intense than traditional club sports,” Stephanie said, stating that in some club sports, players are only required to attend a minimum of two practices to be eligible to play in competitions. In Dance Troupe, 3 unexcused absences book you a oneway ticket out the door.

The time commitment was something Stephanie cites made her nervous as a freshman, but it’s something she’s adapted to as a senior.

27 November/December 2016

During performance season, dancers can participate in as few as 3 and as many as 20some dances, depending on how involved a member wants to be. To keep herself focused, Stephanienie scrawls a to-do list.

“Sometimes that includes reminding myself to eat food,” she said, reminiscing of many Mac-n-Cheese meals.

Food can be hard to fit in, she says, because like several of her Troupe members, she also works at The Spirit of Dance Studio, a performance space in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, some 20 minutes away from the university. There they teach budding perform28 November/December 2016

ers a variety of dance styles, including theater, lyrical and jazz. Theater is a style where dancers careen to Broadway music, as opposed to lyrical style, which produces slower moments that mirror the words of popular songs. The jazz style picks up the pace, involving lots of leaps and jumps and turning, Stepahnie said, contrary to the misnomer implying jazz music.

On top of her obligations to school and work, she serves as Historian on the Dance Troupe’s executive board. The real responsibility here, Stephanie explained, is to act as a role model for the rest of the team.

“I can’t just skip classes, because then what’s stopping the other girls [on the team] from skipping classes?” she said.

Dancing is more than a hobby to Stephanie — it’s a priority. One she values above all other priorities. She doesn’t complain about the commitment, because it’s something she loves, and something she’s willing to sacrifice even precious sleep for.

“Overall, it is very tough to balance everything — between homework, group projects and all that,” Stephanie said.

“But once we put on an amazing show, it’s all worth it.”

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