July/August 2012 Dancehub Magazine by Dancehub

M A G A Z I N E

WIN tickets EIFMAN BALLET

Genee International Ballet Competition

Rock Eisteddfod Challenge Getting Boys into Ballet Bouncing Back ...

DANCEHUB MAGAZINE PROUDLY SUPPORTS ROCK EISTEDDFOD CHALLENGE

How to navigate the magazine. If you have never used an iPad before and want to navigate our magazine look for any of these icons. Each one represents a different feature. To view what each icon does tap on it with your finger. SWIPE PAGES DOWN OR TO THE RIGHT

Moving

forward

and subscribing to our magazine.

coming months we are introducing 2 ‘new media’ platforms so we can deliver educational content to the masses.

The country that leads that race is Australia, Five months have now passed since we launched followed by the United our iPad based “Dancehub States of America, in third Thanks for your continued place, Great Britain and support. Magazine”. It never then Indonesia. ceases to amaze me that Remember: Tell a friend non-english speaking Our media partnerships about Dancehub so we can countries are downloading are growing and in the help more dancers!

TAP FOR PUBLISHER DETAILS

TAP TO SEND US AN ARTICLE OR PHOTO

TAP FOR ARTICLE/PHOTO CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

DANCE NEWS

REGULAR FEATURES

JUST FOR TEACHERS

DANCE GENRES

AROUND THE TRAPS

HEALTHY OPTIONS

IMAGE: DANCE LANE PHOTOGRAPHER: BELINDA STRODDER

contents

SYLLABUS UPDATES

contents SYLLABUS UPDATES

RAD are holding the GenĂŠe International Ballet Competition in NZ this year.

ATOD Scholarships are being held in Melbourne. Find out more.

glenn wood tap Tap Exams. A sense of achievement or unnecessary stress? The facts.

Major ballet and progressive grade DVD now available.

We have the latest information so you can enter the AICD International Ballet Awards 2012. IMAGE: AEROS PHOTOGRAPHER: BELINDA STRODDER

contents DANCE NEWS USA

Is there too much dancing on US television?

London are hosting more than the Olympics this year.

Sharon Osbourne loves teen acro dancer.

Get moving with the Jubilee Dance.

AUSTRALIA

Paris Opera Ballet comes to Sydney to wow audiences with Giselle. Could pole dancing become an olympic sport in 2018?

IMAGE: COLLIDE COLLABORATION PHOTOGRAPHER: BELINDA STRODDER

contents REGULAR FEATURES BOYS IN BALLET

We investigate the key factors you should consider for your son’s ballet education.

ASK COLIN @ BEHIND BALLET

Australian Ballet’s leading dance author Colin Peasley answers your questions.

BEGINNING BALLET

We take a look at a viewpoint that focuses on the benefits of starting ballet as a toddler.

We have some of the hottest tickets to give-away this issue. Competition entry is FREE.

PRO FOCUS We have adopted Jason Winters’ as an honourary Aussie and his star continues to shine brightly.

IMAGE: ELEY MAY - DANCE DYNAMICS PHOTOGRAPHER: BELINDA STRODDER

WIN TICKETS

contents JUST FOR TEACHERS RECESSION PROOF YOUR STUDIO

A few quick tips to assist you when times are tough.

STUDIO SUCCESS

Learn the secrets of maintaining a successful studio/ dance parent relationship.

KNOW YOUR CLIENTS

How often do you engage with your dance clients to obtain meaningful and productive criticism?

BALLET BARRES

Why choose aluminium over wooden barres? IMAGE: ELEY MAY - KATE GRAMMATICO PHOTOGRAPHER: BELINDA WRIGHT

contents DANCE GENRES

CONTEMPORARY

TAP DANCE

Elise May explains how to adopt a character when dancing contemporary.

Reece Hopkins offers some amazing techniques to help you improve your tap rhythm.

ACRO

BALLET

Acro is fast becoming a wanted skillset for many performance teams. Find out how is acro defined and why teachers like acro dancers.

From rehearsal to performance. Making the shift.

contents AROUND THE TRAPS

COMING EVENTS

We’ve highlighted some of the major events you should consider attending around the globe.

AUDITION LISTING

Universal Studios Japan are now recruiting. Check out our audition page for all the information.

IMAGE: KATYA WOODGER PHOTOGRAPHER: KIMENE SLATTERY-CHING

SHOW REVIEWS

Jabbawockeez America’s Best Dance Crew entertained us at Jupiters Hotel & Casino. Were they any good?

contents

HEALTHY OPTIONS TRAINING TURNOUT

Lisa Howell from Perfect Form Physio writes about Training Turnout for a dancer.

ENTER PIYOLET

NO PAIN NO GAIN

Piyolet is a blend of 3 unique, yet important excercise styles. Read more.

Is the old adage true? Lisa Peresan dispells the myth.

HOW TO RECOVER

NUTRITION AND DIET

Annie Strauch from Performance Medicine discusses how dancers bounce back after their performance.

IMAGE: UNKNOWN DANCER PHOTOGRAPHER: BELINDA WRIGHT

What you get out of your body depends on what you put in it, explains Justine Urbahn.

IN BALLET Article by: Jennifer Wasilewski Around the age of three or four you start to wonder what activities to enroll your youngster in. There are many options all of which can provide children with great learning experiences that will last a lifetime. Unfortunately, a large majority of early age activities are geared towards girls. Ballet, tap dancing, gymnastics...the list goes on.

SWIPE UP

IN BALLET

Unfortunately society has seemed to forget the heavy male influence that is present in all of these activities. Enrolling your son in a performing arts class is a great way to ensure that he will be a well rounded, cultured man one day; however, because of the stigma a male dancer often takes on, it can be hard to keep your son evolved in this magnificent activity. Here are some great ways to help assure your son that the performing arts can be both masculine and fun.

â&#x20AC;˘ Early Involvement - Involving boys in dance classes at an early age

is the key for a long term involvement in the performing arts. Starting your son at the young age of three can be a great way to introduce dance before he is old enough to be fooled by stereotypical gender roles enforced by culturally ignorant segments of society. Raising them in a cultivating and supportive atmosphere where dance is something to be revered will help them take pride in what they do as that mature.

â&#x20AC;˘ All Boy Classes - Call around to your local dance studios and see

who offers all-boy dance classes. Most dance studios will offer all boy dance classes for at least for first few years of lessons since boys and girls mature and learn in different ways. Enrolling your son in a class that consists of all male dancers is great way to introduce other boys to your son who share the same interest and therefore will be supportive of his decision to pursue dance.

â&#x20AC;˘ Find Strong Examples - Familiarizing your son with famous male

performers is another great way to help him cope with being a male in a female driven industry. Luckily, with shows like Dancing with the Stars, and So you Think you Could Dance, there are more men in the spotlight who are participating in and taking pride in the performing arts. SWIPE UP

IN BALLET

• Be Supportive - Your number one role as a parent of a male dancer

is to be supportive. There will be times when your son is less than welcomed by school mates who don’t understand the masculine side of performing arts. It is your job to be as supportive and encouraging as possible. Unfortunately, many young boys and girls make accusations about the strength, the sexual orientation, and the legitimacy of boys in dance programs. You will need to be there when he is less than sure that his choice in activities is appropriate for boys.

• Observe Classes - A great way to get your son involved in dance is

to take him to a few practices or performances. Call your local dance studio and ask if you and your son can sit in on a few classes. Find out what type of classes are offered and visit a class that incorporated martial arts into dance. Your son may find it amusing to see combat moves. It’s also a good idea to sit in on classes for both young and older boys so he can form a positive image of men in dance. You can also contact your local performing arts center to find out about scheduled performances that can show your child what he will be working towards accomplishing

• Find A Male Teacher - If there are multiple classes available for you

to enroll your son in, try to choose one that is taught by a male dancer. A male dancer has been through the same things your son may be afraid of and therefore can act as a positive role model and a source of advice.

TAP TO PURCHASE A TICKET

TAP FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

IMAGE: Tan Ngiap Heng

GENÉE INTERNATIONAL BALLET COMPETITION 2012 The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), in association with the Royal New Zealand Ballet and the New Zealand School of Dance, is proud to present the Genée International Ballet Competition 2012 in Wellington, New Zealand, from 6-15 December 2012.

Artistic Director of Australian Ballet and Christopher Hampson, Artistic Director Designate, Scottish Ballet.

Competitors, aged between 15 and 19 years old, will perform in two Semi-finals and the Final at the St James Theatre in front of a judging panel of top ballet professionals including Li Cunxin, Artistic Director Designate of Queensland Ballet and author of Mao’s Last Dancer, David McAllister,

Another event running alongside the main competition is the Genée Dance Challenge; a national dance challenge for young dancers across New Zealand, which will be held on 14 December at St James Theatre.

New Zealand-born choreographer, Adrian Burnett, will create two exclusive variations (male and female) which will be premiered at the Final.

ATOD AUSTRALASIAN ENERGETIKS SCHOLARSHIPS We are excited about our upcoming Australasian Scholarship competition happening 20th-22nd July in Melbourne. This spectacular event, will see the top 4 students from each state in Classical Ballet, Jazz and Tap compete for the coveted title of Australasian Champion. After taking an unseen class at Jason Colemanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ministry of Dance, the students will perform up to two different solos at the Clocktower Theatre (Moonee Ponds). During the course of the weekend ATOD are set to give away over $50,000 in Scholarship prize money and Bursaries. For more details go to www. atod.net.au Good luck to all competitors - we look forward to seeing you all in Melbourne!

TAP TO VISIT ATOD WEBSITE

glenn wood tap

Tap Exams

A sense of achievement or unnecessary stress on students.

Dance exams in general have a history of terror and stress for young students. Weeks prior to the exam students begin to worry, teachers fret that they haven’t taught the work properly or their students aren’t up to standard and parents have to cope with all of that and more! Exam day can be one of abject terror as the students enter the room (mirrors covered, sound operator behind a curtain) to come upon that mysterious person (usually older female) known as “The Examiner” sitting behind a table covered in the best linen with a bell and vase of flowers. The examiner gives instruction and if the students aren’t too terrified they’ll respond. Hopefully the students can get through the ordeal. Then you have to wait for weeks, sometimes months, for the results. Does this still happen with dance exams? In a lot of cases, yes. But the growing trend now is the make the annual dance exam an enjoyable time in a young dancers life. At Glenn Wood Tap I always wanted exam day to be something really special for the students and for the teachers. All students are referred to by name not a number. The examiner greets the students at the door and guides them into the room, makes time to have a chat with each student to help settle their nerves, moves around the dance floor and encourages the students as they are presenting their work, will help students who get into difficulty.

This friendly approach is proving very successful in enabling students to present their best efforts and so achieve a higher standard result. Because Glenn Wood Tap examiners all use laptops, results are emailed to head office on that day and results and certificates are usually processed and back with the studio director in a matter of a few days.

Importance of exams. l Exam results provide teachers with important

feedback from an external source. l Exams provide students with an opportunity to set and achieve a goal and in the process students gain pride and confidence in their ability. l Exams improve a student’s technical ability. l Exams provide parents with feedback about their child’s progress from an external source. l If students take dance exams regularly it helps prepare them in later life for school exams – they learn to deal with pressure, nerves, etc. l Exams are an important part of a dancer’s training giving them skills in grooming, presentation and self awareness.

TAP HERE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT GLEN WOOD TAP AND THE SYLLABUS

Australian Institute of Classical Dance Artistic Director Marilyn Jones OBE

With Westminster School present the AICD International Ballet Awards 2012 for Senior Students 15-21 years

Premier Award (Aud) $7500 AICD Second Award (Aud) $2000 AICD ThirdAward (Aud) $1000 Encouragement awards to the value of (Aud) $500 For further information contact Mrs Barbara Komazec +61(0)882431259 M: 0411493755 www.ballet.org.au

Saturday October 6 & Sunday October 7 2012 at Westminster School Michael Murray Centre Alison Avenue Marion, South Australia 5043 All applications welcome Closing date for applications Friday August 31 2012 Pictured: Satoko Konishi-(Japan) AICD second Award 2009

Please note that the Glossary DVD $66 will be availabile mid to late August 2012. The Progressive Grades Syllabi (now available in Grades 1-3 and 4-6) DVDs and CDs are available for purchase. Prices are as follows:- Syllabi $33 per book Gr 1-3 & 4-6, DVDs $88 each and CDs $49.50 each. The Progressive Grades is also available as a package (includes Grades 1-6 2 x Syllabi 2 x DVDs and 2 x CDs) Normally priced at $341 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Discounted price is $297. The Major Ballet Syllabus is now available for purchase. You can buy each of the Sub Elementary, Elementary and Intermediate syllabi items individually or you can purchase all items as a package. Prices are as follows:- Syllabi $55 per bound book, DVDs $88 each and CDs $49.50 each. Normally priced at $577.50 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Discounted price is $495. The price list has been updated and has been uploaded on the website.

Dance version of National Anthem gets everyone

‘Raving’ An imaginative fusion of music and dance is inspiring thousands of people across the country to start dancing in the run-up to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations. The Big Jubilee Dance, produced by 5-a-day Fitness for Big Dance 2012, brings together music and dance styles from all six decades of Her Majesty the Queen’s reign, and even features a 90s Rave version of the National Anthem. 5-A-DAY WEBSITE

BIG DANCE WEBSITE

BIG LUNCH WEBSITE

Fin Barnes, Director of 5-a-day Fitness, said: “So many people think of our National Anthem as dull and boring, but it’s a fantastic piece of music. We’ve simply re-imagined it for each generation, transforming it into 50s Jive, 60s Psychedelia, 70s Disco, 80s Pop, leading all the way up to the present day. It really has got something for everyone.” Jacqueline Rose, Director of Big Dance 2012, said: “‘The Big Jubilee Dance routine is suitable for everyone, young and old. It’s great fun, and easy to do; an ideal icebreaker for people to include at their Jubilee street party celebrations.”

PARIS OPERA BALLET COMES TO SYDNEY ONE day after the Sydney Festival ends next January, Paris-based dancer Eve Grinsztajn hopes to be tying the ribbons on her ballet shoes to perform as part of the world’s oldest company. Grinsztajn, 30, is a dancer with the Paris Opera Ballet, which will perform in an exclusive Australian season of Giselle at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre from January 29. She was in Sydney yesterday to promote the tour, a visit that was pencilled in after the company’s previous Australian visit. “I would like to dance here because I love this country,” Grinsztajn said. The ballet is presented by Ian McRae and Leo Schofield, who also organised the company’s Australian debut at the Sydney Opera House in 2007 and its Brisbane season in 2009.

Eve Grinsztajn & Mathias Heymann at the Sydney Opera House. The Paris Opera Ballet will perform Giselle at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre in January. Picture: Bob Barker Source: Supplied

SWIPE UP

PARIS OPERA BALLET COMES TO SYDNEY

Grinsztajn, who joined the company on its two previous tours, said what distinguished the company from other companies was the breadth of its repertoire. “We can touch every kind of dance,” Grinsztajn said. Schofield said the company maintained “an Olympian standard of dancing”. “They have a singular elegance and grace,” he said.

“They embody the French style, they are the torchbearers for the French-style -- dancers would aspire to the Paris Opera Ballet. It has this extraordinary reputation and tradition.” Last year Schofield and McRae entered a five-year arrangement with the Queensland Performing Arts Centre to lure international performing arts companies to Brisbane. They are bringing the Hamburg Ballet, Philharmonic Orchestra and State Opera to QPAC in August. But they said they were not treading on any toes with the Sydney season. “We had this lined up before we did our QPAC agreement,” Schofield said. “At QPAC we are charged with identifying and securing major international events that haven’t been seen. (Paris Opera Ballet) has been seen in Brisbane.” The story of a girl who dies of a broken heart before her wedding and then is seen as an apparition, Giselle has been part of the Paris Opera Ballet’s repertoire since 1841. On its third season in Australia, the company will bring about 100 dancers. Schofield, who is also on the board of the Sydney Opera House, said Sydney’s Capitol Theatre was the only venue in the city that could accommodate a production of this size. The budget for the season is about $4 million, of which the state government has contributed $250,000. Arts Minister George Souris said the production would inject about $3.5m into the state economy and attract about 3000 interstate and overseas visitors.

Once relegated to bourbon-soaked bars filled with leery-eyed men, the world of pole dancing has emerged from seedy back alleys into a legitimate sport. So much so that, according to WA pole dancing luminaries, the sport’s best could be competing at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics. A few Australian pole dancers, including WA’s Tammy Baxter, are travelling to London in July to perform their five-minute routines in front of Olympic committee members at the world pole sport championships. For many, the thought of pole dancing as a sport - let alone an Olympic sport - is questionable. But Pole Fever Malaga owner Sabrina Walker says there is a simple remedy to this. “Just try it,” she said. “My husband can’t even lift himself up.” Ms Walker has been involved in the sport for more than 20 years.

“

Ms Walker said business at the Malaga studio was booming. WA competitive pole dancer Tammy Baxter said she had her fingers crossed that she could one day take “the gold in pole” for Australia at the Olympics.

It takes a lot of strength and flexibility.

“

She said “pole” as an Olympic sport was not as far-fetched as many might think because the sport was basically “gymnastics . . . with a pole”. “The competitors will do a five-minute routine, including spins and different manoeuvres,” she said.

WATCH WOMENS’ CIRCUS TRAINING PROGRAM VIDEO

Women’s Circus offers a variety of different classes each week in circus, physical theatre, performance, music and technical production to its membership. The training program is divided into 4 terms per year and includes

community events, a program especially for firsttime members, the “New Women’s Program”, and short term and intensive open classes. It is also the site for creative developments that inform our end-of-year public performance.

By: G ail St. Louis Pennington Post -Dispatch

You can hardly change the channels these days without coming across a pasa doble, a pirouette or a pop, and this summer, the prime-time dance floor is getting even more crowded. You can hardly change the channels these days without coming across a pasa doble, a pirouette or a pop. All styles of dance are celebrated in Fox’s summer sensation “So You Think You Can Dance,” which earlier this month averaged 7 million viewers and beat every other show of the night. A month earlier, more than 16 million people tuned in for the finale of ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars,” in which celebrities learned ballroom dance (and suggested we could, too).

SWIPE UP

Little girls leap and spin (while their mothers squabble and their teacher shouts) in Lifetime’s reality hit “Dance Moms,” which just began its third season. (A spinoff, “Dance Moms: Miami,” completed its initial run earlier this month.) On MTV, “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson is in his seventh season of searching for “America’s Best Dance Crew.” The audience for these shows includes millions of armchair dancers, but also interested professionals. For instance, Jonathan Porretta, a principal dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet, watches some of the reality-dance shows.

PNB’s Porretta especially loves “So You Think You Can Meanwhile, the prime-time dance floor is getting even more Dance,” but warns that viewers should take the reality shows crowded. with a grain of salt. Sometimes New this summer is the CW they amp up the Hollywood network’s “Breaking Pointe,” drama for “added pizazz,” he an unscripted series that goes notes. behind the scenes of Ballet “We never had a dancer West, a ballet company in Salt ‘pyramid’ or ‘list’ in my dance Lake City. In July, Oxygen will school when I was growing up, launch “All the Right Moves,” but it makes for some good which follows choreographer TV,” he says. Travis Wall and three of his Overall, he thinks the tube’s friends as they attempt to start a contemporary-dance company current obsession with dance is a good thing. in Los Angeles. of dance is heartening.”

And on ABC Family, “Gilmore Girls” creator Amy ShermanPalladino returned to television with “Bunheads,” which follows “I find the children and young a former ballerina turned Vegas dancers on the shows to be truly showgirl (played by Broadway inspiring!” he wrote in a recent star Sutton Foster) as she moves email interview. “Hearing how to a small town and joins her hard some of their lives have new mother-in-law in running a been and finding freedom and dance studio. finding themselves in their love

“To bring dance into so many people’s homes whom maybe would never make it to the ballet or theater is absolutely wonderful. “I would have loved to have had ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ around when I was growing up.”

Dance movie

Battlefield America The new dance movie “Battlefield America” appears to have two left feet.

has 2 left feet

The new dance film, which opened this month, was directed and co-written by Chris Stokes, who also directed the famous dance film “You Got Served.” It stars Marques Houston, who also co-wrote, and Mekia Cox. Houston plays an executive who gets in trouble and is sentenced to community service. The official summary on Internet Movie Database states; “A young businessman who lands a community service sentence falls in with a group of misfit kids who need mentoring. With the help of a pro instructor, he works to get the kids ready for a big underground dance competition.” But whatever the film’s merits, the movie’s reviews are in, and they are not good, with many claiming Battlefield America has two left feet.

Even one of the more sympathetic reviews, from the Los Angeles Times, says; “The dance sequences are energetic but largely A Reuters’ review published in the Chicago Tribune indistinguishable, with no effort made to put panned the film. them in any real social or artistic context. “The first big problem in “Battlefield America” And, while the starring youngsters may know is that the titular throwdown is never really their footwork, as actors they’re fighting a explained,” the Reuters’ review stated. “It’s like if losing battle.” “Rocky” were about a boxer who was competing to “Battlefield America,” the film with two left be The Big Winner, but we were never told what he feet, has a running time of one hour and was winning or why it was important.” 46 minutes and is showing now in theaters The Kansas City Star posted a review by the McClatchy-Tribune News Service that was no more kind. That review writes; “The thinly drawn characters (especially the kids) have abrupt changes of heart simply to serve this simplistic script. The film’s formula will only be fresh to kids without much movie-going experience.”

nationwide.

TAP TO WATCH THE BATTLEFIELD AMERICA MOVIE TRAILER

LINDSEY IMPRESSES

SHARON OSBOURNE Pinellas teen dancer going to ‘America’s Got Talent’ finals A “mesmerizing” dance performance by a Pinellas County teenager has landed her a spot in the finals of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.”

time and effort. You’re like a little angel, and you’re a great example for 16-year-olds out there. You’re a beautiful young girl.”

Lindsey Norton, a 16-year-old acrobatic dancer from Oldsmar, impressed the judges and earned a standing ovation from the audience at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg while exhibiting her graceful moves and flexibility that were a mix of gymnastics and ballet.

Norton said she has been dancing since she was 2 because she “loves to perform for the audience. That’s what I live to do.” In 2010, she represented the United States in the International Dance Organization’s World Cup in Poland, winning gold medals in the Jazz and Modern divisions.

Tuesday’s episode of the competition series was the second that featured acts from auditions held in April in St. Petersburg, and Norton will now compete in the finals in Las Vegas.

That accomplishment was not lost on Howard Stern, the self-proclaimed “Satan” of the panel who offered the most complimentary critique of all the judges.

“I can see you’re serious about your craft,” judge Sharon Osbourne said. “You put in

“Most times when someone says to me, ‘let’s go to the ballet,’ I’d rather pull my nails out,” Stern said. “Here’s what’s great about you. You are everything that America should be about. You’re somebody who works hard; what you do is mesmerizing, inspirational, and belongs on the stage.”

Dear Colin, With such a packed schedule for your 50th year, how does the company balance current and upcoming productions? And in a year when the dancers will be performing so many ballets, including two very different versions of Swan Lake to the same music, how do the dancers learn and remember it all? Alice Dear Alice,

Colin Peasley is a founding member of The Australian Ballet. He retired as a Principal Artist from the company to concentrate on establishing an Education Program for The Australian Ballet, which he managed until 2010. He continues to perform character roles with the company as well as maintaining a busy schedule as coach, teacher and adjudicator.

MEMORISING BALLET

DANCER: JESS PHOTOGRAPHER: DAVID BARNES

The dancers of The Australian Ballet take class every morning of the working week. These classes are programmed so that the teacher and the pianist change daily throughout the week so that the dancers become extremely adept at learning and performing new combinations. This helps them when it comes to learning and memorising ballets. Dancers become very skilled at having a movement memory that is triggered by the music of the ballet. I have brought ex-company dancers out of retirement to help reproduce works and as soon as the music plays, the movements and steps of the ballet take shape as if they had only learnt the dance the day before! 2012, like most years here, is divided into two halves, which allows the ballet staff and repetiteurs to plan the rehearsal schedule so that the teaching and rehearsing of our repertoire is compartmentalised, with rarely more than three ballets being prepared at any one time. Of course once one ballet is on stage the company immediately starts preparing the next production. Sounds easy, but in actual fact, because The Australian Ballet presents long seasons of each program, we need to have multiple casts: which means if at any time you walk past a rehearsal room you will never find it empty. There are always dancers either learning new roles, or perfecting already learnt ones. The good news about our two seasons of Swan Lake in 2012 is that they have entirely different approaches to the story. Graeme Murphy’s version of the ballet is loosely based on the unhappy marriage of Princess Diana; it’s also set in the 1900s, and has an entirely different story to the traditional 1800s version that Stephan Baynes and David McAllister will give us. Their ballet will be a new version using the traditional story about a princess turned into a swan by an evil magician. These two ballets are very different in story, choreography and dramatic intent. As the dancers in our company would say “no problems!” Best wishes, Colin

JOIN DANCEHUB TO ENTER COMPETITION

TAP TO READ TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Dance Training: From a very early age Jason has always been inspired by the soundtrack of life, pushing and pulling his mind and body in so many directions. Studying classical piano and percussion was the opening of many doors and the beginning of an insatiable appetite to explore the boundless world music had to offer. Soon came the overwhelming need to express this musical arena through the physical form. Having trained in south/central Florida in theater as well as Classical Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Modern. Performance/Company Affiliations: Jason began to work professionally in every genre and medium available. Getting the opportunity to perform, assist, and eventually choreograph with such incredibly influential people/companies has truly shaped his artistry and approach to movement. A few of these being Mia Michaels, Marc Dendy, Demetrius Klein, Odyssey Dance Utah, Southern Ballet Theater, Sol Kerznerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island, Bahamas, Radio City Music Hall Productions, The Walt Disney World Co., and Cirque Du Soleil. Also with European artists such as Anna Vissi, and on The Grammy Awards and numerous Superbowl halftime shows with artists such as Madonna, Eminem, Elton John, NSYNC, Aerosmith, Mary J. Blige, Moby and The Blue Man Group. Teaching Experience: Jason has held staff positions at Joe Michaels (Miami, FL), Raskin (Orlando, FL), and currently at multiple Studios in New Jersey, Boston, and Tokyo. As well as master classes at Universities and Conventions around the world.

PRO FOCUS

JASON WINTERS

Answer: Parents often seem in a rush to enroll their children in ballet classes. However, formal ballet training should not be introduced until the age of 8. Before then, a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bones are too soft for the physical demands and exercises of ballet. It is actually possible to delay training until the age of 10 or 12 and still have a great future in ballet. Pre-ballet classes are often offered to dancers between the ages of 4 and 8. Most teachers believe that the attention spans of 3-year-olds are too short to deal with, and prefer parents to wait until a child is at least 4. Pre-ballet classes have become quite popular in private dance studios. The classes

At What Age Should My Child Begin Ballet Classes?

are loosely organized and simple. Children may be encouraged to move around the room to the rhythms of different styles of music. Some pre-ballet classes may even introduce students to the five positions of ballet, stressing the importance of proper posture. Many dance schools offer creative movement classes for very young children. Creative movement classes are much like pre-ballet classes, as they serve as an early introduction to formal ballet. Creative movement provides a way for children to explore movement through music. Cretive movement involves the use of body actions to communicate certain actions, emotions, or feelings. By following a teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s instructions, a child can develop physical skills as well as encourage the use of imagination. Article by: Treva Bedinghaus IMAGE: SCHOOL SC PHOTOGRAPHER: BELINDA STRODDER

Why Choose Aluminum Barres over Wood Barres?

Aluminum barres have several advantages over wooden barres. • Unlike traditional wooden barres, Aluminum barres keep their structural integrity. Aluminum barres will not warp, splinter, or crack. You never have to worry about color inconsistencies because our aluminum barres have a beautiful, long lasting powdercoated finish. • Our Aluminum barres have a unique anti-microbial powdercoated finish that allows for worry-free use without spreading germs. Wooden barres tend to hold in microbes and germs, which can be spread to other users. • Aluminum barres are maintenance free and extremely easy to clean. Wooden barres require regular maintenance and cleaning.

DANCER: TEAGAN LO WE PHOTOGRAPHER: MI CHEL

LE GRACE HUNDER

SUBMIT MEDIA

Wanted

Awesome dance image s and video for this iPad Dance Magazine.

Build Relationships with Your Dance Parents If a dance studio owner is going to successfully market to the average parent, they must perfect their lead follow-up and build relationships with those parents. Email follow-up helps the dance studio owner build a relationship by: keeping in front of the prospect, focusing on the parent and potential dancer, and offering the individual something of value.

By Steve Hofstetter

dancers. By doing this, you are making your lead feel important, appreciated. And, when they are ready to come sign-up, they will come to you because of these simple lead follow up techniques. With our system it will â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;mergeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in the leads name to emails to make it look more personal.

Finally, with follow-up you can give your prospects valuable information about the dance Effective prospect follow-up can significantly world. Provide them with ideas, interesting increase the number of parents/students you guide to your dance studio. You see, with email stories, and other things that they will appreciate. When your lead follow-up causes follow-up, you are constantly keeping your your prospects to look forward to hearing from studio in front of your prospect. When leads are caught up in their own lives, it is difficult for you, you become the welcome guest instead of the unwanted pest. Once this relationship them to think about other things- particularly your business. With email follow-up, your lead is developed, selling to your potential parent/ does not have to remember or think about who student becomes a much easier process. With lead follow-up, you can quickly and easily send you are. Your follow-up does it for them. valuable information to your leads. When dance studio owners build a prospect database using our systems, their follow-up With lead follow-up, you can build a becomes extremely powerful. Think of how relationship with those individuals that are not much easier it will be to sell to a parent/ yet your paying students. With effective lead dancer if you remember their name and other follow-up, you stay in front of your prospects, personal details. The key to lead follow-up is to focus on the individuals, offer valuable take what you know about your prospect and information to your lead, and overall build a cater your message to them. The lead followrelationship that will help you sign MORE up should discuss the benefits of your studio paying students up much more easily. that will most appeal to your potential parents/ DANCER: JESS PHOTOGRAPHER: DAVID BARNES

FEATURES • 10 questions per survey • 100 responses per survey • Easy-to-use web-based survey tool • Collect data via weblink, email, Facebook, or embed on your site or blog • Real-time results • 24x7 email customer support Article by: Philip Reece Dancehub Magazine Editor

FREE SURVEY TOOL Getting to know your customers just got easier. A free online survey tool like Survey Monkey will allow you to send up to 10 questions to 100 respondents for FREE. Get invaluable feedback from a sample of your clients and then change your studio to reflect the needs and wants of your clients. By doing this you are sure to keep them satisfied and a stable long term client relationship.

READ ELISE-MAY’S BIO

PHOTO BY: JEN DAINER

SWIPE UP

Narrative dance works have the potential to communicate ideas, stories and emotions that can bring audiences to new understandings of the human condition and our relationships with others. For many years, choreographers and dancers have worked to bring specific, stylised and believable characters to their audiences. Although our modern storytelling on stage stems from the classical ballet tradition, where stories are often portrayed through an astonishing display of set, lighting and costume, the narrative form has its roots in the dances of our ancestors as they told stories through movement as a way of passing important information from one generation to the next. Despite a move away from the narrative in the postmodern dance movements of the late 60’s and 70’s, dance theatre has continued to evolve in unique and often niché ways. This notion is ever-present in the full-length signature works of Expressions Dance Company under the artistic directorship of Natalie Weir. In my experience as a dancer with Expressions Dance Company, I have been asked to develop and portray characters for full-length works that sit firmly within the dance-as-theatre context. Natalie Weir’s “Where The Heart Is” and “R & J” (based on the story of Romeo and Juliet) are two such works that draw on the art of story telling and narrative to communicate strong themes. “Where The Heart Is” was loosely inspired by Brisbane born writer David Malouf ’s 12 Edmonstone Street. It is a poetic and moving work about a young man who returns to his abandoned family home where he spent his childhood. As he enters the old house and pulls away the wooden boards covering the windows and doors of the old ‘Queenslander’, he is flooded with

memories of his youth. As he moves from room to room, he is haunted by the memories of his first love and his family (brother, mother, father and grandmother). In this work, I came to play the role of the grandmother, an interesting and challenging character that developed over time and continues to evolve on stage. As we were developing Where The Heart Is in 2010, Natalie had a strong sense of the ideas and themes that she wanted to capture in the work. We spent time in the beginning, talking about the characters and how they would be perceived within the overall context of the work. So when it came to working on the movement it was quite experimental. It became important in the early stages to find gestures, specific ways of walking and moving and ways of interacting with the other characters that encapsulated the essence of each character. These ideas didn’t always manifest immediately in rehearsal and often developed over time throughout the rehearsal period. So much of the choreography was about about telling a story, so each action that you performed needed to relate back to your character. In a dramatic sense, each decision you made as a performer needed to be in alignment with how your character might react or behave in any situation. Coupled with the dance movement, both character and movement quality find a marriage on stage to communicate the ideas and relationships within the work. One of the challenges of playing the role of the grandmother in Where The Heart Is, was the fact that physically, I am a young woman. Natalie wanted the grandmother to be old, yet portray moments of reverting back into her youth. As an old woman she would remember her life when she was young, SWIPE UP

then return once again at the end of her solo, to the older woman. In order to convince the audience of the ‘authenticity’ or ‘believability’ of the character we spent spent a lot of time addressing the finer details of the movement. I found it useful to develop images and a specific ‘back story’ to my character that would become a pool of thought-based inspirations that I could draw on whilst performing, in order to ‘feel’ my character from the ‘inside-out’ rather than to simply rely on a set of physical qualities to communicate the ideas. When I was developing the character of the grandmother, I wrote the following character notes: The grandmother is a woman who is looking back at her life, once young and beautiful, she remembers her youth with such clarity and is often lost in memories of her life. She learnt the piano when she was younger - she dreamed of becoming a concert pianist. She is lonely and misses her late husband - they first met at a ball/dance before the war. She still remembers the wonderful new dress she was wearing. He asked her to dance and they waltzed late into the night. When he returned from the war they were married and started a family.

BUY TICKETS TO WHERE THE HEART IS

Grandma has rounded shoulders and stiff old bones and joints, making her slow and unsteady on foot. Her fingers are curled with arthritis, and her eyesight isn’t reliable. She often gets frustrated with her aged body and appearance and reverts back into her memories of her youth. Her favorite place is on the veranda in her special old chair. I found that mapping out the grandmother’s past and personality was helpful because it gave me a foundation from which to draw upon in performance. Although having a background to the character is useful, the physicalisations were equally as important in communicating the age of the grandmother. I spent time in front of a mirror experimenting with things such as a hunched or rounded upper back, an unsteady walk and shaky hands. We also experimented with finding sense of confusion and vulnerability in the rehearsal process in order to give the grandmother human qualities that we hoped people could relate to. We all have older family members in our lives, so in a way I hoped that she would remind the audience members of their own grandmothers. It seems that every different character is driven by a unique set of motivations, desires, physical movements, gestures and personality traits. Today there are many genres of contemporary dance, each calling for unique stylistic qualities particular to their form whether for pure movement, pedestrian, experimental, intellectual or narrative purposes. In dance theatre, choreography is as much about the movement as it is about the ideas, themes and emotions that we are trying to communicate. And so as a performer I believe that whatever the character, it is important to get to the very heart of the role, and in doing so, communicate our unique voice and share our very personal perspective of the human condition.

ALL ABOUT

ACRO Acro dance is a form that includes acrobatic movements. The gymnastic technique that acrobatic dancers can incorporate into a dance routine include handstands, cartwheels, and handsprings. While acrobatics or gymnastics are not forms of dance, they can become dance techniques if the dancer adds rhythm in time to the music with true dance steps. Acrobatics adds a layer of gymnastic technical skill on top of dance skills. It is a subset of dance that many dance schools may not teach as the acrobatics require specially trained instructors and lots of room for practice. As acro dance requires a high level of fitness and agility, it can be challenging for practitioners. Gymnastics is a sport that tests the limits of human movement, but dance tests the limits of human movement to music. Acrobatic performers do not attempt to represent the emotion of a piece of music, but acro dance takes acrobatic skills and fits them into a dance interpretation of music. Generally, acrobatics require the performer to have tight control of his or her body and typically involves a high degree of flexibility. Dance competitions and organizations generally have set rules for the amount of acrobatics that an acro dancer can include in his or her routine. Often, the dance and acrobatic portions of acro dance routines each require an equal amount of time. Some organizations have rules for acrobatic dance routines that stipulate the dancer uses even less than 50 percent of his or her time to perform acrobatics. The type of movements that fall into the acrobatic category include handstands, cartwheels, and elbow stands. As a twist on traditional gymnastics, acro dancers may also perform in pairs or in larger groups and support each other in gymnastic feats like pitch tucks, where one dancer launches off another dancerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clasped hands. Pyramids of dancers are another possible inclusion in an acro dance routine. A feature of acro dance is that the dancers move from an acrobatic technique smoothly over to a dance movement. It is this flowing transition that characterizes acro dance compared to other dance-like practices, such as tumbling. The dancing segments of a routine source inspiration from other forms of dance, like classical and jazz. Lyrical and contemporary styles of dance also fit well into the acro dance style, where the smooth and delicate movements soften the hard movements of the acrobatic portion.

Tapping Without Music! One of my favourite things to do as a tap teacher and choreographer is to turn off the music and create some rhythms A cappella! A cappella basically means without instrumental accompaniment, and this excites me because it means all the music is being made with my body! Whether it is with my feet, with body percussion, with my voice or with props, turning off the music leaves a clean slate on which to create! The hardest place is the starting point of a ‘no music’ piece. Often, with me personally, it starts when I get a rhythm in my head or I hear something in a song and I want to mimic it and think of different steps that might match the accents and patterns. It’s experimental most of the time and what I start with is often much different than what I finish with, but the process is always a lot of fun!

tap to read reece hopkins‘ biography

Where to start? Often I set up a click track or metronome to keep a consistent beat and tempo. It is always good to start simple and build up. Think of your routine like it is a piece of music. It has a beginning, middle, and an end, plus it must build to climaxes and finish strongly and memorably. Of course, you may want to use an a cappella piece within a song and/or as a beginning or end to a piece with music. In the same way look at the entire piece and try to build it like a story.

How do I ‘build’ a routine? A cappella at the beginning of a routine is a great way to start a routine, leaving room to build into a piece of music. Often a single tapper can start and others will join in and the volume of the piece will build as the tappers join in. Another way to build is to overlap different, simpler rhythms to make one more complicated rhythm with multiple tappers. You can mix in body percussion, vocals and props to vary the sounds and make a rhythm more interesting.

SWIPE UP

Tapping Without Music! If your whole routine is a cappella, then its important to change things up to keep it interesting. Make sure your transitions are clear, and if there is a tempo change to shift from one to the other cleanly.

How do I keep it interesting? With the incorporation of your costume, movement on stage, positioning, levels, and patterns, you can use your creativity to really get things going, but to really add the extra element of ‘wow’ to your routine, experiment with elements like body percussion, vocal sounds and props. Think about yourself watching a routine. What makes something interesting? Is it unpredictability? Is it entertainment value through energy, humour etc? Is it when there is constantly new things happening and changing and your focus is on something new every 20/30 seconds? All of these can contribute, and there are many more things that you can use to ‘glam up’ a routine.

Body Percussion I have been able to teach and choreograph body percussion to all levels of dancer and it does create a great amount of energy and fun in a room. Remember that when people are watching they are not often trained or aware of the difficulty of what a dancer is doing, especially in tap, so don’t worry about keeping things simple but clean. There is nothing better than a cleanly presented, in time routine where everyone is moving and making noise together. You don’t have to create difficult rhythms to create effective and entertaining routines. Think of your body as a drum kit. There are low sounds – like a kick or bass drum. There are high sounds – like cymbals, hi hats, snare. There are mid range hollow sounds – like toms. Plus the extra sounds like cow-bells etc.

Low/Bass – feet, stamps etc Mid – chest, tummy, mouth

High – claps, clicks, slapping legs or arms Other – vocal noises

Once you are hearing these sounds in a drum kit in a piece of music try listening for just the kick, or just the snare and for what rhythm those instruments make on their own. This will give you a clue how to build rhythms with body percussion either in a group doing separate parts to the rhythm like parts of the drum kit, or as a group of individuals doing the same thing together. SWIPE UP

Tapping Without Music! Vocals It’s hard to write what I mean by vocal rhythm. Think of punchy percussive words like ‘hey’ ‘ho’ and ‘yeah’ and add them as the alternate sounds in a rhythm that break up the routine and change the energy. It’s all about experimenting once again, and getting the students to lose the inhibitions and create some real atmosphere on stage. You can also use longer, drawn out sounds to transition or build into a change in rhythm, or alternatively finish a routine or section powerfully!

Props

a capella tap

This is where the visual experience of a routine can really be lifted to another level! Look around at everyday items and see what you think could make a noise. There is no limit to what you can do with stuff that is just lying around. Think sports equipment, cleaning equipment, different footwear, and different surfaces like wood, metal, plastic. An empty bottle can make a good sound. Add them to your overall ‘drum kit’ and play around with themes. I have added a couple of routines for viewing that have different elements in them. One is just tap without props or body percussion or vocals, but there are change ups in rhythm and variations in the choreography that make things interesting to the ear (hopefully!) The second is a routine with basketballs, using them to compliment and create rhythms. Again, don’t think that if you cant understand the rhythms that you cant use the concepts and be inspired to create something for a group, duo/trio or soloist at their level. Most of all, as usual, just have fun and try things that don’t work and have a good laugh at yourself when things don’t quite work. Creating should be an enjoyable process, so make time and ask for some feedback and ideas. Create with other people so that you can try different rhythms together! Good luck!

HOW TO TAKE YOUR PERFORMANCE FROM STUDIO TO STAGE Article by: Teagan Lowe Taking your performance from studio to stage can be done by making small, yet highly significant changes. These imperative characterisations of your role require the same amount of dedication & attention to detail as all your steps of choreography. By applying these slight changes you are then able to better convey your performance right through to and beyond the back balcony of the theatre.

Article by: Teagan Lowe Taking your performance from studio to stage can be done by making small, yet highly significant changes. These imperative characterisations of your role require the

You usually spend weeks, even months rehearsing your performance in the studio, but before you can transfer your piece to stage, you have remember that performing to a large audience is a vastly different experience from performing to your teacher or even your own reflection in the studio mirror. Mastering your choreography & getting it to a stage where it almost becomes second nature, ensures that you provide the best possible foundation for you to then build your performance upon. From my own studio rehearsal to stage performance experience I have learnt to think about and apply a few key things to enhance my stage performance.

TAP FOR TEAGANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BIOGRAPHY

SWIPE UP

HOW TO TAKE YOUR PERFORMANCE FROM STUDIO TO STAGE

Naturally each ballet or any dance piece is different, which is why you need to think about the storyline, the emotions that are being portrayed through the music, your costumes, and of course the choreography. Once you feel you have all the choreography and nuances down pat, you allow yourself the optimum platform to begin to develop a depth of character & grow a strong range of emotion suited to your role. You may be asked to show (or be shown on repertoire videos or DVDs) specific facial expressions or emotions at certain points or on musical accents, all other times however it is up to you to interoperate the character in your own individual way. Don’t be scared to explore different avenues of your character - this is why we have rehearsals! By thinking about what needs to be portrayed, you can find a balance between expressions. If I take my current rehearsal period as an example: I am rehearsing to perform the role of Aurora in ‘Sleeping Beauty’, which is unlike anything else I have previously been cast for, & a role I take great honour in performing. This role is already challenging not only in a physical sense but also in finding my way of portraying ‘Aurora’s’ different emotions & nuances as she develops through the 4 Acts. ‘Aurora’s’ character is allowing me to explore many different facets of emotion, as she grows from a young woman to a married Princess. This is why I am so excited to take on the challenge of transforming my “Studio Aurora” and journeying her through to flourish as “Stage Aurora”. Something that does not read well is when dancers slap on a fake smile and blankly emote throughout a performance. In some cases, a cheesy, almost forced smile may be appropriate, but you always want to alter your expressions depending on the piece you are performing, and ensure that the expressions shown are coming from a true, real place. By not freezing a plastic smile on your face through the entire piece, you can bring the audience in with your emotions and let them feel what you are feeling through the performance & this in turn, will ensure that you reach beyond the back rows of the theatre. After your hours of technique, choreography & emotive exploration training, you will then need to move onto finding the point where you can make your movements large, strong, & energetic, without throwing the technical aspects away. Your teacher can assist you with finding this balance by watching you develop throughout each rehearsal. Something that is always good to remember, is that the audience, from any seat in the theatre, will best pick up strong, pointed & confidently executed movements. When you are performing to an audience of any size, you must think about your performance as a gift that you are giving to the audience. You want each person in the audience to receive the gift, even the people sitting at the back of the theatre. Something I was once told that has never left me, was that no matter what show you are performing or how many you have already performed it that day, week, month or year, each show you do may very well be someone’s first ever theatre experience…so make it a special one!

Join The fastest growing dance community on the planet !

TAP DATE TO VIEW EVENT DETAILS

21 JULY

31 AUG

29 SEPT

REACH FOR THE STARZ Exhibitors, workshops & more

NEWCASTLE

VERTICAL SHADOWS PROJECT X

MELBOURNE

UDMA 2012 DANCEWEAR EXPO

CALIFORNIA

RECENT REVIEWS

PURE ENTERTAINMENT

Dancehub Magazine were invited to attend “MÜS.I.C.”, performed by the world reknowned ABDC (America’s Best Dance Crew) Season 1 Winners, Jabbawockeez held at Jupiters Hotel & Casino on the Gold Coast last night. It’s fair to say that unless you are a true hip hop fan or watch Pay TV most Australian’s would not know of Jabbawockeez and the justified hype that surrounds them.

“A new kind of energy was created last night and I felt it …” Phil Reece Reviewer

As a mid 40′s male, pay TV fan and non-dancer I was keen to watch this crew perform on stage given their stage history. We planned to attend the show some weeks ago and drove over 2 hours to watch them perform. Critics posted comments such as “High energy entertainment” and “AMAZING”. I was excited to see the first dance show from Las Vegas brought to Australian shores. Jupiters Hotel & Casino This iconic entertainment complex has recently been transformed with a $20 million dollar facelift. From plush red carpets to luxurious seating the ambiance has to be experienced to be believed. Nothing has been spared to ensure that patrons get the best audio and visual experience for their hard earned money. We applaud Jupiter’s Hotel & Casino and their team for bringing a touch of Vegas to the Gold Coast.

Training Turnout (Part 1) Achieving Your Ultimate Range Article by: Lisa Howell – Physiotherapist for Dancers Turnout - The elusive attribute that you are either born with, or born without. You know how it goes: Hopefully you have the bony hip structure that lets you sit flat in second splits and easily stand in 5th position, or else you are destined for a lifetime of struggling with your turnout and may as well give up now. That’s the way it works, isn’t it? Well, what if that wasn’t quite the case... What if the whole picture of “Turnout” was a whole lot more sophisticated, and a whole lot more promising?

Now “Turnout” is a rather huge topic, and so this article is the first of three to help you get the most out of your hips. The first (this one) will be on how to increase your range of motion in various positions, the second will focus on strengthening the right muscles to actually use your new found turnout, and the third will be more focused on working turnout in your extensions. Now unfortunately, most of us aren’t blessed with beautiful open hips from day one. If our hips are tight we usually try to fake it by forcing the knees back while dancing and gripping with the gluteal muscles. Unfortunately while many people try this strategy it is actually not very effective and usually ends up causing more problems than it solves. The same goes for stretching incessantly, perhaps even opening out your hips a little, only to wake up the next day stiffer than you were the day before. So what is the issue with turnout? Why is it such an elusive quality and why are there so many myths about it floating around in the dance world? And perhaps more importantly, how can those of us with less than perfect rotation dance to our hearts desire without constantly irritating our hips? SWIPE UP

Training Turnout (Part 1) Achieving Your Ultimate Range

From my point of view, as a physiotherapist who works with dancers every day, there are a few main categories of people who have issues with turnout. 1. The “It-just-doesn’t-happen...” people - With these dancers, no matter what stretches they do, their hips just seem to get tighter and tighter. They sit cross-legged and their knees go nowhere near the floor, and a lot of the time any stretches they try to do give them pain in the front of the hips…

5. The “I’ve-got-so-much-I-don’t-know-whatto-do-with-it” people - These dancers can also get very frustrated, as they are constantly told that they have great turnout, and can stretch into all kinds of wonderful positions, however they really struggle to show it when they are dancing, and often get told that they are just not trying.

2. The “It’s-OK-in-some-positions” people - These dancers finds turning out very frustrating... Sometimes it’s there and sometimes it’s not. They may find it easy to sit in second splits, but struggle to stand in 5th position. Or they can hold it in 5th yet not in a developpé devant... 3. The “It-just-hurts-to-go-there...” people - This group may have good range, but whenever they try to train their hips, they seem to get more sore, especially in the front of the hips… 4. The “I-just-need-to-crack-themfirst” people -This group will have a religious warm up that involves popping the hips either to the front or back to ‘release’ them before they can work in turnout. This may appear to work well for a while but it has diminishing returns… Often after a few months or years, they need to pop them more often, and may find that the pops are not quite as effective as they once were, or may find that the frequently popped area may start getting sore due to being repeatedly overstretched. SWIPE UP

Training Turnout (Part 1) Achieving Your Ultimate Range

So what is the solution? Do we all just give up and leave dancing to the ones who have ‘natural turnout’ and great control? Somehow I don’t think that that is an option for all of the millions of us who love to dance despite not having the most open hips! Instead we must discover a way to train each individual’s hips specifically, and to train dance teachers to be able to identify different types of hips early, allowing correct training of all students. In this article we will be focussing on the first 2 groups of people described above, and on ways that you can improve your turnout range safely. The first thing we need to understand is the basic bony structure that gives our hips their stability. Most people know that the hip is a ball-and-socket joint, but they don’t realise just how different everyone’s’ ball-andsocket joints are.

side. Naturally open hips often have a shallow socket that faces more out to the side, but not always. Read more about the Training Turnout Manual and purchase your copy. BUY NOW

The biggest problem is that most of us ‘accept’ that our range is blocked by the bones when this is actually not the case. I had a massive rude awakening to just how much I had unconsciously accepted the fate of my not-so-flexible hips when at the ripe old age of 29 I had a massage that released lots of old, deep tension in my hips, giving me more range than I had at 16! This opened my mind to the possibilities for many other dancers, and lead to the development of a program to teach dancer how to open out their hips safely.

Some people have very deep stable sockets, some are more forward facing and some are more out to the SWIPE UP

Training Turnout (Part 1) Achieving Your Ultimate Range

Step One: Become Aware of the Exact Point of Restriction.

Many people blame the bony structure of their hips for a lack in turnout, but actually feel the block on muscular structures around the hips. When you go into a frog stretch, a grand pliĂŠ, second splits or are standing in 5th, close your eyes and see if you can really feel what is actually stopping you from going furtherâ&#x20AC;Ś Is it the front of the hips (TFL?), inside the hip (Iliacus or Psoas Major?), the inside thighs (Adductors and Pectineus), the sides of the hips (Gluteus Medius and Minimus?), the back of the hip (Hip Capsule or SIJ?), or perhaps even in your low back (Lumbosacral Junction). If you have access to a local Physiotherapist or Osteopath (preferably someone who works with dancers) they should be able to assess your hips in details to work out where the blockage is. Alternatively you can check up on the anatomical diagrams to identify possible structures that may be blocking your turnout.

a. b. c. d. e.

Gluteus Minimus Piriformis Gemelli (Sup/Inf) Obturator Internus Quadratus Femoris SWIPE UP

Training Turnout (Part 1) Achieving Your Ultimate Range

Step Two: Release

Now you may think that you have tried everything to open out your hips, but often the solution to your restriction is in the opposite direction to the goal when it comes to turnout. Once you have found the point of restriction that is blocking your range, the focus should be on releasing that structure, not necessarily into turnout. However once it has let go a little, you will find that it ‘allows’ more turnout in the positions that you need it. Each area described above has several ways to deal with the restriction but here are some of my favourites that you might not have seen before… For restriction in the sides of the hips – Try the ‘Fire Log Pose’ to gently stretch out Gluteus Medius. • Sit on a yoga mat with the legs out in front, as if to sit cross-legged • Sit on a yoga mat as above, • Bring the heel of your right foot to sit on top of your but cross the legs so that the left knee knees line up on top of each • Try to make your shin bones parallel with each other other • Lean back on your hands and allow the knees to drop out to the sides • Lean back on the hands • If the hips are very tight in this position, use pillows under to settle in to the position, your knees initially to allow the hips to relax in a supported before slowly leaning forward position from the hips • Slowly start to lean forward from the hips (keeping the • Focus on keeping the spine spine straight) to increase the stretch long from tailbone to crown, • Breath into any feelings of restriction, and focus on and consciously releasing consciously relaxing the points of tension in your hips any restriction, rather than For restriction further into the back of the hips – try the ‘Yogi pushing into the stretch Sit’ stretch for a deep stretch in Piriformis. This is especially good if you find it hard to hold your turnout in devant. Please note – this should not cause any pain in the front of the hips or your knees. Please do not do it if you feel any pain. SWIPE UP

Training Turnout (Part 1) Achieving Your Ultimate Range

Step Three: Work out why the muscles are so tight!

The main step in resolving restrictions around the hips is that people miss out this very important step. Any tension that is being held in your body is there for a reason, and the true ‘cure’ for improving your range is actually in identifying why those muscles are getting tight in the first place. I commonly tell people that “The body is in a constant state of reformation” in that it is always adjusting and readjusting to the messages that you give it. If you repeatedly clench a muscle, it may continue to hold tension long after it is needed. This can happen for many reasons, but most often it is due to chronic emotional stress, anxiety, trying too hard, compensation for other weaknesses or faulty technique, to name just a few. The following are some things to think about if you notice specific points of tension:

Adductors (Inner Thighs)

• Constantly crossing legs when sitting • Weak Pelvic Floor (Causes Adductors to grip in • Overtraining one component (usually inner an attempt to stabilize the pelvis) range strength) of the inner thigh complex (Yes • Emotional protection of the groin area you can do too many magic circle exercises!) (especially around teenage years) • Weakness of the stabilisers of the outside of the hip (Gluteus Medius)

Gluteus Medius (Side of Hip) • Gripping with all gluteals to hold turnout • Reduced isolation of true turnout muscles (Deep External Rotators)

• ‘Sitting’ into the hip • Overtraining of Gluteus Medius in shortened or non-functional positions

TFL (Front/Side of Hip) and Rectus Femoris (Front of Thigh and Hip) • Overuse due to weakness of deeper hip flexors • Reduced Pelvic Floor & Deep Abdominal control (Psoas Major and Iliacus) • Weakness in Oblique Abdominals • Poor Multifidus control (Deep Back Stabilizers) • Hitching hip in Retiré and Developpé a la Seconde Once you can identify what is tight, and why it is tight, you will be armed with a completely new strategy to improving your turnout range. Please do not simply force the knees or hips open into classic stretches (froggy, side splits etc). These stretches do not usually help if you have a restriction in range, and sitting for long periods in these poses can actually damage the front of the hips.

what is

PI YO LET

Piyolet is a new and unique form of exercise that combines Pilates (Pi), Yoga (Yo), and Ballet (Let). “Pilates, itself, really focuses on the abdominal area, lower back, and gluts areas in the center of the body. Yoga brings balance, strength, flexibility, and gives more of a full body workout. Ballet provides a graceful, flowing movement. So with Piyolet, a person gets a total body workout with movements that flow more, a combination of Pilates, Yoga, and Ballet,” said Roslyn Bazelle, president and creator of Piyolet. “Piyolet not only strengthens and stretches the body, it also tones the core, lengthens the muscles in the limbs, relaxes and refreshes the body and mind.” Bazelle, who recently created the exercise, was motivated to develop it because of her love of Yoga, Pilates, and Ballet. She did not see an exercise form that combined all three. With the help of Team Piyolet - Jennifer Lopez, Alex Neblett, and Tara Thomas -she created an instructional DVD with Patrick Quinn. “I wanted to do the video because, in the end, Piyolet is more about focusing on health and how you can use that health to help others,” said Bazelle.

TAP TO VIEW PIYOLET WEBSITE

BOUNCING

BACK We all know it can be difficult to rehearse a heavy dance schedule and then back it up with high energy performances. Recovery techniques are important to reduce excessive muscle tightness, delayed onset muscle soreness and injury. Here are nine hints to help you bounce back when you have a season of performances or multiple performances in one day.

Warm up

Before any performance/ rehearsal take a class or complete a workout that includes approximately 10 minutes of cardio to increase blood flow to all areas of the body and focus exercises on those parts of your body that you are most likely to use. Stretching can be incorporated into this session but intensive stretching is not advised before a high impact ballistic dance performance. If you have a large break between performances a warm up should be completed again. You will not still be â&#x20AC;&#x153;warmâ&#x20AC;? because you took class five hours ago.

Warm Down/ Active Recovery After your performance keep your heart rate up for 5-10 minutes to help remove any byproducts from your muscles (lactic acid). Similar to the warm up, focus exercises on the areas you used the most.

Contrast Water Therapy (CWT) Using hot and cold water helps to remove

Compression Wear compression tights/ tops (eg Skins, 2XU) to decrease muscle soreness and increase blood flow. Wear these between performances or overnight and take off after your warm up.

SWIPE UP

byproducts from the muscles. The most convenient way to do this is in the shower by running warm/hot water for 30 seconds and then cold water for 30 seconds and repeat this five times. Always finish on cold, do not linger for a hot shower.

Cold Water Immersion (CWI)

Immersing yourself completely in a cold water bath (with ice blocks to make it super cold!) for 5 minutes helps minimise inflammation and lactic acid build up. Even partial immersion (such as your legs in a bucket) assists this process. CWI may be more appropriate for the end of the day if you have a busy schedule.

BOUNCING

BACK Article by: Annie Strauch

Massage

A massage can assist the removal of lactic acid, reduce muscle tightness and delayed onset muscle soreness and help you wind down and relax.

Quiet Time

Recovery is not only physical it is also psychological. Take some time out between performances (listen to music or chill out) as this maintains your mental focus.

Nutrition & Rehydration

Eating to refuel and drinking to rehydrate is an important aspect of the physical recovery.

TAP TO VISIT WEBSITE

References: Finestone, A & Milgrom, C. (2008). How stress farcture incidence was lowered in the Israeli army: a 25-yr struggle. Med Sci Sports Exercise, 40(11 Suppl): S623-629. Halson, S. (2011). Recovery. Department of Physiology, Australian Institute of Sport.

Sleep

When all is said and done get a good night’s sleep. This not only rejuvenates your body and mind but also decreases the likelihood of injuries. Remember that recovery can • Improve your performance • Increase the quality of your rehearsals • Decrease your risk of injury Initially these recovery techniques take planning but the benefits you feel will outweigh any extra effort.

So what is a healthy diet? Welcome to the first article on nutrition for dancers. This article is really a very brief overview on the basic diet required for dancers. Each issue of Dancehub Magazine will now have a specific article on Nutrition for Dancers. Please feel free to contact me if there are any specific questions you may like answered in these articles. The importance of diet for a dancer is no different than the diet for any other professional athlete. Proper nutrition and the correct fuelling of the body is essential to ensure that dancers are continually able to perform at their absolute best. Dancers should be encouraged to eat a healthy diet at a young age (as should every child – dancer or not). The principals that are learned at a young age will foster healthy habits for a lifetime.

TAP TO READ BIOGRAPHY

CONTACT ME FOR ADVICE

The slim physique required by dancers can put a lot of pressure on girls to be thin. Attempts to lose weight and stay thin can result in poor diets often lacking in essential food groups and nutrients. Remember a balanced diet is crucial for optimal performance. A healthy diet is made up of 5 food groups • • • • •

Breads and cereals (carbohydrates) Fats & Oils Fruit & Vegetables Dairy foods and dairy alternatives Meat and meat alternatives

If your diet is lacking in one of these groups then you are more than likely lacking essential nutrition. Each group provides you with a different combination of vitamins, minerals, protein, fats and carbohydrates. So it is important that foods from each of these groups be consumed each day. At the bottom of this diagram above in the right hand corner are the foods I like to call ‘sometimes foods’. Even dancers should be able to enjoy a chocolate bar, pie or ice cream from time to time. If you regularly consume these foods then you may be consuming excess calories or may substituting these foods for some of the healthier choices. A simple checklist to assess your diet? • • • • • •

Do you skip regularly meals? Do you drink diet drinks instead of meals? Do you avoid eating breads and cereals? Do you diet regularly? Do you strictly limit your fat intake Is there a food group that you don’t eat?

If you answer yes to one or more of these questions then you may be at risk of not eating a diet for peak performance. SWIPE UP

SWIPE UP

Super Smoothie Recipe

Smoothies can be provide a great start to the day. They are great at any time of the day.

Some healthy tips to start you in the right direction • Eat Breakfast, lunch and dinner when you can and try and have a small snacks in between. This stimulates your metabolism and keeps your energy levels up.

This is my favourite recipe. How many food groups does it contain?

• Include a small amount of protein at each of your meals. Protein is important for muscle repair. Eggs, chicken, tuna, nuts, legumes and lean red meats are great examples and are often easy to access if you are organized.

• 1 cup of low fat milk • A couple of tablespoons of low fat yoghurt • 1 cup frozen berries or whatever fruit you prefer • An egg white • A dessert spoon of Psyllium Husk (for Fibre)

• Eat some low GI carbs at each of your meals. These carbohydrates assist with appetite control and prevent unnecessary weight gain as part of a healthy diet. Good examples include sweet potato in a salad, wholegrain bread toasted at breakfast, Quinoa cooked and added to salads, low fat milk and low fat yoghurt or a banana.

Place it all in a blender until well mixed together. Article by: Justine Urbahn Ba App Sc Home Ec, Ma Nut&Diet, APD

• If you deliberately restrict you fat intake your performance can be impaired and there may also significant health consequences. A dancer’s diet should contain 20-30% fat. Try to include some good fats every day such as avocado, nuts, salmon and olive oil. • Remember to drink plenty of water. Try to drink small amounts of water before during and after workouts this will prevent dehydration.

Article by: Lisa Peresan

NO GAIN No pain, no gain right? WRONG!! The myth that you have to suffer to be able to achieve changes in your body is one that we have brought with us from the last century, but it certainly seems hard to shake. Whilst there is a point that as dancers we need to push our bodies to their limits to achieve the strength and endurance, we can also benefit from pulling back and focussing on fine-tuning. Our bodies are amazing and complex. Our muscles work in beautiful harmony and synchronicity. Most importantly there is a fine balance that needs to be maintained to achieve efficiency in movement. There are postural/global muscles that act like the load bearing walls in a building and other muscles whose function is to maintain the structure. The structural muscles are very important but because they are not constantly under load, they tend to get weak. It is interesting to know that these are also the muscles that tend to switch off with injury or trauma. In an ideal world we would all be perfectly symmetrical and never injured. The reality is the opposite. It’s not surprising considering what we do with ourselves on a day-to-day basis. Examples include, sitting cross legged, always sleeping on the same side, stepping out on the favourite foot repeatedly (imagine how many times that happens in a life time!) and having a favourite/best gesturing leg. The

result is that one side gets stronger, one side gets more flexible, and the fine balance where muscles pull on bones gets thrown out. If we treated our bodies like we do our cars, we would get a regular wheel alignment, but instead we just soldier on and act surprised when things start to hurt! The sad thing is that our cars have parts that can be replaced! The good news is that it doesn’t take much to realign and make sure that our bodies stay balanced. Pilates is a wonderful tool that can help to address these imbalances because the method enables you to quickly assess and address imbalances. Focus can be given to the smaller muscles groups that do things like, keep your arm in it’s socket (rotator cuff), keep your knee cap in alignment (VMO – vastus medialis), core stabilizers of the pelvis (transverse abdominus, and pelvic floor) and hip (glute med and max). Often when you work these muscles, you don’t get the big burn of muscle fatigue and soreness, but the benefits are great nevertheless. Quite simply they help keep your body together and enable the global muscles to work more effectively. For more information contact Lisa Peresan on 0419 690 609

TAP FOR LISA’S BIOGRAPHY

Students working their VMO on the reformer in a Pilates for Dancers class

TAP TO VIEW DJAZZEX WEBSITE

IMAGE: Giselle Graham and Zachary Picirillo PHOTOGRAPHER: BELINDA STRODDER

TAP TO VIEW BELINDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PORTFOLIO

We all know that a good picture is worth a thousand words and this is especially true with dance photography. A great dance photograph defines the overall vision and artistic appeal of your studio.

TIPS ON HOW BELINDA’S CREATIVE WORK CAN BENEFIT YOUR STUDIO

BUY NOW SHOWSTOPPER® Showcase “Launch CDS” Split Sole Lace-Up Dance Sneakers - $44.95

BUY NOW MERMAID TUTU BY TWINKLEPOT DESIGNS - FROM $30 (SIZE 0000-7)

BUY NOW EDGE COSMETICS “DANCE COLLECTION”

EXTRA LONGWIDE SET - $19.99

BUY NOW

WHAT IS ROCK EISTEDDFOD CHALLENGE?

MEDIA GALLERY

LOCATION MAP

BUY TICKETS

VENUES & DATES

TOUR DATES HOBART DATES BRISBANE DATES MELBOURNE DATES SYDNEY DATES PERTH DATES ADELAIDE DATES

Dancers

ARE UNIQUE!

We understand your dancing needs. Specialist dance physiotherapists and myotherapists. Individualised, dance specific treatment & injury rehabilitation. Join our machine based pilates classes for dancers.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

Suite 3, Ground Floor, 3 Bowen Crescent, Melbourne, 3004

Phone: (03) 9820 1324

RECESSION PROOF YOUR BUSINESS How to get ready for the storm

With a recession looming, what steps can you take to recession proof your business? There is no guaranteed course of action that will see you through a recession but when people spend less you either have to cut down on your expenses or increase the number of customers.

Use these 6 steps as a guide. Diversify

If you offer more services then you have more opportunities to attract and retain customers. Offer boutique or unusual classes. You may have smaller class sizes than youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d prefer and may even operate the class at a loss, but even a small amount of income goes towards your rent and keeps your name out there. Add classes at times that might be less convenient for you but better for customers. Weekend classes and Sunday classes really expand your possibilities. Remember this is only a temporary thing but gear yourself up for working harder and longer. Add fitness classes or other classes outside your usual area of focus if you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t already.