Little Mermaid: Director's Perspective
I'm sure I've discussed SF Ballet's "Little Mermaid" starring Yuan Yuan Tan before, but just in case you've missed it before... The director here talks especially about Tan's ability to convey feeling through her facial expressions and how he uses close ups on her face in order to highlight that. Just shows another facet of dance that is important but not taught in the classroom.
Chachi Gonzales - World of Dance "How to Love"
This is relatively old, but still worth posting. The beautiful scenery and filming just enhance what she's doing.
Will Loftis - The Light Faded
What more could we expect from a choreographer who almost made it onto SYTYCD Season 7 who cast Jordan Casanova in the piece? Amazing choreography with equally matched execution. Stunning.
Will Loftis - Wolf and I
One of the girls in The Light Faded stars in this duet as well. I had to include two pieces from the same choreographer just for the musicality and partnering. Beautiful.
Travis Wall - Adrian Lee
Warning: PG-13. I know it's the same studio. Bear with me. Not a full-fledged piece from Mr. Wall, but some really interesting ideas and sensuality going on here.
Andrew Winghart - Back Up Off The Floor
The dance segment of this piece is beautifully choreographed, executed, and filmed, although I'm left a little confused about the significance of the beginning and end sequences.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Interesting Links 3
Margaret Fuhrer for DanceSpirit Magazine - Beauty and the Beat
What do you get when you combine hip hop and classical ballet? "Against Time." This piece, now touring in the UK, is a collaboration between the English National Ballet and the hip hop group Flawless, who you may remember from winning Britain's Got Talent in 2009. Interesting concept. I hope my friends across the pond will consider seeing this show!
Advice on Living the Creative Life from Neil Gaiman
This was the commencement speech this year at University of the Arts. Perhaps one of the best speeches I've ever heard. The summation of what was said? Make up the rules, do the impossible (because it's easy to do if you don't know it's impossible), make mistakes, and make good art. If you need more inspiration, make sure to visit my old post!
I Gave Up My Dream, And I'd Do It Again by Allison Ford
I've talked before about making the choice to be a dancer. It's not for everyone, even amongst those who love dance. Some dance-lovers aren't meant to be professional dancers, or choreographers, or anything like that. Maybe they'd like to write about dance, or help others through dance therapy and dance kinesiology. "Giving up" a dream isn't failure - it's finding who you are.
Julie Diana for DanceSpirit Magazine - How to Dance in a Tutu
This piece was published a year and a half ago, but it's timelessly applicable. For those of you who are thinking about professional ballet, or come from studios that put on ballets, read this before Nutcracker season so that you'll be ready to dance in whatever tutu is thrown at you!
Margaret Fuhrer for Pointe Magazine - Bunheads Episode 1
If you, like me, did not watch the first episode of Bunheads, here's a detailed synopsis with a professional opinion. It looks interesting to say the least.
**Update! ChachiMomma.com is looking for an "I Am Fire" tshirt design from one of us fans! SO EXCITED.
What do you get when you combine hip hop and classical ballet? "Against Time." This piece, now touring in the UK, is a collaboration between the English National Ballet and the hip hop group Flawless, who you may remember from winning Britain's Got Talent in 2009. Interesting concept. I hope my friends across the pond will consider seeing this show!
Advice on Living the Creative Life from Neil Gaiman
This was the commencement speech this year at University of the Arts. Perhaps one of the best speeches I've ever heard. The summation of what was said? Make up the rules, do the impossible (because it's easy to do if you don't know it's impossible), make mistakes, and make good art. If you need more inspiration, make sure to visit my old post!
I Gave Up My Dream, And I'd Do It Again by Allison Ford
I've talked before about making the choice to be a dancer. It's not for everyone, even amongst those who love dance. Some dance-lovers aren't meant to be professional dancers, or choreographers, or anything like that. Maybe they'd like to write about dance, or help others through dance therapy and dance kinesiology. "Giving up" a dream isn't failure - it's finding who you are.
Julie Diana for DanceSpirit Magazine - How to Dance in a Tutu
This piece was published a year and a half ago, but it's timelessly applicable. For those of you who are thinking about professional ballet, or come from studios that put on ballets, read this before Nutcracker season so that you'll be ready to dance in whatever tutu is thrown at you!
Margaret Fuhrer for Pointe Magazine - Bunheads Episode 1
If you, like me, did not watch the first episode of Bunheads, here's a detailed synopsis with a professional opinion. It looks interesting to say the least.
**Update! ChachiMomma.com is looking for an "I Am Fire" tshirt design from one of us fans! SO EXCITED.
Monday, June 11, 2012
"Not in my best interest"
Writing my first article about my struggle with food guilt left me emotional, drained, and hopeless. I didn't know where to go, what to do, or how to fix my problem. Although it's nowhere near fixed, I felt extremely grateful when my mom sent me this article titled "'It's not in my best interest!'", found from a coaching/counseling site.
There are so many times when I'm fully aware that I'm making a bad decision, but for some reason, that makes the decision all the more enticing. I know that eating two scoops of ice cream at 11pm isn't good for me, but sometimes I give in to the weakness because it's a guilty pleasure. However, thinking about situations in the way described in this article make it so much easier to make good decisions.
If every temptation is a path to 'short term pleasure,' while every healthy decision is a path to 'long term fulfillment,' it isn't hard to make a choice that will make you happier in the long run. This idea does not only apply to food: you can even apply it to dance. You could just barely scrape by and not work that hard or think in the studio today, or you could go full out, watch everyone intently, and make a few more baby steps to improvement as a dancer. Sure, one day doesn't seem that important, but if you cut yourself slack today, what will you do tomorrow when you got 2 hours less sleep than today? It's not only a waste of money, but it's a waste of your precious time if you make a decision not to work. Working hard at every chance is in your best interest.
There are some days when you're just willing to give up, and you know that you can't handle any more pressure. Save the decisions that aren't in your best interest for those times. Maybe on those days, you can treat yourself to skipping dance class, having dessert, or relaxing in a bubble bath. Sometimes, decisions that aren't normally in your best interest physically can be in your best interest emotionally and mentally. Sometimes you need a break.
But don't let yourself take a break every day. Push yourself to make decisions in your best interest. You can eat that delicious-looking pot roast, but put some broccoli or salad on your plate too. Set a goal at the beginning of class and make sure you stay focused on it throughout class. Have three bites of cake instead of a full slice. Moderation has become my key to lightening my food guilt. You can do it too - make decisions in your best interest 90% of the time, and choose your 10% not-so-perfect decisions wisely.
There are so many times when I'm fully aware that I'm making a bad decision, but for some reason, that makes the decision all the more enticing. I know that eating two scoops of ice cream at 11pm isn't good for me, but sometimes I give in to the weakness because it's a guilty pleasure. However, thinking about situations in the way described in this article make it so much easier to make good decisions.
If every temptation is a path to 'short term pleasure,' while every healthy decision is a path to 'long term fulfillment,' it isn't hard to make a choice that will make you happier in the long run. This idea does not only apply to food: you can even apply it to dance. You could just barely scrape by and not work that hard or think in the studio today, or you could go full out, watch everyone intently, and make a few more baby steps to improvement as a dancer. Sure, one day doesn't seem that important, but if you cut yourself slack today, what will you do tomorrow when you got 2 hours less sleep than today? It's not only a waste of money, but it's a waste of your precious time if you make a decision not to work. Working hard at every chance is in your best interest.
There are some days when you're just willing to give up, and you know that you can't handle any more pressure. Save the decisions that aren't in your best interest for those times. Maybe on those days, you can treat yourself to skipping dance class, having dessert, or relaxing in a bubble bath. Sometimes, decisions that aren't normally in your best interest physically can be in your best interest emotionally and mentally. Sometimes you need a break.
But don't let yourself take a break every day. Push yourself to make decisions in your best interest. You can eat that delicious-looking pot roast, but put some broccoli or salad on your plate too. Set a goal at the beginning of class and make sure you stay focused on it throughout class. Have three bites of cake instead of a full slice. Moderation has become my key to lightening my food guilt. You can do it too - make decisions in your best interest 90% of the time, and choose your 10% not-so-perfect decisions wisely.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Pet Peeve: Dancer Stereotype (Part 2)
I spoke about the stereotype of a dancer and why it bothers me in part 1 of this post. Literally minutes after finishing that post, I browsed my news feed on Facebook, only to be intrigued and soon infuriated by an article that a recently graduated senior from my dance department had shared. This article, from the Huffington Post, is entitled "The Poorest Art: Dance and Money," and unfortunately, I'd have to say I agree with all of the opinions stated.
Dance is poor. From what I gathered from this article, almost all dancers live paycheck to paycheck. Maybe 5% (probably less) have contracts with companies that provide benefits and paid vacation time like a regular job, but considering the cost of living, even these most highly paid dancers are barely living comfortably.
This brings me back to how society views dancers: before reading this article, I had thought America was getting a little better. The public is starting to see glimpses how dancers live and work. Unfortunately, these glimpses are barely getting dancers anywhere. The way Lightsey Darst describes the situation in this article, "we infantilize dancers and how, while we view other artists as masters of their craft and serious thinkers, we see dancers as mere talented bodies," 'we' referring to society as a whole. You might be thinking "but __(insert popular singer's name here)__'s songs have really shallow and ridiculous lyrics, I don't think of him/her as a master or thinker!," but then why is said popular singer making millions a year and in the news every other day?
I read another fascinating and well-written article on the same topic from Cassandra Lane Smith entitled Plight of the Sugar Plums. Again, dancers were pitted against elite athletes from popular sports, like football. Both professions require finesse, training, and specific body types. Both are used as entertainment for the public. The difference? An NFL rookie made a minimum of $325,000 a year, whereas rookie dancers are lucky to make $4,000 in a contract (Smith). I'm going to take it a step farther - why do I have to pay $70 to go to the ballet when I can turn on my TV and watch football for free? I know that those games have thousands of tickets sold to them, sometimes for hundreds of dollars each, but I don't see ballet on TV. If it is, it's a PBS broadcast of the Nutcracker in December.
Dancers aren't going to make much money. An average dancer holds 4 jobs in order to survive. But dancers do it to share their art, their expression, their ability to inspire and change lives. If I've truly inspired even one person at the end of my career as a dancer, I'll feel fulfilled.
Dance is poor. From what I gathered from this article, almost all dancers live paycheck to paycheck. Maybe 5% (probably less) have contracts with companies that provide benefits and paid vacation time like a regular job, but considering the cost of living, even these most highly paid dancers are barely living comfortably.
This brings me back to how society views dancers: before reading this article, I had thought America was getting a little better. The public is starting to see glimpses how dancers live and work. Unfortunately, these glimpses are barely getting dancers anywhere. The way Lightsey Darst describes the situation in this article, "we infantilize dancers and how, while we view other artists as masters of their craft and serious thinkers, we see dancers as mere talented bodies," 'we' referring to society as a whole. You might be thinking "but __(insert popular singer's name here)__'s songs have really shallow and ridiculous lyrics, I don't think of him/her as a master or thinker!," but then why is said popular singer making millions a year and in the news every other day?
I read another fascinating and well-written article on the same topic from Cassandra Lane Smith entitled Plight of the Sugar Plums. Again, dancers were pitted against elite athletes from popular sports, like football. Both professions require finesse, training, and specific body types. Both are used as entertainment for the public. The difference? An NFL rookie made a minimum of $325,000 a year, whereas rookie dancers are lucky to make $4,000 in a contract (Smith). I'm going to take it a step farther - why do I have to pay $70 to go to the ballet when I can turn on my TV and watch football for free? I know that those games have thousands of tickets sold to them, sometimes for hundreds of dollars each, but I don't see ballet on TV. If it is, it's a PBS broadcast of the Nutcracker in December.
Dancers aren't going to make much money. An average dancer holds 4 jobs in order to survive. But dancers do it to share their art, their expression, their ability to inspire and change lives. If I've truly inspired even one person at the end of my career as a dancer, I'll feel fulfilled.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Pet Peeve: the Dancer Stereotype
Misconceptions about dancers make me angry. Stupid. Arrogant. B*tches mean girls (excuse the language). Sl*t promiscuous (again, language). Dramatic. Good for nothing. No life.
I'll be honest though: some of them are true. Sometimes. But that happens in any profession, right? Engineers are all thought of as geeks, but there are tons of really cool people who are sociable and friendly who also happen to be extraordinarily smart. In the same way, dancers are extraordinarily gifted with their bodies, but it takes just as much of a mind and soul to dance as it does to do anything else. Sometimes more.
Dance is a commitment. I hate to admit it, but if I did not absolutely have to dance, I'm not sure I would choose to. Dance is a hard profession to be in. No matter how many people "make it," there are ten (or a couple hundred...) others that don't. It's constant rejection, physical demand, artistic demand, emotionally taxing, and on top of all that, it doesn't pay. Choosing to dance was one of the hardest decisions of my life, but if I really think about it, it wasn't a decision. I knew I had to dance, I just had to come to terms with it and justify it to myself. In the end, I'm proud I listened to my instincts and am actually excited to live this life of performing and expression. But I'm getting off topic.
In order to dance, you have to be smart. You have to be in tune with your own body, with other people (whether that be a partner or people you're on stage with), with your environment. You have to be able to learn choreography and adapt it extremely quickly. You have to learn to manage your time and balance your life between dance, academics, socializing, and other activities and commitments. Beyond that, dancers have to be survivers. You have to stick it out through long, intense rehearsals and classes with relatively low pay (if you're being paid). I don't have to tell you all of this, as you probably know it.
I originally got the idea for this post when I saw this picture on Facebook, and I've gotta admit that it's pretty true, stereotypically speaking:
Kind of sad, right? Although, Revelations is definitely under the list of "what I think I do." It's sad that society sees us this way, and it's because dancers some of the only performers that rarely are in the spotlight. Think about it: actors, singers, musicians (less so musicians maybe) are all celebrities, glorified and worshiped by the media. Even other athletes and sports are popular. Dancers rarely are. So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars (kind of), the LXD (kind of...), and possibly some music videos these days are the only exposure to dance that the public has. Shows like Toddlers and Tiaras and Dance Moms are fiercely reinforcing the "those girls are crazy and shallow" stereotype.
How do we change the stereotype that society has of dancers? So You Think You Can Dance has already started, a little, by introducing the idea that dancers are world-class athletes as well as true artists. The struggles and successes of dancers' lives are just now coming to light in the US. All we can do individually is show people that dancers are human and have multifaceted personalities.
I'll be honest though: some of them are true. Sometimes. But that happens in any profession, right? Engineers are all thought of as geeks, but there are tons of really cool people who are sociable and friendly who also happen to be extraordinarily smart. In the same way, dancers are extraordinarily gifted with their bodies, but it takes just as much of a mind and soul to dance as it does to do anything else. Sometimes more.
Dance is a commitment. I hate to admit it, but if I did not absolutely have to dance, I'm not sure I would choose to. Dance is a hard profession to be in. No matter how many people "make it," there are ten (or a couple hundred...) others that don't. It's constant rejection, physical demand, artistic demand, emotionally taxing, and on top of all that, it doesn't pay. Choosing to dance was one of the hardest decisions of my life, but if I really think about it, it wasn't a decision. I knew I had to dance, I just had to come to terms with it and justify it to myself. In the end, I'm proud I listened to my instincts and am actually excited to live this life of performing and expression. But I'm getting off topic.
In order to dance, you have to be smart. You have to be in tune with your own body, with other people (whether that be a partner or people you're on stage with), with your environment. You have to be able to learn choreography and adapt it extremely quickly. You have to learn to manage your time and balance your life between dance, academics, socializing, and other activities and commitments. Beyond that, dancers have to be survivers. You have to stick it out through long, intense rehearsals and classes with relatively low pay (if you're being paid). I don't have to tell you all of this, as you probably know it.
I originally got the idea for this post when I saw this picture on Facebook, and I've gotta admit that it's pretty true, stereotypically speaking:
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| Photo Credit |
How do we change the stereotype that society has of dancers? So You Think You Can Dance has already started, a little, by introducing the idea that dancers are world-class athletes as well as true artists. The struggles and successes of dancers' lives are just now coming to light in the US. All we can do individually is show people that dancers are human and have multifaceted personalities.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Pet Peeve: Food.
I'll start off by saying I've never had any form of eating disorder, diagnosed or undiagnosed. I don't know that half of the food struggle spectrum, but I can definitely see the reasoning and thoughts that lead many dancers into the downward spiral. If you or anyone you know has suffered from an eating disorder, I am truly sorry and hope that recovery is in the future, underway, and/or successful. I'm not offering any kind of revolutionary change, or steps to help anyone change, I'm just sharing my personal story and the steps I hope I can take in the future.
It's no secret that food is a problem for dancers. I've featured a few recipes on this blog, but I never really talked about food in general. It's a touchy subject for me as well, probably because I experience something many young girls, women, and certainly dancers suffer from:
Food guilt. This article from DanceSpirit, Food Fight, gave me the term, because before coming across this term, I really felt like I had a mild eating disorder. In a way, I suppose I still do feel that way. For both dance physicality and emotional reasons, food started to take over my mind and my life this past year. I started constantly thinking about food, anticipating my next meal, planning out snacks, counting calories, and doing research on diet, nutrition, and health. I started going to the gym. I made a decision that I needed to lose 5-10 pounds in order to look the part of a dancer. Sounds good right?
Fast forward 9 months (present day): everything has changed except my mindset, and not in a good way. Food guilt is worse than ever. I started eating when I wasn't hungry and doing so regularly. I stopped counting calories, but only because I was too scared to see what I was eating in a day. I slipped back and forth between "no it's okay, I'm beautiful the way I am" and "this is horrifying, I need to lose weight and be healthier" extremely fluidly and rapidly. I ate past when I was full all the time. I gained 4 pounds (doesn't sound horrible, I know). Outwardly, my eating habits may not be that different from a year ago when I barely thought about what I ate, but inwardly, I was a bubbling mass of guilt. I'm not sure why I'm writing in past tense, because the situation is pretty much the same right now, although it's not at its worst.
The worst thing is the feelings I get from food. I automatically think of eating something if I haven't eaten in a few hours or if I see food or items that remind me of food (I have a ceramic cupcake-shaped jar on my desk). I think extremely healthy most of the time ("I'm hungry, what's the healthiest thing I can get? Handful of almonds, good"), but for some reason, if I see the food, it's ridiculously hard for me to turn it down. Even if it isn't food that I particularly love, I feel a constant need to eat. And at the end of the day, the sugar from eating 3 peaches isn't that different from eating a piece of chocolate. Overeating is my source of gaining weight, and the worst part is that I'm hyperaware of that fact. You'd think awareness is the first step towards recovery, but I find myself spiraling down ever farther.
I don't really have much to offer except my goals. I want to start counting my calories again, or at the very least start writing down all the foods I eat. On Monday, my entire family is planning to start a 14 day diet. I don't really believe in these fad diets that promise weight loss by following a strict plan of foods, but I'm doing this one because I believe that having a strict goal plus family guidance and support will help my mind let go of the food. While I'm extremely worried about my weight (I know I shouldn't be), I know that the most important thing at this point is to help my mind develop a healthy working relationship with food. I have the knowledge and willpower to employ a healthy diet, I just need some kind of kick or message to get my emotions in line.
Let it be known that I love food (a little too much) and that everyone else out there with food guilt, you're not alone and you're not crazy. We just all need a little help. Please feel free to share your stories, tips, or contact me personally!
It's no secret that food is a problem for dancers. I've featured a few recipes on this blog, but I never really talked about food in general. It's a touchy subject for me as well, probably because I experience something many young girls, women, and certainly dancers suffer from:
Food guilt. This article from DanceSpirit, Food Fight, gave me the term, because before coming across this term, I really felt like I had a mild eating disorder. In a way, I suppose I still do feel that way. For both dance physicality and emotional reasons, food started to take over my mind and my life this past year. I started constantly thinking about food, anticipating my next meal, planning out snacks, counting calories, and doing research on diet, nutrition, and health. I started going to the gym. I made a decision that I needed to lose 5-10 pounds in order to look the part of a dancer. Sounds good right?
Fast forward 9 months (present day): everything has changed except my mindset, and not in a good way. Food guilt is worse than ever. I started eating when I wasn't hungry and doing so regularly. I stopped counting calories, but only because I was too scared to see what I was eating in a day. I slipped back and forth between "no it's okay, I'm beautiful the way I am" and "this is horrifying, I need to lose weight and be healthier" extremely fluidly and rapidly. I ate past when I was full all the time. I gained 4 pounds (doesn't sound horrible, I know). Outwardly, my eating habits may not be that different from a year ago when I barely thought about what I ate, but inwardly, I was a bubbling mass of guilt. I'm not sure why I'm writing in past tense, because the situation is pretty much the same right now, although it's not at its worst.
The worst thing is the feelings I get from food. I automatically think of eating something if I haven't eaten in a few hours or if I see food or items that remind me of food (I have a ceramic cupcake-shaped jar on my desk). I think extremely healthy most of the time ("I'm hungry, what's the healthiest thing I can get? Handful of almonds, good"), but for some reason, if I see the food, it's ridiculously hard for me to turn it down. Even if it isn't food that I particularly love, I feel a constant need to eat. And at the end of the day, the sugar from eating 3 peaches isn't that different from eating a piece of chocolate. Overeating is my source of gaining weight, and the worst part is that I'm hyperaware of that fact. You'd think awareness is the first step towards recovery, but I find myself spiraling down ever farther.
I don't really have much to offer except my goals. I want to start counting my calories again, or at the very least start writing down all the foods I eat. On Monday, my entire family is planning to start a 14 day diet. I don't really believe in these fad diets that promise weight loss by following a strict plan of foods, but I'm doing this one because I believe that having a strict goal plus family guidance and support will help my mind let go of the food. While I'm extremely worried about my weight (I know I shouldn't be), I know that the most important thing at this point is to help my mind develop a healthy working relationship with food. I have the knowledge and willpower to employ a healthy diet, I just need some kind of kick or message to get my emotions in line.
Let it be known that I love food (a little too much) and that everyone else out there with food guilt, you're not alone and you're not crazy. We just all need a little help. Please feel free to share your stories, tips, or contact me personally!
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Youtube Best of the Best: Updates 17
I talked about going to Kenya Dance SoCal 2012 in my Updates 15 post last month and finally got around to finding some of those videos of the best pieces that I talked about.
323 Area Kidz, Kenya Dance SoCal 2012
Amazing stuff that teenagers can do. Great choreography, musicality, precision, and execution of their idea. A lot of fun too. Oh, those yellow things that the girls pull out of their pants (yeah, beware) are rolled up 323 Area Kidz tshirts. I got one.
Instant Noodles Crew at Kenya Dance SoCal 2012
They're missing over half of the crew! A little disappointed about that, but they pulled off a clean and funny routine, as always. A lot of old choreo as well, but hey, it works.
I.aM.mE at Kenya Dance SoCal 2012
A lot of old material, some of it from ABDC, some from old choreo vids posted on Youtube, but it's fantastic when put together like that. Slightly different from their NorCal performance that I posted in Updates 15.
Academy of Swag at Kenya Dance SoCal 2012
Like I said before, hands down my favorite piece in the show. The Matrix is one of my favorite movie series ever, and combining their interpretation of the movie's characters and famous moments with badass hip hop is mind blowing. They had the best precision possible, amazing moves, and even managed to capture the attitudes and signature habits of Agent Smith. The girl agents are a plus. Oh, and you might recognize the idea of the chair section from their amazing piece at Hip Hop International 2011.
DS2UDIO: Keone and Mari
Keone Madrid and Mariel Martin share a short clip of their thoughts on dance.
Mos Wanted Crew - Cockiness (ABDC Week 7)
Mos Wanted is probably one of the strongest gatherings of individually famous people that I've ever seen in the hip hop world. After being hit with criticism in Week 6, they came back strong, using their challenge prop in both classic and innovative ways. They really are there to win (was there ever any doubt?).
Introducing the newest member of The Pulse faculty...
If you haven't already heard, you're gonna flip out.
323 Area Kidz, Kenya Dance SoCal 2012
Amazing stuff that teenagers can do. Great choreography, musicality, precision, and execution of their idea. A lot of fun too. Oh, those yellow things that the girls pull out of their pants (yeah, beware) are rolled up 323 Area Kidz tshirts. I got one.
Instant Noodles Crew at Kenya Dance SoCal 2012
They're missing over half of the crew! A little disappointed about that, but they pulled off a clean and funny routine, as always. A lot of old choreo as well, but hey, it works.
I.aM.mE at Kenya Dance SoCal 2012
A lot of old material, some of it from ABDC, some from old choreo vids posted on Youtube, but it's fantastic when put together like that. Slightly different from their NorCal performance that I posted in Updates 15.
Academy of Swag at Kenya Dance SoCal 2012
Like I said before, hands down my favorite piece in the show. The Matrix is one of my favorite movie series ever, and combining their interpretation of the movie's characters and famous moments with badass hip hop is mind blowing. They had the best precision possible, amazing moves, and even managed to capture the attitudes and signature habits of Agent Smith. The girl agents are a plus. Oh, and you might recognize the idea of the chair section from their amazing piece at Hip Hop International 2011.
DS2UDIO: Keone and Mari
Keone Madrid and Mariel Martin share a short clip of their thoughts on dance.
Mos Wanted Crew - Cockiness (ABDC Week 7)
Mos Wanted is probably one of the strongest gatherings of individually famous people that I've ever seen in the hip hop world. After being hit with criticism in Week 6, they came back strong, using their challenge prop in both classic and innovative ways. They really are there to win (was there ever any doubt?).
Introducing the newest member of The Pulse faculty...
If you haven't already heard, you're gonna flip out.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Best friend quitting dance?
DanceSpirit posted a great article quite a while ago titled 911: My best friend quit!, about how to deal with losing a "dance bud," as they phrase it. No, it's nothing dramatic, like they quit because their boyfriend tells them to or because they're grievously injured. It's a natural progression - many people who start dancing young do it as a fun activity or because their parents put them in class, and then when they finally start to think for themselves and get into harder levels where time, work, pain, and dedication start to come into play, they decide that dance isn't worth it to them. For many people, this is a good decision.
I suppose I've never really felt this loss - I started dance on my own and rarely made close friends in my dance classes ("dance friends" vs. "best friends"). Recently though, I came home from college and found that I missed the dance community back in school. It was supportive, inspiring, and was the one dance-related place I did make a close friend. Being apart from her is a little tough.
But how do you feel about dance? How would you deal with losing a best dance friend?
Do you have any friend quitting dance stories? How did you deal?
I suppose I've never really felt this loss - I started dance on my own and rarely made close friends in my dance classes ("dance friends" vs. "best friends"). Recently though, I came home from college and found that I missed the dance community back in school. It was supportive, inspiring, and was the one dance-related place I did make a close friend. Being apart from her is a little tough.
But how do you feel about dance? How would you deal with losing a best dance friend?
- Step 1: Determine your values. Ask yourself what you're in dance for. Are you in class because it's a social environment? Because there's parental or peer pressure? Because you enjoy it? Because you see it as a career path? If you're in it for one of the first two reasons, perhaps you should consider dropping dance, or at least spending less time in it and searching for other options that may be of more interest to you.
- Step 2: Change/hone your focus. If you've made it past Step 1, I assume you dance because you enjoy/like/love it. Make sure that your main focus in the studio is on yourself and your dancing. Of course you need to watch and communicate with other dancers in order to learn and grow, but if you find yourself talking about that horrible math test tomorrow or the cute guy in your history class, bring yourself back down to Earth and focus on your dancing.
- Step 3: Don't compete. Dance shouldn't be about getting your leg a half inch higher than the best dancer in the class. You are your own competition. If you feel lost, uninspired, or unmotivated to perform without a certain friend (or rival) in class, you need to reevaluate why you're in dance and start to focus more on yourself.
- Step 4: Don't take it personally. It's very unlikely that you were a contributing factor to their decision to quit. If anything, being friends with you made it harder for them to quit (and if they quit because of you, you don't want to be friends with them anyway). Also, don't feel like you can't be friends with them if they don't love dance as much as you do. That's totally untrue, even if you started dance together and became friends that way. Do your best to understand that your passions may be different, support them in whatever they choose, and hope they support you too!
- Step 5: Socialize outside the studio. Like the situation described in the article, losing a friend in dance is not easy at first, but it can actually strengthen your relationship if you make an effort to see your friend outside of dance. True friends will not be just "dance friends" who are your friends in the room and nothing more. If you care about your friend, let him/her know that you support their decision, but want to continue to be a part of their life.
- Step 6: Make friends everywhere! No matter where you go, it's a good idea to have a small circle of friends. At work, at school, in old schools/hometowns, at new and old studios. If you lose one, you've got some to fall back on so you'll never be completely alone.
Do you have any friend quitting dance stories? How did you deal?
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