Black Friday(ish) Dance Sales!

Thanksgiving 2011 has come and gone, but it means that it's that time of year - Black Friday! Most dance stores aren't going to be running special deals because most of them are online, and stores like Capezio won't be running those early bird specials we so love. So here's some of my favorite websites/catalogs to browse and their currently more-generous clearance sales:

Dancewear Solutions Clearance - is offering up to 60% off on a large range of tops, leotards, shorts and pants, shoes, and performance dresses. You're sure to find something you want (because dancers are always short a leotard or two). Their Last Chance Sale is really tiny, but there's a few nice items!

Discount Dance Supply Last Chance Sale - has got some nice shoes (ballet/jazz/tap) on sale, but is otherwise fairly small and limited.

Online Dancewear Last Chance Sale - if you're going for costumes for your senior solo piece (or any other piece), take a look here!

As far as I can tell, Capezio is not running any specials and don't even have a closeout section. There might be Cyber Monday deals, but I don't know of any as of now. I'll let you guys know if I find out!
Not the best collection of websites I've ever done, but such is the dance life. Hah I'm so punny...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi everyone!

It's been a while since I last posted...to make a long story short, I've been busy with school and dance. I want to take this time to thank everyone who reads this blog, especially those who have posted comments, thank you all for taking the time out of your busy lives and letting me share my thoughts with you. If you have any ideas as to what you'd like to see from me, please leave a comment on this post. Other than that, good luck and have safe trips for everyone traveling home, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving (or holiday/break if you don't celebrate)! Don't eat too terrible much and don't let yourself get out of shape!

Love,
Daisy

Youtube Best of the Best: Updates 7

I've noticed that my Best of the Best have become a list of crazy-awesome hip hop videos with maybe one or two other styles thrown on, so I set out to change that in this update. This list will be comprised mainly of contemporary, modern, and ballet videos. Enjoy.

Megan Lawson - unrequited.
This is stunning cinematography. This is stunning emotion. This is stunning dance.

Angelin Preljocaj (Paris Opera Ballet) - Le Parc
Warning: this one's definitely rated R. There's no nudity, but heavy sexual suggestion and tension. This has to be the epitome of contemporary ballet. Not only does it have the most amazing kiss ever seen by the world of ballet (I kid you not - starts around 5:05), but it's so smooth and sensual, yet still completely balletic. Beautiful.

Gala Benois 2007
Warning: this one may be PG-13. I really have no idea what this is, exactly, the description doesn't say much...but this is absolutely incredible balletic/modern partnering. If you're offended by suggestion of nudity or sexual themes (again), please don't watch.

Jiri Kilian (Netherlands Dance Theatre) - Petite Mort 1/2   &   Petite Mort 2/2
Petite Mort is just one of those pieces...one of those gorgeously flowy, innovative, and impossible pieces. There's some weird themes going on and props being used - it's very experimental dance. Again, ballet-based, yet incorporating contemporary and modern themes and movements. I just love the partnering at the beginning of the second part. It's absolutely connected and flawlessly effortless. Did I mention that Netherlands Dance Theatre has some ridiculously trained/talented dancers? Perfection.

Kyle Hanagami - Carnival
I promised mainly ballet/modern/contemp. Sorry. One teeeeeny hip hop video. If you like all of the videos I've posted before, all of the artists I've posted before...this video kind of sums it all up in one awesome explosion. Not only Kyle, but Miki Emura, Laura Edwards, Ian Eastwood, and others grace the stage in this piece. Not something to miss.

Higher Extensions!

I know I've been having trouble with my psoas muscles recently. It's a complicated problem that I've only just discovered...and am working to fix.

The basis of all injury is misalignment and incorrect usage. Technically, if you knew every inch of your body perfectly, you would never injure yourself (except for accidents that involve things/people other than yourself, of course). Strengthening and toning is an important way to prevent injury, but you also have to strengthen the right muscles.

Which brings me to this post on another blog that was sent to me by my lovely ballet teacher: Getting Higher Extensions! by Deborah of The Body Series blog. Strengthening the psoas muscle is not only easy and fast (10-15 reps every day for 3-4 weeks for results!), but is a sure-fire way to get your leg higher in developpes! I know I've been struggling with getting my leg past 90 degrees for a long time in front extensions, and with the problem I discovered earlier with my psoas muscles, this makes a lot more sense. I'll be adding this to my daily strengthening routine, will you?

As a side note, I've taken a quick glance at the rest of this blog, and it's brimming with excellent tips and advice on just about every topic a dancer could wish for, from a neuromuscular educator (it's her profession)! If you've got a certain issue or goal, take a look at her categories in the bottom right hand corner of the blog. You're sure to find some stretch or advice that will help you get there!

How bad do you want to succeed?

I thought I wanted to dance with all my heart. I thought I wanted it really bad. I thought I was extremely passionate. Then I saw this video: Inspiring: How Bad Do You Want It? (Success)
Update: the video link is now private. I'll do my best to find another link.

And something's changed for me. I've realized that it's not going to happen for you. You have to make it happen. Whatever dreams or ambitions you have, you have to make a goal and then every single day take a step towards making it happen. Whether that means choosing to study over going out with your friends, or not eating that piece of cake after dinner to lose weight, you have to want it, and you have to want it enough that you're willing to give up other things that you value. I mean, I already knew these things...I just didn't want to admit it or put in the work.

I know that I'm not a great model for this success story. Here I sit thinking, "I'd love to lose ten pounds," or even "I have to lose ten pounds, I have to dance," but I've got a bag of candy sitting next to me. I know that I don't work towards that goal every day. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I feel guilty, but I don't always do the right thing for myself.

So ask yourself now three things: what is/are your biggest goal/s in life? What can you do to get there? And just how bad do you want these things? "When you want to be successful as bad as you want to breathe, you'll be successful." When you need something or someone in your life as badly as you want your own life, you'll get there.

Beyonce's Countdown vs. Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker

If any of you have been keeping up with pop culture and news in the dance world, you've probably heard of the rip-off Beyonce pulled in her last music video, "Countdown." The video she allegedly ripped off  was by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, a Belgian choreographer, who created her award-winning piece "Rosas danst Rosas" in 1988. It's one thing to be inspired by other artists and to credit them, but this level of stealing (without crediting the original, I may add) is on a whole different level. You can see the videos in split screen here. Even if you don't watch the videos split screen, just look at this one split screen image:

Photo Credit

How incredibly "similar" is that? Bordering straight out copying? Watch the video, it gets worse. Not only the costuming, but the expressions, the camera angles, and even the choreography itself of "Countdown" is straight out of "Rosas danst Rosas". Beyonce's artistic director has apparently admitted to showing De Keersmaeker's videos to Beyonce, but neither Beyonce nor anyone dealing with the music video have admitted to any kind of artistic theft or inspiration.

Furthermore, this isn't the first time Beyonce has been criticized for lack of originality in her music videos. Even her performance at the Billboard music awards was criticized. However, I'm not trying to criticize Beyonce directly for the content (and lack of due accreditation) of her music videos: I'm more disappointed in her directors who are coming up with the ideas and in her for following through. How could one artist do something so incredibly horrible to another artist?

It would have been a whole different issue if she had asked permission of and credited De Keersmaeker and even encouraged the public to look into De Keersmaeker's work. In fact, that wouldn't have been an issue at all: it would have been one artist being inspired by and promoting another artist, which could have given both artists good press. Even though De Keersmaeker's pieces are more viewed and even more well known because of this, it's not being done in a good light, and I'm sure the artist herself does not appreciate the outright copying.

What do you guys think? Is this kind of "inspiration" okay, even if credit is given? Should Beyonce (or her directors, rather) start coming up with new ideas instead of copying old ones? Are you as outraged by this as the rest of the dance world?

For those now applying to colleges

Please take a look at the series I wrote over the summer about choosing and auditioning at colleges for dance! Also, here's a great article that I found titled "East Coast, West Coast, It Don't Matter", which may help you in your quest to decide between New York and Los Angeles (or somewhere in between!).

Below is my audition series for becoming a dance major in college:

College Dance Auditions 101: Choosing the Major: Is dance in college the right path for you?

College Dance Auditions 102: Choosing Colleges: Where should you apply? What criteria should you take into consideration?

College Dance Auditions 103: Auditioning Live: What should you take into consideration when you're traveling to a school to audition for their faculty?

College Dance Auditions 104: Video Auditioning: When should you choose to audition via video? What should you take into consideration if you have to video audition?

College Dance Audition 105: Making the Decision: Now that you've gotten in, where should you go? Or...think about rejections in a new way.

One last tip: if you have the chance to take classes when you visit a school, take them! Or at least go in and observe the class, if it's allowed. I was too scared to take class, so I watched a ton of classes. It gave me a good feel for what the dance environment was really like. But if you take class, you get to interact with the dancers who have already made it in. You get to see who your classmates will be, who you'll be living with and dancing with for the next three or so years (maybe), and how the teacher connects with you and fits into your style (or not). If you're brave enough to take class, though, don't become a recluse. Talk to your fellow dancers and pretend you're all on the same level and you're all just taking a class. Remember that you're auditioning the school as much as they're auditioning you. Make the most of your visit and it will make the final decision (or letting go of the rejection) so much smoother and simpler.

Last but not least: if you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment! If you have any other tips you'd like to add, or if you'd like to share your experience, or if you can correct a tip that I've given, please do! I would love for others to benefit from the knowledge of the entire dance community!

Ideal Dancer's Body: Flexible (and Strong)

See my first two posts in this series about the ideal feet and body image.

It's every dancer's dream to be everything all at once: hard, yet soft. Graceful, yet dramatic. Small, yet big. Strong, yet flexible. And really, it's this last one that always gets me.

There's a physical...problem...with trying to be both strong and flexible. Why? Because when you're gumby and flexy, you have little strength to support it (injuries ahead!), and when you're stalky and strong, you're unable to pull off the dazzling kicks and extensions that are demanded of you (injuries ahead!). So really, you need to have both. A good balance of both: enough of each so that they can support each other without one overpowering the other. Your muscle tone needs to be strong, lean, supple, and long.

Unlike other sports or arts, you, as a dancer, have to exert yourself in a most unnatural way, while making it look like the most natural thing in the world. Other athletes are allowed to pant and sweat and wear protective gear, other artists get to look beautiful...and then there's you. You have to withhold the panting and protective gear (if you learn how to withhold sweat, call me) and look beautiful. What does this mean?

1. you can't have bulky muscles (less weight/resistance, more reps for workouts)
2. you have to spend time outside of class and rehearsal building strength, endurance, and flexibility.
3. you have to do extra cardio. Dance is not really aerobic, cardiovascular exercise because you're not constantly moving. You stop and start and stop and start again in class and rehearsal, so you might get winded, but you'll get your breath back quickly. 
4. most importantly, you have to know your limits. Always, always warm up before you stretch - even if you don't think you need to. You might be young now, but when your body starts getting a little "older" (you'll feel it), you won't be able to pop into stretches like you used to. I know that when I was sixteen, I felt like I could do anything...and now, only a few years later, I can't.

So what should you do about it? Go to the gym and "walk" on the elliptical - it'll ease the pressure on your joints (running is horrible for knees and ankles) while still giving you the cardio workout you need. Use a theraband to help you stretch and strengthen individual muscles without (heavy, bulky, and expensive) equipment. Stretch after your shower - your muscles are already warm and pliable, so you'll be able to get that extra inch of stretch. Never, ever overstretch - I'm currently dealing with two overworked/pulled hip flexors and an overworked muscle behind my left knee, and it's hard! I know that these injuries happened because I was pushing myself beyond my limits, but now I know what those limits are and what to do before I reach and surpass them.

Strong and flexible will forever be a struggle for dancers. You must find your perfect balance (this is usually the hardest part) and then work to maintain it (this is the part that needs discipline). Good luck!