Have you ever had that experience in which what you have been wishing for materializes and you can hardly catch your breath? You can hardly believe it is real. It is as if your mind has been read and you find yourself in a place where all the right things align? A place that you … Continue reading Living Life as an Experiment
present and connected
This weekend I had the distinct honor of presenting at the McEntire Education Summit, hosted by Trent McEntire. Trent and I are old friends- the best kind, where you don't speak nearly often enough but when you do, it is as if not a day has gone by. Trent is a force in the pilates … Continue reading present and connected
When the Body Answers Back
We know our stories are trapped in our bodies. We know we use our bodies to express personal perspectives within our stories. But what about when the body needs to do the speaking? When I was living in NYC, one of my favorite classes was that of Alexandra Beller. She started each class with us … Continue reading When the Body Answers Back
David Howard
When I was living in NYC, David Howard’s ballet class saved my soul. In a city where most dance classes felt like an audition, taught by people who didn’t really understand how to warm up a body or just really loved deep plié in second position, with the body folded over- David Howard’s ballet class … Continue reading David Howard
Mind the Gap(s)
Over the last few years I have realized that my role in dance is that of a mediator. This summer, however, I am realizing just how many realms in which this is true. In this, though, I am also more aware of my own biases and working on letting some of those go. Here is … Continue reading Mind the Gap(s)
The Application of Technique
Recently, I have been fortunate enough to teach a rash of master classes around the state and in my area. One of the comments that keeps rising from the students in each place, many of whom are exposed to modern dance for the first time or elements of dance through modern concepts in new ways, … Continue reading The Application of Technique
Cycle 1: How much of what we teach is “curriculum”?
Let's face it, I am fortunate in that my subject area- dance- is not included in the standardized tests that my students take each year. That doesn't mean, however, that I am not careful and intentional in how and what I teach. As I see it, there are three main types of teaching/learning relationships in … Continue reading Cycle 1: How much of what we teach is “curriculum”?
You Can Do Anything But Not Everything 1.0
Recently, Dance/USA produced a series of articles about professional choreographers who have turned to working in higher education as a means to keep creating choreography within concert dance and earn a living. Most of the artists interviewed are of notable stature (David Dorfman, Joe Goode,…) and discuss the balancing act required of working in two … Continue reading You Can Do Anything But Not Everything 1.0
Playing Superhero: The Dark Side of Discipline
Discipline in the arts is usually one of the major “gains” in training and one of the reasons many parents choose to enroll their child. Discipline in pre-professional dance, for me, was what separated those that wanted to succeed and those that did. Discipline in professional dance takes on a different perspective in response to … Continue reading Playing Superhero: The Dark Side of Discipline
