Dancing for me is very important. It is a matter of telling a story to the people watching. Without dance I do not think we would have a way to express ourselves. I have been dancing since I was three. I have not known any other type of sport. I could not imagine myself doing anything but dance. My favorite part of dance is definitely performing. I love showing everyone what I can do. That is really important to me. Dancing is also a great way to make friends. Since I dance a lot I have made so many friends that are rare and like my sisters. We are so close and have a special bond. We are like a team-but even better. We see each other when we are at our worst. We are hot and sweaty and we are in pain, but we wouldn’t change it for the world. At my studio it is not all about being super strict and the company is huge. It is a very good environment and it makes you want to go to dance. I think if the teachers are so hard you lose that love for dance, and it becomes more of a burden.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Costumes
Costumes really add something to the dance. I think costumes either make or break a dance. For something like ballet you want a pretty flowing sparkling costume. For something like jazz you want something that goes with the theme of the dance. Also using jewelry to a costume can really make a difference. Diamond earrings can make all of the difference. Also choker necklaces make your neck look long and beautiful. For costumes you want to make sure that all pieces are in the right place and you have it on right. If something is loose either use fabric tape or hairspray it. It may not be the most comfortable thing but it keeps your costume from coming off. Lots of dancers wear nude color leotards under the costumes. These are great for quick changes and if your costume comes down a bit too low. You cannot see the leotard on stage at all so it looks completely natural! Other costume tips are making sure it is your size. Do not try to fit into a costume that is too small for you or too big for you. This could cause the costume to look out of place on stage.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Types of Dance
Ballet is the most traditional form of dance. It requires the most technique and the most patience. It is one of the most beautiful types of dance and can be danced on either flat ballet shoes, or for the more advanced pointe shoes. Jazz is an upbeat and fast pace dance style. This type of dance usually has lots of high kicks and complicated leaps. You can either do a fast jazz piece or a smooth and more old fashion type of jazz piece. Modern or also called contemporary is a type of dance that requires lots of emotion and strength. This type of dance is for telling a story and making lines with your body. It is very difficult to master and has three or four different styles. Tap is one of the most common forms of dance. Tap is an upbeat, high energy, and fun loving dance style. It takes a little while to master all the tiny steps of tap, but after a while it becomes easier. It is a common dance style on Broadway and in many movies such as Singing in the Rain. Hip hop is more of a free style. There are many forms of hip hop such as break dancing.
Stretching
Before you dance the most important thing to do is stretch. If you dance when you are not warmed up, you can really injure yourself. The easiest way to warm up is to do some simple pliés. These will warm up your knees and thighs. If you are dancing on pointe shoes you want to warm up your feet. Do some prances in place and roll your ankles around. This warms up the ankles and your whole foot. Also if you’re in pointe shoes you want to warm up your knees. For any dance class deep lunges help the hips and the thighs. Also sitting on the floor in a straddle and reaching to either side really helps you to get warm fast. From there roll through your splits and hold in each split for about one minute. This also helps if you do not have your splits. To get your shoulders warm just roll them back and forth. Same thing with your neck just roll it back and forth slowly. Make sure you do these stretches every time before dancing so you will not get hurt. If you are just standing around in dance make sure you move around so you will not get cold again.
Competitions
Competitions are a different type of dance. Competition dancers usually have great leg extensions and good turns. The competition dances are usually high energy and have lots of crazy faces. The costumes are usually very sparkly, and sometimes there is not a whole lot of costume. What judges look for in the dance is usually the difficulty, if everyone is performing together, and if you look like you are having fun. The judges usually look at the girls in the back, because that is how points get taken off. Also if a piece of costume comes off or your hair falls out, you will not score well. So if you are doing a competition make sure your costume is on right and your hair is in place. The competitions never give out huge prizes so it is okay if you do not place first. Competitions are usually more for the experience and to see how other performing arts schools perform. The competition I go to we always get beat by the same school. They enter in lots of numbers and don’t wear a lot of clothing. It must work for them because they always win the highest awards. Always remember it’s for the experience.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Stage Makeup
Stage makeup helps you to stand out on stage. Without stage makeup you would look washed out and very pale. With stage makeup your eyes pop and you can see your face better. This makeup is lots more than everyday makeup. Usually there are two coats of liquid foundation. After false eyelashes or just lots of mascara. Then eye shadow, blue or something sparkly looks really nice on stage. Also eyeliner on the top and bottom makes the eyes look nice and wide. Finally lipstick and blush. You usually do not want a bright red color, unless the dance your doing requires it. You want something pink and red with some shimmer. Blush goes on the cheek bones, usually a pink or tan color. My usual stage makeup is blue eye shadow with silver eyeliner on the top and black on the bottom, pink and red lipstick that has a little sparkle to it, and also I wear fake eyelashes. I also wear lots of foundation because I am so pale, and of course pink blush. I think these colors go nice with my green eyes and my red hair. The makeup also depends on the dance; if it were classic ballet you may not want bright blue but silver instead.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Performing.
Performing for some people is playing a soccer game or singing. Performing for dancers is getting up on stage and telling a story. Performing is a very long and sometimes stressful process. First there are months and months of rehearsal. Before going on stage you have to learn the dances. Then you practice the dances even more. Soon you will be dancing in your sleep! The best part of performing is the makeup and costumes. That comes next. You have to pick out the costumes and see what makeup looks good with the costume. Costumes are all unique and so much fun to try on. If you are doing a traditional ballet piece you want a long flowing skirt or a short tutu. After you have completed all of that its time for more rehearsals. These rehearsals are different because there usually on the stage instead of in the classroom. After many dress rehearsals it’s finally time for the best part-the show! Show time can be really nerve racking but it’s also the most rewarding. Performing can make you gain confidence skills. I mean lots of people are watching you dance. The most important part of performing is to have fun! It shows on stage if you really enjoy dancing or not.
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