Let’s discuss the best dance forms for weight loss, because not all of us love the gym and not all of us want to become professional dancers, but we do want to have fun just dancing. Who would’ve thought bustin’ a move could torch those calories so effectively? Dance is more than just something you … Read more
Let’s look at some stress solutions for dancers, and dance teachers. Here is how to identify, manage and prevent overwhelm. Dance students and teachers often carry stress from dance and everyday life at the same time, class and rehearsals layered over school, work, finances, and relationships. The hard part is that overwhelm can feel like … Read more
What Are Creative Dance Arts? Creative dance arts is not a formal dance form like ballet, modern or hip hop, it is just a natural way of moving and expressing ourselves. If you think about it, from the moment of birth to the very last breath that we make, we all have the need to … Read more
Most dancers know that their feet are very important and because they have to last a lifetime, we need to look after them as best we can. Here are some of the more common foot problems as we age and what we can do about these niggles if anything at all. This article contains affiliate links, which … Read more
What Is Center In Ballet? Center in ballet is the reward for all your hard and disciplined work at the barre. It is not that center work in ballet requires less effort, but it is far more exhilarating for the dancer, as this is when she feels she is really and truly dancing. Center work … Read more
When teaching ballet to young children, especially those in preschool, we have to be careful how we address posture for kids, especially when it comes to training certain aspects of ballet technique. We need to be both realistic and safe when teaching these little bodies and be very aware of what we are saying, as their … Read more
Grand Battement Definition A grand battement definition in ballet is a controlled throwing up of the working leg to its full height, while keeping both legs straight, and then controlling the downward movement of the leg. The entire movement is usually done pretty quickly to music with a strong and brisk tempo. Grand battement can … Read more
Allegro in ballet could mean either petit allegro or grand allegro. The term allegro in music means ‘at a brisk tempo.’ In Italian the word allegro means merry, but in ballet it means jumps. The term grand allegro refers to big travelling jumps and turns, and petit allegro is when the jumps are smaller and faster. … Read more
Most teachers dedicate a few minutes of class time to ballet barre stretches or stretching in general. Some leave you free to stretch yourself, and others give a combination of ballet barre stretches. It is very important for dancers to be both flexible and strong. If you want to read more about stretching exercises, you can … Read more
What Is Rond De Jambe En L’air? In the short video above, the dancer is demonstrating a single rond de jambe en l’air followed by a double rond de jambe en l’air. The dancer aims to touch her toe to the side of her leg just under knee height each time her leg circles in. … Read more