Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Feb 9, 2012, 1:49 pm
The dance world consists of many different scenes and contexts for learning. There are also a great many variations of philosophies, standards, and expectations.
Photo courtesy isafmedia
If you think teaching in public classrooms may be right for you, read on…
The Generalist
Dance teachers eve... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Feb 8, 2012, 9:30 am
But, by the latter half of that decade the boombox (or ghetto blaster) was already on its way out as consumer interest began veering more and more toward personal, handheld devices. Yes, I had a Walkman, kids!
To most in this age of MP3 players and smart phones, the idea of a boombox might seem dow... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Feb 7, 2012, 9:30 am
It’s been almost a year since our last one and, because next week is Valentine’s Day, it seemed an especially appropriate time for showing and sharing the love.
When will the LOVE Our Readers Giveaway begin?
Good question! The first giveaway will appear at 8am EST on Sunday, February 12, 2012.... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Feb 4, 2012, 9:25 am
Some of us are called to be performers, some to be teachers, but if you think the options for a career in dance end there, you are mistaken!
Over time, Dance Advantage plans to cover these alternative callings in depth, with guest posts and interviews by those with first-hand experience. For today,... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Jan 31, 2012, 9:28 am
A crossover dance artist is a dancer that works in multiple genres or in both the commercial and concert worlds.
Classically trained ballerinas are trying their hand at music videos while break dancers are experimenting with modern dance companies. Crossover is common for dancers, especially in a r... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Jan 30, 2012, 9:37 am
12 For 2012
For our first Circle Time ever, we had 12 tantalizing submissions on our topic: Setting Goals!
February’s topic will be announced below.
Before we get into the nitty gritty, I’m going to give a quick tip for prioritizing all the things we have to do in life. It’s something I’v... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Jan 29, 2012, 9:15 am
“I don’t think dancers are always aware that an observer, even an amateur like me, can tell the difference between someone going through the motions and someone who is passionate about their art,” says photographer Scott W. Lewis.
“The difference in the image is of someone standing in an aw... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Jan 28, 2012, 9:26 am
There’s no doubt about it – the front office at a dance studio is a busy place.
On any given day the desk is covered with messages, notebooks, attendance sheets, clip boards, and the occasional missing tap shoe. Whether the day-to-day swirl of demands are managed by you alone or by a variety of... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Jan 24, 2012, 9:25 am
I have taught 1 and 2 year olds for five years and have crafted a class that is progressive, creative, and fun for young dancers accompanied by their adults. I have learned many strategies for my toolbox and thought I would share!
Breaking Down the Ages
18 months – 2 years old
2 years – 3 yea... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Jan 23, 2012, 12:00 pm
Objects have played an integral role in all types of performance, from an actor with a prop to a conductor with a baton.
Each situation would be drastically modified without the presence of such an object.
Abigail Levine, "Slow Falls"
Often, though, it’s easy to disregard the inanimate object a... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Jan 23, 2012, 9:45 am
He was a chorus member of the Darktown Follies and by 1916 worked his way up to a solo spot, where he began to develop his dancing amongst an atmosphere of competitive camaraderie. Each evening’s performance found cast members inventing new steps and embellishing on old ones.
In-the-trenches may ... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Jan 19, 2012, 9:41 am
I consider Juliette Clark a Summer Intensive specialist. She’s been through it and knows her stuff, dispensing article after article on her blog, BalletScoop about the entire process. Though it may be cold and wintery where you are right now, it’s a perfect time to be strategizing for your summe... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Jan 16, 2012, 9:23 am
Peanut Butter & Jelly…
Sonny & Cher…
Snap, Crackle, & Pop…
Glissade & Assemblé!
Well, some of our articles are better together, too. And we’ve made this list of 13 combinations just for you!
Getting Knee Deep
Knees, Please: Why a Dancer Should Walk Like a Man
In the Moment: 10 Improvisa... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Jan 10, 2012, 9:40 am
Circle time is one of my favorite parts of dance class.
As a teacher, it’s a time to connect with each one of my students, looking into the eyes and smiles of each one.
It’s a great time for sharing and getting to know one another, for learning names, introducing concepts, for dancing and disc... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Jan 6, 2012, 9:33 am
Once again, a group of fabulous dance bloggers turned up for our contest.
Once again, readers turned up to vote for their favorites and found new blogs to follow.
Once again, I saw bloggers out supporting each other, illustrating that the dance blogosphere is thriving and teeming with people passi... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Jan 5, 2012, 9:22 am
I started pointe at age 9 –
(too young by some teachers’ opinions, but that’s another article), and my teacher was thoroughly set on having all of her students wear pointe shoes without padding. Her philosophy was that if shoe fit correctly then there wasn’t any need for padding.
That’... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Jan 3, 2012, 9:26 am
Editor’s Note: In 2010, I discovered Kerry Aradhya’s blog, Picture Books & Pirouettes. Two subjects I adore: dance and children’s literature. Happily, Kerry agreed to publish a review of the dance picture book trends of 2010. Since then, I’ve watched her blog develop and couldn’t be more t... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Dec 27, 2011, 1:00 pm
32 blogs entered this year’s Top Dance Blog competition:
Barre Boys
The Belated Ballerina
Relevé Your Life
Ballet Fan/Fitness Warrior
The Four-Eyed Ballerina
En Pointe with Houston Ballet
52 Weeks of Ballet
Kiner Enterprises Inc. Blog
Mike Barnes, Anthropologist (Ballet)
The Dance Buzz
... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Dec 24, 2011, 2:30 am
from Lauren Warnecke (and "The Grind" housewives); Image is by Kelly Rose/Savage Rose Photography
Tristan Bruns
Roger Lee
Joanie Johnson
Alison Shames
http://swlphoto.com
From Nichelle and all of the writers and contributors at Dance Advantage, we wish you a joyous and safe holiday s... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Dec 22, 2011, 12:15 pm
Soothe those pre-performance jitters with this cooling and calming salad. // Photo by Janet Hudson
Its opening night and the butterflies are about to explode out of your stomach!
You know you should eat something but can’t handle anything too heavy. Before you grab a packaged, processed food, ... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Oct 29, 2011, 9:21 am
With each year it seems department stores kick off the shopping season earlier and earlier. It’s Halloween weekend and Thanksgiving’s a month away! And now you’re thinking, “Oh no, not Dance Advantage too!”
BUT, with so much going on around the holidays – informal parent observations, f... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Oct 27, 2011, 9:00 am
These little snacks travel well in your dance bag and give you the perfect combination of nutritional energy to help you last until dinner.
Ball of energy. That is probably is how most of your friends and family describe you. They can’t imagine having the amount of energy that you do in order t... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Oct 23, 2011, 9:42 am
Ashley Deranhas been dancing since the age of three but has just recently begun her exploration into the world of photography. A mover and choreographer at heart, she stumbled into dance photography almost by accident when a friend needed some shots for an upcoming audition. She quickly realized her... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Oct 22, 2011, 9:30 am
…especially one that can play the piano and plié.
That’s one talented Walrus.
And Liz Vacco, the creator of the Petite Feet DVD, is pretty accomplished herself. She is a Yale Theatre Studies graduate. A “dancer that acts, and an actor that dances” who, for nine years, has been a ballet and... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Oct 18, 2011, 9:33 am
Costumes are such a special part of the dance business for me.
Some of my favorite childhood memories are of recital season when my mom had me sewing with her. I got pretty good at attaching the fringe from one shoulder of a leotard across to the other hip. It was so exciting to tear the little... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Oct 17, 2011, 9:37 am
Dancers learn important life lessons younger than most people. Melanie Doskocil adds another page to Ballet’s Un-X-pected Lesson Files illustrating integral qualities that lead to success, not only in dance, but in life.
Knowing her as well as I did, I could see the telltale crease around her eye... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Oct 13, 2011, 9:24 am
Did you know, dear Reader, that in addition to Dance Advantage I write about dance happening in Houston? If you follow me on Twitter or perhaps Facebook, you may.
This Friday, October 14 Houston’s Society for the Performing Arts will present Complexions Contemporary Ballet, the 17-year-old compan... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Oct 12, 2011, 9:30 am
It never seems to fail.
Whenever I introduce a new composition assignment that leads to a performance opportunity, about 30 seconds in to the discussion, students stop talking about their choreography and start talking about costuming.
"Blackout"
I have now reached a place that I finish my introd... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Oct 10, 2011, 9:30 am
(If you don’t get that headline, please refer to the accompanying color wheel.)
The opposite of gold on the color wheel is violet.
LinkedIn is not only a great way to connect to others in your field but its Groups feature offers a fabulous forum for asking questions and sharing ideas with peers.... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Oct 4, 2011, 9:33 am
About Shoe Reviews:
For my reviews, I personally wear, practice, and perform in the shoes. The demands that the shoes are subjected to are rigorous and must be considered when compared to the skill level for which the shoe is intended. ~ Tristan
Look for more tap shoe reviews in The Great Tap... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Oct 2, 2011, 9:27 am
Capezio
Photo courtesy Crossett Library Bennington College
Salvatore Capezio opened his first store in New York City in 1887, the sign above the door reading The Theatrical and Historical Shoemaker. Located diagonally across from the old Metropolitan Opera House, Capezio made a name for himself ... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Sep 29, 2011, 9:46 am
The question of whether or not to cross-train has been a controversial one among the dance community. Ask five experts and you are likely to get five different answers.
My take on cross-training: Do it!
Athletes of nearly every discipline from long-distance runners to gymnasts to curlers i... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Sep 27, 2011, 9:27 am
Chantale Lussier-Ley is a sport psychology and performance enhancement consultant based in Canada who has worked extensively with dancers. I interviewed her to get some professional insight on how parents should respond when their child says, “I want to quit dance.”
And she had more great advic... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Sep 22, 2011, 9:00 am
Long days call for long, lasting energy. Lentils will give you a nutritional boost.
It’s only 10am, you’ve got a hard day of rehearsals ahead and you are already feeling lightheaded from your sugar dropping. Save yourself by prepping a quick, lentil salad the night before.
The iron in lentil... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Sep 20, 2011, 9:25 am
Melanie Doskocil is back this month with another addition to Ballet’s Un-X-pected Lesson Files. This one isn’t about summits (see I’m A Better Backpacker Because of Ballet for that). It’s about limits. Read on…
For the first time in 15 years, one of my all time favorite teachers/choreogra... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Sep 15, 2011, 12:42 pm
A dance studio is usually a fun place to work.
But, like any workplace, it is not a given that you will get along with all of your coworkers. A dance school can harbor big egos, favoritism, negativity, and bullying… and not just among the students.
Emily Blunt in The Devil Wears Prada - image vi... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Sep 13, 2011, 9:22 am
Butter up the popcorn.
We love seeing dance on film and get particularly excited about movies that get even non-dancing audiences talking about the art form.
On September 11, First Position, a new dance doc screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Not to be confused with the 197... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Sep 11, 2011, 9:46 am
At 8:46 on September 11, 2001, when the first plane hit the North Tower of The World Trade Center, I was about to begin teaching my ballet class at Penn State University’s branch campus in Altoona. In fact, I and the students in the class were not aware of the unfolding events in New York and Wash... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Sep 10, 2011, 9:35 am
Patience Clements is the company pianist for Charleston Ballet Theatre and has been accompanying dance classes for over 30 years, beginning when she was still a teen. She studied both ballet and piano growing up in Washington D.C. and attended Interlochen Arts Academy, American University, and Manha... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Sep 8, 2011, 9:25 am
Fall is exciting: the sound of marching bands, cooler weather, Dankso® clogs deliciously back on our feet.
While fall is a great time for educational beginnings as we meet new or returning students and embark on new journeys, it is also a time to start talking about certain “ends” with your st... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Sep 1, 2011, 9:36 am
Fresh. Trends. New. Latest.
When planning, promoting, and launching into the start of a new season, you want to be in the lead both artistically and with your business practices.
The constant strive to better your best or out-do last year is an inherent part of the process of being in business.
F... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Aug 31, 2011, 9:30 am
Today’s guest post is by belly dancer, teacher, and DanceCostumes.com writer, Erica Rhodes.
As you may have noticed, Dance Advantage is POSITIVELY focused on getting your dance year off to a great start. So, be sure to check out the related reading links within the article.
There are many reason... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Aug 25, 2011, 9:30 am
Cucumber Water is the perfect way to boost your electrolytes after a class.
H2O is the absolute best thing for you to drink during class or a performance. Sports drinks contain too much sugar and energy drinks are pumping you full of caffeine and a laundry list of ingredients that you can’t beg... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Aug 23, 2011, 9:45 am
Melanie Doskocil is a ballet teacher, former professional, and writes over at Ballet Pages. You may recognize her name, as she’s guested at DA before with articles on managing stress as a teacher and a woman, and the realities and pressures of elite training. This time she investigates a lighter b... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Aug 22, 2011, 9:20 am
First day jitters. We all get them. It’s natural.
So how do we help our students deal with the butterflies in their bellies?
Talk about it.
Share your feelings, your love of dance and your excitement about teaching a new class.
Ask the children if they like to dance. Do they like to ... Comment - Like
Nichelle Strzepek posted an article on
Dance Advantage
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Aug 18, 2011, 9:33 am
"Exhausted Dancer" by Edgar Degas - Wikimedia Commons
Muscular fatigue is something all dancers will experience from time to time.
Fatigue is characterized by a decline in the body’s ability to produce force in muscular contractions. In other words, you have to work harder to produce the sa... Comment - Like
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