• Dance,  Education

    The World of Competitive Dance

    The World of Competitive DanceAt a dance competition this weekend I was able to observe hundreds of talented young dancers bringing their heart and soul to the stage, all in the name of dance. After 25 years of being in the dance world, I am ready to just kick back and watch the show. I don’t have to choreography, plan, buy, deal, negotiate, or be anywhere at 7:00 am until midnight. No more stage lights, fancy makeup, overpriced costumes, messed up lodging reservations, or getting lost in the big cities trying to find the venue. It isn't a competition unless I get everyone lost at least once.I wouldn’t say I’ve…

  • A beautiful distraction
    Dance

    A Beautiful Distraction

    A Beautiful Distraction Teaching-learning. How do you teach someone to learn?  It’s a beautiful distraction. Learning to teach isn’t quite the same when you realize you have to train others on what you’ve just learned.  You must offer the simplest and traditional training first.  It is here, that you make the decision of what not to do as well. A Vision of Dance.  It’s a Beautiful Distraction. New approaches are only incorporated when you understand that some change or actions can work, and work well.  New approaches should be looked at,  as beautiful distractions.  But, not everyone will adapt to new approaches, or accept outside assistance.  Some will fight off change…

  • Dance

    Dance $ Sticker Shock $

    In the business world of dance a lot of things go on behind the scenes that the average dancer is unaware of.  First off before I continue,  let me state by saying I'm not defending anyone or studio.The actual business portion of dance is a financial venture. There are overhead costs that eat at a business’s net worth.   Tuition and Fees help cover  those overhead costs. Overhead costs can consist  of a number of things ranging from:Registration FeesGym Rental FeesDance Studio Rental FeesMusic FeesCostumesChoreographyTeam & Solo Competition FeesAdvertisingInternet to communicate and send billingsTeachersTaxesLicenseLoan fees and interest payments...and moreTuition and fees are the glue that help keep your studios operational.  Since most…

  • Dance

    Back Stage Dance Competitions

    Dance competitions - letting down after it is all said and done, it is harder than you think. As adults we know what it feels like to live under pressure.  We have to train our children to learn to deal with certain pressures too, like stress, defeat, and success.  Even success can be stressful.  What happens when the competition is over?   Some kids hit the wall so to speak.  They have to learn to stop competing and relax.  Backstage at a dance competition is a remarkable world of  high pace energy, organizational challenges and it is easy to burn out.  Learning about the world of dance competitions is more complicated…