Archive for October, 2009

Many little girls have a desire to take dance lessons for a number of reasons: it can be a lot of fun, or they are physical and just need to move- a lot! From my experience having once been a little girl and from my experience as a dance teacher; I would say that many little girls have a desire to dance, because it makes them feel like a princess!

On December 11, 2009 Disney will present, The Princess And The Frog in theaters everywhere! This is the first Disney film to feature an American princess, who is also African American. I had the opportunity to see a short clip of the movie earlier this month at Blogalicious in Atlanta.

Set in New Orleans, this movie is about a beautiful girl named Tiana who embarks on her journey towards following her heart and living the life of her dreams. From the short clip that I was able to see, it was clear to me that Tiana exemplifies the courage and passion that many little girls have.  I cannot wait to see the entire movie, and get in touch with my inner princess.

In New York City public high schools the strong correlation between students’ academic growth and exposure to the arts has been proven successful. Based on a New York Times, Arts Briefly article titled- Arts Education and Graduation Rates by Rachel Lee Harris, it was founded that high schools with the highest graduation rates also offered the most arts education programs to students.  

 This data is based on a report issued in October 2009 by the Center for Arts Education. The report is quite dense so I’ve highlighted some points that I think are most significant:

• These schools had external funds to support the arts that were more than likely raised by the schools.
• Students in these high schools completed at least 3 types of arts courses.
• Students were offered a multiyear sequence in the arts.
• Students in these particular high schools had exposure to arts activities, such as: a dance recital, a Broadway performance, or the orchestra.

To read the full report go to www.cae-nyc.org.

Every Friday I teach at middle school 324 in Brooklyn, New York in an after school program. I have had a few students express an interest in auditioning for performing arts high schools. They seemed so nervous just talking about auditioning, and I can’t say that I blame them. Opening yourself up to the possibility of rejection is not easy, especially when it comes to something you are passionate about. For many adults we know that life goes on after a heartbreaking rejection, but for a 13 year, the world seems to be over! So how do we help children to get through what can sometimes be a scary and intimidating process.

I read an article from the September 2008 issue of Dance Teacher Magazine titled,  Audition Advice by Dana Grunklee which is focused on university dance programs. Although the article was written with college bound students in mind, middle school students can certainly benefit from it. Here are some points that I think are major:

• Get to the audition early in order to get a space at the barre that you feel comfortable with, and to mentally prepare for the audition.
• Most high schools that audition potential students for their dance program are looking to see if you have knowledge of dance vocabulary, for example, you should know what a plie is, or a tendu. You should also know the five basic ballet positions of the feet.   
• If someone is teaching choreography, try your best to learn it. This has always been a struggle for me, especially when I was younger.
• If you make a mistake keep going, and know that you can make up for it by being determined to get it, and giving it your best shot.

What can children do if they have a passion for dance, but may not have been able to start dancing at age 5? In other words they have a passion, but not the technique to make it through an audition. I personally think the following:

• Go to the audition anyway for the experience, and to know that you tried.
• In your high school directory book you’ll find a number of great high schools that have a solid dance program that you don’t need to audition for in order to get in that you can apply to.
• If dance is what you enjoy, I encourage you to stick with it. You can get stronger and more confident as a dancer with time, hard work, and a positive attitude. 

is what I call my logo for urban plie, because it appeals to boys, and girls regardless of race, or nationality. These factors are a big deal to me, because one of my goals is for my program to attract a diverse group of children.

The logo was created by Meg Levine of Meg Levine Design (www.meglevinedesign.com.) Meg infuses: Experience, logic, and creativity into her work. I am so pleased with my logo, and must say that the “universal dancer” is an accurate symbol of what I want urban plie to represent.

So, what does urban plie represent, and what do I see when I look at my  logo? I see:

• Strength
• Beauty
• Grace
• Confidence
• Radiance 
• No limitations

I’m curious, what do you see?