First, let me comment on the comment from last post concerning competition. This is a hot topic. Competitions have so much going for them, and so much going against them. I want to say one thing: They shouldn’t be about how many rhinestones are on the costume. They should be about technique and performance. Period. […]
Archives for 2008
Is Competition Good for Technique?
I’d like to write a short post based on a comment by Nichelle Strzepek at http://danceadvantage.net. She read my last post on making boys dance slowly to learn the basics, and said the following: “I have found it particularly difficult to impress the importance of learning to do things correctly with competitive dancers (again, my […]
Getting Boys to Dance Slowly When They Want to Dance Fast
Julian has been working really hard in all his dance classes, and this week he began taking the pointe class on Thursdays, although he is not doing pointe but rather “boy stuff.” I watched his jazz class on Wednesday night at Studio 10, and I was amazed at the progress he is making there. And […]
Dance Evaluations and Lessons Learned
It’s amazing how far a little bit of communication goes to soothe concerns, ease bad feelings and boost your sense of well being. As you might have guessed, Julian’s evaluation at Teen Dance Company went quite well and helped not only him feel better about what he’s doing there and how his teachers are dealing […]
Photos are Up, Evaluations are Coming
Things have been pretty quiet on the dance scene this week. The kids got their photos back on Tuesday and were SOOOO excited. They were displayed on the wall – they always put the whole company’s photos up for the whole year along with a poster of the whole company together. I have to admit […]
I've Got A Male Dancer, So Treat Him Like A Prince
My husband and I were discussing my son’s treatment at his current dance studio. It’s been a constant source of conversation since September, and with student evalutations coming up this weekend, it’s a hot topic. I cautioned him not to sound like one of those parents who think their son should get special treatment just […]
Books for Young Boys Who Dance
Recently, I came across a list of books for young boys who dance (while trying to see if I could find my blog on Google by searching for “boys dance”…to no avail). I never knew there were so many books available for young boys who dance. Julian is much too old for them now, but I […]
No One Likes to Change, Least of All Boys
If you thought I disappeared into the Internet ethers, you’re wrong. I was tied to my keyboard by another writing project. I was asked last minute and given three days to write a cover piece for Movmnt magazine on magician Criss Angel’s newest collaboration with Cirque du Soleil and choreographer Wade Robson. It’s an amazing […]
Ballet Corrections: Just One Person's Preference?
Julian has been studying ballet since he was 3 years old. That means this boy has been in ballet tights for 11 years. For the last three years he was enrolled in an intensive program at Ballet San Jose School that required him to take three hours of ballet at a minimum six days a […]
Talk, Talk, Talk, Dance, Dance, Dance
Despite the fact that Julian hasn’t had much luck over the years with friends, he’s a very social creature. Being a dancer, has made it hard for him to fit in socially, however. Most young male dancers experience this. For a really social kid like Julian, being accepted anywhere makes him very excited. And when […]
Patience: A Virtue Lost on Boys Who Dance
Julian has never been one to wait for anything. Like most boys – or maybe kids in general – patience represents a virtue lost on him. He rushes headlong through his dance education every chance he gets. He is impatient. He wants to move up, move forward. Luckily, his teachers tend to slow him down. […]
What A Boy Wants: Learning to Ask for It
Okay, so I’m a human potential, personal growth advocate. It’s what I promote in my other life – when I’m not managing my son’s dance career and acting as his personal chauffeur, cook, maid and cooley (and being treated as such). (If you want to know more, go to www.purespiritcreations.com.) And I was a New […]
Scholarships and Free or Discounted Classes for Boys Who Dance
I don’t know about anyone else, but Julian’s dance costs are eating us alive. Two years ago, we really got in over our heads. Julian had two competition numbers on top of his regular classes, and he was competing as an independent, which means we were unaffiliated with a studio. This also meant that every […]