My Son Can Dance

One Mom's Musings About Boys in the Dance World

College or No College: That’s the Quandry

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Here’s a heads up to parents of young male dancers heading down the ballet route. If your son becomes a ballet boy, by which I mean a serious ballet student, beware that he likely will begin to think he should ditch the idea of heading for the hallowed halls of higher learning and head instead […]

Our First Regional YAGP Experience and Results

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Well, the Northern California regional YAGP results are in…on many levels–at least for us. Julian and his partners did really well, as did the other dancers from City Ballet. He and his young partner came in first in the ensemble division for their Nutcracker Grand Pax.  Whoo hoo! He and his other partner came in […]

First Day of YAGP Offers this Mom a Surprise

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I showed up at the Youth American Grand Prix regional competition in Northern California expecting to see some awesome dancing. I sat down in the dark theater ready to watch the 14-year-old contemporary dance category. After Julian’s two-year stint in a pre-professional teen contemporary dance company, I was excited to see the entrees. I rubbed […]

YAGP Here We Come!

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I haven’t written too much about Julian’s preparation for Youth American Grand Prix. In fact, early on this year, I said he wasn’t gong to be allowed to compete because his technique was not up to par. However, that all changed after the Nutcracker performances ended. At that time the director of City Ballet School, […]

Proud Momma Must Brag Just a Little…

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Four summer intensives down, three results in: one merit scholarship (SAB), two full scholarships (ABT and SFB). Still waiting on Juilliard; we have only been told he is still in the running. Ballet training pays off, guys…that’s all I can say. Oh, and I go to see Julian’s emerging choreography piece for RDA performed…very nice, […]

YAGP On, YAGP Off

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Julian continues auditioning for summer intensives despite the fact that we had to let the School of American Ballet know our decision a few weeks ago. That means the ABT results came if after, as well the San Francisco Ballet School and Juilliard results. ABT offered Julian a full scholarship this year, but it just […]

Small Ballet School vs. Large Ballet School?

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Every since Julian received that merit scholarship two weeks ago, we’ve been discussing the merits of the ballet school he now attends, City Ballet School in San Francisco. It seems that New York City Ballet tends to give out merit scholarships to kids they would like to see in their school, the School of American […]

Technical Ballet Training Pays Off

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Many of you know that last summer Julian came back from New York City and his time at American Ballet Theatre’s summer intensive, as well as at Complexions Contemporary Ballet summer intensive, with instructions to spend a year (or two) working on his ballet technique. That’s why he left his pre-professional contemporary ballet program for […]

Getting a Dance Start in the Nutcracker

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The Christmas season has ended, but I’d like to make mention of the fact that many a young male dancer has gotten his start in the Nutcracker. I’ve been meaning to mention a nice article that was written on this topic and published  in The Courier-Journal. I noticed it published on Boys and Ballet. Some […]

How to Survive Driving Your Son Long Distances To Dance

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Every once in a while I’m reminded of the commitment my husband and I have made to our son, Julian, and that it isn’t necessarily “normal.” Well, let’s just say, not everyone makes this type of commitment to their child. On Sunday I was speaking to my neighbor as we exchanged holiday gifts and explaining […]

Joey Dowling on How to Succeed as a Dancer (Part 4)

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After it’s all the training has been completed, one question remains: Will the dancer get a dance job? Will he make it through the audition and into a company or a show? What can a male dancer—or any dancer for that matter—do to increase the odds of becoming a successful professional dancer? And what does […]

Joey Dowling on a Dancer’s Education and Training (Part 3)

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One of the issues we’ve been struggling with lately has been whether or not Julian will go to college. We’ve always assumed he would, but in the back of all of our minds we knew a chance existed that he might simple end up dancing. As they say, dancers dance. (Expect to see more posts […]