In this third, and last, part of my interview with Denise Wall, owner of Denise Wall’s Dance Energy in Virginia Beach, VA, and coach of such star dancers as her own sons Danny Tidwell and Travis Wall (Travis is also a star choreographer), she offers tips on raising boys who dance. (To read the first […]
Denise Wall On Raising Dancin' Boys (Part 2)
In this continuation of my interview with Denise Wall, which I conducted while Julian and I were in New York City last summer during the ABT Summer Intensive, she discusses issues of sibling rivalry, sexuality and peer pressure. Denise and I met at the New York City Dance Alliance finals, where students from her studio […]
Denise Wall On Raising Dancin' Boys (Part 1)
Two years ago I wrote a cover story for Dance Teacher magazine based on an interview with Denise Wall. I proposed the story to the editors there because I felt quite taken with the dancers her studio, Denise Wall’s Dance Energy in Virginia Beach, VA, turned out. They not only had phenomenal technique but danced […]
New School Year, New Dance Year, New Attitude
Julian began school on Monday. This year he’s a sophomore. He seems to have a new attitude (Thank God!) about school, schoolwork and grades. In fact, one of his best friends and a fellow dancer told me yesterday that Julian is “a different person.” It seems he was angry at her for talking on the […]
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 […]
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. […]
Flower Buds and Turn Out – For Boys Who Dance, Too
The editor at Dance Teacher magazine cut lots of information from my article on Denise Wall for lots of reasons – mostly because of space, especially after she asked for more information on Danny Tidwell – and I had to cut an immense amount of information simply to meet her word-count requirements. However, I wanted […]