Young men who choose to dance have many opportunities and reasons to audition. They audition for summer intensives, for positions in companies, and for specific roles. When the time comes to audition for companies, hopefully, they’ve gotten some experience so they can put their best foot forward. When Julian danced at Teen Dance Company (now […]
Mark Foehringer on Preparing a Dancin’ Boy for the Professional Dance World (Part 1)
My husband and I firmly believe that one of the things that makes Julian such a good dancer is the variety of dance training he received but, in particular, the years of contemporary dance training coupled with his classical ballet training. This also makes him a more marketable dancer. Of course, a dancer most have […]
How to Take Audition Photos of Your Dancin’ Boy
Your dancin’ boy will need a head shot, an arabesque photo or some other type of dance picture when he auditions for actual parts in shows, summer intensives or company jobs. Professional photos can be expensive, although they are by far the best option. If you cannot afford to hire a professional dance photographer, you […]
Cooking, Mice, Russian, Variations, and Auditions
It’s been a while since I wrote anything about Julian. Since some of you may be wondering, here’s the news from Germany… Julian is enjoying life in Europe. He likes Dresden, the food, the life, the dancing, the company members. He is learning German slowly…not using his online Rosetta Stone course much. He says it’s […]
My Son Becomes an Apprentice
Julian’s long audition process, filled with excitement, disappointment, stress, and happiness, has come to an end. And with its conclusion, he transitions from ballet student to professional dancer. Sort of… After receiving four other job offers, and (I’m assuming) still being on the so-called “watch list” for a trainee position during the upcoming San Francisco […]
A Commendation To Dancin’ Boy Moms Everywhere
This Mother’s Day I’d like to commend all my readers who are the mothers of dancin’ boys for doing what you do–all of it. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it. While some Dad’s help, even do a lot, as much or more (like my husband), not all of them do. And […]
Time to Start Auditioning for Companies & Summer Intensives
The School of American Ballet (SAB) students receive guidance about summer intensives and company auditions just before Thanksgiving break. The boys are brought in to see Jock Soto, the head of the men’s division, and he asks them what summer programs they might be interested in attending. He then advises them on their choices. He […]
Back Home in Time for TDC Intensive and an Award
We arrived back home in N. CA to freezing weather…well, at least that’s what it feels like after seven and a half weeks of beastly heat. Here in the mountains where we live, it’s about 55 degrees each morning due to the coastal fog. It might hit 78 in Los Gatos during the day, but […]
Tech Week and ABT Summer Intensive Auditions this Week
Seems like we just got back from New York City, but Julian and his Dad went off to San Francisco today for his American Ballet Theatre summer intensive audition. I think he was a bit less nervous this year, but, of course, this year everything is riding on it. Last year, he did it on […]
Tips on Deciding If a TV Dance Competition is Right for You
A while ago I posted a guest blog from Julian’s first male dance teacher, Anthony Foster (see bio below). Since then, he and I have been working together to post a second blog, this time about his experience with Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD). Yes, the first season of the show, Anthony […]
What Goes Into a Dance Resume?
While tweeting on Twitter today (yes, you can find me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ninaamir), I saw a link offered as the answer to a question about the difference between a regular resume and a dance resume. So, of course, I clicked on the link. I discovered a short and sweet explanation of what goes into […]
Interview with Duncan Cooper (Part 4): The Issues and Difficulties Faced by Male Dancers (How to Make Choreography Your Own)
Last, but definitely not least, here’s part four to my interview with Duncan Cooper. If you don’t remember who Duncan is, please go back to this post to read the brief bio I offered in the part one. Working on Flexibility and Weaknesses Continuing my conversation with Duncan, I wanted to know if he often saw the […]
ABT Summer Ballet Intensive: What's a Boy to Do?
We thought Julian had his summer all planned out: Back to Jewish camp for four weeks, something he had his heart set on, especially after missing almost half of his session last year when he came down with what was later diagnosed as Relapsing Fever. This was to be his last summer not spent focusing on […]