If you’re a professional dancer wearing pointe shoes all day long, you may experience some pain with pointe work. However, it is possible for pointe to be pain-free, especially for the beginner. If you have your shoes fitted correctly, and achieve the right level of strength and mobility, you shouldn’t be experiencing any real pain. […]
How the pianist chooses music: A discussion with Patrick Gallagher
When I was younger I grew up dancing at a school that used ballet class music from CDs. The songs became intimately familiar, every track memorized, and every song seeming to fit just right to the steps our teacher had set. Of course I wondered how the artistic director for that album chose the music, […]
8 Ways to Prepare for Nationals (Teacher Tips Included!)
#1. Rehearse, rehearse, then rehearse some more. I cannot stress enough the importance of running dances. I know it can get a bit monotonous and tedious, but judges love a clean, well-rehearsed dance. Teacher tip: Have a Nationals rehearsal the week before Nationals. Run every single dance, every single day and have someone else (a […]
When Is The Best Time To Market Your Studio?
By Steve Sirico of DanceTeacherWeb.com and Dance Teacher Web LIVE Conference & Expo. We have been asked this question many times. The answer is now! We need to think about our marketing in the same way that we prepare for our classes. If we taught only one class to students, we wouldn’t expect results right then and there […]
Get the Cleopatra Look: Egyptian Make Up Tutorial
By Christine Dion of Mode Dion. Makeup in Egypt during the time of Pharaohs was more than just a beauty ritual. Both men and women sought youthful beauty and used many cosmetics and skin care products to enhance skin tone and radiance. Egyptians believed makeup had magical powers. Black Galena Kohl was used as eye liner applied […]
8 Ways to Make Ballet Fun For Boys
We all know the world of ballet needs more men. So how do we, as teachers, keep boys interested in ballet class, at any age? Rain Francis consulted Shaw Coleman, who is currently working as a freelance dancer and choreographer in Europe. #1. Focus on combinations that are less complicated and pretty and more strength-based and […]
Dance Teacher Web Live Heads to East Coast
The ever-popular and highly anticipated Dance Teacher Web Live (DTWLive), a four-day event that caters to dance teachers and studio owners, will take place on the east coast for the first time since it was first created in 2009. To be held at Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, August 3-6, DTWLive will include […]
Teachers: Win $1000 in Costumes for your Studio
Dance Informa, Weissman and Dancewear Solutions have recently partnered to create Steal the Spotlight – an exciting opportunity for your studio and dancers to team up and win amazing dancewear and tuition prizes! By encouraging your dancers to enter this contest, you both have a chance of winning a grand prize worth $2,000. This prize […]
How to Create Perfect Mime and Harlequin Makeup
Mimes painting the face white originated from stage shows dating back as far as 467 BC. This form of entertainment used gestures, mimics and dance, not words, to communicate and entertain. The purpose of the white face was to help the audience be able to see the performer from far away. The designs on the […]
Pointe Hurts…I Want to Quit!
By Laura Di Orio of Dance Informa. Dance students new to pointe are always excited. They’ve been watching their favorite ballerinas since they were little, or they watched enviously in past years as their older peers got permission to get their pointe shoes. But now it’s their turn. They get fitted for their shoes, sew on […]