Just like dance, music is something I am very passionate about. Dance is one way that music can be brought to life. If you're looking for a good piece of music for a contemporary/modern/lyrical piece- whether it be for a performance or just to try out new choreography in the studio- here are some of my favorite songs to use...
Got any songs to add to the list? Comment them below!
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First of all, thank you for signing me up for dance lessons when I was three years old. It changed the course of my life in ways that I can never fully explain. Without you putting me in dance, I never would have found the passion for it that I still have today. Thank you. Thank you for all of the literal support you have given me for dance. Thank you for the rides to and from the studio and performances. Thank you for your financial support, and for never questioning whether or not dance was a worthy investment. Thank you for sewing, altering, and even making some of my costumes. Thank you for running out to Jo-Ann's Fabrics to make me a new piece of my costume that of course I lost and didn't realize until dress rehearsal. Thank you for helping me through injuries and getting me ice packs in the middle of the night when my knees won't stop swelling. Thank you for letting my set up a ballet barre in our spare room. Thank you for the emotional support you've given me. Thank you for letting me cry to you when I didn't get the role I wanted and cheering me up after a hard class. Thank you f0r coming to all of my shows, whether I had the biggest role or the smallest. Thank you for always volunteering to help out backstage and supporting my shows in every way possible. Thank you letting me have a life outside of dance. Thank you for not forcing dance upon me and allowing me to have other hobbies and passions. Thank you for letting me just be a kid or a teenager and not pushing me to become a star. Thank you for making sure I didn't miss out on any milestones- from my first musical to senior prom- because I had dance that day. Above all, thank you for understanding that dance is not just a hobby for me. Thank you for allowing me and supporting me in my decision to study dance in college. Thank you for seeing the validity of my major and for believing that I can be a dance educator and choreographer in the future. Lastly, thank you for the support for my career and my future students that I am sure you will give. Everything I have in dance would not have been possible without you. Thank you. With love, Your Little Dancer Happy Mother's Day to All Dance Moms, from Ballet with Becca! Towards the end of my freshman year of college, I found myself with no one to room with for the following year. All of my friends had other plans, and one day in ballet class I got pretty upset about having no one to live with. This was when a girl in my class that I almost always stood at the barre with told me that she and her two friends were living in a quad and were looking for a fourth roommate. The four of us ended up having a great year together, and one of my roommates being a dancer made things even more interesting. Here are some things that might happen to you if you decide to live with a fellow dancer... Your Living Room Becomes a Rehearsal Space Show coming up next week? Need to go over choreography? No need to walk all the way to the studio to rehearse...clear a space in the living room and start dancing! You Will Dance More Than You Expect When we weren't rehearsing for actual shows, Michaela and I spent our free time figuring our how many songs we can do the Cotton Eyed Joe to (the answer: ANY song). You'll Stretch Together Who needs their own Flexistretcher when your roommate leaves hers in the living room all the time? You Will Talk About Dance Everyday... Did your favorite dancer upload a new video? Did your school post footage from your latest performance? There's no better person to watch with than your roommate (even when she's perfectly comfortable in her bed all by herself). ...and Gossip About Dance Drama Did a dancer that you don't think is very good get into the company? Are two other dancers fighting? Better discuss it until 1AM! Your Other Roommates Will Become Dance Experts If being friends with a dancer causes your friends to learn information that is completely irrelevant to their own lives, have them try living with two or more dancers. They'll practically be members of the company without ever having to step foot in a studio. You'll Have Someone to Walk Home from Rehearsal With and maybe-definitely- get a smoothie on the way. You'll Share Dance Clothes Don't have the right tights? I'm sure your roommate does! You'll Feel Obligated to Dance in Each Other's Pieces When Possible Even if you're not into ballet, you'll find yourself in a pink dress and ballet slippers on stage if your roommate is all for it! (Sorry Michaela) You'll Claim Ownership of Your Room Mate When Other Dancers Bring Her Up "She's so talented!" "I love her!" -Others "Thanks, she's my room mate" -Me, to at least 17 different people this semester You'll Survive Tech Week Together Tech week and performances are hard to get through on your own, so it's nice to have someone you're living with completely understand what you're going through. If You're Not in the Same Shows, You Won't Feel Weird About Going to Each Other's But you may feel added pressure when you know a dancer is in the audience watching you. You Have a Makeup Artist For Shows Can't get your false eyelashes on without gluing your eyes shut? That's what your room mate is for! You'll Forget What It's Like to Not Live With a Dancer Living at home won't be the same without someone who understands dance to complain about, gossip about, and get excited about all things dance. Here's to a great year spent with my dancer room mate and our two biggest fans...and the end of my sophomore year as a dance major at BSU! My time dancing with Classical Ballet in the Community at Bridgewater State UniversityDancing for residents of Allerton House in Hingham, MA I strongly believe that dancing should be about expressing yourself and making yourself happy. It is a time to feel free and to be overcome with joy as you execute each movement. However, it is important to recognize that your dancing can have an impact on someone else, too. Whether it be a little girl who in awe of Clara in The Nutcracker, or an older woman reminded of her first love when watching Romeo and Juliet, ballet can bring so much happiness to its audiences. At Bridgewater State University, I have had the opportunity to take a course called Classical Ballet in the Community for two semesters now. Professor Sarver developed this course as a way to bring a quality ballet repertoire to people who would otherwise not be able to see live performances (i.e. nursing homes, health care facilities). When I first registered for the course, I took it as a way to dance more, but it has become so much more than just another performance opportunity for me; it has been an opportunity for me to use my dancing to bring others joy. Classical Ballet in the Community is run like a repertoire class you might see elsewhere, but the purpose behind it is different. While it has been a great experience for me to learn new roles and variations (including Clara in The Nutcracker and Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty), it has been more important for me to see how thrilled the residents of these facilities are just to see us walk out into the performance space. They get so excited when we start to dance, and are so impressed with our pieces. One of my favorite memories was when I performed Clara's solo and a woman in the audience was humming along to the music. The people really enjoy watching us and the staff always asks us to come back again sometime soon. This current semester has been very challenging for me. I took twice as many credits as the average student, I performed in our company's show, and I choreographed a musical off campus...just to name a few extra things that I probably didn't have time for. Finding time in my schedule to go to these performances was a struggle. In addition, in this course, students take on leadership roles in some way (whether it be music, costuming, etc.), and mine was "company manager". I was in charge of keeping everything organized and communicate important information to my classmates. You can imagine that this class was a big undertaking for me, especially on top of everything else I had going on as a dance major. But seeing how excited the residents get is worth all of the effort that goes into these shows. This year (my second time in the course), we had our longest set ever, and the residents were so excited to see more from us. We expanded our repertoire and created pieces that our audiences loved. This opportunity has been a reminder to me that sometimes I have to take time away from getting things done off of my check list and do something that will benefit someone else. Regardless of how busy I was this semester, it was important for me to use my time and talent to put a smile on someone else's face. At the end of the day, our performance was probably the highlight of their days, and that is a rewarding experience to have as a dancer. I encourage all dancers out there to take advantage of any opportunities like this and bring someone else a little joy through your dancing...and if you don't have the opportunity, make your own! There are many facilities or programs that would love your company, studio, or any other kind of group to come put on a show for its members. Part of being an artist is sharing your art with others, and this was a great way for me to do so...and can be for you, too! Feel free to watch one of my dances from this year's repertoire! PS: Doing pointe on carpet is incredibly difficult. Logistically and emotionally prepare yourself if you are going to do outreach performances like this...you may have to dance in the round, in a tiny space, and on ANY kind of floor...but it's worth it to see how happy it will make your audience! "Waiting" Choreographed by Professor Audra Carabetta Part of being a dance major in any dance program is...well...dancing. Since coming to BSU, I have danced in smaller performances, but Dance Kaleidoscope 2017 was my first serious dance concert with the BSU Dance Company. I was very nervous to audition for DK. Auditions stress me out in general, and I get flustered when I feel like I don't have enough time to really learn a combination. I also get paranoid that I am only seen as a ballet dancer, and choreographers of other styles couldn't see me in their pieces. Nonetheless, I made it through the audition in one piece and was invited to dance in the show. The first piece I danced in was something completely new and different: a traditional Scottish Highland dance. The movements are very similar to Irish Step, which I have always had an appreciation for. I was excited to learn this dance, but I had no idea what I had gotten myself into. No amount of cecchetti ballet training could have prepared me for how much stamina it takes to do this dance. My legs were so sore after 90 minute rehearsals for this piece, but I can honestly say I had a lot of fun doing it. I worked with a great professor and amazing dancers and had a lot of fun jumping over a sword. It was cool to get to learn a dance completely different than my own style, and still find similarities to ballet within it. The next dance I was in was a ballet piece (!!!!!) from The Sleeping Beauty. It was the adagio from Aurora's Christening and I danced the role of Lilac Fairy. I felt totally in my element in this dance, but I have to say I was nervous about it right before going on. When you have done ballet as long as I have (and even have a blog dedicated to it ;) ), people's expectations of you doing ballet become greater. While I have performed in smaller ballet performances with BSU, this is the first ballet dance I have done on stage with the company. I wanted to live up to people's expectations, and to my own. I wanted my arabesque to be as high as I could possibly get it and not fall out of any of my turns. Ballet is so important to me, and here was my chance to do it (and be featured), so I was nervous to let anyone-including myself-down. The best advice I can give to anyone who feels pressure like this is to remind yourself of what you were like a child. I was the little girl who just wanted to put on a tutu and go on stage and be beautiful and have fun. While I was waiting in the wings, it hit me that I was about to make my little girl dreams a reality, and that at the end of the day, that was what mattered. If my younger self could look into the future and see me now, she would have been happy, regardless of how high my arabesque was or how fast I could turn. I was going on stage as a ballet dancer, and that's what my younger self would have been happy about. The final piece I danced in a contemporary/lyrical piece, and was by far one of my favorite dances that I have ever been in. This is not a style I have a lot of experience in, so learning the choreography at first was a challenge. I was concerned that I wouldn't pick it up quick enough, remember it, or look good doing it, but I'm glad I was in the piece because I ended up proving myself wrong. This dance was so beautiful and was very well received by the audience.
While it was a stressful part of my semester, Dance Kaleidoscope was a positive experience for me. I got to dance in three completely different pieces. I got better at my own style and got to experience new ones. I worked with amazing choreographers and dancers and bonded with some really great people. I am glad the show went so well, and am looking forward to doing more shows with this company. BSU should post videos of these pieces soon, but for now here are some photos from backstage! Misty Copeland is a ballerina who defied all odds when she became the first African-American to be promoted to Principal of American Ballet Theatre, the U.S.'s National Ballet Company I would like to start this article by giving credit where credit is due. George Balanchine is incredibly important to dance history and helped turn ballet into what it is today. He is considered the father of American ballet. He choreographed for Hollywood, Broadway, and various ballet companies; his repertoire includes the popular shows On Your Toes, Swan Lake, Coppelia, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and a fan favorite...The Nutcracker. One could argue that Misty Copeland would have never danced the lead role as Clara if Balanchine hadn't made the show popular in the U.S. Balanchine helped turn ballet from an unappreciated spectacle into a dignified art form in the states. He was incredibly successful, influential, and powerful in the ballet world of the early 1900's. But as Uncle Ben in Spider-Man always taught me, "with great power comes great responsibility", and in my unpopular opinion, Balanchine significantly influenced ballet for the worse, and has created more setbacks for girls like Misty Copeland than opportunities. Do you ever see a tall, skinny girl whose clavicles are sticking out of her skin and think she looks like a ballerina? Do you ever wonder why ballet dancers feel so much pressure to stay so thin that eating disorders are so prominent in the dance world? Have you ever even noticed that the majority of professional ballet dancers in this country ARE WHITE?!? There are logical explanations for all of these, and Balanchine is at the root. Here is a picture of Balanchine with his dancers... Count how many of them have breasts larger than a B cup. Count how many of them have even an inch of fat on their stomachs. Count how many of them have short legs. Count how many of them are NOT WHITE. I am not pointing this out to say that skinny white girls are any less beautiful and should not be in ballet. Although I am only 5'4", I'm not much bigger than the girls pictured here; I basically am one of them. I am a typical, thin, caucasian girl with brown hair and brown eyes. Physically, I am incredibly basic, but Balanchine wouldn't have wanted to work with me. He probably would have pressured me to lose weight in order to be one of his dancers. His demands were too much. He wanted impossibly tall (around 5'10"), thin, white women to create this aesthetic of looking light and youthful (practically prepubescent) on stage. He also expected these girls to stretch their bodies beyond the average physical limitations, another reason Balanchine wouldn't have wanted to work with me. My tendons are abnormally shorter than the average person's, so my legs can't bend as much as he would have expected them to. Even thought I almost fit the mold of one of these girls, my tiny flaws wouldn't have made the cut. Because he would not use dancers who were anything other than this, he created a standard that girls who were different couldn't dance. Any girl that had gone through puberty normally would not make it in his company. If genetics weren't on your side, forget it...being too short or too stout wouldn't cut it. And while there are other reasons that ballet is whitewashed (demographics, opportunities for dance education...all mentioned in Misty Copeland's documentary, but not the focus of this article), Balanchine not accepting girls with flat feet and toned legs (as, generally genetically speaking, African-American dancers tend to have) and only seeing white women as young and beautiful, he set the tone for a lack of diversity in American ballet. Balanchine had such a great influence on American ballet, but along the way, he managed to destroy any unique dancers' hopes and dreams. No matter how gifted a girl was, the climate of ballet that Balanchine created didn't allow room for her to share her gifts with the world. Lizzy Howell is a 15 year old dance student from Delaware, whose video went viral when the world saw that a "plus-sized" girl could do fouetté turns just as well...scratch that, BETTER THAN...other respected dancers. With ballet under the influence of Balanchine's aesthetic, Lizzy Howell would never be a professional dancer. A lot of schools wouldn't even look twice at her just because she doesn't fit Balanchine's mold. Misty Copeland went through similar struggles because of her skin color. Another African-American dancer, Michaela DePrince, who was featured in the documentary First Position (2011), faced discrimination, too. As a child, she was told she would never dance the lead role in The Nutcracker because American audiences "weren't ready for a black [Clara]". She was also told by a dance teacher that black dancers weren't worth investing in. And yet, she is an incredibly talented and beautiful ballet dancer all the same. Dutch National Ballet Soloist Michaela DePrince While ballet at its heart is both technically and artistically demanding, there is no where in its Bible that say that girls must meet the standards of Balanchine. Ballet is about telling a story with your body, defying gravity, bringing music to life, bringing joy to others, and making yourself feel beautiful. It is not about being tall, skinny, white, or even incredibly flexible...it is about how you master your body and make it look so beautiful, regardless of all these physical differences or limitations, people can't take their eyes off of you. This is why I will defend ballet until the day I die; it is not the art form that makes people feel badly about themselves...it is the directors, choreographers, teachers, producers, dancers, and audience members that can't break away from Balanchine's outdated aesthetic and see the beauty in every single human being. As a future dance educator and a member of the ballet world, I have taken a vow to get away from these ridiculous expectations and recognize every dancer's beauty and untapped talent. Ballet does not cause eating disorders and other mental illnesses and a low self-esteem...it is the people like Balanchine that do this and make ballet look bad in the process. There are so many beautiful dancers out there like the three I have mentioned, who deserve the chance to train to their full potential and go on stage and defy gravity in a pair of pointe shoes and wear a breathtaking costume and create art that will never leave its audience members' minds.
Balanchine is long dead, and it's time his aesthetic die, too. Ballet is not just for super skinny white girls (although they are welcome to dance, too!)...it is for everyone who wants to put in the work, create art, and show their inner beauty to the world. You can show your support for these dancers by following them on Instagram! Misty Copeland: @mistyonpointe or instagram.com/mistyonpointe Lizzy Howell: @lizzy.dances or instagram.com/lizzy.dances Michaela DePrince: @michaeladeprince or instagram.com/michaeladeprince A life in dance is a balancing act, just like this dancer balances his partner on his shoulder in BSUDC's WinterDance 2016! As a young dancer (specifically one in a college dance program), the harder you work and the more talented you become, the more opportunities you are going to be offered. Even if you think you're not professional dancer material, being involved with a dance program is going to take you places, and opportunities are going to come out of nowhere. While this can be a great thing and it all seems very exciting, it can be very hard to manage all of these commitments. Things could run smoothly for you, but if you have luck like mine, you will have 2 tech weeks 2 hours away from each other at the same time, and no car to get you to either place (YIKES). Being a dance major at BSU has come with opportunities and fun memories, but also stress. And- believe it or not- I have a life outside of dance, so it gets hard to schedule everything and make it all work. Nonetheless, I survived that double tech week and continue to balance my life. Here is the best advice I can give to a dance student who is struggling to balance all of his or her commitments...
Stay Organized Buy a planner. Even if you think you can remember everything, just jot it down in your phone, or do without one, buy one anyways...and use it! Having a physical book of your schedule gives you a visual for when you are free and when you are not. Plus, this is a convenient way to pencil in all of your assignments during class time. Things are going to get hectic if you are going to take on multiple projects, but your planner can be your crutch to make sure everything gets done (and make sure things aren't accidentally scheduled at the same time!) Prioritize When you're this busy, you are going to have to decide which commitments are more important. For dance students, this would probably mean dance classes take top priority, then other academic classes, work, and any other extracurricular activities. While you are trying to make EVERYTHING work, there are going to be times where you have to choose between spending your time one way or another. For example, I might take more time off of work to make time for rehearsals for an upcoming dance concert. It is important to remember which activities are most important to you, and why. Keep in mind your long term goals, and which opportunities will help you achieve those in the long run. While I am all for having interests and fun off the dance floor, it is important to remember why you are a dance student in the first place; dance is a full time commitment, and all of the work you do in dance now will help you down the road. Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help You are going to need help to get through a hectic semester (and quite frankly, a hectic life). Your schedules are probably going to conflict at some point, so it is important to reach out to your superiors for help and guidance to come up with a solution to make everything work...but that's what they're here for! You can even ask your friends and family for help...something as small as a ride home or a snack in between rehearsals can go a long way. Build a support system that is here to SUPPORT you, not stress you out any more than you already are. Pick and Choose With great opportunities comes great responsibility; you can't spread yourself too thin, because it is not fair to the people you're working with to not give your best effort. Even if you don't feel busy now, there will come a time where you have to say no to certain things. This is perfectly normal. You just have to decide which opportunities have your heart, and which you can live without. Enjoy the Little Things Finding quiet time for yourself is important for any student, but it will seem less and less possible the busier you become. Make your little moments in your day become your quiet time to just collect your thoughts and breathe a little easier. Daily showers and listening to music while walking across campus are two ways I find time to think and be on my own. It is also important to make fun where you can. Yes, you are busy and need to stay focused, but don't be afraid to have fun during rehearsals and bond with the people you're working with. No opportunity is going to seem worth it if you don't make any happy memories. As Tim Gunn says...MAKE IT WORK! Do not pass up opportunities just because you are scared of being busy and stressed. If you push through the hard times and stay focused, you can do it. Believe in yourself, get creative, improvise, and be flexible in order to make magic happen. Throw some granola bars in your backpack, keep an extra leotard in your car, and do whatever it takes to make your dreams a reality. Accept Imperfection When setting up a busy schedule, note that not everything is going to go exactly according to plan. There are going to be night where you get home from rehearsal at 10pm, have three hours of homework left to do, and class at 9am, but you haven't eaten dinner yet and you desperately need to shower. You have to be aware that not every day is perfect, and not everything you do during this time in your life is going to be perfect, either. You might run late to a rehearsal or forget to bring the right costume, but what matters is that you try your best and know how to cope when things don't go right. In the long run, you learn more from balancing all of your commitments and planning, organizing, doing work for all of your activities than you will in one activity alone. A career in dance often means working multiple jobs, running around, making things up as you go along, staying organized, squeezing things in, and finding creative solutions. Always remember that at the end of the day, you are doing what you love and working to achieve your goals, so the rest of this chaos doesn't matter. Don't brace yourself for the busyness...just accept it and go with the flow. Photo from Dance Teacher Finder Some people are born leaders, while others must learn how to pass their knowledge on to others. Whether you believe it not, teaching is a hard profession. It is a huge commitment and the fate of a teacher's students are in his or her hands at all times. Teaching any subject- especially dance- can be hard at times. It can also be a challenge for students to find the right teacher for them. Some teachers work well with one kind of student, while others struggle under his or her leadership. Teachers set the precedent for what their classrooms will be like through their approaches to teaching: they will either be teacher-centered, or student-centered.
Teacher-centered teachers enter a classroom with one pre-set method of teaching and their own interest in mind. Teacher-centered teachers are going to teach one way and one way only...and they expected their students to either learn from it or fail and find someone else to teach them. Teacher-centered learners are very interested into molding their students into what they want them to be and have them learn from their teaching style. In the dance world, the tell tales sign of these kinds of teachers are ones who only teach choreography one way, teachers who are more interested as using their students as a platform to showcase their own work, rather than give students choreography in which they can learn and grow from, and teachers who are more interested in getting their own names out there, rather than promoting their students. Student-centered teachers are teachers who are first and foremost interested in their students' growth and learning. Student-centered teachers don't know exactly how their classrooms will be until they enter them...they will adapt their teaching methods and classroom structure to what the students need. Student-centered dance teachers will help all students learn choreography. For example, teaching choreography can be adapted to the three main learning styles. Visual learners will want to see choreography done by someone else so they can copy the movements they see. Auditory learners will benefit from hearing the sequence of steps and/or counts and repeating them either out loud or mentally to then execute the movements. Kinesthetic learners will need to practice the choreography over and over again to get it into their muscle memories. Some choreographers are willing to teach in different ways, while others will teach it one way and expect students to rewire their brains in order to learn. Lastly, student-centered teachers are more interested in their students' success than their own. This is very prominent outside of the four walls of a dance studio. For example, if a student gets the opportunity to dance for a professional company, go to an elite training program, or have any other opportunity to further his or her dance education, a student-centered dance teacher will not feel betrayed that the student is seeking an opportunity that is not from said teacher...the teacher will be happy that the student will have the chance to grow and learn in a new way. While some students have found success in teacher-centered classrooms, it is hard to guarantee that self-centered teachers will truly be the best fit for a student. Student-centered teachers will not be perfect, but they can be trusted because you know that they always have their students' best interest at heart. For dance teachers, it is important to realize why you are teaching dance in the first place: do you want to watch your students succeed, or are you just interested in making a name for yourself? For dancers/parents of dancers, it is important to look for qualities in a dance teacher that prove to you that the teacher's priorities are in fact their students. When looking for a teacher, don't focus on how many trophies they have won or how many shows they've danced in...look for the time, attention, and love that the students have received from their teacher. They may not always get it right, but they will do their best to help their students succeed and help preserve their love of dance. And that is what matters. I would like to thank all of the student-centered teachers I have had in my life (both dance and other subjects). You have truly made a difference. For a friend
A few days ago I tweeted some opinion of mine about who knows what and one of my favorite teachers replied and said that I was very wise. While I don't consider myself to be any wiser than anyone else, I do believe I have gone through enough life crises to gives words of encouragement to others. As an aspiring dance teacher, I take pride in inspiring others and encouraging them to follow their dreams. So if you are feeling down, hopeless, or unsure of your next move (pun intended)...please keep reading. People suck. There is no professional or classier way to spell that out. People are going to tear you down, discourage you, try to make you become something you're not, and worst of all, lead you to hate dance. Well let me tell you the one thing that keeps me motivated every damn day... you can't let anyone take your love of dance away from you. Whether you lose a competition, don't get the role you were hoping for (does playing the role of "water" sound appealing to you?), don't get into the program you dreamed of being in, failed an exam, are stuck in choreographer's block, or are told you're not good enough, you're not wanted, or you're simply never going to make it, you cannot forget why you're putting yourself through this in the first place. Ballet is hard. All dance is hard. Any art form is hard. Quite frankly, living is hard when chasing your dream becomes less possible as the days go on and the NEA gets unfunded and your knees start to give out again. You are dancing for a reason. You need an outlet to express yourself. You need to feel beautiful. You need to create art. You need to be happy. You need to be alive. You need to dance. Y o u n e e d t o l i v e. Your love of dance is what is going to get you through this life. Life is going to be hard no matter what path you take. But that passion, that drive, that love for your art is what is going to be that light off in the distance, that firefly you try to capture in a jar in hopes to keep some of its beauty for yourself for a little while longer. There is nothing more beautiful than a young artist chasing his dream because he knows it's his purpose in life. There's this line from this musical that goes, "the opposite of war isn't peace; it's creation". In this world full of student loans and heartbreaks and hurricanes and political unrest and inequality and abuse and struggle and fear and pain, we need art. We need art to make the world beautiful when it's falling apart. We need art to express our pain and joy. We need art to l i v e. What you're doing is important. It is as important as doctors and lawyers and educators and police officers and soldiers and dare I say politicians. Whatever criticism you receive and whatever struggles you may be facing in your dance career will one day be a distant memory of that one time you went over a speed bump in that parking lot you'll never remember. The last quote which I can't post on the internet enough times is from a song by this band that goes, "you are what you love, not who loves you". No matter what opportunities and adorations you do or do not receive, you are your love of dance. It is a beautiful poem written on your soul that cannot be erased from your soul. People and life are going to try to erase it but it's engraved so deeply it just can't be. Whenever this happens, I simply grande battement life in the ass when it tries to tell me dance isn't going to work out or isn't what I should be doing. Dance is my l i f e and I don't mean it in the sense that I'm going to get a cheesy shirt from Delia's that says it but in the sense that it is the reason I am alive, and it is when I am alive. Live to dance another day. Dance to live another day. Ignore the disjointedness of this piece of writing and just follow your dreams. If you don't, you will end up in a cubicle with a lot of "what if"'s and "could have should have would have"'s. End the war in your mind and in your heart by creating art by dancing. Happy dancing, my friends. -Becca The Legendary Radio City Rockettes Dailyherald.com Please note: Ballet with Becca in not politically affiliated in any way. We celebrate all viewpoints and opinions as long as they are not harmful to others.
The dance world was thrown into a frenzy last December when it was announced that the legendary Radio City Rockettes would perform at president-elect Donald Trump's Presidential Inauguration this month. There was a lot of back in forth about whether or not they were being forced to perform and questions about whether or not they could or should boycott the event. Here's what my research on the controversy has concluded: 1) The Rockettes were asked to perform for the event. The Company accepted this invitation. 2) Both and article and a widely quoted Instagram post were published saying that the full-time Rockettes were contractually obligated to perform. 3) The world was shaken by these first two facts. Before the election, a video was released that featured the then candidate saying degrading things about women and about how he touches them without their consent. People who were not in favor of the candidate compare the video to the Rockette fiasco, saying that women being forced to dance for this man is just a repetition of the gruesome video and is not how they want the U.S.'s next four years to begin. 4) The management of the Rockettes released a statement claiming that the dancers would not be forced to perform. 5) Another message from the management was forwarded to the New York Times, claiming that the full time dancers were in fact contractually obligated to perform. 6) There is no way to tell what really goes on behind the curtains between the Rockettes and their management, but nonetheless they will be dancing at Trump's Inauguration. At the end of the day, there are things that go in a professional dancer's life that the world will never understand. We don't know what is stated in their contracts and we don't know what goes on between them and their bosses. However, we can conclude that even if they are not being forced to perform at this particular event, like any other job, their bosses will not be thrilled with them if they chose to boycott. The performing arts are a dog eat dog world, and there are a thousand girls just like you ready to take your hard earned spot the minute you miss a beat. Even if those girls are not being forced to dance, you sure as hell can bet they are feeling the pressure to. This, of course, raises a moral question...should they be forced or pressured to dance at an event supporting something that goes against their beliefs? This shouldn't even be a question. No one should be forced to do something that feels immoral to them. But that is a separate issue that has more to do with management than the Rockettes themselves. It's time we put ourselves in their golden tap shoes and look at their options. To dance or not dance...that is the question. The dilemma with this question is that many of us are unsure of what's really going on here. We see girls dancing for either a strongly admired or strongly disdained man. We only see it three-dimensionally; we fail to see what's going on in the dancers' minds, bodies, and hearts. Worst of all...we see this one event changing dancers' entire careers. If a girl was to walk away (if she is contractually allowed to) just because she doesn't want to dance at this event, she is making her dancing about him. She is saying that if she doesn't dance for him, she doesn't dance at all (as in, she gives up her career because of him). While I am no professional dancer and only have 20 years of life to backup my "wisdom", I have to say there is no human being on the face of the earth worth giving up dance- or any passion for that matter- for. When the Rockettes perform at the inauguration, even those girls who are truly against him and what he stands for are not dancing for Trump. They are dancing so that they can dance another day. They are dancing for all the little girls who dream of being one of them someday. Most importantly, they are dancing for themselves because they are fulfilling their lifelong dream. Some dancers would walk away from their art because of a controversy like this. If she feels like that is what she needs to do in order to express her opinions and stand up for herself and her beliefs, she has every right to do so and we can't blame her for that. But we also have to remember that when we assume the girls are either in favor of the president-elect or are too weak to boycott the event, we are wrong. Standing up for what you believe in is crucial for an artist, but that can be done by dancing another day. Some might compare it to Hairspray, when Tracy Turnblad risks losing up her spot dancing on The Corny Collins Show because she protests for equal rights, but the difference is is that that protest negatively affected the network. The Rockettes' absence from Trump's inauguration won't bother him in the slightest...it will only be one more way his actions negatively impacted those dancers' lives. Long story short, we cannot judge the Rockettes for the decisions they make regarding this topic. In today's society, artists are obligated to keep their craft alive by any means possible. Who knows...maybe their tap dancing will inspire Trump to give more funding to the arts (a girl can dream, right?). As Eva in the film Center Stage said, "I'm not dancing for them anymore, I'm dancing for me". What the dancers think is the best way to make their statements and spread their art is up to them to decide and we have to trust their decisions. And to all dancers...while you're dancing through life, remember the only person you ever have to truly dance for is you. |
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September 2020
Offline Updates7/16 Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the showcase I was selected to choreograph for at NYU was unfortunately cancelled. However, I was able to turn my work into a mini-documentary about the choreographic process and art prevailing during these trying times. You can watch my video my clicking the button below!
9/18 Follow my new Instagram just for my dance things!
12/23 I was one of NDEO's Guest Bloggers this year! Read "Teaching is a Vocation. Not a Fallback" on their Behind the Curtain Blog!
9/27 I will be presenting my research at the National Dance Education Organization National Conference next week! See my research project by clicking the button below!
4/15 While working on PMA's production of The Addams Family, I got to combine my two favorite styles of dance (ballet and musical theatre) for "The Moon and Me"! Watch my talented students dance by clicking the button below!
2/20 I am choreographing PMA Theatre Guild's Production of The Addams Family! Come see these amazing high school students perform at Presentation of Mary Academy in Methuen, MA April 13 & 14! Tickets available at the door.
2/20 I am stage managing BSU's Dance Kaleidoscope this year! Show dates are March 29-31 at Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, MA. Come see this student choreography showcase!
11/5 I will once again be dancing in a BSUDC concert! Tickets to WinterDance are now available!
8/24 NDEO's National Honor Society for Dance Arts has published one of my articles in their newsletter! Read an updated version of "Audition Advice" here:
5/16 Interested in learning about movement concepts? Visit Becca's new Educational Dance website!
5/8 BSU Dance Company's Dance Kaleidoscope 2017 is now on Youtube! You can watch my performances by visiting the VIDEOS page!
4/23 I recently performed for the residents of Allerton House in Hingham, MA! You can watch part of my performance here!
Amesbury Children's Theatre presents...James and the Giant Peach Jr, featuring choreography by me! Click for tickets!
2/8 My piece "Barefoot" is now available to watch online! Click to watch!
2/5 Happy to say I have been cast in BSU Dance Company's Spring concert Dance Kaleidoscope! I will be dancing in 3 faculty choreographed pieces, including excerpts from The Sleeping Beauty in which I will be dancing the role of Lilac Fairy! Show dates are March 31-April 1 at Bridgewater State University.
Click the button for more info! 1/15 Ballet with Becca is now on Facebook! Click to visit the page, and be sure to like it while you're there!
1/14 I am happy to say I will be attending artEmotion's summer intensive in June! I will be dancing in the one week artEmotion Adult Program. If anyone would like to join or audition for any other artEmotion program, visit their website!
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