• My First Musical, Part I: The audition
• My First Musical, Part II: In which I am cast, have to make a tough decision, and begin rehearsals

~~

We finally started learning the choreography after a few weeks of vocal rehearsal. It was a very exciting day for me; after all, it was the whole reason I had embarked on this project. Of a cast of 36, five women and two men had been cast as dancers. All but one of the women were significantly younger than me (teens/early 20s), and I was the oldest, and also the only one who did not have years of ballet training under her belt. This became a source of apprehension when the choreography turned out to be largely ballet-based, rather than in a more familiar idiom to me such as jazz or salsa.

In the projects I've been involved in, I now realize I was spoon-fed the choreography. The sequences would be taught in small sections over the course of a month or more, going back over each section to make sure it was solid before embarking on the next. On the other hand, our big dance number for the show was taught to us in its entirety in the space of two hours. No doubt this is how the pros do it, but I'm most definitely an amateur and I quickly realized I was going to have to up my game.

We were basically expected to have learned the choreography in that one session. In the next practice, the singing and non-dancing parts were added in. We would come back to a few rough patches just a couple times more, but we never went through the piece more than twice in any subsequent rehearsal. Add to this my own personal paranoias about being too old, too inflexible, too slow to pick up choreography, and too weak ballet technique, I entered a several-week crisis of self esteem. At each practice I thought to myself that there must have been some mistake and they were probably regretting casting me as a dancer. One day, I misread a new version of the casting sheet that was handed out and thought they had replaced me on another dance number due to my poor progress on the first one. As it turns out, I had looked at the wrong line and I was still in there, but my deflated brain was playing tricks on me.

What did I do to address these insecurities and limitations I was mired in? In addition to practicing in any spare moment (at least the parts I could remember without help), I changed my dance class schedule. Rehearsal was four days a week, and on the other days I had the energy I attended basic ballet classes in an attempt to focus my technique and apply any new insights or knowledge to the choreography. I also took every opportunity to ask my fellow dancers questions about the choreography and technique in general. Finally, the assistant choreographer offered me the opportunity for a one-on-one hour in which to polish the combination, which made a huge difference. With just about two weeks to go to opening night, I finally felt comfortable with the choreography, and with just a few days to spare, was able to relax into it enough add my own personal style and be more aware of all that was going on around me.

Why was this such an emotionally trying process for me? Well, there was a lot of truth in my insecurities-- it was harder for me than the younger, more experienced dancers. Also, I am a perfectionist by nature and I hold myself to a high standard. Even if my pay or job are not on the line (keeping in mind this is a volunteer, community production and I have no real career aspirations in this area), I always want to do the best possible job I can. I don't want to let anyone down-- not my fellow cast members, not the production staff, and not the people who come to see the show. I don't want to let myself down either, thinking I could have practiced more or tried harder. That said, seeing myself rise above those barriers in the end made the whole undertaking extremely gratifying. While I'm not the best, I'm my best, and in the end I'm dancing for me, because I love doing it, period.

Stay tuned for more installments on putting all the elements of the show together and the performances.

Jazz Dancing:

Jazz dancing is a form of dance that showcases a dancer's individual style and originality. Every jazz dancer interprets and executes moves and steps in their own way. Jazz dancing is energetic and fun, consisting of unique moves, fancy footwork, big leaps and quick turns. To excel in jazz, dancers need a strong background in ballet, as it encourages grace and balance.

What to Wear:

The atmosphere of a typical jazz class is casual and relaxed, so dancers are more free to select their own clothing. A dancer's body lines need to be visible, however, so baggy clothes are generally discouraged. Tights and leotards are fine, but most jazz dancers prefer to wear jazz or dance pants. Jazz pants are usually boot-cut or flared styles, as tight bottoms would restrict ankle movement. Tops usually worn for jazz include form-fitting tank tops, t-shirts or leotards.

Jazz Shoes:

Check with your teacher before buying jazz shoes, as many classes have preferences. Some teachers prefer classic jazz shoes, which resemble ballet slippers, while other teachers like their students to dance barefoot or in socks.

Class Structure:

A good jazz class explodes with energy. With music styles ranging from hip-hop to show tunes, the beat alone will get you moving. Most jazz teachers begin with a thorough warm-up, then lead the class in a series of stretching exercises and isolation movements. Isolations involve moving one part of the body while the rest of the body remains still. Jazz dancers also practice the art of suspension. Suspension involves moving through positions instead of stopping and balancing in them. Most jazz teachers will end the class with a short cool down to help prevent muscle soreness.

Jazz Positions:

Certain body positions have become universally known and used in jazz classes. The basic jazz positions for the feet are the same five positions used in ballet, except that the feet point to the front instead of out to the sides. Jazz dancing also incorporates certain arm movements borrowed from ballet, but distinctive to jazz is the "jazz hand." In a jazz hand, the arm is straight but the fingers are spread wide open.

Jazz Moves:

In a jazz class, dancers are encouraged to "spice up" the steps they are taught, adding their own personality to make them unique and fun. Jazz steps include basic turns including chaines, piques, pirouettes, jazz turns, and some ballet turns, to name a few. Leaps include grande jetes, turning jumps, and tour jetes. Signature to jazz dancing is the "jazz walk." Jazz walks can be performed in many different styles. Another popular jazz move is the "contraction." A contraction is accomplished by contracting at the torso, with the back curved outward and the pelvis pulled forward.

Pioneers of Jazz Dance:

Considered the father of jazz dance technique, Jack Cole developed techniques that are used today in musicals, films, television commercials and videos. His style emphasized isolations, rapid directional changes, angled placement and long knee slides.

Winning eight Tony awards for choreography, Bob Fosse was a musical theater choreographer and director, and a film director. Characteristic of his dance style are inward knees, rounded shoulders and full-body isolations.

Considered a founder of jazz dance, Gus Giordano was a master teacher and gifted choreographer. His dance style has influenced modern jazz dancing.

Article from http://dance.about.com/od/typesofdance/p/Jazz.htm

The Tony Award nominees were announced today and the cat in the front was so excited he threw his feather headdress in the air and made some purrfect jazz hands. The black cat in the background is all like, "Fosse is sooo two decades ago, it's all about salsa and hip hop on Broadway now. Let me see you shake your caderas."

In the Heights, a musical featuring some amazing salsa and hip hop dancing (at least from the youtube clips I've seen) that has broken the mold for Tony nominees, leading the pack with 13 nominations. I've been so excited to see it and now these accolades will ensure that I'll have to wait even longer to snag tickets. Dear Producers, let it be known that I will shamelessly promote your musical on this blog if you comp me tickets to In the Heights. I would like to see Celia as well.

Dance/MetroDC is proud to present our second annual Dance Is The Answer event! During National Dance Week 2008, area nonprofit dance organizations have united to introduce, energize and excite the public to the benefits of dance. From April 25-May 4, 2008, over 120 free classes, performances, workshops and open rehearsals will be available from over 30 organizations to help you experience that Dance Is The Answer.

For listings of Free Classes and Workshops, click here.
For listings of Free Performances and Open Rehearsals, click here.

A special thank you to all our participating organizations:

American Dance Institute, Rockville, MD
AVAdance, Washington, DC
Bowen McCauley Dance, Arlington, VA
BlackRock Center for the Arts, Germantown, MD
Capitol Movement Inc., Washington, DC
CityDance Ensemble, Washington, DC and N. Bethesda, MD
ClancyWorks Dance Company, Silver Spring, MD
Capitol Region Educators of Dance Organization, Washington, DC
Dance Place, Washington, DC
DC Dance Collective, Washington, DC
Dhoonya Dance, Arlington, VA
Expressions Dance Theatre, Clinton, MD
Dream in Color Dance Studio, Alexandria, VA
Harman Center for the Arts, Washington, DC
Indian Dance Educators Association, Washington, DC
Jane Franklin Dance, Arlington, VA
Joe’s Movement Emporium, Mt. Rainier, MD
Joy of Motion Dance Center, Washington, DC and Bethesda, MD
Kathy Harty Gray Dance Theatre, Alexandria, VA
Knock on Wood Tap Studio, Silver Spring, MD
Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Takoma Park, MD
Maryland Youth Ballet, Silver Spring, MD
Mason/Rhynes Productions, Washington, DC
Momentum Dance Theatre, Washington, DC
National Dance Educators Organization, Washington, DC
Publick Playhouse, Cheverly, MD
Sitar Arts Center, Washington, DC
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C.
The Washington Ballet, Washington, DC

Das Bild mit Jette ist von Franzls Jugendweihe am Samstag. War eine schöne Fete mit vielen Kindern, leckerem Essen und einer leider fast ungenutzten Karaokemaschine.

Heute war auch schon wieder viel los. Alle drei Mädels haben Ringelröteln und wir waren pflichtgemäß gleich heut früh beim Arzt. Nach der üblichen Hausarbeit, Recherche usw. durften wir am Nachmittag die gerade in der Kita aktuellen Lieder trällern. Beim Jazz-Dance (schön!) kam ich heut richtig ins schwitzen, nicht nur weil ich zu spät war, und muss mich erst einmal duschen gehen. Ach ja, Jorid hat ein blaues Auge (naja, fast), weil sie von Evas Kumpel Lunis eine Rassel an den Kopf bekommen hat. So, jetzt muss ich aber!

A student in ballet cannot learn the art in isolation and no one can know what great dancing is without seeing examples of it. Not only can the dancer not be separated from the dance, she also cannot be separated from the history of dancing, from the line of dancers and teachers leading to her.

This is a quote taken from an article written in Dance Magazine in 1995 regarding the film The Dancer.  This sentiment holds true not just for ballet students (and females), but for dancers in general.  So, in honor of National Dance Week, I wanted to offer ways in which teachers of dance can include dance history in their everyday classes.  

I know how hard it is sometimes to fit it all in.  As a dance instructor I often find myself pressed for time in getting across just the technical principles of dance to my students, let alone guidance in music, vocabulary, and other areas vital to performance and execution. However, having experienced the degree to which understanding the evolution of dance enhanced and improved my own performance and desire to achieve proficiency within my classes, I know that it is important to draw attention to this "line of dancers" (past and present) whenever possible.

Here is an article that addresses this issue in the teaching of jazz dance.  It offers a few methods of incorporating history into dance education:

1. Connect the movements you teach to dance history.
2. Bring in master teachers of unfamiliar combinations or styles.
3. Use visuals - posters, artwork, videos.
4. Host special events that encourage an interest in dance history.

The article goes into detail specific to jazz dance, but these small actions can easily be applied to any dance style. Below are some ideas:

Connecting dance movements to history can be as simple as tossing out facts during class that get the students thinking about the origins of what they are doing.  For example, as you correct your student's turnout, mention that dancers initially began to turn out their legs when ballet made it's way from the royal court to the proscenium stage.  Better yet, ask them to use critical thinking skills to see if they know why dancers may use turnout and then go into it's history.  Or, when working on fouette turns, explain that  Pierina Legnani was the first to perform 32 consecutive fouettes en tournant.  The students may not remember everything you tell them, but you may be surprised at how much of these tidbits they do retain.

I know that master teachers can sometimes be hard to come by in certain areas, but re-creating famous or historical works from video can be fun and exciting for student dancers.  One summer a workshop was held at my hometown studio that focused on the work of Alvin Ailey.  The dancers learned portions of Ailey's Revelations (skirts, fans, and all) from video and, although we could not benefit from a master to teach us the dance, I recall a sense of excitement, accomplishment, and commitment to the choreography as the dancers re-created this landmark work.  Exercises like this will reward the students with satisfaction in knowing they executed the same movements as the professionals, and may encourage them in working to perform with as much accuracy and dedication.

Consider what kind of artwork you display at your dance school.  I've noted that many studios throughout my teaching career have displayed only a) cute teddy bears and bunnies in tutus, b) the awards and trophies of their own dancers, or c) pictures of the studio owner in all his/her glory.  And, while I think it is important to recognize the hard work of the dancers and show the experience and accomplishments of the teachers (I'm not sure I can find a way to justify the bunnies... sorry), to instill in your dancers a sense of the scope, importance, and history of movement arts, I encourage you to look for visual representations that will inspire them to look beyond the little bubble of their own studio. If you teach children, it's ok to show children dancing (including pictures of your own students) on your walls but give them something to aspire to, as well.

Hosting an event can be as simple as movie viewing parties at the studio or as elaborate as taking a field trip to a nearby city for a dance performance.  Some of the most eye-opening experiences of my life as a young dancer were traveling away from my hometown with my classmates to view dance and musical theatre productions, attend conventions/conferences, and visit art museums. Opportunities like this allow a student to understand dance in a wider context and will inspire them to reach higher in their classes.

If you need to brush up on your own knowledge of dance history, the following texts may be helpful: Ballet & Modern Dance: A Concise History, Jazz Dance: The Story Of American Vernacular Dance, Tap Roots: The Early History of Tap Dancing, Ballet in Western Culture: A History of Its Origins and Evolution, and Moving History/Dancing Cultures: A Dance History Reader.

If you are a student and want to find ways of expanding your knowledge of dance history (it really does improve your dancing), try these tips.

• Use school projects like book reports, oral presentations, and writing exercises as opportunities to research and discover dance history.
• Join websites and blogs that offer historical dance facts and resources.
• Make it a point to see other dancers perform whenever possible - when your family vacations check out dance in the area or even take classes and rent dance videos (don't forget your local public or college library may have videos available).
• Read biographies of dance artists, texts about dance throughout time, and profiles of famous dance works.

Let me know your thoughts!  Are there other ways to include history in your dancers' education?

This is my Jazz Dancing Queen in her Jazz Recital Dance.  (This is just a dress rehearsal type of thing.)  She is the tall, thin blonde in glasses, in the second row, the first one on the left (she's in between the two girls in the first row).  I tried to keep her in the center of the picture.  Do you like the Pebbles costume?

Mrs. V (Who is slowly, but surely getting the hang of all of this!)

To do so, I am looking for anyone with web development and graphic design skills to assist in the running of the backend, as well as the designing and launch of the site.  Please contact me at carl (at) jazzdanceblog (dot) com for more information.

If you are a writer or blogger interested in submitting articles, or a photographer or videographer interested in submitting media, please contact me at carl (at) jazzdanceblog (dot) com.

In this number, Ninotcha (Charisse), a Soviet spy, gives into her temptation to taste the decadent sartorial delights of Paris.

here is the second part of the number

In this scene, Ninotcha and her fellow former spies relive their love for the joyous Parisian life in their shared Soviet digs.

It's a pity that there aren't any musicals like this any more. By that, I mean that musicals from this time had long, uninterrupted shots of the dance numbers so you could really appreciate the choreography and the skill of the dancer. Dance movies today are edited MTV-style, with cuts every 5 seconds or so. As a result, the quality of the dance is less the ability of the dancer or the choreography, and more in the editing.

I seem to be in a writer's slump - that is, a blogger's slump, which is pretty ironic considering that I proudly declared in my last post that I always have something to say about dance. Although I recently saw a great program at New York City Ballet, I haven't been able to formulate my thoughts into something worth posting just yet. So for now, I'd like to share a video that will have you laughing in no time, and wondering why Jazzercise isn't as popular today as it was in 1982. I encourage you to get out of your computer chair and "find that boogie body". You'll feel great! Jazzercise, by the way, is definitely a legitimate form of dance.

After that, there was a Jazz dance (more lyrical related) class given by Concordia University dance alumni student, Anika. She started off the class with some yoga stretches which were also very painful for my body though they did good to it. Jazz dance, in such contrast with break dance, is more elegant and lighter. The technique was obviously very different from break dancing and swing. And yet again, I was able to find a few similarities between Jazz dance and my Swing, the "kick-ball-change" for example. It was altogether another great chance. I must discover the elegance in me!

Then, I ended my Friday typically at Cat's Corner, home! It felt great to be myself again, doing my thing. Swing music is really outgoing, free and joyful. There are many reasons why I prefer partnered dancing. I see solo dances as the dancer expressing his message to the outside world, his audience. Partnered dancing is like a conversation of two, and together, you draw others in and make them want to be part of your conversation too. That is what I like, living the wonderful experience of dancing simultaneously with another and not by myself.

Here's a video of Max Pitruzella and Thomas Blancharz (two very known dancer in the world Swing scene) doing a funny routine. I chose this video because it shows the outgoing and happy side of Lindy Hop.

For the So You Think You Can Dance lovers (like myself), here are Hok, Dominic and Sabra doing a break dance choreography during their Tour in Cleveland, Ohio.

Lastly, I found this great video of a girl doing Jazz dance. Notice the elegance and peace of this style.

Yesterday on the way home from MTC, we got hit from behind. The stooge left the scene. Everything worked out; the police officer went to the guy's house. I found out that the guy denied everything and tried to fix the scratches on his car. He's getting charged with hit-and-run. I think we're going to court. *eek* My left side under my ribs is a bit sore from the impact. But umm...yeah. Not cool!

It's been a frustrating day; lack of communication at work. I wasn't in the social kind of mood so when certain people were "trying" to talk to me. I got into that "yucky you-know-what" mood. I wasn't having any of it. I did laugh a lot all day thanks to Pep, Tom, and David. They are great.

Stress is definitely taking a hold of me. I couldn't go out to Pep's house to hang out with her and Grace tonight. Just wasn't going to work out. Anywhooo...dance class was great. We worked on a street jazz combination. It isn't my strongest style but I'll make it happen.

<3

It samples the Herbie Hancock song Cantaloop Island, add to that some rapping (although there's no rapping on this version) and some funky jazz trumpet playing and you end up with a great piece of music. It was on an album called Hand on the Torch which was produced by Blue Note Records, it was Blue Note's first platinum selling album.

It's one of those songs that's had many different mixes, some better than others, but the version I'm posting here is my favourite mix of the song, it's the instrumental version... the one I heard at the Santana concert. It's a great party song, very up beat and features more of that wonderful trumpet.., played by the English jazz trumpeter Gerard Presencer.., very classy.

This one ranks very highly in the desert island collection, music to get you in a good mood and put a smile on your face. It's still a very popular song and is used on lots of TV stuff, a song that everyone knows... and it's brilliant, especially at getting you in the mood for a concert as I remember.

[audio http://sq.txdnl.com/mwt/g/r/o/o/grooverider/playlists/194479/1584453.mp3]

She said her husband, the singer Tony Martin, could always tell with whom she was dancing. "If I was black and blue," she said, "it was Gene. And if it was Fred, I didn't have a scratch."

(from the NYT Obituary)

I said in my last post that I'd be writing about a new challenge I've embarked on and the new experiences and lessons that have come with it. What is it you ask? Ok, the title of this post gives it away, but all I have to say, is: Broadway, get ready, 'cause I'm on my way! Not so fast, this is community theater.

A little while back, a coworker who's heavily involved in community theater forwarded me an audition announcement. They were looking for dancers. The musical, only one of my favorites of all time, was one that I knew backwards and forwards, having listened to the soundtrack a bazillion times with my sister when we were younger.

It was an opportunity I'd sort of been waiting for in the back of my mind. Unless you count being in the orchestra pit in high school way back in the day, I'd never done theater before. A lot of musicals have some amazing dancing, and they look like so much fun. More fun than some of the dance performances I've been involved with, dare I say...I figured the dancing in it would be latin-ish, so I might have something to bring to the table. The one catch was that I would have to sing, but my coworker assured me I just needed to be able to carry a tune. That I can do, though I can't speak to the quality.

Bottom line: I had nothing to lose and figured the audition process would be a fun experience that would fortify me for the future. I had absolutely no expectation of making the cut. In the end, I think this gave me the ability to be relaxed and to be myself.

First, I had to pick a song. I've got a low range, so I went with Big Spender from Sweet Charity. Another good choice, as it allowed me to show my sassy side. I downloaded the sheet music and the song and sang along with it a bunch of times by way of practicing.

When I got to the audition I had to fill out a form stating availability, experience, part auditioning for (dancer, of course), and some other stuff including my "age range," basically the ages I felt I could convincingly portray. I asked about this and was advised to go ten years younger and ten older. As I waited to be called I asked the other auditioners if they had any advice, since it was my first time. "Be charismatic" seemed to be the main tip.

I'd asked my friend if I should dress the part, and she told me not to as you don't know what they have in mind, so it's best to be a blank slate. When I got there, all the women seemed to be wearing red dresses (going with the latin-ish theme). Though I was dressed to dance, I was also funnily enough wearing a red shirt with black pants.

We were brought into the audition room in a group of five. I was to go last. As each person finished their audition, they left the room, so I actually auditioned in front of the judges only. I'm not sure if that helped my nerves or not, but I focused on charisma, and tried to move as naturally as I could while singing, despite having noticed the others stood still while they sang. Then again, none of the others seemed to be trying for a dancing part. A couple sashays and arm flourishes actually elicited a couple saucy "oohs" from the judges so I think that tactic worked. After the singing, the judges were most concerned about rehearsal and performance conflicts. One girl immediately got cut because she would be in Greece for a month during rehearsals (duh). After that was verified, each person was asked to do a chaine. Except for me-- they said since I was a dancer I obviously knew how to do chaines and I could do choreography during callbacks.

I was a little miffed that I was all dressed to dance and couldn't even do a chaine, but also a little psyched because it seemed I was making callbacks. Sure enough, the call came pretty soon that I was to attend callbacks a few days later. That's when I started getting nervous. I hadn't actually planned on making it that far!

At the callback, all those trying out for lead and dance parts had to learn a combination. It was moderately challenging and technical and took me a couple times to learn fully. Definitely more ballet than latin. I thanked my lucky stars I've been going to ballet class lately. Thinking back to the advice I got, I tried to focus on charisma, and on really nailing the moves that felt natural to me. It was impossible to tell what was going on-- there were a number of expressionless judges and they kept assigning people to different places in the lines and moving the lines back and front. I have no idea how they kept track of anything, nobody even appeared to be taking notes. They may have been but it almost seemed they were going on memory alone.

I should note that there were tons of women that auditioned and not so many men. The dancing of the men left, for the most part, much to be desired. It was clear that as usual, the fiercest competition in dance is among women.

After the dancing portion, everyone else was brought into the room and we had to sing an excerpt from one of the show's big choral numbers. No harmonizing was required, and the director moved rather quickly through the room to see how each person was blending with the group. Again, no visible note taking. I have no idea how they did that with so many people trying out. It was eerie.

At that point the audition was over. . .I honestly had very few expectations for myself. Not because I thought I did a bad job, but because I've never done theater before, and there were so many people auditioning I didn't know if I'd stood out or would meet their casting guidelines. Still, I felt hopeful to have the opportunity for a new experience, and for a musical I love so much on top of that.

Stay tuned for the next installment to see if I got the part!

Cody won, and I definitely wasn't surprised. He has been the most consistent throughout the season technique-wise and in handling all the challenges. His solo was stunning. He moves like a cat-- very fluid-- and at times looked like he was flying.

At the same time, he was the most predictable winner. Miguel takes the most risks both artistically and generally (as evidenced in the flawless job he did on the sprained ankle). His style is unique and entertainment/tv-wise he has something really interesting to offer. I don't doubt we'll be seeing him on tv again soon.

I enjoyed Mochi and Nick's solos a lot-- nothing bad to say and lots of good things to say-- but this wasn't their night. Perhaps, even though they took a lot of personal risks, they were too safe in the end. Mochi got an awesome consolation prize of winning a spot in Akon's next music video. Nick would be completely at home on Broadway.

I enjoyed this show moderately and I hope they do it again, with some of the issues ironed out. For example, winning and elimination groups have got to go-- everyone, save possibly whoever is immune-- needs to be up for elimination every time. Also, less pressure has got to be put on the contestants in terms of choreography. Bring in more guest choreographers-- and hopefully not some of the usual suspects. Get some people from the art world that would benefit from the exposure and educate the public about good choreography. Finally, there need to be more opportunities for standard technique to shine in the first episodes.

What are your thoughts on the show-- in terms of both the overall show and the winner?