Teaching Dance

I am sitting in Starbucks (my unofficial office/study) doing research and came across this quote from Howard Gardner that, juxtaposed with Michele Bachmann's interview on Meet The Press this past Sunday (yes, this her second appearance in my blog ), distracted me from my work. Bachmann's 2004 statement that being gay was "part of satan" and her insistence on Meet The Press Sunday that she was not being judgmental seem insincere to me. Can you really say one thing and claim the other? If you are going to stand in judgment then own up to it. Their would at least be integrity in that (albeit misguided). The need for her to hide behind the nicety of "not being judgmental" suggests that something might be off--either in logic, thought, or in the balance between her beliefs and the public she is speaking to and hoping to represent. Now, am I being judgmental about her lack of integrity? You bet. At least I admit it.  But are her ideals and beliefs ...

The word “contemporary” in dance is often confused, misused and abused. As a performer and teacher of contemporary dance (holding a master of fine arts degree in contemporary choreography and performance), I am often challenged by the tricky task of answering the questions: What is contemporary dance? What is the difference between modern dance and contemporary dance? and What is the difference between ballet and contemporary ballet? It is no wonder there is widespread confusion. The word “contemporary” is used in a multitude of unrelated ways in dance today. If you go to see a contemporary dance company like Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company , it will in no way resemble the contemporary dance category on television shows like SYTYCD where they actually present contemporary jazz. The very “modern” Martha Graham Dance Company runs a school called the Martha Graham Center of “Contemporary” Dance . Ballet companies that exclusively apply modern era principles to ballet choreography...

When I consider the combination of the confrontational political atmosphere of today with the instant (no thought necessary) medium of tweets and status updates, I shouldn’t be so surprised by some of the mindless statements people make. Yet, I am surprised. And bothered. And I really can’t sit around being all “zen” about it. It’s not the politics itself; it is the confusion of opinion with reality and the intentions underlying the statements. Yes, we are all entitled to our own opinion. But that doesn’t mean all opinions are equal. If I believe the moon is made of moon rocks and you believe the moon is made of Swiss cheese, these beliefs are not equally valid. Enter Michelle Bachmann. "I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out: Are they pro-America or anti-America?" -Rep. Michelle Bachmann, Oct. 2008 ( more quotes ) Politics aside, claiming that any of our representatives in Congress are anti-American is ...

The cannons don't thunder there's nothin' to plunder I'm an over forty victim of fate; arriving too late Arriving too late. ~ Jimmy Buffett lyrics from A Pirate Looks At Forty photo courtesy of aging booth A few weeks ago I celebrated my fortieth birthday over dinner with my long-time friend Sam and his family. Sam and I met when I was twenty, and to tell you the truth, I don’t feel Sam and I are all that different from then. I don’t share Buffett’s assertion of being a victim of fate. Granted, my body tells me differently. The soreness I feel in the morning after a full day of rehearsals, the absolute necessity to warm-up before rehearsal to keep my back from protesting, and my progressively graying hair on the sides of my head (remember the editor in old Spider Man comics) all testify to the fact that my body is moving on whether my mind and heart realize it or not. However, my impression of what forty would feel like back when I was a teen bears no resemblanc...

Daylight lingers long--sultry summer sun an early moon roosted high watches, waits for sun’s egress yet, she lingers on Charlotte sits on the porch, rocking in a simple chair of solid maple, rocking forward, creaking back rocking forward, creaking back in a faded sundress that hangs loose at her hips, clings limply to sunken shoulders Stray, wild strands from ginger hair, lightened by age, bunched and plopped atop her head, tickle and cool her neck, rocking forward, creaking back on weakened floor boards, a wrap-around porch with cracked paint railings and splintered steps Horseflies buzz in air thick with dandelion seeds, hay, manure, Charlotte rocking forward, creaking back snaps heads and tails from green beans, snap, snap, drop, toss nimble fingers, gently old quickly jerk, break off ends, release crisp, green aroma, snap, snap, drop, toss Sometimes takes one raw bean in her mouth, tastes its leafy, earthy sweetness, its fuzzy coat and seeping cent...

I had an interview with a reporter today about the Teacher Training Workshop (among other things). Besides the obvious benefit of going over every lesson and vocabulary in the syllabus, the workshop had some great moments when we covered teacher specific concepts. We discussed the 6 Classes Method, Teaching Multiple Perspectives, and covered a handful of Teaching Tools from a handbook I am currently researching and writing. The 6 Classes Method is included in the Support Manual from my Jazz Dance Technique & Syllabus and provides teaches a helpful tool for keeping consistency in their lessons and provides the opportunity to look at any single lesson in great depth (without becoming stale or monotonous...hopefully). Teaching Multiple Perspectives is a dance teacher specific approach to the material I will be presenting at the National Dance Education Organization’s annual conference in Minneapolis this October. In a nutshell, it looks at the variety of perspectives or mindset...