Patti Smith: Advice to the Young

Patti Smith: Advice to the young from Louisiana Channel on Vimeo.

Must Watch - Neuroanatomist/Stroke Victim on Her Stroke

A friend of mine recently sent me a link to this TED talk by a neuroanatomist, Jill Bolte Taylor, who suffered a massive stroke and is able to recount her experience as both neuroanatomist and victim. It is so interesting and I highly recommend it! As the video blurb says, "this is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another." P.S. She's also really funny.

Arch Enhancer

A new toy in town called the Fancyfoot Arch Enhancer is said to give the illusion of the perfect point to those not born with that natural pop so recognizable in dancers.  For the female dancer, the incredibly arched foot is a functional necessity in order to get up and over the box of the pointe shoe, while also being a key part of the dancer's visual appeal. Try all she might, if the foot doesn't pop naturally, chances are it never will. But now the the Fancyfoot Arch Enhancer, the dancer may be able to at least create the illusion of the perfect point. The product's website describes the Fancyfoot Arch Enhancer as a "specially designed padded sleeve that easily slides onto the foot and adds height to the top of the foot." You can order the Fancyfoot Arch Enhancer by clicking here.
The following images are pulled from the product's website. The first image shows the product itself, followed by images of a dancer without and then with the arch enhancer.

En Pointe

I Can Be...

Barbie, the company, put together an inspirational web series about different occupations. This one is I Can Be...A Ballerina. In this clip, NYCB dancer Maria Kowroski talks about life as a ballerina, accompanied by her unbelievable legs. I think this is great for kids and up, a nice inside look at what the dancer goes through and what she did to get to where she is today, as well as a little bit about how to have a healthy lifestyle as a ballerina. Other I Can Be... episodes include Drummer, Veterinarian, and A Professional Surfer, and can be found on youtube.

Isadora Duncan

"Man must speak, then sing, then dance. The speaking is the brain, the thinking man. The singing is the emotion. The dancing is the Dionysian ecstasy which carries away all."

Coldplay tribute to Adam Yauch

Coldplay's great tribute to Adam Yauch of The Beastie Boys, played at the Hollywood Bowl, 4 May 2012:

X-Ray of Polina Semionova's Feet

X-Ray taken of Polina Semionova's feet, taken on pointe.

Yumiko Dancewear

A brilliant idea: made to order dancewear. At Yumiko, you can choose your style leotard (or top, bottom, or skirt) and take it away from there, choosing the color, fabric, adding details, adding lining, etc. Though Yumiko leotards are on the higher side as far as leotards go (roughly $65), the fact that these are attractive, unique leotards that you are customizing makes it totally worth it. And for those dancers with a larger chest- there are options for you too that don't look like your strapping yourself in to a tank. Yumiko offers leotard styles that will cover and support with a pretty back, too. So far, these two pictured are my favorite, though in a different color palette (they have several color options - also refreshing).

Shop Yumiko online.

The Thin Commandments

Carolyn Costin discusses the Thin Commandments, a list of rules or beliefs that her clients struggling with eating disorders have reported to her over the years. Watch. You may realize you are limiting yourself in ways you weren't even aware of.

A Kafka Ballet

I've been wanting to share this on Tummies and Tutus for some time now, but have had trouble with the site. Now that we're back, here it is: in the dance-theatre productions of Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis, Royal Ballet principal Edward Watson as Gregor Samsa.

From theballetbag.com: Commissioned by ROH2, the story follows a travelling salesman who awakes to discover that he has been transformed into a giant insect. Gregor Samsa’s horrifying nightmare is brought to life by the distinctive theatrical style of award-winning director and choreographer Arthur Pita, composer Frank Moon and an eclectic cast. Designed by Simon Daw and with lighting by Guy Hoare, the Linbury Studio Theatre is altered to provide an intimate, surreal and doom-laden Kafkaesque experience.

10 Questions with Gelsey Kirkland and Michael Chernov

Gelsey Kirkland and Michael Chernov answer 10 questions for 4dancers.org, and here they are:

1. What were the events that transpired leading to the creation of the Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet?

We believe that dancers should be actors first and foremost. We created GKACB to provide comprehensive classical ballet training with the goal of developing well-rounded artists. Our approach to training is unique in that the curriculum we offer is not available anywhere else in this country.

2. What does each Artistic Director bring to this project?

Gelsey brings a ballet background with some theatre; Misha brings a theatre background with some ballet. Gelsey brings detail; Misha brings ideas and broad strokes. Our shared vision is to merge our backgrounds, knowledge and strengths to enhance the training our students receive and to give direction to the studio company.

3. You advocate a return to the story ballet. Can you explain a bit about how you will be working toward this ideal?

We believe that the future of ballet lies in dramatic storytelling. Stories help people to understand themselves and life. To work towards this, we will offer residencies to emerging choreographers, dance companies, designers and musicians, providing them with space to create new works in a collaborative environment. Our plan is to draw on in-house workshops to develop new, innovative dramatic ballets. At the same time, we will build a repertoire of traditional, classical works.

4. What will the training at the Academy be like-and how will it prepare and inspire students?

We take a specialized, multidisciplinary approach to training our students. At the base of our training is core dynamics, which includes dynamic alignment exercises, Pilates reformer and practical anatomy classes. This foundation work is built into the curriculum on a daily basis. Our ballet training includes daily technique classes, which draw from the Russian, Danish, and French traditions, with an overall kinesthetic approach. Classical character, historical dance, pantomime, acting, history, music, and critical analysis make up the remainder of the training.

Dramatic development is a key element of our training program. Students will learn how to build a character through physical and psychological gesture and how to communicate with the audience using the Michael Chekhov technique, as well as learning the art of pantomime and period movement.

5. Can you talk a bit about the Studio Company?

Our hope is to develop an ensemble studio company capable of realizing diverse and compelling theatrical ideas. We will build repertoire based on established classical works and new works by collaborating and bringing together actors, mimes, directors, dancers, musicians, choreographers, and production designers. We are building on established ideas; there have been many times in history that people have tried to achieve a synthesis of many disciplines to create a single work of art. We believe that only a small organization these days may be able to achieve this due to restrictions of unions, budgets, and critical expectations. The ability to experiment in large companies is very limited due to economic restrictions.

6. Your “Teacher Training” program appears to offer a unique synthesis of traditional methods and techniques. Can you share with readers some of the basic principles and why you chose them?

Our teacher training program will provide a systematic approach to teaching ballet: focusing on what to teach, how to teach, when to teach and for how long at any given level. It includes hands-on training by masters in the field of ballet pedagogy. The methods and techniques we have chosen reflect our desire to develop and train the dancer from the inside out and to provide them with the tools they need to develop into well-rounded artists. Teachers in training learn how to construct lessons that develop kinesthetic awareness, coordination, strength and flexibility. This goes hand in hand with the training that our students receive. Music training and understanding of musicality, time signatures and rhythms are integral parts of the training for teachers. Graduates will be recognized as certified teachers in the syllabus in the Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet.

7. You will be offering a summer intensive. Can you tell us a little about that?

Our summer intensive is a rigorous program (three weeks’ duration) that incorporates key elements of our year-round program. We have truly great teachers for our inaugural summer intensive. Our faculty includes master teachers David Howard, Nina Osipyan, Irina Kolpakova and Vlad Semenov; men’s class, variations and pas de deux teacher, Mikhail Ilyin; mime teacher, Pilar Garcia; Bournonville specialist, Karina Elver; character teachers, Larisa Calero and Nadejda Loujine; drama teacher, Lenard Petit; and nutrition/wellness specialist and physical therapist, Suzette Madson.

8. As you launch this endeavor, what do you most want the dance community to understand about GKACB?

Our vision is about fostering creativity. It isn’t simply about image-making; the emphasis is on the spirit, not the shape. The focus is on finding the creative spirit, wedding form and content.

9. How have you gone about the process of selecting your faculty?

We have brought together people who have a common vision. These teachers are specialists in their respective areas, and even though some are teaching different disciplines, their approach is in line with our vision for GKACB.

10. Are there any opportunities for sponsorship?

Absolutely, we accept monetary donations, as well as donations in kind (all tax-deductible). We welcome corporate sponsorship, as well as sponsorship for projects by individuals.

The Perfect Fit

Megan Fairchild on her pointe shoes:

Unexpected Ballerinas