Even the pros can learn a trick or two from the advice we feature in the Dance Tips section. We'll talk to the people who know best and try to keep our readers up to date with fresh, exciting and in depth tips that cover everything a dancer needs to know.
Fitting ballet shoes
Ballet began as an art form under the reign of Louis XIV. Today, Ballet is the basis for many different forms of dance from lyrical to modern dance. It is also the starting point for all dancers. Ballet teaches form and technique, builds strength and develops poise and grace...
Extending the life of your pointe shoes
All lamb's wool and toe pads should be removed from your shoes after each wearing. This helps your shoes to air out and dry. Your shoes will also dry quicker if you don't keep them in a plastic bag or closed up in your dance bag. You can tie them onto the outside of your dance bag or set them out by an air vent.
Five General Principles of Conditioning for Dancers
The basic principles of conditioning for a dancer are not much different than the principles of conditioning for athletes. Dancers, however, have three additional categories not used by athletes. The four principles used by dancers and other athletes alike are strength, flexibility, muscular endurance, and cardio-respiratory endurance.
Carbohydrates: Debunking The Myths
Just as every rule has an exception, every nutrition strategy, or diet, will work for some and fail for others. It's also important to remember that most popular diets target the general public, not the serious dancer. Non-athletes need a bare minimum of 50-100 grams of carbohydrates per day (the amount found in one baked potato) to support normal body functions. Dancers need significantly more than that for sustained energy during long rehearsals.
Preparing and Caring for Pointe Shoes
The proper preparation of pointe shoes is essential for every dancer. As a dancer becomes more familiar with her feet and specific needs, this process becomes highly individualized. The following instructions incorporate traditional guidelines, as well as practical considerations, such as cosmetic appeal and physical foot structure and development.
Stimulating Creativity
The act of creating choreography can be difficult, with such obstacles as finding rehearsal space, finding the dancers to do the job, and finding the funding for both. Even worse than working these issues out, though, is the period of creative frustration suffered by most artists known as a "dry spell" or a creative block.
