The Balancing Game

It probably comes as no surprise to most parents that more and more children are continuing to overextend themselves with too many activities.  In this modern age when multi-tasking is essential to any job, activity or home-life, it's really almost natural that kids today would take on more activities  than say kids twenty years ago.  In many ways this can be detrimental to a child's well being.  After all, ten year-olds shouldn't be stressed out by their unrelenting schedule.  One the other hand, learning how to prioritize and manage one's time is an extremely valuable quality for anyone to have, and learning those skills at a young age, creates excellent habits for the future.         

Dance, as with any sport, requires time and energy.  To establish strong technique, proper placement and a thorough understanding of the movements, it's necessary for young dancers to take multiple classes a week, even multiple classes a day once they reach a certain level.  Balancing dance classes, school, homework and social calendars can be difficult, especially for dancers in high school.  However, with a little planning and focus it's easier to balance all these different activities.  

Dancers should have a planner and write down all the activities they want to accomplish each week.  Then as homework is assigned, dancers should write a list of everything they need to do and mark the due dates.  As events come up, or new activities arise all these should be marked into their planner.  That way, dancers can see a clear picture of everything they want and need to accomplish, and from there it can be easier to prioritize and figure out what activity to not do that week. 

High School Dancers and their parents should talk to their academic counselors about having a free-period during their school day in place of physical education classes.  If your child is dancing everyday, they are definitely getting more exercise that the standard school requirements.  Therefore, having an extra period where the dancer can go to the library or study hall and do homework could make a huge difference in his or her well-being and save a lot of time for after-school classes. 

Don't overload your dancer's schedule with too many activities.  It's just a recipe for disaster.  Inevitably something will not get done and that will just create more stress on everyone.  Understand that dance, or any other sport or class is a commitment and if you make more than physically possible to handle, something will have to give.  Breaking commitments always leaves people feeling down.

Finally, remember that dance and learning should be challenging at times but also enjoyable.  It should be fun, and a release from stress or pressure.  Remember that hard work and diligent practice yields wonderful results but there is a limit to how many things one child can handle.  So when things are feeling a bit too overwhelming, relax, take a step back and just breathe.  And just dance!      

 

Posted via web from California DanceArts's Posterous Blog

California DanceArts Announces Newest Faculty Member

Los Angeles Dance Studio Adds Lynn Bryson Pittenger to Staff     

 

La Canada, CA: California DanceArts (http://www.caldancearts.com) a long-established dance academy in La Canada, announced that Lynn Pittenger, former ballerina with the New York City Ballet, has joined their teaching faculty.

Ms. Pittenger, has been a recipient of two Ford Foundation Scholarships, one to study with the San Francisco Ballet Company and the other personally awarded by Mr. George Balanchine to attend the School of American Ballet in New York City. It was while attending the New York school that Maria Tallchief selected Ms. Pittenger to perform in lecture demonstrations throughout New York and eastern colleges. After two years of study at the School of American Ballet, Lynn was invited by Mr. Balanchine to join the company of New York City Ballet where her professional career began.

In addition to a successful performing career, Ms. Pittenger directed a very extensive program for over 250 children in the course of 23 years and ran her own school of ballet for over seven years.

Erin Holt, director of California DanceArts, states “Our dance school has always been committed to providing the highest quality of dance and ballet instruction for all ages and that dance should be an enriching part of the life of those who decide to train in it. We are very proud of our teaching faculty and feel that Lynn Pittenger’s past experiences in dance instruction make her uniquely qualified to prepare students at our academy for the world of dance.”

Since 1987, California DanceArts has been dedicated to the purpose of grooming and nurturing the talents of beginning to serious career dance students. The school has established a reputation as a career preparatory school for dancers transitioning to the professional level. Its current location in beautiful La Canada is nestled among several schools and recreational facilities. The school provides three large studio spaces featuring sprung floors designed to prevent injury, 20-foot high ceilings geared for unobstructed jumping, wall mirrors and air conditioning. Director Erin Holt also runs California Contemporary Ballet, a dance troupe that puts on several original ballet productions per year, including the Snow Queen (www.snowqueenballet.com), an original ballet with an original music score. This show is put on every December and recently completed its 12^th season. California DanceArts also is offering several dance intensive workshops for various levels in summer 2010, and more on these can be seen at www.danceallsummerworkshops.com. The school’s blog can be seen at http://caldancearts.typepad.com. For more information about California DanceArts and the programs offered by the school, call 818-790-7924, or visit the school online at www.caldancearts.com.

 

 

Posted via web from California DanceArts's Posterous Blog

Back Stage with CCB's Ryan Morrison

Back Stage with California Contemporary Ballet gives you an inside look into what it's like to be part of this remarkable company, and the lives of the dancers who make up the ensemble.  This week, we get up close and personal with CCB's Ryan Morrison.

Hometown:  Pasadena, CA

Favorite Dancer (living or dead): Angel Corella

What made you decide to start taking dance classes?

My mother thought I had too much energy, and she always loved dancing so she enrolled me in classes when I was seven and I've been dancing ever since. 

    Any moments, events,  films or performances that inspired you to pursue dance as a career?

I find it's not one performance or another.  When I watch dance it makes me want to get up and join in.  So pursuing dance as a career made sense.     

Where did you train?  Any memorable teachers or programs?

California Dance Arts is where I have done the majority of my training.  But I have also danced at a few different camps over the years, giving me the opportunity to travel and train in Salzburg and the Czech Republic.

What’s your favorite style of dance to perform?       

I don't have a favorite particular style.  I would have to say my favorite thing to perform is something with a storyline.  I really enjoy acting as well as dancing, so putting them together is super fun. 

What do you feel is the biggest challenge of being a dancer in Los Angeles?         

How little opportunity there is for work.  Most dance in L.A. is back-up, booty-shaking or hip hop.  Ballet just isn't very popular in L.A. 

When did you join CCB?       

I joined CCB when I was nine as a junior member, back when it was called "Dance Street Performers."  And I've stuck with 'em while the company evolved from a group of young kids to a professional dance company.

{Ryan with fellow company member Jaclyn Stryker in Quintessence}

What has been your favorite piece to perform with CCB?    

Although it was murder, I think Blind Journey is still one of my favs.      

 

Why do you dance?  What keeps you going with it?

Girls...no, just kidding!  There is a certain amount of communication you can deliver using your whole body which you can't do in the other arts.  Being able to do that (communicate) to an audience is one of the best feelings.  I guess performing is what keeps me going.       

Where do you see yourself in five years?   

I don't really know, hopefully still dancing.     

Any advice for young dancers just starting out?    

Well for guys...STRETCH!  Flexibility is one of the hardest things to achieve the older you get.   

Do you have any pre-performance rituals or superstitions when you’re backstage? 

Well, if I am partnering I like to do all of my warm-ups with the person I am working with and I have to listen to some jamming music to get me pumped up. 

Meet all the members of CCB each week here on the CDA blog and for upcoming performances and more information visit CCB's website.

 

Posted via web from California DanceArts's Posterous Blog

Back Stage with CCB's Ryan Morrison

Back Stage with California Contemporary Ballet gives you an inside look into what it's like to be part of this remarkable company, and the lives of the dancers who make up the ensemble.  This week, we get up close and personal with CCB's Ryan Morrison.

Hometown:  Pasadena, CA

Favorite Dancer (living or dead): Angel Corella

What made you decide to start taking dance classes?

My mother thought I had too much energy, and she always loved dancing so she enrolled me in classes when I was seven and I've been dancing ever since. 

    Any moments, events,  films or performances that inspired you to pursue dance as a career?

I find it's not one performance or another.  When I watch dance it makes me want to get up and join in.  So pursuing dance as a career made sense.     

Where did you train?  Any memorable teachers or programs?

California Dance Arts is where I have done the majority of my training.  But I have also danced at a few different camps over the years, giving me the opportunity to travel and train in Salzburg and the Czech Republic.

What’s your favorite style of dance to perform?       

I don't have a favorite particular style.  I would have to say my favorite thing to perform is something with a storyline.  I really enjoy acting as well as dancing, so putting them together is super fun. 

What do you feel is the biggest challenge of being a dancer in Los Angeles?         

How little opportunity there is for work.  Most dance in L.A. is back-up, booty-shaking or hip hop.  Ballet just isn't very popular in L.A. 

When did you join CCB?       

I joined CCB when I was nine as a junior member, back when it was called "Dance Street Performers."  And I've stuck with 'em while the company evolved from a group of young kids to a professional dance company.

What has been your favorite piece to perform with CCB?    

Although it was murder, I think Blind Journey is still one of my favs.      

 

 

 

{Ryan with fellow company member Jaclyn Stryker in Quintessence}

Why do you dance?  What keeps you going with it?

Girls...no, just kidding!  There is a certain amount of communication you can deliver using your whole body which you can't do in the other arts.  Being able to do that (communicate) to an audience is one of the best feelings.  I guess performing is what keeps me going.       

Where do you see yourself in five years?   

I don't really know, hopefully still dancing.     

Any advice for young dancers just starting out?    

Well for guys...STRETCH!  Flexibility is one of the hardest things to achieve the older you get.   

Do you have any pre-performance rituals or superstitions when you’re backstage? 

Well, if I am partnering I like to do all of my warm-ups with the person I am working with and I have to listen to some jamming music to get me pumped up. 

Meet all the members of CCB each week here on the CDA blog and for upcoming performances and more information visit CCB's website.

 

Posted via web from California DanceArts's Posterous Blog

The Value of Summer Workshops for Children

Dance Essentials

Often students move one whole level by attending summer workshops. The reason our Dancers Delight Workshop for children is successful at developing such improvements for our students is the daily training and exposure to a variety of dance styles (ballet, jazz, acrobatics, folk dance, hip hop etc..) while really honing in on basics. Yes. To learn to read you have to really know your ABC's, but to become a dance artist you have to know basics that are essential to all styles of dancing....I'm talking about  ( i ) the ability to learn and remember choreography,( ii ) the ability to improvise,( iii) use dramatic skills and emotion correctly and ( vi ) use of rhythm and musicality. Teaching these areas of dance study for children is pretty unique to California DanceArts. Usually the concentration is mostly on physical technique. But physical technical skills is only one aspect of artistry.

The interesting thing is that when training is approached from this perspective, greater abilities of physical technical skills follow. These Dance Essentials, as we call the area of study,  is very fun to learn, particularly when taught in a way that is creative.  At California DanceArts we teach these Dance Essential skills in our classes year round, but we are certainly able to work on them to a much greater degree during summer workshops. I believe that students who really understand these Dance Essentials obviously become better artists with greater understanding. Not to mention that children who engage in learning these skills become more out-going, creative, self confident and develop sweeping increased abilities to communicate to an audience. No matter the student's age, your child can really gain a sense of artistry and performance skills. In a real sense , young child prodigies can be created in this manner.

Value of Learning to Choreograph

Not only does this workshop really boost students skill level, but children work along-side like minded students who share a love and desire to express themselves through dance. In reality, students get the opportunity to live and breathe dancing, like the "older" dancers...like pro dancers in a company,  and work on huge projects within a group. Projects such as producing their own show  to be presented at the end of the workshop! That's right. Its "THEIR" show. The group of students in the workshop elect a theme for the show, they create dances for the show and even decide the order of the dances to be presented and how to introduce each dance. Working on group choreography is a huge endeavor as there are basic rules students learn about choreography...simple rules that they can understand and apply even at their young age.  Students learn to work out choreography problems and how to solve them by working with each other. As a choreographer and director, I enjoying seeing students increase their creativity and this is what I find most valuable about the program. As a teacher, I see kids grow up before my eyes as they learn to take care of each other... take responsibility as a group member, develop better communication and problem solving skills. 

No limits with Inspiration

I'm not bragging when I mention that many of our current dancers in our professional performing company, California Contemporary Ballet, grew up attending Dancers Delight Workshop every single summer. Ryan Morrison who performed as the Prince in our Snow Queen ballet, never missed a Dancers Delight Workshop as a young dancer at our school. He still attends the summer workshops offered for advanced dancers. Jaclyn Stryker danced the role of the Enchantress in the Snow Queen this past winter and she too grew up on Dancers Delight.

I point this out because these career dancers are examples of how inspired young dancers can become when given daily training, responsibility and high expectations.  Instructed in a creative and encouraging method, there is no limit to the potential of a young dancer once inspired. Coupled with high expectations and rewards such as dance games children love to play and an occasional video of a great prima ballerina from history, this is a fun workshop...a Dancer's Delight! Honestly, wouldn't YOU have loved to attend this workshop when you were a kid? 

Please see all the information regarding the Dancers Delight Workshop Here:  http://www.caldancearts.com/pages/333/Dancers_Delight.htm

Spaces in the workshop are already filling up! There are less then 12 spaces available! (Talk about exclusive instruction!)  Some of our workshops are already Full! 

(The photo above is of an 8 year old summer student in her costume for the show at the end of the workshop. This young girl grew up to become a teacher at our school for a time and a professional ballerina.) 

Enroll by May 1st and receive 10% off while spaces in the workshop last!  Spaces won't last, so enroll now!  The discount is available when you register with deposit online or in person.
Contact us by calling 818-790-7924

Posted via web from California DanceArts's Posterous Blog