Teaching and NYCB Workout Certification

One of my projects for the summer has been working towards getting certified to teach The New York City Ballet Workout. I really enjoy teaching and I've been wanting to do more to build up that part of my resume, so this was a great opportunity.

I applied and was accepted last summer to the teacher training program at NYCB, but for financial & timing reasons I wasn't able to participate. This year, thanks to a generous friend, I've been able to start the certification process. Back in August I completed a training weekend at NYCB's gorgeous studios. What an enriching experience! Teachers from literally all over the world (Croatia, Japan...) came for the weekend to learn the format and technical requirements of the dance workout class and tips for improving teaching skills. I learned so much in just two days!

I've been teaching for most of my life, starting when I was very young at my family's dance studio helping demonstrate for the even younger students. I grew up watching my mother and grandmother run a dance school, teaching all ages and levels. I guess through osmosis those skills translated to me a little bit - when I graduated from The Rock School one of my favorite teachers there told me "someday you're going to be a great teacher." At the time I took that as a gigantic insult, haha. All I wanted her to say was that I was "going to be a great dancer," not a teacher. She went on to explain that I "knew so much" and could analyze things, which only now I find value in.

Since then I helped teach primary level students at Ballet Academy East where I got more hands on experience correcting and adjusting young dancers. From there I taught (and choreographed) for a NYC public high school class one semester. Then this summer I began teaching open classes for a new donation-based organization - which has been such fun! I do feel like I have a lot of information to share that has been ingrained in me from my many wonderful teachers. Now with this potential NYCB Workout certification I'll have even more to back me up.

After the training weekend I completed a written exam, and now the last step is the practical exam: teaching a class of my own. I'll be teaching Sunday 9/5 from 2:30-4pm, so if anyone out there is free, please come! :) Free class, what could be better?

choreography week 2

Today was my second time working with those public high school kids that I'm choreographing on...and it went much better than last week.

First of all, this time I was actually prepared to teach a class first rather than go right into teaching my choreography as I had expected last week. So I gave them a warm up barre and some things in the center. Again, most of them are not trained dancers, but they certainly do pick up quickly! I was impressed by the fact that they all remembered most of the choreography from last week, even though they hadn't done it at all since then.

After doing some center combinations to get them turning a bit, we went over the stuff I taught last week. It was nice that they kept it all in their bodies because we could add on some finer details and clean up the movements a bit before moving on. I then taught them about 16 more counts of the phrase and we put it all together with what we did before. I find that repetition is really the key with this group. They all seem to be trying really hard and they appear eager to get it right, so I try to give them the opportunity to really feel comfortable with the steps before moving on.

The tough part as a teacher is to do this for the less experienced ones while still keeping the advanced ones interested. Having been in both kinds of experiences (the worst in the class and the more advanced side), I hope I can use how I've felt in those situations to translate it effectively as I teach. Obviously I'm still just starting to find my "teaching tone" -as I referred to it last week- but that's my goal anyway. I find myself unconciously mimicking those teachers I've had in the past who have been most impressionable on me personally (a select few).

Anyways. The rehearsal went quite well and I like that they are already progressing. Next week they have school vacation, but after that it's time to crack down and choreograph more to put together so it starts to really look like a dance. I only get them 2 hours per week until their show in May, so it will come up quick. Will post performance details as they become available.

Speaking of performance details, reminder of the small studio showcase performance thing I'm in on Feb. 24th at 5:30. I've been working a LOT on my variation (Gamzatti from La Bayadere) the past few days with my teacher, which I really enjoy because, again, we get to go into great detail and find what works for me. Should be a fun little performance.

more teaching

Oh what a snowy day here in the city.

I've added some more teaching to my busy schedule. I'm starting to work privately with some beginner adult students from class. I like working more one on one because there are sooo many details to every step that it's nice to break things down and really dig in deep to the technique. It's too bad we can't do that all the time in regular class.

It's kind of fun being on the teaching end of things, too. I feel like I've learned so much from everyone I've worked with in the past and as I dance myself, I have all these little voices in my head (haha) reminding me of what's correct and what looks best. Now I can share those voices and add my own to help someone else. I'm also genuinely inspired by some of these new-to-dance adults I come in contact with often lately because they really love it and want to learn it for the art. I try to remind myself of this when I get discouraged.

I'm teaching/choreographing on those high school kids again tomorrow...better go prepare myself.

Happy snow day :)

audience alumni

Last night I went to see the studio showing performance of my old studio. They conveniently had it in the basement theater of the place I usually take class. It was quite interesting being in the audience for once, since the last 2 years I've been IN these performances.

I do miss performing. But I have to say that at this point I'm glad I've moved on from there. It WAS really nice to see my former classmates dance so wonderfully and to get a chance to speak more to my old teachers.

They did 2 big pieces and a lot of student choreography. I was noticing how -- as I was recently told and lectured about during a rehearsal -- the difference between dancing like a student and dancing like a professional. There's something about the quality and the presence of movement that makes certain dancers stand out, despite their age or experience. Seeing my classmates from a more objective eye (with 8 months time distance) made me think a lot about that, and about what I danced like when I was there versus how I dance now. Or at least how I take class now.

Anyways, I was very impressed by the performance and it made me proud to say that I came from there. I was glad to see certain teachers as well and catch them up on my new life.

I was kind of supposed to go their benefit party tonight, but I just wasn't up for it. I'm actually not feeling so well and the past few busy weeks are catching up to me finally, so I had to skip it. Congrats to all who performed, though! I'll be posting a brief article about it and about other studio stuff soon, as I'm almost finished with this issue of their studio newsletter.

Pictures from LAST year's studio showing:
student choreography

in a piece by chris d'amboise

a good return

Tonight, after much anticipation, I went and took open class back at my old studio for the first time in 6 months.

Even though it's so close to me and I recently was offered free classes there since I'm working on their newsletter, I never go up there. I don't exactly know why, but I was kind of nervous heading in tonight. It's so familiar and yet so unfamiliar because I'm not actually a student there anymore and people have grown up and teachers have changed, etc.

I'm really glad I finally went though. First of all, class itself was good because unlike my usual classes I take, there were only 10 people in it. Granted it's a MUCH smaller studio, but it's nice not having to dodge around people all the time. And combinations and stuff felt good because it was all the old stuff I did repeatedly for 2 years, but now that I've moved on and changed some ways of doing things in my technique (to keep my body healthy, among other reasons) I really noticed the things I do differently. It was a good class, especially compared to the particularly bad class I had yesterday (my own fault...don't push when you're too tired).

Anyways I'm also glad I went because I got to see one of my favorite teachers I've ever had, whom I haven't seen since I left over the summer. It was a warm welcome back... even though I didn't see everybody there I probably should have said hi to.

Now that my schedule is shifting to the spring semester soon and things are (only a little bit) calmer I think I'm going to try to get up there more to take class. The dance world is too small not to maintain relationships with people and places you come from. At least, that's my positive attitude for tonight :)

A few memories from my time as a student there:

In Balanchine's Raymonda Variations (me on front right)...probably my favorite performance moment ever happened during these performances in spring '06


in Bournonville's Napoli, staged by the incredible Nikolaj Hubbe of NYCB...that one was fun because we had tambourines, haha


this past spring in Balanchine's Diverimento No. 15...pretty costumes :)

mailing list, amusing comments, and internship update

There are 3 parts to this post...1) join new mailing list, 2)some amusing comments I've received recently about my dancing, and 2) an update on my new internship at Quick and Simple Magazine

MAILING LIST
I've you're a regular blog reader, PLEASE join my new mailing list to receive regular notifications when the blog has been updated. See the form at the right...take a second of your time and fill out your email address!


AMUSING COMMENTS
When I started this blog I made a vow not to get too personal with the stuff I write about here in regards to my dancing...believe me, I have much more inside of me I would love to scream out to be heard, but I know that isn't practical, necessary, or appropriate.

However I do feel the need to share 2 comments said to me recently about my dancing...though they are indeed highly personal (in some ways), I'm putting them here simply out of amusement. Lately I'm finding that teachers are really just other human beings, and not some untouchable force of perfection to be feared (as I still think of some). I'm finding amusement in the way certain people express themselves:

-"Ugly feet. Ugly hips. But she has talent. She can dance."

-"I notice you don't look very happy when you're dancing. Sometimes we can over train ourselves and lose the joy."

Make of those what you will. I shall add no more commentary.
I want Alessandra Ferri's feet. (took this from the wings at the Met @ her retirement performance...talk about talent)


INTERNSHIP UPDATE

Though ballet still seems to be the aspect of my life that controls my mood (good class, good day, bad class, bad day), the other half of my life is going quite well (though busy) lately. I've now been at my internship in the Home Editorial department of Quick and Simple Magazine for a week and I'm really enjoying it. My 2 bosses are super nice, and I get my own little desk in the intern cubicle (where, to date, no other interns have shown up...so I'm alone :). Getting to know the magazine is a really interesting process and it's fun to be back in an office environment (how much of a dork am I?).

Hearst Tower(pic from their website)...where all the magazines are...except ours haha. We're in another building, but this one is still pretty!


Similar to when I was at Pointe, I get to work pretty much independently and at my own pace, which I love love love. At another previous internship it was more of a collaborative environment, which definitely had its plusses, but I had to wait to find out my next task minute to minute. The way I work now, I can get much more done and have more creative freedom.

To that effect, today I got to start researching for the first story I'll be helping with. Though it's a weekly magazine, they work really far ahead in order to get issues out on time, so we're working on the Jan. 1 issue right now. The story: recycling Christmas materials, such as cards, gift wrap, etc. I spent the afternoon coming up with creative ways to use these things after the holidays using crafts and other ideas. How fun! If anyone has an idea for this let me know...it could end up in the magazine ;)

Anyway, that's the scoop for now.

dance and academia in NY Times

I know I'm kind of outsourcing some reading lately, but there have been some good articles going on...

Please read this article in the Times today (9/23).

I have many many many comments, but one quote sums it up:

“There is a real tension between dance — at even a department like mine, which is very well established — and an academic context,” said Lynn Garafola, a dance scholar who is a professor in Barnard College’s dance department. “Most of the people teaching technique classes have been longtime professionals. They’ve never been to a liberal arts college. There really is a deep anti-intellectualism, but in some ways it’s almost a naïve anti-intellectualism. It’s just not a part of their world.”

Amen.