As many of you know and have read over the last couple of months, we have been working on finalizing an official location. You might have also noticed a long span of time in which I have not posted or written much. If you don't already know, we have big news! We are officially open for business in our very first location!
Over the last month we have not posted due to building a dance studio within the building we are located in. On May 20, 2016 we signed our lease to our first studio and a few short days after that, we started working to create our studio. We spent 3 weeks repainting, replacing carpet, laying down a dance floor, and more to be able to give our current and future dancers a place to call their home dance studio! Some of you may have stopped by or even seen photos of what our current location looks like. However, until you know how far the studio had to come in 3 weeks, you will never know how excited my husband and I truly were when we opened our doors for the first time on June 11, 2016.
When we worked in the studio for those 3 weeks, we had many days that it felt like our deadline was going to be impossible to reach. We experience many ups and downs over the course of the 3 weeks we worked, but in the end it was well worth the small and large disasters we met. Some of you may be wondering, "what on earth happened during those 3 weeks?!" Trust me, it got crazy at times and I plan to tell you about some of our minor and not-so-minor issues we ran into...
First, we walked in to see we had tons...and I mean TONS of work ahead of us. For example, one of our smallest issues was having to crawl around the floor and repaint all the trim white because it was painted the same color as the walls...that was interesting! ;) Another minor issue was the day I bought Black Swan paint. Now, I'm sure many of you will read the name, "Black Swan" and think of the movie, as well as think, "Oh ok, she bought 'black' paint"...Well that wasn't the case! It was actually a very dark purple. So, in the end after many trips to the paint store, we got it to black enough for our one wall. As the days went on, we purchased mirrors, mounted them on the wall, and then came a slightly bigger problem. We couldn't use those mirrors the way they were put up. So, we re-hung them.
Now, I'm sure your thinking, "They re-hing mirrors...so...what's that got to do with anything?" It has a lot to do with our experience! We re-hung these mirrors 3 times...and had to purchase a new one in the process. Wanna know why? Well, one shattered... All. Over. My. Husband. He's fine, no need for an emergency room, just some bandaids. I will tell you, these mirrors were 4 feet wide and 8 feet tall. A few days later, before getting our new mirrors, we found glass 9 feet up, stuck in the wall! Like I said, it was an experience.
I'm sure your probably thinking, "A mirror shattered, a 4 foot by 8 foot mirror SHATTERED ON HER HUSBAND, that's got the be the worst of it!" Well, in reality I'm sure it does ad up to be one of the worst things that could have happened, but truthfully, one of the worst things was not knowing when our dance floor was going to arrive! With only 2 days left till we opened, we hadn't heard anything about when our flooring would be arriving. We are very grateful it arrived on June 9, 2016 and was finally installed the morning before we opened!
Surely, you're thinking wow...these are 3 things that are all on different levels of crazy, and believe me they are, and there's more where that came from! I can honestly say, even through all the crazy and the nutty adventure we went on to create our studio, it was all worth it. Many people joke around and say, "I put my blood, sweat, and tears into this place to make it look like this!" I can truly say, we put our blood, sweat, and tears into this studio! Every day we worked, every time something went wrong, or went right, it no longer matters what kind of disasters we had because it was all worth it! It's still worth it because we now have our first dance studio and a place for students to come and enjoy their dancing experience. We hope to make our studio a place for our students to come and express themselves, thank you to everyone who helped us and continues to help us. We love you all and can't wait to see you in classes!
Monday, June 20, 2016
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Happy Father's Day!
In honor of Father's Day, we would like to say Happy Father's Day to all of the dad's out there! We love you and appreciate you more than words can say! Thank you for everything you do for your families. We would also like to say Happy Father's Day to the moms that have to be mom and dad. You are the best!
I would like to personally say Happy Father's Day to my dad. He has been at every dance performance, event, and competition I can remember. In the last photo I've added, it truly shows how my dad is and has always been to not only me, but my whole family. He is the best dad a girl could ever ask for. Thank you for always being there for me! I love you daddy!
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Sign Up Today!
We are getting very close to locking down our official location in the
Downtown Newnan, Geogria Square!
We are currently taking sign ups for the 2016-2017 dance year!
Be sure to email or call us to make sure you're one of the first 25 to receive a FREE dance class!
Monday, May 16, 2016
A Master Class with Debbie Allen
I would like to personally apologize for the slight hiatus that has happened. Life has happened over the last couple of days and there have not been any recent posts! However, I am coming back and may have a few things coming up that I think everyone will be excited about!
Yesterday, I had the honor of being able to take a master class from the Miss Debbie Allen here in Atlanta. For many years this has been a dream of mine because she is one of the greats in the world of dance. For those of you who do not know who she is, she was in the original screen play of Fame. Many of you may have seen the newer version, well there is an original and she is in it! You may also know her as Dr. Katherine Avery from Grey's Anatomy.
When taking any master class, especially from someone you have not taken before it is important to try your best even if you're unsure of what you may be learning. In my experience yesterday (Sunday, May 15) taking from Debbie Allen was a great experience. For example, many teachers whether they are in their 20s or almost 70s they often only explain the movements but do not demonstrate them. However, something that truly inspired and amazed me was the fact that Debbie Allen, being almost 68 years old, she demonstrated every combination and piece of choreography she taught. During one of the combinations, she made the comment, "I'm getting lower in my plie than you guys are. I am 67 years old, almost 68 and you people are young. Get lower than that, if I can do it you can do it." Now, some of us might read this and think she was being critical, however she was not being critical, she was being slightly comedic but also using constructive criticism to make us better dancers.
After taking class from her, I became inspired to always be a teacher than demonstrates the combination or piece of choreography because I felt more inspired as a student. Being a teacher is a wonderful thing because you are able to share your knowledge with your students. However, I had the opportunity to be a student yesterday and took advantage of it. A piece of advice I would like to share with teachers and students, is never stop learning. Any time you have the opportunity to be a student once again, take it, especially if it is an opportunity to take from someone with as many years in dance like Debbie Allen has. The experience being able to learn from someone with such dance experience was amazing, I learned things I had learned years ago, but I also learned things that I had not known before.
Thank you to Debbie Allen for a great experience and master class. It was an honor to be able to take from you and I cannot wait to have another chance and give my students the same opportunity.
Yesterday, I had the honor of being able to take a master class from the Miss Debbie Allen here in Atlanta. For many years this has been a dream of mine because she is one of the greats in the world of dance. For those of you who do not know who she is, she was in the original screen play of Fame. Many of you may have seen the newer version, well there is an original and she is in it! You may also know her as Dr. Katherine Avery from Grey's Anatomy.
When taking any master class, especially from someone you have not taken before it is important to try your best even if you're unsure of what you may be learning. In my experience yesterday (Sunday, May 15) taking from Debbie Allen was a great experience. For example, many teachers whether they are in their 20s or almost 70s they often only explain the movements but do not demonstrate them. However, something that truly inspired and amazed me was the fact that Debbie Allen, being almost 68 years old, she demonstrated every combination and piece of choreography she taught. During one of the combinations, she made the comment, "I'm getting lower in my plie than you guys are. I am 67 years old, almost 68 and you people are young. Get lower than that, if I can do it you can do it." Now, some of us might read this and think she was being critical, however she was not being critical, she was being slightly comedic but also using constructive criticism to make us better dancers.
After taking class from her, I became inspired to always be a teacher than demonstrates the combination or piece of choreography because I felt more inspired as a student. Being a teacher is a wonderful thing because you are able to share your knowledge with your students. However, I had the opportunity to be a student yesterday and took advantage of it. A piece of advice I would like to share with teachers and students, is never stop learning. Any time you have the opportunity to be a student once again, take it, especially if it is an opportunity to take from someone with as many years in dance like Debbie Allen has. The experience being able to learn from someone with such dance experience was amazing, I learned things I had learned years ago, but I also learned things that I had not known before.
Thank you to Debbie Allen for a great experience and master class. It was an honor to be able to take from you and I cannot wait to have another chance and give my students the same opportunity.
Monday, May 9, 2016
Taking the Stage
As many of you may have seen recently on our Facebook page or remember some of our posts previously, I told you about how we were heading to an upcoming competition! You may have also seen our recent post of our press release from the Showstopper Dance Competition. Today, I wanted to tell you about what it was like to take the stage after 3 years of taking a break from competing and performing.
Over the last 3 years, I have taken a break from competing and performing in general. I have primarily been teaching, learning, and staying behind the scenes and away from center stage. These last 3 years gave me many moments I had longed to be back on the stage. About 4-5 months ago, I started working with Aris, one of my students that I had worked with when he first started dancing. At the beginning of our rehearsals together, we had discussed for him to compete at the Showstopper Dance Competition or another competition if the timing lined up properly with our schedules. During one of our rehearsals he asked me how long it had actually been since I had performed or competed. When I told him it had been 3 years, he told me he refused to compete unless I did as well. Now, to elaborate on the refusal you need to know a background story.
3 years ago, during the last hip hop group dance I had taught, I promised them I would take them to a competition someday and I would compete with them. Unfortunately, the money and timing never aligned properly and we didn't get to compete. Well, not knowing 3 years later I would be working with one of my first kids, I had completely forgotten about this promise. So, after not competing or performing for 3 years I was reminded of my 3 year old promise and was held accountable for it. Not only did I compete a solo, I also competed with Aris in a duet. The day my solo was to be performed was like any other traditional competition day, you arrive and the adrenaline of seeing the stage, the lights, the costumes, and other talented students begins to course through your veins and excite you unlike any other place can.
The morning of April 30th, I walked into my first competition setting in 3 years. Believe me, the feeling I described above doesn't even compare to the way I felt when I saw the stage I'd be performing on. My first thought looking at this familiar and favorite setting was, "Hello old friend! It's good to be back!" That night, as I was stretching and preparing to perform in only a few minutes, I was nervous, excited, and reminiscing on my previous competitions and performances! As I was standing backstage, on deck, waiting for the number before mine to be completed, I couldn't wait to step on that stage.
As soon as I stepped on that stage, I felt the floor beneath me, the pirouette shoes on my feet, my huge, sparkling competition earrings in my ears, my hair slicked back and braided as tight as my mom could get it, and finally the warmth of the bright lights, and I knew I was at home and in an element unlike anything else on that stage again. The music started and like always I thought, don't forget the dance! The music continued and I continued to flow through the choreography with it and felt a feeling of true expression, relaxation, and love for dance that I haven't felt in 3 years. For me, it wasn't about competing against anyone else, it was about being able to perform again, show my love and passion for dance, and compete against myself and the dancer I used to be. When I started dancing and competing at Raskin Dance Studio, I was told something that I will never forget.
"When you perform, compete, or just take class...dance as if it's the last time you will ever dance."
-Miss Val (Valerie Raskin)
Since the day I had heard that statement from Miss Val, I have continued to remind myself of it every time I dance and I now tell my students the same thing. For those of you that dance, I urge you to always remember to dance as if it's your last time. It will not only make you a better dancer, but the love and passion you have for dance will grow and progress even further in that moment than you could ever imagine. The next time you compete, perform, or take class, please take this quote to heart and leave feedback for us to read about how you felt in that moment!
Over the last 3 years, I have taken a break from competing and performing in general. I have primarily been teaching, learning, and staying behind the scenes and away from center stage. These last 3 years gave me many moments I had longed to be back on the stage. About 4-5 months ago, I started working with Aris, one of my students that I had worked with when he first started dancing. At the beginning of our rehearsals together, we had discussed for him to compete at the Showstopper Dance Competition or another competition if the timing lined up properly with our schedules. During one of our rehearsals he asked me how long it had actually been since I had performed or competed. When I told him it had been 3 years, he told me he refused to compete unless I did as well. Now, to elaborate on the refusal you need to know a background story.
3 years ago, during the last hip hop group dance I had taught, I promised them I would take them to a competition someday and I would compete with them. Unfortunately, the money and timing never aligned properly and we didn't get to compete. Well, not knowing 3 years later I would be working with one of my first kids, I had completely forgotten about this promise. So, after not competing or performing for 3 years I was reminded of my 3 year old promise and was held accountable for it. Not only did I compete a solo, I also competed with Aris in a duet. The day my solo was to be performed was like any other traditional competition day, you arrive and the adrenaline of seeing the stage, the lights, the costumes, and other talented students begins to course through your veins and excite you unlike any other place can.
The morning of April 30th, I walked into my first competition setting in 3 years. Believe me, the feeling I described above doesn't even compare to the way I felt when I saw the stage I'd be performing on. My first thought looking at this familiar and favorite setting was, "Hello old friend! It's good to be back!" That night, as I was stretching and preparing to perform in only a few minutes, I was nervous, excited, and reminiscing on my previous competitions and performances! As I was standing backstage, on deck, waiting for the number before mine to be completed, I couldn't wait to step on that stage.
As soon as I stepped on that stage, I felt the floor beneath me, the pirouette shoes on my feet, my huge, sparkling competition earrings in my ears, my hair slicked back and braided as tight as my mom could get it, and finally the warmth of the bright lights, and I knew I was at home and in an element unlike anything else on that stage again. The music started and like always I thought, don't forget the dance! The music continued and I continued to flow through the choreography with it and felt a feeling of true expression, relaxation, and love for dance that I haven't felt in 3 years. For me, it wasn't about competing against anyone else, it was about being able to perform again, show my love and passion for dance, and compete against myself and the dancer I used to be. When I started dancing and competing at Raskin Dance Studio, I was told something that I will never forget.
"When you perform, compete, or just take class...dance as if it's the last time you will ever dance."
-Miss Val (Valerie Raskin)
Since the day I had heard that statement from Miss Val, I have continued to remind myself of it every time I dance and I now tell my students the same thing. For those of you that dance, I urge you to always remember to dance as if it's your last time. It will not only make you a better dancer, but the love and passion you have for dance will grow and progress even further in that moment than you could ever imagine. The next time you compete, perform, or take class, please take this quote to heart and leave feedback for us to read about how you felt in that moment!
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Happy Mother's Day!
On behalf of myself and Soles On Fire Dance Academy, we would like to say Happy Mother's Day to all of the amazing moms out there that make our lives so much better each and everyday! A huge thank you definitely goes out to all of the amazing dance moms that help all of us dancers at every class, rehearsal, and performance! We love you all and appreciate you more than words can say!
I personally want to thank my mom for years of driving me to and from class, rehearsal, and performances, without you I wouldn't be where I am today!
Monday, May 2, 2016
Showstopper Dance Competition Press Release
Over the weekend, from April 29-May 1, 2016 we competed at the Showstopper Dance Competition in Lakeland, FL. Below we have posted our Press Release from the weekend! Thank you to everyone who followed our journey this weekend and came out to support us! We'll see you at one of the National Finals!
What's In Our Competition Case?
Recently, we announced that we would be competing at the Showstopper Dance Competition this past weekend! Well, our weekend was a major success and we enjoyed every second of it! I posted a little bit about one type of preparation, eating. This time, I'd like to tell you what's in our competition cases this past weekend!
To start off, I personally like to carry 2 cases, one full on makeup, hair, and other beauty products, and the other full of minor medical supplies and other miscellaneous items that could be useful throughout the competition weekend. I'll begin by telling you about our makeup, hair, and beauty case. When going to a competition, everyone is always in need of bobbi pins and ponytail holders (hair ties). You always want to bring more of these than you will need. Not only for yourself, but for those on your team in case someone forgets theirs. Another thing that is great, clear non-tangle rubber bands! There are times that bobbi pins aren't strong enough and a ponytail holder is too thick. That's where the clear rubber bands come in, not only will they disappear in your hair, they are usually the perfect size to do the job! We also like to carry, a comb, brush, and a pick (large tooth comb) just in case. Hairspray, hairspray, and guess what, MORE HAIRSPRAY!! You can never have enough hairspray, you definitely need to make sure you pin down all the wispy hairs and flyaway hairs before you go on stage, and hairspray is your best friend for the job! Many people have asked which type I prefer to use, personally I have always loved the Bed Head Strong Hairspray, usually you can find it at either Walmart, Publix, or your local hair salon! It is an amazing brand, not only does it hold everything in place, it doesn't flake like a lot of them do! Makeup is always essential to any competition! If you've ever competed with a team or watched any type of dance performance, you'll notice that everyone always has a uniformed look, not only with the costume, but also with their makeup! Before your next performance or competition, make sure you have the proper makeup that your coach, choreographer, or studio owner asked for! You also want to remember, mascara, eyeliner, bronzer, foundation, and blush! When it comes to eyeliner, I personally prefer to use liquid for my top eyeliner, this is very beneficial for those moments when you start to sweat. Not only will liquid look more fluid and natural on your eyelid, it will also stay put and you won't have eyeliner in the creases of your eyelids. If you choreographer or coach asks for false eyelashes, be sure to bring them! Always pack 2 pair, this is for that just in case moment that someone forgets theirs or you lose one on stage. Many people will go to major beauty stores for their false eyelashes, however I prefer to buy mine at CVS. In my opinion, while they are cheaper, they are also better quality!
Now, I would like to tell you about my "medical" and miscellaneous case! When at a competition, you don't always know what you'll need. For example, I like to bring multiple things that could come in handy! To start off, I always pack waterproof/sweat proof bandaids, Neosporin, and waterproof/sweat proof medical tape! In case you're wondering, I like to pack the medical tape for multiple reasons, sometimes bandaids don't always stay put, therefore the tape helps to hold them down a little bit better. Some other things I like to bring consist of, a small sewing kit for any random holes that may need to be stitched, double sided fashion tape, chargers, blister preventing wax, ace bandages, kinesiology tape, ibuprofen for both adults and children, and plenty of Biofreeze (a similar product to IcyHot or Bengay)!
Next time you go to a competition or another form of performance, make sure to check out a perfect list to refer to that will help you pack your bags! On our home page you'll find our Pinterest Icon that will take you directly to our Soles On Fire Dance Academy Pinterest page where you'll be able to find this list and other great tips for dance! I've also posted a link below that will take you directly to this great list!
Click on this link below to go directly to our favorite competition packing list:
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1185/3734/files/Competition-Check-List.pdf?14607235497939845496
To start off, I personally like to carry 2 cases, one full on makeup, hair, and other beauty products, and the other full of minor medical supplies and other miscellaneous items that could be useful throughout the competition weekend. I'll begin by telling you about our makeup, hair, and beauty case. When going to a competition, everyone is always in need of bobbi pins and ponytail holders (hair ties). You always want to bring more of these than you will need. Not only for yourself, but for those on your team in case someone forgets theirs. Another thing that is great, clear non-tangle rubber bands! There are times that bobbi pins aren't strong enough and a ponytail holder is too thick. That's where the clear rubber bands come in, not only will they disappear in your hair, they are usually the perfect size to do the job! We also like to carry, a comb, brush, and a pick (large tooth comb) just in case. Hairspray, hairspray, and guess what, MORE HAIRSPRAY!! You can never have enough hairspray, you definitely need to make sure you pin down all the wispy hairs and flyaway hairs before you go on stage, and hairspray is your best friend for the job! Many people have asked which type I prefer to use, personally I have always loved the Bed Head Strong Hairspray, usually you can find it at either Walmart, Publix, or your local hair salon! It is an amazing brand, not only does it hold everything in place, it doesn't flake like a lot of them do! Makeup is always essential to any competition! If you've ever competed with a team or watched any type of dance performance, you'll notice that everyone always has a uniformed look, not only with the costume, but also with their makeup! Before your next performance or competition, make sure you have the proper makeup that your coach, choreographer, or studio owner asked for! You also want to remember, mascara, eyeliner, bronzer, foundation, and blush! When it comes to eyeliner, I personally prefer to use liquid for my top eyeliner, this is very beneficial for those moments when you start to sweat. Not only will liquid look more fluid and natural on your eyelid, it will also stay put and you won't have eyeliner in the creases of your eyelids. If you choreographer or coach asks for false eyelashes, be sure to bring them! Always pack 2 pair, this is for that just in case moment that someone forgets theirs or you lose one on stage. Many people will go to major beauty stores for their false eyelashes, however I prefer to buy mine at CVS. In my opinion, while they are cheaper, they are also better quality!
Now, I would like to tell you about my "medical" and miscellaneous case! When at a competition, you don't always know what you'll need. For example, I like to bring multiple things that could come in handy! To start off, I always pack waterproof/sweat proof bandaids, Neosporin, and waterproof/sweat proof medical tape! In case you're wondering, I like to pack the medical tape for multiple reasons, sometimes bandaids don't always stay put, therefore the tape helps to hold them down a little bit better. Some other things I like to bring consist of, a small sewing kit for any random holes that may need to be stitched, double sided fashion tape, chargers, blister preventing wax, ace bandages, kinesiology tape, ibuprofen for both adults and children, and plenty of Biofreeze (a similar product to IcyHot or Bengay)!
Next time you go to a competition or another form of performance, make sure to check out a perfect list to refer to that will help you pack your bags! On our home page you'll find our Pinterest Icon that will take you directly to our Soles On Fire Dance Academy Pinterest page where you'll be able to find this list and other great tips for dance! I've also posted a link below that will take you directly to this great list!
Click on this link below to go directly to our favorite competition packing list:
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1185/3734/files/Competition-Check-List.pdf?14607235497939845496
Thursday, April 14, 2016
OUR BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
So, the long awaited announcement has finally arrived! We will be attending an event in Lakeland, FL for the first time under our studio name! The event we will be attending is the
Showstopper Regional Dance Competition
This will be the first time we are officially competing at a competition under the name Soles On Fire Dance Academy! Therefore, this is our first big event to help get our name, who we are, and what we stand for out there! We will be having 4 numbers competing, these numbers will consist of 3 solos and 1 duet! Our 4 numbers will be competed April 29th, 30th, and May 1st! We will have a long weekend ahead of us in only two and a half short weeks! If you'd like to know more information about this competition, comment below or send us a message! We are very excited to attend our first competition, while we know it is not located where we will be starting our first location, we are very excited to allow some amazing dancers to have their first experience at an amazing dance competition, as well as getting our name out there and known!
Dance Competitions: The Preparation (Food Edition)
Recently I wrote a post about the preparation it takes when getting ready for a dance competition. To refresh your memory or give you a quick overview, I talked about the different ways I have been preparing for an upcoming dance competition. I discussed the different types of classes or exercising I have been doing and told everyone I would be posting pictures and recipes of different types of food I have been choosing to eat during my preparation for this upcoming competition! In today's post I'd like to go ahead and keep my promise and give you guys some ideas of foods that you can eat to help you start a healthier lifestyle through your food.
Breakfast. As we all know, it is the most important meal of the day! I know a lot of us have extremely busy schedules and don't always have time to cook something in the morning that not only tastes good, but will keep you full throughout the morning and until lunch. Well, I personally have those days too and have a solution that can be carried in the car, eaten at work, or at the breakfast table on those days that you might not feel like cooking. On these days, my breakfast has consisted of the Chobani Greek Yogurt with the fruit on the bottom! My personal favorite is the blueberry and my husband prefers the strawberry. This is a great choice because it contains 40% less sugar than regular yogurt and has 12 grams of PROTEIN!! For those of you that may have a gluten allergy, guess what! It's GLUTEN FREE so you can enjoy it too! You can find this amazing yogurt at your local grocery store in more than just these 2 flavors! Trust me, you will not regret trying it!
Lunch and dinner. I have been eating salads and some form of protein for both lunch and dinner. There are currently two different salads that are my favorites right now! The first is your basic salad that has a little bit of dressing, protein, tomatoes or cucumbers, and occasionally rice noodles! When I say protein, I'm talking about grilled chicken, chicken salad, tuna, turkey, or any other form of lean meat that you would personally like to pair with your salad! When it comes to the salad dressing, I personally use the Hidden Valley Ranch, however I don't use much because that is where you get a lot of your fattening calories from!
The second salad I am currently loving is something I recently tried at Dave & Busters. It is the Sweet Apple Pecan Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette! I had mine with grilled chicken as well and it was a great salad that was also extremely filling! Now, because you can't exactly get all the ingredients from Dave and Busters for your meal at home, I decided to do a little research and found a website that gave me a couple of great ingredients to remake it at home! These ingredients consist of, a bag of mixed greens, Emerald Original Glaze Pecans, Ken's Lite Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette, sliced red Gala apples, and grilled chicken! The smoky flavors from the grilled chicken, sweet and tanginess from the gala apples and dressing, and the crunch from the pecans truly tie together to create an amazing salad that is truly enjoyable!
Snack time! We all have those moments where we question whether or not we're hungry or just bored. In these moments I like to drink about half a bottle of water, and if I'm still feeling hungry I will often snack on some fruit or carrots! I hope you've enjoyed reading a bit about how I have been eating to prepare for my upcoming competition! If you have any recipes you'd like to share comment below! Also, keep checking back for our upcoming announcement about our event we have in only two and a half weeks!!
Breakfast. As we all know, it is the most important meal of the day! I know a lot of us have extremely busy schedules and don't always have time to cook something in the morning that not only tastes good, but will keep you full throughout the morning and until lunch. Well, I personally have those days too and have a solution that can be carried in the car, eaten at work, or at the breakfast table on those days that you might not feel like cooking. On these days, my breakfast has consisted of the Chobani Greek Yogurt with the fruit on the bottom! My personal favorite is the blueberry and my husband prefers the strawberry. This is a great choice because it contains 40% less sugar than regular yogurt and has 12 grams of PROTEIN!! For those of you that may have a gluten allergy, guess what! It's GLUTEN FREE so you can enjoy it too! You can find this amazing yogurt at your local grocery store in more than just these 2 flavors! Trust me, you will not regret trying it!
Lunch and dinner. I have been eating salads and some form of protein for both lunch and dinner. There are currently two different salads that are my favorites right now! The first is your basic salad that has a little bit of dressing, protein, tomatoes or cucumbers, and occasionally rice noodles! When I say protein, I'm talking about grilled chicken, chicken salad, tuna, turkey, or any other form of lean meat that you would personally like to pair with your salad! When it comes to the salad dressing, I personally use the Hidden Valley Ranch, however I don't use much because that is where you get a lot of your fattening calories from!
The second salad I am currently loving is something I recently tried at Dave & Busters. It is the Sweet Apple Pecan Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette! I had mine with grilled chicken as well and it was a great salad that was also extremely filling! Now, because you can't exactly get all the ingredients from Dave and Busters for your meal at home, I decided to do a little research and found a website that gave me a couple of great ingredients to remake it at home! These ingredients consist of, a bag of mixed greens, Emerald Original Glaze Pecans, Ken's Lite Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette, sliced red Gala apples, and grilled chicken! The smoky flavors from the grilled chicken, sweet and tanginess from the gala apples and dressing, and the crunch from the pecans truly tie together to create an amazing salad that is truly enjoyable!
Snack time! We all have those moments where we question whether or not we're hungry or just bored. In these moments I like to drink about half a bottle of water, and if I'm still feeling hungry I will often snack on some fruit or carrots! I hope you've enjoyed reading a bit about how I have been eating to prepare for my upcoming competition! If you have any recipes you'd like to share comment below! Also, keep checking back for our upcoming announcement about our event we have in only two and a half weeks!!
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Dancing: Taking Care of Yourself and Your Injuries
If you're an athlete or dancer of any kind, I'm sure you have experienced or know someone that has experienced an injury of some kind. I'd like to talk about a couple of injuries that not only my students have had, but some that I've had as well.
A couple of weeks back my two soloists performed at the LCS Festival at Southeastern University. Previous to that competition one of my soloist went to an audition and pulled their right hamstring. If you're an athlete or dancer of any kind, you know just how painful it can be to pull your hamstring right before a game or performance. You also know even better what it's like to take care of that injury and make sure it is healing. With only a few weeks left till the competition he had to make sure he was not only resting, but icing, compressing, and elevating his leg in order to make sure it was healing properly. As we arrived closer to the competition his leg was extremely close to being healed and he decided, as many do, "THE SHOW MUST GO ON!" Therefore, he competed at the LCS Festival, however during his performance he pulled his left quadricep muscle (quad muscles).
Many of you are probably thinking, "well, he clearly did not stretch before he performed at either the audition or the competition." However, as many of us that have endured injuries with sports or dance, we know that sometimes it does not matter how well or how much you stretch there are some injuries that are occasionally inevitable. Since his performance at the LCS Festival he has been resting, icing, compressing, and elevating his left leg to continue to help the healing process. Something he has also continued to do is make sure he is still taking care of his right leg as well in order to make sure to prevent another future injury.
I myself have dealt with wrist injuries, ankle sprains and breaks, extreme knee injuries and back injuries in the past that occasionally still flare up. When I was about 14 years old, I injured my left knee in a dance class while doing a leap that I have done since day one. After this happened, I was unable to dance for weeks that unfortunately turned into a little over a month. Therefore, I visited an orthopedic surgeon multiple times and after many MRIs I had finally received a J-Lateral knee brace that would continue to prevent future complications. Shortly after I had begun getting my knee problem handled, I was at a dance convention and was abruptly and forcefully kicked in the back therefore causing irritation to my vertebrates and nerves in my lower back. During my competition days I learned many ways to take care of injuries and still be able to perform like I wanted to.
A lot of times, people become afraid of their injury. Once you've become afraid of your injury you begin to baby your injury. Unfortunately, this can become an even bigger trouble to your injury. You do not want to baby it because most often it can prolong the injury. When some part of your body becomes injured, you want to take care of it but you also want to try to treat it somewhat normally. Meaning, you want to continue to take care of it, but you also want to make sure you are stretching it little by little to make sure your injury is not tightening up to a point where it hurts. Something that everyone needs to know is when you pull or sprain something the lactic acids in your body begin to harden within that injury to help make sure it comes back stronger than before. The only issue with this is, you must break up the lactic acids in order to make sure the injury doesn't become stiff and even more painful.
A few things I have done to help take care of injuries consist of, resting, icing, compressing, and elevating the injury in order to help inflammation subside, taking ibuprofen only when the pain becomes to a point that icing, compressing, and elevating are no longer helping, and stretching or massaging the muscle to make sure the lactic acids are broken up. When it comes down to it use the R.I.C.E. therapy technique.
R- Rest your injury as often as possible,
I- Ice your injury for only 20 minutes at a time, meaning 20 minutes with the ice on your injury and 20 minutes without the ice,
C- Compress your injury, use either a brace or ace bandage to compress the swelling but remember to allow enough space for two fingers to fit in between the brace/bandage and your skin. You do this to ensure you are still allowing blood to flow freely.
E- Elevate your injury as often as possible. For example, if your injury is on a jointed part of your body (elbow or knee) make sure to allow your leg or arm to bend in order for blood to flow freely.
Something else that has become my best friend over the years when I don't have time to do the things listed above is using BioFreeze. This is not an addictive muscle relaxer, it only helps to relax the muscle that it is injured in order to help you be able to perform longer with slightly less pain. When you are in a world where injuries are possible you have to make sure you are taking care of your body as well as possible, you need to stretch before every practice, performance, or game, you also need to occasionally take baths with epsom salt to help relieve your muscles of any soreness that may already be there or may become a future occurrence.
If there is a way that you prefer to take care of yourself that you have found helpful, write a comment below to help others as well! Remember to check back for more new posts!
A couple of weeks back my two soloists performed at the LCS Festival at Southeastern University. Previous to that competition one of my soloist went to an audition and pulled their right hamstring. If you're an athlete or dancer of any kind, you know just how painful it can be to pull your hamstring right before a game or performance. You also know even better what it's like to take care of that injury and make sure it is healing. With only a few weeks left till the competition he had to make sure he was not only resting, but icing, compressing, and elevating his leg in order to make sure it was healing properly. As we arrived closer to the competition his leg was extremely close to being healed and he decided, as many do, "THE SHOW MUST GO ON!" Therefore, he competed at the LCS Festival, however during his performance he pulled his left quadricep muscle (quad muscles).
Many of you are probably thinking, "well, he clearly did not stretch before he performed at either the audition or the competition." However, as many of us that have endured injuries with sports or dance, we know that sometimes it does not matter how well or how much you stretch there are some injuries that are occasionally inevitable. Since his performance at the LCS Festival he has been resting, icing, compressing, and elevating his left leg to continue to help the healing process. Something he has also continued to do is make sure he is still taking care of his right leg as well in order to make sure to prevent another future injury.
I myself have dealt with wrist injuries, ankle sprains and breaks, extreme knee injuries and back injuries in the past that occasionally still flare up. When I was about 14 years old, I injured my left knee in a dance class while doing a leap that I have done since day one. After this happened, I was unable to dance for weeks that unfortunately turned into a little over a month. Therefore, I visited an orthopedic surgeon multiple times and after many MRIs I had finally received a J-Lateral knee brace that would continue to prevent future complications. Shortly after I had begun getting my knee problem handled, I was at a dance convention and was abruptly and forcefully kicked in the back therefore causing irritation to my vertebrates and nerves in my lower back. During my competition days I learned many ways to take care of injuries and still be able to perform like I wanted to.
A lot of times, people become afraid of their injury. Once you've become afraid of your injury you begin to baby your injury. Unfortunately, this can become an even bigger trouble to your injury. You do not want to baby it because most often it can prolong the injury. When some part of your body becomes injured, you want to take care of it but you also want to try to treat it somewhat normally. Meaning, you want to continue to take care of it, but you also want to make sure you are stretching it little by little to make sure your injury is not tightening up to a point where it hurts. Something that everyone needs to know is when you pull or sprain something the lactic acids in your body begin to harden within that injury to help make sure it comes back stronger than before. The only issue with this is, you must break up the lactic acids in order to make sure the injury doesn't become stiff and even more painful.
A few things I have done to help take care of injuries consist of, resting, icing, compressing, and elevating the injury in order to help inflammation subside, taking ibuprofen only when the pain becomes to a point that icing, compressing, and elevating are no longer helping, and stretching or massaging the muscle to make sure the lactic acids are broken up. When it comes down to it use the R.I.C.E. therapy technique.
R- Rest your injury as often as possible,
I- Ice your injury for only 20 minutes at a time, meaning 20 minutes with the ice on your injury and 20 minutes without the ice,
C- Compress your injury, use either a brace or ace bandage to compress the swelling but remember to allow enough space for two fingers to fit in between the brace/bandage and your skin. You do this to ensure you are still allowing blood to flow freely.
E- Elevate your injury as often as possible. For example, if your injury is on a jointed part of your body (elbow or knee) make sure to allow your leg or arm to bend in order for blood to flow freely.
Something else that has become my best friend over the years when I don't have time to do the things listed above is using BioFreeze. This is not an addictive muscle relaxer, it only helps to relax the muscle that it is injured in order to help you be able to perform longer with slightly less pain. When you are in a world where injuries are possible you have to make sure you are taking care of your body as well as possible, you need to stretch before every practice, performance, or game, you also need to occasionally take baths with epsom salt to help relieve your muscles of any soreness that may already be there or may become a future occurrence.
If there is a way that you prefer to take care of yourself that you have found helpful, write a comment below to help others as well! Remember to check back for more new posts!
Monday, April 11, 2016
Dance Competitions: The Preparation
If you've read the recent posts, Choreographing: Seeing Your Piece Come to Life (Part 1 & 2) then you have a little bit of insight into how I like to choreograph and clean up the dances I create. While many people know that a dance is created, learned, cleaned, and then presented, they do not know what goes on behind the scenes with making sure your body is prepared to perform. Dance Competitions: The Preparation is all about what my students and I have personally been going through to make sure our bodies are ready to compete.
Many people do not know how dancers generally eat. For example, some people I have met have asked "Do dancers even eat?" or "Why don't you ever eat anything bad?" I'd like to answer these questions. To begin with, YES DANCERS DO EAT! In fact we love food just as much as the next person, however we choose to eat healthy food in order to stay healthy and be able to perform properly on a daily basis. For the second question, it's not that we don't eat anything bad, while we do eat healthy, we will still eat "bad" food but in moderation. Just like everyone else, dancers like to have some ice-cream or a cookie every once in a while.
Now that I've answered a couple of questions, I'd like to explain why I chose to talk about this subject and call this post "Dance Competitions: The Preparation". Recently, I have been working with my two soloists for their previous and upcoming dance competitions. At first, I was under the impression that the two of them were going to be the only ones competing at their second competition. However, many years ago when I was working with my group of hip hop dancers I had promised them if we ever went to a large scale dance competition I would compete with them. Having forgotten this promise, one of my soloists that was in that group reminded me of my promise, long story short, I am now competing after having not competed in about three years!
A few weeks ago, I decided since I am doing a solo and a duet with one of my students that I needed to prepare my body to look and feel how it should for a dance competition. I began eating healthier and working out more often and have dropped 5 inches off of my waist in only 3 weeks. A few things I have been doing to prepare myself through healthy eating consist of eating greek yogurt with fruit for breakfast, salads with chicken, turkey, or fish for lunch and dinner, drinking water throughout the entire week, and having healthy snacks during the day. My snacks have consisted of carrots, fruit, or protein. Like I said earlier, like anyone I enjoy having something sweet sometimes. Therefore, on either Friday or Saturday night I allow myself to have one meal that is considered "bad" and one small dessert. As I said before, "bad" food is only bad if it is eaten all day long, however in moderation, such as one meal a week is perfectly okay.
A couple of things I have begun doing as a workout regimen consist of, Mat Pilates, Yoga, Cycling/Spin classes, and Ballet, Hip Hop, and Zumba dance classes and a light amount of weight training. I have been going to at least one or two of these classes a week, as well as doing light weight training to help continue to tone my body. As you can see my main source of working out consists of cardio which plays a large portion of help into the preparation process for this competition. While I may not be where I want to be yet, I am getting closer and closer to my goal everyday. I started my journey almost three weeks ago and have three more weeks ahead of me to reach the goal I have set for myself. If you are interested in eating healthier and would like to know what I have been eating for breakfast or lunch, be sure to check back later and I will have some recipes and photos for you to follow! If you have an idea for a healthy meal or snack the you'd like to share comment below and tell us about it! Stay tuned to for other upcoming posts and an announcement about an event that's coming up in only three weeks!
Many people do not know how dancers generally eat. For example, some people I have met have asked "Do dancers even eat?" or "Why don't you ever eat anything bad?" I'd like to answer these questions. To begin with, YES DANCERS DO EAT! In fact we love food just as much as the next person, however we choose to eat healthy food in order to stay healthy and be able to perform properly on a daily basis. For the second question, it's not that we don't eat anything bad, while we do eat healthy, we will still eat "bad" food but in moderation. Just like everyone else, dancers like to have some ice-cream or a cookie every once in a while.
Now that I've answered a couple of questions, I'd like to explain why I chose to talk about this subject and call this post "Dance Competitions: The Preparation". Recently, I have been working with my two soloists for their previous and upcoming dance competitions. At first, I was under the impression that the two of them were going to be the only ones competing at their second competition. However, many years ago when I was working with my group of hip hop dancers I had promised them if we ever went to a large scale dance competition I would compete with them. Having forgotten this promise, one of my soloists that was in that group reminded me of my promise, long story short, I am now competing after having not competed in about three years!
A few weeks ago, I decided since I am doing a solo and a duet with one of my students that I needed to prepare my body to look and feel how it should for a dance competition. I began eating healthier and working out more often and have dropped 5 inches off of my waist in only 3 weeks. A few things I have been doing to prepare myself through healthy eating consist of eating greek yogurt with fruit for breakfast, salads with chicken, turkey, or fish for lunch and dinner, drinking water throughout the entire week, and having healthy snacks during the day. My snacks have consisted of carrots, fruit, or protein. Like I said earlier, like anyone I enjoy having something sweet sometimes. Therefore, on either Friday or Saturday night I allow myself to have one meal that is considered "bad" and one small dessert. As I said before, "bad" food is only bad if it is eaten all day long, however in moderation, such as one meal a week is perfectly okay.
A couple of things I have begun doing as a workout regimen consist of, Mat Pilates, Yoga, Cycling/Spin classes, and Ballet, Hip Hop, and Zumba dance classes and a light amount of weight training. I have been going to at least one or two of these classes a week, as well as doing light weight training to help continue to tone my body. As you can see my main source of working out consists of cardio which plays a large portion of help into the preparation process for this competition. While I may not be where I want to be yet, I am getting closer and closer to my goal everyday. I started my journey almost three weeks ago and have three more weeks ahead of me to reach the goal I have set for myself. If you are interested in eating healthier and would like to know what I have been eating for breakfast or lunch, be sure to check back later and I will have some recipes and photos for you to follow! If you have an idea for a healthy meal or snack the you'd like to share comment below and tell us about it! Stay tuned to for other upcoming posts and an announcement about an event that's coming up in only three weeks!
Friday, April 8, 2016
Choreographing: Seeing Your Piece Come to Life (Part 2)
I recently wrote a post titled Choreographing: Seeing Your Piece Come to Life, as many of you may have realized this is a two part post. In the last post, I discussed what it's like to be in the beginning and middle of the creative process and what it's like to experience watching someone learn your choreography and how to clean it up. This time, I am finishing my second part of this post. If you have not read the part one you may want to read it before continuing! With creating a dance for someone comes a great deal of not only imagination but also a determination to tell the story you choose to portray. After you have decided your story, style of dance, and song choice, then comes the choreography stage. In my last post I discussed the way I prefer to choreograph and do my cleaning process. Today I'd like to share what it feels like to go from the practice space to the stage.
Many people have recently asked me, what does it feel like to watch something you've choreographed go on stage? Truthfully, it's a feeling unlike anything else and funny enough it can sometimes be difficult to describe especially in the moments after your student has just performed. I have recently had time to think about it and want to answer that question from my point of view as a choreographer.
When you go from practice to performance you no longer have control over what goes on the stage. To elaborate, during practice you have complete control over how the dance looks, feels, and is portrayed. You have time to tell your student, lengthen and use your energy all the way through your finger tips, when you execute your arabesque bring it higher, straighten your leg all the way through the back of your knee and don't drop your chest. However, once that students checks in backstage and is on deck, the dance is completely in their hands now. You have groomed them and trained them to do what you have envisioned, but now it is their turn to make it their own.
The feeling that comes over you is slightly overwhelming, but not in a bad way, in fact it's a very good overwhelming feeling! You suddenly begin to remember where you started with this student and how far they've come. You remember why they chose the story, song choice, and style of their dance and how much they have moved and inspired you emotionally and physically. You begin to think, I truly hope they remember everything, but it's ok if they don't because they've been trained to improvise if something goes awry. Then you start to remember the laughter and horror stories you've shared about the bruises not only they received but you as well because you had to show them how to throw themselves on the floor and you haven't done it in 5 years. Your last thought before they step on stage is always you trying to remind them, "Do your best, you know your dance, I know you're nervous right now, but feed off of your adrenaline and remember your story. We're here to reach someone." Even though you know they can't physically hear you, you know they can hear you in their heart.
Then, the announcer says, "Up next we have..." and they're name and dance are announced and they walk out and it is officially in their hands. The music begins to play and nothing is going through your head other than every move you've taught them, you are doing the dance with them in spirit! You continue to watch and this feeling of accomplishment comes over you because you remember again how far they have come and how proud you are! As you continue to watch, you can't believe how everything you envisioned is truly coming to life right before your eyes through another person or group of dancers. That is usually the moment that tears begin to form in my eyes because it is the moment I realize someone is being touched and is seeing their story and what we came to do.
As soon as it is over, the feeling of immense joy, excitement, and truly being the most proud of your dancer(s) you have ever been begins to sweep over you! You meet them outside and hug it out and tell them you cannot believe how far they have come and how proud you are! The first thing out of their mouth is, "THANK YOU!! But I messed up on this part..." However, in that moment you don't care because you are so proud and saw your vision come to life that you don't even care if one channe turn was left out! All you care about is how amazing they looked, how someone was truly reached, and how ready you are to take them to the next level!
After all of the post-performance excitement has calmed down, you rematch the dance and continue to think how amazing it truly is that you created a piece and told someone this is what I'm envisioning and I'm believing in you to make it happen. Not only do they make your vision come to life, they take it so much farther and make it even more and even better than you had originally hoped and longed for! If you have a story about what it's like for you to see your piece come to life, comment below and share it with us or if you feel the way we feel let us know, we'd love to hear from you!
Stay tuned for new posts and an upcoming dance competition that we will be performing at at the end of April!
Many people have recently asked me, what does it feel like to watch something you've choreographed go on stage? Truthfully, it's a feeling unlike anything else and funny enough it can sometimes be difficult to describe especially in the moments after your student has just performed. I have recently had time to think about it and want to answer that question from my point of view as a choreographer.
When you go from practice to performance you no longer have control over what goes on the stage. To elaborate, during practice you have complete control over how the dance looks, feels, and is portrayed. You have time to tell your student, lengthen and use your energy all the way through your finger tips, when you execute your arabesque bring it higher, straighten your leg all the way through the back of your knee and don't drop your chest. However, once that students checks in backstage and is on deck, the dance is completely in their hands now. You have groomed them and trained them to do what you have envisioned, but now it is their turn to make it their own.
The feeling that comes over you is slightly overwhelming, but not in a bad way, in fact it's a very good overwhelming feeling! You suddenly begin to remember where you started with this student and how far they've come. You remember why they chose the story, song choice, and style of their dance and how much they have moved and inspired you emotionally and physically. You begin to think, I truly hope they remember everything, but it's ok if they don't because they've been trained to improvise if something goes awry. Then you start to remember the laughter and horror stories you've shared about the bruises not only they received but you as well because you had to show them how to throw themselves on the floor and you haven't done it in 5 years. Your last thought before they step on stage is always you trying to remind them, "Do your best, you know your dance, I know you're nervous right now, but feed off of your adrenaline and remember your story. We're here to reach someone." Even though you know they can't physically hear you, you know they can hear you in their heart.
Then, the announcer says, "Up next we have..." and they're name and dance are announced and they walk out and it is officially in their hands. The music begins to play and nothing is going through your head other than every move you've taught them, you are doing the dance with them in spirit! You continue to watch and this feeling of accomplishment comes over you because you remember again how far they have come and how proud you are! As you continue to watch, you can't believe how everything you envisioned is truly coming to life right before your eyes through another person or group of dancers. That is usually the moment that tears begin to form in my eyes because it is the moment I realize someone is being touched and is seeing their story and what we came to do.
As soon as it is over, the feeling of immense joy, excitement, and truly being the most proud of your dancer(s) you have ever been begins to sweep over you! You meet them outside and hug it out and tell them you cannot believe how far they have come and how proud you are! The first thing out of their mouth is, "THANK YOU!! But I messed up on this part..." However, in that moment you don't care because you are so proud and saw your vision come to life that you don't even care if one channe turn was left out! All you care about is how amazing they looked, how someone was truly reached, and how ready you are to take them to the next level!
After all of the post-performance excitement has calmed down, you rematch the dance and continue to think how amazing it truly is that you created a piece and told someone this is what I'm envisioning and I'm believing in you to make it happen. Not only do they make your vision come to life, they take it so much farther and make it even more and even better than you had originally hoped and longed for! If you have a story about what it's like for you to see your piece come to life, comment below and share it with us or if you feel the way we feel let us know, we'd love to hear from you!
Stay tuned for new posts and an upcoming dance competition that we will be performing at at the end of April!
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Choreographing: Seeing Your Piece Come to Life (Part 1)
For many people, when you watch a dance at a recital, dance competition, on tv, or at any other event it may seem like any other day for you. It may also seem like it's just another dance you were able to watch. In my last post, I talked a little bit about how dancers should practice and perform as if it's their last performance and how choreographers create each piece they do as if it's the last one they will ever present. However, I did not go into much detail about what it's like getting to the end of a new piece or when you finally see that piece come to life.
When it comes to teaching students you definitely want your kids to have the determination and ready-to-learn attitude, because without that your future piece will not come to its full maturity like you have envisioned it. During the time I have recently spent traveling and choreographing I have had the honor to work with people that have that determination and want to give you what you are seeing in your own mind. The process of creating a new piece for someone truly begins with deciding what is the story I want to tell and how can I portray that through my dancers and my choreography? For example, many of you may have already read a previous post of mine, Standing In the Rain. (If you have not, you definitely should!) In that post I discussed the dance Stand In the Rain started with the word PERSEVERANCE. Once it had been decided what this piece would be about, I was able to begin choosing a song and creating choreography.
After knowing the story, song, and choreography that would be used, then came the teaching and learning experience. I personally prefer to teach as much choreography as possible in one time period as long as the student can handle it. Basically, as long as they can continue learning more and working on it with the music once a new section has been, I will continue to add on. Once I have taught the entire dance I personally prefer to have my students sit down, close their eyes, listen to the dance and run the choreography in their mind. After that has been done, I have them sit, eyes closed, and only listen to the song. By "listen" I mean, truly listen to the lyrics or if there are no lyrics to listen to the way the instruments sound. During my years of training we did this in many dances, because in doing this you grasp a completely different side of the song and it helps to make your dance better because you dancer(s) now has more of an understanding of what the song fully sounds like.
Now onto the "cleaning process" during the cleaning process I begin breaking the dance down as small as I can. Basically, what I like to do is look at each part of the body individually throughout the dance and fix one thing at a time so that my dancer knows what to begin working on. Not only has this made it easier for them to remember, it has made it easier on my part as well because I am able to look at one thing only rather than everything at one time. After I've cleaned and sharpened their dance we continue to run the number until the day their performance arrives. Stay tuned for my next post Choreographing: Seeing Your Piece Come to Life (Part 2) where I will discuss what it's like to visually see your piece come to life in a performance!
When it comes to teaching students you definitely want your kids to have the determination and ready-to-learn attitude, because without that your future piece will not come to its full maturity like you have envisioned it. During the time I have recently spent traveling and choreographing I have had the honor to work with people that have that determination and want to give you what you are seeing in your own mind. The process of creating a new piece for someone truly begins with deciding what is the story I want to tell and how can I portray that through my dancers and my choreography? For example, many of you may have already read a previous post of mine, Standing In the Rain. (If you have not, you definitely should!) In that post I discussed the dance Stand In the Rain started with the word PERSEVERANCE. Once it had been decided what this piece would be about, I was able to begin choosing a song and creating choreography.
After knowing the story, song, and choreography that would be used, then came the teaching and learning experience. I personally prefer to teach as much choreography as possible in one time period as long as the student can handle it. Basically, as long as they can continue learning more and working on it with the music once a new section has been, I will continue to add on. Once I have taught the entire dance I personally prefer to have my students sit down, close their eyes, listen to the dance and run the choreography in their mind. After that has been done, I have them sit, eyes closed, and only listen to the song. By "listen" I mean, truly listen to the lyrics or if there are no lyrics to listen to the way the instruments sound. During my years of training we did this in many dances, because in doing this you grasp a completely different side of the song and it helps to make your dance better because you dancer(s) now has more of an understanding of what the song fully sounds like.
Now onto the "cleaning process" during the cleaning process I begin breaking the dance down as small as I can. Basically, what I like to do is look at each part of the body individually throughout the dance and fix one thing at a time so that my dancer knows what to begin working on. Not only has this made it easier for them to remember, it has made it easier on my part as well because I am able to look at one thing only rather than everything at one time. After I've cleaned and sharpened their dance we continue to run the number until the day their performance arrives. Stay tuned for my next post Choreographing: Seeing Your Piece Come to Life (Part 2) where I will discuss what it's like to visually see your piece come to life in a performance!
Monday, April 4, 2016
Being the Student and the Choreographer
To begin today's post, I will start by apologizing for such a long break! As many of us have been on spring break, I too took a small break as well! Thank you for waiting for me to get back to the blog and staying tuned for what is to come!
Today I want to discuss what it's like choreographing for not only yourself and classes you teach, but for others that perform within the community and those that compete as well. I've had a lot of people ask me how come you choreograph or what is like choreographing for other people? I'd like to answer these different questions to give you a little insight into what it's like on my side as the choreographer, as well as what it can be like being the one learning the choreography.
When you are learning choreography for the first time it can be extremely confusing and overwhelming depending on the kind of choreographer you are learning from. For example, there are different kinds of choreographers, you have those that teach everything in 10 minutes and want you to show it back to them immediately and you have others that teach each step more than once, then you have those that are in between. Being the person that is learning the choreography, you don't always get to choose which type of choreographer you will be working with. Therefore, you have to be prepared to work with anyone and you have to be prepared to try what they give you. I personally understand how difficult it can be to try everything that's thrown at you because I've been where you might be. However, I can honestly say without a doubt, do not be afraid to try something new! It could become one of your favorite things to do and you will not know if you don't try.
Something I've personally thought and heard from friends and students of mine is, "I'm afraid I'm going to fail if I try to do that move" or "I'm afraid I'll get hurt if I try that, so can we just not do it?" The way I began thinking about it is, if you never try new moves you will not get better, nor will you know if you have the capabilities to do it. Another thing I have learned is, a choreographer will not give you a piece of choreography if they didn't believe in you and didn't believe you could do it.
Now that I've discussed a little bit about learning choreography, I'd like to discuss what it's like to be the choreographer. As a choreographer, a lot of the time you have the choice on who you work with, which can be a good or bad thing. In saying that, I consider the good things to be the students that are hungry to learn and ready to be taught. Not only do they want to be in practice learning, but they want harder choreography and completely trust you with their dance. Unfortunately, something I have experienced that I consider the "bad things" are when you have students that do not trust you and will not try to do the hard stuff that in the long run will only make them and their dance better! However, in these cases, most of the students that don't want to try what you give them often believe they need to change their dance without consulting you, the choreographer, first.
I've had some recent experience with students that have told me, "this dance is too hard, so we're changing it" or "I didn't think the moves looked right so my mom and I changed it and this is what I'm going to do at my performance." I am going to let you in on something that many people do not always grasp, when you change the choreography or tell the choreographer you're changing something, you are undermining they're professional opinion, as well as wasting their time. I urge you, please do not be a student that will not try, gives up, and changes the choreography without consulting the choreographer first. Not only is it disrespectful, it is time wasted that could've been spent with a student that truly wants to learn and try what you're going to give them.
A couple of years ago, while dancing during middle and high school, one of my teachers used to tell us an old Chinese Proverb, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." For a long time, I did not understand what that meant, however as I continued in my dance training and career, I've learned what it truly means. Some of my students have recently learned that as well, I don't want to tell you what it means, but I would like to tell you, be a student that practices like it's your last performance, because your choreographer is choreographing as if it's their last piece. Not only will you get better, but you will begin to understand what the Chinese Proverb means. Once you think you know what that means, please message me or comment below and let me know! I can't wait to read your success stories!
Today I want to discuss what it's like choreographing for not only yourself and classes you teach, but for others that perform within the community and those that compete as well. I've had a lot of people ask me how come you choreograph or what is like choreographing for other people? I'd like to answer these different questions to give you a little insight into what it's like on my side as the choreographer, as well as what it can be like being the one learning the choreography.
When you are learning choreography for the first time it can be extremely confusing and overwhelming depending on the kind of choreographer you are learning from. For example, there are different kinds of choreographers, you have those that teach everything in 10 minutes and want you to show it back to them immediately and you have others that teach each step more than once, then you have those that are in between. Being the person that is learning the choreography, you don't always get to choose which type of choreographer you will be working with. Therefore, you have to be prepared to work with anyone and you have to be prepared to try what they give you. I personally understand how difficult it can be to try everything that's thrown at you because I've been where you might be. However, I can honestly say without a doubt, do not be afraid to try something new! It could become one of your favorite things to do and you will not know if you don't try.
Something I've personally thought and heard from friends and students of mine is, "I'm afraid I'm going to fail if I try to do that move" or "I'm afraid I'll get hurt if I try that, so can we just not do it?" The way I began thinking about it is, if you never try new moves you will not get better, nor will you know if you have the capabilities to do it. Another thing I have learned is, a choreographer will not give you a piece of choreography if they didn't believe in you and didn't believe you could do it.
Now that I've discussed a little bit about learning choreography, I'd like to discuss what it's like to be the choreographer. As a choreographer, a lot of the time you have the choice on who you work with, which can be a good or bad thing. In saying that, I consider the good things to be the students that are hungry to learn and ready to be taught. Not only do they want to be in practice learning, but they want harder choreography and completely trust you with their dance. Unfortunately, something I have experienced that I consider the "bad things" are when you have students that do not trust you and will not try to do the hard stuff that in the long run will only make them and their dance better! However, in these cases, most of the students that don't want to try what you give them often believe they need to change their dance without consulting you, the choreographer, first.
I've had some recent experience with students that have told me, "this dance is too hard, so we're changing it" or "I didn't think the moves looked right so my mom and I changed it and this is what I'm going to do at my performance." I am going to let you in on something that many people do not always grasp, when you change the choreography or tell the choreographer you're changing something, you are undermining they're professional opinion, as well as wasting their time. I urge you, please do not be a student that will not try, gives up, and changes the choreography without consulting the choreographer first. Not only is it disrespectful, it is time wasted that could've been spent with a student that truly wants to learn and try what you're going to give them.
A couple of years ago, while dancing during middle and high school, one of my teachers used to tell us an old Chinese Proverb, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." For a long time, I did not understand what that meant, however as I continued in my dance training and career, I've learned what it truly means. Some of my students have recently learned that as well, I don't want to tell you what it means, but I would like to tell you, be a student that practices like it's your last performance, because your choreographer is choreographing as if it's their last piece. Not only will you get better, but you will begin to understand what the Chinese Proverb means. Once you think you know what that means, please message me or comment below and let me know! I can't wait to read your success stories!
Monday, March 21, 2016
Standing In the Rain
As many of you read in the very first post, I spoke about teaching two soloists over the last couple of years. In my last post, "Teaching: Students That Inspire You (Part 2)", I talked about the young woman that I've had the honor of teaching as a soloist for the last 2 years. Today, I'd like to talk about a young man that was in the very first group of kids I ever worked with. I had the honor this year of teaching him his very first solo.
When I first met him he was like any other 3rd grade boy, very energetic, talkative, and always wanted to have fun no matter the circumstance. For 3 years I taught him in my first group of kids, the group of Hip Hop dancers and watched him grow up into an amazing Hip Hop dancer and young man with a stronger passion for dance than he had started with. This year when I was teaching my first soloist that a spoke of before, I ran into him at my former school and he told me about having wanted to do a solo at the LCS Festival (FLOCS Competition) at Southeastern University for the 2016 competition. As usual for any dance, I asked him what style he wanted to do. Assuming he would say Hip Hop I was already thinking of songs in my head, however, he shocked me. The word that came out of his mouth was very unexpected, CONTEMPORARY.
That afternoon, we discussed different song choices, as well as using Hip Hop as a Plan B in case Contemporary didn't work out. I clearly remember asking what kind of meaning he wanted behind his dance, because almost all Contemporary, Modern, and Lyrical dances have some form of a story. The first thing he told me was, "I want to do a dance about perseverance.". Immediately, I knew which song he should do without even knowing a reason behind the decision of perseverance. His solo song would now become not only part of his first Contemporary solo, but it would become his FIRST SOLO ever. The song we chose, is Stand In the Rain by Superchick (we used a male cover from youtube, I will share the link below). If you have not heard this song before, please research it and truly listen to it. When we say TRULY LISTEN, we mean it from the heart. The only way to fully grasp this song is to know the lyrics and fully hear them.
After choosing this song, I began choreographing and we began practicing for multiple hours a week. I'm sure by now you are wondering, why perseverance and why this song? To answer this question, you need to know a background story. This young man is in his 8th grade year, a year that many students begin to face bullying and different struggles. For him, this year hasn't been much different than that. He has spent an entire year being bullied for who he is, a male dancer. Because, as many know society has placed a label on ALL MALE DANCERS. This label being the word "GAY". Now, mind you there are many male dancers that are NOT gay. This young man is not gay, however, he has dealt with this label for quite sometime. As many of us also go through being told, we're not good enough, we don't belong or fit in, we should quit dreaming about what we want to be, or the most unfortunate one of all GIVE UP. He has dealt with this time and time again. Yet, he had no way to prove these people wrong, until this solo came along.
At the LCS Festival he faced many of the people that have talked down to him and he not only stood up for himself and told his story through his dance, he also went out there to stand up for anyone who has ever felt worthless, abandoned, and not good enough. He decided that even though he had only taken Contemporary for 5 months, he wanted to prove those that doubted him wrong and show them he will continue to "Stand In the Rain". At the award ceremony, he was awarded the FIRST PLACE OVERALL AWARD for Worship Dance Solos and received an Invitational to the Regional competition in April!
During our practices, he continued to push himself harder than any student I've ever
either danced with myself or taught, because he is a young man that is chasing his dream despite the nay sayers. Many of us give up on our dreams far to early and never get to see where they may have led us. This young man has been a true inspiration in my life as a future studio owner, choreographer, and person. Not only has he inspired me to continue to fight for my dreams, but he has shown me it doesn't matter what others may say, as long as you remember to always push through and NEVER say the word "CAN'T" because you can always succeed and prove those wrong that doubted you. He may be 15, but he has inspired and reminded me of why I am starting my studio. He has inspired me to open a place where students can come and not only learn, but be encouraged even when others are tearing them down. I will forever live with the inspiration that regardless of the situation at hand, we can always stand strong and remember that no matter how rough the storm in life gets, it will always get better if we continue to believe in ourselves.
When I first met him he was like any other 3rd grade boy, very energetic, talkative, and always wanted to have fun no matter the circumstance. For 3 years I taught him in my first group of kids, the group of Hip Hop dancers and watched him grow up into an amazing Hip Hop dancer and young man with a stronger passion for dance than he had started with. This year when I was teaching my first soloist that a spoke of before, I ran into him at my former school and he told me about having wanted to do a solo at the LCS Festival (FLOCS Competition) at Southeastern University for the 2016 competition. As usual for any dance, I asked him what style he wanted to do. Assuming he would say Hip Hop I was already thinking of songs in my head, however, he shocked me. The word that came out of his mouth was very unexpected, CONTEMPORARY.
That afternoon, we discussed different song choices, as well as using Hip Hop as a Plan B in case Contemporary didn't work out. I clearly remember asking what kind of meaning he wanted behind his dance, because almost all Contemporary, Modern, and Lyrical dances have some form of a story. The first thing he told me was, "I want to do a dance about perseverance.". Immediately, I knew which song he should do without even knowing a reason behind the decision of perseverance. His solo song would now become not only part of his first Contemporary solo, but it would become his FIRST SOLO ever. The song we chose, is Stand In the Rain by Superchick (we used a male cover from youtube, I will share the link below). If you have not heard this song before, please research it and truly listen to it. When we say TRULY LISTEN, we mean it from the heart. The only way to fully grasp this song is to know the lyrics and fully hear them.
After choosing this song, I began choreographing and we began practicing for multiple hours a week. I'm sure by now you are wondering, why perseverance and why this song? To answer this question, you need to know a background story. This young man is in his 8th grade year, a year that many students begin to face bullying and different struggles. For him, this year hasn't been much different than that. He has spent an entire year being bullied for who he is, a male dancer. Because, as many know society has placed a label on ALL MALE DANCERS. This label being the word "GAY". Now, mind you there are many male dancers that are NOT gay. This young man is not gay, however, he has dealt with this label for quite sometime. As many of us also go through being told, we're not good enough, we don't belong or fit in, we should quit dreaming about what we want to be, or the most unfortunate one of all GIVE UP. He has dealt with this time and time again. Yet, he had no way to prove these people wrong, until this solo came along.
At the LCS Festival he faced many of the people that have talked down to him and he not only stood up for himself and told his story through his dance, he also went out there to stand up for anyone who has ever felt worthless, abandoned, and not good enough. He decided that even though he had only taken Contemporary for 5 months, he wanted to prove those that doubted him wrong and show them he will continue to "Stand In the Rain". At the award ceremony, he was awarded the FIRST PLACE OVERALL AWARD for Worship Dance Solos and received an Invitational to the Regional competition in April!
During our practices, he continued to push himself harder than any student I've ever
either danced with myself or taught, because he is a young man that is chasing his dream despite the nay sayers. Many of us give up on our dreams far to early and never get to see where they may have led us. This young man has been a true inspiration in my life as a future studio owner, choreographer, and person. Not only has he inspired me to continue to fight for my dreams, but he has shown me it doesn't matter what others may say, as long as you remember to always push through and NEVER say the word "CAN'T" because you can always succeed and prove those wrong that doubted you. He may be 15, but he has inspired and reminded me of why I am starting my studio. He has inspired me to open a place where students can come and not only learn, but be encouraged even when others are tearing them down. I will forever live with the inspiration that regardless of the situation at hand, we can always stand strong and remember that no matter how rough the storm in life gets, it will always get better if we continue to believe in ourselves.
"There will be Doubters, there will be Haters, there will be Non-believers.
Then there's you,
PROVING THEM WORNG!"
-A.P.
To the amazing and talented young man I have had the honor of knowing and teaching for the last 7 years, I want you to truly know that you have been a remarkable inspiration in my life.
You will always be one of my first kids no matter how old or how much taller you get, you will always be one of my first "little ones". I have watched you grow into an amazing dancer and cannot wait to see what God has in store for your dance future! In only a few weeks I watched you go from only knowing a few Contemporary moves to becoming an amazing dancer that I cannot wait to continue to watch grow into an even more phenomenal artist.
I love you man!
Friday, March 18, 2016
Teaching: Students That Inspire You (Part 2)
Yesterday I posted the first part about what it's like to teach students that inspire you! As a recap for those that may have not read part 1, I talked about a young group of dancers that helped jump start my career as a choreographer! Today, I'm writing about one of my amazing soloists that has truly broadened my horizons with choreography and helped me to see a new side of creating more dynamic dances for not only them, but others to come!
Last year, while volunteering at my former elementary/middle/high school, I was approached by the principal and asked to choreograph for her granddaughter. Never having talked to her other than sharing a few hellos, I agreed to work with her on a Contemporary solo for the LCS Festival (FLOCS Competition) held at Southeastern University. Upon going into working with her, I did not know how much dance she had taken or how long she had been dancing. However, much to my surprise she was amazing for the short time she had been taking classes!
On the first day of practice, we got to know each other and learn a little bit more about each other's dance ability and dance history. Not only was it a great experience learning about her, but listening to her passion about dance truly gave me even more inspiration to choreograph for her! Over the course of the next few practices, she brought me the song Small Enough by Mindy Gledhill. When I originally heard her song choice, my first thought was, "This is a very deep song for a 13 year old". However, after that initial thought, I asked her why she had chosen this song? She then told me stories of things that had gone on in her personal life of going from a full-time homeschool student to an 8th grader going to school everyday. She told me of how it was being the odd-one-out because she had been homeschooled so long and being the only one that loved dance as much as she did. Personally, I could relate to her on so many levels that this dance became less of your "everyday dance" to becoming a story of her life portrayed and expressed through her dance. When she performed this dance at the LCS Festival, you could truly see and feel that she had been through something and wanted to show everyone I've been through things but God is getting me through it and He will get you through it too. This song and dance were her way of showing who she was and what she had gone through to bring hope to those that might feel hopeless.
This year, I had the honor of being able to work with this same young woman again for a second year in a row! However, this year she brought me a lighter and more powerful song, How Can It Be by Lauren Daigle. This song is a song of realizing where you've been and knowing God has brought you out of your time of struggle, even in the moments that you might not deserve it. She had been brought through serious difficult times during her 8th grade year and as many students do, still has struggles in the 9th grade. But this time, she used her story and her dance to express the joy and gratefulness she has for the Lord because even through her struggles and times she might not have deserved the help, God brought her through it. This year, her goal at the LCS Festival was to show everyone that even in times of despair and difficulty God is always there and will bring you through! She is an amazing young woman with a true heart for the Lord and a true heart for dance!
Last year, while volunteering at my former elementary/middle/high school, I was approached by the principal and asked to choreograph for her granddaughter. Never having talked to her other than sharing a few hellos, I agreed to work with her on a Contemporary solo for the LCS Festival (FLOCS Competition) held at Southeastern University. Upon going into working with her, I did not know how much dance she had taken or how long she had been dancing. However, much to my surprise she was amazing for the short time she had been taking classes!
On the first day of practice, we got to know each other and learn a little bit more about each other's dance ability and dance history. Not only was it a great experience learning about her, but listening to her passion about dance truly gave me even more inspiration to choreograph for her! Over the course of the next few practices, she brought me the song Small Enough by Mindy Gledhill. When I originally heard her song choice, my first thought was, "This is a very deep song for a 13 year old". However, after that initial thought, I asked her why she had chosen this song? She then told me stories of things that had gone on in her personal life of going from a full-time homeschool student to an 8th grader going to school everyday. She told me of how it was being the odd-one-out because she had been homeschooled so long and being the only one that loved dance as much as she did. Personally, I could relate to her on so many levels that this dance became less of your "everyday dance" to becoming a story of her life portrayed and expressed through her dance. When she performed this dance at the LCS Festival, you could truly see and feel that she had been through something and wanted to show everyone I've been through things but God is getting me through it and He will get you through it too. This song and dance were her way of showing who she was and what she had gone through to bring hope to those that might feel hopeless.
This year, I had the honor of being able to work with this same young woman again for a second year in a row! However, this year she brought me a lighter and more powerful song, How Can It Be by Lauren Daigle. This song is a song of realizing where you've been and knowing God has brought you out of your time of struggle, even in the moments that you might not deserve it. She had been brought through serious difficult times during her 8th grade year and as many students do, still has struggles in the 9th grade. But this time, she used her story and her dance to express the joy and gratefulness she has for the Lord because even through her struggles and times she might not have deserved the help, God brought her through it. This year, her goal at the LCS Festival was to show everyone that even in times of despair and difficulty God is always there and will bring you through! She is an amazing young woman with a true heart for the Lord and a true heart for dance!
To my first soloist, when you read this, know that I am so proud of you and everything you have accomplished and cannot wait to see where the Lord takes you and your future in dance!
I love you girl!
Be on the look out for a new post coming at the beginning of next week about my most recent experience with a male soloist and Standing In the Rain.
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Teaching: Students That Inspire You (Part 1)
As many of you may have already read in my first post, I talked about having taught groups and soloists over the last few years. However, I didn't quite go into detail about my experiences with the kids I taught. This time, I'd like to tell you about what it's like to start your first job choreographing for a group of 3rd graders that had never taken any form of dance!
In my freshman year of high school, I was dancing and competing full time at my home studio Raskin Dance Studio. At the time, I was not expecting to get asked to help out with an entire 3rd grade class for a dance they would perform at chapel and church services. However, when my former elementary teacher asked me to come help, I said yes and jumped right in! Now, mind you when we started working together, the class had chosen the song NY2LA by Press Play. They had already choreographed ninety percent of this dance and only wanted help with just a small portion of it! When the class performed, they did an amazing job! After their performance, I thought it would be the last time I would work with them. However, I was very wrong and to this day, I'm glad it wasn't the last time. I'll explain why!
Shortly after their performance for chapel and church, the school competition FLOCS, Florida League of Christian Schools held at Southeastern University was coming up. Once again, their teacher and now the principal had approached me about having a small group go to the competition to represent the school. At the beginning, we were all somewhat skeptical because none of the 8 kids that were chosen had ever performed a Hip Hop dance or competed at a competition! However, these kids weren't ordinary kids. They had something special. These kids had a passion for dancing that I had only seen in friends of mine and myself that had been dancing for years!
We began working together and at the first practice I remember we had a discussion that this wasn't going to be super easy and they needed to be alert in practice. Something I will never forget is the look on their faces, they were full of excitement, nerves, and passion for what was to come! They promised me they were ready to work and work hard! Even though they were only 8 and 9 years old, they had begun inspiring me as a choreographer! My biggest fear was choreographing a Hip Hop dance. But, with these amazing kids and the passion they had, I knew nothing was impossible!
They gave me a challenge to give them a dance that would be fun for everyone! During the upcoming practices, they started asking for harder choreography! Which was amazing and even more inspiring! They were ready to work harder than they had originally set out to, because they had the passion for it! On March 5, 2011 they went to their first competition and blew everyone away! These 8 kids went on stage and performed with such a passion and love for dance and God that it truly touched everyone in the room! Not only did they win in my eyes because of such passion and bravery, but they walked away with the First Place Overall trophy and blue ribbons for the Urban Dance Troupe at the FLOCS Competition! That is the day I saw 8 kids with such potential, passion, and love for dance! To this day, at least 5 of them are still dancing and following their passion! I had the honor of being able to teach them during their 4th and 5th grade years as well! Even though our group got smaller over the years, we continued to represent the school and named them the MK Crew and they walked away with 3 consecutive first place trophies and blue ribbons each year we worked together! Each year, the choreography got harder but their passion grew stronger!
They inspired me to create better dances, be a better teacher, and showed me how to love dance even more! I am forever grateful that they started my career as a choreographer and teacher because without their help, I would not be where I am today!
In my freshman year of high school, I was dancing and competing full time at my home studio Raskin Dance Studio. At the time, I was not expecting to get asked to help out with an entire 3rd grade class for a dance they would perform at chapel and church services. However, when my former elementary teacher asked me to come help, I said yes and jumped right in! Now, mind you when we started working together, the class had chosen the song NY2LA by Press Play. They had already choreographed ninety percent of this dance and only wanted help with just a small portion of it! When the class performed, they did an amazing job! After their performance, I thought it would be the last time I would work with them. However, I was very wrong and to this day, I'm glad it wasn't the last time. I'll explain why!
Shortly after their performance for chapel and church, the school competition FLOCS, Florida League of Christian Schools held at Southeastern University was coming up. Once again, their teacher and now the principal had approached me about having a small group go to the competition to represent the school. At the beginning, we were all somewhat skeptical because none of the 8 kids that were chosen had ever performed a Hip Hop dance or competed at a competition! However, these kids weren't ordinary kids. They had something special. These kids had a passion for dancing that I had only seen in friends of mine and myself that had been dancing for years!
We began working together and at the first practice I remember we had a discussion that this wasn't going to be super easy and they needed to be alert in practice. Something I will never forget is the look on their faces, they were full of excitement, nerves, and passion for what was to come! They promised me they were ready to work and work hard! Even though they were only 8 and 9 years old, they had begun inspiring me as a choreographer! My biggest fear was choreographing a Hip Hop dance. But, with these amazing kids and the passion they had, I knew nothing was impossible!
They gave me a challenge to give them a dance that would be fun for everyone! During the upcoming practices, they started asking for harder choreography! Which was amazing and even more inspiring! They were ready to work harder than they had originally set out to, because they had the passion for it! On March 5, 2011 they went to their first competition and blew everyone away! These 8 kids went on stage and performed with such a passion and love for dance and God that it truly touched everyone in the room! Not only did they win in my eyes because of such passion and bravery, but they walked away with the First Place Overall trophy and blue ribbons for the Urban Dance Troupe at the FLOCS Competition! That is the day I saw 8 kids with such potential, passion, and love for dance! To this day, at least 5 of them are still dancing and following their passion! I had the honor of being able to teach them during their 4th and 5th grade years as well! Even though our group got smaller over the years, we continued to represent the school and named them the MK Crew and they walked away with 3 consecutive first place trophies and blue ribbons each year we worked together! Each year, the choreography got harder but their passion grew stronger!
They inspired me to create better dances, be a better teacher, and showed me how to love dance even more! I am forever grateful that they started my career as a choreographer and teacher because without their help, I would not be where I am today!
To my first group of kids, I love you guys and will always be grateful to you for helping me realize my dream of teaching and choreographing! I can't wait to continue watching you all grow into beautiful young women and handsome young men!
Stay tuned to read Teaching: Students That Inspire You (Part 2) to learn about what it's been like teaching soloists!
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Our Donation Fund
In my last post, I wrote that I would be sharing our Go Fund Me for those of you that would like to read a little more of our story and donate if you feel led to! Every dollar amount counts and is greatly appreciated! Please follow the link www.gofundme.com/solesonfire to find out more about where the funds are going and how to get involved! Thank you in advance to anyone that has donated or will donate in the future! It is greatly appreciated and is not going unnoticed! Don't forget to like us on Facebook at Soles On Fire Dance Academy and follow us on Instagram @solesonfiredance for more information, photos, and other updates!
Get To Know Us!
Hey everyone!
I'm Kelsea and my husband and I are beginning a new journey! We are going to start Soles On Fire Dance Academy based out of Georgia! As of right now, we are currently raising money to go towards our goal of locking down a location, purchasing supplies, and everything else we will need! Later I will share the link to our fundraiser and you can read a little bit more about the company!
Now that I have somewhat introduced you to what we are doing, here is a bit about us! As you already know, I'm Kelsea! I started dancing around the age of 9 at The Dance Experience in Celebration, FL. I started my dance career by taking 3 classes, Ballet, Tap, and Stretch class! After my first year at The Dance Experience, I auditioned for the competition team and was accepted to join for the season. We competed at the following competitions throughout the year, Nexstar, Headliners, and Tremaine Dance Convention. By the time I was 11, I had been put en pointe! It was one of the most amazing days of my dance career, it is truly a moment I will never forget! During the 6th grade, The Dance Experience closed and I then transferred to Raskin Dance Studio in Kissimmee, FL where I continued with my dance training! During my time at Raskin Dance Studio, I learned and grew immensely in my dancing ability! After my first year there, I joined the competition team and competed at Adrenaline Dance Convention, NYCDA, Jump, and Showstoppers Dance Competition.
During my freshman year of high school, I worked with a young group of third graders for a chapel performance to the song NY2LA (New York 2 LA). Little did I know, this was going to jumpstart a future of choreographing for years to come for not only these students but others as well! I worked with these very talented students for 3 years and have now begun working with two amazing soloists for the past two years. These kids have given me amazing challenges as a choreographer that have truly bettered me within my dance abilities.
In May of 2015 my husband and I got married and moved to Georgia in August. Since then, he has worked for Delta and we both have been attending online college classes to continue on our degree paths. Around the middle of December, one of my soloists contacted me about working with her for the 2016 LCS Festival (FLOCS) at Southeastern University. As January rolled around, my husband Tray and I began discussing dance and what it would be like to open a studio! We began thinking about it and soon the talking and thinking became a business that we have now decided we want to open! Later, I will be sharing what kind of studio we are planning to create. I will also be sharing information about upcoming events and classes! Stay tuned to read more about the stages of fundraising, ways to donate or be apart of making this business a reality, and future classes!
I'm Kelsea and my husband and I are beginning a new journey! We are going to start Soles On Fire Dance Academy based out of Georgia! As of right now, we are currently raising money to go towards our goal of locking down a location, purchasing supplies, and everything else we will need! Later I will share the link to our fundraiser and you can read a little bit more about the company!
Now that I have somewhat introduced you to what we are doing, here is a bit about us! As you already know, I'm Kelsea! I started dancing around the age of 9 at The Dance Experience in Celebration, FL. I started my dance career by taking 3 classes, Ballet, Tap, and Stretch class! After my first year at The Dance Experience, I auditioned for the competition team and was accepted to join for the season. We competed at the following competitions throughout the year, Nexstar, Headliners, and Tremaine Dance Convention. By the time I was 11, I had been put en pointe! It was one of the most amazing days of my dance career, it is truly a moment I will never forget! During the 6th grade, The Dance Experience closed and I then transferred to Raskin Dance Studio in Kissimmee, FL where I continued with my dance training! During my time at Raskin Dance Studio, I learned and grew immensely in my dancing ability! After my first year there, I joined the competition team and competed at Adrenaline Dance Convention, NYCDA, Jump, and Showstoppers Dance Competition.
During my freshman year of high school, I worked with a young group of third graders for a chapel performance to the song NY2LA (New York 2 LA). Little did I know, this was going to jumpstart a future of choreographing for years to come for not only these students but others as well! I worked with these very talented students for 3 years and have now begun working with two amazing soloists for the past two years. These kids have given me amazing challenges as a choreographer that have truly bettered me within my dance abilities.
In May of 2015 my husband and I got married and moved to Georgia in August. Since then, he has worked for Delta and we both have been attending online college classes to continue on our degree paths. Around the middle of December, one of my soloists contacted me about working with her for the 2016 LCS Festival (FLOCS) at Southeastern University. As January rolled around, my husband Tray and I began discussing dance and what it would be like to open a studio! We began thinking about it and soon the talking and thinking became a business that we have now decided we want to open! Later, I will be sharing what kind of studio we are planning to create. I will also be sharing information about upcoming events and classes! Stay tuned to read more about the stages of fundraising, ways to donate or be apart of making this business a reality, and future classes!
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