My Son Can Dance Makes WordPress Growing Blogs List!

Hey! On December 28th, this blog was #61 on WordPress’ Growing Blogs list. Whatcha think of that? I was impressed.

I wonder what it is now?

Free Ballet Classes Draw Boys Into The Studio

I recently was asked to write a short sidebar on how to get boys into the dance studio and keep them there.  (The piece will appear in an upcoming issue of Dance Teacher magazine.) One of the things I stressed was that studios should offer free or discounted classes for boys, as well as scholarships. Additionally, of course, they should offer boys-only classes.

I just found this article on Boys and Ballet about the Oregon Ballet Academy. They offered a free class for boys.

The boys comment on what they do together in class – things likes jumps and push ups. They say it’s like a work out in the gym. You know, boy stuff. Of course, they also learn to lift and turn the girls and make them look good.

The result:  The Oregon Ballet Company’s Nutcracker ended up with 20 boys in the Russian dance this past year!

I hate to say “I told you so,” but….I told you so!

Tap, Tap, Cough, Cough

Someone at Nuvo convention had some wicked virus or bronchitis, and, of course, Julian picked got it. Fever, coughing…whole shebang. We’ve gone to the doctor, gotten antibiotics, and gotten a bit of relief.

However, he had to miss the first of four days of tap choreography for the upcoming spring concert. He was bummed. He slept 18 hours one day and 16 the next. Then off he went to tap for four hours. The next day he tapped for eight hours. He was tired and his feet hurt, but no fever. He was still coughing, but that’s to be expected with bronchitis. Then…day four…he  became tired after a few hours, and when he got home after five hours of hoofing he had a fever again.

No school for Julian today or dance, for that matter. He stayed home coughing rather than tapping. The doctor says she isn’t convinced it’s bronchitis at this point. Lots of people are complaining their antibiotics aren’t working…us included.

I called our herbalist. She says its viral. Poor Julian is back on a regiment of about 20 herb pills every few hours. Something should kick in soon, at least we hope so.

He hates missing dance. He thinks he missed partnering class. I thought it ended two weeks ago…I could be wrong. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow. I think another day off would be a good thing.

More choreography next weekend. Unfortunately, it starts on Friday night. Julian was invited to a Sadie Hawkins dance at a neighboring school. He can’t go, because he would get there after they close the doors. He’s bummed.

The things boys give up for dance.

Empty Green Fields of Raw Talent…After 11 Years of Dance Training?

Okay, so call me a Dance Mom or a Stage Mom. I think my son’s got some talent when it comes to dance. That said, some other people who know more than I do about dance, and who aren’t related to Julian, think he’s got some talent, too. But lately a few dance professionals seem to be telling us about how Julian’s talent is “raw” and like a “green field” with no houses, sky scrapers, or other structures built upon that field.

Excuse me? Does this mean that after 11 years of training at the best dance schools we could find and with the best dance teachers we could afford, that this young male dancer has learned nothing? Does this mean he has not constructed even a foundation on his “green field” of talent since he began dancing at the age of three? Does this mean that at the age of 14 not one other dance teacher has managed to mold that “raw” talent at all – or put it on the grill and cook it even a little?

Give me a break.

I think maybe these, albeit well-meaning professionals…I won’t name names…want the credit for taking Julian’s so-called talent to the next level, and that’s fine. They are helping him do that, I admit. (And I’m happy and grateful that they are.) But do they want to take credit also for the foundation that has been laid already, which they seem to be ignoring, and which they will now build upon it. Do they want to take credit for the seeds previously thrown that grew that beautiful, long, swaying, healthy grass that they will now cut or tame or pull the weeds out of to make it healthier, stronger, more able to withstand the weather and to grow and mature into a strong field of…Well, you get the idea.

Seems a bit egotistical to me. Does every dancer or dance teacher end up with a big head? (I know they don’t really…) Does that grow somewhere in that field, or is it a weed that can be pulled? Someone have a weed killer named “Ego-Be-Gone” (like “Weed-Be-Gone)? If so, I want some fast! I’ll spray Julian’s green field with a thick dose. (I don’t doubt that some people think he has an ego a bit too large of his own…) Then, I’ll buy some great fertilizer: “Dancer Grow” (like “Miracle Grow”)!

Do you think that then he won’t need those big-ego-ed dance teachers any more?

I know…too bad, though. It would have been nice. Cheaper, too. And would have required less driving.

Conventions and Sore Ankles

This past weekend Julian and the rest of the Teen Dance Company dancers went to the Nuvo dance convention. Julian had a blast hanging with his buddies from TDC and seeing some old friends from other studios. He also saw some friends from school or from the Nutcracker performance he was in last December.  Additionally, he got to observe and talk with two other male dancer he has met previously

The TDC dancers had recently had an hour-long class involving instruction on how to work with choreographers. The gist of the class, according to what Julian told me, was to “copy” the movements and not to change the movements to make them “your own” unless told to do so by the instructor. Julian noticed another male dancer doing what he deemed “just the opposite” — in his eyes — and making it his own to a great extent. And this boy was rewarded by being put on stage. He was upset. And maybe Julianwas just jealous…who’s to know. Or maybe he was just confused given that he was told to do something, which received no recognition, while someone else did the opposite and did receive recognition.

Anyway, the kids had a blast at the convention, and they were given the opportunity to compete simply for the sake of “performing” and giving the company a bit of publicity. That turned out quite well, as they came in first and got high honors in every category in which they competed. Of course, the kids were thrilled. (Who doesn’t like to be a winner, even if it’s not supposed to be about competing and winning.)

However, in one of the numbers Julian was set down a bit harder then usual after a lift and turned his ankle a bit. Between that and his two tap numbers, he has a sore ankle ankle and foot today, so he stayed home from dance to rest it. He has rehearsals gearing up at the end of the week for their spring concert; he wants to be in tip top shape for that.

He got to take class with Travis Wall, an idol of his from So You Think You Can Dance. He loved his choreography and has wanted to dance like him since he saw him on television.

It’s been a year since Julian attended a convention. He has two more to go…

Learning How to “Handle” a Partner

With the Second Stage show put to bed, Teen Dance Company has turned its attention to choreography for its big show, the spring Concert, which will be it’s 10-year anniversary event. The kids spent six hours in the studio on Sunday this past weekend working on their first piece of choreography. Each of the 4-5 numbers will be about 30 minutes in length.  Julian said the choreography, created on the spot by Mark Foehringer, was difficult, fun and inspired.

Julian told me today that he felt badly for “hurting” a fellow dancer — another girl — during the last Second Stage performance. Seems some mishap happened during where his interaction with her caused her to hurt her ankle or leg. He didn’t actually lift her, but she sort of runs into him and he pushes her away, and he pushed her a bit too hard…or something like that. I guess it’s a learning experience. Boys do need to learn how to “handle” the girls with whom they partner, and they need to develop some finesse. I guess he’s still developing that! 

I’ve been enjoying working on an article about several teen dance companies (generic term used here). It’s interesting to see how some of them are being run and what they offer…It’s nice not to be so absorbed in the workings of just one company.

More Opportunties My Dancing Son Can’t Take Advantage Of…

Okay, the Teen Dance Company Second Stage performance has been put to bed, quite successfully I might add. I was quite impressed, if I do say so myself, with all the kids’ performances and with the student choreography in particular. I think it is amazing that the studio offers a student choreography track, and it’s great that even a few of the students take advantage of that opportunity. Their numbers had such variety and scope. It really was amazing.

I thought Julian looked pretty good,, but he’s my son. (I can actually be quite critical, if you want to know the truth.) He was better on Saturday night; by Sunday he was tired. Plus, at the Friday night tech rehearsal he hit his head hard enough for Mark Foehringer to be worried that he had a concussion. Of course, I was not told about the severity of this incident until Saturday night when Mark told me he couldn’t sleep on Friday night, because he was so worried about Julian. He said he almost called me at 3 a.m. to tell me to wake Julian up and check on him. Great…a little late, I thought.

Julian told me he had hit his head and had a headache afterwards and a little trouble remembering some dance combinations after that, but I really didn’t think much about it. Next time I’ll pay closer attention. He just didn’t make it seem serious, and he gets minor injuries like that a lot.

I was pleased to have a new blog reader who lives nearby show up with her son to watch the Saturday night show. That was a real thrill for me, although they left before I could talk to them when the show concluded. (Hi Sarah!)

Julian had Monday off to rest and then his Dad and I had to become the mean parents and keep him home from TDC on Tuesday when we discovered some missed assignments from the last few weeks. (He told us he had changed…handled his schoolwork…Don’t ever believe your kids. I hate to sound distrustful and jaded, but teenagers just don’t always tell you the truth. They tell you what they think you want to hear, what gets you off their back and what they want you to believe.) Then, I discovered more missed assignments, so we cut out going to jazz at Studio 10 and yesterday I drove all the way to TDC, went in and talked to Mark Foehringer, and then took Julian home. You see, I feel down on my job of Big Bad Disciplinarian. I didn’t want Julian kicked out of a spring concert piece of ballet choreography, and Mark was running a rehearsal last night. He told me it was a good night for Julian to miss rehearsal, if he was going to miss, though, so we turned around and went home.  We’ll see if missing three days of dance made any impression on him at all.  After this, missing class and rehearsal will make a bigger difference…

As for those missed opportunities, it seems that Julian’s commitment to TDC is going to prevent him from having a role in Los Gatos Ballet’s production of Copellia, which he was asked to be in. He really wants that role — maybe more to hang out with the girls than to do the dancing , but the tech rehearsal and performance are on the Thursday and Friday right before a full week of tech rehearsals for TDC’s big Concert in May. So, Mark  has initially said, “No.” Julian was bummed.

Then, he was going to be in the Studio 10 spring show, performing only in the jazz III class’ number, but that show is on June 13. School ends on June 12 and American Ballet Theatre’s summer intensive starts on June 15. We figure that we might have to get on a plane on June 13. At the least, we’ll be busy getting ready to go to New York, so this performance won’t be happening either, much to Julian’s dismay. That means he’ll be attending class between now and May and learning the choreography, but at some point he will not be able to continue with it because he’ll be sort of in the way. At least, he won’t have a spot in the number.

By the way, yesterday Julian’s dad registered him (and paid the nonrefundable deposit) for the ABT summer intensive. So, I guess that is a done deal. We have half the dance world and the magazine publishing world and my old Syracuse University friends looking for sublets for us in NYC! We have not yet notified the camp that he isn’t coming…some little bit of fear on our part that should something happen his summer will go totally to pot.

Sorry I haven’t written more this week. I’ve been busy writing for dance magazines. I finished that piece for Dance Teacher on getting boys into dance class and keeping them there, and now I’m working on another for them on how to keep tap dancers’ feet healthy. (I wrote a similar story for them on dancers feet in general last year.) I’ve also been working on a story for Dance Spirit magazine on several teen dance companies, including TDC.