Dance with meaning

The following video has been floating around the internet for a week or so and I just got around to watching it last night.  I won't say too much about it as it really speaks for itself.  What I will say is that teaching dance, in my opinion, goes beyond plies, leaps and pretty costumes- we can use our art for so much more.  This video demonstrates wonderful choreography and dancing along with a very important message.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

http://www.upworthy.com/since-when-does-being-popular-mean-having-to-put-up-with-this-kind-of-bullying?g=2&c=ufb1

I WILL WHAT I WANT

This year, as I was thinking of ways to motivate my Upper School students, I decided to kick off my dance classes with a short video clip- actually an ad campaign launched this summer by Under Armour.  

The particular “I WILL WHAT I WANT” campaign I am referring to features Misty Copeland, a soloist for American Ballet Theatre. As you watch the video, it is clear that she is a phenomenal dancer but there is more to her story than impeccable dancing.  Misty Copeland has not only broken stereotypes as to what a Ballet dancer “should” look like (I could go on and on about this topic!), but she has also broken through racial boundaries as one of the few African American soloists with ABT. You can read more about Misty Copeland and her journey here:

http://www.mistycopeland.com/home.html

Below is the link to Under Armour’s website where you can find the ad.  There are actually 3 different videos all of which are worth watching, the first is a behind the scenes look at the filming and the third video is the actual ad featuring Copeland.  

Enjoy!

https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/misty-copeland

Friday Fun!

Hi all!

Just thought I'd share a couple photos of my Friday Jazz class! Enjoy!

SHOES!

In honor of The Dance School implementing it's first shoe exchange, I thought I would share a short video from a series about the New York City Ballet.  This particular video is about pointe shoes.  Pointe shoes are worn by ballet dancers ONLY when they are fairly experienced and strong enough to wear the shoes safely- usually not before age 12 and, only then, if they have had several years of good ballet training.  In watching the video, we learn just how quickly some dancers go through a pair of shoes and how individual the fit of these special shoes can be.  This is just one video in a documentary series about this exemplary company.
Enjoy!

Let's Get Started!

Classes start Wednesday September 10th and we are so excited to get started!

I thought I would use this blog post to provide a few links to websites that are my "go-to's" for dance apparel.  You can find the required uniform clothing on these websites as well as extras- sweatshirts, hair accessories, dance bags, etc.

Discount Dance Supply:
http://www.discountdance.com/

Just for Kix:
http://www.justforkix.com/

All About Dance:
http://www.allaboutdance.com/

Dancewear Solutions:
http://www.dancewearsolutions.com/

You will certainly find similar items, with comparable prices, on all of these websites.  You may also find uniform items at local dance retail stores and stores such as Target, Walmart and Payless Shoes.

One more wonderful website is Crafterina Ballerina.  This is a fun ballet resource with useful information for parents and teachers as well as a link to an Etsy store selling simple ballet craft items.

http://www.crafterina.com/

Enjoy!

WELCOME

Welcome to our new blog for the Dance School at Bryn Mawr!  While it is still summer as I write this, I am excitedly preparing for the 2014-15 school year and am looking forward to another great year of dancing! 

This blog will be used as a means to showcase our dance program with photos of your children in action, interesting dance articles and websites, while, at the same time, also providing you with important information regarding the program, scheduling, and performance details. 

If you have any questions regarding the Dance School, please feel free to email Emily Tankersley at bmsdanceschool@brynmawrschool.org.