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An Interview with Nancy Lorenz Author of "The Strength of Ballerinas"

Nancy Lorenz’ new book, The Strength of Ballerinas was released this month, and I’m excited to share an interview I had with her about her book and writing about dance!

Your book, “The Strength of Ballerinas” was just released Sept. 9th. Is this your first book?

Yes. It is my first book, and, like The Nutcracker, I am still envisioning sugarplums dancing in my head! It’s almost like seeing a baby grow from birth to that important first birthday. You go through the different stages, and it is all new to you. All of the years and hours spent in imagining and shaping the story comes to fruition when you hold it in your hand in finished form, or see it on the bookshelf at Barnes and Noble. It is a dream come true about my favorite subject.

What inspired you to write about a ballet dancer?

Well, much of it was born out of my own experience – attending ballet classes, dreaming, aspiring, but some of it really taps into the idea of art itself, and the passion for it. I published an academic paper in June, 2013, called The Philosophy of the Red Shoes, in which I wrote about artistic passion, and how it drives people. Ballet, as well as music, art, opera, acting and painting is an extension of one’s identity, personality, and ability, and is expressed through a person’s individual perspective. No two people will express a dance the same way. Continue reading “An Interview with Nancy Lorenz Author of “The Strength of Ballerinas”“

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Fast Tendu 4/4

Begin 5th position, preparation 1st port de bras and arm stays in 2nd

&1&2     Tendu front, close 5th front, tendu side, close 5th front
&3&4     Repeat first 2 counts
&5          Lift front foot to cou de pied stretched position front, close 5th plié front
&6          Degagé front, close 5th position front
&7&8     Repeat &5&6 with degagé side and close 5th position back

1-8         Repeat first phrase from the back

1-2         Tendu front , close 5th position front
&3          Tendu front, close 5th position front
&4          Tendu front, close 5th position front plié
5-8         Tendu inside leg back same pattern (1 slow 2 back quick finishing in plié)

1-2         Tendu side, close 5th position back
&3          Tendu side, close 5th position front
&4          Tendu side, close 5th position back in plié
5             Relevé passé working leg from 5th back to foot at front of the knee
6             Close working leg to sous-sus front
7-8         Turning towards the barre to the second side, close 5th plié

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Grand Waltz 3/4

Grand Waltz from upstage L corner

1               Temps levé 1st arabesque on R leg
2               Faille L over
3               Glissade R closing L front
4               Assemblé R beating fbf to finish R front 5th
5               Tombé onto R facing upstage R corner
&6           Coupé L under, assemble R to close 5th back
7-8           2 entrechat six
&              Tombé onto L facing downstage L corner
1               Coupé R under and temps levé in 1st arabesque facing upstage R, arms 3rd
2               Chassé coupé chasse L to downstage
3-4           Assemblé en tournant arms 5th en haut finish R front 5th
5-6           Tombé onto R, pas de bourrée
7               Glissade to open 4th
8               Saute de chat with L arm 5th en haut, R arm 2nd

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Super Stars Interview Helping Kids with Special Needs

 

Today we share an interview with Colby Nielson, a dance teacher in Palmer, Alaska. His family has started a wonderful project using dance as a means to touch the hearts of people with special needs.

Q. How did the Super Stars Begin?

A. The Super Stars came from an idea when my mom, Michelle Deemer, and my sister, Shanelle Gangstad, went down to speak at a national special needs convention. While there they saw a singing group that was made up of people with special needs. They liked the idea so much that when they returned home they wanted to start a dance team with special needs, dance being big in our background. They rented a small 12×12 space and Shanelle began teaching a few of her friends from the special needs program at the high school, which she was heavily involved in. From those original 5 we have grown to 25.

Q. Other than building and space limitations, what are some other
challenges you have faced?

A. Some other challenges include not being able to increase price above $5
a class due to low budgets of our students, not being able to change the
time/day of the class due to our special needs students being very
strict on their schedules and not doing well with change. We have to
deal with providers being the ones who take them to class so getting to
talk to their gardians or parents is almost always through third party.
Trying to schedule performances is tough because they often have special
olympics activities on the weekends and again with the having to stick
to a same schedule all the time.

Continue reading “Super Stars Interview Helping Kids with Special Needs“

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Rond de Jambe a terre 3/4

Begin 5th position R foot front

1               Tendu R to side
2-3           Temp lié onto R (stay in fondu) and tendu L, port de bras away from barre
4               Temp lié to point tendu R, arms 2nd
5-8           Rond de Jambe en dehors 4 times finishing point tendu front on count 8
1               Close 5th position plié
2-3           Releve passé to developpé derrière
4               Close sous-sus back
5               Plie 5th position
6-7           Relevé passé inside leg to developpé derrière
8               Close sous-sus back
1               Tendu front in fondu on supporting leg
2-4           Straighten and rond de jambe en dehors 3 times
5               Finish lifting leg to 90° front (arm to 5th en haut)
6-7           Grand rond de jambe en dehors to arabesque
8               Close 5th position back
1-4            Grand port de bras forward with inside leg front in 5th position
5-8           Grand port de bras back with inverted arm
1-24         Repeat all en dedans
25-32      Grand circular port de bras in sous-sus and balance arms 5th en haut

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10 Famous Dancers Named Ken

Dancers don’t typically court fame in the same way as other celebrities. However, without dancers, you wouldn’t have musicals, street dance or choreographed extravaganzas like Michael Jackson’s landmark masterpiece Thriller. Through interpretive movements that take a huge amount of coordination, balance and control, dancers are able to express what actors can’t. These are 10 of the most famous dancers named Ken.

  • Ken Ard – After working with greats like Nina Simone as a child, Ken Ard eventually went on to perform choreography for some of the most prominent jazz artists of the 21st century. Predominantly a ballet dancer, Ken drifted towards jazz during the 90s, which culminated in the release of his first jazz album, “Ballads, Blues & Cocktails.”
  • Ken Berry – He is better known as a sitcom actor, most notably for his roles in F Troop and The Andy Griffith Show. However, Ken Berry was also an accomplished dancer and singer. On Broadway, he made appearances in The Billy Barnes Revue and in George M!. Berry was also a frequent guest on Abbott and Costello, as both a singer and dancer.
  • Ken Cosgrove – Played by Aaron Staton in the popular series Mad Men, character Ken Cosgrove tried his hand at tap dancing in one episode – replete with tweed suit and cane. Nobody quite knows what the impromptu dance added to the scene, but it went viral on the Internet, as these things often do. There were a number of parodies created of the scene, including one that uses Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” as the musical backdrop. The Internet is often a cruel puppet-master, but in this case the uncalled for publicity only served to push the show to even greater heights.
  • Kenneth Walker – This former dancer with the Ballet Pacifica launched the Kenneth Walker Dance Project in 2004. The non-profit project aims to bring dance to communities that never get to experience any form of the expressive arts. To date, the project has successfully introduced shows to a number of festivals across the country, and it grows in strength with each passing year. It is Kenneth Walker’s hope that the project will introduce dance to a generation who would have otherwise never have had the chance.
  • Ken Fury – B-Boy Kenny – as he’s known on the streets of Pueblo, Colorado – taught himself to break dance at the age of 11. He later pursued his dream with Full Circle Productions in New York, before landing dancing roles in commercials for Toshiba and Starburst. Fury remains a big name on the street dance scene, hugely famous in this relatively small circle of performers.
  • Kenny Everett – This madcap British comedian had a penchant for dance that was just as crazy as the rest of his routine. Everett’s dance style was, for lack of a better term, unconventional for the time. However, by today’s standards his moves would be hailed as the latest craze. Unfortunately, Kenny lost his battle with AIDS in 1995, a terrible loss to both his family and the British public.
  • Kenneth MacMillan – From 1970 to 1977, MacMillan served as the artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London. His work in choreography is where his true talents were, although he was an accomplished dancer in his own right, too. Some of his notable works included Valses nobles et sentimentales in 1966, and Anastasia in 1967 and again in 1971. MacMillan sadly passed away from a heart attack in 1992, at the age of 62.
  • Kenneth Branagh – Although he is commonly known for his Shakespearean roles, Kenneth Branagh has danced in West End musicals, on screen during the British Television series “Thompsons,” and in many other productions. It is no surprise, then, that Branagh has been tipped to take over the job as head of the National Theatre.
  • Kenny Ortega – Another great choreographer, Kenny Ortega worked with Madonna on “Material Girl” and in Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” live performances, winning awards for both. However, his greatest work was on the choreography for the iconic dance movie Dirty Dancing, which starred the late Patrick Swayze. Dirty Dancing is still heralded as being one of the best dance-centric movies to this day.
  • Kenny Loggins – Better known as the voice behind “Footloose,” Kenny Loggins inspired a generation to dance. The movie, starring Kevin Bacon, was one of many pivotal movies focused on the medium of dance in the 80s. Bacon’s seminal performance made Footloose an iconic movie, however, it was Loggins’ voice and catchy guitar riff that sold the title song.

Special thanks to Kenney Myers of kenneymyers.com for sharing this article!