Articles
Can't dance? Brain chemical throws off your groove (msnbc)
[Just in case you need an excuse not to improve your dancing] But my steps aren’t smooth. Those beats and my body never truly connect -- despite what the cocktails tell me. On the dance floor, I'm the male Elaine from "Seinfeld," all kicks, thumbs and no rhythm. Turns out, it’s all in my head, not my hips or feet. A study, released today by researchers at the University of Oxford in England, claims a tiny messenger in the brain is partly to blame for those among us who struggle to grasp the latest dance moves.
Butchery at the Ballet (Daily Beast)
Aronofsky has created a movie [Black Swan] celebrating the failure of a ballerina, and by implication her entire art—disguised, insidiously, as a film about sacrifice and success.
Putting the Fun Back into Excercise with a Little Footwork (WSJ)
Kathleen Hagan has one requirement for her workouts: They must be fun. When Ms. Hagan wanted to add a “fun factor” to her winter routine (because “indoor rowing is boring,” she says), she discovered dance. The class is a mix of beginners from 40 to 80 years old. Ms. Hagan says she started out dancing to slow songs but has now mastered full routines. “It’s very good for memory, because you have to remember all of the dance steps in a sequence. It’s also great balance training,” she says.
Prince targets arts education with $250,000 gift to American Ballet Theatre (LATimes)
Prince is moving into arts philanthropy in a big way, with a particular focus on arts programs for the younger generation. Before he performed at New York's Madison Square Garden on Monday, the rock musician was in the arena for the announcement of three major donations, including a $250,000 gift to American Ballet Theatre for its educational programs.
A Ballet Dancer who Taps (Pointe Magazine)
Tap dance is an ideal companion to classical ballet training,” says McRae, who grew up studying tap and jazz in his hometown of Sydney, Australia. “Tap is intensely musical, and it teaches coordination and control of footwork.
Married To Normal Folk (Pointe Magazine)
Relationships with “civilians,” however, seem more complicated: Figuring out scheduling is stressful, eating habits can differ and one partner probably can’t tell a tendu from a tour jeté. Yet many dancers have found that dating a non-dancer keeps them grounded in the real world.
I Do! Real-Life Dancer Love Stories (DanceSpirit)
You know the story: A beautiful young woman meets a charming young man. They eye each other shyly from across the stage. He asks her to dance. She says yes. Three acts of pas de deuxing later, they are getting hitched and the audience is applauding wildly through 10 curtain calls. (Extra points if he’s a prince, of course.) Onstage, love is a many-splendored thing. But offstage, for some dancers, life is equally as romantic. In honor of Valentine’s Day, here are a few of our favorite real-life love stories.
The Lowdown on Arts Downloading (WSJ)
"Thrifty" and "easy" are not usually how the performing arts are described. But thanks to the wonders of modern technology, world-class ballet can be downloaded from iTunes for just $14.99. And with the proliferation of HD broadcasts, the latest European operas are showing up at your local movie theater—for about $25.
Networkers grab their shot at love just in time (SFGate.com)
A couple in San Francisco met, fell in love and married...because of ballroom dancing.
Ballet Is Dying? State Of The Arts (Huffington Post)
Ballet is dying? Really? With the release of Jennifer Homan's new book Apollo's Angels, it seems this question is a popular topic of discussion. While I agree that, yes, there was a ballet heyday in the 1970's, I think the art form is far from dead. One only has to look at ballet's recent publicity and media focus to see that.
