Friday, April 29, 2011

Highlight A Store Day! "Attitude Dancewear"

            Attitude Dancewear, Coral Springs, FL


  
          "Attitude Dancewear in Coral Springs is one of our great customers in South Florida. Carlos and Esmeralda offer top notch customer service that you feel the moment you step in the door!"
                                                                             --- Bruno De Faria (Our Florida "Road Warrior")

   Go to their website for more information on what products they carry and more!
http://www.attitudedancewear.com/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Movie Review: "Fast Five"


         So I got to see a premier showing of "Fast Five" yesterday and though I wasn't blown away, I did come out of the movie satisfied by what I saw. The movie delivers in all the ways you would expect, there are tons of racing scenes, tons of cars shown, explosions, epic fight between Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Vin Diesel, complete with a bit of romance and a robbery. Some minor problems in story line is the re-introduction of Han. Han dies in F&F3 so the only way to make this movie make sense would be to put this one before three, thus this movie is a prequel to three and so making F&F3 really the fifth installment, F&F4 the third, and leaving this movie as the fourth in the chronology.
        Alright, now that we've gotten all that out of the way, all that is left is the "over the top" stunt scenes. When you have a main character jump out of a moving car at 200 MPH you should have him get up from the asphalt with a few scraps and bruises...not in this movie. Our guys do incredible stunts that would kill a mere mortal man and come out of it as Greek gods would, with no scratches or burns. If you can get over this fact, which most of us can quickly, then the movie was a good time waster and delivered everything we wanted it to deliver. I give it a 4/5.

---------------------------------------------
      Ah, it's friday. Take a second to stop everything you're doing and repeat after me, "Ah, it's Friday", no Zen phrase has the power this phrase has.

        We hope you all have a great weekend and look forward to seeing you all next week. Be sure to stay tuned for more So Danca news, dance world news, entertaining articles and more! ^_^


    Love from your humble blogger,

Thursday, April 28, 2011

4 Sites You Cannot Live Without

If any of you read the huffington post you might have seen an article they did I really liked titled "7 sites you should be wasting your time on right now" *link* , after reading it I could not help myself and decided to make my own list. But in the spirit of giving credit where credit is due, I decided to tell you where I got this idea from, plus the huffington post is one of the sites I go to a lot, so that's one site to check out :)
I'm a tad more sporadic then they are though, so for the first post on this subject I'll keep the internet domain big and mention various different sites worth checking out (one in each category), or at least a solid amount, so without further ado, here we go.

YouTube.com




             There are a ton of vlogs on youtube and a ton of makeshift shows within the site, but Phillip D Franco is different. Where everyone else fails, he succeeds. I've been following his show for about three years now, love his stuff. It's not for those easily offended though, you've been warned. Phil is known for covering what has been going on in the world, placing sarcastic comments all around, (which are great), and also mentioning fun news, and other good stuff.
If you speak sarcasm, and enjoy a good laugh, I recommend you check it out. It's good light hearted fun.

Main site

Youtube channel


Humor Site:


          Oh how I love collegehumor, truly a fantastic team. The section on videos title "college humor originals" is specifically amazing, check out their music section, there's this one video spoof they did of "West Side Story" title "Web Site Story" which is brilliant, truly brilliant. They have various on-going shows like "Jake and Amir" which again I love. If you need a break from a long day and want to watch some good quality funny videos that are witty and awesome, then this is the site for you. This is online theater basically, this may possibly be a hint into what we will be seeing in the future of comedy bits.

Main website



Web Comics:






    I'm a nerd. Let me start by saying that. A good online comic sometimes really comes in nicely during the day to cheer your heart up and give you a good laugh. My favorite one of all is XKCD, truly a fantastic comic site. Whoever writes that series deserves a medal, the guy is brilliant, truly fascinating. I recommend you browze it, I have the iphone app, yeah, it's worth taking a look.

Main site



Random goodness:




     I came across this site about 6 years ago, by a friend of mine that became obsessed with it. A softer world has become a huge source of witty photo comedy for years within the internet. If you enjoy photography and appreciate good writing,  then you will enjoy this site. I wish I knew what else to say about it, but I am no art major, I am just a mere mortal who loves art and truly has come to appreciate this site over the years.

Main Site


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    I hope you all enjoyed this entry. Here is the question of the week?

            What are your favorite sites from these categories?

Let me know what you thought of the sites, leave a comment bellow, and also let me know if there is a site I should cover that you like. And don't forget to read the huffington post article, worth a read, their selections were pretty witty.

         Love from your humble blogger,

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

DC Tap Festival


      DC Tap Fest has just ended and what a performance is was! The amount of raw talent in the room was palpable, truly a fantastic event that all Tap dancers love and support. We recommend you keep an eye out on their site for future events, they are definitely worth checking out.
     So Danca was proud to be able to help in the event (even in a small way), by donating one of our Pro Tap shoes for their "give away" raffle.
      The lucky winner is from Louisburg, NC, Jessica you'll be getting your shoes soon, we'll be sending them out today! We hope you continue to dance and thank you for showing some support at the DC Tap Fest.
      
       We at So Danca are always looking for ways to help the dance community, let us know if you're doing an event or a competition and would like for us to be involved in some way. Leave a comment, or find us on facebook and drop me a message.

        Hope you have a great middle of the week, Happy Wednesday to all! ^_^

                  Love from your humble blogger,

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

An Evening with Anne Polajenko: "What's in a name?"

            Pointe shoes are traditionally named after a ballet, a famous dancer of the past or sometimes manufacturers will use a ballet term, such as "relevé" or "équilibre" to describe their shoe.
Recently, So'Dança named some of their  Pointe shoes in honor of current teachers and ballerinas. Such is the case with Toshie ( the new SD40 with a no pleat platform). So who is Toshie?
            Toshie Kobayashi is a Brazilian teacher of Japanese descent. She is one of the most recognized and popular teachers and coaches in her country. Toshie teaches at her own school and at the Municipal school in Sao Paulo. A great deal of her time is spent traveling to companies and dance festivals across the country. She is also a member of the Royal Academy of Dance in London, England.
              Toshie is a great favorite among dancers because of the enthusiasm she brings to her craft as well as the loving and supportive attitude she has toward all who work with her.
       ----------  Anne Polajenko


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


          Hello Dance World, hope you guys are having a good beginning of the week. So some things to catch up on. Thank you for all the feedback on the latest segment "So Danca Reviews", glad a lot of you liked it, and we'll keep making those as time progresses. Also our Blog Quiz results are in and the sequels you guys are looking forward to the most were:
                   1. The last "Harry Potter" movie (I'm also looking forward to this one)
                   2. The Hangover Part2 (this one I'm skeptical about, can't help but be)
                   3. A tie between "Fast Five" and "Xmen: Origins" (both of which I also am looking forward to)


        Be sure to place your votes for this weeks' poll, and keep giving us feedback, we do love hearing from you guys :)


                 Love from your humble blogger,

Thursday, April 21, 2011

"So Danca Reviews: Foo Fighters, Scream 4, The Name of the Wind, Portal 2"

New Music Review:  "Foo Fighters - Wasting light"

                                          

         Foo Fighters' new release has delivered in every way possible to their whole fan base. The old hardcore fans love that they went back to their older roots, and the newest fans enjoy the fact that they managed to produced something different then what is out there right now.
          I've been listening to the cd all week and already know almost all the songs by heart, it's that kind of cd, it's the type that every time your relisten to a song you get something else out of it and love it more and more. It's incredible how they manage to place not one hit song but five to six hit songs within the cd.
          My top five favorite songs are: "Better Off", "Walk", "These Days", "I Should Have Known", and "Rope". Walk has me screaming at the top of my lungs, while These days has me contemplating life, and Better Off makes me raise my car system to the max. It's an ever changing amazing experience. I give it a 5/5. Loved it from beginning to end.
           For Foo Fighters news and info go to:     http://www.foofighters.com/us/home


New Movie Review:  "Scream 4"

                                        
           While sequels are dominating the market, one sequel stands atop the others pointing a finger and making fun of all the other, with much needed slasher film goodness. The newest addition the Scream series does not disappoint. It is tightly packed with fun story lines, clever witty twists and good horror movie drama.
            Though the movie in itself was not much of a scary movie, it did have those "hang of your seat" moments we all love. It's got a full dose funny and the directors have filmed the movie in such a way that finding out who the murderer is this time was nearly impossible, though cleverly done. With a good mix of technology references, and poking fun at our current horror culture, I give "Scream 4" 4.2/5 in the genre of "horror" movies, which recently has not been able to deliver a decent movie in a long time. For a second look here is a fan review:
            "I tried to so hard to figure out who the killer was but i failed to do so. Wes Craven did a phenomenal job at fooling the entire audience. Courtney Cox (Gayle Weathers) played her role perfectly, once again she made everyone laugh with her witty remarks and comic facial expressions. Another actress who was entertaining to watch was Hayden Panetierre. She was absolutely hysterical, every scene she was in made me laugh. Another big factor which added to Scream 4 was having the original cast in the movie. It made it so much better and they were the main reason as to why I (along with many many others) wanted to go see it in the first place. I was very happy with the way the movie ended, it was definitely a surprise." - Lucy (22 years old)
          One of my favorite sites recently did a review on it, worth a read, check out the video review as well, worth it.   http://movies.ign.com/articles/116/1161389p1.html
       Let's just hope the coming sequels retain this level of commitment to good quality.

Book Review: "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

                        
           I truly do not know how a book this good passed me by unnoticed for a year. The sequel to "Name of the Wind", "A Wise Man's Fear", has been getting a lot of press coverage for it's brilliance and splendor lately. Thus I decided to give the first book a read to see if it was truly as good as everyone was saying. Honestly "The Name Of The Wind" is not only as good as everyone was saying, it is better. I know I'm about to commit a carnal sin here, but I personally loved reading this book so much that I have to admit to placing it within my top five best books I've ever read, next to "LOTR", "Ender's Game", "The Brother's Karamazov", "Picture of Dorian Gray" and "American Gods". Yes, it is that good.
          Never have I gone to buy a book and cared about picking one up that had no bent pages, but that was my reaction when picking up the sequel "A Wise Man's Fear". As a clutched that book to my chest I felt giddy like a school girl and could not wait to go home and get lost within it's pages. Truly I say to you, I would be lying if I told you that I've had more then 3 hours of sleep each day this week due to this book, I am not done yet, but I have loved every page I've read so far.
            Patrick Rothfuss is brilliant. His story is not only a great work of fantasy, it is a college book, it is a poetry book, it is a song, it is an inspirational novel, it is a romance novel, it is a true mix of all genres and more within an intrinsic brilliant manner that leaves you thirsting for more.
           It is a rare feat for a book to capture my attention so entirely, thus I felt that it deserved a feature within this blog. I love to spread joy and sharing a good read is one of my favorite joys to share. Give this book a read, I promise you you'll love it. I give this book a 5/5, I would go higher but cannot, in my mind's eye it is a 10/5, so be sure to give it the attention it deserves, trust, it's fantastic.
           Learn more about Patrick Rothfuss and his masterpieces at:
http://www.patrickrothfuss.com/content/index.asp

New Game Review: "Portal 2"

                                                                    
          Oh video games, how I love them and wish I had more time to play them. Portal 2 has just come out yesterday and already has risen among the ranks and gotten tons of good rating in every site and magazine it's been reviewed in and for good reason to, this game is brilliant.
          Portal 2 is a puzzle-adventure-platform game released for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. The game is as fun as we wished it to be and as quirky if not more so then the original. I have not beat it yet thus I will not be writing a full review on it, but it is definitely a good game worth looking into. It has been fun so far, and I've enjoyed the new additions to the game. The graphics aren't brilliant, but it's not that type of game where graphics are the main concern, the fun factor is the "hook" to this particular title.
          For a full review complete with video follow this link, again it's one of my favorite sites and I trust their word above all others.    http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/116/1162433p1.html

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Dancer's are people to. That's the idea behind this new monthly series. I think people within the dance world forget sometimes that dancers like to read and watch movies and play games, just like everyone else does. Thus every month I'll pick various things that stood out to me that are worth looking into and write a review on them for you. Why? Because we care. Because we are a community, and a real community shares the things we love.
        The question of the week is:
               What is something that has got your attention recently that you would like reviewed here? From movies to books, post a comment bellow or send me a message on facebook, twitter and even email.

              Hope you all have a great Easter, make sure to eat a ton and enjoy time with family,

                             Love from your humble blogger,

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

So Danca is Proud to Sponsor! "Riverdance"

  
        So Danca is proud to provide shoes for the American tap dancers of Riverdance! Be sure to follow the link to their website and catch their tour dates, photos, videos, and get to see for yourself this fantastic performance. www.riverdance.com
        They have toured all over the world and are known as one of the most renown troupes in the whole world. I personally was in awe when I saw them, the performance from beginning to end is breath taking. 
         It is an honor and a privilege to be able to provide shoes for such a show. Do check them out, it will surely blow your mind, and fill your heart with love. 

All pictures taken from www.riverdance.com, be sure to look at their site and find a show near you!!
Love from your humble blogger,

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

An Evening With Anne Polajenko: "Crazy Pointe Shoe Stories"

Crazy things people do with their Pointe shoes: True stories   

A dancer once decided to dry her sweaty shoes faster by putting them in a low temperature oven. Problem was she forgot them and went shopping. Upon her return she found the fire department at her door. Neighbors had noticed smoke coming from the apartment and called 911.

Another fire story has it that a young student tried to copy a professional dancer who regularly stopped the fraying of the ribbon ends by burning them with a flame. Borrowing a lighter, the student held the end of the ribbon and lit the lighter only to burn both the ribbon and her fingertips.

Another dancer had serious bunion problems. No shoe worked. The pain was so bad she was at her wits end until she had the idea to cut a large hole in her  shoe above the bunion. Instant relief. However, she now had the strangest looking foot ever!

Some dancers think they can break in new shoes by putting the Box of the shoe in a door jamb and then crushing it by closing the door. This usually works.... too well. The Box is indeed crushed, not to mention what might happen to the door!

A teacher once recommended a student put some water on her very hard Pointe shoes to soften them. A week later the shoes had not dried and the teacher was perplexed. It turned out the child had turned on the faucet and placed the shoes underneath a stream of water, drenching them thoroughly. Needless to say, the shoes were ruined.

                                 ----- Anne Polajenko

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     For my readers that celebrate passover, I hope you have  a good time with your families, and may it be a blessed evening.

              Love from your humble blogger,

Friday, April 15, 2011

Highlight a Store Day! "Elite Dance Outfitters"

  Elite Dance Outfitters, located in Clive, Iowa.


          "Owned and operated by Angie who is very involved with the local community.  One of the best looking stores I have visited, designed to look like a stage production set with beautiful wood floors and stage prop lighting.  Dressing rooms with a "stage curtain" appearance.  The whole store is very inviting and makes you feel like you are about to go perform on stage"
                   ---Tim Hines (one of our many amazing Road Warriors)
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               
                Thank you for all the feedback on the previous post, and for all your submissions for the question of the day, I'll feature the best answers in next Thursday's blog. We hope you all have a great friday and have a safe weekend. Make sure to check this blog out next week for more So Danca news,  world dance news and fun K.Y.B.U. articles.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update:
          Hey everyone! If you live anywhere near Boca Raton, FL you should go to the Boca Ballet Theater production of "La Bayadere" this week end, April 16-17. In addition to seeing an all-time classic, it's one of your last opportunities to watch ballet superstar Jose Manuel Carreño. To the disappointment of his many fans, Carreño is retiring after an amazing career with American Ballet Theater. Go to bocaballet.org for ticket information.
                  -------Anne Polajenko
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            Love from your humble blogger,

           

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Know Your Blogger Unplugged: "Old movies that would fail due to technology"

        I was thinking about old movies a few days ago and about what the effects of today's technology would have upon them. I quickly realized that various old movies could never work within the frame of today's society. Technology has really changed the way by which we perceive the world, thus I put a list together of four ways in which technology has clearly saved us a ton of hassle but posed problems to cinema classics if they had occurred in our generation.


                                                                                  Titanic


        Inflatable life rafts. Though I don't think today's technology would allow for a ship to hit an iceberg, if in fact it did occur everyone would have a life raft. So no epic scene with Kate and Jack in the freezing water. So though in life a tragedy would have been avoided, in the big screen the movie would lose it's major plot line. So Kate would have left with Jack and lived a poor life in the suburbs, struggling everyday for a bit of bread. Now that's just a movie no one wants to watch. Moving on..

                                                                             Grease



      Social networks. Yeah this could really hurt a ton of movies. Could you just imagine his facebook status "Summer loving, if you know what I mean" and all the friend's comments under it? No escape from that. Sandy would be out of there so quick, good for her too, let's be honest, she's in a good place in the beginning of the movie and in the end she's smoking, drinking and hanging with a bad crowd. Over all she's better off. Thank you technology!




            Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory


             There's just no way you would be able to get five kids today into a chocolate factory without getting half your secrets spilled on youtube, and wikipedia. The wikileaks guys would be all over that. There would have to be a "smart phone confiscation room" prior to entering into the factory. And even then somehow everything would still end up online. It's one of the aftermaths of today's technology, no secret is kept secret for too long. So no epic elevator ride for Charlie.....unless in the end instead of giving the gum back he gave his smartphone away. Maybe that would work....who knows. And yes, in my mind Willy Wonka has a green hat and purple scarf, deal with it.


  Almost every old horror movie, or old robbery movie
                



           Do you even remember old wired phones? Ancient of things. The only way to make this work in a movie would be to add a scene where the thief has a "thank god this thingamaginga that prevents cell phones from working exists". In the old days you could just cut a wire and bang, no phone line. Another scenario saved/ruined thanks to technology. Though this is an easy fix, I still always can't help but smile when I see this happen in an old flick. Go go cell phones.

          Here's your question of the week,

     What movie do you think would be ruined with today's technology?

   Post a comment bellow or shoot me an email, or find us on facebook and leave a comment there.

    Love from your humble blogger,

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

So Danca Pro Tap Customized Swagger, much love


       At So Danca we are all about allowing you to be unique and show your own swagger on the dance floor. We are driven by passion, your own and ours, these are examples of shoes we've produced for different customers. Our So Danca Pro Tap shoes are not only the best in the market, we go the extra mile, the extra step, and allow you to add your own finish if you wish. Why? Because we care.

     Order them at a dance store near you, depending on your request it will take 4-6 weeks to make. A small amount of time, for love.

 For further information contact our customer service at (954) 428-3434 and they will be sure to help you out.


   Much Love from your humble blogger,

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

An Evening with Anne Polajenko: "To pad or not to pad (your feet)"

Pointe shoe discussion:
To pad or not to pad (your feet)

There was a time when dancers did not pad their toes inside the Pointe shoes. At most they used lambswool or got creative with tissues or toilet paper. Actually, this was not a bad idea since paper is disposable, was changed every time and hence could not provide a home to millions of little creatures which just love to multiply in moisture and heat!

Fifty years ago, the theory was that feet had to toughen. If you were prone to blisters, taping the toes was considered an ample solution. Anything that prevented you from feeling what your feet were doing inside the shoe was simply out of the question.

Those days are long gone, of course, and makeshift toe protection has been replaced with pads of all shapes and especially sizes. There are cotton pads, lambswool pads, silicone and gel pads. Some are so thin they are useless, others are so thick as to change the fit of the shoe.

When selecting a padding dancers should remember a couple of things: they still need to be able to feel the floor and should not have to get shoes too big for their feet just because they want to fit toe pads inside. That is a serious problem and dancers need to listen to their retailer's recommendation carefully.

The choice of padding is a personal preference. Some dancers love the squishy feel of the gel pads, others hate it. Others yet will wear only cotton. In either case, So' Dança has developed reasonably sized pads for everyone. from the Nylon/Cotton toe protectors to the silicone pads that cover the bunion as well and can be cut down to size.

So whatever your choice, unless you use a disposable paper product, just remember to wash your foot pads frequently!  


                                                                  ----- Anne Polajenko
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Question of the week results!


    Thank you for your responses, and I appreciated the kind words about my work of art, maybe I'll draw some more this week. Here are the top three musicals according to you guys:
                    1. Chicago
                    2. Hairspray
                    3. Singing in the Rain


     I know, I know, I had a tough time as well accepting that a classic would come in third place, but votes are votes and opinions are opinions.
     Thanks for all the participation, and make sure to read the blog on thursday for the next question of the week.


                      Love from your humble blogger,

Monday, April 11, 2011

You Think You Can Dance Auditions info!


Came across this today, wanted to inform you all :)

                                                              Love from your humble blogger,

Friday, April 8, 2011

Highlight a Store Day! "Mark's Dancewear"


Mark's Dancewear, located in Johnston, Iowa.   


“They have had So Danca products in their store since day one of opening.  Mark's Dancewear is the store to go to for Pointe Shoes in central Iowa, he has great knowledge and experience in fitting all types of feet.
             Mark and his employees have fun and enjoy what they do, you can tell that right away when you walk in the door.  Great service and great advice to everyone, and make's you feel comfortable buying from them.”
          ---- Tim Hines (one of our many amazing Road Warriors)



            I got an email yesterday telling me the comment box bellow wasn’t working, and in fact, I slipped up and didn’t see that there was a problem. It’s all fixed now, so feel free to leave a comment, thanks for the heads up people!
            Btw I’m compiling the list of musicals still from people, I keep getting a lot of the recent musical movies, I think I got a dozen people that liked “Chicago” and “Hairspray”, right now it’s a battle between those two and “Phantom of the Opera”.
            Let you know on Monday who got the most votes! Hope you all have a great weekend and hope you have a glorious Friday. 

          Love from your humble blogger,

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Know Your Blogger Unplugged: Musicals We Love

           
 
            I was thinking the other day about the many influences we each have within our lives. The people that inspired us, the people that mentored us, the artists we looked up to, the movies that made us dream and artists that made is cry. There are a lot of ways that art as a whole has influenced those within the dance world and beyond. One of these ways and one of my favorite things are Musicals.
            Musicals are one of the many ways that helped spread popularity within dance. Who can forget the incredible performances of Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire? Even now musicals are being made and continue to inspire those that previously did not have a love for dance to possess a love for dance.
            What were some of the musicals that defined your career? What musicals inspired you as a child? What actor or actress did you look at as a child and think, “I want to dance like that when I grow up”?
            I grew up watching musicals. My mother loved musicals so I grew up watching “Singing in the Rain”, “Anchor’s Away”, “West Side Story”, the list goes on and on. I remember as a child watching the ‘make them laugh’ sequence within “Singing in the Rain” and wanting really bad to be able to dance like they did.
            My personal favorite musical has to be “Kiss me Kate”, I truly enjoy that musical, the songs, the way they portray the Shakespearean play in the end, it’s all fantastic.
            In my life, it was the influence of these movies that made me join theater programs in high school and love going to see my friends perform during college. What are your experiences with musicals? Have you personally been in any?
           Let me know what you guys think on the comment box bellow, on our facebook or shoot me an email with your opinion.

            And sorry about the light being red….I didn’t have yellow markers, and yes I know, I’m a great stick figure artist, lol.

       Love from your humble blogger and artist,

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Tap Tonight!

 So Danca will be a part of a major Canadian Tap event, definitely worth keeping an eye out for this one.


Tap Tonight
West Coast Tap Dance Collective presents
The Ninth Annual Tap Day Celebration
Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage on Granville Street
Friday, April 22nd at 7:30 pm

WCTDC banner


On April 22, international top tap dancing talent will be brought together for a one night extravaganza in Vancouver to celebrate the art of tap dancing. Tap Tonight will feature some of the best dancers in North America, both amateur and professional.
Each year, WCTDC honours legendary tap dance performers. This year's
Honourees are Canada’s own Blanche Lund and her late husband Alan Lund, two of the country’s foremost performing artists.  Blanche and Alan’s acclaimed careers brought them to the international stage and television audiences, and led to honours including a command performance before the Royal Family and appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.   In 1982 Alan became a distinguished Officer of the Order of Canada for his contributions as a dancer, choreographer and director of musical theatre in Canada.
Tap Tonight - presents some incredible guest artists: “Walk of Famers” Jim Hibbard (Hello Dolly!, Gypsy) and Jeff Hyslop (Phantom of the Opera), both former West Coast Tap Dance Collective honourees, will take to the stage, joined by local tap masters recently featured in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Opening Ceremony -- Danny Nielsen, Keri Minty, Dayna Szndrowski, Marylou Brien, Lindsay Sterk and Shelley Stewart Hunt. Other featured performers include Everett Smith (So you Think You Can Dance), Joel Hanna (Riverdance), Troy McLaughlin (Disney’s the Lion King), Teryl Rothery (Stargate SG-1, The Guard) and Jessie Sawyers.  Jeff Hyslop and Shelley Stewart Hunt will entertain and delight as hosts of the evening’s festivities.  Attendees will have an opportunity to walk away with a pair of Special Edition Maple Leaf ProTap shoes from  So Danca signed by Everett Smith!

April 22nd, 7:30pm, Tap Tonight - Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, 2750 Granville Street.
Tickets available at Vancouvertix.com 604-629-8849. Students, seniors and West Coast Tap
Dance Collective members $25, adults $30.
For more information contact:

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Tomorrow's blog will be another K.Y.B.U. so stay tuned, and thanks for the emails :)

                                 Love from your humble blogger,


Tuesday, April 5, 2011

An Evening with Anne Polajenjo: "When Thin is too Thin"

A lot of ink has flowed on the subject of the ideal weight and diet for a female dancer. Yes, dancers must look svelte on stage. No, they should not look like walking skeletons. Unfortunately too many young women take the concept of "thin" too far until, completely losing perspective, they see themselves as "fat" when in reality they are only steps away from complete physical breakdown.

The issue really came to the forefront a few years ago when a young dancer died of the consequences of anorexia. The parents sued the school, claiming they were in part responsible for the girl's mindset. Horrified, most teachers around the country backed off the weight issue entirely.

Dancers need to realize that there is no magic weight. Sure they should know their weight but use this number only as a guide. Everyone has a maximum and a minimum at which they look good. Exceeding the maximum will have aesthetic consequences but not endanger health. Going below the minimum on the other hand can start a chain reaction of physical conditions from which it can take years to recover.

Female dancers are particularly irresponsible when it comes to their eating habits. No surprise that they are therefore lacking in long - term stamina and energy. They forget that they are athletes and must feed their muscles appropriately. A diet of 2,000 (good) calories per day is recommended for the amount of physical effort they are required to perform. Sadly, many exist on as few as 500 calories. The result of this folly becomes evident in the short term (injuries, disorders of the nervous system, emotional distress) and in the long term through a variety of illnesses and "female" problems. But of course, no dancer wants to hear about the long-term. Only tomorrow counts.

Basically, it comes down to an issue of common sense. Ballet is the most unforgiving of all the dance forms. It requires a certain body structure and appearance. Weight actually has little to do with it as some thin looking dancers have very dense bones and weigh more than they appear to while others are the opposite. That's why the scales are only a guide. Once a dancer has established that she looks good between say 110 and 115 lbs., that's all she needs to know. She should not compare her weight to her colleague's. And she should have the inner strength to know what's good for her and not be swayed by outside comments!

If being chronically overweight has ended many a career so has being underweight. The fact to remember here is that ballet requires a special type of person, both physically and artistically. Very very few fit the mold. Hence, if you are not the body type for any reason, so be it. But to starve yourself to the point where no one wants to watch you dance anymore is simply insane. If weight is a constant issue and you must diet severely the rest of your career to the point where you are compromising your health, better call it quits now. Nothing is worth that kind of sacrifice.

I am reminded of a revealing story some years ago. I was then Ballet Mistress in an American professional ballet company when one of our dancers needed emergency surgery. A call went out for blood donors and all company dancers rushed to the hospital. As per form, the blood is tested first. Not one company dancer out of 36 qualified as a blood donor because their blood was not "good enough" - meaning it did not contain sufficient healthy cells to qualify for transfusion!

In conclusion, dancers who starve themselves for the sake of a short career are making a serious mistake. Not only do they compromise their long-term health but also their short-term potential. Who, after all wants, to look at a bag of bones?


                     -----  Anne Polajenko

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question of the week results!


      Thank you for your responses, the top two artists I received the most were Cee Lo Green and Lady Gaga, both of which I agree with. Good choices. I had some positive feedback from fellow Foo Fighters and The Strokes fans, which is great as well :)


          Here is the Question for this week:


    How thin is too thin? What are your views?
                  Post a comment here, on our facebook, twitter or simply shoot me an email with your response.


    Hope you're all having a great week, and a huge thank you for everyone that contributed to our Japan encouragement letter, you're all a blessing.


                            Love from your humble blogger,