STARS SHINE ON ABC

                                      “Dancing with the Stars” delivers its best season yet.

                                            Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani receive the 
                                                                 Mirrorball Trophy

The much - touted season 15, featuring the All Stars cast, did not disappoint. Of course one can question why some contestants were even there (Pamela Anderson?) and why others were glaringly absent (Jennifer Grey?) but all in all the show turned out to be one of the best ever. Kudos to all participants!!

If you’ve never watched, this show pairs off a professional ballroom dancer with a celebrity partner who may or may not have any dance background. Some clearly do (Season 15 All Star winner Melissa Rycroft) and others clearly don’t (season 5 Mark Cuban). Still, the crazy mix of celebrities is a lot of fun. Each week, viewers eliminate a couple (or two) until three are left to compete for the trophy. Dance styles (samba, fox trot, quick step etc.) are imposed on the couples. And, if you are like me, not knowing who these “celebrities” are beforehand, you will definitely know and appreciate them by the end of the show.

I’m always amazed at the celebrity contestants who, despite some rocky beginnings, turn out such good performances. . Sure not all of them can overcome having two left feet but the entertainment factor is always there. Others will surprise you, like All Star contestant  and former football star Emmitt Smith. That man can dance! The professional partners are not going easy on them either. Choreography is getting increasingly challenging so that this is no walk in the park. 

So congratulations to all the celebrities and their pro partners for a terrific season. What will I do with my Monday nights now!

                      If you've watched the show and would like to comment, please do so here!

IT'S NUTCRACKER TIME!

With “Nutcracker” season upon us, this is a stressful time for all young dancers. Schedules go crazy, there is little sleep and even less thought to proper meals. The very last thing you want is an injury at this juncture which will take you out of what you’ve work so hard toward. So here are a few reminders.

 INJURY PREVENTION:

The standard rule of thumb is that, for every day you miss class due to injury, it will take you two to come back. Out for a week, two weeks to return to your former shape before you were injured.

Accidents happen, of course. They are not always avoidable. But, in many cases, some forethought might have prevented it altogether or, at least, from being worse than it should be. See if any of these apply to you:

1.     1..  Not warming up properly. That means doing a ballet barre, not just a couple of hasty plies, before rehearsal or performance. It also means being careful about what steps you practice  before you’ve warmed up! Leaps across the floor with no warm up is an accident waiting to happen.

2.      2. Not getting enough sleep. By this I mean getting only a few hours sleep (like at a sleepover) and then expecting your body to have the same reflexes the next day. It will not. You will be sluggish and your muscles will NOT respond the way they should.

3.      3. Arriving late to class or missing part of the warm up sequence.  You think you can make up the time by doing a couple of tendus on your own. You cannot.

4.      4. Not having enough body “awareness” when you work. No one is perfect. Most of us have to deal with some kind of inherited physical trait. Examples: swayed backs, weak abdominals, hyper-extended knees, tight hamstrings etc. Your teacher will have pointed these out to you. Your responsibility is to work on this all the time and to pay extra care when warming up for a show.  .                              

5.    5.Not eating properly or enough to maintain muscle strength! This is absolutely crucial since “you are what you eat.”

 Remember, “Nutcracker” is you first priority at the moment. Parties, sleepovers or other distractions should be put on hold. If you are out for any reason, the entire team suffers. It’s not just you. 

With a little bit of care to your instrument (a.k.a. your body) you will have a wonderful rewarding "Nutcracker" and create a lifetime of memories!

Things To Be Thankful For...

 

Thanksgiving is my absolutely favorite holiday. A uniquely American tradition, it is all about family and friends and, of course, food. No gifts nor extravagance, just people. It’s also about reflection on all those things we should be thankful for instead of just taking them for granted. This set me thinking on my career and those who quietly made it happen for me without ever asking for, nor getting, a word of thanks.  So, with pen in hand, I started listing my unsung heroes.

1.      Parents top the list. Yes, I thanked them many times for the obvious things but never for the less apparent like the hours spent waiting for me and not complaining about it, the driving hither and yon and the funds poured into dance equipment. When I think back on it, it seems the family’s entire schedule gravitated around mine yet I never heard a word of complaint from my brother. So here’s to siblings too!

2.      Dance teachers must come next. Once again, it’s not about the obvious but rather those small things which had a huge impact on the artist and person I became. The well timed word of encouragement, the fact they always managed to be there for me and, yes, disciplined me without fear when they knew I needed it, their personal appearance and demeanor which was never short of completely professional. They too taught me values which would stand me in good stead for the years to come.   

3.      School teachers. There’s no doubt dancers in training lead a hectic and often misunderstood life. Like athletes, we are not the norm. Our schedules do not permit the after school activity of a normal  teenager so we are not usually among the “in” crowd. I was very lucky to have teachers who took an interest in me because I was different and who respected my ambitions. The fact that they let me know they cared made all the difference in the world: cutting a little slack here, a kind word there, trusting me to make up work I had missed and recommending books of particular interest to me. Little things that meant a lot.

4.       The dance store definitely belongs here, though I never gave them a second thought at the time. Like most people, I would shop in the same store all the time. Especially when it came to pointe shoes, they knew what I needed and always had it on hand. Did I ever question how? For that matter, I never questioned why they knew so much about my professional progress nor the fact they showed up whenever I was dancing in town. This was more than just smart business. The store was part of a support group I didn’t even know I had.

5.      My competitors. Professional dance was and will always be highly competitive. That competition for advancement is not always clean nor nice. Knowing how to deal with it only comes after having been knocked about a few times. So thanks too to those who made my life momentarily miserable but who, in the end, taught me how to handle adversity. Yes, I am grateful to you too.

It doesn’t matter how old you are, there are at least five people who are quietly making a difference in your dancing life. They ask nothing in return. So give them a mental cheer as you sit down to the annual feast. Like the saying goes, “It takes a village………….”

Happy Thanksgiving!