Unique Individual: Be Yourself to Be Noticed!

Put yourself in the audience at a dance production: a ballet, a dance recital, an open audition.  While watching the many amazingly talented performers, your eye is drawn to that one dancer who has something the others don’t.  What is it?  A higher developpe?  A perfect pirouette?  A brighter smile??  No, no, no…  While these may all be true,  these performers catch your eye for a different reason.  Something that only they possess.  Something that is different than any other dancer in the world.  What is it, you ask?

INDIVIDUALITY.  UNIQUENESS.  Every great dancer there is and ever was has their own style and stellar quality to their movement.  In order to stand out in the sea of robot, army-like dancers, who all dance the same and try to look and move like each other, you need to BE YOURSELF!!  Dance how YOU want to dance.  Feel the movement how YOU feel it best.  And never try to assimilate into another’s unique style.  Yes, it is good to admire a dancer and look up to them.  Yes, it is good to set goals and strive to dance on the same level as your peers and role models.  But to become the best dancer that you can be, you must find the qualities in your own movement that make you the dancer, and person that you are.  Far too many dancers never realize their full potential because they think or feel that they don’t fit into the stereotyped notion of what a dancer is “supposed” to be.  Don’t let this be you!!

Think of all of the great dancers in the world, past and present:  Fred Astaire and his totally cool and smooth style, Margot Fonteyn’s extraordinarily pure lines, Mikhail Baryshnikov’s physical strength and power of movement, and Mia Michael’s animalistic and intricate dynamism.  Each got to where they are in the world of dance by being themselves and being their own dancer.  And, of course, with the help of PASSION.

Be yourself to be noticed.  In dance and in everything you do.  Don’t try to be like anybody else.  Let your own uniqueness shine through.  <3

Happy Dancing!

~ Miki Hegg, Assistant Director, ECSOD

HYDRATION CITATION: Are YOU drinking enough WATER?

We’ve heard it a million times before.  Drink 8-8oz. glasses of water each day to stay hydrated.  Can you honestly say you drink 64 ounces of water daily?  If so, GOOD JOB!!  Keep it up!  If not, consider giving it a try…

Our bodies need water to survive.  If we are deprived of this necessity, our muscles, joints, organs, and even our brains wont work to their fullest potential.  As athletes, getting enough water is an essential part of our development—and along with the added physical exertion, we need even MORE that 64 ounces of water each day.

Have you ever been in dance class, performing a routine or working at the barre and you begin to feel tired or your muscles want to quit??  Usually, this is a tell-tale sign of the beginnings of dehydration.  A good rule of thumb:  Drink an additional 8 ounces of water (or one cup) for every 30 minutes of exercise.  Even if your body doesn’t feel thirsty, it is important to replenish those fluids regularly to prevent your body from performing less than par.

Any fluids you take in will count towards your daily total, however be aware of what OTHER ingredients you are ingesting simultaneously.  Sodas and other soft drinks (fruit juice, energy drinks, etc.) are high in sugar, which adds a significant amount of calories as well as an increased risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Asthma, Heart Disease, Sleep Apnea, and High Blood Pressure.  Caffeine, in large doses, can also be detrimental to your health.  Even Diet Sodas and other drinks which contain Aspartame have been linked to the development of Cancer, especially Lymphoma and Leukemia.  These Diet drinks also provide a small dosage of Formaldehyde as Aspartame converts to this poisonous and extremely unhealthy substance once inside your body.  GROSS!!

Water.  Drink it… lots of it.  And be cautious and aware of what you are putting into your body.  Keep track of the amount of fluids you are ingesting each day and take notice of how your body feels as a result.  You just might be surprised by the amount of energy you now have by simply HYDRATING yourself!!

Check out these articles!!  Some info borrowed here

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283

http://www.livestrong.com/article/320544-what-are-the-negative-effects-of-soft-drinks/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/232708-which-diet-sodas-do-not-contain-aspartame/

Happy Hydration and Happy Dancing!!

~ Miki Hegg, Assistant Director, ECSOD

Dance and Gymnastics: The Importance of Cross-Training

You’ve seen it at dance competitions all over the country, you’ve seen it on “Dance Moms”, you’ve seen it on “So You Think You Can Dance”.  Dancers are incorporating gymnastics into their routines more than ever before.

There is something so very beautiful and intriguing about a graceful, lengthy ballerina whipping out a front walk-over or an aerial.  It’s absolutely stunning, really.  The control, core strength, and lines of a dancer collide with the upper body strength, agility, and athleticism of a gymnast… quite the combination making for a force to be reckoned with.

Whether you are a dancer looking to amp up your performance or a gymnast seeking grace, control, and technical strength, cross-training might be just what you need.

Many times, Gymnastics Centers will offer classes specifically for dancers, like
Exceptional Athletics here in Eau Claire, WI.  ****ExA offers a Tumbling for Dance class, three times per week!  Visit their website at www.exathletics.com for more info!!****

As for dance studios, ballet technique, jazz technique, or classes focusing on jumps, leaps, and turns are perfect for any gymnast!  Here at ECSOD, all of the above classes are available.  Check out our website for more info at www.eauclaireschoolofdance.com!!

So, to become that versatile and powerful dancer or gymnast with the extra “WOW-factor” that you’ve always strived to become, consider cross-training.  You might just be surprised by the difference it can make in your performance!!

~ Miki Hegg, ECSOD

The Power of Dance: Stress Release, Detox, Energy Boost?

Raise your hand if you feel overwhelmed with the everyday stressors in your life.  Raise your other hand if you have abused your body with everyday items such as soda, house cleaning chemicals, and even regular doses of air pollution.  Now, wave those raised hands around in big crazy circles if you could use an energy boost.  OH MY, YOU’RE DANCING!!

Believe it or not, getting up and moving your body around –arms, legs, head, hips– which ever way you choose can be very powerful and therapeutic for your body, mind, and soul.  Expressing your thoughts, feelings, and emotions through movement makes for a fun, heart-pumping form of releasing stress by clearing your mind and simply moving your body.  Literally DANCING away your worries!!  It doesn’t matter what you look like, it only matters how it feels.

While you are dancing about, releasing your stressors, you may notice that your body has begun to sweat.  Since when did exercising become FUN??  Anyway, your body sweats in an attempt to cool your body down.  But this isn’t the only benefit of sweat…  Sweating is also a way for our body to get rid of toxins in our system.  A sort of “housecleaning” for our bodies’ cells.  Click Here for a great article on this very process!! 

And if THAT isn’t enough to get you movin’ and groovin’, don’t let us forget the ENERGY boost we get from exercise…  raising your heart rate, releasing endorphins, and pumping up your metabolism are all benefits of exercise that, in turn, boost your energy for the remainder of your day.  :)

So what are you waiting for??  Get up and DANCE!!!

**If you live near us in Eau Claire, WI, come join our Expressive Movement Dance Class, the 1st Saturday of each month @ 10:00am beginning Saturday, February 4th.  Only $10 per class!  Hope to see you there!!

Happy Dancing!!

~ Miki Hegg, Assistant Director, ECSOD

Great Reads for the Dancing Soul

Winter.  (In the Midwest…).  Bitterly cold, gloomy, and slightly depressing, we have to find ways to ‘deal with it’ for roughly 6 months out of the year.  Being active and (DUH!) DANCING helps, but we can’t physically dance everyday, all day for 6 long months…  although you could give it your best shot!!  :)

While you aren’t at the studio, sweatin’ it out and bustin’ up the dance floor, why not take a load off of your tired, quite possibly sore, overworked muscles and joints and READ!  Curl up on the sofa with a warm blanket, a cup of tea, and a good book to relax that dancing body and forget about the blizzard happening outside the door.  Not only will you be relaxed and rejuvenated, you might actually learn something new!

Recipe for Success: Trail Mix (aka: Ballerina Blend)

Dancers are athletes.  No if’s, and’s, or but’s about it.  Dancing is NOT an easy, leisurely activity, like mini-putt or knitting (not saying these are simple activities, but you get my drift, right?).  Dancing takes a considerable amount of good old fashioned hard work, focus, and stamina and requires the exertion of a whopping 400-600 calories per hour!!  Which, I’ll have you know, is very similar to the calories burned in an hour of playing football.  :)

In order to keep our dancing bodies working for as long and as hard as we need them to, we need to remember to nourish and replenish our energy supply.  There are many high-energy, healthy foods which work wonders for the dancing athlete (many of which I listed in an earlier post titled, “Food for Dance: What to Pack for Studio Snacks?”.  Check it out!!).

Trail Mix is a fabulous and fun way to load a TON of these high-energy, healthful foods into one, easy-to-pack snack that will keep you up and on your toes for hours on end!  Trial mix is great because you can make your own quite simply, combining the ingredients YOU like, for a treat that you (or your dancer) will actually WANT to munch!

Dance Conventions: Are They Worth It??

You see the ads all the time, plastered throughout the pages in any dance magazine you flip through.  They are everywhere, traveling to almost every major city around the United States.  Hundreds of dancers travel hundreds of miles and pay hundreds of dollars to attend a weekend of dance classes by dance professionals from around the country.

Is it worth it?  Many dance parents might ask, “Why should I pay for my son/daughter to take MORE classes when I’m already paying for them to take class every week?”  Or “What could they possibly learn in two days that would be worth paying a couple hundred dollars for?”  Logical questions indeed.  The instruction your dancer gets from your studio classes may very well be top notch, extraordinary, and professional quality– and to a dancer who may only be coming to class each week because it’s fun, or for exercise, this might be all they need to get what they want out of dance in their life.  But for the serious dancer, the one who is passionate about the art, the one who can’t live without it and wants nothing more than to become the best dancer that they can be, weekly studio classes may not be enough.

This past weekend, I attended a dance convention with a handful of dancers from our studio.  I can tell you right now, it was DEFINITELY worth it!

Taking class in a new environment, surrounded by new and extremely talented dancers, taught by incredible faculty really opens your eyes!  It is inspirational in so many ways and brings a breath of fresh air to your dancing soul.  It enables you to try new styles of dance, or learn something new in a style you take class in every week.

It is important for dancers to really explore the world of dance and get a good taste of what is out there.  There are hundreds of thousands of good dancers in this world.  But to become a great dancer, you must be well rounded; open yourself up and throw yourself into a wide variety of styles and techniques.  My best advice would be to take as many different classes as you possibly can afford on a weekly basis, and attend as many conventions and intensives as you can!  The more dancing you subject yourself to, the better chance you will have to advance to the level that you are pursuing.

Happy Dancing, Everyone!

~ Miki Hegg, Assistant Director, ECSOD

Dance Shoe Reviews: Top 5 Best Tap Shoes

Hey!  All you Tappers out there!  Sick of getting blisters, kicking your shoe off, or working too darn hard to get a good, solid sound out of your tap shoes??  IT ISN’T WORTH IT!!

Tap dancing is fun, fast-paced, joyful, and great for your heart (both emotionally and physically!!) and SHOULDN’T be a stressful situation because of the shoes you are wearing.

There are a handful of really great, QUALITY tap shoes out there that are comfortable, fairly affordable, and won’t disappoint your ears, NOR your instructor’s or audience’s!

Through trial and error, along with the help of other tapper’s opinions from around the U.S., I have put together a list of the Top 5 BEST Tap Shoes you can buy.

Here they are, in no particular order:  :)

1. Sansha “T-Split” Tap Shoe – $36.50 at www.discountdance.com – Order 4-5 sizes up from street shoe size
2. Bloch “Tap Flex” Tap Shoe -$52.55 at www.discountdance.com – Order half-size up from street shoe size
3. Bloch “Respect” Tap Shoe – $54.75 at www.discountdance.com – Order half-size up from street shoe size
4. Capezio “Premiere Tele-Tone II Rayow” Tap Shoe – $63.05 at www.discountdance.com – Order half-size up from street shoe size
5. Bloch “Audeo Full-Sole” Tap Shoe – $53.25 at www.discountdance.com – Order half-size to 1 size up from street shoe size

Get back to tapping in style, under budget, and comfortably in the best quality tap shoes available!!  Good luck finding YOUR perfect tap shoe!  I hope my list helps!  :)

~ Miki Hegg, Assistant Director, ECSOD

Dance Shoe Reviews: Top 5 Best Ballet Shoes

AWESOME!!  My new ballet shoes came in the mail today!  SO pumped to wear them to class tomorrow!  (open package, take out shoes, try them on)  Awesome.  They don’t fit.  Or… Awesome.  These are so uncomfortable.  If this has ever happened to you, you know the frustrations of finding the perfect shoe that you can rely on; that’s comfortable, fits your foot well, and allows you to dance to your full potential without having to think about what’s going on with your shoes.  We have far too many more important things to be focusing on (are my toes pointed? am I turning out? am I breathing??)!

Through the years I have learned by trial and error which ballet shoes are the best of the best– cream of the crop– and which ones (by lack of better term) suck.  So I have compiled a list of the Top 5 BEST Ballet Shoes according to personal experience along with a little help from various reviews from other dancers around the country.

Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Grishko Women’s Canvas “Performance Series” Split-Sole Ballet Slipper – Order a half size up from street shoe size
2. Sansha Unisex “#1 Pro” Canvas Ballet Slipper - Order 1 size up from street shoe size
3. Bloch Women’s “Pump” Split Sole Canvas Ballet Slipper – Order 2 sizes down from street shoe size
4. Bloch Prolite II Ballet Slipper – Order 2.5 sizes down from street shoe size
5. Grishko Women’s “Ultimate” Ballet Slipper – Order street shoe size

All of the shoes listed here can be found at www.discountdance.com.  Good Luck finding your perfect Ballet shoe!  I Hope my list helps!

~ Miki Hegg, Assistant Director, ECSOD

New Year’s Resolutions That Every Dancer Should Have on Their List!!

Another year gone, another year begins… 2011 is now forever a collection of memories in our minds, bodies, and souls; and 2012 is a blank slate – a new chapter in our lives, ready to be written.  

As most people write resolutions for the New Year on such things as “GET IN BETTER SHAPE” or “EAT HEALTHIER” or “QUIT (insert bad habit)ING!”, it is time for us to get creative with our list of “NEW BEGINNINGS”.  Dig deep and seek out the areas of your life that mean the most to you – find the things that you are passionate about and answer for yourself, “What do I need to do in order to fill my soul with the things that I love?” and “What can I do to enhance my day to day experience with these things and with life in general?”

Being one who is passionate about the art of dance, I have compiled a list of New Year’s Resolutions that every dancer should add to their own lists.  Here it is…

• Attend local (and maybe not so local) dance performances by area dance companies and/or traveling professional dance companies whenever the chance arises.
• Take a new dance class every month – or as often as you are able – even if it means traveling to a different city and dropping in on a class you’ve never tried before .
• Be creative – take some time, by yourself, to choreograph a piece of your own.  When it comes to art, nothing is ever wrong!  Give yourself the chance to see what you’ve got!
• Stretch as often as possible.  Even if it means working your splits while doing your homework, watching your favorite TV show, or browsing through facebook on your laptop.  Anything can improve with persistence!
• Search for and listen to new music.  Pick a new genre each month and give it a try.  You never know what might inspire you in a way you’ve never felt before!
• And lastly, make it a point to thank your dance instructors after corrections and/or after each class.  They care about you and your growth in dance and as a person immensely!  It’s CRAZY what a simple gesture can do.  :)

Happy New Year!!  And as always, Happy Dancing!!

~ Miki Hegg, Assistant Director, ECSOD