Everyday I'm Hustling.

If you follow me on Instagram (and if you don’t you should) you can see I live a very, what some say, BUSY life. Full of dance gigs, travel, teaching, choreography…time off is sprinkled in rarely.

I recently just took the longest vacation of my adult life (8 days to be exact). In those 8 days of the most amazing and fun trip I had 3 sleepless nights of anxiety and worry about what upcoming work I need to book, projects I need to focus on, and choreography that needs attention. *sigh

Being a creative artist means that you have to be willing to put in the hard work to get to where you want to be. It is an inconsistent, competitive, and demanding lifestyle. I have been doing this Hustle for over 20 years and it is every bit worth it. If you are also out there hustling then high five to you. It is not easy. I have learned a few truths along the way and just wanted to share a few of them.

1. No paid vacation. Yep, when you have been out there hustling you learn to live a life where you understand that when you are not working you are not making money. Other’s working their very consistent salaried jobs look forward to their paid vacays, not us. When we aren’t working we aren’t making money, we are missing gigs and opportunities to work jobs that may be our big break. If you want to do the Hustle, you have to find ways to balance work and life but still stay in the game. This took me forever to learn and understand and I still struggle when I get a few days off just appreciating the time to myself without thinking about the jobs and work I could be doing (clearly see above). Sorry to all the “self care/me time fanatics”, the Hustle does not stop, get yourself out there. I am not saying you can’t take a break ever, I am just saying that if you want to be in the Hustle you have to figure out how to find that balance of staying relevant and giving your body what it needs. (more on this in future blogs :)).

2. There are a lot of people who want what you want. You can’t settle. Those who work the hardest will stay in it the longest. Self improvement does not have a stopping point. If there is a dance class accessible to you, take it. If there is a class or seminar relevant to something you want, do it. The ones out there hustling for the work and getting the jobs are also already working on the next goal.

3. Every opportunity is an OPPORTUNITY. Read that again. And again. There is no gig you are “too good for”. If this Hustle life is for you, you take the jobs and give them 100% no matter how big or small. Guys, this world is so small. Every opportunity is a step in the stairs that are leading you where you want to be. When you are hustling, DO NOT SKIP A STEP. You don’t know where it will take you. I have worked jobs for a third of what I should be making because I knew that it would lead to something great. If you want to Hustle, EVERY job gets 110%.

Living your ultimate dream life often means putting in the hustle, doing the work, wishing you had a day off then remembering the “WHY”. And, just trust me, It’s so worth it.

Everyday I’m Hustling.

Liz

Fame, I'm gonna live forever.

I have been writing this blog for 2 years this month. (Happy Anniversary to me.) The first 10 blogs I ever wrote I was certain that the only people who actually read them were a few of my friends and me. In fact, I don’t think I got more than 2 to 4 likes on my links for those first ten.

One day I was in a completely different state teaching at a studio and one of the teachers randomly came up to me and said “I love your blog. I read it out loud to my classes and we watch your videos. Keep it up.” It was my five seconds of fame and all I needed to hear to keep me writing. I have friends who have 10K plus followers on Insta and write blogs for a living. That was never my goal. I started this thing because I had stuff I wanted to share to people who wanted to hear it. I have been professionally dancing for over 20 years around the country and, as a regional director of a National Dance Competition, College Dance Professor, and Freelance Dance instructor and Choreographer, I felt I had some insight. I didn’t start writing it for fame. I write it because I am passionate about what I have to say no matter how many people read it.

Isn’t that the same with dancing? We shouldn’t ever be putting ourselves out there at an audition or on a stage for FAME and followers. We should be 100% completely passionate about what we are doing that we are going after it because we love it and we believe in ourselves and our talent.

You will not be for everybody. You will put yourself out there 100 times to get one call back. But don’t stop. It is worth it if means something to you. I still maybe get 10 likes on my blog. People may not be reading it. But the one person that sends me a message that tells me what I wrote meant something makes it all worth it.

If you have a talent that you want to share and something to show the world then be passionate about pursuing it. Be humble for what comes from it. Are you aiming for Broadway but get a community theater callback? You should love it just the same because you love what you do. It’s not FAME that you should crave. It’s being able to do what you love everyday and the ability to share that with the world that should ignite you.

Even if you think no one is noticing, they are. If you have the ability to touch one person then that’s all that matters. Whether you dance to an audience of 1 or 1000 you should be grateful for the chance to share your passion. You never know who is watching and who you are effecting and that’s all that matters. That is what makes you Famous. You will survive the performing arts world because you continued to pursue what you LOVE not for the “fame”.

Update, last week I wrote a blog and it had 18 likes and 2 shares. Yesterday I walked into a dance studio where a mom stood up, hugged me, and said “don’t ever stop writing that blog. I love it and I make my daughter read it and it means so much.”

That was my moment of Fame. Go out there and pursue your passion and you will find your Fame.

Liz

"Let's all root for each other and watch each other grow."

You are not perfect. There are billions of people better than you. You are not the best in the world.

That’s reality, y’all. But before you close this blog, stay with me. Your job isn’t to be perfect, there is no such thing. It is to be the best YOU you can be. And this world is HUGE, it would be boring to settle at the top, who would you learn from and where would you GROW? That dose of realness is just a reminder that, in this dance world, we are all doing the best we can to be the best we can be. Hopefully you are now agreeing with me and I’ve gotten your attention back. So, here is my question-

Why are we still being so mean to those who seem “better” than us if we are all ultimately just all trying our best?

Why has a dance competition turned into a personal vendetta against anyone who scores higher or anyone you think is “better” than you? Dance is so incredibly vulnerable. We work so hard to present choreography that creates emotional response from an audience. We put ourselves on a stage in front of so many people to show the world all the things we have spent countless hours working on. We open ourselves up 100% for critiques and we are constantly on a journey of receiving and applying criticism. So if we are all aware that we are all doing this and we all know the hard work, stress, anxiety, and nerves that it takes, then why add drama? Why not acknowledge that every dancer feels the same way and respect every person who shares the love of dance and the courage to showcase it on a stage? Why not watch, support, and compliment those who inspire us? WE ARE ALL ULTIMATELY JUST TRYING TO DO OUR BEST.

Here is a story for you (names are anonymous but the story is real)…

Mary and Sue went to two different studios in the same city. Their studios had a history of being rivals and very competitive. Mary and Sue both took dance as much as they could. They both practiced and trained hard. They were both wonderful dancers. They both went to the same competition. They both were incredibly rude to each other. They both didn’t clap for each other, support each other, in fact they decided they would talk poorly about the other one just to cause more drama. When Sue took first place instead of congratulating her Mary posted some very mean things on Instagram. 5 years later Mary and Sue were both living in NYC. They both were dancing and training as much as possible. They both went to an audition and they both got the part. They were both cast as EQUALS. It didn’t matter to anyone at that audition where they came from, that Sue had once received a first place and beat Mary, that their studios had such a rivalry. IT DID NOT MATTER. All that energy toward being mean to each other, all those hurt feelings, all the negativity during a time where being supportive could have meant so much, it was all for no reason at all. At the end of the day all that mattered was that they were both dancing and training and working hard. They were actually EQUALS. They were actually working toward the same goal and there was enough room in the dance world for both of them to succeed.

So why are we wasting energy being mean to each other? You may not get first. You may not get cast. You may not land the job. But choosing to be mean to those who do seems like a lot of wasted energy when everyone is ultimately just doing the best they can do. We are all wanting the same thing. There is enough room for everyone. It is OK to choose kindness.

Focus on yourself and treating people the way you want to be treated. Clap, congratulate, compliment, support, acknowledge, inspire.

Hey y’all, Let’s all root for each other and watch each other grow.

Liz

Cut it out.

In case you didn’t already know…IT’S COMPETITION SEASON!!!!! Which also happens to be my favorite time of year. I absolutely love seeing dancers perform choreography after countless hours of rehearsals and training. The endorphins, the emotion, the energy, the artistry…I LOVE ALL OF IT. It dawned on me recently, however, that we focus so much thinking about how to make the dances BIGGER and BETTER than before, that we never talk about the other details, the little things we can actually STOP doing in order to be better.

That’s right. There are some things that absolutely don’t need to happen for a dance to succeed. In fact there are a few things that we worry so much about ADDING that if we actually stop doing those things and CUT these things out, you would be more successful.

When I was little and would worry or overthink things and make things more complicated than they needed to be, which I always did because I was born a worrier, my mom would tell me to remember to K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple, Stupid. Harsh I know haha but she wasn’t calling me stupid at all and she was right. Adding too much and making things too complex was dumb. Keeping things simple is SMART. It was a reminder to not fuss with adding too much and overthinking things but that simplicity is KEY and often the smartest decision. I feel the same way about dance. K.I.S.S.

So, here are a few things you should consider CUTTING OUT or that you should stop doing in order to help you score higher this season or just appeal to your audience more if competing isn’t your thing…

Turn sequences. As my dear friend Abba says, “Dance is not like figure skating. You don’t get points for attempting a technical element.” In fact, you actually lose points. Turn sequences are not a requirement for competition dance, for any dance for that matter, and if they aren’t perfect they will hurt your technique score faster than you can finish a double pirouette. On the flip side, if turning is something you do very well technically then, by all means, put it in and show us what a fabulous turner you are. But, if that’s not you…CUT IT OUT.

Extensions. Not everyone is flexible. If you are, great! If you aren’t, don’t show the judges your lack of flexibility while trying to execute something you actually can’t do. If a beautiful tilt isn’t your jam, then show us a degagé that is to die for!

Stop wearing only one shoe. Wear 2 shoes or no shoes. By only wearing one shoe you are walking on stage and showing the judges immediately that you can only turn on one side. You are immediately showing us what you CAN’T do. Either cut out that one shoe or put both on.

Hair up. If you have hair longer than your shoulders, stop wearing your hair down. Hair is distracting. Your hair didn’t spend hours working on the choreo and more hours in ballet. Show us your lines and pull your long hair back so we aren’t distracted away from your beautiful movement by tons of hair flying around. Unless you have some serious Hair-o-graphy wear it pulled back some how. You may love your long flowing locks of hair but you aren’t getting judged on your hair and it can make you look messy.

Stretches. Heel stretches, splits, needles…I’m talking about a stretch you hold for longer than 4 seconds. No judge wants to see you hold a stretch on stage. Dance, don’t stretch. Stretch before you hit the stage and show us more style, more DANCING! If you top off a quad with a leg catch turn into a middle split then ball change yourself up into a perfect needle, well then that’s a different story. But if you are holding a stretch on stage while your music is jamming along then consider more dancing less stretching.

In the end, all your audience and the judges want to see is the absolute best that you and the dancers can do. They don’t need to see tricks and flips and turns galore if that’s not something you do well. Show them simple, clean, connection to your music and it will win every time. Do what YOU do best.

K. I. S. S.

Liz

Work, work, work, work, work.

I love my job.  Like LOVE LOVE my job.  I am lucky that I often have moments where I just think “I am so grateful for this”.  I get to dance for a living.  Not just dance but I get to share this love of this art with people all over the country.  I get to be inspired often and I get to also (hopefully) inspire others.  I have trouble saying “no” to any gig because I honestly don’t want to miss out on a single opportunity.  So if you know me well, you know I am always working…but I love to work.

A few months ago I was teaching at a convention and after a class a mom came up to me and said “my daughter wants to have your job when she gets out of high school”.  Whoa, what?  The reality is that art is ever changing and it can be a rather volatile industry to be in.  It got me thinking really hard about where I am, what I am doing, the road I travelled to get here, and the accessibility of that same road these days.

I can say with complete seriousness, I WORK MY BUTT OFF.  Everyday.  I worked really really hard to get here and I still work hard.  Dance is not easy.  If you want Dance to be your job you have to WORK for it.

I wrote a blog a while back talking about how anyone can dance and there is a place for every dancer to be in this world, (you can read that here (it is still one of my favs) and I still 100% stand by that but…you have to work at it.  It’s a job.  A physical, mental, demanding job.  Sometimes it’s a “no days off” kind of job and somedays it’s a scarier “where can I find work” kind of job.  It is though, with out a doubt, a very rewarding and wonderful job.  Whether you are a professional dancer, teacher, choreographer, or anything that has to do with dance, it is all WORTH EVERY BIT OF HARD WORK. 

So if you want the job let’s talk about a few things that will help you get it, and keep it.

Technique:  A dancer dances.  And should always continue to dance.  Even if “dancing” isn’t the goal.  You have to continue to put yourself in classes that challenge you and teach you so that you can continue to feed your dancer brain the info and skills it needs to keep getting better.  I met a dancer recently while teaching at a convention who shared that her goal was to be a dancer…awesome, right?  I love that goal.  But then I noticed she was sitting out of tap class.  A dancer dances…a DANCER can do all the dances.  You must remain versatile if you want to beat the odds and land a job.  So, if tap isn’t your thing then you have to train and make it your thing.  Knowledge is power so why not continue to get as much of it as possible.  If you want dance to be your job, you must first know that you need to always be a student.

Networking:  The dance world is tinier than Pluto.  Be kind, be humble, meet everyone, love every class, learn from everyone, and always be appreciative that you get to live in that world.  Not everyone gets to live there, take care of it, make it a good place.  It is always about who you know so support everyone.  I will be honest, no one ever told me this.  When I was younger and, unfortunately, more immature I burned down some pretty big bridges on my journey just by not staying humble.  I still regret it and I still wonder what would have happened if I had stayed in contact and had those connections to lean on today.  There have been times where having them on my side would have helped me land a gig.  If you want dance to be your job, be humble, be kind, and stay in touch with those in your world.  

Professionalism:  Dance is a job, treat it like a job.  Be professional.  This one is huge and covers a wide range of things so let me break down a few for you.  If you are taking a class, use your classroom etiquette, thank the teacher, don’t cross your arms, don’t sit down, dress “neatly”, work your butt off, love all of what they are giving you, take corrections, apply feedback, do what they ask.  If you are a teacher be clear and productive in your corrections, be a role model, communicate well with the studio owners or business owners, don’t get involved in gossip-y chit chat (see Networking above), be positive, be punctual, present yourself professionally.  You will get hired more that way.  I have worked along side the most talented choreographers and dancers out there and seen behavior you would not believe and then watched them not get hired back.  If you want dance to be your job, then act like it.

Those are just the start to a few things that will help you on your road to making your art your career.  Start NOW. Even if you are not even close to graduating high school. It doesn’t matter. Create habits now to building your career and the road will be easier. ALWAYS be the hardest worker in the room and ALWAYS reach for your dreams.  Fame doesn’t last, Instagram doesn’t count, a YouTube following doesn’t mean anything.  Being great at what you do, having a network of people who support you, and being your professional best self MEANS EVERYTHING.  

Now, go out there and get hired.

Take Care of YOU, dancers,

Liz

"I will get back up again."-Poppy, the Troll

Have you seen the movie Trolls?  If not, that's ok but I highly recommend it if anything just for the sake of listening to some fun music and Justin Timberlake's voice ;).  I mean who doesn't love a Troll?  Anyway, there is a song in there that I reference at least 4-5 times a week.  (You can actually watch it here).  This young princess Troll is headed to save her Troll Tribe and everything bad that could possibly happen is happening to her and the entire time all this stuff is happening she is singing-

“Hey, I’m not giving up today
There’s nothing getting in my way
And if you knock knock me over
I will get back up again”

It basically is the perfect example of resilience, effort, determination, and drive.  Those simple children's lyrics are what I consider to be the one thing that separates those who are successful and those who are not.   The ability to take a hit, stand up, and go again-over and over and over.

“Your ability to ‘get back up again’ after you have failed will ultimately define how successful you become.”

As dancers, what happens when we fail?  When we don't nail our solo, we don't get the part, we don't place in overalls, or we literally fall flat on our faces?  What do we do next?

And if every time you fail you kept going right back to that thing and did it the exact same way you would keep failing.  Ever heard the phrase "practice makes perfect"?  Well, let me blow your mind for a second, it's not just practice.  To say that we are saying, that doing the same thing, the same way, over and over will eventually make us better.  I 100% disagree.  We have to take the criticism in between, apply it and make changes and then practice again.  That's how we get to "perfect".  We have to get up, dust off, reset ourselves, and try again...this time a little differently than before.  And if that fails we keep doing it over and over until we get it right.  

I will tell you first hand that I LOVE feedback and critique.  I love to know exactly and I mean exactly what I am doing wrong so I can fix it and change it.  Also I HATE it.  It is so annoying to me that sometimes, when we think we are doing a great job, there is still work more to be done.  With my love and hate for the feedback also comes my understanding of how necessary it is.  Necessary to really hear and really apply and keep moving forward.  And, if you are out there getting "knocked down" with feedback or failed attempts over and over, getting back up can be exhausting.  Constantly trying and trying and not getting to where you want to be is tough.  I get it.

Several years ago I auditioned for a company that I felt I was perfect for.  Their style, their dancers, everything.  Heck, I even knew both artistic directors.  I went to the audition and felt amazing.  I think I even got so emotional in one section of choreography that real tears came streaming out.  I made the call backs and the artistic director even complimented me out loud in the middle of the audition.  Guys, I am not a cocky person but I just knew I had this.  I am sure you can guess what is coming.  Yep, I didn't get it.  About a week later I got a very generic email that said "Thank you for auditioning but we can not offer you a position at this time."  That was it.

I sat on my couch and cried.  Ugly tears.

Y'all, I had auditioned and not made things my ENTIRE life.  I am a very resilient person and had lived years and years of my career getting a lot of "No's".  But this "NO" really stung.   I was angry, sad, mad, all the things.  When the initial sting wore off I was angry at myself for letting this one "NO" effect me.  Why was I so upset?  I re-read the email and it's brevity and realized I needed the more information.  In other jobs I had auditioned for if I didn't make it I just didn't get a callback.  The End.  But because they sent an email, I needed more.  I needed to know WHY I didn't get it.  I needed to know, after what I thought was an amazing audition, why I was not selected.  I needed to know so I could "get back up again".  So, I emailed them back.  I asked them basically to offer feedback as to why I wasn't chosen.  I knew I needed to know in order to move on.

Long story short they responded with some feedback and invited me to rehearsals as an understudy.  I took that feedback, fixed it, and was offered a contract in their company after one rehearsal.  That isn't exactly the point of the story.  The point of the story is, when you don't get the part, the score, the role, the slot in the company what are you doing to "get back up again"?  

What if, instead of feeling sorry for ourselves for what we didn't get and jealous of who did get it, we saught after the feedback, the information we need to get up, make the changes, and get better?  Imagine how great we would become if every time we "got up" we "got better".  

The truth is y'all, we have to fail.  It's what makes us stronger, better and ultimately successful.  It's ok to fall, fail, whatever you want to call it.  Get up, dust off, get back to it.

I will end this blog with the words of Poppy, the Troll...

“What if it’s all a big mistake
What if it’s more than I can take
No I can’t think that way ‘cause I know that
I’m really, really, really, really gonna be ok.”

Take Care of you, Dancers,

Liz

Once upon a time, in a world without High Golds...

Y'all, I grew up in a time where there were no High Golds.  Yep, and, to blow your mind even further, there wasn't even a Platinum.  Or a Crystal, or a Double Platinum, or Double Diamond Crystal encrusted Platinum.   I know, sounds crazy, but it's true.  I grew up in a time where you either won or didn't win.  Notice I did not say "lost".  Because we never really "lost".  Losing implies that, according to one definition, we "failed to advance or improve", and that wasn't the case at all.

Back in the "olden days", "glory years", whatever you want to call it, dancers went to competition to share their passion and literally emerge themselves with the dancers around them.  Without Youtube, FB, Instagram, and all the other forms of social media out there now, the only time to really see and, be "inside" the world of dance outside of your own studio was to be at a dance competition.  It was, at times, the only outlet to sharing and seeing what else was out there.  New tricks, cool concepts, different styles.  You always left with more insight, knowledge, and inspiration because there was no other place to get that from.  And let me tell you, it was amazing.  

Times have changed.  Dance is so accessible.  We can google anything we want and are constantly be exposed to dance everywhere.  Our expectation of what "winning" is has been changed also.  As the bar gets set higher so does the need to receive the awards and trophies.  We no longer accept Gold as the highest, we needed something MORE...we needed a High Gold.  When High Gold wasn't enough we then added a Platinum or some other higher up medal.

A while back I was reading a chain of complaints written to a competition on a dance competition forum.  All of them were from dance parents of children who did not receive the "platinum" or "crystal" that they "deserved".  (notice my use of quotes on "deserved") All of them speaking only on the type of medal their child had not received.  As I read through each critique I got more and more upset.  I was upset in knowing that, regardless of the experience that child might of had dancing on a stage, performing, and being immersed in the dance world, the only thing that mattered was the medal. 

A few weeks after reading that I was at a competition and a little girl brought me a Gold Medal she had found in the parking lot.  It had clearly been out there for a while and was not in good shape.  As she handed it to me she said "I found this in the parking lot, I doubt anyone will come back for it."  I said "oh, why?"  She replied, "because it's just a Gold so they probably don't want it."  I was haunted with the idea that maybe this dancer who had received this medal had purposefully left it in the parking lot because it wasn't what she thought she "deserved".   

When did Gold not become good enough?  When did dance only become about the medal?

In 10 years, will you remember what medal you got for your small group jazz number?  In 5 years, will the medal you got help you land that big dance gig you auditioned for?  If you are struggling with the answer here it is "no".  Absolutely not.  What you will remember is the costumes, the dance, the fun you had backstage, the funny moments, the memories, maybe an eight count or two of your favorite part.  It sounds cliché but it's true.  

If you are too old to be competing and are still reading this.  It's not just medals.  It's that audition you didn't get, it's acceptance, Facebook likes, Instagram followers, choreography awards, etc.  It's not "win or lose", every experience gives you a chance to improve and that, in itself, is a WIN.  It's also memories, experiences, the details that you will remember years from now.  Maybe you have a child that dances.  Are we making sure to talk about the memories, the inspiration, the real stuff that they will actually remember?  

I couldn't tell you whether or not each of the thousands of performances I have done got standing ovations or rave reviews.  I couldn't tell you what medals I got or what place I got or which dances I have choreographed have gotten awards.  But I can tell you some really great stories, some hilarious memories, and some life lessons about this great big dance world we live in.  And that, my friends, is the real "Double Diamond Crusted Platinum".

See you on the stage :), 

Liz

Let's Talk the Plank.

One of my favorite studio owners told me once that whenever she gets stressed she hits the floor for a Plank.  In addition to being a studio owner stress reliever, I consider the Plank to be the Super Man of all dance excercises.  

If you are keeping up with my blog (as you should be) then you know this is not the first time I have mentioned, demo-ed, and raved about the plank being the best tool for improving techique in other areas of dance.  Today we are just going to talk about why this is exercise is so great and focus soley on ways to maximize your Plank Time with some useful variations.

We often think that the planks is a great ab exercise but it can also help with you arms, back, legs, and pretty much whole body.  If you are doing a plank correctly your shoulders are very activated which will help with your upper body, your glutes and hamstrings are activated which will help with your supporting leg stability, your abs are pulled in therefore your back is also working which will help will control and balance...so many things are being activated which is why it is so so good.

I believe a plank a day will certainly help you gain strength and power for dancing and potentially, as the saying goes, keep the doctor away.  In terms of how long?  The plank is an exercise that is more effective the longer you are in it.  Because the entire body is being used you should be able to stay in a plank longer.  The more "time under tension" you can endure, the more effective it becomes as long as you do not sacrifice your form.  I recommend a minimum of 5 minutes a day.  But holding a plank for 5 minutes hardly seems fun and engaging.  In addition to being bored, you aren't really maximizing the benefits of a plank if you are merely holding it.  

So...how can we get get the most benefits from our plank in a such a short time each day?  By adding variations.  Here are just a few of my favorite:  

• Lifting one leg up off the ground:  either in parallel or turned out, this will help activate the supporting leg's muscles and obliques as well as the working leg's glutes, low back, and hamstring.  A great way to work on arabesque lines and any issue you have with balance and control through your supporting leg.
• Side Plank:  by giving ourselves a smaller base we increase the intensity and the need to engage our side body as well as our front and back to maintain balance.  This is a great one for working on balance issues.  Variations within the side plank can be done on forearms, with top leg lifted straight up, with top leg in passé (parallel or turned out), or with top leg straight in front (woof, that one is tough)
• Forearm Plank:  By eliminating the incline that you get when you are on your hands in a regular plank, you are adding intensity to your back and abs.  You are also able to activate the muscles in your upper back and shoulders more as you try to maintain space in your shoulder blades.  Very esstencial for creating a beautiful port de bras.

I have included one of my wonderful Youtube videos for you to see how to make 5 minutes of planking go by fast by moving through different variations.  Watch, share, and do!  Hope you enjoy and happy planking!

Take Care of you, Dancers!
Liz

Let it go, let it go...(real talk about gripping your quad muscle.)

I thought I would kick off the New Year with my most asked question in dance-

“How do I lift my leg in an extension only using the back of my leg and without using my quad?”

Answer: you don't.

It is hands down the most misinterpreted dance cue teachers everywhere are giving and students are left utterly confused.  Before you go pointing your fingers at your teacher, there is truth to what you are being told so let's just get down to some real talk about extensions, quads, hamstrings, and gravity.

Because extensions and grand battements are both lifts away from your center of gravity, the quad muscles must be used to in order to move your leg up.  Think about when you lift up a grocery bag, your bicep, the muscle at the front of your body, is the muscle that is used to lift.  In addition to lifting your leg, your quad muscles are also used to straighten your knee (see previous blog post.)  Extensions and grand battements are both a flexion (or bend) from the hip.  Hamstrings are generally the muscle that is getting stretched in an extension in order to maximize flexibility and, in the supporting leg, the hamstring is only providing stability.  When we talk about using your hamstrings to lift your leg we actually talking about using your turnout to rotate your leg and create the extension and hip flexion from the base of your iliopsoas, or as you might know it (drum roll please), your HIP FLEXORS .  

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The iliopsoas is actually made up of 3 muscles whose job is to 1. flex the hip, 2. bend the spine, and 3. rotate your hips outward

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The cue to use your hamstrings or back of your legs to lift your leg is purely meant to help dancers use imagery to create a more rotated leg (aka pull the heel forward to expose inner thighs so the iliopsoas can engage more).  

The problem that does exist, and more appropriate to address, is gripping the quads.  When your quads "grip" it will actually decrease your flexibility as there will be so much tension in the muscle it won't be able to achieve the "lift" you are wanting.  This happens when you are ONLY using your quad muscle and not engaging your iliopsoas.  When your iliopsoas is engaged and working it's job to crease the hip and stabilize your spine, the quads can release a little as they now have a "helper".  Because your hip flexors are attached at the front of your pelvis it makes sense that the more turnout you have the more exposed these muscle are and the more accessible they are to helping in your extensions and grand battements.  The quad will still be Number One in lifting your leg but, because you have other muscles trained to kick in, it won't be as inclined to "grip".

Whew, I hope you are feeling a little bit of relief now knowing that it is OK and NORMAL to use your quad.  I know I was when I first figured all this out.  Years and years of thinking I had no clue what I was doing...*sigh*...anyway...

What now?  Well, it's time to strengthen your hip flexors, duh.  The best place to start is by doing grand battements on the floor.  Because you are not standing you can focus on hip flexors vs. quads as we have removed some of the "lifting" action and the floor will add the stability so you can primarily focus on the working leg.  THE SLOWER THE BETTER HERE.  I recommend a few reps of slow controlled battements focusing also on maintaining turnout in both legs.  Notice here too that the supporting side (or non working side) will also be using the iliopsoas muscles for STABILITY while the working side will be using the same muscles for FLEXION and TURNOUT.  BOOM!  Once you are feeling confident in this exercise you can do the same exercise sitting with your legs stretched out in front.  Rotate your legs and sit tall on your sitting bones then slowly lift one leg (range of motion will be much smaller) and lower.  Make sure you are pressing the supporting leg down into the floor.

Another great exercise to do uses a light resistance band.  (As mentioned in previous blogs, you can get these anywhere these days from Amazon.com to Target or Walmart and they are a great, inexpensive tool to have for so many different exercises)  Stand in a parallel position and tie the band around your ankles leaving enough slack in your band that you can pull the band out about 8 inches.  Put one part of the band under your supporting leg and the other side around your ankle of the working let.  Keep your working leg out in front with a flexed foot and maintain a parallel position.  Make sure you hold onto a barre or something for stability. Slowly lift your knee up towards the ceiling and then lower your heel back down.  You can also do this exercise in a rotated position to the front and to the side.  It is important in the exercise to bend your knee so that the majority of the work is your hip flexor.  

You can watch the full demonstration videos on my YouTube channel (video below).

From now on when you hear that cue in class use your imagery and knowledge to engage the correct muscles and create longer, higher legs!

Better extensions and grand battements in 2018!!!!!!  Email me your questions to lizborom@gmail.com.

Take Care of You, Dancers!
Liz

What are you doing?

Yes, I am talking to you.  What are you doing?  What are you doing right now to prepare for "competition season"?

I have made a few trips all over the country the past few months and been inside several studios as they are "preparing" for the year.  Preparations include-choreography, costumes, classes, conditioning, cleaning, rehearsing.  But what is all this preparation for?

What are you working so hard for?  What is your goal for the upcoming season?  What are you working so hard to accomplish?   What are you competing for this year?  What is the point to all the hours and hours of work? I believe that answering these questions is the FIRST part to preparing.  I am pretty sure the answer is NOT: 

“To receive a plastic trophy and new pin for my jacket”

(insert laughter) Well, what is the answer?   I truly believe that the only person you are competing with when you go to competition is yourself.  That's right, YOURSELF.  If the goal was to do all this hard work just to beat Suzie Smith from the studio down the street then, you are working way too hard for such a petty goal.  

Whether you win or lose is NOT the end goal.  It is whether you did better than you did last time.  It is about how you have improved and where you stand this year compared to last year.  It is about the hard work you have put in and what results the work produces.  THAT IS IT!  

Competition is subjective, it's opinion.  The only thing that you can be sure of is that you are putting out the very best version of yourself, your technique, your choreography, your showmanship.  Once you have delivered the best you can do, your score and your place now becomes a wonderful reflection of how hard you have worked.  So, let me ask you again-

“What is your goal? What are you doing?”

What are you working so hard to get better at this year?  What improvements are you hoping for?  What are you doing all this hard work for?  What are you doing to make the changes in order to be better than you were last year?  Are you successfully preparing yourself to be better than yourself this year?

At the end of the day you are doing this for you and your studio to be the best you can be.  Every year you are working to improve and be stronger than you were the year before.  Trust me when I tell you that the only competition you have at competition is YOU.

I can not wait to see all your hard work this year.  I have seen and heard a lot of awesome preparations happening now.  Just remember all this hard work will pay off and it is all for you.

Take Care of You, Dancers!

Liz

Spot on.

It's one of those words that you hear OVER and OVER in dance-spot.  Spotting not only helps you to not get dizzy when you are turning but the "whipping" action of the head aides in helping your body achieve the full rotation.  Let this next sentence marinate for a second-a pirouette is just a balance with a spot.

Just to catch you up, spotting is the simple action of focusing your eyes on a spot and, as your body rotates around in your turn, you whip your head around right back to the same spot.  Taking your eyes of your spot too soon can leave you with no where to focus and will throw off your turns.  Keeping your eyes on your spot too long before whipping the head around will cause your spin to twist and will throw off your turns also.  

So where do we begin?  To quote the Sound Of Music, "Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start"...(it's my favorite musical so I had to throw that in.)

As we see time and time again in technique, the simplest exercises have the most purpose.  The very basics of technique always need to be re-visted and perfected.  This is the case for our current topic as well.   ISOLATIONS.  You know that thing you do in jazz warm up when you simply snap your head right and left, yep, that's it!  That is the foundation to creating good "spotting" habits.  Being able to look side to side doesn't seem challenging, I get it.  But being able to isolate your neck while keeping the shoulders, ribcage, and pelvis still and whip your head right to left and find a focus point each direction is the goal here.  I will get to why a proper "old school" jazz warm up is still the best thing in the world in another blog (yes, follow me please :)) but for now just make sure you are working on isolations if you want to improve spotting.  Common mistakes-relaxed shoulders that lift up the more the head rotates, the head dropping slightly forward or back instead of going directly side to side, the head turns but the eyes never focus...just things to look out for.

Another very basic but excellent exercise to do is to stand facing the mirror and focus your eyes on a spot.  Start taking baby steps around leaving your eyes on your spot as long as you can then whip your head around to relocate your spot and continue your feet back around to the front.  This type of exercise is what I call a "dance drill".  It is something that is good to do everyday, over and over, and can help create good dancing habits.  You will notice right away if you are taking your head back and around or if your shoulders are raising or any other issues you are having.  Being able to identify problems in this drill will only help you once you start applying the technique and actually turning.  OF COURSE I HAVE A VIDEO :)!!

The head is so important in your turns.  I have included a video of some of my favorite exercises for using your spot.  I always believe in the basics and training to improve the small things will be the building blocks to doing the bigger things.  Check out my videos and practice, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

Follow me on Instagram @lizbdance and FaceBook Liz Borom for more!

Take Care of You, dancers!
Liz

Elevé your Relevé...and improve your demi-pointe.

(There is nothing better than kicking off my first blog of the 2017/2018 dance season with a cheesy little ballet pun.)

So, welcome back to dance!  I love getting questions from dancers on how they can improve their technique and it just so happens that I received a text this week from a gorgeous dancer who is attending college as a dance major asking about how to improve her relevé, more specifically, her demi-pointe.  As I was replying I realized that so much goes into a great relevé/demi-pointe and we use it so much I should share this info with my loyal blog readers (Hi, mom).

Relevé literally means "raised up".  It is when we rise up to our highest demo-pointe from flat feet.  So, the truth about your relevé is that you have to have a high demi-pointe and the truth about your demi-pointe is that you have to have strong feet and arches in order to find the highest demi-pointe possible.  To get a good demi-pointe you must do exercises to strengthen your feet.

I have attached a YouTube video with a  few foot strengthening exercises for you to try.  The exercises are specific to strengthening your arch and improving arch flexibility.  Foot articulation is key in all of the exercises.  Being able to press through your metatarsal (the big, fancy word for ball of the foot) is what will help develop the foot muscles you need.  

Outside of foot strength, there a couple more things to consider when trying to get that high demi-pointe.  1.  Make sure your toes are relaxed when you go into demi-pointe.  Sometimes we grip our toes and that will shorten your arches.  2.  Exercises for your calves are also important for pressing through the floor.  3.  Don't ever HOP onto demi-pointe, Always push down into the floor with the ball of your foot to lift your heel as high as possible.

Be sure to watch the video and keep the questions coming.  

Take Care of YOU, dancers,

Liz (@lizbdance)

No Excuses...

Hello my loyal blog readers!  It has been a while since my last post as I have been traveling like crazy with dance the last month.  In the past 3 weeks I have adjudicated over 2000 dances, taught to over 500 dancers, and met so many wonderful people I can't even keep count.  I will be honest, I almost didn't write a post this week because I have a million things to do to get ready to head back out of town to teach, then it dawned on me that that was exactly the subject I needed to write about...excuses.

At every Nationals I worked this summer there were FREE classes offered.  At every FREE class about 1/16 of the dancers competing showed up.  Since when did class become un-important?  Prior to class or after class, I would ask dancers if they were coming to class later or, why they didn't come to class out of curiosity as to why, any dancer wanting to better themselves, would miss the opportunity to take a FREE class and, the responses I got were "I competed today already", "I was at the pool","I am tired", "None of my friends were going"...excuses.  

Above competition, class is NUMBER ONE.  You can not compete and expect to do your best if you have not trained in class.  When presented with the opportunity to take class, take class.  Especially FREE class.  Any class, no matter what, will benefit you and help you grow.  Why?  Because every class is taught by a teacher, someone who wants to educate you with their knowledge and, in dance, knowledge is your biggest strength.  

Class is not always accessible.  It can be pricey, or far away, or there are conflicts, I get it.  But when there is a chance for you to take a class and it is accessible to you, drop the excuses and go.  

“If it is important to you you will find a way, if not you will find an excuse.”

To say you want to be a serious dancer means that you will be serious in your training.  Class first, everything else is second.  NO EXCUSES.  

This is exactly what I reminded myself of when I was starting to make excuses for not writing my blog this week.  I am passionate about sharing my love for dance.  I will make the time and the effort because I love it.

I hope you all are having a great summer.  Mostly I hope that you are taking class and soaking in every opportunity you can to dance.  If you competed this summer at Nationals, CONGRATS!  I hope you learned a ton and made memories that will stay in your heart forever.  The "adjudication" you got and the "place" you won doesn't matter.  The critiques you received and the inspiration you got from dancing around others who share your passion does matter.

There are still many more weeks of summer left...get to class.  :)

Follow me on Instagram or Facebook to see where I will be teaching @lizbdance and keep your eyes out for a new technique blog and video coming soon!

Take Care of You Dancers!

Liz

R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find out what it means in dance.

*Long Personal Story Alert*  When I was in high school I literally danced as much as I could, everywhere I could.  I knew I wanted to dance and I knew that, with my families income, I had to take advantage of what I could.  When I decided to transition to dancing in a ballet company, I got a job at the local dance wear store for 3 hours a day in order to pay for the excessive amounts of pointe shoes I was going through.  Every summer I would audition to attend various ballet conservatories across the US knowing that, if I didn't do well enough to get a scholarship, I wouldn't be able to go.  Everything I wanted I had to work for and make the money for. I took nothing for granted and earned every class, every leotard, every opportunity.

My Junior year of high school I auditioned for the Governor's School for the Arts and got a full honors scholarship to attend.  I wasn't a huge fan of my high school and spent every moment I had dancing anyway so, the opportunity to go away and study DANCE, with a little bit of other stuff on the side ;), was a dream come true.  

I was placed in the Advanced level classes and was so humbled and thrilled and always ready to work my butt of to keep my advanced level placement among some of the best dancers I had ever danced with.  I loved every moment, every class, every shin splint from dashing across campus to get to classes on time, every rehearsal, EVERYTHING.  

During one rehearsal for a Modern piece I was placed in, the teacher stopped the music looked at me and said "I need to see you in my office after class".  I have always been a little bit of a "goody two shoes" so any thought of being mildly in trouble scared me to death (still does).  I had no idea what I did or what this could be about.  As far as I knew I was doing everything correct and was working my butt off, I loved the piece and that teacher for that matter.   When I got to her office that afternoon I was greeted by her and two other faculty members.  The first thing that came out of her mouth was "do you not want to be here?"  

WHAT???  I didn't want to be anywhere BUT HERE!  What is this about?

All three instructors began to chime in about how my body language was disrespectful and how my facial expressions were as though I was bored and how I never engaged in discussion or acted interested in the class.  They said if something didn't change I would be removed from the program.  My head was spinning.  What did body language and facial expressions and class engagement have to do with my dancing skills?  They went on to say how much potential I had and how great I was improving but I was so thrown off by their first accusations that I couldn't even focus.  I was holding back tears and having a mental freak out trying to figure out where I had gone wrong.  The reality of how much I loved the school was being mis-read and now I could potentially be sent back home?!  They each listed examples:

-standing with arms crossed and/or leaning against the barre while the instructor was speaking (I was just exhausted)

-listening with a "dead face" instead of alert eyes and relaxed smile (I have a RBF like you wouldn't believe)

-not ever asking questions or responding to group discussions (extremely shy and a little socially awkward)

-never showing any change in emotion when given new information (I was trying to be cool, duh)

-not being genuine when thanking the teacher at the end of class (honestly they intimidated me and I had like 2 minutes to get across campus for my next class)

Every single thing was unintentional on my end but obviously meant so much to them that it could have gotten me kicked out of a program that I was so honored to have received.  It was a no brainer that I needed to adjust the way I was taking class.  I needed to be more expressive and allow what was on the inside to show on the outside.  I needed to express the gratitude, the appreciation, and my love for every experience to show.  I had been so focused on just absorbing and learning I didn't even think about the most important thing- RESPECT for all that I was offered.  I changed my ways immediately and the rest is history.

I shared that true story to express to you how important dance respect and classroom etiquette is.  As my story shows, being a "polite" dancer is just as important as your actual dance talent.  I was almost removed from a very prestigious dance program because of my "lack of dance respect".  

In my current job I am lucky enough to get to teach dancers from across the country.  

I will 100% agree that how the dancer acts in class towards the instructor is a direct indication of how much that dancer will succeed.  

I also agree that etiquette should be taught and enforced, as much as we enforce good turn out, in class on a regular basis.  In addition to the notes I received YEARS ago that still apply to today (especially the lean and arms crossed one, break that habit NOW), here are a few other things to change/fix/do NOW.  

-Be attentive and present during awards.  Don't bring your cell phone on stage during awards.  Be attentive and congratulate those around you.  Being on that stage with other people who share your passion is a gift of it's own.   

-When the teacher asks a question, respond.  Even if you are wrong.  The classroom is about discovery and you can't make a discovery if you are right all the time, there would be nothing to actually discover.  Always raise your hand, always participate.

-If you love something, say it.  Teachers have feelings too and we love to know when we have done a good job just as much as you do.  We pour our heart and souls into our students and often it puts us in a vulnerable place so reassure us that you "get what we are putting down" (if you know what I mean).

-If you don't love something, do it with love anyway.  We are all united because we love to dance. That doesn't mean we love one type of dance.  WE LOVE TO DANCE (period).  You have to embrace newness and weirdness and get uncomfortable a lot to grow so, don't give your teacher half the effort if it's not that hot, sassy jazz that you love to do or some weird contemporary where you get to do that right tilt that you are amazing at.  Do whatever it is with love because you love to dance.  If you can't do it, ask and TRY.  If you hate it, learn to love it.  To love dance is to love ALL dance.  I never met a one trick pony that made it in the real world of dance...never.  (even if you have you have an amazing right tilt...) 

-ALWAYS thank your teacher at the end of every class.  Every teacher, every class, every studio.  You are lucky for every opportunity where you get to learn.  Be grateful and show gratitude to those who have given you a little piece of their passion.  Hugs are also sometimes acceptable because, while we are spreading that attitude of gratitude, we might as well spread a little love too.

As you start your summer off with master classes, intensives, conventions, competitions, rehearsals, etc, please take some time to think about your RESPECT level and make some adjustments to how you take class in order to get even more out of it.  Like little me in high school, it may not be how you are really feeling so put your feelings on the outside and show some RESPECT for the love of dance!

I am heading out to teach all over the US this summer, (still a few dates available).  I would love to dance with you or hear your stories of what you are thankful for this summer.  You can use the "Contact Me" tab on my website...let's get in touch!

Take Care of YOU, dancers,

Liz

It really is HIP to be SQUARE.

I truly believe that, in dance, we coin these phrases about technique and then we use them over and over again but we forget to actually EXPLAIN what the phrase means so it just becomes a "thing your dance teacher says"...

For Example- "Pull up your knees", "use your spot", "pointe your toes", and "keep your hips square"

As a teacher, we get used to repeating these corrections and forget that sometimes we might need to do a little further explaining if we expect further growth from our students.

The "keep your hips square" phrase is one that I feel has lost it's meaning.  I've seen more dancers hit an arabesque that looks more like a parallel a la secondé (or second-esque, ara-seconde, or whatever nickname has been used to describe a poorly executed arabesque) because their hips completely open towards the working leg.  Because their leg can get higher when they open their hips, they are sometimes praised for the flexibility rather than critiqued for not maintaining "square-ness" in their hips.  

If you were to take a marker to your leotard and draw a line from your hip bone up to your shoulder bone, across to your other shoulder bone, down to your hip bone, and across to your other hip bone, you would make a square...well more like a rectangle but you get the idea.  Your two shoulder bones and your two hips bones make a square on the front of your torso.  

This is literally what it means to keep your hips square.  

In order to be square you must keep both hip bones and shoulder bones facing the same direction to keep your "square" intact.  (I don't recommend you use a marker to your leotard but you could use masking tape.  It is a great way to take class and become more aware of your hips and their alignment and relationship to your shoulders.)

Another great way to work on your arabesque and keeping your hips and shoulders square is through a floor exercise.  Lie on your stomach with your heels together and legs turned out and arms overhead in 5th position.  Make sure you are turning out from the hips and legs are straight, feet pointed.  Forehead on the floor in order to maintain a neutral spine.  From here, here are the options- 1.  keep upper body still lift one leg at a time pressing the other leg strongly down into the floor, 2.  raise opposite arm and leg straight up keeping non-working arm and leg pressed into the floor, 3.  raise both arms and ONE leg keeping non working leg pressed into the floor.

Video link is below.  Hope this helps you to be more square :)...

Interested in working with me virtually or in person?  Please email me for info lizborom@gmail.com or connect with me on instagram @lizbdance or Facebook-Liz Borom

Take Care of YOU, dancers!

Liz

Improve Your Improv.

I was once adjudicating an audition where the dancers were required to improv as part of their score.  They lined up on the stage and were called out one by one to dance for 30 seconds to a song picked by the sound manager.  The teens came out, lined up, and the music started.  The song was slow, dramatic, and eerie.  The music played for about 10 seconds before they called for the first dancer (plenty of time to get the feel for the music).  The dancer flashed a huge cheesy "competition smile" and did a chasé ball change grand jeté, followed by a few wobbly pirouettes and battements.  Her fast and furious desire to fit in every technical dance step she knew DID not match the music AT ALL.  I shook my head and gave her my score then they moved on to the next dancer who also turned and leaped her way through her 30 seconds of movement that didn't correspond to the music and so on.

I teach improv to a lot of studios when I travel so, I was not surprised of their choices of movement simply because most of the time students have not been taught how to improv.  They are taught to "free dance", put on music and go.  For a confident, advanced dancer with improv experience, that is an easier task.  For a young dancer who is still learning how to move their body, it is not so easy.

As dancers, we are given every step, every position, every 8 count.  We are constantly working on details of placement in very technical shapes.  We are constantly working to create more perfect lines and stronger technique so it is no wonder that, when we suddenly ask the dancer to "just dance", the decisions made are the things that they have been working years to improve rather than being able to let go of every technical critique in order to JUST DANCE.  They don't know what that means because they are so used to being told what to do..

Improv is a way for the dancer to find NEW ways to move, discover new movement, explore their own style, and create.  The idea is to not do anything that is "technical" in order to get outside of the comfort zone...but most young dancer's LOVE the Comfort Zone.

So, how do you get better at Improv?

Creating "rules" for improv is the best way to get dancers to get outside the zone.  The more limitations you set for your improv exercise, the more the dancers are forced to get creative and discover new ways to move rather than picking moves that they have done time and time again.  This is a simple way to start.  

Set limitations based off of either movement quality OR movement transitions.  

Here are some examples of Rules for Movement Quality- 1. pick a few adjectives and shout them out as you are dancing, you must change the feel of your movement to match the word, 2. Think of an emotion and the others have to guess what emotion you are expressing through your improv.

Here are some examples of Rules for Movement Transitions- 1.  you must stay on the floor the whole time, 2, you must keep one hand on the floor, 3. you must travel across the floor but can only move if connecting to another dancer using anything BUT your hands.  

Forcing dancers to move away from what is familiar will help them learn how to really DANCE.

Those are just a few simple ideas to start you off.  I have a million other ideas that I would love to share...(lizborom@gmail.com :))

Hopefully that will get you started on finding your new movement!

Take Care of YOU, dancers,

Liz

The Dance Condition.

My senior year of high school my 3 best friends and I decided it would be a good idea to spend Spring Break in Charleston to run the Cooper River Bridge run, a 10k race over the bridge and through downtown .  I mean, why not?  Surely it couldn't be that hard.  I had never run before in my life, well outside of P.E., but I was a dancer.  I could push through 8-12 hour rehearsals with zero problem.  My friends Traci and Katie were runners, they ran often and were ready.  My friend Stacy, like me, didn't run but she was a swimmer.  I was certain if she could do it, I could.  How hard could this 10K be?

It was the hardest thing I had ever physically done in my life.  

At one point in the run I thought I would not make it and my friends would have to peel me off the sidewalk.  Everyone left me in their dust and we met up at the finish line.  Katie and Traci did great, had a blast, yada yada.  Stacy beat everyone's time and probably could have run it again, her endurance from swimming was outstanding.  My ego was crushed.  I thought I was in great shape but, after almost throwing up at lunch later that day, I realized I had ZERO stamina.   This is where my love of fitness began.

Dance is mostly anaerobic, which means it is mostly a form of exercise that strengthens your muscle groups vs. aerobic exercise where your heart remains elevated throughout.  

Since I hadn't been doing any form of aerobic activity, I was unable to regulate my breathing throughout the race.  On the plus side, since I was very heavily trained in dance, my legs actually never got tired because I had done so much anaerobic, or power and strength, training through dance.

In dance, we are mostly at the barre, center, or going across the floor.  In regular technique classes you are mostly working aerobically to work on strength and power.  That is why when we start running dances we get so winded so quickly, because dancers often lack stamina due to the nature of our day to day training.  I started running regularly after that, and still do to this day.  

I am sharing with you that story to tell you that it is crucial to your dance training that you are working, outside of your technique training, on your stamina and endurance and finding ways to mix in some aerobic activity on a weekly basis.  

Trust me, when you get out in the real world of dance you will need the stamina.  

I recommend 3-4, 30-45 minute sessions of aerobic activity per week.  You might think that sounds crazy and tough but it is actually easier than you think.  Taking a brisk walk or jog with your friends, taking a indoor cycling class, or creating your own "dancer conditioning" class are all really fun, great ways to add in some aerobic activity as part of your "dance training".  Any type of exercise where your heart rate stays elevated for an extended period of time will do.

Here is a fun way to make your own Dancer Conditioning Class.

First make a playlist of your top 10 favorite songs.  Then write down a plan.  Alternate every other song with cardio and strength training.  Starting the first song with cardio, 2nd song strength, 3rd song cardio, 4th song strength, and so on.  Use the songs as your "timer", you don't stop the exercise you have chosen until the song does.  Mix and match and make it fun!  Cardio songs can be simply walking or jogging around the room to the music, jumping jacks, burpees, ice skaters, high knees, etc. anything that keeps you out of breath to the point where it is tough to talk.   Strength sections can be crunches, planks, plies, pushups, squats,  lunges, etc.  Write down your "plan" for each song first so you know whats next (you will definitely want to mix up the cardio and choose more than one option during those songs), start the playlist, and GO!

Check out my YouTube video below for more ideas/explanation.  Have questions?  Email me at lizborom@gmail.com.

Take Care of YOU, dancers!
Liz

Getting Turnt Up for Turn Out...

The Urban Dictionary defines Turnt...

"a word used only to describe when someone is excessively excited or prepared for the current event."  

I definitely get excited for great turn out.  There is nothing worse then watching a gorgeous dancer prepare for coupé turns in a beautiful turned out fourth position then right before they turn, the plié deepens and the front foot turns into parallel...ugh!  Holler if you hear me dance educators out there!!!

I grew up in a very strict ballet school where the teachers only spoke Russian and the only words I could understand was through the language of ballet.  One of my teachers walked around with a broom and would poke us in the butt cheek and yell, in very broken English, "MORE TURNOUT".  We learned to fear the broom and learned to squeeze our glutes as hard as possible as to not have her notice.  I never understood what poking us in the butt cheek or, squeezing my glutes as hard as I could, had to do with turnout until I got older.

The hip abductor muscles are a group of 4 muscles located in the buttocks and the outer hip region.  When you tighten your glutes it activates these muscles to give you better turn out.  

I can't help but notice this year that I am talking about rotation and turn out A LOT.  It is something that we hear from our first ballet class and for the rest of our dance career.  

How do we improve turn out?  Well there are tons of exercises that, I will eventually get to in my blogs, but today we are focusing on the immediate activation of your abductor/turn out muscles and my favorite ballet exercise for doing this is the tendu.  Tendus have so many functions and can teach us so much about dance basics-stretching your feet, pushing through the floor, articulating your metatarsal, AND turn out!

A properly done tendu starts with the activation of your abductors BEFORE extending all the way out to a stretched foot.  Example-you lead with your heel when doing a tendu to the front. 

The most fun way to practice maximizing your turn out in tendus is to use a partner and a small ball.  You stand in First position and your partner places the ball right in front of your heel.  You then push the ball with your heel as you tendu to the front.  When going to the side your partner sets the ball to the tip of your big toe and, to the back, sets it at your pinky toe.  The idea behind the exercise is for you to be aware of what you are leading with in order to think more about the rotation/turn out from your hip.  It helps learn to immediately activate the abductors.

Of course there is a video starring my lovely assistants Dayna and Isabel from Georgia :).  Watch, love, like, share, do!  

Send your ideas or things you want to work on my way and in the meantime subscribe to my YouTube Channel!!

Take Care of YOU, dancers!

Liz

Are you good enough to be a dancer?

Hands down, that is the dumbest question in the world...possibly the universe.  The answer is "YES".  No matter what level/type/style dancer you are, the answer is "YES".

A few months ago I was at one of my very favorite southern studios in my favorite southern city teaching some of my favorite southern dancers.  After class two very talented senior dancers and I were chit chatting about things and I asked "are you going to continue to dance when you graduate?"  The response still haunts me-

"I don't know, I don't think I am good enough"

I was completely thrown off and heartbroken that these 2 amazing humans with so much to put into the dance world were holding themselves back because they didn't think they were "good enough".  Good enough for what?  

Listen up dancers because what I am about to say is very important and needs to be repeated-

There is a place in this world for everyone's talent.  

One audition doesn't define you, the fact that you didn't get accepted into a program you wanted doesn't matter, not getting the top highest score possible at competition isn't a big deal, and just because you didn't have the resources to dance with/from the the best of the best is not important.  If you have the passion and want to dance then there is a place for you.

It is all about finding out where your place is.  The thing is, auditions and competitions are all about opinions.  You do not have control over the opinion but you do have control over doing your best and training to be at YOUR best.  Just because you didn't get the part or place you wanted only means you were not the fit for that right now at that particular place.  

Dancers, if dancing is your dream, then follow your dream.  You  might have to readjust your path a little to find where your talent fits in but don't get discouraged when you hit a little rejection...it wasn't your place.

I repeat "There is a place in this world for everyone's talent".  You just have to find that place.  You are good enough when you are doing the best YOU can.  Train your body, focus on your technique, and keep being the best YOU possible.  Learn as much as you can from the rejections to help you find the redirection and you will find your place and live your dance dream.  

Need help or guidance on where to go next in your #dancelife?  I would love to help.  Use the contact me page on my website.

Take care of YOU, dancers!
Liz

Let's get one thing straight...your knees.

Stretch your knees, straighten your legs, lift your knees, pull up your knee caps...if you are a dancer you have heard it said a zillion ways.  I am sure you are aware that your knees need to be straight during certain technical exercises so the fact that this little critique keeps popping up is probably a little frustrating.  So what are you doing wrong and what can you do to get the straight knees every teacher/judge/mentor is talking about?

The fact is, that in order to obtain the straightest knees possible, you have to not only straighten your leg but you need to activate your Quadricep muscle.  Doing that will then pull on the quad's tendon, that is attached to the shin bone, pulling it forward to straighten the knee and, because the knee cap is embedded in this tendon it will pull up your knees and fully straighten your legs.  That was a lot of important info in two short sentences.  

Let me break it down.  You have two major large leg muscles-hamstrings (back of the leg)  and quads (or quadriceps, the big muscle on top of your thigh).  When speaking of straightening legs, the hamstring (back of your leg) has to elongate so that the back of the knee is straight.  The quad muscle needs to tighten and activate to then lock the knee in place and pull up your knee cap to get your leg as straight as possible.

If you are struggling with straight knees, chances are you need to do a little work on strengthening your quads.  By learning how to engage your quad muscles, you will be able consistently get to that perfect straight knee every time you need it because your body relies on muscle memory.  The more you practice, the more your body remembers, and will continue to do it automatically (pretty cool, huh?),

I have several favorite exercises for engaging the quad and knees.  The simplest is just doing a series of elevés.  This is when you rise up to your demi point with out using a plié.  The slower, the better.  Two legs or in passé or coupé.  Everyday.

My other fav exercise is just about engaging the quad and knees and is done on the floor with a rolled up yoga mat or towel.  You simply place the mat under your hamstring while sitting on the floor and you straighten your leg and release...Check out the full video below, like it, share it, do it.

Hope this solves the problem and helps you straighten up a little :).  As always, reach out for questions or things you need help correcting to lizborom@gmail.com.

Take Care of YOU, dancers!

Liz