O-Jak Bridge Dance & Art Festival is set to have an array of guest performers, in addition to performances from MMDC. The festival will feature performances by KOSMIX, a dance group that covers popular K-pop dances around the Seattle area. MiYoung looks forward to KOSMIX bringing a youthful energy to the festival line-up. Eurasia Virtual Academy & Ensemble is another guest performer, featuring artists specializing in dance from Central Asian cultures, as well as classical Russian-style ballet. Adage Ballet Studio, founded by PNB dancer Abby Jayne DeAngelo and former PNB dancer Guillaume Basso, will also showcase excerpts from Swan Lake, including a pas de deux danced by the founders themselves. Finally, Parmida Ziaei, an Iranian American designer, performer, choreographer, and MMDC dancer, will be a featured artist/choreographer at the festival, showcasing a modified version of her work Journey, centered around the concept of immigration.
Read MoreDance is just one part of our identity, one culture that we belong to. It’s important for dancers to understand this, and it is important for them to feel affinity with other parts of their identity so that they understand they have other identities and other communities where they belong. It’s about finding balance. So, invite both your or your child’s dance and school friends to birthday parties, take a night off dance to spend time with your family, spend the summer trying a new sport or movement style— it is okay to take time off, it is okay to try out different interests, and it is important to make sure dancers understand this because the only constant in life is change and we need to prepare our young dancers to be flexible when change occurs so they can process it with strength and grace.
Read MoreJackie believes that a way to tackle this issue is to get more men and boys involved in dance at younger ages. She has noticed that in some areas boys are discouraged to join dance because it can be “too feminine.” Jackie would love to see more schools and companies open up more dance classes for boys to allow them to experience dance. “Let them experience it and hope that they don’t see it as something boys can’t do, but something extremely exciting and really powerful,” Jackie shares.
Read MoreRiley says that there are countless reasons why she loves working at Dancewear Center, but one of her top ones is the community that’s come along with the job. She appreciates that she gets to work in a comfortable space where young people are given the opportunity to learn and grow free of judgement and excessive pressure. “I’m supported, genuinely cared for, and encouraged to put myself first,” Riley says. She says that as a general manager, Samantha’s care for DWC’s employees shines through, allowing staff members to pay her kindness forward towards customers and community members.
Read MoreI think there are ways that dance teachers can focus on molding confident students who are gentle with themselves and love their bodies, over and above seeking technical excellence. I think studios can welcome in and effectively serve each dancer that walks in their doors. Punishing and accusing our bodies can be seen as an outmoded means to success. Exclusivity and unreachable standards don’t have to be what defines the dance world. Instead, body liberation can be the guiding force and joyful expression can be the ultimate goal of dance education.
Read MoreFrom studying and teaching dance to fitting pointe shoes and helping customers as a Senior Pointe Shoe Fitter and Assistant Store Manager at Dancewear Center, dance consumes Anna Peters’ life. And she wouldn’t want it any other way! Read on to learn more about DWC Staff Member Anna Peters’ personal dance journey, goals for the future, and the changes she hopes to see made in the larger dance industry.
Read MoreNicole enjoys writing for the DWC Blog because she gets to learn about other peoples’ stories and relationships with dance. She points out that in everyday dance training, it’s rare that dancers discuss how dance has helped shape their lives. Hearing the stories of others has opened Nicole’s eyes to what dance can do for people and the capacity that it has to transform lives. Through conducting and transcribing interviews, she also feels a stronger attachment to the local dance community in Seattle and a greater understanding of its interconnectedness.
Read MoreAt Dancewear Center, the fundamental mission that underpins all of our work is “to support and empower our dance community through quality, integrity, and education.” A large part of how Dancewear Center strives to support local dancers is by finding unique ways to connect dance artists and forge community. The DWC Ambassador program is one of the ways we’re creating those connections and conceiving that community. As ambassadors, individuals get the chance to create original content for the DWC Blog, take over the DWC Instagram, receive free products, get professional photos taken, and much more.
Read MoreIf you are hurting in any way, be candid! Your health and safety are the number one priority in every situation, though sometimes it may be nerve-wracking to speak up. Be conscious of your value and take care of your body, both on and off of the dance floor. Being sensitive to students' needs and concerns is very important for teachers. Effective communication can be used to communicate the needs of students and teachers alike so that everyone can feel more comfortable and safe at the end of the day!
Read MoreThere is a saying that always rang true for me in my early career: “there will always be someone better than you.” When I moved on to professional training schools, I found out that I was not always going to be the most flexible. I wasn’t always going to have the best extensions. In fact, I found that depending on where I was, my extensions were just average. Once I began to place an emphasis on the other qualities a dancer possesses, ballet became so much more enjoyable to me. Musicality, port de bras, and dynamics of movement are all things that anyone can make beautiful and exciting regardless of ability, age, or gender. This is what makes ballet a beautiful art form. If you're struggling with technical perfectionism in dance, I encourage you to focus on these other attributes of dance that can help elevate your artistry without pushing your body to extreme limits.
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