DanceLife Blog

What did you all think of tonights SYTYCD Top 20 show? I thought it could have been better but I love Joshua and Katee's performance to 'No Air'. Check it out below... Discuss your thoughts at the DanceLife blog.

Well, it is that glorious time of year again here in NYC... SUMMER!! A time when people travel from not just all over the Unites States, but the entire globe, to take class and train from some of the most influential and challenging teachers in dance today. Growing up and travelling to New York, I remember the awe and mystique that came along with taking a class at Broadway Dance Center or STEPS. Boy, did I have to build up the courage to even walk in the door, much less stand (and dance) beside the lead in Broadway shows or the principal soloists from Contemporary Companies I had long admired. Needless to say there is a history and prestige that comes from taking these classes, and now that I am on faculty teaching at STEPS with my own classes, I realise the responsibility and honour it is to be among such an incredible lineage.

Over the years of working in so many different genres of dance, I always found comfort in the fact that at any time and in any place, I could find a dance class to take. In that room I went back to being a student and remembered all the incredible reasons why I loved what I do. The freedom, the artistry, the passion, the hunger, the desire to move and inspire those around me. It was a perfect place to get revitalised when I was feeling down or exhausted from daily life. Better yet, I found a new motivation to try something I have never done before! African, Swing, the multitude of Hip Hop, etc. I never even entertained the idea of not taking class, especially in an art form that is ever changing and developing. I express in every class I teach, the reasons why I am so drawn to CONTEMPORARY dance as my ultimate form of expression. No, it isn't because it is trendy, that is just pure circumstance. It is because it's a form of dance with NO RULES, NO BOUNDARIES, NO LIMITATIONS, AND EVEN NO "NO'S". If you know what I mean!! A perfect blend of past, present, and future movement, utilising all kinds of music and sound, or even none at all... SILENCE. How often do we stop and listen, just listen, without comment or judgement? That is the endless world of Contemporary dance to me. The only way to stay in this magical realm is to train, study, communicate, and exchange with other artists in our world. This is class, and it is always there for you. When you are lonely. When you are sad. When you have just recovered from an injury that could have possibly taken your entire career away and you at only 20. When you are the happiest you have ever been because you just got that audition that 1000 other people showed up for. When you are in love. When you are hungry for new inspiration. When you want to relive the 80's. When you haven't gotten a gig in months. When you want to learn the latest steps. When you hear of a teacher that has the gifts to change your life with just a few words. When you can't think of any other way to express yourself from the inside out! The list is endless and so are the amount of opportunities there are to take class. So search out those teachers and facilities that provide this treasure to you, and the next time you are in NYC, grab that eternal student within you and come to CLASS!! I will be waiting ;)

I will be at STEPS on Broadway for the next 6 months but also teaching in many parts of Canada and the U.S. Don't think I have forgotten about you Sydney!! I will hopefully be back in Jan. '09 so keep up to date by checking out my web page for dates and details. http://web.mac.com/wintersjason

Much Love & Light,
- Jason Winters

Wade Robson has quickly become Australia's biggest dance export. Check out the clip of this Brisbane born dancer/choreographer performing on Star Search in 1990. He was 8 years old. Incredible!

Cirque Du Soleil is looking for dancers from all genres for their upcoming tours. Whether you are classical, hip hop, jazz, tap or contemporary dancer there is a place for you in the show. For more information and to apply for a position in the show please go to http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/casting/default.htm

For all of you who started dancing at a young age, I'm sure you have competed in an eisteddfod or two. Eisteddfods give students of all abilities the opportunity to jump up on a stage and perform their hearts out to an audience of family, friends, other dancers and competing studios.

The days of eisteddfods being known for their tacky venues, daggy costumes, dated routines and unfriendly vibe against other competitors is vastly changing. After adjudicating and watching over 300 routines this weekend at the Australian Dance Challenge I realised that eisteddfods have come a long way since I was competing and that was only 6 years ago.

I was blown away when a 6/U Troupe were perfectly executing leg mounts and cart wheeling with perfectly straight legs and pointed toes. This was only the beginning. I was continually being shocked and presently surprised by the amount of talented performers that hit the stage time after time. It's great to see teachers still intensely training their students in all facets of jazz technique as well as mastering the current hip hop styles. I also have to mention that there are some amazing modern and lyrical choreographers out there!

Adjudicating an eisteddfod is no easy task, especially when you have a number of strong competitors in each section. When you are judging each section there are certain things you look for in each routine. As there are quite a few eisteddfods coming up over the next few months I thought I would let you all know what the adjudicators are marking you on!

• Technique
• Choreography
• Unison
• Costume/Grooming
• Performance Skills
• Difficulty of Routine
• Use of Stage/Formations
• ENTERTAINMENT Value - Having FUN!

Next time you are competing in an eisteddfod keep these things in mind. Good luck to everyone competing in an eisteddfod over the next few months. Remember performing at an eisteddfod is your opportunity to do what you love to do and that is DANCE! Love every minute of it!

Next Wednesday 27 August Australia's very own Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay and Ryan will be introduced to the world. We spoke about the rumour last week that Chris Durling will be playing Troy but that is yet to be confirmed. DanceLife will be interviewing the gang next week so stay tuned! Check out www.hsmliveonstage.com.au for all ticketing info!

If you can't get enough of HSM check out the new faces that will be appearing in the HSM 3 Film below.
 

Greetings DanceLife fans! For my first blog I thought I should take a minute to introduce myself. My name is Joel Peisley & I'm a commercial dancer, choreographer & teacher. I've been lucky enough to enjoy a really interesting & exciting career, work with some incredibly talented people, & see the world.

When Clint approached me about being a blogger I jumped at the chance. I believe that DanceLife will be instrumental in helping Australia's dance industry step up to the next level. It's a very exciting time for dance in this country, & opening the lines of communication between people in all areas of our community will help us to grow even further. It's all about communication & knowledge, & DanceLife will no doubt be a powerful resource.

I'll be blogging about anything & everything. I have quite a few exciting gigs in the pipeline that I look forward to sharing with you. I'd also love to get your thoughts & opinions on a variety of topics that face dancers. I'll be travelling o/s in the coming weeks, so I'm sure that will bring some adventures. & a little industry gossip never hurt anyone!

Catch you on the blog,
Joel Peisley xx

Hi Guys,

What a full on month I've had. There's so much going on in Sydney at the moment, which is great for so many dancers. It was a thrill to present the award for ‘Totally Talented Actor' at the Dolly Teen Choice Awards along with Matt, Jack and Rhys last Wednesday. We had such a fun night with a lot of star spotting going on. It was a shock to win an award for SYTYCD but it was great to win the ‘Glued to the Screen' award. I was quite starstruck meeting host Brian McFaden backstage and the always gorgeous Kate Richie, all in all it was a fun night for all.

Top 10 of the 1st series of SYTYCD had another reunion whilst rehearsing all week for a massive 45minute show at the Horden Pavilion. The show was choreographed by Adam Williams for the Jewish Community Appeal, which does so much great work. Adam really went all out with sound, costumes and lighting for this production and our tired little bodies had a big work out rehearsing for the week. The audience seemed to appreciate the hard work everyone had put in so it was all worth it.

I've also had the pleasure of teaching around the country with some fabulous workshops the last few weeks. Demi, Marko, Anthony and I have set off on a tour of Australia combining all our styles into 2 huge days of dancing. We have done Perth and the Gold Coast so far and are off to Melbourne, Geelong, Cairns, Townsville, Mackay and Canberra. The dancers have loved it so much so if you are in any of the upcoming places please come and check it out. It's really something learning new styles and leaving your inhibitions at the door. Workshops are a great way to try new teachers and styles for a few days that you usually wouldn't be able to do. I always try and get to new workshops to broaden the dance vocab so to speak.

I had the pleasure of seeing Billy Elliott this week and I must say get to the show if you haven't seen it before it leaves Sydney. It was so entertaining and such an amazing cast. Congratulations to you all...

Hope you're all dancing up a storm,
Much Love
KATE XXX

Workshops contact- sytycdworkshop@hotmail.com

It has been an amazing past 5 months since DanceLife launched on 1 July 2008. We can't thank everyone enough for your support and encouragement to make DanceLife what it is today. There is HEAPS planned for 2009 so make sure you keep your eye on this space in the New Year. We are now taking small holiday to regroup for next year. We will be back in full force on Monday 12 January. Have a safe and happy Christmas and an exciting New Year. Clint & Team DanceLife :)

Joel de Carteret [JD] has been a busy boy since leaving Season 1 of SYTYCD. Dancer, choreographer, TV ideas man and now TV presenter has put this cool piece together from Jason Coleman's Ministry of Dance launch event. Watch this space for his interview with the amazing Wade Robson coming soon. Congrats JD. You're doing well!

The day started at the lovely hour of 6am with Panjo 5 going straight into hair & make-up before proceeding into stylisation with 'The Squared Division' (Ashley Evans, Antony Ginandijar). The extra's were then scheduled to start arriving at 7am as well as the production crew (Pixel Frames), which they did, slowly but surely until the number of extras concluded at 41.

The only real obstacle of the day, as everything ran splendidly, was the lack of space. With the photographer having to be reset three times, hair, wardrobe and the extras waiting area were cramped into the one area and makeup were in the un-airconditioned bathrooms. Everyone though, proceeded with their task, with a smile on their face (most of the time).

The day was definitely going to be an exciting one with the two scenes planned as: a vibing, edgy nightclub scene. And a olden day, burlesque', 1920's type club.

First up, the nightclub scene which consisted of Panjo 5, the 41 extras provided by Bozanic Management, Grayboy Agency, DanceLife, Dance Phenomenon, Dancetrain, Dance Informa and The Talent Factory. As well as, two of Australia's best/well known breakers Khaly Ngeth and Chris Merriman (SYTYCD 08). The direction was simple; party out, and they did. Everyone was looking hot (thanks to The Squared Division - Panjo 5 looked amazing), dancing hot and having an awesome time.

The set had a break about 1pm, upon which time the extra's were really starting to feel the effects of dancing in heels for 4 hours straight. We then asked for roughly 10 people to stay behind for the next scene (burlesque scene), and ten lovely people volunteered but unfortunately their services were not needed and they werent used in that scene, forced only to wait in a corner until 2 hours had gone by, before the production crew was sure they would not be needed.

It all looked like it was too good to be true, with relatively no hiccups along the way until, the A-live Entertainment team (Sean Robinson, BJ Rorke and Stephen Tannos) decided they might spice up a shot by utilising a beautiful white piano that had been tucked away in a corner. How are we going to get it out we asked? With thoughtless, masculine brawn of course.
The three geniuses proceeded to drag the piano with all their might until one of them had noticed that the dragging wasnt making the healthiest of noises. We looked down only to find a 5 - 10m length of 4 metal wheels being pulled along a polished concrete floor. Apparently from dragging it to, the vibrations can un-tune the instrument as the owner explicity and violently explained to us upon discovering the piano and its path. (He was fine in the end - Sorry/Thanks Marc!)

After that, the only worry was to be the scheduling with our shoot scheduled to wrap at 6.00pm. The venue, Slide, had an event due to commence at 7.00pm giving each team an hour to pack-up and pack-in, whilst avoiding danger/traffic. But we nailed it, finishing a little early to allow for plently of time for the other event to set up.

Everyone was ecstatic at the end with everyone being ovely impressed with each team members execution of their particular job/s, let alone the way everyone worked with eachother, a work of art.

So after 6 long, panicky weeks, of planning, rehearsing etc etc A-live Entertainment, The Squared Division, Happybash, Panjo 5 and Pixel Frame, alongside the assistance/support of Slide Nightclub, Bozanic Management, Grayboy Agency, Dance Phenomenon, Dancelife, Dancetrain, Dance Informa and The Talent Factory together will be soon to bring to you the next pop film clip master piece - "Closer"

Thank you again to all these lovely people, i look forward to working with you again soon.

Peace, Love and Tap Dancing,

Sean Robinson
A-Live Entertainment
0410720938

Working in the entertainment industry and having a loved one can be tough. You often need to go away for work, you work nights when they work days, you work all weekend while they're at home. Sharing a life with someone takes some work. This valentine's day make sure you spend time with your loved one and thank them for all their continual support and understanding. HAPPY VALENTINES DAY for tomorrow. Have a great weekend!

Roadkill is a co-production by Dancenorth and Brisbane Powerhouse. A road trip into the agoraphobia and desolation of the Australian outback, roadkill is situated within the minds of its three performers. It explores their fears and their twisted perceptions of the landscape and its dangers. Interlaced with these fears are urban myths, backpacker deaths, thirst, love, distrust and the harsh loneliness of the bush. roadkill is a terrifying ride into the world of a couple who break down in the middle of nowhere and find that their greatest danger is not their isolation.

Roadkill deals with these psychological states through a vocabulary of intense physicality. There is genuine danger and risk in the work.

DATES 18 - 21 MARCH
TIMES 8PM AND 11.30AM SCHOOL MATINEE ON FRIDAY 20 MARCH
TICKETS ADULT $30 / PSPACE MEMBER $25 / CONC $20 / STUDENT RUSH (THURS) $15

BOOKINGS
http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/venue/157030

While SYTYCD is a great platform for choreographers to increase their profile and have their work seen, there are a number of restrictions placed on choreographers including style and song. The creative team have a very strong opinion on what they want and this doesn't always wash to well with potential choreographers. One amazing international choreographer recently turned down the offer to choreograph on the show due to the producers wanting a contemporary piece choreographed to a hip hop song that was chosen by them not the choreographer. This makes me think when do you compromise who you are as a choreographer to increase your profile and get your work out there?

DanceLife went along to the opening night of Guys and Dolls in Sydney last night. Not knowing a huge amount about the show I went with an open mind. Guys and Dolls is your traditional old school musical which made all the couples over 60 have their feet tapping. The show is very tightly produced and there were a number of great scenes and effective dance sequences. While I was not a massive fan of the music The entire cast are simply brilliant. Marina Prior was the stand out performer. She was sexy, fun and just captivated the entire audience each and every time she was on stage. The perfectly cast leads were supported by a just as talented ensemble.

Afterwards we attended the after party which felt like everyone who saw the show jam packed into the foyer upstairs. The room was filled with all types of theatre people there to support their friends and colleagues. Although we feel like the entertainment industry isn't friendly sometimes it's nights like this where everyone comes together to support each other that makes you feel proud to be a part of it all. We did a small amount of networking while enjoying the wine making sure we didn't touch the mini quiche that looked a little like yesterdays quiche. So many talented people in one room and not enough business cards. This brings me to another point, Networking. My guest for the night is very confident at talking to anyone, no matter who they are or what they do, while I'm not so confident. We work in an industry where they say it's all about who you know therefore networking is crucial. I have put this on my list to chat with mentor about... Goal #894 Be a confident networker. Ok well I just went totally off the topic but hope it got you thinking about how you network and work ‘the room'.

Back to the show... Awesome cast, average songs, strong dance numbers (not many big dance numbers though) and great for Mum or Nan.

Have a great weekend... I'm off to Wollongong to adjudicate and eisteddfod.

CLINT :)

The delightful Kristy Johnson has taken it upon herself to help out the flood victims in QLD by getting the SYTYCD book signed by all the contestants and then getting people to bid on it with the highest bidder winning the book plus helping out the flood victims. It's a win win situation!

Support the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal for victims of the recent Queensland floods by placing a bid for a signed copy of the official So You Think You Can Dance Book!

What: Online bidding for signed So You Think You Can Dance Book!

When: Bidding closes on 30th April 2009

Where: Place your bid at bidforbook@yahoo.com

This project is approved by the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal. Ref No: NF22. 100% of the funds will be donated to the appeal.

PLACE YOUR BID TODAY!

Dance Studios are popping up everywhere, each week I receive an email about studios offering new classes and high profile teachers teachers. As the demand for dance grows people are seeing ways to make money and capitalise on the current industry boom. Everyday new people are starting to take up dance classes for a number of reason including improving fitness, meet new people and for some to be famous and go on SYTYCD ;). The ever expanding industry got me thinking about a few things including how are dance studios and teachers getting you to their classes. In times where there is little money to spend on leisure activities businesses are working harder for you to spend that small amount of cash you have for yourself at their business. Obviously the main draw card to attend a class is the teacher but are you going to a class because the "teacher" has been on SYTYCD or have you done you're research about the person taking the class and do they have the experience to ‘TEACH' you HOW to dance. Too many times have I been to a class where the teacher is more interested in looking at themselves in the mirror than actually teaching the paying students. The best dancers are usually not the best teachers. Just because you went to high school doesn't mean you can teach English... Do you get what I'm saying? So this brings me back to teachers and studios getting you in the door and paying the $18 for a class. Some marketing techniques we are seeing is Facebook groups, messages out to fans to say come to my class, emails being sent out to databases etc. I believe the most powerful tool is word of mouth. There is one thing that dancers do well and that's talk... talk, talk, talk. If you put on a great class then the numbers will build. This along with a facebook group, profile etc will bring newbies to your classes and keep the oldies! Comment on this blog in the forum to let us know what classes your enjoying at the moment and why!

Little did I know that by putting up a very small clip from the Sydney auditions for the male ensemble for Chicago that we would receive a few unhappy dancers writing in to complain. I wanted to post a blog on this personally as some more people may feel like we were exposing the dancers there on the day but our intensions were nothing of the sort. DanceLife gained permission from the national publicist, production company and overseas creatives to film one male ensemble audition from Gary teaching the choreography to the final groups at the end. The reason, to give up coming dancers the opportunity to see inside an audition so that when the times comes for that 15 year old who is striving to be in the next production of Chicago or Wicked they have an idea of how things will work. Don't you wish you had a place to go to when you were growing up that could have helped you prepare for your first audition? While yes, I understand that auditions are hard, challenging and nerve racking it's also when you as a dancer are most hungry. At the end of the day you are in the entertainment industry and unfortunately people judge you, but this is no different to any other industry whether you work in an office or are an international artist we all get judged. You need to believe in what you do. As long as you know what you do and give is quality and your best truly who cares about what people say... you just keep working your butt off to you get that next gig or job. Remember DanceLife is here to support, promote and provide knowledge to you... dancers, performers, lovers of dance etc. I apologise if you felt hurt from the video being posted. This has now been removed and the special that was due to be aired on DanceLife will not go ahead. At the end of the day we want that gig for ourselves and we are always trying to get in there, move closer into that circle of working dancers. You would have realised by now that the smart dancers are working together and creating business vehicles for themselves. More on ‘The Business Savvy Dancer' later this week.

Is it just me or are we about to nose dive into a pit full of extremely talented and amazing international choreographers who will be touring some parts of OZ teaching the moves we have been watching on YouTube for years?! My question is... Will we be able to get behind each of these choreographers or will some of these events be cancelled due to the lack of enrolments? Let's hope not. So who is coming out?

SUPPLE
TABITHA & NAPOLEON
MIA MICHAELS
TONY TESTA
TONY CZAR
JILLIAN MEYER
BARRY YOUNGBLOOD
GREGG RUSSELL
ADAM PARSON
GUSTAVO VARGAS
LIZ RAMOS
JANET LANGER
BEN ALLEN
ERIN LAMONT

With less work and no drop in living expenses dancers will be making difficult decisions when it comes to "whose workshop will I go to?". At the end of the day it's not about the name but about the quality of the class and what you will be able to take from completing of the class. You want a teacher that talks to you, not only teachers you a routine but gives you some insight into the journey they have been on from the beginning to where they are now. That kind of class is truly worth the money. Don't be afraid to call up and chat to the people who are organising the workshops. Know exactly what bang you'll receive for your buck!

We have been asking for International Choreographers to come to Oz for a long time! Now the time is finally here don't back out. Make sure you support the dance industry and show them that Aussie dancers aren't the underdogs!

WOW! Matt Lee does have hair. After all this time everyone must have thought that Matt was bald. Well DanceLife has the proof that there is something underneath that hat! These judges love their free clothes and Matt is no exception. Here you can see Matt in Henley's gear which is stocked at Glue. This is usually his look on a Monday night... with a hat of course. Do you actually think that anyone really pays attention to what the judges are wearing though? Have you gone out to Glue to buy yourself a Henleys or Bench t-shirt after seeing Matt wear it on the show? Maybe...

Earlier this week Sunrise had the ‘Recession Dancers' come on the show to brighten up everyone's morning with a view to make people forget about their money woes. I feel sorry for these dancers as they are all very talented but Sunrise should think a little bit harder when they have dancers on the show. The song is hideous, there is no space for them to dance and the overall concept was poorly executed. What were you thinking Sunrise? Check it out above, what are your thoughts?

In case you missed this advert...

Construct is a sharp, rigorous and curious look at the concept of ‘building'. It starts with an empty theatre full of possibility - a space in which to construct. Effortlessly shifting between the physical act of building and the emotional construction of lives, Liedtke explores with wicked humour the curious connections between building a home, a life, a relationship, and a future.

construct was choreographer Tanja Liedtke's final work, It was commissioned by London's Southbank Centre and premiered there to critical acclaim in May 2007 followed by a U. K. tour; and sell out performances at the 2008 Sydney Festival.

The work won two Helpmann Awards in 2008: Best Choreography (Tanja Liedtke) and Best Male Dancer (Paul White).

In August 2007, at the age of 29, Liedtke was accidentally killed in a road accident. She had been about to take up the prestigious position of Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company.

Artistic Team: Conceived and Directed: Tanja Liedtke | Choreographer: Tanja Liedtke in collaboration with Kristina Chan & Paul White | Creative Co-ordinator & Remount Direction: Solon Ulbrich | Set and Lighting Design: Ben and Geoff Cobham, Bluebottle | Sound Design: DJ TR!P | Dramaturgy Consultant: Joshua Tyler

Performers: Kristina Chan | Lisa Griffiths | Paul White
Toured by Performing Line

TOUR DATES
Caloundra | The Events Centre 1 July 07 5491 4240 or www.theeventscentre.com.au
Toowoomba | Empire Theatre 4 July 07 4698 9900 or www.empiretheatre.com.au
Brisbane | Brisbane Powerhouse 9 - 11 July 07 3358 8600 or www.brisbanepowerhouse.org
Hobart | Peacock Theatre 15 - 18 July 03 6234 8414 or www.salarts.org.au
Adelaide | Adelaide Festival Centre 22 - 25 July 08 8216 8600 or www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au

WIN TICKETS!
To win a double pass to Contruct in your home town email win@dancelife.com.au with your Name, Age and Postcode.

In our next On The Couch With Christine we chatted to Nathan Wright, Choreographer of Avenue Q.

Nathan Wright has worked extensively in musical theatre and is respected as both a performer and Choreographer. He has most recently choreographed the new Australian work Breast Wishes in concert, which will then premiere in full production early next year at the Seymour Centre. Recently Nathan staged the finale in Boeing-Boeing and he kicks off 2009 with Gutenberg! The Musical. Nathan is currently the Associate Choreographer on Gale Edwards production of The Rocky Horror Show. Nathan was also the Assistant choreographer to John O'Connor on Gale Edwards production of Company and Assistant to the Director of Choreography (Jason Coleman) 15th Asian Games - Doha for David Atkins Enterprises, The Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts and Draculas Theatre Restaurant.

Nathan began his professional musical theatre career at the age of twelve in The King and I with Hayley Mills. Nathan then went on to perform in Shout! The Story Of The Wild One (Young Johnny), Oh! What A Night, Hot Shoe Shuffle (Tap Bros), Get Happy (Carmen Miranda), Leader Of The Pack (Sydney and Melbourne seasons), Pepper in Mamma Mia! (for which he was nominated for the prestigious Green Room Award as a Best Supporting Actor in a musical), Eurobeat (Russia), Pippin (Theo) and Jesus Christ Superstar (Simon Zealotte).

Film Credits include Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge (The Wicked Faced Boy), and as a motion capture artist in George Millers Happy Feet.

Nathan trained at the Conroy Dance Centre in Brisbane and is thrilled to be choreographing Avenue Q.

The Sydney season of the hit musical, Avenue Q will be extended until 18 October at the Theatre Royal. www.ticketek.com.au

Whether auditioning for Mary Poppins the Musical, Fame the Musical or any of the other abundant Australian productions this week, one thing is certain, few other industries ask as much of their job applicants as the entertainment industry demands of performers. High hopes end in disappointment for most auditionees in just minutes. "Thank you. That's all we need for today." is the dreaded kiss off performing artists hate hearing.

Recently, with the release of films like Every Little Step which documents the plights of audition hopefuls through the casting process of Broadway's revival A Chorus Line production, triple threat performers are winning the respect of people on a global scale.

Tonight Channel TEN's The 7pm Project reported on this week's Mary Poppins Auditions. "57 auditioned today. 5 got call backs". When asked "Can you tell when someone walks in the door if someone has it?", associate choreographer Geoff Garrat shared that he has an instinct, and that there's a part of him that gets a feeling about it. This gut feeling is exactly what can make or break an audition for the under prepared artist. I talk about how to overcome this in the Audition Guru workshops. It's important to pitch yourself inside the range of what the audition panel are looking for. What you wear has a massive impact on that. One of the key strategies we discuss at the Audition Guru workshops is, how to create an image that has you looking like you suite the show, without looking like you're desperately trying to look like you could step onstage to perform the show.

Unfortunately there's exceptions to many audition rules, and it's important to know which rules can be broken, and which must never be broken.

Keep training to bring you closer to your goals, and celebrate your achievements every day.

Tia Jordan
www.auditionguru.com
www.facebook.com/tiajordan
http://twitter.com/AuditionGuru

In the spirit of Britney Spears touring next month in Australia we thought that you might like to have a look at this homemade video of Circus we found on YouTube. Think back few years ago when YouTube was not the phenomena it is now. YouTube has made many everyday people stars. How are your YouTube videos going? It's a great way to promote yourself as a performer, teacher etc.

As I was scrolling through Facebook last night to spy on what everyone was up to I came across a disturbing news up date from a dance teacher who I respect and at a young age has built up a very successful dance studio. The post spoke about the fact that someone from within their dance studio community had posted a horrible piece on the studios website forum saying how this dance teacher has a close relationship with some students and not others and that they show favouritism towards those students they are closer to... Nothing new here really but I was quite taken back that someone would post this publically for a start, especially on the dance studios own website.

What I don't think some parents realise is that most (the great ones) dance studio owners live and breathe their studio. They spend every waking hour of the day working on multiple facets of the business which means that yes, they do associate with students, parents essentially ‘their community' outside of work/teaching hours and in a social sense.

Is this wrong? Is it wrong to be sending your child to a place where the owner and teachers at the dance studio are actually passionate about what they do? I have multiple conversations with many people especially after I adjudicate eisteddfods about studio owners and their passion and dedication that drives their business. There are too many dance studios around that have teachers who really don't have the commitment or PASSION for teaching dance and this is what you should be looking out for. I wouldn't really be stressing out about if your child is not in the front row or if they don't get selected for troupe but what is the quality of training your child is receiving and you paying for...

Just some food for thought...
Clint

Students from NAISDA Dance College are preparing to launch "Beneath the Ancestors" with a Koori night on the 26th November followed by two performances for the general public. "Beneath the Ancestors" will open with a season at Laycock Street Theatre on the Central Coast before heading to Riverside Theatres in Parramatta for three shows in December.

The College, which relocated to Kariong on the Central Coast in 2006, has launched the careers of many successful artists and consistently presents an end of year performance that is both stunning and thought provoking. Critics raved over their 2008 performance "Tharramali", directed by graduate Tamara Pearson and the Company is now in high demand on the cultural arts scene. Students at NAISDA can expect performance opportunities as far afield as Paris or Beijing, cultural residences on Saibai and Elcho Island, as well as working with companies in Sydney, Melbourne and Darwin. This year, NAISDA was featured on ABC Television's Message Stick program, further establishing itself as a training organisation that integrates cultural studies into its professional dance courses. Juanita Duncan will complete a Diploma in Careers in Dance this year and features
prominently in the marketing campaign for "Beneath the Ancestors". Juanita comes from a large and respected clan from the Darkinjung area. It is this sense of belonging to the land that has inspired the show's Director and NAISDA Artistic Coordinator, Jasmine Gulash.

Gulash says "Beneath the Ancestors" will give the audience the experience of oneness that comes from being connected with the earth and its history. "The idea of the earth taking a breath at dusk was inspiring to me. I wanted to take the dancers to a place where they were in touch with the physical landscape and could draw from its strength", says Ms Gulash.

At "Beneath the Ancestors" you will see traditional indigenous dance, Saibai and Elcho Island traditional songs and dance, contemporary pieces by prominent choreographers and Developing Artist Eric Avery, and infusing story telling elements about the earth, its history and its links with people long gone but not forgotten. "That moment when we realise that we all stand on the shoulders of those who have walked this land before us, that we share this breath of life with them every day through our relationship with the living landscape of our beautiful country."

Gosford Season
Laycock Street Theatre, North Gosford
Koori Night - Thursday 26 November
Opening Night - Friday 27 November 7:30pm
Saturday 28 November at 7:30pm
TICKETS: Adult $25, Conc/Child $15
Bookings: 43 233 233

Parramatta Season
Riverside Theatres
Church Street, Parramatta
3rd December 7:30pm
4 December 11:00am and 7:30pm
TICKETS: Adult $20, Conc/Child $15
Bookings: 8839 3399

Hi DanceLifers!

We are nearly at the end of 2009 which for us has been a great year thanks to all of you. DanceLife has been online for only 17 months and we are thrilled with the progress and uptake of the website.

A huge thank you has to go to the businesses that advertise in our directory plus everyone who has advertised in our fortnightly newsletter. Without these people there would be no DanceLife as we don't charge our members or subscribers. We cannot thank you enough for believing in the dream and helping it come true.

We are really excited about 2010. Firstly, DanceLife Unite (www.dancelifeunite.com.au) will be happening in May. An elite dance competition for studios and groups with experienced and passionate judges form the industry. There are a few other surprises in store but you will just have to wait for them!

This survey is to assist us to learn how we can make DanceLife the best website for you.

Please click on the below link to access the survey. There are only 10 questions and shouldn't take more than 5 minutes.

CLICK HERE FOR THE SURVEY!

Thank you very much and have a great week.

Kind regards
Clint & Team DanceLife

DanceLife is looking for a number of dance teachers to teach dance programs in Primary Schools during 2010.

We are looking for dance teachers that are:
• Passionate about teaching children
• Have experience in teaching jazz, modern, hip hop and/or musical theatre
• Have an enthusiastic and positive attitude
• Are available to teach from Monday to Friday, 9am - 3.30pm (times and days will vary)
• Own source of transport is a must

If you're interested in being considered for teaching dance programs in NSW Primary Schools during 2010 please email your CV and headshot to schools@dancelife.com.au.

Nine is a movie musical about an Arrogant, self-centred movie director Guido Contini who finds himself struggling to find meaning, purpose, and a script for his latest film endeavour. With only a week left before shooting begins, he desperately searches for answers and inspiration from his wife, his mistress, his muse, and his mother. As his chaotic profession steadily destroys his personal life, Guido must find a balance between creating art and succumbing to its obsessive demands.

The film stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson and Sophia Loren. The film is released in Australia on 21 January 2010 and has already been nominated for 5 Golden Globe Awards.

"The film version of NINE is a complete re-invention. It is so wholly unique to the vision of Rob Marshall that it became its own journey creatively," says producer Marc Platt (WICKED), a veteran of both film and Broadway. "While it is true in essence to the Broadway musical, NINE the movie has become very much its own thing. It keeps in mind the essence of what made us all fall in love with the original material-its spirit and voice-but then Rob made it his own. His NINE is a wonderful fantasy that deals with real ideas and emotions."

Rob Marshall is no stranger to fusing Broadway classics with cinematic verve, which he did with CHICAGO. As a six-time Tony Award® nominee for such shows as CABARET and KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, his stage acumen is well known, but he is just as highly regarded as a filmmaker, most recently bringing Arthur Golden's bestseller MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA to life on screen, and garnering multiple Oscar® nominations.

Platt continues: "Rob has a unique background for this story in that he came from the world of the theatre as a dancer and choreographer, made the leap into directing for the theater and then became a film director. NINE is a film about a filmmaker, about the cinema and about creating, and Rob is a creator, so it was personal for him. He's a man who understands cinema, its history, its academics, the technical aspects of directing a film, and the aesthetics. He also comes from the world of musicals-he grew up in that world, he understands how music moves narrative along. He understands how to integrate seamlessly the elements of music and dance, storytelling and design. In, that sense the movie NINE is the perfect marriage of director to material."

Make sure you add Nine to your Summer Holiday movie list!

From everyone at DanceLife we would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe and awesome New Year! DanceLife will be closed from 23rd December to 24th January 2010. If you need to contact DanceLife during this time please email info@dancelife.com.au.

On our return we have a very exciting announcement for you all plus in May DanceLife Unite, Australia's Elite Dance Competition will explode on the stage in Sydney. For more information about DanceLife Unite visit www.dancelifeunite.com.au.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Clint & Team DanceLife

During my break over Christmas and New Year I travelled to Peru and Ecuador in South America. If you haven't been it's definitely an experience, such a different way of life over there. The main reason for the trip was to yes, have a break but also to push myself out of my comfort zone and do things that back home I would never dream of doing. I'm happy to say that I'm back after putting on my brave face and did what I intended to do, challenge myself. The meaning of challenge is "a demanding or stimulating situation" I actually think it should a demanding and stimulating situation as you learn and grow from demanding situations and afterwards have a feeling of self achievement. After my trip I realised that I actually rarely "challenge" myself. Although I take risks in my business and personal life I don't like to feel uncomfortable or have that feeling called fear. While in the Amazon I climbed waterfalls and went whitewater rafting straight through the heart of the jungle, two things that made me feel uncomfortable and filled my body with fear. Today I type having completed both these adventurous activities and have overcome to a certain extent some fears but most of all recognising that you need to challenge yourself to grow. I can easily relate this back to being a dancer who has left their dance studio and/or completed full time. How often do we stay doing the same open classes each week because we know what to expect? We know the teacher, our friends who will be there, what the warm up will entail, how fast the teacher will move with the routine etc. Is taking the same class week in and week out adding to growing you as a dancer or person? Think about how you feel when you walk into a completely new class with a teacher you've never had before and the level is advanced.... nervous, unwilling to let go and let down your guard, thoughts about others in the class who might be better than you etc. You start to talk yourself out of doing this class before it's even happened. My small words of wisdom for you is to CHALLENGE yourself in 2010. Learn and grow everyday by pushing your boundaries, going to new classes with different teachers teaching different styles, go by yourself. While it's great to have a good time and enjoy yourself with a group of your friends if you want to make it time to feel uncomfortable and nervous. I promise you the feeling after talking on a challenge and completed it is awesome.

The Beijing Olympics are well and truly underway now but for most of us ‘creative' and ‘arty' types we would rather be out performing, doing class etc rather than lazing on the lounge with a tub of ice cream watching sport into the early hours of the morning. Well, I have some interesting facts for you about an Olympic sport that includes us, ‘Water Ballet'.

Water ballet officially began with Annette Kellerman, who was born July 6, 1886 in Marrickville, Sydney, Australia. As a child, Kellerman suffered from rickets, a disease that softens and weakens a person's bones. To combat this disease and strengthen her legs, Kellerman spent her entire childhood swimming. This experience thrust her into a life of aquatic competition and performance.

At the London Hippodrome in 1905, Kellerman combined her love of theater with her love for swimming, and she performed swimming, diving, and underwater dancing in a giant glass tank.

Kellerman's career took off after she performed in America in 1906. She even replaced Anna Pavlova in The Big Show of 1916 at The Hippodrome, the largest theatre in New York City at the time.

After Kellerman's influence, Kay Curtis founded a water ballet club at the University of Chicago in 1923. And, in 1934 Curtis introduced synchronized swimming at the Chicago World's Fair. Afterward, schools in the Chicago area started forming synchronized swimming teams.

After World War II, synchronized swimming, or simply "synchro" as it's often called today, spread throughout the world. Olympic athletes first won medals in synchro at the Los Angeles Games in 1984, the same year that rhythmic gymnastics made its official Olympic debut.

Watch Annette do Water Ballet in the above video.

Source: Dance Here

Ever wonder why it is hard to go to dance class or sometimes even get out of bed? Even after years of training and committing to mastering the art of dance. Even after reading those positive self- help books... you feel like you are in a way not getting anywhere?

For many of us creative beings, it is easy to overlook our talent, especially when we are trained so diligently by our teachers to critique our work, which is a skill that every dancer needs. Yet sometimes we can get stuck in critiquing too much that we loose sight of our purpose and authenticity as dancers. When we do this we place unrealistic expectations on ourselves, compare ourselves to others (or a fantasy in our head of what we think we should be). Sadly...we can end up misplacing our power, spirit and self-worth.

It is easy to become dependant on outside opinions like our parents, teachers and peers to build us up. Seeking validation and drawing on outside motivation to fuel our self worth when we feel lost is very normal. However if we don't intrinsically regain our own sense of purpose, direction and certainty as dancers, we can end up creating emotional imbalances that can also manifest into physical imbalances like illness or injury. This is simply our intuition telling us that we have either;

- lost sight of our unique gifts and assets
- got stuck in comparing ourselves to others or fantasies
- have not created realistic timeframes for our dancing goals
- are not listening to our heart and value system
- are dancing primarily to please others and not for ourselves

This is when we need outside motivation the most and when we react to what we are feeling we can spiral into more limiting states of mind believing we "are not good enough". Another name for this is self sabotage.

This is where a lot of people may say "just think positive". I was introduced to "Positive Thinking" when I was 16 in my fulltime ballet & dance training years; I said many affirmations and positive statements and still had negative thoughts and challenging experiences. There is much more to achieving your goals than simply thinking positive and here is why;

1) Everyone needs a big enough reason to do anything! It is one thing to know you love dancing and to want a career in the industry, but if you don't have a big enough reason and clear direction that comes from you, then you wont achieve your dreams. No amount of ‘positive thinking' will create your goals for you, but believing in yourself and following your heart will.

- Give yourself a big enough reason why and ensure that your life goals are yours and come straight from your heart.

- Don't rely on others to create your dreams for you, or they will and your will only end up resenting yourself and the people you give your power away to.

-Allow yourself to dream big and believe in your dreams even when others don't. You are the only one that can create your life and your dance life!

Once you have seen your vision from your purpose, create realistic timeframes for achieving each of your goals. If you create goals that are too advanced, you will burn-out and beat yourself up. If you create goals that are not challenging enough, you will get bored, complacent and not grow. Allow flexibility in your goals setting and give yourself permission to refine them from time to time.

Follow your heart! At the end of the day, if you truly want to be a dancer and love dancing, you will. If you don't, be brave enough to let life take you on a journey of discovering your heart and value system. Once a dancer always a dancer... there are NO missed opportunities in this life. When I stopped dancing, I ended up dancing in another form through my words, teaching, and family. To me dance is the art of giving and receiving expression, of offering ideas, inspiration, creativity and wisdom through the silent movement of the human body. I never stopped dancing; I only changed the form I expressed my dance of life in.

Stay tunned for next months amazing insights on understanding the balancing acts of the mind and further tips on how to create your goals!

Yours in dance and life
Kate xxx

katehiston.com
Kate Histon is an international personal & professional development specialist and author dedicated to holistically coaching dancers and teachers in reaching their most profound creative and authentic potential.

©Copyright 2007-2008 Kate Histon. Any distributing, reproducing or copying any part of this article is forbidden. Quoting the author is acceptable however she must be notified in writing first.

Hey folks,
I have just come from Melbourne where I just taught a Master Class at Jason Coleman's new studios called "Ministry of Dance". This place truly is dancer heaven and a fantastic new facility for Melbourne.

I got up close and personal with the Melbourne dancers and also had the beautiful Caleb Bartolo {who you'd remember from So You Think You Can Dance} participate in a Hip Hop/Jazz Master Class. It is so great to work with new people and teach them a new style.

I always parallel the fear and ‘unsafe' factor of learning a new style, to buying and wearing a new pair of jeans....when you wear new jeans, they feel a little stiff and uncomfortable.......then they wear in at the knees and the booty, and they become your jeans! And so it goes with a new style. You have to allow yourself to be uncomfortable for a little......before the new style becomes yours.

The dancers were wearing in their ‘jeans' and we had a blast together! I think the greatest thing about dancing is that you get to share with others, via dance, without really knowing them very well. Dance is truly a universal language!

I truly recommend taking master classes with different choreographers and extending your dance vocabulary. This makes for an adaptable and therefore more employable dancer.

Make sure you check out ‘Ministry of Dance' if you're in Melbourne. It will inspire you to Dance......... even if you're not a dancer.

Kelley xx

It's been 12 years since I left the comfort of my home to pursue my professional dancing career. I sometimes get phone calls from young dancers asking for advice of where to go and what to do now after they finish school or a full time course. When you think about how many young aspiring performers graduate each year hoping to work in the industry, it's quite daunting. What Now?

I can only speak from my own experience, but I'm sure a lot of you can relate and I hope that it helps. I grew up and trained on the Gold Coast. It's an amazing place but like some small towns and far away places like Perth for example, there comes a time in a dancers life where you want more. Sydney and Melbourne are usually the next step. I chose Melbourne as my teacher Robert Sturrock had come from there and I guess I followed his path. Arriving to a city at 18 years of age that I had never been to, and only knew one person was extremely scary. I remember standing outside Tony Bartuccio's school and agency for about 30 minutes feeling sick with butterflies in my stomach before going in. After talking to myself for a while, I took a deep breath and walked in with my resume, picture and a big dream. That day was the beginning of it all and I will never forget it. I went on to do class their 5 days a week for a few months with as many teachers as possible and later auditioning successfully for the agency. I landed a great gig as a regular on Channel 9s ‘In Melbourne Tonight' and then it all took off for me in Melbourne. I never did a full time course but for those that do, always try and branch out after graduating to explore as many schools and teachers as possible. I think the key to getting in with choreographers and agents is in one word, class. Never stop going and try as many teachers as possible as most employers and working choreographers teach. It's like an audition for you and a chance to impress where ever you are.

I know it's not easy starting out, or cracking the industry but don't give up and keep working hard. I truly believe in hard work breeding success. I've been living my dream for 14 years but never thought I would have done the variety of work all over the country. This year especially has been an unbelievable experience and it's one I never thought would happen. It's a hard industry and not always rosy but for all of you aspiring dancers, don't give up. Take the knocks and get back up even hungrier and most of all, keep dreaming.

Kate Wormald x

In this first series of four blogs focussing on basic psychological skills, we will be examining the skill of Relaxation.

There are two major reasons as to why the ability to relax as a performer is important. Firstly most, if not all, performers will experience a level of anxiety prior to, and during a performance. It is the ability to control this anxiety and make it manageable and even use it to their advantage that distinguishes an elite performer from an average performer. Secondly, research shows that being relaxed during a performance is one important characteristic of experiencing peak performance.

So how do we achieve relaxation?
The easiest and most common way is through meditation. Sit (or lie) in a comfortable position free from anything that might restrict your body. You may choose to listen to soft classical music or nature-related music in the background. Close your eyes and take in 3 deep breathes to prepare your body and mind for the meditation.

In both the inhalation and exhalation of your breathe, you should aim for six seconds to complete each action, so in total one action of breathing in and out should equal approximately twelve seconds.

Benefits of meditation
There are a number of benefits of meditation which include:
Reduction in stress related symptoms such as anxiety
Clarity of mind
Physical relaxation
Good supply of oxygen to the body
Lower blood pressure
Improvement in cardiovascular and respiratory efficiency

Sound easy?
Unfortunately meditation is not as easy as it seems. Surprisingly many people find it hard to sit still and relax. It is very common that many thoughts are going to be racing through your mind - your shopping list, your ‘to do' list, the last song you heard on the radio, or you might start to fidget, or you might start to notice physical sensations in certain parts of your body. It is difficult not to be distracted by all of this. Part of your job in meditation is not to be led down the paths of any of these thoughts or entertain them. Just notice them and know that they are in your realm of awareness, but don't attach any emotion to them. Concentrate your efforts on focussing on your breathe going in and out of your body. As soon as you find yourself getting distracted by thoughts or physical sensations, always bring your awareness back to your breathing. Ideally you should aim to meditate at least once a day for 15-20 minutes.

How does relaxing improve performance?
Your ability to relax will affect your ability to manage your stress and anxiety prior to and during your performance. This will have an overall affect on your performance because you will have greater clarity of mind and be able to cope better with the surges of adrenalin that floods your body. Your aim is to instantly be able to get into the same state of relaxation as you would in your meditation session, prior to and during a performance. To be able to achieve this skill requires continued and consistent practice. Even though it may be challenging at first, once you have established a good pattern and routine in meditating, it will become easier and the benefits are very rewarding.

Chat about Warren's Blog on the Forum HERE.

WARREN ROMA
warrenroma@hotmail.com

Hey There!

As you may or may not know I choreograph the BONDS commercials that have been airing lately - Kaleidoscope /Mash and now the new instalment Paddy Cake!

For this blog I wanted to give you an insight to the real world of casting and filming TVC's and I wanted to take this time to congratulate all of you who turned up to this casting in your underwear and gave it a go!

From my point of view there is nothing more cringe worthy than dancing in your underwear unless you're a stripper! But dancing in your underwear in front of a video camera and me could not be a definite high point in your career, but nevertheless you all came and you all danced and clapped your way through a great audition.

I must admit to you now that you really think you know who you are going to pick from the brief automatically, but the best part of that is the doubt I feel that I may see someone new and fresh and different, you never know YOU may be a new face to me or any casting agent and we may see a side of you on a different day that we have never seen before so it is always refreshing to have your great attitude in the room and I hope my good sense of fun on this casting especially!

During your castings I am emailing my notes and suggestions and conference calling James Brown (awesome, ginger, white guy) the director in the UK one day, South Africa the next.

So from 182 girls we chose 50, which was crazy hard!!!! I hated it every little minute of it and it made knowing you all on a personal level a little harder for the most part but a little easier, cause when we had to throw out 5 girls due to the "Henson" controversy it was a quick pick situation. So that was that, we had our 50 new bonds girls now it was time for some hardcore body slapping?? (With our hands!)

Bonds come up with such great and innovative concepts and I love the creative control they give me over most of it, it allows me to have fun with no boundaries and create the best possible vibe for the clip, I love it!!!

Our first rehearsal day was awesome!!! The girls were pumped and so focused,
As was I!! And we were in this little hall in Argyle place at 8am Saturday Morning?? Who calls that sort of rehearsal time for me on a Saturday??? HARD BEAUTY!!!

We arrived, the director/producer/50 girls and the sound guy who was all in his glory at 8am looking at lovely girls dancing in their underwear!! As weird as it may sound after a while you really forget they are dancing in their underwear and it really becomes about the energy and each girl nailing the rhythms and having fun! With that said the girls did a WIKID! Job getting all my thoughts out of my head and into their hands!

Second day of rehearsals was truly banging!!! We were at Brent Street , it was freezing cold and the girls got into their underwear and out into the lane way...CRAZY!!! Yes the public lane way that runs thru to the backlot. I started choreographing patterns and black and white messes that looked good in my head but average on my bodies, so it was back to the drawing board for James and me.
Coming back for our third and final rehearsal we were in a really great place James and I were so vibed about it the rehearsal was CRAZY GOOD! The girls worked hard and nailed everything I came up with and we truly brought it! It was like a paddy cake battle zone!!!! It was fierce!!

6am rolled around and out at Penrith basketball courts we arrived...too early too cold and just not right too put lovelies in their underwear. BUT we did!

The shots on the split looked fantastic right from the word go! James had nailed the lighting both natural and unnatural and the hall reflected some great visuals on its shiny floor. The girls lined it up and looked fabulous in their underwear and blacks and whites and gave great paddy cake that was tight and sounded like a drum line in the space it was a vibe! We all started off with great energy and slowly as the legs turned red slowly did our energy drop, but the girls still pounded out their claps and did their best to keep their energy levels paced up.

There is always stuffing around to get the right shot on a film set so there is a lot of waiting around, as glamorous as you think it would be its not really at all and after you have spoken to every single person on the whole set before lunch you really have nothing to talk about!!! Hehe!! Except how good the catering was, as it always is on film sets or are we just starving dancers!

After lunch with belly's full to the brim and feeling like NOT dancing in their underwear the girls power on for another 6 hours keeping in mind they have already powered through 6 hours of clapping and one of those being a bum examination?? Yes a bum examination to see if you have the bum for a close up! It's better to be straight with you rather than beat around the bush or bum should I say!! Yes, that's what we were doing for that menial hour of looking at the screen we were actually looking at your bum on the screen, hey it is an underwear commercial what do you expect?

As we drew to an end we had girls with blistering thighs, red hands, blood vessels rising to the surface and all in all total war wounds but all for a great cause and the perk of being a bonds girl!

Thank you to all the girls on the gig, you all truly rocked it big time and I loved working with each and every one of you! Watch the PADDY CAKE Commercial below!

Till next blog,
Big Love
Rose (Leah Howard)
xxx

PHOTOS are thanks to ROBERT BRAY

As a dancer fitness is a high priority. However it is important to remember that your body adapts to any exercise you are doing in 4-6 weeks, and if the exercise doesn't change in intensity then neither will your body.

When you're attending a class on a regular basis your body will adapt to the specific class and although you may feel like your getting a work out every time your muscles are actually only doing what they have done before. This doesn't leave room for your body to be shocked into improving or changing. Look at it like this, when you attend a regular class where the warm up is the same every time, you could do it with your eyes closed. Well your muscles are the same; they just repeat what they know with out any extra effort because it's familiar. This is commonly known as muscle memory or when you're performing in a musical 8 times a week it's known as being "show fit".

So to keep improving your fitness and your body shape make sure you increase your classes, try some different styles or try some other activities that will constantly challenge your body.

I am a fan of keeping my body on its toes by mixing up my training schedule with my dance schedule. I also encourage cross training with my clients. Zoe Ventoura(actress/dancer)and I go kayaking on the harbour, which is great for upper body strength. It's enjoyable because we live in one of the most beautiful harbours in the world so it hardly feels like exercise. Swimming is a fabulous low impact form of exercise that is amazing for toning and a cardiovascular work out at the same time. Go use an ocean pool while cleansing your skin at the same time. How can you say no!

Yoga is another form of exercise that is wonderful for flexibility and also it's a wonderful escape from your ever-busy mind. Join a gym do some weights, which is great for strength and weight loss. After a weights work out fat continues to burn for up to 4 hours, so you're getting stronger and losing weight.

These are just a few suggestions to keep your body in ship shape. Make sure that you also remember that a warm up and cool down is just as important with any exercise as it is in a dance class.

Remember mix it up, keep your body guessing and stay looking hot.

KANE BONKE
Body Stylist
www.bodystylist.com.au

Kane has just launched his website. If you are looking for a personal trainer that knows a dancers body then Kane is your man!

I have just joined the gym wanting to become generally fitter and to help me last longer in my class and in routines. What type of exercises would you suggest to do?

Hey,
Firstly good on you for joining the gym you will notice an improvement in your performances and classes I assure you. To become generally fitter all over I would suggest, and this depends on how many days you are spending in the gym, that you do a session of cardio and a session of resistance work.

So on your cardio day start by spending 5 mins on 5 different machines and as you get fitter you can increase the time spent on each machine. Depending what equipment your gym has you should spend time on the Treadmill, Cross Trainer, Rower, Bike and Stepper. Of course the equipment in each gym is different so use what you have to work with and keep the program you do different, so one you don't get bored and two your body is always being challenged. Once you feel your Cardio fitness increasing you can then increase your time on each machine.

Now with your resistance workout just keep your weight low and your reps high. I would recommend doing an all over body workout each time you go. Choose 1 exercise per body part and each time you attend a resistance session change the exercises so you don't get bored and your body doesn't get used to your routine.

Remember to always warm up and stretch after sessions at the gym. Especially after your resistance work out as you want your muscles to be elongated and beautiful not tight and lumpy.

If you would like me to write a program please contact me through kane@bodystylist.com.au my website and we can go from there.

Do you recommend any additional vitamin supplements, on top of a balanced diet? I heard that B12 injections help you recover faster?

Hey,
First of all no I don't recommend getting B12 shot. If you're considering this I would encourage you to visit your GP to discuss this with them.

Although I don't have a problem with you taking additional vitamins when you are eating a balanced diet it isn't a necessity if you are getting all of your nutrients and vitamins from food. The benefit of taking a multivitamin or vitamin supplements daily is that it's in expensive and assures that your body receives the nutrients it needs if your diet is inadequate. To make sure that you are getting enough vitamins and minerals from your diet make sure you are eating the correct amount of food from the 5 main food groups, bread and cereals, fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, milk and diary and fats and sugars.

Check out the food pyramid to make sure you are getting enough of each food group to make up a balanced diet. If you would like me to take a look at your diet please contact me through my kane@bodystylist.com.au and we can go from there.

I am a male dancer and unfortunately am naturally thin. I would like to get bigger and more toned. Will doing weights at the gym make me slower and heavier?

Hey,
The answer to your question is no, doing weights at the gym will not make you slower and heavier. Of course you will put on weight once you start working out but this most certainly will be a positive. You will have a new found energy once you start to work out and once you start to see results you won't only look stronger but you will be stronger. This will make partnering girls much easier and your body will cope more with the stress that as a dancer we put our bodies through. Remember that you won't see results the first day you go to the gym it will take some time before your body starts to grow but don't be disheartened keep pushing until you see those results.

Now don't see your thinness as an unfortunate as most people would love to have that problem but if your frame is naturally thin you will need to work hard to put on the muscle. As well as working with weights at the gym you will need to look at your diet and make sure you are getting enough of the right food to help with increasing your size.

If you would like any help with your program please contact me at kane@bodystylist.com.au.

I am a female dancer and was wondering what is the best way to get a flat lower stomach? What foods and exercises are best for this?

Hey,
So the first thing you have to know is that you can't spot tone your stomach. To flatten out your stomach you must lower your entire body's fat percentage. To achieve the results you are after you need to combine stomach exercises with a change in diet. There are no certain foods that will flatten your stomach but eating a well balanced diet will certainly help with your goals. Now there are many exercises that are performed with the lower abdominals in mind.

A few examples of these exercises are the Double Straight Legged Stretch, Chair Leg Lifts, Pelvic Thrusts, Plank, and Lying Scissors.

If you would like any more information on your diet or lower abdominal exercises you can contact me at kane@bodystylist.com.au.

I am a dancer wanting to improve on my fitness and have heard the word "core" thrown around a lot in dance. Does it just mean having strong abs as I hate doing crunches!!

Hey,
First of all having strong abs doesn't mean having a strong core. Your core actually consists of many muscles that run the entire length of the torso helping with stabilizing the spine and pelvis. To have a strong core all of these muscles need to be strengthened and stabilized and just doing crunches will not achieve this.

Pilates is a great form of exercise that strengthens your core or at your local gym there should be classes that are totally dedicated to strengthening your core. Introducing a stability ball into your workout can also help you to turn on your core and stabilize and strengthen it.

Now if none of these options are viable here a few exercise that you can do in the comfort of your lounge room. Plank-full and half and with leg lift, Chair knee raise, Back extensions on the floor, Bridges. These are just a few exercises that will help strengthen your core in your lounge room.

If you have more questions please contact me at kane@bodystylist.com.au.

Getting Back on the Horse
Overcoming Performance Anxiety

Performance anxiety can be a debilitating experience and one that can rob dancers of their joy and love of performance if not properly dealt with.

10 years ago I was in my 2nd year of full time training and after 12 years of performing on multiple stages annually, I experienced for the first time INTENSE performance anxiety like never before! I had a panic attack side stage that seemed to come from no where and in my case it was an absolute first!
In that performance I also created some more first time experiences... I ended up falling off my point shoe after a pirouette in arabesque (yes that's right after not during) onto my knees and then another first... I FAKED a knee injury just to get off that stage because I was so embarrassed!

So how do you get back on the horse after a big fall?

The good news is that there is a way! I have some proven yet simple tools to help you minimise performance anxiety to enable you to reclaim your power as the brilliant performer that you really are!

Firstly, the aim for a powerful performance is to be as centered and focused as possible in your performance. In order to get to this place of enthused focus and balance we first have to understand the mind and the role it plays in relation to our performance.

Because your body reacts to the commands of the mind, when the mind is in an imbalanced state it will release adrenaline into the body relative to the amount of imbalance in the mind. Meaning the more stressed you are, the more adrenaline is pumped through your body. We need a small amount of adrenaline for powerful performances, but extreme levels rob us of our energy, focus, mind and control over our bodies!

NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS!
Want to know how to re balance your mind and bring power and energy to your body immediately? Of course you do! Knowing this is a performer's gold to consistent, powerful and purposeful performances! For the first time I recommend doing these exercises with pen and paper. Think of it as yoga for the mind.

Step 1
Isolate your Specific F.E.A.R
False Evidence Appearing Real - is created in the mind through one perceiving they will experience more pain, challenge or negative experience as opposed to joy, pleasure and fun in their performance. Defining what your personal fear or hidden monster is, is very important. To do this you may have to dig around in your head and ask yourself as if you were asking a small child. Listen for the answer and then write it down because it will most likely be a repeated pattern that we can now transform into power! So what is your fear?

Step 2
What is The Benefit of Your F.E.A.R Coming True?
Ok now this may seem like a CRAZY question...but there is a method behind my madness, so stay with me guys!
Once you have ratted out your personal monster