In my last post on criticism, I explored the role of constructive criticism in the life of a student: criticism which comes from a loving source and is intended to be helpful. In this post, we're looking at criticism that is not necessarily "kindly meant"--snarks, backhanded compliments, and other thoughtless and offhanded remarks which can really wound. How can we deal with this kind of negative ...
...and other wonderful tidbits in Part 1 of 2 interviews with Carolena and Megha by a couple of gals in Florida, Mary and Tammy. I love especially the discussion of preparing students for performance starting at around 25 minutes.http://www.yippodcast.com/2009/07/episode-11a-fatchance-interview-pt-1.htmlHere is a transcribed snippet, from around :50, in brief, to whet your whistle:Yip: "Through th...
In the course of doing the Artist Way several times over the past 10 years, I have sought out various avenues of creative expression for my Artist Date. In the second chapter of the book, you are told to make a list of all the things you have wished to do, but never made the time or gave yourself permission to do. One of my big ones was drawing and illustration. Just never made the time.Enter Draw...
Discovered that Aziza S'aid has a blog, and really enjoyed her post today on why we (don't) love the dance. Give it a read!http://azizasaid.wordpress.com/2009/07/27/its-4-am-and-my-brain-is-burning/You do not love yoga, or dance. You think you do, but you don’t. The “it” is not the object of your love… you do NOT love yoga or dance.What you really love is Who You Are when you do it. The dance, th...
"I have learned a great lesson this last week/2 weeks. I must pay attention to my intentions. I got a little lost for a bit because I allowed my focus to stray from my ultimate goal. I guess I’ve spent so much time and energy trying to identify just what that goal was, I lost sight of it in my search for the hard way to find it.I remember a number of stories my teacher told me in the 1980’s about ...
"We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success."
Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau
From http://www.artadvice.com/advice/article30.php"No matter how original you think your work is, it has been done before. Originality does not define quality, quality defines quality. Regardless of whether or not your work is original, what makes art exceptional is the context in which it was made from an art historical point of view. Study art history, know your influences, and understand that o...
Criticism really is a double-edged sword. It can be so hard to hear, and so difficult to parse into something motivating. Yet as performers, it is part of our job to do just that. From an early age I studied theater and dance, and it was always parroted in my ear to "get a thick skin". The implication was that we eventually develop some kind of emotional armor where criticism just bounces off and ...
From an interview with Queen Harish about "stage fright". As we come upon our big local festival this weekend, and all the beauties who are entering their temple for the first or fiftieth time, I share this lovely sentiment with my fellow dancers:"In Backstage before a show, I hear promoters and assistants worrying how I feel, when actually I am feeling completely relieved from the tensions of adm...
My Ikea Kitchen, a year laterJuly 16th, 2009It was Memorial Day last year when we went to the big no-tax sale at Ikea to pick up all our kitchen-makin' supplies. It seems like longer ago, honestly, but I think it's because our kitchen has slipped so beautifully into our lives, it's like it has always been there. And yet, honestly, I still frequently feel a wave of "wow I love my kitchen" wash ove...
Below is an article I wrote for the now-defunct Caravan Trails quarterly newsletter which used to be produced by Paulette Rees-Denis of Gypsy Caravan. I was author of a regular column called "Of the Tribe", for which I wrote short articles focused on the topic Paulette had chosen. This was for the Fall 2002 edition, with a theme of Dance as Healing, and I thought I would share it with you all.Danc...
We shape clay into a pot,
but it is the emptiness inside
that holds whatever we want.
~The Tao Te Ching
In essence, we must become a shape ready to hold what we want. Build the structure of your daily existence that prepares you for the life you want most.
What do you want most?
but it is the emptiness inside
that holds whatever we want.
~The Tao Te Ching
In essence, we must become a shape ready to hold what we want. Build the structure of your daily existence that prepares you for the life you want most.
What do you want most?
I tried to link this directly, but for some reason the link was completely jacked and wouldn't show me the essay on its own. I didn't want to link you just to the blog and then make you scroll to look for the article in question, so I have posted it here in its entirety. But please stop by the original poster's blog at http://tipsfromthehip.blogspot.com/ and express your appreciation if you like t...
Hold on to what is good,
Even if it's a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe,
Even if it's a tree that stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do,
Even if it's a long way from here.
Hold on to your life,
Even if it's easier to let go.
Hold on to my hand,
Even if someday I'll be gone away from you.
--A Pueblo Indian Prayer
Even if it's a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe,
Even if it's a tree that stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do,
Even if it's a long way from here.
Hold on to your life,
Even if it's easier to let go.
Hold on to my hand,
Even if someday I'll be gone away from you.
--A Pueblo Indian Prayer
Powerful Percussionwith guest instructors Helene Eriksen and Erik BrownThursdays 8:30-9:30pmHelene Eriksen - Finger Cymbals: July 23 & 30, August 6Erik Brown - Middle Eastern Drums: August 13, 20, 27Helene Eriksen and Erik Brown will be sharing their talents with us as guest instructors in the next session of Skills n' Drills. This special session will be open to all levels and all styles--there i...
Have you ever gotten your foundation all set and lovely, only to ruin it by having loose shadow or kohl powder fall as you're applying it, which you have to clean away and then reapply your foundation there?Tip!Apply a fairly heavy dusting of finishing/translucent powder below your eyes and leave it there while you do your eye make-up. Then lightly brush it away when you are done, taking away any ...
More blasts from the past today! After I found that old class outline, I also found a repository of some of my old articles from various publications.Below is an article I wrote for the now-defunct Caravan Trails quarterly newsletter which used to be produced by Paulette Rees-Denis of Gypsy Caravan. I was author of a regular column called "Of the Tribe" for a short time, for which I wrote short ar...
This is a class outline I wrote back in August of 2001 when I was teaching at Goddess Squad. Some things are so completely different...and some things are eerily the same after 8 years! When I first started teaching, I would write detailed plans from warm ups to cool downs, and then would keep a journal each evening writing about how class went and if I got to everything, how they seemed to respon...
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On this blog I share my personal posts about cooking and knitting, travel and other musings; while I will blog about dance-specific topics over on the Deep Roots Dance blog:
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