California DanceArts Blog

Join us at our Dance-A-Thon!

California Contemporary Ballet has, over the years, played a significant role in contributing to the cultural enrichment of our communities. Please allow us to continue these endeavors by pledging your support today.  Friends and family can donate per every minute you can dance. Now, the only question is how much can you raise? How long can you dance?

 

In an effort to raise funds for the 2010 production of the Snow Queen, the California Contemporary Ballet would like to invite you to its annual Dance-A-Thon which will be held at

 The Haunted California DanceArts

4490 Cornishon Ave                                                    

La Canada CA 91011

                                                                                                 

 

On Friday, October 22 at spooky 5:30 pm

 

Join us for a spook-tacular Halloween themed event, full of tricks and treats. Ghouls and goblins of all ages are welcome. Costumes are encouraged as we will be holding a TERROR-IFIC costume contest with awards and prizes.

 

Join our Boo-Bash for music, treats, and an all around dance ‘till you drop fun time!

 

California Contemporary Ballet sincerely appreciates the generosity of its patrons. On the behalf of our performers, thank you for your consideration. Our party is brewing! We hope to see you all, from the smallest of pumpkins to the scariest of monsters at our frightfully fun Dance-A-Thon.

Human Nature "Uncaged"

When one thinks of a night at the ballet, images of ethereal ballerinas dressed in white, handsome princes and sleeping beauties usually come to mind.  And while that's all very well and good, California Contemporary Ballet offers something a bit different  from the typical ballet production with their upcoming show, "Uncaged."  This show is truly ballet redefined and is a must see for everyone! 

“Uncaged” will feature new choreographed works by Erin Holt,  each revealing the nature of the human condition.   And CCB will be joined in concert by three other top Los Angeles dance companies--Djanbazian Dance Company, Kenneth Walker Dance Project and Hart Pulse Dance Company.

“Uncaged” represents some of CCBallet's boldest and most provocative works to date, featuring CCBallet dancers Ryan Morrison, Heather Toner, Jacklyn Stryker, Nicolos Zerman, Alyssa Thompson and Laura Mauldin.

It's an exciting new show and CCB is particularly pleased to collaborate with its talented guest companies to bring you what promises to be a remarkable performance."

July 17, 2010 at 7:00pm

Glendale Community College
Performing Arts Theater
1500 North Verdugo Road
Glendale, CA 91208

Admission:
Advanced Tickets: Child / Seniors $20  Adults $25 
At Door: Child $25 / Adults $30
(DRC discount at child rates.)

Attend This Event

NEW! Dynamo Dance Camp!

July 6 - July 22
August 3 - August 20
Tues & Thurs 4:00-6:00pm

Children who are planning to attend summer school or other activities can still enjoy dance camp! This after-school camp will keep young dancers moving all summer long!

Offering:
Try out new styles of dancing and make improvments with year-round training to become a Dance Dynamo! Each 2-hour camp day features Ballet classes with alternating Jazz and Hip Hop dance.

Great for students wishing to graduate from Pre-Ballet or students who are at CDA's Level 1. Meets Tuesday & Thursday 4:00-6:00pm.

  Click Here for Full Details

Join Us this Weekend!

California Dance Arts' Annual Open House

* Demonstrations * Concerts * Special Performances * Priority Fall Registration*

June 11, 12 & 13

At California DanceArts Studios, Student Demonstrations will be conducted onFriday, June 11 at 6:00pm and Saturday, June 12 at 10:00am and at 1:00pm

It's already time for our Spring Demonstrations!! Our students have worked so hard this year, and we are all very proud of them. It is so exciting to see how much each student has progressed through the year! We look forward to seeing you there.

Demonstrations will be held on Friday, June 11 at 6:00pm, and Saturday, June 12 at 10:00am and 1:00pm. Since the demonstrations are being conducted by class, please feel free to call the studio at 818-790-7924to confirm the schedule. Since seating is extremely limited, students are only allowed up to 3 guests, on a first-come, first-served basis. Please RSVP at 818-790-7924 with the event date and time you wish to attend.

Don't Miss California Contemporary Youth Ballet up close and personal in Concert: 

DanceScapes

Please plan to join us, as our troupe of young dancers tackles pieces that are a mix of classical and unique, traditional and avant-garde, sentimental and fun!  

Saturday, June 12 at 6:30pm                                 

Sunday, June 13 at 2:30pm 

Tickets: Adults $18 / Students $15
Limited Seating

Priority Fall Pre-Registration For Current California DanceArts Students Only!

Offering our current students the first choice of classes before we open class registration to the general public!

Priority registration for our current students has begun and will continue through June 13. Don't be caught on a waiting list for classes!

 

CCB "Uncaged"

Get your tickets now for California Contemporary Ballet's new show, Uncaged.  Featuring the premiere of five new choreographed works by Erin Holt and her dancers, revealing the nature of the human condition.

Joined in Concert by Three Top L.A. Companies!
Djanbazian Dance Company
Kenneth Walker Dance Project
Hart Pulse Dance Company

CCBallet- Uncaged will feature two new works created to the musical compositions of Mr.Dwight Mikkelsen and Lighting Design by Bosco Flanagan.

July 17, 2010 at 7:00pm

Admission:
Advanced Tickets-Child / Seniors $20 Adults $25 (Ends 4pm 7/17)
At Door- Child $25 Adults $30
DRC discount at child rates when calling 818-790-7924.
(Please note that tickets for this event will be available at the
door two hours prior to showtime.)

Concert Location:
Glendale Community College
Performing Arts Theater
1500 North Verdugo Road,
Glendale, Ca. 91208

About CCBallet
California Contemporary Ballet (CCBallet), established by Erin Holt, the company’s visionary choreographer and Artistic Director, is one of Southern California’s burgeoning dance companies. CCBallet offers self produced concerts featuring the original innovative choreography by Ms. Holt as well as renowned guest choreographers and distinguished visiting artists. Their performances highlight CCBallet’s career dancers, embellished by beautiful handmade costumes, sets and lighting design. The company often presents the works of original music by guest and resident composers.

Don’t Judge Me By My Tights

Photo credit: Nathan Perkel for Newsweek

Above it All: Ballet was worth a fat lip or a black eye

Being a male dancer means battling many stereotypes. But the rewards of my job are limitless.

By Sascha Radetsky | NEWSWEEK

Mar 17, 2008 Issue | Updated: 1:15  p.m. ET Mar 8, 2008

 

      My business attire is a pair of tights. All right, there it is. I wear makeup onstage, and some of my colleagues are gay. Can we move on now? Can we leave behind the tired male-ballet-dancer stigma—that ballet is not a masculine pursuit—in order to move toward an appreciation of the athleticism and artistry involved in this line of work?

On an average day at the job, I handle lithe, lovely women, engage in duels and delight in the experience of an exotic locale. I move like a gymnast or martial artist and embody the vilest of pimps or the most chivalrous and passionate of lovers. I constantly expand the borders of my physical capabilities, and I hone my mind to a quick-learning, focused edge. Come 8 p.m., I'll fuse dynamic movement and storytelling with the grandeur of a full live orchestra.

Yes, I'm proud of my profession. Yet I find myself slightly guarded when I tell people what I do. Like some sort of incurable blight, the male-dancer stereotype has taken root and metastasized in our cultural consciousness. Pioneers like Baryshnikov or Nureyev might have opened some minds, but their days have long passed, and despite the noble efforts of a handful of current ballet leaders to expose fresh audiences to our art form, a whole new generation looks at male dancing with skewed vision. Some of my peers are foreigners; in many other countries male dancers are held in higher esteem. I studied in Russia for a year and always marveled at the way Russians celebrated their artists, whether their medium was dance, music or the written word. But I'm American, and I want to live in my own country, as a dancer, with some respect.

The most irritating aspect of the male-dancer stereotype is the underlying insinuation that we in some way lack strength of character or a courageous spirit. Male and female, all dancers undergo strenuous training from a very young age, and constantly wrestle with injuries and fatigue. But male dancers must possess a special type of will and fortitude if they are to become professionals, for, like fish swimming upstream, we have to fight through the current of thinly veiled contempt that much of society harbors for our chosen path. In our culture, girls are encouraged to take ballet; boys receive no such endorsement, except of course from ballet teachers or exceptionally supportive parents. The boy who perseveres in dance must have a genuine hunger for it, must be uniquely motivated and dedicated, and must develop a truly thick skin.

I started taking ballet when I was 5. My open-minded parents thought it was a good way to channel my rambunctious behavior. A few years later I was hooked. I loved the physicality and, of course, the girls, but I also learned that not everyone recognized the value of dance the way I did. I don't remember the first fight I got into for being a kid who took ballet, but I remember fighting a lot before I realized that maybe I should keep my extracurricular activities to myself. But ballet was rewarding enough to be worth a fat lip or a black eye, and I emerged from my years of dance training more focused than ever. My background is not unusual among my American colleagues—they share similar stories of discouragement, harassment and even violence. But these experiences served to harden resolve and develop courage, and I know I can always count on several of my dancer buddies for steadfast support—they got my back! Ironically, the stereotype of the sissy male dancer has given rise to a male dancer who is anything but.

It's frustrating that I feel obliged to extol the virtues and describe the rigors of my profession. I'd just like to make it known that the path of the male dancer isn't necessarily easy—as with any truly worthwhile endeavor—but the rewards can be limitless. I feel lucky to have discovered a vocation that has allowed me to glimpse the great depth of human potential, both physical and mental, and has given me the opportunity to bring joy to so many people in so many places. I feel there is honor in the arts, in the world of dance, in the realm of male ballet dancing.

Exposure to ballet is all that is needed to open minds, for the combination of athletic movement, ardent drama and beautiful music can instill a profound appreciation in an audience. But for you out there who still feel compelled to malign male dancers with half-truths and petty stereotypes, well, maybe we need to step outside. I'll leave my tights on.

Radetsky lives in New York City.

© 2008

At California Dance Arts, we have several young men currently training, and really enjoy training men. We are offerring a boys and mens class over the summer in which girls are not allowed, where young male dancers get the opportunity to hone their skills.  The class concentrates on classical and contemporary styles of dance giving men
the opportunity to learn male specific movements, tricks and techniques.  It’s a must for any aspiring male dancer.  Click HERE for more information. 

 

 

The Balancing Game

It probably comes as no surprise to most parents that more and more children are continuing to overextend themselves with too many activities.  In this modern age when multi-tasking is essential to any job, activity or home-life, it's really almost natural that kids today would take on more activities  than say kids twenty years ago.  In many ways this can be detrimental to a child's well being.  After all, ten year-olds shouldn't be stressed out by their unrelenting schedule.  One the other hand, learning how to prioritize and manage one's time is an extremely valuable quality for anyone to have, and learning those skills at a young age, creates excellent habits for the future.       

Dance, as with any sport, requires time and energy.  To establish strong technique, proper placement and a thorough understanding of the movements, it's necessary for young dancers to take multiple classes a week, even multiple classes a day once they reach a certain level.  Balancing dance classes, school, homework and social calendars can be difficult, especially for dancers in high school.  However, with a little planning and focus it's easier to balance all these different activities.  

Dancers should have a planner and write down all the activities they want to accomplish each week.  Then as homework is assigned, dancers should write a list of everything they need to do and mark the due dates.  As events come up, or new activities arise all these should be marked into their planner.  That way, dancers can see a clear picture of everything they want and need to accomplish, and from there it can be easier to prioritize and figure out what activity to not do that week. 

High School Dancers and their parents should talk to their academic counselors about having a free-period during their school day in place of physical education classes.  If your child is dancing everyday, they are definitely getting more exercise that the standard school requirements.  Therefore, having an extra period where the dancer can go to the library or study hall and do homework could make a huge difference in his or her well-being and save a lot of time for after-school classes. 

Don't overload your dancer's schedule with too many activities.  It's just a recipe for disaster.  Inevitably something will not get done and that will just create more stress on everyone.  Understand that dance, or any other sport or class is a commitment and if you make more than physically possible to handle, something will have to give.  Breaking commitments always leaves people feeling down.

Finally, remember that dance and learning should be challenging at times but also enjoyable.  It should be fun, and a release from stress or pressure.  Remember that hard work and diligent practice yields wonderful results but there is a limit to how many things one child can handle.  So when things are feeling a bit too overwhelming, relax, take a step back and just breathe.  And just dance!      

Why Dance?

By Erin Holt

At some point dance becomes a way of life for your health and happiness. It becomes an expression of all that you are and all that you can become. Most of our great dance stars have confessed to a strong drive beginning at a very young age and it sustains them throughout their lifetime. It seems that once the dance bug has got ya, you are hooked for life. 

Dance is a discipline. It requires many daily hours and often many years to become truly proficient. There is a standard and a technique which done correctly gives the dancer more tools of expression and even more ability to cause a response in his audience. As a result of such hard work, students gain a work ethic and self discipline not commonly achieved by regular education alone. Each level of technical expertise comes with its own rewards. As with any skill, it can be very exciting as you see your self improving and getting closer to the ideal. Learning a new step is fun and finally being able to perform that trick and showing it off is very rewarding. 

For these reasons and more, I became a specialist in dance education. Not everyone was born with choreography in his head like I was. Not everyone can be as dedicated or as committed to a single subject that demands such grueling physical strength or stress on the body. But I have also learned that it is human nature to rock and sway to the beat of a good tune. As long as man has been upon the earth he has also had two hands to clap together and two feet to stomp. Even the most reluctant eventually break into a smile while dancing. The freedom of the movement and the creating of time and space are why the young and old love to dance.

 

Name Your Terms

California DanceArts teachers and students know how important it is to understand the French terms, translations and definitions of each ballet exercise.  Grasping the meaning behind each term assists the dancer in properly executing steps which ultimately will be used in the variety of movements comprising the choreography of classical technique.

 

Now Carol Richmond, a Carmel dance instructor, together with a software engineer, have developed an iPhone application for teaching more than 140 ballet terms. The application, called SayBallet, is a way "to get to the students on their own (tech-savvy) level," said Richmond, who has seen even the youngest of her students using iPhones.  Using this iPhone app will allow students to learn terms in a fun way.

 

Half of the ballet terms are accompanied by videos, activated by voice. Say "plie” and the iPhone will tell us a translation of the word as “Bend”, followed by a short video display of a girl performing the deep bend. Each term can be selected in French, the way ballet is generally taught. The app is also great for hearing the proper pronunciation of these French terms. Fun quizzes are included for students to test their knowledge which then allows them to achieve higher and higher scores.
 
A worthwhile investment for under $10, this application allows young dancers to study their ballet terms during a car ride to the studio or waiting for class to begin. California DanceArts Director, Erin Holt, says “It is a great supplement to the California DanceArts curriculum where students are expected to understand ballet terminology. We hope that students use the app to increase and improve upon the skills taught in their classes and to improve their scores for upcoming ballet examinations.” California DanceArts will be holding ballet level examinations in May.

To the Pointe

Many young dancers dream of the day that they can finally buy their first pair of pointe shoes and go up on pointe.  And while it is a very exciting moment in any dancer's life, going on pointe is not something that can be rushed into.  It takes strength, placement and technique that is vital to a dancer's future and well-being. 

Here is an account from a former California Dance Arts mother, who helped her daughter understand the "pointe" of waiting for pointe shoes!

When Can I Go On Pointe?

by Marti Marshall

My daughter really wants to be a Classical Ballerina. She used to pester me about going on pointe.

I started receiving opinions from other mothers who's children were already on Pointe, one such parent from a different dance school had an 8 year old daughter who was already on pointe.

This was contrary to all I had been told so far, so I decided to do some research into what it would take for my daughter to be able to achieve this dream, yet not injure her body.

While I was in Florida at the beginning of 1995, I read several books about ballet to find out how I could best help my daughter achieve her goals. A friend of mine, who had been a ballerina, had received the "New Edition Dancing; the all-in-one guide for dancers, teachers and parents," by Ellen Jacob, and she recommended it to me. So I picked up a copy and devoured it.

Here is a quote on the subject of when to allow a child to go on pointe:

"One of the worst things you can do is allow a little girl to dance on her toes before she is ready. A child who is too young simply does not have sufficient muscular development or training to withstand the rigors of pointe work. Children's eagerness to perform tricks on their toes, backed up by incompetent teachers, unfortunately makes premature pointe work all too common. Under these circumstances toe dancing can be awfully risky. The strain on the body can damage the soft tissue around the bones of the feet and knees, resulting in painfully enlarged joints, or it can cause injury to the lower spine.

To make matters worse, the stiffened blocks and large supporting boxes of modern-day pointe shoes enable virtually anyone to stand on her toes. In the past it was the dancer, and not the shoe, that had to do it. The dancer ought to be able to lift her body out of the pointe shoes by the use of strong stomach, groin, leg and foot muscles; she shouldn't be leaning on them for support .... To discourage the practice of putting little girls on toe too early, Capezio Ballet Makers and other shoe manufacturers have stopped making children's pointe shoes under size thirteen.

It is generally agreed that toe dancing should begin no earlier than the age of ten, and only after two full years of prior daily training. Children new to pointe work should be carefully supervised, and they should hold on to the barre for support for at least a year."

Well, this was very good technical data, but I wanted more. While at the bookstore, my daughter found another book that gave me more data. The book is "The Pointe Book; Shoes, Training & Technique" by Janice Barringer and Sarah Schlesinger. This book gets into how pointe shoes are made and the structure of the foot and more. There is also more information about our topic.

"It is entirely possible that some students may never 'be ready' to go on pointe. If a teacher takes the course of least resistance and allows such a student to go on pointe, using the excuse that she will only find another teacher who will put her 'up,' that teacher is overlooking his or her responsibility for the student's current and future physical health.

For this reason, it is important for teachers to develop strong rapport with parents. Once parents have confidence in a teacher's judgment, they are more likely to understand a thoroughly explained and scientifically supported discussion of why their child should not be placed on pointe."

With this information and many talks with my daughters ballet teacher at California DanceArts, my daughter decided to wait for a while and just continue doing what she was doing, which is getting her basics in and her technique down.

At California DanceArts there are several teen age girls beginning pointe training and some who are quite accomplished and have been on pointe for several years. Erin gives her students special strengthening exercises for the feet and legs that gear dancers up for pointe work beginning in Level 3. Consideration of pointe work is given in Level 4. Students are placed on pointe only after careful qualifications of strength and flexibility have been achieved.