EEE All Starz: Heather Annis

See more of Little D and the other EEE All Starz at the Ritz Theatre THIS WEEKEND!!!!!!

For Sports' Sake at the Minneapolis Ritz Theater on July 15-18, 2010 

Name: Heather Annis aka Little D 

Number: 16 

EEE Position: Tennis Ball

Height: They let me go on big kid rides!!!

Weight: I’m light as a feather and my name is Heather 

Birth Place: Minnesooooota

Years in Ensemble: 2

Longest Grand Jete: 192 degrees

Number of Years Dancing: Um… like a lot!

Superhero Dance Power: Elasticgirl

EEE All Starz: Jeremy

For Sports' Sake at the Minneapolis Ritz Theater on July 15-18, 2010

Name: Jeremy “Ricochet” Bensussan 

Number: 110%

EEE Position: Destroyer of Worlds

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 160lbs

Birth Place: A Nordic Track

Years in Ensemble: 2^nd Season

Longest Grand Jete: 10-2

Number of Years Dancing: Let’s just say my first dance class cost a nickel

Superhero Dance Power: I steal socks

For Sport's Sake

EEE All Starz: Desiree Dantona

For Sports' Sake at the Minneapolis Ritz Theater on July 15-18, 2010 

Name: Desiree Dantona

Number: 11

EEE Position: Priceless

Height: 9 gold bars

Weight: 4 ½ gold bars

Birth Place: Palmdale, California

Years in Ensemble: 4 years

Longest Grand Jete: 8 gold bars

Number of Years Dancing: If I told you that I would have to kill you

Superhero Dance Power: When I sing, small forest animals come to my aid.

Who Says Football Players Can't Dance?

For Sports' Sake at the Minneapolis Ritz Theater on July 15-18, 2010 

Check out these fast feet players

Bieber Busts a Move

Sixteen-year-old pop sensation Justin Bieber won the hearts of teen girls across the country when he was discovered on youtube and signed by Usher just this past year.  The world was soon bobbing its head along with songs like "One Time," "My World," and "Baby," and although they might not want to admit it, many people (not only teen girls) enjoyed Bieber's boyish charm and impressive voice.  It was obvious the boy could sing, but Justin Bieber now shines as a promising dancer in his new music video "Somebody to Love (Remix) ft. Usher."  Don't take my word for it! Check out the video and decide for yourself!

EEE All Starz: Karis Sloss

See this All Star in action in: 

For Sports' Sake at the Minneapolis Ritz Theater on July 15-18, 2010

Meet one of EEE's All Starz!

Is there anything this woman can't do?!

Fred Astaire and Fireworks

As I am getting ready for the fun Fourth of July weekend I remembered this fantastic tap piece by Fred Astaire. Thanks to youtube it was right at my fingertips within minutes. How much fun to watch the silky moves of Fred Astaire against exploding fireworks he throws to the floor. Enjoy!

Happy Fourth of July everyone!

Hilarious Country/Hip hop video

 I remember these old late 80's instructional dance videos, but this one takes the cake on most ridiculous.  Now you can do the Running Man while Country line dancing, finally.

Becky Olson

Crop Tops and Ponies

If you haven't had your share of midriff- bearing men and women so far this summer, check out the Giordano Jazz Company Chicago performing "Hi Jinks." I love myself a jazz dance with an excessive amount of ponies and cotton crop tops!

Evolution of Dance

 If you're not one of the 150 million people who have viewed Judson Laippy's "Evolution of Dance," now is your time! All great works of art have their beginnings somewhere, perhaps ours lies in Elvis' "Hound Dog."  

For Sport's Sake: Don't let the team down!

If you miss the show, you'll be letting the whole team down!

EEE All Starz: Sarah “Saboomba” Beck-Esmay

See this All Star in action in: 

For Sports' Sake at the Minneapolis Ritz Theater on July 15-18, 2010

Meet one of EEE's All Starz!

Name: Sarah “Saboomba” Beck-Esmay

Number: 3

EEE Position: Short Stop

Height: 6’5”

Weight: .0625 tons

Birth Place: Anoka, MN

Years in Ensemble: 1

Longest Grand Jete: π

Number of Years Dancing: ∞

Superhero Dance Power: Flying in the Field of Dreams

See this All Star in action in: 

For Sports' Sake at the Minneapolis Ritz Theater on July 15-18, 2010

Photo: Amanda Hankerson

Silliness and Sports

Photo: wcbo.org

Photo: The Week In Chess

Photo: www.chessbase.com

There seems to be a special allure to being able to state that you possess talent in some kind of sporting arena, an idea that runs pretty fluidly and obviously through the Eclectic Edge Ensemble’s upcoming show, For Sport’s Sake. In all seriousness, I can certainly understand this idea – who doesn’t enjoy having obvious abilities that are easy to understand and appreciate? It’s human nature. However, that does not mean that sometimes this concept is void of occassionally producing bizarre results. Behold; Chessboxing (http://www.chessboxing.com). Below is an excerpt from an article off ‘Deadspin.com’;

“We were pretty sure that the end of civilization was near when we discovered Korfball. Now meet Chessboxing, which is even more pointless. It's what one might imagine — wherein opponents square off in alternate rounds of boxing and chess. Played exclusively in Europe, the sport is organized to the point where there's a world champion, and devotees claim that it's headed to the U.S., having already made inroads through — wait for it — the Wu-Tang Clan. Well, bring it on, chessboxing. We'll grind you under the heel of our future national pastime, the competitive staring contest.”

 
Awesome? A brand new low? That is up to you, folks. Silly? Of course. Just like our show will be. Come on out to the Ritz in July and check out our take on it!
 
Yours in theatrical silliness,
 
Erinn Liebhard

EEE All Starz: Irving Amigon

See this All Star in action in: 

For Sports' Sake at the Minneapolis Ritz Theater on July 15-18, 2010

Meet one of EEE's All Starz!

Name: Irving Amigon “Skirv”

Number: 14

EEE Position: Janitor

Height: 4’3”

Weight: 285 lbs.

Birth Place: India

Years in Ensemble: 0.05 years

Longest Grand Jete: 1.3 feet

Number of Years Dancing: 2 weeks

Superhero Dance Power: Walking very slowly

See this All Star in action in: 

For Sports' Sake at the Minneapolis Ritz Theater on July 15-18, 2010

Photo: Amanda Hankerson

Tango Toilet!!!

Have you ever done the tango in your bathroom?  Check out this excerpt of the movie "Dos Ambientes" directed by Rodrigo Pardo, with Cristina Cortes and Rodrigo Pardo.

Enjoy! Emilie

Now That's Entertainment!

I love movies.. I love dance.. Why not blog about them both IN ONE?  If you enjoy dance and you find yourself unsure of which movies will satisfy what dance genre craving, this post is for you!  Below you will find a list of dance movies.  Some I have seen, others I haven’t, but all I believe to be good flicks that will entertain and satisfy even the strongest hankering for good dance entertainment.  I hope you find it useful!

The Classics

All that Jazz

(1979) Drama/Fantasy/Musical

Starring Roy Scheider

Director/choreographer Bob Fosse tells his own life story as he details the sordid life of Joe Gideon, a womanizing, drug-using dancer.

A Chorus Line

(1985) Musical/Drama/Comedy

Starring a lot of people

Hopefuls try out before a demanding director for a part in a new musical.

Dirty Dancing

(1987) Drama/Romance

Starring Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze

Spending the summer in a holiday camp with her family, Frances ('Baby') falls in love with the camp's dancing teacher.

Fame

(1980) Drama/Musical

Starring a lot of people

A chronicle of the lives of several teenagers who attend a New York high school for students gifted in the performing arts.

Flashdance

(1983) Drama/Music/Romance

Starring Jennifer Beals

A Pittsburgh woman with two jobs as a welder and an exotic dancer wants to get into ballet school.

Footloose

(1984) Drama/Musical/Romance

Starring Kevin Bacon

A city boy comes to a small town where rock music and dancing have been banned.

Singin’ in the Rain

(1952) Comedy/Musical/Romance

Starring Gene Kelly

A silent film production company and cast make a difficult transition to sound.  *This is a MUST-SEE.

White Christmas

(1954) Comedy/Musical /Romance

Starring Bing Crosby

A successful song-and-dance team become romantically involved with a sister act and team up to save the failing Vermont inn of their former commanding general.

Ballet

Billy Elliot

(2000) Comedy/Drama/Music

Starring Jamie Bell

A talented young boy becomes torn between his unexpected love of dance and the disintegration of his family.

Center Stage

(2000) Drama/Music

Starring Amanda Schull

A group of 12 teenagers from various backgrounds enroll at the American Ballet Academy in New York to make it as ballet dancers and each one deals with the problems and stress of training and getting ahead in the world of dance.

The Company

(2004) Drama/Music/Romance

Starring Neve Campbell

Ensemble drama centered around a group of ballet dancers, with a focus on one young dancer who is poised to become a principal performer.

Turning Point

(1977) Drama/Romance

Starring Shirley McLaine, Anne Bancroft, Mikhail Baryshnikov

When her daughter joins a ballet company, a former dancer is forced to confront her long-ago decision to give up the stage to have a family.

Latin

Dance With Me

(1998) Drama/Romance/Music

Starring Vanessa Williams, Chayanne

John runs a dance studio, and everyone prepares for the World Open Dance championship in Las Vegas.

Dirty Dancing Havana Nights

(1958) Drama/Romance/Music

Starring Diego Luna, Romola Garai

On the eve of Cuba's revolution, a young American woman discovers a passion for dance and for her sultry Cuban partner, Javier.

Take the Lead

(2006) Drama/Music

Starring Antonio Banderas

The real story of a dance teacher who believed in the talent of a group of problem kids.

Contemporary

Chicago

(2003) Comedy/Drama/Musical

Starring Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones

Murderesses Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart find themselves on death row together and fight for the fame that will keep them from the gallows in 1920s Chicago.

Hairspray

(2007) Comedy/Musical/Romance

Starring a lot of people

Pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad teaches 1962 Baltimore a thing or two about integration after landing a spot on a local TV dance show.

Mamma Mia

(2008) Comedy/Musical/Romance

Starring Amanda Seyfried, Meryl Streep

The story of a bride-to-be trying to find her real father told using hit songs by the popular '70s group ABBA.

Save The Last Dance

(2001) Drama/Romance/Music

Starring Julia Stiles, Sean Patrick Thomas

A white midwestern girl moves to Chicago, where her new boyfriend is a black teen from the South Side with a rough, semi-criminal past.

Step Up

(2006) Drama/Music/Romance

Starring Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan

Tyler Gage is a rebel from the wrong side of Baltimore¹s tracks ­ and the only thing that stands between him and an unfulfilled life are his dreams of one day making it out of there.

I know there are tons of movies that are not included in this list, but this should help you get started or maybe add to your own list of dance movie faves.  Feel free to post any of your favorite dance flicks I may have missed in the comments below.  Otherwise, get out your popcorn and enjoy!

Desiree Dantona

a simple request

With Mother's Day just around the bend, it's time to talk about becoming one!

Last year I (Mallory) compiled a little guide for dancers who are pregnant and wanting to continue their career post-pregs.  Little did I know that my very own oven would be baking a bun in the near future.  If you didn't catch my drift, I am growing a baby.  This experience thus far has been incredible really- not always fun- but incredible.  I suggest it to everyone.  Actually, I would like to rally more dancers to get pregnant- preferably soon.  You see, there is a good probability that my baby will be a dancer or some sort of artsy-fartsy type and my baby needs friends with similar inclinations.  Your baby also has a strong possibility of being artsy; therefore, our babies could be friends.  So go ahead already, light some candles and make a baby.  This may seem selfish, but understand this request as a mother's protective instincts- c'mon, a kid needs friends! 

In all seriousness, pregnancy really is incredible.  Within nine months, our bodies adapt to accomodate the needs of a growing baby which prepares precious him or her for survival outside of the womb.  As dancers, we are acutely aware of any changes that occur in our bodies, and boy, does your body change during pregnancy!  The ability to control and manipulate your body is temporarily on hold.  I've been learning to let go of thinking that I can have complete control over my body and learning to surrender to the beautiful process occuring inside.  If you desire to read on, below is a short guide for dancers who are pregnant...

Dancers: Pregnancy and Parenthood 101

For the serious dancer who relies on an able body and flexible schedule, starting a family can seem daunting. The incredible physical changes that occur during pregnancy can be overwhelming for one who is accustom to understanding her body.  Once the baby is born, negotiating time for a career around being an active parent seems impossible.  Whoa! How is this done?  After interviewing dancing mothers, one can see how dancers can continue their dance career during pregnancy and after their child is born.  Seems like dancing and parenthood can lead to a rewarding and exciting life!

If you want to have a baby, get your priorities straight!  Family first!

-“Starting a family was more important to me than how it fit into my career.  Instead, I have shaped my career around those choices.” Gretchen Pick

-“For me, my performing days were behind me.  I waited until I was 33 (to have her daughter).”  Melissa Brown Gunther

-A committed counterpart is definitely a helpful addition.  Not only important for the baby’s wellbeing, but also is another person to juggle the childcare duties when continuing to pursue your dance career.

So, you’re pregnant… Keep on, keepin’ on

-Continue your pre-pregnancy routine, but this is not the time to try a new physical activity.  You want to engage in activities where you know your limits (from babycenter.com).

-Keep teaching! Some women teach up until their due date, then find subs for maternity leave.

-“Often times I was more comfortable teaching and demonstrating than walking or sitting”  Melissa Brown Gunther

-Keep dancing!  Both Gretchen and Melissa (at 7 months!) performed during pregnancy.

Know your physical changes (from babycenter.com)

-In early stages of pregnancy, the heart has to work harder to circulate increased blood flow.  Thus, any exercise during pregnancy will be more difficult to perform than usual. 

-Heart rate also increases, so it will take longer for the heart to find resting place after a workout.  Modify movements to lower heart rate.

-The risk of injury is higher because of the hormone relaxin released that loosens the body’s connective tissues.  Muscle strain and tearing could easily occur due to loose joints! Bad news! So listen to your body and don’t push it…

-At the end of the second trimester, balance becomes more of an issue because of a growing baby bump.  Splits, leaps, and jumps are a bad idea at this point.

Be safe and modify!

-Always keep one foot on the floor

-March instead of jumping

-Use fewer arm movements

-Avoid quick turns in direction.  Twisting in abdomen can be harmful to baby.

-No inversions

-Balance with barre or wall for support

-Take prenatal yoga classes

-LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! IF DISCOMFORT ARISES, STOP THE EXERCISE!

Now you’re a mommy and a dancer…         

Back to dancing

-“It felt like jumping into a cool lake on a hot day” Gretchen Pick

-“Easy dancing and yoga in 1-2 weeks and teaching within 3-6 weeks” Gretchen Pick

-“6 weeks off from teaching, 6 months until performance” Melissa Brown Gunther

Keeping family 1^st

-“My priorities are around my family, not around my career.  I am less flexible in my schedule… but it doesn’t feel like a loss to me.  It feels like exactly what I want.”  Gretchen Pick

-“When I’m not working, I want to be with my family.  I am sure the motivation to find work will come again.” Melissa Brown Gunther

Finding Balance

-Engage in your passion

“I often really appreciate the time I have teaching, moving, taking class, and feel it is very important for me to feed that part of me.” Gretchen Pick

-Involve your children in your passion

Bring children to class, rehearsal, shows (when appropriate). 

*Information gathered from Tracy Mallett, fitness expert on babycenter.com, Melissa Brown Gunther, and Gretchen Pick

Compiled by Mallory Dykema

Spring Budding

"The seeds of an idea you planted long ago are about to blossom."

These are the kind words offered by a fortune cookie message that found its way to me long ago, then eventually found itself pasted to the inside of my journal to live there, meant to be dragged up and pondered when I find myself in need of a creative blossoming.

I sure hope that fortune cookie is right! Dance artists (well, artists of any medium for that matter) are under the constant need/wish/desire/expectation to develop new and inspiring ideas upon which to create. Though these sorts of ideas seem to develop themselves relatively regularly in my mind, I have been noticing across the span of several months that such ideas always hit when I am walking, out to eat, driving, running errands, watching TV and movies, chatting with friends and strangers. I was pondering this morning that all of my observations seem to be very people-driven. Noticing this, I am finding that I desire to go beyond my natural tendency to be drawn to people alone when it comes to the creation of comment through movement.

That being said, I created an inventory of recent ideas, just to see where they were coming from, and if there was indeed really a pattern. I did start to notice a key; it seems that all actions, and then I suppose general currents within the world, are created by the choices of living things. However, these actions do move beyond them, and their widespread affects become their own concepts. Therefore, it is indeed true that everything I notice seems to be "about people," but at the same time, people are just one part in a chain of ideas, depending upon what you prefer to focus upon within a given concept.

Within all this musing, the important thing to remember is that there is always a process (accompanied by some time) to get toward a solid and rich idea, all of which becomes worthwhile when one finds an engaging way to present it. It is this puzzled process that keeps us creators of dance interested, happy and satisfied! Cheers to active pondering.

Happy Spring!

Erinn

A dance a day keeps the doctor away

I am in the process of finishing up a thesis on the power of art to support adolescents in grief work.  While researching, I came across some interesting findings…

We are all aware of the effects of stress on our bodies.  Holding onto anger, anxiety, guilt, and grief can manifest in disorders such as heart disease, chronic pain, or immune dysfunction.  Art therapist Cathy Malchiodi explains that art has the power to alleviate some of these symptoms.  “The repetitive, self-soothing qualities of painting, drawing, or working with clay may induce the ‘relaxation response,’ a reduction in the heart rate and respiration related to stress reduction.”   Although dance gets the blood pumping, creative activities, such as dance, have the ability to reduce stress, improve blood pressure and respiration, and ultimately improve mood and outlook. This mood enhancing technique has the ability then to increase the capacity to communicate with one another.  Deepak Chopra, M.D, perceives that our creative existences are the most important factor for health and well-being. The evidence from psychological and neurological research is increasingly showing that the arts play a vital role in our ability to problem-solve, think, and remember.  Dance as art, like exercise and eating right, has the power to extend our life spans and stimulate our minds and bodies. What more could we ask for?!