Advice for dancers: former New York City Ballet dancer Linda Hamilton, Ph.D., is lecturer, a psychologist in private practice, and the author of Advice for Dancers (Jossey-Bass). She has been offering advice to Dance Magazine readers since 1992.I THOUGHT THE BFA BFA abbr. Bachelor of Fine Arts BFA abbr BFA, B.F.A Bachelor of Fine Arts; first degree in Fine Arts. PROGRAM I'M IN WOULD BE THE ONE OF MY DREAMS, BUT IT'S A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT. I WANT A COLLEGE DEPARTMENT WITH SMALLER DANCE CLASSES AND MORE ATTENTION FROM MY TEACHERS TO HELP ME PROGRESS. SO HOW COME I FEEL SO WEIRD So Weird is a television series shot in Vancouver, British Columbia that aired on the Disney Channel as a midseason replacement from January 18th, 1999 to September 28th, 2001. ABOUT CHANGING MY MIND? FRUSTRATED DANCER OAKLAND, CA Join the crowd. Most people become uncomfortable when they give up on their first choice, even if it's wrong. There's nothing magical or lucky about a first choice, yet it's still hard to handle the discomfort at switching gears. Psychologists refer to it as the "first-instinct myth." In your case, the decision to transfer to a smaller BFA program that could provide a greater opportunity to nurture your talent seems sound. Remember: Ultimate success depends on being able to identify what is--and isn't--working in your life. Then go for it! ONE OF MY TOES CROSSES OVER THE OTHER ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL MY POINTE SHOES 'Pointe shoes', also referred to as toe shoes, are a special type of shoe used by ballet dancers for pointework. They developed from the desire to appear weightless, and sylph- like onstage and have evolved to allow extended periods of movement on the tips of the toes AREN'T TOO SNUG. DO YOU KNOW WHAT MEDICAL OR THERAPY OPTIONS I SHOULD LOOK INTO SO I WON'T HAVE TO GIVE UP MY DANCE LESSONS? SEEKING RELIEF ITHACA Ithaca, city, United States Ithaca (ĭth`əkə), city (1990 pop. 29,541), seat of Tompkins co., S central N.Y., at the southern end of Cayuga Lake, in the Finger Lakes region; settled 1789, inc. as a city 1888. , NY Dance medicine specialists tell me that "cross-over" toes may require surgery if the ligaments continue to stretch out. While this problem occurs for a variety of reasons, it's most common in dancers with bunions, where it's easy to overload the joint, creating looseness and instability. You often can keep your toes from crossing over by taping them into place, preventing a marked deformity Deformity See also Lameness. Calmady, Sir Richard born without lower legs. [Br. Lit.: Sir Richard Calmady, Walsh Modern, 84] Carey, Philip embittered young man with club foot seeks fulfillment. [Br. Lit. . For information, contact a dance medicine orthopedist or physical therapist. Regardless of the injury, knowledge is power. AS A FORMER BALLERINA WITH THE NEW YORK CITY BALLET New York City Ballet, one of the foremost American dance companies of the 20th cent. It was founded by Lincoln Kirstein and George Balanchine as the Ballet Society in 1946. WITH POSITIVE MEMORIES OF DANCE CLASSES, I WAS APPALLED TO HEAR THAT MY 3 1/2-YEAR-OLD GRANDDAUGHTER WAS HUMILIATED hu·mil·i·ate tr.v. hu·mil·i·at·ed, hu·mil·i·at·ing, hu·mil·i·ates To lower the pride, dignity, or self-respect of. See Synonyms at degrade. AND TOLD TO LEAVE HER PRE-BALLET CLASS BY A MEAN-SPIRITED DANCE TEACHER. HER CRIME? TAKING A FEW EXTRA SECONDS BEFORE SHE FOLLOWED THE TEACHER'S INSTRUCTIONS TO SIT DOWN. WHEN I WORKED FOR MR. BALANCHINE, HE NEVER FOUND IT NECESSARY TO BE HARSH AND WOULD OFTEN USE IMAGERY TO INSPIRE US. MY DAUGHTER HAS ENROLLED HER IN ANOTHER DANCE SCHOOL. HOWEVER, IT MAKES ME WONDER: WHAT IS THE PROPER ATMOSPHERE FOR LEARNING IN A BALLET CLASS? ALLEGRA KENT NEW YORK New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , NY I've conducted research with nearly 1,000 dancers, and I've found the best atmosphere for learning is a "safe" classroom, free from all forms of verbal abuse verbal abuse Psychology A form of emotional abuse consisting of the use of abusive and demeaning language with a spouse, child, or elder, often by a caregiver or other person in a position of power. See Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Spousal abuse. . Dancers who report feeling publicly humiliated by their teachers have more injuries to feet, ankles, knees, back, and hips than their colleagues. They also can have more symptoms of stage fright stage fright Performance anxiety, see there . Teaching toddlers (ages 3 to 6) requires even greater sensitivity, given that they learn about rules through play, not fear. In fact, it's silly for teachers to expect very young dancers to adopt a work ethic until they reach the appropriate developmental stage during the elementary school years. The more dance instructors understand and take a positive approach to learning, the better equipped they'll be to help students reach their true potential. I'M EXHAUSTED FROM REHEARSING AND PERFORMING, BUT J GET ENOUGH SLEEP AND J EAT WELL. WILL AEROBICS GIVE ME A BOOST? POOPED poop 1 n. 1. An enclosed superstructure at the stern of a ship. 2. A poop deck. tr.v. pooped, poop·ing, poops 1. To break over the stern of (a ship). 2. PROFESSIONAL NEW YORK, NY Yes, but be careful. While interval training will increase your energy level, the number of aerobic sessions should be tailored to your dance schedule. Twenty to forty minutes, three to four times a week, will get you in shape to perform. Once the season gets really busy, move to a maintenance program of one to two weekly sessions to avoid fatigue, which is the leading cause of injuries. IS IT NORMAL FOR A 16-YEAR-OLD DANCER TO GET HOMESICK? LAST YEAR MY FRIEND ATTENDED A SUMMER DANCE PROGRAM IN ANOTHER CITY AND CRIED EVERY NIGHT. I PLAN ON JOINING HER FOR THEIR WINTER PROGRAM. I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT BUT DON'T WANT TO BE MISERABLE, TOO. WHAT CAN I DO? CARLA CARLA Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition CARLA Computer Assisted Related Language Adaptation CARLA Computer Assisted Retrieval at Los Alamos TAMPA, FL Almost everyone experiences homesickness the first time they head off to school or summer camp. You can prevent a lot of the distress that your friend suffered by finding out what to expect, from the daily class schedule to the school's layout. Fend off homesickness by making new friends, getting involved in school activities, and sightseeing. Homesickness also tends to dissipate the second time around, so your friend should be in better shape to support you. Linda Hamilton Former New York City Ballet dancer Linda Hamilton, Ph.D., is lecturer, a psychologist in private practice, and the author of Advice for Dancers (Jossey-Bass). She has been offering advice to DANCE MAGAZINE readers since 1992. SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: Linda Hamilton, Ph.D., at 2000 Broadway, PH2C, New York, NY 10023. Order her book for $13.90 at www.Dance Distributors.com (800.33.DANCE). |
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