Publications
Remember how I said I was geeky? I don't just love to dance, I also love to read and write about dance. Now that I've finished graduate school, I'm spending more and more time getting my own thoughts recorded and published. This is where you can find links to my published work.
photo credit Logan Sorensen @lmsorensen
A New Dialogue in Ballet Pedagogy: Improving Learner Self-Sufficiency Through Reflective Methodology
Making the jump from student dancer to professional or collegiate dancer can be tricky. One of the skills artistic directors and college advisors are looking for is the ability to self-correct and wean off of instructor feedback. Dancers who can and take the initiative to work through their own sticking points demonstrate their ability to survive in the competitive professional world. But we can't just expect dancers to figure this out on their own. Self-sufficient learning absolutely can, and should, be taught throughout the learning process. In this article, I model how to apply John Dewey's (simplified by Carol Rogers) philosophy of reflective pedagogy and nurture independent dance artists.
Summer Endurance Tips
Seriously guys, drink more water. I love teaching in summer workshops and intensives, and I love when students can bring 100% of their energy to their work. Heat, humidity, altitude, unfamiliar food, and less parental involvement than usual can all interfere with a dancer's ability to get the most from their summer experience. In this short post, I share four tips that seem simple but often get overlooked in the excitement of summer intensives.