Monthly Archive: June 2014

Grab a needle and thread. If you dance, you sew. Yep. Guys and gals are responsible for sewing parts of their wardrobe to prepare for performances. For Women Pointe shoes do not come with ribbons. Dancers must sew on the ribbons, attach elastic and them break-in the box (where the toes fit into the pointe shoes). Professional dancers soften the box by placing it against the hinge side of a door and closing the door. It helps reduce the harsh clopping sound of a new shoe during a performance. Young dancers are not allowed to crush their shoes since they...

Dance had become a worldwide interest. TV and movie presentations as well as live programs draw in  hundreds of millions of viewers a year. So, what’s happened to dance in the USA? A new breed of choreographer is changing the world of dance one step at a time. Here’s the list of the top US choreographers over the past century. How many names sound familiar? 1.  George Balanchine (ballet) 2.  Paul Taylor  (modern) 3.  Bob Fosse (jazz) 4.  Alvin Ailey (modern) 5.  Katherine Dunham (established black dance) 6.  Agnes de Mille (ballet/ broadway) 7.  Shane Sparks (hip-hop) 8. Martha Graham...

After doing workshops and speaking to kids, I jotted down some of their questions. Many mirror adult questions but some are quite unique. Here’s a sampling. ** What’s your favorite thing about writing fiction? ** What motivates you to write? ** How do you start a story? ** How do you get ideas for writing books? ** How do you revise a character without changing the whole story? ** How do you feel after you publish a novel? ** How do you go from a poem to a novel (referencing Tasman) ? ** How much time does it take to write...

Saturday, a lovely sunny day in western WA was also a lovely day for a book signing. Young dancers and writers, adults and book readers attended the Barnes and Noble event at Kitsap Mall. We talked about writing, ballet and 84 Ribbons. A young dancer, Christina attended and answered questions as well. Many thanks to those who took time from their busy day to join me, take part in drawings and purchase books I had fun and hope my guests did as well. The more days after today and the 84 Days of 84 Ribbons will end. My Marta blogs...