Important April Dates to Celebrate Dance

National Dance Week – April 24-May 3

The dance-related organization became a non-profit institution in 2011. It’s purpose: introduce people to the enjoyment and benefits of dance through community awareness and dance in school. I also encourages continuing education for professionals.

International (World) Dance Day – April 29

This day of celebrating dance began in 1982 as an initiative of UNESCO. The purpose: attract people to the world of dance by suggesting they attend performances, classes and lectures  and read magazine and news articles on dance.

How can I get involved from near my home?

1. Attend a ballet performance by a local dance studio or a regional or local professional group. It’s interesting to compare non-professional dancers with professional. Seeing their grit and perfecting their moves (the biting the lips, the frowns, etc) helps us realize just how much work happens while learning ballet skills and become a professional dancer.

2. Watch YouTube for ballet videos of local as well as international groups performing. My suggestions for professional ballet groups: Bolshoi, New York City, Pacific Northwest and San Francisco. Selections that will impress you include Swan Lake, Serenade in C, Giselle, Nutcracker and the pas de deux (partner) selections.

3. Take dance lessons: ballroom, ballet, tap, jazz…whatever ‘floats you feet’. Movement is a great way to exercise. You move to music, sway, step, glide, forget you’re exercising. Just have fun. No one expects you to become ready to join Dancing with the Stars or So You Think You Can Dance!

4. Read a book about ballet. Bios you might check out: Anna Pavlova, Alicia Markova, Gelsey Kirkland, Maria Tallchief and Suzanne Farrell for women’s stories. Read about famous male dancers like Vaslav Nijinsky, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Rudolf Nureyev. Choreographers George Balanchine and Martha Graham make interesting reads as well.

YA Fiction books include mine, 84 Ribbons, Miriam Landis’ two books (Girl in Motion, Breaking Point) as a starting point. They aren’t just for teen, so give them a look as well. Amazon and other online sites provide a vast lists of related titles you may also scan.

PLEASE let me know if and how you celebrate these April events.