Category: 84 Ribbons

So, ballet started in the 16th Century. It began as a social court dance then became a specialized career and grew to include women. Early music was classical with music written specifically written for ballets. Since early on, choreography stressed flexibility, rhythmic flow and beautiful lines of movement. In modern ballets the emphasis often shifts to expressing more theatrical and less fluid movements which no longer adhere to the classic forms. Which is best? Classical or modern? It would be as if we tried to compare driving cars with baking a cake: there are similarities of course, but the differences...

Dance are often on a quest for greater and greater flexibility. To that end, they may  actually go too far and create weakness instead of strength in what they do. Here are two new suggestions about stretching that all of us should heed. 1. Don’t hold static stretches before warming up. If you hold a static stretch for more than 30 seconds before you warm up you may damage your ligament and tendons. Instead, keep the muscles moving, flowing from one position to  another. If you force your use of your muscles without warming them up, you may injury your joints....

This month Kaori Nakamura will retire from Pacific Northwest Ballet. She’ll join other premiere dancers like Patricia Barkley, Suzanne Farrell and Mikhail Baryshnikov by retiring after two or more decades of dancing. Many move on the focus on their young families; others become artistic directors, guest instructors or guest performers. Still others form their own dance academies. Like many of us, it is difficult to walk away from a career that consumes us from a very young age. Finding a replacement life experience often takes patience as well as capital. Gelsey Kirkland is a prime example of a dancer turned...

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...

Friday I attended the Cedar Valley Career Day for students grades 4-6. It provided an opportunity to talk about being a writer and writing. I teamed up with a translator and an Amazon editor. Both had great info for the kids of potential careers. Together we share the importance of school, being organized and finding things that interest you as starting places for potential ‘jobs’. Today I’ll enjoy my book event at the Barnes and Noble in Silverdale at the Kitsap Mall. Old home week being back near Bremerton where I grew up. Haven’t moved far from that family home...

Do The Arts in Education matter? Personally I believe they are invaluable. Luckily I am not alone in that belief. Educators and brain researchers agree; the arts play an important part in the total education of individuals. Here are a few facts and my personal notes: 1.  The arts improve motivation, concentration, confidence and teamwork. 2.  The arts develop the sense of community, personal  their values and human connections. 3.  The arts are associated with educational gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking and verbal skills. 4.  The arts aid students on achievement tests by developing their creativity and...

Tomorrow is Career Day at Cedar Valley Community School. I’ve been invited to join a panel for a second year to speak to writing and being an author. I’ve decided to  bring a poster with a skeleton to remind the students that writing needs a framework (skeleton) to give a story shape. My handout will share the other stages of organizing for writing: the skin (problem) and clothing (details). It’s a simple but memorable graphic that I hope will stick with the kids. If you’d like the details and a copy of my handout, send me a note via a...