Day #14 January 22nd, 2012- Reflection

My final blog on The 14 Days of Dance is a reflection on all that I have written about.  I have thought a lot about what I have written over the last few weeks and have realized how much dance means to me.  Yes, I enjoyed it and loved to perform at competitions and recitals but I never realized that it was in almost every thought and movement I had in a day.  I started to dance when I was four years old and today at the age of thirteen; I have a greater love for dance than ever.

Wherever I am dance seems to be close by.  As I walk into the kitchen, I do a few dance steps.  I practice dances in my head when I am in the car, bus, shower or watching TV.  I remember when I was in fifth grade and I was dancing in my seat, Tracy (my teacher) said to me “Meaghan, this is not dance class”!

Where dancing takes me if anywhere I don’t know.  I would like to dance through college and maybe teach dance if I can’t be the dancer anymore. Will I ever make it to the Rockettes if even for only a try out – I really need to grow!!? Will I make it to Broadway where I can continue my love of dance, singing an acting as well?  Will I because a dancer for a pro sports team?  Will any of my dreams come true?  Will dance become a memory that I look back on with a smile on my face and a beat in my heart as a GREAT childhood memory.  So many unknowns and only time will tell. 

If dance ends up to be only a activity that I only got to do as a child that’s ok; I have learned a lot about performing and stage presence, met many friends, learned many dance steps and have truly enjoyed myself.

Day #13 January 21th, 2012- Singing in the Rain

Everyone loves a good movie and ones with singing and dancing are no exception.  Take a look at Footloose, the Step Up trilogy and Fame to name a few.  My ultimate movie with a lot of dancing and singing is Singin’ in the Rain. I have watched it dozens of times and sing along to the words and talk through the script.

 Singin' in the Rain is a 1952 American comedy musical film starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds.  It was directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen.  Gene Kelly also provided the choreography. It offers a comic look at Hollywood, and its transition from silent films to "talkie”.  A talkie is a movie as we know them today, people talk and you can hear them.  One of the funniest parts is when they are trying to film the first “talkie” movie and they need Lina Lamont has to say the line “and I can’t stand him”.  Her voice is not very nice and it’s funny how they try to correct her “tones” with a speech coach.

Donald O'Connor had to be hospitalized after filming the "Make 'em Laugh" sequence. He smoked up to four packs of cigarettes a day.  Another interesting fact is that Donald did not like working with Gene because he thought Gene was a tyrant.  You would never know that by watching the movie.  They danced in perfect stop with one another and appeared to get along very well.  Don won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Cosmo Brown, Don Lockwood’s (Gene Kelly’s character) best friend.

Debbie Reynolds was 19 when she filmed the movie.  When Debbie Reynolds' character is supposedly dubbing the singing for Jean Hagen’s character (Lina Lamont), Debbie’s voice was, in fact, dubbed by Betty Noyes.  In several scenes the Debbie Reynolds’ character (Kathy Shelden) is supposedly lip–synching and rerecording Jean Hagen’s speaking–voice.  In actuality, Jean Hagen’s real voice was much more cultured than Debbie’s voice, so Jean dubbed Debbie dubbing Jean’s character.  Another fact you wouldn’t know by watching the movie.  Debbie made the comment that the filming was one of the hardest things she has ever done and that it was difficult to keep up with Gene Kelly, who was 40 at the time. 

In Gene Kelly’s famous dance number, Singin’ in the Rain, while twirling an umbrella and running through puddles and getting soaked, Gene was sick with a 103 degree fever and it actually took two to three days to film.  The rain was a mixture of milk and water so you could see the rain.  The “rain” made his wool suit shrink.

Regardless of the problems with filming or how the actors and actresses got along, the finished movie was great.  In 1989, Singin' in the Rain was among the first 25 films chosen for the newly established National Film Registry for films that are deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation.

I recommend you see the movie; you’ll LOVE it!                                                                       

Day #12 January 20th, 2012- The Ones That Make it Happen

The creativity and originality of a teacher can be instrumental in winning a competition or doing a great performance at a recital.  They need to build a connection between the music, the dance steps and costumes while making sure all of the dancers can perform their specific sections with stage presence that makes it look enjoyable and without effort.

I have had several teachers since I started dance, Miss Michele my first dance teacher, was very strict and taught us a lot.  We went on to perform in our recital that year and brought the house down, so I am told.  I was only five years old at the time.  I had Miss Michele again when I was ten years old and she was just as strict as I remembered.  She was a talented teacher who got results, but she was almost down right mean.  She would make girls in class cry and then ask them why they were crying.  One has to think, isn’t this supposed to have some fun associated with it?  After that year I decided that my relationship with Miss Michele and that dance studio would end.

Miss Karin was my second dance teacher and the owner of the studio where Miss Michele taught.  She was a talented teacher who had a much more laid back approach to dance.  She was more of a free spirit when it came to dance class but by the time we had our recital we were spot on.   Miss Karin’s classes were very small and after a few years it wasn’t challenging any longer and if I want to work on getting better I would have to take classes at my other dance studio.

I actually danced at two studios for a few years.  At my other dance studio, I took a hip hop class when I was eight years old and loved it.  When I was nine I took hip hop again and a jazz class with the same instruction.  I was still young at the time, so my mom would sit and wait for me in the lobby.  She would usually talk to some of the other moms waiting for their kids too.  I really don’t remember why, but I was scared to death of my dance teacher, so scared that I would actually cry  if I was fast enough I would run to the bathroom and cry there so she wouldn’t see me.  I don’t think she ever understood how much I was afraid of her.  Funny, she is still my teacher today and she has taught me so much and yes I am still afraid of her at times but no, I don’t cry.  She is tough on us and has high expectations. She does not give out a “Good Job” compliment unless she REALLY means it and they are few and far between. 

I have had several ballet teachers over the years in addition to Miss Michele and they are all different.  Some are laid back like Miss Karin and others are more formal and like to teach studio etiquette not just how to dance.  If you are late for class, you should knock and wait for a reply and then apologize for being late.  Most girls think it’s ok to just walk into a class.  Ballet teachers also stressed the important of dance attire and hair.  Dance attire includes a leotard, tights – usually pink or black (when you are older) and a dance skirt if you chose to wear one. The hair must be in a secured bun, not a pony tail and definitely is not to be worn down. 

Last year, I had my first male dance teacher for a hip-hop class.  He was a great dancer himself and really made the class fun for us.  While we enjoyed his class every week by recital time it was obvious that we did not spend enough time preparing.  This was not a company team and I did it with some friends of mine for fun.

Teachers are an important element to any learning and dance is no exception.  Some are strict while others are easy going;   both can be demanding they just have a different approach.  All want you to do your best and try to give you the skills to do so.

This is my teacher Miss Andrea.

Day #11 January 19th, 2012- To the Theatre We Go

To me the theater is a magical place.  Don’t you wish you could be up there performing for an audience and totally into your character that you become them for a short time, 6 days a week with 2 shows on Wednesdays and weekends? Most say it’s a grueling schedule, but it’s one of my dreams!  To act, dance and sing things I love to do, and have the audience applaud and wish they were in your   shoes – WOW!

I have been to a lot of plays and some I have gone to twice.  My first play was when I was probably four or five years old and my mom took me to see Beauty and the Beast.  We were in the front row and while I do not remember a lot, I do remember waving to the cast members at the end and them waving back.  I was hooked.  I have been to the theater 28 times and have seen 5 play two times. 

All of the plays have had dancing, singing and acting and require the actors and actresses to be strong well rounded performers.  My favorite plays have been Billy Elliot, West Side Story, The Addams Family, and Shrek.  Jersey Boys was great and I would love to see that one a second time.  When I was younger I also saw more Disney plays including Mary Poppins, Little Mermaid, and Lion King.  Mary Poppins was great and I had an opportunity to do a back stage tour after the play.  I met the actor who played Burt.  He was great and talked to us about what it was like to walk up the side of the wall and across the top and back down again only tethered to a rope all while singing. It was unbelievable.     

Some of the plays that I have gone to have closed or are touring and not on Broadway which gives new plays an opportunity but not many of them seem to be around for a long time with the exception of a few.  Little Mermaid was on Broadway for less than two years.   The revival of Promises, Promises didn’t even last a year. Another play, 9 to 5 which I thought was very funny only lasted 6 months but went on and did a national tour. 

Phantom of the Opera, I haven’t seen this one, has been on Broadway for 25 years and is the number one show in Broadway history. Wicked has been on Broadway since October 20, 2003 and is seen as a long running show and the 13^th longest running show in Broadway history.  Other long time shows include Lion King ranked 7^th overall so far, Chicago ranked 4^th overall so far and A Chorus Line ranked 5th.  All of the shows mentioned with the exception of A Chorus Line are still currently on Broadway. 

If there is a play that you want to see I would try and see it as soon as you can.  For me, I would like to see Memphis, a musical of singing and dancing, tells the story of the segregated south in the early 50’s through a DJ and a night club singer.  

  

  

Most plays are about 2hours and 30 mins long, South Pacific was 3 hours long.

Day #10 Janurary 18th, 2012- Competitions and Recitals

Dance, Dance, Dance – I dance from September through May every year.  I have at least one class every night, Monday through Thursday.  On Mondays I dance for two and a half hours and on Thursdays I dance for three hours.  We have additional classes every few weekends.  I am on the junior ballet competition team and junior jazz competition team at my studio and I am also a member of the Hip Hop All Stars team.  This year I am doing a trio hip hop dance as well.  We are required to do a few Master classes each year and a community service event.  A Master class is a class taught by someone other than a studio teacher and they come in and give us a different approach to a particular form of dance or teach us a form of dance that we don’t currently do.  Our community service events have included dancing at Chandler Hall and a fund raiser for cancer at Council Rock South.

For those of us on a competition team, we learn our dance early in the year and then its practice, practice, practice and time spent getting our timing, stage presence and synchronization competition perfect.   

Then there are the costumes, make-up and hair.  The costumes usually require some type of alteration or addition to it, which my mom does not like.  She always says “Give me a costume done including the tights and shoes”!!   Sometimes the shoes need to be dyed or replaced with another type of shoe than what we practice in.

For competitions, we all must wear our hair the same way; usually it’s parted on the side and then in a low bun.  We use a lot of gel and hairspray so it doesn’t move.  We are required to wear make-up including lipstick and fake eyelashes.  We all must have the same costumes and the same color tights, no exception!!

Competitions are on weekends, Friday through Sunday.  We can have dances scheduled back to back or there can be hours in between dances.  Each competition is broken down and we are in groups based on the average age of your team.  It’s important for a dance studio to keep the average ages of each team of dancers different so that they don’t compete in the same division.  There is a recreational division and a competitive division.  The difference is based on the skill of the group as well as the amount of hours danced a week.

During your performance the judges are taped and make comments about the group and sometimes one of the dancers in the group.  They also grade you on a point system.  At the end of each section of the competition, solos, duos and trios for example, there is an awards ceremony Awards are given in each category; there are special recognition awards and high awards as well as overall awards.  

We usually go to three dance competitions each year.  Some dance studios go to more, but the kids/parents at our dance studio only want to do a few competitions a year.  I would like to do more competitions.  We put in a lot of effort and performing in front of people and judges is a good way to show people how much you have practiced and how hard you have worked. 

                After the competitions, we have our dance recital. Our recital is performed twice.  Competition dances perform at both shows and the other dances are split between the two shows. The recital is on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and it is held at Villa Victoria High School in Ewing, NJ.  The dance recital is a lot of fun and stressful as times.  We are constantly rushing around and changing costumes.  The dressing room is small and so hot.  We bring fans from home to try and keep the air moving.  The recital is our last chance to our dances.  

At the end of the night, my family and friends go out to dinner.  Dance is done until the summer.  We have summer intensives in July and August.  In September the new year starts.

This is the logo of one of the competitions we went to!

 

Day #9 January 17th, 2012- Destination Broadway

I was introduced to this opportunity by my prior dance teacher.  Destination Broadway is a one week (Sunday – Saturday) learning experience held at a studio in New York City.  Students and their parents stay in Secaucus, NJ which is near exit 16 off of the New Jersey Turnpike.  We stay here because it is cheaper than staying in a hotel in New York City.  Sunday night is the first night and there is a reception to go over rules and expectations as well as a reunion if you have been a prior camper. 

This summer will be my 4^th time at Destination Broadway.  I auditioned when I was 10.  I had to sing a song in front of two of the teachers that would be at the camp, Valerie Wright and Tiffany Haas.  At the time, Tiffany was on Broadway performing in Wicked as the backup to one of the leads.  Valerie Wright has performed in many shows including Annie Get Your Gun, Cats, and Song and Dance.  When they asked me to sing, I sang Popular from Wicked and was offered a spot at the camp. 

During the week, you spend time on all skills needed for Broadway, dance, acting, singing and auditions.  Dance is primarily jazz, ballet and tap.  All of our teachers are or have been on Broadway or work with Broadway shows.  We usually leave the hotel early in the morning and return after dinner.  On Wednesday, we leave a little later because we go to a play in the evening and then have an opportunity for a talk back with several of the actors from the show.  A talk back is held after the play is over and the actors come out to the audience (who are allowed to stay – not everyone can) and answer questions.  We can ask questions about the show or about their careers and how they got started. 

Shrek, Billy Elliot and Anything Goes are the plays that we have gone to while at Destination Broadway.  All were great plays and I have seen Shrek and Billy Elliot twice. 

On Saturday, we put on a small showcase of what we have worked on, it’s not a recital and we aren’t in costume but we show our parents and family what we have worked on during the week.

Every year, we have a poster contest and the theme is the week of camp.  I have won the award twice.

Michael Rafter is one of the founders and teachers at Broadway Destination and says it best:

A word about Destination Broadway.....

The skills essential for success as a performing artist are the same skills essential for success in life. One-on-one communications, successful job interviews, speaking to a group, setting goals, making great 1st impressions and presenting a positive image are all essential life skills. Destination Broadway teaches these life skills using performing arts as a vehicle.

--Michael Rafter

I enjoy and look forward to this week every year.  I have made some friends, none of which are local but that’s ok we meet the same week every year and enjoy our classes together. 

This was my poster for my first year at Destination Broadway.

This was my poster for my third year at Destination Broadway.

This is a picutre of Mr. Rafter and me the first year of my Destination Broadway experience.

This is a picutre of Mr. Rafter and me the second year of my Destination Broadway experience.

This is a picutre of Mr. Rafter and me the third year of my Destination Broadway experience.

Day #8 January 16th, 2012- Junior Dance Teams!

The roar of thousands of people clapping, whistling and yelling for you!!!!  What a feeling for a young girl. 

When I was 9 years old, I auditioned to become a member of the Junior Soulmates and made it!!! You had to have some dance experience.  The Junior Soulmates were two teams, one for girls between 8 – 12 years old and the second team was for girls 13 – 18 years old.  A 12 year old could try out for the second team if she thought she was ready. We practiced one to two times a month on a Sunday and we would perform at the Soul football games.  The Soul an indoor football team plays their games at the Wachovia Center.  We would perform during half time.

I have been a jr. team member for several years.  The SOUL stopped playing for 2 seasons do to the fact that the ownership was losing money. 

Over the last 5 years, I have been a member of the Platinum All Stars.  We travel and perform at various venues.  We have performed at Madison Sq Garden, Wachovia Stadium, and the Spectrum.  We have performed for collegiate football teams, professional hockey teams, arena football teams and the Sixers basketball team.  We also performed during half time for the Harlem Globetrotters.  We have also performed twice at the Atlantic City Thanksgiving Day parade.

In the summer of 2010, I joined the Trenton Thunder (minor league baseball) Dance Team and was a member of their first team ever.  We performed at the end of their games before the fireworks show.    

This winter the Trenton titans were planning on having a dance team but do to low numbers that have decided not to have a team this year.  I was looking forward to it.  I enjoy the hockey games.  

This season I have decided not to do the Soul; however, I am still on the Platinum Dance Team. We will be performing for the Harlem Globetrotters this March.

My funniest experience with all the dance teams was my first year as a Soul Jr. dancer.  After the game, the players would come back on the field and would sign shirts, footballs, programs whatever you wanted; they would even take a picture with you. I had worked my way up to the front and had a shirt I was trying to get signed, when these two girls a little younger than me came up to me and asked me to sign their football.  They wanted my autograph!!!  At first, I thought they were just showing me the football but then they said, “You were great can we have your autograph?” I signed the football Meaghan!

This is the team photo for the Trenton Thunder Dance Team!

This is the team photo for the Jr. Soulmates Dance Team!