How To Find Dance Shoes Online

Everyone has a hobby or a passion. Sometimes we find these when we are young. For some people, these only appear to them at a much later time in life. The bottom line is that everyone is different and so are the hobbies that they are interested in. Dance is one passion that many are drawn to because they can express themselves with the style they like to the music they adore. Having said that, it is important to learn how to find shoes for dance class online.

Of course, anyone can take a trip to a local store that specializes in costumes, outfits and shoes for dance lessons. The problem is that they can be quite limited to what they can offer consumers. More often than not, they are small stores that serve a specific clientele. That means that these retailers will only deal with certain distributors and makes.

So, you have huge limitations with what's available to you. Furthermore, because they are specialty stores, they usually charge a hefty price for everything they carry. That means that not only will you pay much more for these items, you may end up with something you are not particularly fond of.

Thankfully, today we have the internet and all the possibilities that this incredible tool brings consumers. Not only can we have access to valuable information, we also have access to a world of goods and services that we can take advantage of. In other words, you may live in the United States and choose dance shoes online that are designed and developed in Italy.

Just with finding a site, clicking on a few choices, you can purchase shoes and other items that you like and at a price that you are comfortable with. Without the internet, you would be stuck either going to a department store that has cheaper versions or paying high end prices for something that isn't the correct brand or type of material.

This doesn't have to happen anymore. If you want to find dance shoes online, all you have to do is log on to the internet and enter the key phrase in the search bar. Before you even blink, you will have a list populated that could include millions of results.

So, whether your dancing has to do with ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, ball room or any other type of dance, you can be sure that you will find the size, the style and the color you are looking for. And the best part is that you could end up with a great deal that you would otherwise never have happen to you in a conventional retail specialty store.

Furthermore, you won't have to trek across town to do it either. Instead, no matter where you order your shoes from, they will be sent to your front door within days or as specified in the details of your order. Be sure you are dealing with a reputable store that will accept returns should the size not be right. Even better, try to order from one that might even fully refund you if you aren't entirely satisfied. Usually, you won't be refunded the shipping and handling charges, however.

Increase Dance Student Registration With a New Website

This is the age of the internet. Most people around the world are now using this tool for just about anything you can think of. This includes buying and selling services , paying bills, banking, social networking, doing research, marketing, and using it as an educational platform. The internet is popular with people of all ages and this is why it is important for business owners to use it to their advantage. Having a great dance web design is an important part of spreading the word if you own or manage a dance studio.

The first thing to realize is that a website can literally reach millions of people on a daily basis. Not that you really need that if you run a local studio , but this gives you a good idea of the power of online marketing. Building a dance studio website can help you advertise the business and increase new student registration .

You can basically use the website for all types of promotions and advertising as well as posting articles, blogs, photographs, and videos, to let potential clients and current students know about all of the studio happenings. However, if you want the site to be noticed and successful, there are a few things you will want to be aware of.

Remember the website should represent professionalism. This means it should be well written, edited, and proofread. There should be no spelling or grammatical errors if possible. The images should be crisp and sharp and all of your links should be in perfect working order.

It is also important that your dance studio website design is attractive, pleasing to the eye, and is easy to navigate. Many people will lose patience with a website that is complicated to use and there is a good chance they will leave the site and look elsewhere. If you keep it simple and attractive then you will have the best chance of converting the visit into a sale!!

Now that you have built a website, you will need to attract visitors to it. You may want to advertise it on other sites or join an affiliate program and have others advertise it for you. You can also write blogs and articles on various websites and then link them back to your site. You can also do this by joining various social media sites and advertising and linking to your site.

If you do a little bit of research about search engine optimization (SEO), you will learn how you can get your website ranked higher in  local search engines. This means when somebody searches for a dance studio, yours will be one of the first ones they see on the list, this will definitely increase dance registration.

A new website design can do wonders for your business if it's done properly. It will let people know that you exist and what exactly you have to offer the community. It's a good idea to put some relevant information to the art of dancing on the site and not just marketing and advertising material. This will attract more visitors to the site who want to learn about dancing.

The right balance of nutrition

Just as a car runs best with a full tank of gas, your body needs the right kind of "nutritional fuel" for peak performance. Eating well for your sport can be very simple. You do not need special foods or supplements. It is important to fuel your body with a balance of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, and water.

Carbohydrates or "carbs" (found in pasta, bread, cereal, rice, potatoes, fruits, milk, yogurt, etc.) are especially important for athletes because they supply the body with glucose (blood sugar) for energy. Extra glucose is stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen, your energy reserve. During short bursts of exercise such as sprinting, basketball, gymnastics, or soccer, your body primarily uses glycogen for energy. If you don't have enough glycogen you can feel very tired, which will affect your athletic performance. During longer exercise, your body uses the glycogen stores first and then uses fats stored in your body to fuel performance.

Fat is an important source of energy used to fuel longer exercise and endurance activities, such as hiking, cycling, and long-distance running. Eating a diet that is too low in dietary fat may decrease athletic performance and cause other health problems.

Protein is needed for your body to build and repair muscles. Small amounts of protein may also be used for energy.

Vitamins and minerals are not sources of energy, but they have many important functions in the body. For example, vitamin D and calcium are needed for strong bones, and iron is needed for blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body. Certain minerals, like potassium, calcium, and sodium are called electrolytes. They are important during exercise because they affect the amount of water in your body and muscle activity. Athletes should eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods to make sure they get enough vitamins and minerals. It is fine to take a regular multivitamin, but supplements with high doses of vitamins and minerals do not improve performance and may actually be harmful.

Water is essential to keep you hydrated (when your body has enough fluids). Dehydration (when you don't have enough fluids) can cause muscle cramps and keep you from performing your best.

Healthy Eating Tips for Athletes

• Eat a variety of foods. Because different foods have different nutrients, you should eat a variety of foods to get all the nutrients you need to stay in peak condition. For example, oranges provide vitamin C and carbohydrates, but not iron or protein. A steak provides iron and protein, but not vitamin C or carbohydrates.
• Eat regular meals and snacks. Skipping meals will weaken your performance. Eating regular meals and healthy snacks is the best way to fuel your body for athletic events.
• Eat enough calories. Calories fuel your body for exercise and replace energy that is used up during competition. Cutting calories keeps you from performing your best. Exercise and athletic training demands extra energy, and it is essential to meet your body's energy needs if you want to compete at full strength.
• Drink plenty of fluids. Athletes need more fluids than non-athletes. Do not wait until you are thirsty to start drinking water, because thirst means that you are already dehydrated. Remember to drink even more in hot and humid weather.

What fluids should I drink and how much do I need?

Before exercise: The goal of drinking fluids before exercise is to be well hydrated before you are physically active. If you have rested for at least 8-12 hours before activity and eat and drink regularly, extra hydration may not be needed. If you have lost fluids from sweating prior to exercise, have not been regularly drinking, or have dark, concentrated urine, then you may need 1-2 cups four hours before you begin exercising and another ½ - 1 cup two hours before.

During exercise: Fluid needs during exercise depend on how intense and long your workout is, weather conditions, and how much you sweat. If you are going to be exercising for more than one hour, then it is recommended that you drink 2-4 cups of water per hour. If you are not exercising for more than one hour, then replace fluids according to your thirst and the weather (more fluid is needed in hotter, more humid climates). Sports drinks, such as Gatorade® or Powerade® help replace water, carbs, and electrolytes. Avoid sodas and drinks that contain caffeine, because they can actually dehydrate you.

After exercise: After exercise, drink 16 ounces (2 cups) and return to normal eating and drinking patterns. Calorie containing drinks (like juice or a sports drink) can replace water and glucose. You can figure out if you are well hydrated by looking at the color of your urine. A clear color is a sign of good hydration. However, if you see a darker yellow color, this means that you need to drink more fluids.

What should I eat to fuel my exercise?

Fueling - Before Exercise:
The food you eat before you exercise greatly affects the quality of your athletic performance. These tips will help you plan your pre-exercise meals to prevent low blood sugar, to keep you from feeling hungry, and to fuel your muscles for training and competition.

• Eat a larger meal if you have 3-6 hours before you begin your exercise. Smaller "mini" meals are better if have 2-3 hours before your workout begins. Meals that are high in complex carbohydrates (foods rich in carbohydrates that have long lasting energy power) are best because they fuel your muscles. Pasta, bagels, baked potatoes, rice, and fresh fruit are all good sources of complex carbohydrates.
• Avoid high-bulk (high-fiber) foods such as broccoli, baked beans, or bran cereal right before exercise. These foods may cause stomach pains during exercise. High-fiber foods are loaded with good nutrition though, so be sure to include them at other times of the day.
• Avoid sugars and sweets, especially soda and candy, less than 1 hour before training. High-sugar foods will give you quick energy, but won't last long enough.
• Limit foods that are high in dietary fat such as fast food, eggs, meat, and cheese that you eat for your pre-exercise meal. These foods take much longer to digest and may make you feel sluggish and tired if you eat too much of them.
• Do not try new foods before a competition. You may have trouble digesting a food you have never eaten before. Choose foods that are familiar to you.

Fueling - After Exercise:

It is very important to refuel your body after a hard workout. Because your body replaces glycogen stores in your muscle within the first few hours after exercise, it is important to eat carbohydrates and some protein soon after your workout. Follow these tips when planning your post (after)-exercise meal.

• Even if you aren't hungry, you should eat a snack that contains carbohydrates within 30 minutes after your workout (such as a yogurt or half a sandwich). This will help your body recover quickly.
• You should eat a larger meal that is high in carbohydrates and has some protein within the next 2 hours to replace your muscle glycogen stores that were used up during exercise.

What is carbohydrate loading?

Carbohydrate loading is a technique used to increase the amount of glycogen in muscles. It involves eating extra carbohydrates during the week before a competition, while at the same time cutting back on your training. Carbohydrate loading is intended for marathon runners and other elite athletes.

Should I eat extra protein or use protein supplements?

Although some extra protein is needed to build muscle, most people get plenty of protein from food. Getting extra protein from supplements will not have any added benefit. Eating enough calories is actually more important for building muscle. Without enough calories, your body can't build new muscle.

Should I eat energy bars?

It depends. There are many different energy bars you can buy. Some are high in carbohydrates and others are high in protein. They do not contain any magic ingredients that will help your athletic performance. Regular foods that have some carbohydrate and protein in them like yogurt, cheese and crackers, or cereal bars are just as good and usually cost less. However, energy bars are convenient and may taste good. Energy bars are usually pretty dense and low in moisture, so make sure you drink plenty of fluids when you eat them.

**Remember: Athletes and dancers need more food and fluids than non-athletes. Regular meals and healthy snacks will help fuel your body before and after exercise. It is important to give your body enough of the right fuel in order to feel good and have the energy you need to be the best athlete you can be.

Article found at http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/nutrition-sports.html  

Staying grounded in the ever changing world of dance...

I am now in my mid twenties, danced professionally, trained at OCU and have been teaching for the past 2 and a half years.  As I am working with my students I notice how they seem to always wait for me to tell them to fix their abdominal or to tell them to keep their weight forward on their supporting leg.  These corrections are given to them on a daily basis in hopes they will start to do these things on their own.  Yet, I still feel as if I am waiting around for them to take the initiative.  If you keep doing the same thing over and over again the wrong way, eventually you will get really good at it wrong.  But, if you practice some thing the right way, it will feel good right and you will see improvement. 

I hope I can inspire my dancers to want to get better, to not take their plies or tendus for granted, to really use their body and muscles to develop the strength necessary to be a really good dancer.  I can only try to instill these things...but at least I am encouraging to learn to really dance versus just learning steps.  Anyone can battement or pirouette, but not anyone can do it with the right alignment and body placement designed to protect the body and create the most aesthetically pleasing line possible.  It is much harder to get your dancers to do a correct grand jete then to just let them flick it and wack it out....

I say this because in the dance world (ie. competition world of dance) it seems as if dancers are learning steps and choreography that appears to be done correctly however, they have no body placement or any idea that they are lacking it.  The core training of the dancers is gone and yet the steps are getting harder, more turns, higher leaps, insane tricks that cause injuries in 13 year olds.  A 13 year old should not have a reoccurring injury.  At this rate these kids will be cripple by the time they are in their mid twenties.  Let's not forget the true technique of dance, the body placement, the conditioning and training of the muscles.  This cannot be forgotten or missed....it is an injustice to the dancers and the art form it self.

Dance Studio Marketing: Staying Competitive Through the Internet

Dance studio marketing is a topic of interest to many studio owners and managers today. Operating a dance studio, just like any other business, requires a lot of hard work and determination. Internet marketing has been taking on an increased role in many of the studios' marketing programs in recent years due to its lower cost and higher levels of reach as compared to direct mail.

Studio managers have a wide array of dance advertising to choose from in the quest to stay competitive and reach more customers . These include operating a website incorporating SEO, utilizing social media marketing, sending out email promotions, writing articles about the dance studio, and running banner ads on websites relevant to dancing.

Another approach to entertainment marketing is to hire an SEO firm. SEO stands for search engine optimization. This is a tactic whereby a website, through the use of rich keywords and phrases, achieves a higher ranking in the results sections of the major search engines. Higher rankings will equate to more site hits , which hopefully will translate to more conversions. Dance studio managers can consult with an SEO firm to help out with this difficult and technical task. It should be noted that SEO must be joined with website content that is of the highest caliber and constantly updated. Without fresh and updated content, SEO service alone will not be effective.

In addition to operating a website incorporating SEO, a dance studio manager can use the various social media networks to promote his or her dance studio. Social networking websites contain millions of fresh leads for marketers, and it is possible to target extremely specific demographics through such media. For instance, dancers within a certain age group who are interested in ballet could be targeted. In addition to the many fresh and targeted leads that social media sites are capable of providing, it is also cost efficient to promote dance studio activities on them. Social networking websites continue to experience rapid growth and are a relatively new phenomenon, which makes them an attractive vehicle from which to promote dance-related activities.

Next, owners of dance studios can send out emails as part of their marketing plans. Emails can also be sent to current studio customers and prospects. On top of making sure that the emails are sent out to the appropriate lists, care has to be taken to ensure that effective email subject lines, text, and images are used. There are so many emails already flooding' peoples inboxes, and it is critical that emails stand out from the competition. Furthermore, there are rules to follow to ensure that emails do not end up in their recipients' spam folders. Some tips to avoid spam folders include not using exclamation points in the subject line and not utilizing the word free anywhere in the promotional text.

Studio managers can also write articles about their dance studio that contain hyperlinks to their companies website within the articles. These articles can be distributed to various article websites throughout the Internet. Such article sites are accessed by thousands of people. Well-written articles furthermore have staying power and can be passed on to a constant source of new leads. When people read the articles, they can click on the hyperlinks and visit the studios website.

Last but not least, studio owners can place banner ads hyperlinking to the studio's website on targeted sites. The intent of course would be for people to click on the banner ads and then hopefully sign up for dance lessons. A dance magazine, for example, would be a good place to purchase banner ads promoting the studio.

In conclusion, dance studio owners have increasingly relied on Internet marketing to promote their businesses and increase registration. Some of the advertising activities that they have been engaging in include operating a website incorporating SEO, utilizing social media marketing, sending out email promotions, writing articles about the dance studio, and running banner ads on websites relevant to dancing.

Improvisation Inspiration

I took a really cool improvisation dance class today with dancers that are less experienced and I felt very inspired after.  The way that they moved was more "pedestrian" like however, sometimes I find that to be the most interesting and unique.  As a dancer, when you are training your body for all of those years, sometimes the will to let go and just be natural can get lost.  These dancers were younger than I, but their readiness to try anything was so cool to watch.  It reminds me of why I dance and I hope some of their natural feeling rubbed off on me...

Dance is the only art of which we ourselves are the stuff of which it is made.  ~Ted Shawn, Time, 25 July 1955

A DANCE, ROCK MUSIC & ART tribute to Pink Floyd Volusica County Daytona Beach Summer 2010

Another Brick In The Wall


July 9 & 10th

A DANCE, ROCK MUSIC & ART tribute to Pink Floyd
Volusia County Summer 2010


Volusia County’s resident professional dance company, Surfscape Contemporary Dance Theatre, presents “Another Brick in the Wall” at The Coliseum on July 9th & 10th. Back by popular demand, this rock opera features a full-scale professional dance performance and highlights live music and ideas from Pink Floyd’s, The Wall. Dance enthusiasts and rock music lovers alike will enjoy an engaging evening of live music, light shows, videography, and professional dance. Presented in a night club setting, “Another Brick in the Wall” features the company’s highly trained dancers, compelling choreography by the company’s two founding Artistic Directors, Rachael Leonard and Kristin Polizzi, and music by Pink Floyd cover band, Earthbound Misfits. In addition, the multi-media show will include videography by Doug Ratcliff, artwork by Orlando's prodigal son-Morgan Steele, the Organic Lightshow and performance art by PeregoLive with music by Rob Real. Own a Perego original painting! His Pink Floyd's "the Wall"- inspired piece will be auctioned off at end of each show!


Although different from the company’s highly acclaimed repertory dance performances, Surfscape’s ground-breaking Pink Floyd tribute show is a "don't miss" event!..Although anyone is welcome to attend the performance, it is recommended for people over the age of 12.


Performances of “Another Brick in the Wall”, held at The Coliseum, are set for Friday, July 9th at 7:00pm and Saturday, July 10th at 7:00p.m. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $15 for students/youth and can be purchased through the SCDT box office: 386-366-5108.


In addition, the company will perform new choreography this fall/winter.


For more information about SCDT, please phone 386-233-4885
or log on to http://www.surfscapedance.org for photos and a calendar of events.


To see PeregoLIVE videos checkout- http://www.youtube.com/user/ArtArmyFILMS

New Choreography Reel Shannon Johnson Thomas

Hey guys!! Check out my new Choreography Reel! I will be editing and adding more choreography to it soon but, am excited in the mean time!









http://www.dancebrought2u.com

Dancer's Vegan Diet

Dancers need a healthy diet full of protein, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Being a vegan has helped me change my diet to help me feel healthy and trim up. Eating a diet high is meat and dairy can be very fattening and cause you to gain unwanted fat. I cut all meat products and dairy and switched to all organic vegan foods and yes that means no butter!!! I started to have a protein shake every morning with hemp milk, steamed vegetables, beans and rice, salads, nuts of all kind (no salt!), hummus and tabouli! I started to eat foods I would not have normally chosen to eat but, began to crave them just as you would chocolate! I was an occasional drinker, but I cut alcohol from my diet compeletly since they are empty calories.

As I changed my diet, I changed physically and mentally. I began to look at food as something to nourish my body with versus the pleasure of indulging. This mentality alone has been worth every trip to the health food store and every sacrifice made. Soon after these changes were made, I began to drop the weight and finally reach my goal physic as a dancer. To be in the best shape I can of coarse but caring about what I put in my body is the most rewarding.

I know that becoming vegan is extreme for some people. The majority of Americans eat meat and have dairy on a regular basis. The problem is that it is processed and high in fat, especially at the fast food chains. However, you can make a difference in yourself even if it means you cut meat and dairy out of your diet 1 to 2 days a week. Even a small change like that can make a big difference. When it comes to being a dancer, our body is our instrument. We have to fill it with healthy nutricious foods to keep it running as long as possible. Becoming vegan has made a positive change in my life and my dance life. Dancers can be vegan! :)

Dancer's Etiquette

Dancer's Etiquette

In the dance world, there are certain rules of etiquette that should be followed to show respect in the classroom. Dancers show respect for themselves by showing respect to others. Dance class offers discipline, self improvement, and work ethic in a structured environment. The structure of dance is something that helps encourage children to work hard through positive reinforcement and goals. Below is a list of rules that need to be followed when attending a dance studio beginning to professional.

1.To be on time is to be late! If the dance class starts at 5:00 and you show up at 5:00, you are now considered late. Dancers should always arrive to class no later than 15 minutes prior to start time. This is very important so the dancer can start to warm up the body and prepare the mind for class.
2.Always wear appropriate attire. Dancers should always wear tights and a leotard regardless of the style of class. You may bring cover-ups to warm up in however, it is important to wear tights and leotard so that the teacher can see the body alignment to help the dancer use their placement to the best of their ability. Hair should be out of the face in a pony tail or bun.
3.Always enter class quietly and find a spot on the floor or at the barre and begin preparing for class. DON'T enter talking a giggling with your friends! :)
4.Always show respect for the teacher by saying thank you to corrections. Even if you think the dance teacher is “picking” on you, it is most likely because they see potential in you and want to help you get better!
5.Show respect for others and be aware of your dance space.
6.If you don't know what you are doing, get out of the front of the room, you always want to show that you are working hard, however if you are unsure move to the side so you can see who does know it and try to learn from them.
7.Never judge anyone you are dancing with. The dance studio is a non-judgmental grounds! ;)
8.Last but not least, after class you should always clap for the teacher and say thank you!!!

http://www.dancebrought2u.com

10 tips to a successful audition!

1.Be on time. Punctuality is important, time is money.
2.Have Resume and Headshot cut to 8 x 10 and attached to make one sheet you hand them, many casting directors will not except anything else.
3.Have 16 bars of a song, with sheet music, picked out that compliments what you are auditioning for. **Don't sing Lady Gaga's Bad Romance for A Chorus Line Audition!
4.Always have all of your dance shoes with you! You never know if you will need to do pointe, tap or wear character heels.
5.Have appropriate attire with you. Always were tights and leotard so you can layer over it. For example, a skirt to do ballroom in, some stylish clothes to do hip hop in. Some auditions will have you in your tights and leotard only!
6.Have a fresh face of makeup and your hair pulled back off of your face! Casting directors want to see what you look like!
7.Always make sure you stand somewhere where you will be able to pick up the audition combination.
8.Be kind and considerate to those around you. A cattle call audition can be 100's of people.
9.SMILE! Even when you are not dancing!
10.Last but not least, if you mess up, SELL it! Sometimes it isn't about nailing the combination perfectly. It is about the performance!


http://www.dancebrought2u.com

Look who is taking over http://www.dance.com

Check  it out, Intrigue Dance Intensive is taking over Dance.com for the week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shannon

Dancebrought2u Choreography and Lessons

Dancebrought2u now working with Spruce Creek High School Colorguard

I will be working with the Spruce Creek High School Color-Guard for their auditions upcoming in May as well as working with them this summer! I am excited to do something new and different!

"Make your own good luck..." :)

Shannon
http://www.dancebrought2u.com

New Video, "Stupid" Contemporay Jazz Improvisation

Shannon Johnson Thomas http://www.dancebrought2u.com

Improving contemporary jazz to Stupid by Sarah Mclaughlin

How many years does it take to shape a dancer?

Martha Graham stated "It takes ten years, usually, to make a dancer. It takes ten years of handling the instrument, handling the material with which you are dealing, for you to know it completely"

The thing about dance is, it takes so long to be able to really find that "comfort" dancing offers to us as humans. The early years are spent sweating, stretching, doing steps over and over, building a vocabulary and body placement....it is almost as if by the time the dancer really gets to really "dance" they either quit, graduate high school and move on to college and don't dance anymore....It is always when they start to reach their potential too.

Shannon
http://www.dancebrought2u.com

Dancebrought2u Choreographer showing new piece at Papillon Spring Dance Show!

Shannon Johnson Thomas will be showing a new piece at the Spruce Creek High School Dance Show entitled, "Here With Me." There are 13 dancers in this contemporary jazz piece.

Come see the Show April 30th at 7:00pm at Spruce Creek High School, 801 Taylor Road Port Orange Florida!

http://www.dancebrought2u.com

Capezio ACE Awards 2010

Here are some awesome videos from the
2009 Capezio Award for Choreographic Excellence http://danceteachersummit.com/videos.php

To enter for 2010, check out
http://dancemedia.com/events/dance-teacher-summit

This is a great opportunity for choreographers to expose their work to one of the most influential audiences in dance. I hope to be a part of this someday and am excited to see who will take it this year! If you are looking for choreography or master classes in the Central Florida area, please contact me at shannon@dancebrought2u.com


Shannon
http://www.dancebrought2u.com

Those who inspire, re inspire Dance in Daytona Beach Florida

Educating yourself as a dancer and instructor requires hours and hours of hard work in the studio, countless hours of weekend trips to take different classes and workshops, time spent watching and analyzing and figuring out how to get your students looking the best they possibly can, pedagogy classes, choreography classes, teacher's training classes....patience, passion and integrity. I feel these qualities are few and far between and those that have them will always be my heroes...who I look up to, who I try to model my teaching style after. I try to take little bits from each of these inspiring people (near and far) and sprinkle them on my dancers. I hope my students think of me this way.


There are likewise three kinds of dancers: first, those who consider dancing as a sort of gymnastic drill, made up of impersonal and graceful arabesques; second, those who, by concentrating their minds, lead the body into the rhythm of a desired emotion, expressing a remembered feeling or experience. And finally, there are those who convert the body into a luminous fluidity, surrendering it to the inspiration of the soul. *Isadora Duncan

http://www.dancebrought2u.com

Dance like nobody's watching...

Couldn't be more true...I told my dancers yesterday, that they need to give more back, have more integrity when they dance. They need to take pride in what they are doing, regardless if you think the choreography is easy or simple. For most of them, this is the extent of their dance career, so they need to really be in the moment and enjoy what they are doing...Love it and live in it. Sometimes we forget that our life is happening to us now. So we have to dance that way too...

Shannon Johnson Improvisation

Things I have learned so far this year...

I love dance because it is always changing. There will always be trends and fads, that is inevitable. However, the meat of dance will always be in your plie....

I believe in teaching proper technique and body placement to help the dancer understand how you do it and where it comes from. This knowledge is often left out of the equation and substituted for multiple turns and leg extensions.

I believe that choreography should be suited for the dancers you are working with, especially in the studio setting. The realization that you are choreographing for them and not yourself can be the most important of the young teacher this day and age.

I believe that less is more...

A little about me...

Shannon Johnson grew up in Daytona Beach, FL where she began dancing at the age of 4 at Debco School of Dance now known as Amanda's Dance Center. She studied ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, lyrical, acrobatics, modern, and musical theater. She was a member of ADC Elite. While living in Florida, Shannon was extremely involved in the dance community locally and statewide. She was awarded many awards and won the over-all dancer scholarship with Florida Dance Master's at the age of 18. She performed at many community events such as Volusia County Dances, Central Florida Dance, Volusia County Fair, Remembering Lauren: A night of Song and Dance, and Florida Dance Master's Main Attraction. Shannon particpated in many workshops and conventions classes with numerous icons in the dance world; Joe Tremaine, Frank Hatchett, Gus Giordano, Dee Caspary, Mandy Moore, Lizzie MacKenzie, Randy Duncan, and Patsy Swayze. She was also a part of Jazz Dance World Congress. She left Florida to attend Oklahoma City University's Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Arts Management to study Dance Performance. She studied extensively in ballet, tap, jazz, theater dance, dance pedagogy, anatomy, and choreography under such people as Jo Rowan, Robert Reed, Tiffany Van der merwe, Patricia Oplotnik, and Kay Sandel. While attending OCU, Shannon was a part of the prestigious American Spirit Dance Company for 4 years. While at OCU, she performed with and honored such celebrities as Susan Powell, Art and Nancy Stone, Cholly Atkins, Leonard Reed, Marion Coles, and Donald O'Conner. Shannon is currently working on choreography and developing a broader understanding of the concepts from which dance derives. Shannon was awarded "Excellence in Choreography" for her contemporary piece "New Beginnings" at the 2009 OnStage New York Nationals Competition Summer 2009. Shannon also has worked with Papillon Dance Ensemble and Creekside Middle School Dance Teams. Shannon is a firm believer that the true dancer lies from within. Everyone has the ability to dance, it is just a matter of finding the strength from within to believe you can. She is very excited to be a part of Amanda's Dance Center again as a teacher and can't wait to share her love of dance!

http://www.dancebrought2u.com