My Passion, My Love, Dance
explanatory Essay
764 words
My Life, My Passion, My Love, Dance The Rockettes continue to shine as an American treasure; their glamorous performance style and complex routines have charmed audiences for generations. As the stars of a legendary holiday production, these immensely talented and hard-working women showcase their precise dance style while performing challenging and modern choreography. As a young girl, I loved precision dancing and performing with my dance studio. I became familiar with the Radio City Rockettes and desired the confidence they emitted. Not only did I anxiously await the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade each year, but I continuously watched the movie "Annie,” impressed by the simplicity with which the Rockettes kicked and transitioned to unique …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Describes how they became familiar with the radio city rockettes as a young girl who loved precision dancing and performing with their dance studio.
- Describes how their good fortune allowed them to take dance classes from a few women who danced as rockettes for several years. they focused on their tap and jazz technique while performing in national dance competitions.
- Narrates how they decided to audition closer to home for the fox theater, muny kids, and the american ballet theatre studio company.
- Explains that they attribute their success to years of hard work, dedication, and a natural eye for dance precision. rehearsals require endurance and focus.
- Opines that the nutcracker holds a soft spot in their heart because it is the most important production that plays to nearly thousands of people at each show.
- Opines that the junior rockettes are still a dream worth chasing. they continue to work hard because they believe that they can fulfill their childhood desires.
Rockettes are known for having flawless legs, and I started to become leggy myself. I focused on my tap and jazz technique, just as the Rockettes do, while performing in national dance competitions and at many other events. At fifteen, as an experienced dancer at The Center of Creative Arts Dance Company, a friend invited me to audition with her for the Junior Rockettes in Chicago. When she backed out, my family drove me, and I joined 250 other girls in a line that wrapped around the building. For two exhausting days, I tapped hundreds of rhythms, executed several jazz routines, and high kicked enough that my hamstrings would never be the same. A panel of directors and choreographers diligently took notes and delivered corrections to help us resemble a Rockette’s …show more content…
Almost three months later, I received my offer phone call. I felt as if I rode a wave of enormous luck: like I had been handed a special gift. For me to actually be a Junior Rockette involved moving my entire family to Chicago. Long contemplation left my family and me with sleepless nights. Even though this would be a tremendous experience for me, it would involve too many unnecessary changes. I declined the offer, but promised to attend all Junior Rockette and Rockette extravaganzas in the future. Since my life revolved around dance, I decided to audition closer to home for the Fox Theater, Muny Kids, and the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company. Fortunately, I was chosen for each spot, but I only accepted from the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company in St. Louis, Missouri. As I enter my third season with the company, I remain as grateful as ever, but attribute my success to years of hard work, dedication, and a natural eye for dance precision. Today as I prepare for our 2017 edition of the Nutcracker, I must arrive at rehearsals strong, fit, and prepared with a positive attitude. Rehearsals require endurance and focus: we practice approximately fifteen hours a week for four months to perfect the Nutcracker. I believe I have kept the sports tape industry in business by using it to prevent blisters from my pointe
Related
- explanatory
- analytical
- opinion
- Ballet is Everythingexplanatory essayIn addition to being used as an artistic demonstration, ballet can also be used as a sport. There is a saying among ballerinas, “Ballet. Like sport, only harder.” Why harder? you might think. It is undertaken mostly by girly girls. It is demanding because...
In this essay, the author
- Explains ballet is a type of dance that involves the movement of the body. it originated in the italian renaissance and later developed in russia and france.
- Explains that ballet is a category of art where dancers use their bodies to charmingly tell stories. it unites aspects of painting, poetry, dancing, and music.
- Explains that ballet can be used as an artistic demonstration, as well as a sport. it is demanding because the techniques involved are sophisticated and require much training and discipline.
- Explains that ballet can be used as a spiritual channel, as it expresses the word and spirit of god, and leads the congregation into supplication.
- Explains that ballerinas dance for artistic, sporty, and spiritual reasons, while others do it for exercise, worship, or to honor god. dance is an amazing art and great sport.
659 wordsRead More - The Sport Danceexplanatory essayAs Jackie Joyner Kersee once said, “The rewards are going to come, but my happiness is just loving the sport and having fun performing” (“Sports Quotes,” 2013). Sports play a major role in entertainment all across the world. Sports can range from driving in NASCAR to playing in the NBA (Careers in Pro Sports, 1999). Sports usually involve teamwork and is fun for everyone. Although sports are supposed to be fun, there is natural competition. Being a feminine art, dance is considered to be just about anything other than a sport. Dancers are trained to the height of their ability, just like other athletes in other sports. Even though the dancer might not perform with their whole dance studio on stage at the same time, the dancers are all apart of the same team. Dancing is not an easy sport to participate in, so if you are looking for a sport that does not require practice then you might want to look into a different sport. There are hour-long practices, healthy diets, and several routines to remember. Normally, if someone is convinced that dance is not a sport, they have not fully engaged or experienced dance. In order to better understand dance, it is important to understand the history of dance, the competition of dance, and the comparison of dance to other sports.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that sports play a major role in entertainment all across the world. although sports are supposed to be fun, there is natural competition.
- Explains that dance is an easy way to burn calories while having fun with friends.
- Explains that dance classes are offered all over the world and they are taken for multiple reasons. dance studios break up the age differences in age groups.
- Explains the definition of a sport as an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of competitive nature.
- Explains that dance competitions are a way for dance studios to compete and see which team has the most techniques, agility, spirit, and best performance.
- Explains that dance can be as dangerous as any other sport in the world. the physical demands placed on the dancer's body are just as at risk as football players.
- Explains the major dance injuries that dancers have to look out for in the leg, ankle, and foot area, as well as in their lower back and around the hip area.
- Explains that dancers need to keep fluids in their body to maintain a healthy performance and prevent passing out.
- Explains that dance requires more physical, mental, and emotional training than any other sport.
- Opines that dance is a fun, easy way to get the body moving or let your feelings be expressed.
- Explains five things every parent should know before choosing a dance school.
- Explains that dance in ancient egypt was a spiritual event, and the egyptian priests would tell stories of gods through dance. dance was popular in france and italy during the renaissance.
- Explains that in america, dancers are performing dances as entertainment, just like france and italy began doing in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
- Cites the federation of dance competition website: http://www.fdcdance.org/ sport quotes.
1979 wordsRead More - Essay On Tap Dancingexplanatory essayAfter all these years, the strict requirements of being a Rockette have never lessened (“Hit the Stage in Our Discount Dancewear!” par. 16). If you are shorter than five foot six or taller than five foot ten then you cannot even audition (“Hit the Stage in Our Discount Dancewear!” par. 17). You also should be proficient in jazz dance and tap (“Hit the Stage in Our Discount Dancewear!” par. 16).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that tap began as a necessity for survival before it was an art form. it began during the slave trade when slave-holders found out that africans were communicating through their traditional instruments and drums.
- Explains the history of the tap shoe, which started with bare skin, then moved from leather to wood, and finally from metal to metal.
- Explains that bill "bojangles" robinson was one of the most famous and influential tap dancers. his style was the waltz clog and he was a master of it.
- Explains that bill "bojangles" robinson's most memorable contribution to tap dance was the stair dance. he set a world record of 8.2 seconds in the 75-yard backwards dash.
- Explains that shirley temple earned more money than any other hollywood star by starring in movies that brought an hour and a half of light in the darkest of the great depression.
- Explains that the radio city rockettes are the creation of russell markert who put together a kick line of 16 perfectly matched tappers in st. louis.
2487 wordsRead More - Fall Dance Concert Analysisanalytical essayThe performance sets up the scene with the female dancers dressed as prominent women throughout history such as Rosie the Riveter, Nillie Bly, Mother Teresa, Amelia Earhart, and Florence Nightingale. The women take turns in the spotlight, using their movements to tell their story and significance in history. The story of Amelia Earhart was told symbolically through the performer’s actions. The audience are introduced to Earhart’s love of flying and her aspirations to be a renown female pilot through the performer’s imitation as a graceful plane flying across the stage with glee. However, her story takes a dark turn when she embarks on a quest to prove herself as a capable pilot in spite of being a woman. We see her downfall when her character, as a plane, struggles to stay in flight and eventually tumbles and falls, exiting the stage soon after to show her mysterious disappearance during her quest. The performer playing as Earhart succeeded in portraying her story and her downfall. The dancer’s performance as Earhart was followed by another significant performance which was the dance of Mother Teresa, who took the spotlight with her reserved yet expressive dances. During her dance, Mother Teresa made a notable move where she wanders the stage and places a hand on each of the women in a caring way, like a mother would do to her child. This action she performed in her dance
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the faculty choreographers amy michelle allen, marco carreon, sarah cashmore, jeff hendrix, erin landry, doris ressl acosta, and kenneth walker helped make the fall dance concert, rise, come to life.
- Analyzes rise as a collection of elaborate dances with the theme of empowerment. the dancers portray prominent historical women, the openness of women expressing their sexuality, and the mechanical uprising.
- Analyzes how the dance "things are a stirrin'" encompasses the theme of empowerment. the audience is introduced to amelia earhart's love of flying and her aspirations to be a renown female pilot.
- Analyzes how the dance, "woman", introduces the audience to a lone jewelry box, vase of roses, and mirror on the stage.
- Analyzes how "makina" tells the story of the rebellion against mechanical oppressors. the audience is presented the character, machine lord, and his machine soldiers, using hard work and energy to power a contraption.
- Analyzes how each dance mentioned focused on the central theme of empowerment and rising above standards and expectations where the characters the dancers take on find power, strength, and independence in themselves.
958 wordsRead More - The Importance Of Danceexplanatory essayWhen MacKenzie choreographs she focuses on delivering spectacularly rich performances. She has the ability to combine and create beautiful and engaging movement designs with an unusually effective understanding of concert dance architecture (Nevin, 2013). The audience is able to see the beauty each dance imposes. She is able to capture the audience with every dance and take them on a beautiful journey. She is also thoughtful in everything she does, but especially in anything that deals with any type of human connection, which is one of the many reasons why she is so successful as a teacher (Nevin, 2013). With her thoughtfulness and new ideas she is also open to learning and embracing new possibilities (Nevin, 2013). She is not just open t...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that dance has different definitions for each individual. for some it may symbolize beauty, perfection, and struggles amongst many others. lizzie mackenzie is recognized as an exceptional dancer.
- Explains mackenzie's ability to create beautiful and engaging movement designs with an unusually effective understanding of concert dance architecture. she is thoughtful in everything she does, but especially in anything dealing with any type of human connection.
- Explains that nevin's dance company is well known for being able to directly connect with the audience, which is an important factor that many others lack.
- Describes a dance called "excerpts from tomorrow" where the dancers are wearing black costumes with white tights and their hair is pulled back into the bun. the music is sharp and doesn't feel classical.
- Explains that the dancers lay on the floor and dance in sync, while the others stand up at the same time. the dance has a lot of shadows because of the stage lighting.
743 wordsRead More - Concert Review of Without Sinkinganalytical essayOn April 19 2014, I attended the Old Dominion University, University Dance Theatre Spring Concert 2014. Upon entering the theatre, I was not too sure what to expect. From the look of the advertisement it could be implied that this concert would focus on contemporary or modern dance elements. Once I viewed the program I developed different expectations. The artist’s biographies lead me to anticipate a variety of dance genres, to include: jazz, hip hop, modern, ballet and ballroom. The dance titles left much to the imagination. All except “Lets’s Ballroom Dance”, I inherently expected some form of ballroom dancing. As a whole the concert was at times very entertaining and at other times I felt confused and unsure of what the artist wanted the audience to gain from the performance. This did not take away my appreciation for the technique and skill of each dancer performing that night. I simply reasoned that each dancer did exactly what each particular artist requested of them, which to me seems to be difficult enough seeing how some were strange and out of the ordinary. It definitely took confidence and humility. Out of nine performances I was able to choose two performances that were able to catch my interest and entertain my imagination, “Without Sinking” and “Tie Shopping with My Father”.
In this essay, the author
- Describes their experience at the old dominion university, university dance theatre spring concert 2014, where they were not sure what to expect.
- Explains that without sinking was choreographed by megan thompson and collaborated with the dancers. the dance began with music by iannis xenakis, "concert ph".
- Analyzes how the dancers' costumes, amber light bulbs, and grey costumes displayed a type of sadness or depression mixed with desperation.
- Analyzes how "tie shopping with my father" was performed during the second half of the concert. she was not graceful but rather portrayed a tough and rough persona.
- Analyzes how "tie shopping with my father" introduced nine other dancers. "aheym" by bryce dessner added to this by providing an almost frantic feel.
- Opines that the university dance theatre spring concert was interesting, with performances that did not restrict the audience to focus on one particular theme.
1060 wordsRead More - To begin with, Martha’s desperate effort was one of her strong strengths. When Martha began dance, many people murmured that Martha would fail because she was “quite a few years above the average age of all the other girls in the school” (28), “dumpy, [and] unprepossessing” (28). However, she astonished her dance teachers and others “with her determination to learn and her quick mastery of difficult exercises, gestures, and steps” (30). Martha usually spent her time on the studio alone all day and night, seeking for unique, exotic, and alluring movements of her own. Ted Shawn, Mar...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that russell freedman, an american biographer and author, was born in san francisco in 1929 and graduated from the university of california, berkeley.
- Analyzes how russell freedman introduces martha graham's desperate effort, true friendship, revolutionary choreographing skills, and her desperate attempts to secure her fame.
- Explains that martha's desperate effort was one of her strengths. she astonished her dance teachers and others with her determination to learn and her quick mastery of difficult exercises, gestures, and steps.
- Analyzes how martha graham's revolutionary choreographing skills created a revolution in the 1930s.
- Analyzes how martha's true friendship shows her personalities and how she overcame her worries, anxiety, and tiredness. martha and louis horst were best friends in spite of their age gap and attentions.
- Explains that louis horst, martha's friend, was the most loyal supporter and toughest critic, bluntly honest in his comments. since they were usually together, many people misunderstood their relationship.
- Explains that martha visited and took care of louis during martha's crisis. after louis horst passed away in 1964, martha announced, "his sympathy and understanding, but primarily his faith, gave [her] a landscape to move in."
- Analyzes how martha graham, a dancer's life, shows her desperate attempts to secure her fame.
906 wordsRead More - The Complishment Of Cheerleadingexplanatory essayThe start of seventh grade, I was far from the image of the typical cheerleader. I was clumsy, would spill anything and often tripped over my own feet. I also had a speech impediment, so people could not usually understand me. The thought of me being a cheerleader was laughable. However, my best friend convinced me to just try it, and
In this essay, the author
- Explains that cheerleading is the best leadership accomplishment that demonstrates their potential to make significant contributions to the campus community and broader society.
- Describes how they were clumsy, tripped over their own feet, and had a speech impediment, but their best friend convinced them to try it.
- Explains how their cheer squad decided to compete in competitions, which was stressful because they were not very big. the hard work paid off when they got first at the state fair spirit classic in sedalia, missouri.
- Opines that being a cheerleader also provides many leadership opportunities in our school.
- Explains that as a cheerleader, they have the duty to encourage their school. volunteering their time to help the middle school squad learn the cheers made them more confident.
- Opines that cheerleading has helped them grow from an awkward seventh grader to a well-rounded adult.
833 wordsRead More - Persuasive Essay Danceexplanatory essayDance is a difficult sport though. According to Samantha Sobash, dance has no specific seasons. In most sports, there is a season where you compete, and then after the season is over, you train. During that training period most people have a specific amount of time to rest before starting their training again. In dance, since there are no specific seasons, there is no time for the athletes t...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that dance is considered a sport for some people, and some don't. this research paper is about the physical and mental benefits of dance.
- Explains that dance is defined differently by different people. some people define it as a sport, others as therapy, and others just do it recreationally.
- Explains that dance is a difficult sport, since it has no specific seasons. in most sports, there are seasons where you compete, and then after the season is over, you train.
- Explains that dance is used therapeutically for physical and mental purposes. therapy allows a connection in your body between your mind and body.
- Explains that dance is done competitively and therapeutically, but it is also done recreationally. according to lys stevens and dianne milligan, dance benefits a person socially, educationally or physically.
- Explains that dance helps with psychological well-being, keeping thoughts healthy, and keeping you sane. it also develops better social skills.
- Explains the benefits of dance on one's mental state and the causes of the decrease in confidence and self-esteem.
- Explains that dance may be simple for some people, but for others, it is an outlet. it takes away any fear you might have such as being bad at dancing.
- Explains that dance is a good stress reliever. there are certain indications that you are under stress, such as loss of control, emotional changes, and low self-esteem.
- Explains that dance helps with respiratory and cardiovascular system, increases muscle strength and flexibility, contributes to motor and aerobic fitness, and lowers the risk of osteoporosis.
- Explains that osteoporosis is a physical condition dance can prevent. it is when the bones in the body start to thin out, increasing the risks of fractures.
- Explains that aerobic fitness is when you need endurance to exercise for longer time, and which requires oxygen.
- Explains that motor fitness is the ability to perform a sport, which requires agility, quick reactions, and coordination. motor and aerobic fitness are dependent on each other.
- Concludes that dance is good for your body physically, and mentally. athletes like football players have found dancing beneficial for their sport.
1010 wordsRead More - The Pressures of Dancersopinion essayThe typical idea of a dancer is that they are tall, slender, full of energy, and lucky because they dance with all of the “stars”. Much of this is true, however, what many people do not think of are the many hardships that a dancer goes through in order to achieve their high status in the dance world. It takes much hard work and determination along with good direction to become a dancer. However, nothing good comes without a price. Dancers often times have many pressures put on them which can lead to physical and emotional damages. These damages occur through the pressures from the media, parents, teammates, and the stereotype that society has placed on dancers.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that teammates are supposed to be there for each other and help guide one another to becoming better and more professional dancers, but this isn't always the case.
- Explains that teachers are a source of pressure and they are related to the unhealthy habits of the dancers.
- Explains that the pressure and stress that competition puts on them is so intense that it can cause strains on their relationships.
- Opines that the stress and pressure of parents can be the most problematic for dancers.
- Quotes julie pederson's article, "psychological price of overachievement," which states that parents can cause a lot of pressure on their kids.
- Explains that overachievers become unhappy and doubt their abilities, which leads to a feeling of failure or not good enough to be out on stage.
- Cites bottamini, ste-marie, school of human kinetics, faculty of health sciences, university of ottawa: eating problems in female athletes.
- Describes mcquay, jana, dance, study, sleep and sleep in lessons the journal of the center for teaching & learning excellence.
- Cites bottamini, ste-marie, school of human kinetics, faculty of health sciences, university of ottawa: eating problems in female athletes.
- Analyzes linda hamilton's article, "becoming a dancer: gotta dance!" dance magazine, july 1, 2002.
- Describes mcquay, jana, dance, study, sleep and sleep in lessons the journal of the center for teaching & learning excellence.
- Analyzes how the pressures placed on dancers by the media can lead to eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia.
- Opines that teachers are hard on their students because they want them to achieve, but sometimes they take it to the extreme, putting too much pressure on the dancers to be perfect.
- Explains that dancers are pressured to compete in auditions and competitions, which is where the emotional factors take place. they may feel like failures if they don't make it.
- Opines that the stereotype of a dancer is often glamorized by the media but is actually put into effect by parents.
3179 wordsRead More