Music is amazing..

I’ve travelled and played piano in 5 different countries,  on grand stages, small halls and dimly lit lounges and do you know what all those experiences had in common? People enjoying the music. Like my grandpa used to say for fun, “Hey! You can play in German!” lol 

Music is life.

Music brings joy.

Music exudes and builds emotions.

Music propels movement.

Music can drive and inspire a dancer who’s had a bad day.

Today I want to discuss STRONG music....

I'm not playing the piano, why do I need to know music terms? Does it really matter if I know what those 4 words mean?

Yes! Yes! and YES!!!

You NEED to know what they are so you can be clear to your musicians, your dancers and yourself when you're marking! Your total awareness and ability to express these music qualities will take your teaching to a WHOLE new level! 

Bwoop! Bwoop! Bwoop!

4 Music Terms you NEED to Know, Understand and Demonstrate

Tempo

This is the speed of music you need. When...

Boldness be my friend. - William Shakespeare

For those of you who bravely and boldly go into the realm of creating your own exercises, firstly, I raise my glass to your bravado!

You should know, based on my minimal research, that not nearly every teacher does this. In fact, I would estimate that less than 50% regularly teach unset exercises; that's so unfortunate for their students and for them! To be fair though, it is a ton of work when you're first getting started with creating exercises.

There are a...

Let's Talk Music for Grand Battement

So here's the thing, I LOVE grand battement! It's probably my most favourite movement of class. I love the energy of it. I love the power of it. I love the clear musical accent of it!

My love of GB probably stems back to my 'childhood' (doesn't everything?!) of being a ballet accompanist. There are so many subtleties in the movements of ballet that I needed to learn, the clarity and directness of GB was such a breath of fresh air for me as a beginner ballet...