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Choros – A Pas De Trente Deux!

Choros

Today we are highlighting an incredibly hypnotic short film called Choros. Filmed in 2011 by Michael Langan & Terah Maher, Choros is a dizzying combination of music, dance and cinema where a single dancer (Maher) is “layered” over herself 32 times… in effect, a “pas de trente-deux”! Set to Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians, the result is surreal, highly inventive and just plain beautiful to watch.

The filming of Choros references a historical technique called chronophotography, whcih used multiple photographs to enable the scientific study of a subject’s movement. However, Langan and Maher have advanced the technique in Choros through digital innovation, which has lead to multiple international awards since its launch.

Watching the full work requires freeing up some time as it lasts for 13 minutes, but we urge everyone to watch this truly stunning film… it is inspirational!

Dance Performance Theme Ideas

Dance Performance Theme IdeasStuck for some ideas for a theme for your next dance performance? Below is a list that might help to give you some inspiration!

  • The 1980’S
  • A Night At The Movies
  • Alice In Wonderland
  • British History
  • And The Winner Is – A play on the oscars with every dancer being a winner!
  • Anything Goes
  • Around The World
  • Blast From The Past – use songs from past performances in celebration of an anniversary.
  • Cirque De Soleil
  • Colours Or Kaleidoscope – use songs about colours.
  • Come Fly With Me – highlight tourist spots and monuments that you visit on vacation, both man-made and natural.
  • Sea Cruise
  • Dance For A Wish – donate a portion of the money you raise to Make A Wish Foundation Uk.
  • Dance School Musical – use songs about school days.
  • Dancing In The Moonlight
  • Dancing On Ice
  • Dancing Through The Decades
  • Dancing Through The Year
  • Disney
  • Europe
  • Everything Old Is New Again – do an anniversary show and repeat your favourite numbers from previous years.
  • FAME
  • Fantasy
  • Fashion
  • Feelin’ Good
  • Food
  • Growing Up
  • Happiness Is…
  • Historical Figures
  • How We Used To Live
  • Lights, Camera, Dancing!
  • Icons Of Dance
  • Icons Of Music
  • Inspiration
  • Legends, Divas, And Superstars
  • Memories &Amp; New Beginnings
  • Once Upon A Time – choose fairy tales and choreograph the stories
  • One Moment In Time
  • Opposites
  • Peace, Love And Dance
  • Portraits In Dance – works of art relating to your dance style(s).
  • Raising The Barre
  • The Big Top
  • Rock This Town
  • Seasons
  • Shakespeare
  • Shirley Temple
  • Sports
  • Strictly Come Dancing!
  • Superheros
  • Sweet Dreams – use songs relating to the night or dreams.
  • Take Me To The Show – movies, TV, theatre, etc.
  • The Abc Of Dance
  • The Hopes And Dreams Of Siblings
  • The Underwater World
  • The Six Days Of Creation
  • The Swinging Sixties
  • These Are A Few Of Our Favorite Things – have your students list their favourite things and choose songs based on them.
  • The West End
  • Uk Rock Music
  • Walking The Red Carpet
  • Weather

Please feel free to add to the list?

Dancers: Behind the Scenes with The Royal Ballet

Dancers: Behind the Scenes at The Royal Ballet by Andrej UspenskiThe 1st April 2013 saw the release of Dancers: Behind the Scenes with The Royal Ballet by Andrej Uspenski (himself a First Soloist with The Royal Ballet). Andrej’s exquisite photographic book contains images of some of the world’s most gifted dancers, drawing us into the beautiful world of ballet and showing us an “insider’s” perspective of the workings of The Royal Ballet at the same time.Andrej Uspenski's Photos of The Royal BalletThis exclusive view means we get to see behind the scenes at one of the world’s most prestigious companies, from rehearsals to opening night, through some truly breathtaking photographs.

According to Andrej, “I am in a unique position. Although I am first and foremost a dancer, working, living and spending time with other dancers, I also experience this world from behind the camera. Through this I have the opportunity to capture some of the unusually seen and unexpected images from a dancer’s day.”

About Andrej Uspenski

Andrej Uspenski trained at the Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia. He has been a dancer at The Royal Ballet for ten years. A passionate photographer throughout his life, his photographic work has been used in international publications and in Royal Opera House programmes.

Dancers: Behind the Scenes with The Royal Ballet is available to buy from Dance Direct!

Reviews

“Uspenski’s volume shows the company in moments of unguarded intimacy that only a fellow dancer could capture.” – Daily Telegraph

“A treat… Dancers is about exceptional ballet photography and for that alone it is rare, valuable and worth collecting.” – Ballet News

“Fascinating… the pictures have a rare intimacy…an intriguing glimpse of what it’s really like to be a ballerina.” – The Lady

“This stunning collection of pictures, highly stylised and charmingly informal, is a must for any ballet fan.” – Daily Mail

How Should Dance Teachers Measure Up?

Measuring For Dance Costumes

Your dance shows are being prepared and the costumes have been shortlisted, but there’s still a lot to do… including taking the measurements for all your students. To help you out, here are a few tips to help you ensure all your students’ costumes fit like a glove!

General Tips

Make sure your students are wearing a leotard or other tight-fitting garment (with empty pockets!) when you are taking their measurements.

Have your students stand with their feet apart slightly and their arms straight out to their sides.

Be sure not to pull the tape too tightly and remember that younger students will continue growing throughout the year. You can ensure there is sufficient room for growth by inserting two fingers between the body and the tape measure itself.

Chest

First, measure the chest. The measurement here should be taken around the back to the chest around the fullest part. Ensure your student is not holding their breath as this will make the measurement larger than it should be. Ask your student to take a deep breath in and out – recording the measurement once they have exhaled, which should help!

Waist

Next, the waist. You should be aiming to measure the “natural waist” of the student. To find this easily, ask your student bend to one side and measure from the spot their body naturally folds at. Try to make sure your student is not sucking in his or her tummy… as with measuring the chest, the breathing trick works here too!

Hips

Now it’s time to measure the hips. Take a measurement around the widest part of the hips.

Girth

The girth is probably the most important measurement to think about for all costumes built around a leotard base. If your students are not wearing a leotard when you are measuring them, ensure their trousers are pulled all the way up! Measure over the shoulder, between the legs and back around to the centre of the shoulder where the strap of the leotard will sit.

Inseam

Last but not least, take the inseam measurement. Ensure your students are standing straight and looking directly ahead. Have them hold the measure between their legs at the innermost upper-thigh and then measure down to just below the ankle.

That’s just about it! For further guidance you can refer to our size chart and please bear in mind we always recommend going up one size if a particular student is between sizes. Of course if you have any questions you can always give us a call on 0845 330 1 330!