From Dance Teacher

By Lauren Kay

For Joshua Bergasse, who teaches theater dance at Broadway Dance Center in New York City, jump sequences are the highlight of any routine. That much was evident in a recent class—from the way his smile expanded and his energy rose as he explained a series of sautés ending in a huge, turning jump with one knee bent and the other in second position.

Bergasse is not alone in his preference. Powerful jazz, contemporary, hip-hop and modern jumps explode both in the studio and onstage. Fortunately, the basic jump technique students learn in ballet classes will bolster their large jazz jumps, making classical training a must for all students hoping to achieve impressive—and safe—ballon (air time). But, while the underlying elements are the same for all jumps, the extra layers of theatricality, dynamism and musicality make for different challenges in jazzier genres.

DT talked to top jazz and musical theater instructors to learn more about mastering jumps outside of the ballet world. (Ballet jump technique, was covered in-depth in “Joyous Jumps” in the September 2008 issue.)

From the Ground Up

Just as in classical ballet technique, a jump’s ballon, safety and comfort are highly dependent on the quality of the plié that precedes it. In Bergasse’s words, “It’s simple: A better plié equals a better jump.”

Chris Hale, a fellow NYC teacher and dancer, notes that only when the plié is deep enough can a dancer’s legs reach the full, straight length necessary to create beautiful lines during a jump. “The plié is one of the building blocks of a jump, as are truly straight legs—not hyper-extended and not bent—that come from it,” he says.

Rebecca Blanchard, a NYC-based doctor of physical therapy, adds that the plié following a jump is no less important; using the bend in the knees to its full extent absorbs shock. “A correct plié allows the tissue to stretch upon landing and creates a natural rebound, like an elastic band,” she says.

Since jazz, musical theater and contemporary dance jumps are often more forceful than feathery, Michéle Assaf, master teacher at BDC and President of Tezoro Productions emphasizes this point in her classes. “You can’t sit in the plié. Hit the plié and then immediately rebound,” says Assaf. “It’s ‘and a’ timing, as in ‘and a jump’, instead of ‘one, two, jump.’”

When it comes to the switch leaps, barrel jumps and stags synonymous with jazz, strength is another essential factor. In addition to utilizing a proper plié, students can achieve the force necessary to execute these larger jumps by activating the inner thighs, hamstrings and abs. “The quads are the breaks and when the inner thigh is engaged and rotating forward, it cradles the entire jump,” explains Hale.

Blanchard agrees that the entire leg and its cumulative strength of the whole legs helps a dancer achieve a great jump, noting that there needs to be balance between the muscle groups of the upper and lower legs as well as the foot and ankle to avoid over stressing muscles and joints. “Dancers also should not underestimate the importance of hip and core strength,” she adds.

With strength comes control—allowing dancers to release tension while in the air, creating the illusion of suspension. Assaf refers to a photo of dancer Desmond Richardson in a huge jeté to back up the point: “When jumping is done correctly, you can’t see the effort in the air, because all of it has been expended while pushing off from plié, leaving the jump to look like floating,” she says.

Momentum and Style

Bergasse believes that once dancers have mastered the basic elements of a proper plié, adequate muscle strength and foot technique (rolling through the foot, not pronating or suponating upon landing), momentum is what sets jazz jumps apart from ballet more than anything else. “You need momentum to go high and have the swing of jazz or theater involved,” he says. “Momentum builds like a wave, and in jazz, where you have license to use this force, you should.”

To create this momentum safely, Bergasse suggests hopping or marking a jump until the placement feels comfortable before attempting it with full force. Then he helps students add elevation followed by momentum. “You can build on the layers until it’s perfected, because the first couple of times you try a new jump your feet are tangled. You need to understand the placement and landing position first,” he says.

Bergasse then warns students not to place their newly found energy incorrectly by traveling out, instead of up, on a non-traveling jump. Doing so in jumps like axles or sautés can be dangerous for knees and ankles.

Blanchard takes this idea one step further, suggesting that teachers not approach difficult jumps at all until small jumps that land on two feet are completely mastered. The time spent on working on these simpler jumps is also an ideal opportunity to check that students tracking their knees over the feet, instead of letting them fall forward.

Hale agrees that new jumps should be approached with restraint, even if that means taking the force down a notch until movement is mastered. Then, to maintain that control, he says that dancers should never “run at” the jump or fling arms, which leads to both sloppy movement and injury-prone situations. Instead, he suggests that dancers try to always move arms through first position to a pose when possible.

Just as momentum is more acceptable in jazz, stylish, twisted and unusual jumps can make more of a lasting impression than traditional choices that audiences have seen time and again. “A lot of people continue to choreograph jumps like big Russians, and that’s fine,” Bergasse says. “But I like doing a double stag, with an arch in the back, while turning, because in jazz and theater, you can!” Even so, style and details should always be a conscious choice, not a habit—and simple jumps should be mastered first. “A lot of dancers can’t take the affectations they’ve learned out of their jumps,” he says. “With so many different choreographers, styles don’t always cross over. You have to be able to strip that away and adjust.”

Fortunately, once these issues are addressed, the joy of jazz jumps is readily achievable. As Bergasse explains, “In big jumps you don’t have to fight yourself. Instead, you find the momentum, and through it, you find your power.” DT

Lauren Kay is the assistant editor of Dance Spirit, as well as a dancer and writer in New York City.

Hello my friends!

I have had my share of injuries, as every dancer does.  I sprained both ankles while skiing, on different occasions, when I was very young.  The doctors told me I had to stay off of it for six weeks, but obviously I wouldn’t have that.  I went to my chiropractor and he put the bones back into place, tied the ankle up with athletic tape, and I walked out of the office and was dancing within a week.  I can’t say it was smart, but I couldn’t bear to take time off of dancing.

Now, most professional companies make you sign an agreement that you won’t do crazy sports like skiing and snowboarding while you’re on a contract, but injuries do commonly happen in the studio.  Just last year, I was in class and landed wrong coming down from a jump during petite allegro; I ended up pulling a ligament on the outside of my left ankle.  I could still take barre, but my foot doctor wouldn’t let me turn or jump for a month since I would run the risk of tearing the ligament.  It was actually great having a chance to get down to basics and re-train myself so that when I did start jumping again, my technique had greatly improved.  The only problem was, I had shows coming up and had to jump back into rehearsals immediately.  It’s hard to be careful when you’re doing intense choreography as opposed to class work.  That ankle still gives me trouble every now and then.

Last week, I was landing from a pirouette and when the foot in passe came down, my pointe shoe slipped.  I didn’t have time to shift my weight forward and, before I knew it, I was on the floor with a throbbing ankle.  It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what happened, but when I came down, my foot beveled and all of the weight went to my right ankle/inside of my arch.  It tweaked my knee a bit, but the biggest problem was the outside of my foot.  All the way from my pinkie toe to the top of my ankle bone, the tendons were strained.  I was limping for the next few days and am still waiting to get into the foot doctor.  I’ll have to take a bit of time off to make sure I don’t injure it further.

The only way I get through injuries and recoveries is by seeing the bright side of it.  Yes, I can’t do certain steps for a while and have to take time off, but at the same time, it gives me a break and lets me get back to basics with my technique.  No, its’ not much fun, but it helps me cope.  I’m sure all of you have had to take time off at one point or another due to injuries.  What did you do to get through it and get back into the groove?

Competition season is upon us, and this is such a great experience for dancers, but it can also be very stressful.  I have come up with a list of competition essentials to help dancers get through this crazy time.

#1 – Get plenty of sleep.  If you are not well rested, there are greater chances of injury and forgetting choreography.  Get at least 7 hours of sleep the night before you compete so you can be refreshed and ready to go in the morning!

#2 – Always eat something.  Your body depends on food to give you energy.  If you are performing all day, you are going to need plenty of energy to perform your best.  Make sure to eat plenty of fruits and light carbohydrates.  Stay away from junk food and heavier foods that may make you feel too full.

#3 – Always have an extra pair of tights.  You never know what can happen when dancing on stage, and there is always a chance that you will get a big run in your tights during a performance.  If those are the only tights you have, you will be stuck with them for the rest of the competition.  Another mini tip: Have clear nail polish on hand; if you put this around the run, it prevents the hole from getting bigger.

#4 – Make sure to wear blush and lipstick.  The lights on the stage can make a dancer look very pale.  Wearing lipstick and blush will bring color to your face and not drown you out on stage.

#5 – Warm up and stretch properly.  A dancer should always warm up and stretch before any type of dancing to help prevent injury.  Many dancers forget to do this during competition because they are very busy with costume changes and running their choreography back stage.  Try to arrive at the facility early so you give yourself plenty of time to warm up and stretch.  This will lower the risk of injury during the performance.

#6 – Relax and stay confident.  Try not to panic before you go on stage;  just let all of your hard work and practice show in your performance and you’ll be fine.  The more confident you are in yourself, the better you will be;  for competition and for the rest of your dancing career.

Competing is a great experience for a dancer; it can teach you many things that you can use now and throughout the rest of your life.  But most of all, have fun!

Hello Everyone!

My name is Shelli, and I’m here to answer your dance questions! But,  I guess the best place to start is to give you a little history about myself.

To begin, I wear a LOT of hats in life.  Like most moms, I am completely twisted and pulled in all directions, at all times.  I am a mother of 3 amazing kids (I know we all say that…but they really are).  My kids are very close in age but for the next month I don’t get to look completely insane and tell you that my kids ages are 21, 21, and 19.  Until my baby turns 20 March 2^nd.  Then the head scratching begins when I say my kids are 21, 21, and 20!  So yes, I did have twins (boy & girl) and a 3^rd just 15 months later.  They are a dancer/business owner, a senior at Chapman University (Graduating with top honors), and a sophomore at Idaho State who also plays football for them!

But aside from a mother of 3, I am a wife of 23 years, a business owner for the last 20 years and the matriarch of my entire family. I am also a grantie (yes that’s spelled right) of 5 nieces, mother to my 4 dogs, 3 cats, 3 bothers, 1 sister and sometimes my Husband & my father.  I am also partner in a dance wear business with my daughter, and the PR & Special Projects Manager for Discount Dance Supply.

So what does that have to do with my knowing anything about dance and dancers?  Well, I guess it begins with my daughter.  She’s an amazing young woman who has navigated her way thru the maze of being a student, a competitor, a protégé, a professional, a teacher, a judge and a business owner…all in the world of dance.  So without a conscious effort dance and the dance world have been a very big part of my life for 15 years now.

What I would like to accomplish with blogging is to talk.  About every possible subject in the world of dance I can  speak with relative confidence about.  I know that as a mother of a dancer, there were so many moments that I needed a friend…a confidant…an advisor who knew the road I was on.  Hopefully I can provide some of this to you.  I have been through it all as a mother of a ballerina and now out there watching it all from different angles in the business world of dance and competitions.  So feel free to comment back to me…ask questions…give me your thoughts.

I want to leave you with some questions to begin the conversation….

What’s your goal in dance with your child?  What motivates you?  What motivates them?

Being in the entertainment industry dancers often find that we have the opposite schedule of most other people. We work when others are at leisure so they will hopefully come to see us perform. I have to admit this is hardest to deal with during the holiday season. When others are cuddled up at home with family and friends we are in the full grind of Nutcracker, our busiest time of year.

Since it’s winter time, lets talk about skin care. This can be really tricky especially if you are a teenager. The problem that I see often, is that there are sooo many options when it comes to skincare, that sometimes people overdo it. When you are a teen and your body is going through all of these changes, it really takes itself out on your skin. So if you start to break out, you try to use acne fighting ingrediants which can overdry your face.  Sometimes, by using these products your face will get worse. If you overdry your face, then the dead skin clogs your pores.  Then you really have a problem because you have dry skin ontop of oily skin.

This is my advice: If you try Proactive, then start out by using the face wash once a day instead of twice.  Gradually work your way up to using it full strength.  If your skin starts to get dry, wash your face with a washcloth to buff that dry skin off. I just bought a clarisonic pro which I love! It is a handheld facial brush that spins to get all of the dry skin off. It  is expensive, but amazing.

I like to use an antibacterial soap like purpose or neutrogena, with a washcloth. Then IF you need a toner, the proactive toner is fabulous. Then an oil free  moisturizer. Try and take skin care step by step….without causing dry flaky skin.

Now adays, you can purchase makeup brushes at a very resonable price.  If you spend the extra money on some good brushes, you can keep them for a long time.  I usually use MAC brushes, just because they are very easy for me to pick up at the mall,(and because I get a huge discount for working on a television show:)). Even though they a re expensive, I still find that they shed on my face sometimes which is a little annoying. When I travel, I use a travel set. I sell these on my website for $15! www.rachelrossmakeup.com They come ina roll up bag, and they are great. They have 6 brushes inside, and that includes my favorite eyeliner brush.

Whatever brushes you buy, make sure that you keep them clean. If you reuse the same brush, you can spread dirt and oil all over your face, which will cause breakouts.

Every couple of weeks you should wash your brushes in warm water and shampoo. You will be so amazed at the dirt and old makeup that comes out. When they are clean, roll them up in a towel to soak up the water, and then lay them on your bathroom counter with the brush end hanging off.  Or put them in a glass standing upright until they are dry.

If you are using your brushes on other people, you can buy some brush cleaner at Sally’s beauty supply, or Clinique and dip your brush into it and wipe them clean on a peper towel. It dries in a couple of minutes. That’s what the professionals do.

Bobby Pins!!!!!!

I would like to talk about Bobby Pins today.

I bet 90% of people are using bobby pins the wrong way. 

On a bobby pin, there is a smooth side, and a ridged side. Usually people will put the smooth side against the head……WRONG!

The smooth side will slip right off, as soon as you start dancing around on stage.  The ridged side is what goes against the head. When I am pinning a bun, I take the bobby pin, and with the smooth side down….I pick up some of the hair and push it away from the bun. Then I flip it over and with the ridged side down, secure it against the head. This will cut the number of pins that you use in half:)

This is how you use a HAIR PIN as well. You use the pin to pick up some hair going away from the bun or french twist….and then flip it around and secure it.

Actually that’s a lie. I won’t actually be home for Christmas, but I WILL be home after the New Year from January 4-14th!!! I’m so excited to see everyone and to teach some classes again! I still have 2 days of school left, a rehearsal on Wednesday, and a music final on Thursday, but I leave on Friday, Dec. 18th! Just incase some of you are interested here is what I’ll be doing during my winter travels.

First, I fly into LAX where I’ll be greeted by my mother and then we will drive to the Huntington Beach Hyatt where we’ll check out the location for my wedding!!! I have the date set to August 6th, 2011. My mom has already seen the hotel and loves it, but once I give it the official “ok” then Chester and I can send out save the dates! I’m so very excited!!!

Next, I will drive to south county to have dinner with my South County Dance girls! I’ll only be visiting for just that one night, but I will get to spend lots more time with them when I’m back in January.

Saturday, Dec. 19th I get to attend the wedding of Andrea Hosfod and Kevin Oberlander. Andrea is part of BARE Dance Company of which I was a part of for the past 3 years so I will be celebrating their marriage with them. Yay!

Sunday, Dec. 20th I fly out to West Palm Beach, Florida! My Aunt has a timeshare so I will be spending just a couple of days with my mom, aunt, grandma, and sister.

THEN on Wednesday, Dec. 23rd I fly into Juneau, Alaska where I’ll FINALLY get to see my fiancé, his parents and my dogs!!! I’ve missed them so very much and I can’t wait!!! I’ll get to spend Christmas and New Years with them. I will also be freezing my butt off, but it’ll all be worth it.

Saturday, Jan. 2nd I then fly to CA!!! I get to spend a good two weeks there and I will be teaching all over the place! I’m so very excited to share all the things I’ve been learning over here at Tisch. Can’t wait!!! For those of you who are interested here’s a sneak peek to my schedule in my CA visit:

Monday, Jan. 4th
Subbing for Clarisse at South County Dance
2:30-10pm

Tuesday, Jan. 5th
Taking and observing classes/dances at South County Dance

Wednesday, Jan. 6th
Taking class somewhere most likely Jazz 4 with Mike Esperanza at Jimmy Defore!
Work on Jerome’s solo costumes!!!

Thursday, Jan. 7th
Taking class somewhere…
Work on Jerome’s solo costumes!!!

Friday, Jan. 8th
Privates at South County
***Teaching at Lovett Dance Center 6:00-8:30pm*** Come take!!!

Saturday, Jan. 9th
Observing at South County Dance/helping Jerome with his privates

Sunday, Jan. 10th
Privates ALL DAY at South County

Monday, Jan. 11th
Teaching at OCHSA – ALL of Brenda’s Jazz 3 classes Blocks 4,5, and 6!!!

Sub for Alexa at South County Dance??? 8-9pm

Tuesday, Jan. 12th
***Teaching at Elevation Studios 8:30-10:00pm*** COME TAKE!!!

Wednesday, Jan. 13th
Possibly teaching Boogiezone class???

Thursday, Jan. 14th
Subbing for Clarisse at South County Dance 3:00-9:30pm

Well, I’m counting down the days. It will be so nice to be around familiar surroundings and people again. Can’t wait!!!

Hello everyone…I am alive! I officially made it through my Christmas showcase and it was wonderful!!!! It was a small first showcase, but filled with friends and family and long-time students. Everyone enjoyed themselves and I think it was a great success.

So for me I am now onward to my next mission…I never take a break! I am going to be competing with my professional partner in the American Smooth division of ballroom competitions hopefully in February or March of 2010.  I have a lot of work ahead of me as far as choreography, cleaning up technique, finding a dress (saving $3500 for a dress aaaaahhhhh) etc.  But I really feel likes it’s my time to think of me and try something new. I have a wonderful partner who is looking out for my best interests so I feel like I am in good hands. I will keep you all posted on my progress and post some pictures as soon as I get them from my Christmas show.

Happy Holidays