46 THE QUEENS COURIER • DANCE • AUGUST 23, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
dance
Here’s how you can ace your next dance audition
BY SHAWN BYFIELD
For many performers in the dance
industry, the word audition can bring
feelings of excitement, clarity and a
world of opportunity. For others, it can
bring feelings of anxiousness, confusion
and unnecessary tension.
Like it or not, dance auditions are a
way of life as a performer. But unfortunately,
many dancers are NOT prepared
for the moment that could potentially
change their income, their way of life,
and their happiness and passion toward
their craft .
If you’re heading to a dance audition
soon, use these four tips to ace your next
audition, and gain an unfair advantage
over the others in the room:
Not Prepared- Dancers who didn’t do
their research, arrive with no headshot,
no resume or bio, stayed up too late, lines
aren’t memorized, forgot their prop,
didn’t study or train, brought wrong
dance shoes, etc. All above reasons are
unacceptable. Be thoroughly prepared!
Not at the Right Ability- Don’t kid
yourself if you haven’t danced in years,
it’s been even longer since you’ve
stretched, but you expect to get hired?
Next please. Step your game up and show
that you take yourself seriously.
Not Dressed Appropriately – When
you arrive to the audition, make sure
you look the part and act the part. Make
a positive impression! Show up, act and
look as if you are already hired. And a
smile won’t hurt either.
Talking Too Much- Here’s the most
important suggestion: Don’t waste people’s
time, don’t make excuses to your
auditioning panel, and don’t be defensive.
Do take corrections and be open
to direction. Be humble, be approachable,
be interested in the free feedback,
because these tips will get you closer to
landing the job next time!
Remember, you are there to get a job.
Wouldn’t it make sense to put your best
foot forward?
Yes, you always want to encourage
others. Show the panel you are one they
want to work with, and you’re supportive
of your peers. But don’t forget: the more
prepared you are, the better the outcome.
Shawn Byfi eld (www.ShawnByfi eld.
com) is an award winning choreographer,
show director and a leading expert in
dance lessons and industry advice.
Courtesy Creative Commons
Dance styles for kids
BY THE QUEENS COURIER STAFF
editorial@qns.com
While all styles of dance are equally
benefi cial, it is important to learn what
type of music and movements they like,
especially as they get older, to determine
which style of dance is best.
A variety of dance styles exist, which
will make fi nding a class for your kids
much easier. Some of the most popular
dance classes for children include:
Pre-Dance/Music and Movement –
Exclusively for young children and their
parents, these classes are an introduction
to dance and music while allowing
young children to become comfortable
with body movement and helping them
develop coordination and creativity.
Louise Benes, Director of the Louise
Benes Dance Company in Richmond Hill
for 35 years, starts children at age 3 with
Creative Movement classes, which are
basic body movements, teaching them
how to stretch, jump and become more
aware of their physique.
Ballet – Considered the foundation of
dance, ballet uses precise movements and
encourages discipline in body and mind.
It increases strength, coordination and
fl exibility. Ballet also requires proper posture
that will stay with children as they
leave the studio.
Maureen Gelchion at the Astoria Dance
Center has been dancing for 27 years and
feels it’s most important that kids take a
class in something they like, but ballet is a
good starting point because they look for
proper techniques.
“In ballet, you learn proper posture.
Your muscles get developed so your core
is so strong it can do whatever is asked of
it,” Benes said.
Jazz – Th ese classes are set to fun,
upbeat music and there is much fl exibility
in the type of movements kids will perform.
Jazz incorporates improvisation,
allowing kids to use their creativity.
Tap – Th is high-energy form of dance
requires kids to move their feet and
“tap” in time to the music. Tap develops
rhythm and memory more than anything.
It is fairly easy to get good at the beginner
tap steps, and like most things it gets
more diffi cult the better you get.
Hip-Hop –these classes are set to popular,
current music. Creative children
enjoy its fl exibility as it incorporates
rhythm, memory, creativity, strength, and
attitude.
Ballroom – more popular with kids
over seven and teens, ballroom dancing is
well known for its cutthroat competitions
in styles like the foxtrot and rumba.
Irish – Irish dancing is famous for its
fancy footwork combined with a straight
upper body. In this style, all of the movements
are performed from the hips down,
and classes are generally set to traditional
Irish music such as jigs and reels.
Modern – this style of dance can be
thought of as a master’s level jazz class to
further develop their coordination and
balance. Th is is a particularly technical
style of dance that will help kids develop a
more personal style.
Latin – Usually for kids seven and up,
this encompasses the cha-cha, rumba,
salsa, and the mambo. Latin dance is great
exercise and can teach kids the cultural
appreciation of music.
African – Kids are introduced to African
songs, music and drumming during classes.
Kids of any age can get involved as
there are a variety of levels and types of
African dancing from which to choose.
/www.ShawnByfield.com
/www.ShawnByfield.com
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