by Amy Brandt | May 11, 2020 | Ask Amy, Career, Training
Sometimes when I perform, I get wrapped up in my nerves and make sloppy technical mistakes—things that I don’t have trouble with in rehearsal. Are there ways to combat this? —Laura You’re not alone—even seasoned professionals struggle with nerves onstage....
by Rachel Hellwig | Jul 23, 2019 | Career, Wellness
The curtain falls, the costumes are packed away. Dancers say good-bye to the choreography, the adrenaline rush of being onstage and the special camaraderie of performing together. “You put your heart and soul into a show and then you’re like,...
by Chava Pearl Lansky | Sep 5, 2017 | Training, Your Training
Though we wish summer could last forever, the weather’s getting cooler and that back-to-school feel is in the air. Handling the delicate balance between academics and dance can be hard, particularly when coupled with the fear of slipping into bad habits and old...
by Kathleen McGuire | Jul 11, 2017 | Summer Intensive Survival, Summer Study, Training
The summer I turned 16, my head swirled with “what ifs” as I counted down the days until the start of the Chautauqua intensive. I’d attended the program four years earlier, and the experience had been a harrowing one—my first lesson in the...
by Kathleen McGuire | Jun 8, 2017 | Health & Body, Wellness
This story originally appeared in the December 2015/January 2016 issue of Pointe. Lying awake in her hotel bed in Washington, DC, the night before her audition, Richmond Ballet dancer Valerie Tellmann-Henning was tormented with anxiety. At 31 years old, she was...
by Suzannah Friscia | Oct 15, 2015 | Company Life
As a dancer, you’re taught to carefully listen to your body so you can notice the early signs of injury and recognize when it’s a bad idea to push through the pain. But paying attention to your thoughts and attitude is equally important to your well-being,...
by Madeline Schrock | Feb 3, 2015 | Health & Body, Wellness
This story originally appeared in the February/March 2015 issue of Pointe. Ballet dancers are sensory experts: hearing the nuances of music, adjusting their eyes under harsh stage lighting, feeling their feet working against the floor and negotiating the touch of a...
by Suzannah Friscia | Nov 28, 2001 | Career, Everything Nutcracker, Health & Body, Training
It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but with the marathon of Nutcracker rehearsals and performances, the holiday season can also be one of the most stressful times for dancers. It’s important to carve out some downtime for yourself, but for those days...