Teaching
Buster Brown
Buster Brown (1913–2002) was one of the last surviving members of the legendary Copasetics, a group of master tappers who came together after the death of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. An active teacher and performer for … Continue reading
Dance for Special Education Students
Teaching dance in a K–12 setting means working with students with a wide range of abilities: Not everyone can execute a perfect grand jeté or double pirouette. Adding special education students to the mix is … Continue reading
A Taste of the Real World
As summer looms, many college dancers are thinking of sun and sand. For some, though, the months of June, July and August present the opportunity to advance their fledgling interests or established passions in dance … Continue reading
Use The Summer To Your Advantage
We’ve all heard the age-old expression that the three best reasons for being a public school teacher are June, July and August. It makes for great faculty room humor, but about 40 percent of teachers … Continue reading
Marie Taglioni
With her weightless technique and uncanny ability to balance on her toes in darned, soft-toe ballet slippers, Marie Taglioni (1804–1884) was the first to make gravity-defying pointework popular among performers and audiences alike. However it … Continue reading
The Perfect Pirouette
A flawless pirouette is a dancer’s holy grail: eminently desirable yet, at times, frustratingly elusive. For New York City–based master teacher Nancy Bielski, who counts New York City Ballet’s Jenifer Ringer among the faithful students … Continue reading
