Christmas dance guide

My Christmas list this is sure to entice any dancer or dance teacher in your life this holiday season!

For the edgy contemporary dancer I'd suggest things to make their hectic "artsy" way of life more simple:

$0-$5 : A lot of contemporary work is done on the floor in a not always so fun manner... Making sure the dance in your life takes care of their body is an absolute must! These knee pads are soft on your wallet and don't have a lot of added bulk behind the knee.

$6-$10 : These socks are great for protecting the precious skin of our most valuable instruments! Available in a variety of colors, these guys are a life saver for your contemporary class and leaves the feeling of the floor without the lost skin and bruised feet at the end of the day.

$11-$15: What dancer do you know that doesn't love a new dance bag? With its funky design and easy to pack and care for design, this dance bag is sure to be a valued present for the dancer in your life.

$16-$25: All dancers could benefit from some conditioning and this book is full of different exercises that cater to a dancer's needs! Staying in shape over the holidays can be especially tough for most dance students and this gift will be a great start.

$26 + : Staying warm in cold studios is no easy task! A warm and cozy throw will help keep your dancer snug for this cold holiday weather.


Now for the ballerina in your life any thing to help with technique is helpful. Unfortunately class doesn't allow for a lot of room for individuality, but in select, smalls ways your gifts can be a life saver!

$0-$5: I know I've already mentioned these hair pins on my blog before, but they are seriously life changing! My hair is personally so thick and heavy that I'd go through an entire package (or two depending on the length at the time) of roller pins per performance! Until I discovered these, that is.

$6-$10: I personally LOVE legwarmers. There's no feeling like doing a rond de jambe and wool brushing against the tights on your legs on a cold studio day. Stirrup legwarmers cover most of the generally exposed leg area and still provide very little between your shoes and the floor.

$11-&15: These knit shorts are perfect for lounge wear and warm ups and Harmonie is a very good quality brand that will last you a long time.

$16-$25: Although generally sold from most retailers for around $30, Amazon offers this amazing book for only $19.77! This is by far my favorite ballet book of all time and Eliza Gaynor Minden is a genius in my eyes. Tons of insightful knowledge and wisdom inside.

$26 + : If you're looking for that one gift that you know they will never forget I'd suggest something that will help them improve their feet. This device is designed to help improve flexibility and strength which all dancers struggle with, but lack the necessary means to improve upon. Of course if you're looking to spend slightly less I'd recommend a dvd of the Nutcracker or any other ballets for that matter. All ballerinas enjoy seeing their craft performed well.


For the Tapper you know and love gift ideas may be a bit trickier. A lot of the dance world doesn't favor tap as highly as some of the other dance styles, but there are still some great gift ideas for your tapping friend.

$0-$5: Bumper stickers are cute, inexpensive and generally thoughtful. Let your tapper express their love for tap everywhere they go!

$6-$10: Replacing taps can be a pain in the butt, but definitely makes a difference in the quality of the sounds made by your friend.

$11-$15: Sometimes we just we all just need to show a little love for our craft, and this shirt is the perfect way to do it! Give the gift that shows you care about what they care about.

$16-$25: For the history buff in your life, they may be interested in a brief biography of their favorite tap heroes. TAP! is a great read and is sure to leave your tapper in a great mood this holiday season.

$26 + : And finally, sometimes busting our of your comfort zone is good for everyone, so why not try a new class? Jared Grimes is a wonderful teacher and performer. This dvd will be a hit with your tapper and hopefully give them some creative incentive.

Thanks for reading! -Ms Ivy

Workin after studenthood

Hello My Lovelies! I have been taking a tap class lately and have fallen back in love with rhythm. I'm taking from an old mentor and its funny to see how much we haven't changed. (I still hate wings and single pick ups!) But I think whats most interesting is how much my work ethic has changed how I view my students.

I guess I always was a bit of a lazy person. I have a wonderful talent for convincing myself that I don't need to do something, and since I don't need to do something, I shouldn't have to... So I won't. Hence why I've taken tap for almost 19 years off an on relationally and still can't do wings or single pick ups. I've been talking about it with my tap teacher and she agrees that while I can be very convincing to myself by coming up with an excuse and not performing a task or practicing these things, I'm not very convincing to her and should do it anyways. (Now that I am a teacher this tactic seems like it does wonders for the child, but I now remember that it doesn't make kids care about what you're trying to get them to do. I usually explain what the stretch or exorcize is used for and it helps them understand its importance.)

She also brought up the word can't to me. It seems I tell at least four people a day saying the word can't and then thinking, "well if you said I can, you might be able to..." Yet when it comes time to do something I dislike, the first words out of my mouth are almost always: "I can't." I know I'm holding myself back, yet continue to do so.

Why? I mean it honestly isn't that hard to change what words you use on a daily basis, but I'm so programmed to just do the same things over and over that I mostly don't realize that I'm harming my own potential. What kind of a role model does that make me? Human.

Some days it really isn't easy being a human teacher. I wish I was devoid of emotion from time to time or from the possibility of error. It would make my life a lot easier... But when I do finally master wings, I'll be sure to thank my instructor for not backing down with me ;) -Ms Ivy

Ballet Weddings

Have you ever noticed how many ballets feature a wedding? A positive and happy ending for our tragic story thus far! My best friend was married this Saturday and it inspired this blog post. I got to thinking about how many ballet things I'd want in my ceremony and then got to thinking about all the ballets that have a wedding in them!

My favorite ballet wedding would have to be Coppelia's. The nervousness, the tension, the humor? That's right folks, if you aren't very into ballet you don't know there are comedy ballets. My favorite ballet is actually one such comedy and has an adorable wedding scene that makes you giggle!

Maybe the most noted wedding is Sleeping Beauty's. The third act is all celebration! "Come see the Prince and The Sleeping beauty wed!" And the notable kiss mid Pas de Duex is such a sweet memory (and so iconic) for this classic ballet.

There are honestly hundreds more ballets that feature weddings but that's all I have time to mention right now. Maybe in the future I'll do a part 2?

Thank you for reading, My Lovelies! If you ever have any questions or just have something to say in general, please feel free to post a comment or message me! -Ms Ivy

Top ten things I'm thankful for this holiday season

I know its a little cliche but every once in a while I feel it necessary to do a list. I strive to be a very organized individual, but unfortunately life kinda comes at you faster than you'd expect!

10: My greatest life saver this year has been Moleskin's pocket notebooks. (I've gone through four and I'm working on a fifth this year alone.) They're portable, perfectly sized and work so well for just jotting down corrections, shopping lists, to-do lists, blogging ideas, poetry, (I could just go on forever!)

9: Strawberry energy water enhancers have seriously been getting me through the day as of late. With the current time change, the lack of sunlight and crazy, hectic schedule I've had they're definitely worth mentioning to you all.

8: My metal water bottle has been a constant blessing since the day of its purchase this time last year. I never have to remember to keep cash in my purse for studio bottled water and knowing I'm helping the environment just that little bit makes me feel better about my walk through life.

7: I don't know if I've ever mentioned my darling little fuzz ball of a pet on here yet, but Gypsi is a force to be reckoned with when she feels so inclined. If you're lucky she curl up in a ball on your lap, cuddle you and probably lick you until you can't stand it anymore! If you're unlucky however... She can get a little scary when she wants to be. I swear she's tried to kill me over not giving her kitty treats as often as she'd like them! Gypsi keeps me calm though. I never worry about being alone as long as I have a pet and she is darling when she wants to be.

6: I've finally begun to take control of my weight and my body this year. I can't tell you just how proud I am of myself for this since I've never had to worry about anything like that before and had absolutely no idea where to start. My recent accomplishment was realized when I weighted myself after two months of subtle dieting and exercise and discovered I'd lost ten pounds. I'm so proud of myself! Now if only it didn't mean I need to buy new clothes...

5: I have several very close women in my life who influence me and have helped me become the woman I am today. If not for them I would be a hollow shell of a person with little or no self respect and no desire to better myself in any way. I'm thankful for these ladies and I'm proud to have them as part of my little adopted family in my work place.

4: At this point last year I was still living with my parents, dating the wrong person, barely making ends meet and thoroughly depressed. I'm thankful that I've grown up enough to actually start taking care of myself without relying on anyone else for any sort of support. Not to say that I will never need help again, that would be a foolish and immature statement, I'm just grateful that I am capable of supporting myself and able to help others along the way.

3: My friends are literally the best people in the world. I could not get by a single day without thanking them for being such a huge part of my life! Thank you all for dealing with my more crazy moments.

2: I can't go without saying something about myself here. I love having an artistic outlook on everyday life. Being creative is less of a skill and more of a blessing than people realize and I am so thankful that my parents helped me to bolster that in my childhood and gave me the confidence to continue that on into adulthood.

1: And the number one thing I'm grateful for this Thanksgiving? All my lovely students who give me a reason to get out of bed everyday! Without my girls (and my boys) I wouldn't have started this blog or the Ocala Ballet Theater or even kept on teaching. I have some wonderful students that remind me each and everyday why I'm still here!

Whatever you're thankful for this Thanksgiving day, remember to eat healthy and have fun! Thank you for reading, -Ms Ivy

Social media site's effect on the classroom

With the growing social media scene is slowly taking over everyone's lives, its easy to forget how quickly constant access to a person's life can be detrimental to your reputation as a mentor and a role model.

I've personally decided to adopt an +18 policy on my social media sites, as I'm not at a point in my life where I'm ready to give up my personal life stream with my friends. All the research I've done has pointed to cutting the ties. Its not professional to be "friends" with your students.

Why? Its hard to remember a day when the internet didn't exist for most people. When I was a child we only had a telephone that plugged into the wall and you had to carry the set around the house if you wanted a private conversation. We didn't even purchase a computer until I was almost in middle school and then we all used dial up as a means of conversation. It was a different time and as strange as it seems, simpler as well. Now its part of my daily routine to check my Facebook, my email, my blog, my phone and once a week check the mailbox. How much has changed since the nineties! We're living in a world of instant communication and while this has done wonders for keeping in contact with people its also caused a lot of other problems between how we relate to each other. I know FAR too much about my friends because of social media site's instant access for everyone to see whats on display. I don't think it appropriate for children to see their teacher complaining about money, intimacy, or any of the other problems they may have accrued that day!

I also don't think I would have been comfortable calling my teacher to talk on the phone as a child, yet its becoming more and more acceptable to text message a teacher/student throughout the day. The lines of student/teacher relationship are getting more and more blurry as time goes on. What's the effect on classes? A complete lack of respect between peers and mentors. Knowing that your teacher said happy birthday and talked to you about your plans and how your boyfriend treated you throughout the day generally causes students to forget their place in the classroom.

Year's ago when the ballet classroom etiquette was established your instructor was someone you looked up to and revered, not your friend and confidant. The idea of people being superior to to each other is slowly fading away and while this may or may not be for the good of man kind, its certainly not good for how classrooms are structured. Teachers will do better to remember the difference in being a peer vs a superior in these situations. My social media outlets are designed for me to be friends with my friends and not my students and although it was a hard decision, I made the friends list purge today and am no longer allowing anyone that is a student or coworker to be part of my social media circle. In the end I think its for the best.

What are your thoughts? -Ms Ivy

Jazz Inspirations

Very rarely do I find jazz that I think is good, let alone inspiring. Ray Leeper and Sonya Tayeh being some of the last jazz choreographers I enjoy anymore! Ray Leeper likes to keep his style very close to old school while adding more flare that we need for today's dance community, while Sonya Tayeh created her own style of jazz entitled: Combat Jazz, because "it’s staccato, aggressive, and engaged, even when it’s slow. I’m always ready for battle." Whatever style you prefer, good jazz is as hard to find as a job is in today's economy!

This video has some very great ideas in it though. A jazz adagio? WHO DOES THAT?! I instantly wanted to take her classes after hearing about this! What a lovely idea and it obviously challenges the dancers to really dance outside of their jazz square! (Sorry, couldn't help the bad joke there...) I may start incorporating something like that into my jazz classes, every week.



Now Everyone already knows that Melanie was my top pick from the beginning, right? Well if you didn't, then now you know. This was Ray Leeper's best dance in my opinion and it may mostly be because it features my favorite dancer of the year, or it may just be his cool transitions. It certainly doesn't feel very old school jazz, now does it?





I may have already mentioned this dance a time or two, but it just so perfectly illustrates Sonya Tayeh's style and broad range of conceptualizations.Such a fierce woman! Such fierce choreography! *sigh* So lovely.





This last video actually inspired my jazz dance for this year's recital. So staccato yet so fluid. Sometimes youtube doesn't disappoint me and actually ends up inspiring me a lot! I love the new direction jazz is headed, its exciting and jazz has spent far too long already, being boring.

Dancin with Myself

It just seems to be one of those kind of days! I've always had this problem where I'd rather take private lessons eternally than spend an hour with a group of people my age that literally have nothing in common with me. I know you aren't supposed to talk during classes and for the record I wholly endorse that policy in my classes, but sometimes you just can't seem to shake that feeling of being an outsider.

My background for dance training was a little spotty as a youth. I initially started dancing at a neighborhood studio that went out of business the year after my sister and I enrolled, our next choice was the studio my cousin went to in the next town (30 minutes away) but they don't answer their phones during the summer, so we found a competition studio and started there. It was there that I realized I didn't want to be on Broadway or music videos, I wanted to be a beautiful ballerina, like my cousin, and dance in New York like they did in Center Stage. At the time our dance studio only offered a contemporary or lyrical style of ballet, but I was craving classical. This studio was no longer a good fit for me and my parents understood that so we switched. Walking into that place for the first time was so nerve wracking for me, I'm not sure how my knees held me up! (I was nothing but knees back then, I swear!) My first few classes with my new teacher were so different, I didn't know what to do with myself. She taught a completely differently method for ballet and I was 11.

I vaguely remember donning my first pair of pointe shoes and barely being able to support myself without the barre, but I will forever remember not really having any friends in classes until a new girl moved to the studio from out of state. What's my problem? I am by no means, what-so-ever, preppy. I'm the proud daughter of a mechanic, not a Dr's daughter and when I tell you I could hardly afford to dance, I'm not kidding! Social distinction starts very early in human life and monetary gain is usually where it starts for children. Its easy to know you're different from someone when you can afford different things and children don't understand the social faux pas with behavior.

Fast forward a few years and I'm back to being a loner. My friend for a time has gone from being my best friend to preppier than anyone else at the studio and I thought it was cooler to dress like a boy. (Far more comfortable, fyi.) Don't get me wrong, there were a lot of other things going on, but our major differences came down to priorities and we just didn't agree on anything anymore. With the passing of Ms Jeanne, the studio began to change. It was no longer enough to work hard in class, we had to constantly compete with our new teacher's 2-3 favorites for every correction. There were times I felt like asking, "If I wasn't here, would you have even noticed?" My little sister happened to come across our old competition studio and decided to take a hip hop class and came home crying. When asked what's wrong, she said "I haven't had fun dancing in almost two years!" We switched studios within the week and I found myself on a competition team with girls I literally thought were insane. I'd come from an atmosphere where it wasn't proper to talk during class, let alone disrupt the class for a story about your boyfriend! It was a really hard adjustment, but I made a few good friends that year, that I still talk to. One of which was a goth girl and the other is currently working for that same studio with me.

 In all this time though, I'd rather have not had to go to a studio and see other people constantly. I was in a seriously bad depression and just being around people made it so, so much worse. I spent countless hours in the spare dance rooms doing barre and meditating, just to be alone. Our competition team won countless platinums that year, but I found the whole experience trite. I didn't need a trophy to know I was a good dancer and when I said that I alienated myself from everyone at this studio as well. Looking back at everything now I can say that I was always designed to be in love with being a loner and I was always meant for teaching. The stage doesn't do anything for me anymore, which is crazy, as it was my sole reason for dancing in the first place! My advice for anyone who may be reading this and feeling the same way is that its hard growing up, but you will get through it and while it may feel like you're the only person in the world who is going to a studio where you don't fit in, but you still love practicing the art of dance, just keep at it. You'll find that when you grow up it doesn't really matter what people think about you and your zany personality.

As always, Message me or comment on here, My Lovelies! I'd love to hear some feedback! -Ms Ivy