The Gift of Dance

It's a season of thankfulness. A time to reflect on your year, take note of blessings, and be thankful.

Be thankful for the gift of dance.

A gift to be able to have the health to push your body to new limits and only grow stronger.

A gift to be able to express yourself through movement.

A gift to dance day after day.

Don't take this gift for granted because everyone does not have it. Instead, make the most of your gift. Continue to train and develop your talent. Connect with a community of dancers who can support you, and celebrate the gift of dance this season.

If you are looking for ways to develop as a dancer, consider joining the Project Dance community by coming to a 2015 Project Dance. We've added two new cities for next year -- San Francisco and Singapore.

Project Dance encourages, equips, and inspires more than 2,000 dancers worldwide, and we want you to experience it!

Dance: More than just movement

Everyone has different motivations and reasons for dancing. Some people are put in dance classes as little kids and fall in love with it, while others find dance at an older age.

Dance teaches you so much more about life than just movement. It inspires, teaches perseverance, and challenges you daily.

Listen to McRae Whitley talk about why she has been dancing for 18 years and what she loves about it.

Project Dance Hong Kong

Team Vibe Performing on Saturday at the Outdoor Concert

Project Dance Hong Kong just wrapped up, and the event was a huge success. Dancers gathered from around the world to celebrate the gift of dance.

On Saturday, dancers put on a free live concert in the city of Hong Kong. To the right is a picture of some participants performing the group dance. The group dance is a piece learned by all Project Dance participants on Friday night, and it is performed at the top of the hour during the live show on Saturday. One really cool thing about the group dance is that it is performed around the world. The same dance that was performed Saturday in Hong Kong was performed in Atlanta, Georgia in October and Puerto Rico in November. Project Dance is committed to bringing dancers together around the world, and the group dance is a big part of this.

Pack your bags...with healthy snacks!

Dancers are constantly on-the-go. Whether you are in middle school, high school, college, or dancing professionally you know what it means to balance a lot of different things at the same time. 

As a college student, I balance tests, papers, and presentations with dance classes, rehearsals, and performances. Let’s just say days can get pretty hectic. But even in this crazy life, it is so important that dancers take time to eat healthy.

Photo credit to Corwin Johnson

Dancers need high-energy snacks to refuel between classes and shows. These snacks can’t be found in a vending machine, which is why it is so important to plan ahead. 

Pack your dance bad with snacks containing complex carbs, healthy proteins, and healthy fats. Try to keep snacks below 300 calories so that you are satisfied and refueled but never too full to dance. 

My two favorite snacks to keep in my dance bag are an apple with peanut butter and a healthy variety of nuts and dried fruit with a little bit of dark chocolate thrown in the mix. If these snacks don’t sound good to you, don’t worry! There are lots of other easy options to pack in advance and eat on-the-go. 

The Rockettes have a long list of healthy snacking options for dancers on their website.Check it out for even more ideas about how to eat healthy as a dancer!

Project Dance International: London

Lara Pilcher

Project Dance is a global movement of dancers that began in New York City. Lara Pilcher was the first person to take Project Dance overseas to Sydney, Australia. In 2015, Project Dance will have events in four international cities and seven American cities.  Today, Lara is the event producer for both the Sydney, Australia and London projects.

Lara has been involved in many different aspects of the dance world. She worked with Steps Youth Dance Company, New Trails Dance Theatre, and Tab 1 for The Feast Jerusalem. She has also founded dance troupes, been involved with international dance exchanges in China, and started a dance studio in Australia.  Lara is not only a dancer but also a teacher and a choreographer.

Photo credit to Doug Titus

When asked to explain the dance world in London, Lara said, “This city is an ARTS HUB to the max, and artists relocate from all over the world to try to ‘make’ it here.” London has some of the world’s most incredible dance companies including The Royal Ballet, Rambert, and Sadler’s Wells. 

There are also great dance studios to visit if you find yourself in the area. The Place for Contemporary and Pineapple Dance Studios are Lara’s recommendations to get the real industry feel. She also said to go to Dance Works if you want to great ballet class.

Being a dancer is not easy. Lara said that every dancer needs three key components to achieve success.

1.       Perseverance

2.       Strong training

3.       Good community

Project Dance wants to help you achieve all three. The 5^th annual Project Dance London will take place July 17-19, and you don’t want to miss it!

Take Class

Photo Credit to Doug Titus

One strength that is priceless to dancers is versatility.

Whether you are a lover of ballet, jazz, modern, ballroom, tap, or contemporary, we all have our favorite style of dance. 

Regardless of your favorite, it’s important that dancers train in multiple disciplines. This flexibility prepares you for any audition or situation you might find yourself in. You do not have to be an expert in every style but don’t be afraid to try something outside of your normal discipline. 

Take class.  

Photo Credit to Jamie Childress

Many colleges and universities will allow you to audit their dance classes even if you are not officially enrolled. Find out if schools near you have these opportunities. Universities often offer master classes that are free to the public so find out how you can know when these are happening.  Find out what opportunities exist in your area and start taking advantage of them! 

When you travel, take classes at a new studio. Learning from a different instructor can give you a fresh perspective. Check out the previous blog Atlanta Takes the Stage  to see recommendations for studios to take class at in Atlanta, Georgia. 

One great thing about Project Dance is the opportunity to take master classes in different disciplines. Each participant gets to hand-pick their own schedule. See what interests you. Take your favorite style from a new teacher and get a new perspective on it or try a class that is completely new such as Musical Theater.

Versatility turns a good dancer into a great dancer so get out there and take class!

This is what a Project Dance Master Class Schedule often looks like.

2015 Cities Announced

Since 2002, Project Dance has been presenting open air concerts in major cities around the world. Cities include Atlanta, Brisbane, Costa Rica, Detroit, Greenville, Hong Kong, Houston, Jerusalem, Kansas City, London, Los Angeles, Manila, New York City, Orlando, Penang, Puerto Rico, San Francisco, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto, and Washington, DC.

Dancers, teachers, choreographers, and more than 300 volunteers make it possible. Project Dance serves more than 2,000 dancers worldwide, and 2015 is expected to do the same.

Project Dance just released their 2015 locations. If you've never been a part of the Project Dance movement then this is the year for you, and for those of you who are returners we cannot wait to see you again!

Check out the list of Project Dance 2015 cities to decide which one...or two or three, you will be a part of!     

•  Houston - March 13-15
• Orlando - April 10-12
• New York City - April 24-26
• Greenville - May 22-24
• Costa Rica - June 12-14
• Detroit - June 19-21
• London -July 17-19
• San Francisco - August 14-16
• Atlanta - October 2-4
• Singapore - October 23-25
• Puerto Rico - November 6-8

Founder of The Project Dance Foundation, Cheryl Cutlip, desires  to inspire dancers to take dance outside of theaters and studios and into the heart of the public. She challenges dancers to "join the movement that is changing the face of dance in our culture."

A Successful Project Dance Atlanta

Every Step Counts

As dancers, we work really really hard on a daily basis. We rehearse choreography for months on end often for just one night of performance. We train our entire lives for that moment on stage. Don’t get me wrong—it’s all 100% worth it. But what if we shifted our focus?

Instead of viewing every technique class and rehearsal as training for that one moment, let’s view it as the moment. When you walk into modern class, pretend you are walking on stage. When you learn a new combination in jazz class, give it all you’ve got just as if you were in front of an entire audience. When you are at the barre in ballet class, imagine you are performing.

This doesn’t mean we can’t make mistakes. After all, what better place to fall out of your fouette turn than in class with your friends, but remember that training and rehearsals matter just as much if not more than the actual performance.

We cannot be our best on stage if we are not our best in rehearsals and technique classes. It’s important to enliven the rehearsal and class experience by making each step count. Learn to enjoy the process of working towards the end goal—not just arriving at the end goal.

The next time you walk into a dance studio, take a minute to remember why you are there. This change of perspective helps change our attitude, refresh us, and renew our passion and love for dance.

Remember, this concept is not just relevant for dancers. It applies to every area of our lives. Make every moment count, and remember that anything worth doing is worth doing well.

Atlanta Takes the Stage

In less than a month, the eighth annual Project Dance Atlanta will be underway. For the past three years, Autumn Morgenstern has been the Event Producer for the Atlanta project, and the success of the project continues to grow. This year over 150 dancers are expected to participate during the first weekend of October.

As a city, Atlanta truly has a heart for the arts, making it the perfect location for Project Dance. Dance is thriving in the Atlanta area. The city is filled with dance studios as well as pro and semi-pro companies. Autumn said she knows of two new dance companies starting just this year as well as a new arts festival. Atlanta is an up and coming city in the film industry which means there are more and more agents looking to hire dancers. Bottom line – if you are a dancer, Atlanta is full of opportunities!

If you are visiting Atlanta, here are a few dance studios you should definitely check out. Dance101, Ikonic Dance Studio, Dance411, Atlanta Ballet and Gotta Dance are the main studios in the Atlanta area offering adult classes, and they are excellent resources for dancers.

As a dancer, the training never stops. That’s why it’s so important to get plugged into the dance world and train under as many people as possible. Autumn said that when she was growing up she was never the best dancer at her studio or the one who was chosen to be in front; instead, she worked hard and it paid off. Autumn worked as a Radio City Rockette for seven years as well as performed with Walt Disney World, Stiletto Entertainment and more. She said, “If you love dance, stick with it. True art takes a long time to perfect so continue to work on your technique and performance skills and never give up.”

Atlanta will prove to be a project full of learning from experts in the industry as well as performing in the heart of downtown Atlanta. If you are in the area, stop by Atlantic Station on Saturday, October 4th to see talented dancers performing on the streets of Atlanta during the free concert. Sunday after the concert, dancers will have the chance to train under some of the best. Master classes will be taught by Project Dance founder and former Radio City Rockette, Cheryl Cutlip. Hip hop classes will be offered by PD favorites Natassia and Carl, and Stacey Slitcher will be teaching ballet. These are just a few of the talented teachers joining us in Atlanta this year, and you don’t want to miss it! So pack your dance bag because it’s not too late to join Project Dance in Atlanta October 3-5. Visit www.projectdance.com for more information!

Mission and Goals: Project Dance® is a movement of dancers seeking to positively impact culture through artistic integrity. Our desire is to see every dancer nurtured to their fullest human potential for their own wellbeing and their contribution to the world. We offer training, education, and performance opportunities for dancers worldwide who desire to dance with integrity to inspire. Check out www.projectdance.com to learn more.