The following is an excerpt from an imaginary conversation between a student and master teacher. It explores the platitude of “Find your Center,” from my series about the dangers of traditional teaching that uses misunderstood concepts.
Student: Oh, great wise master, how can I find my center? My` teachers always tell me that I must dance from my “center,” but I find that very difficult to understand. My “center” feels so elusive and I can never hold onto it. Continue reading
One thing that most teachers don’t comprehend is that the psychological and physiological aspects of a person are like two horses in a barn.
If either one of these elements is disrupted or spooked, the other one will be pulled into a panic and join in the fray of confusion. They can be spooked by traumas, events, or accidents that affect both the mind and the body and have severe ramifications if not cared for properly. These experiences often create concepts in the dancer’s mind that prejudice them toward a certain way of interpreting a teacher’s instructions or of understanding a particular movement. Continue reading
A primary purpose of my blog is to serve as a sounding board for all those interested in a more in-depth exploration of the inner workings of dance. Are you having problems with your dance? Frequent injuries? Experiencing difficulties advancing? Discovered a trouble spot that won’t seem to go away?
Send me a question in the comments and I will respond in a new blog post!
I have over 20 years experience working as a master teacher and my specialities are helping injured dancers recover; teaching those who struggle with traditional methods; and inspiring dancers who have been dissuaded from pursuing dance as a career.
A brief summary of my history: after starting at the age of 22, and with only 3 years of intense training, I was accepted, without even auditioning, to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, one of the most well respected companies in the world. Now I want to share the secrets that made me progress so quickly.
Visit my company’s website http://www.johncartballet.org, for more information and to view my current work. Be sure to leave your questions in the comments!
Solution Dance 