Preparing Mentally, Emotionally & Physically for Aging in Dance and Transitioning Stages
As a young company dancer at Olympic Ballet Theater in the 1980’s, one of my favorite pieces I performed was “Fall” as a part of the Ballet Seasons. Now in my 50’s, I’m in a very different season of my life as a dancer. I’ve always loved fall–the season that teaches us that change can be beautiful.
What I’ve Learned from 50+ Years of Dance!
Pronunciation: La-Ree Ba-Lees | Pronouns: she/her
By Laurie Balise, DWC Ambassador
click to shop the look: girlfriend | GF Biketard
As a young company dancer at Olympic Ballet Theater in the 1980’s, one of my favorite pieces I performed was “Fall” as a part of the Ballet Seasons. Now in my 50’s, I’m in a very different season of my life as a dancer. I’ve always loved fall–the season that teaches us that change can be beautiful.
My life story thus far includes many different seasons, in both dance and otherwise, all of which I’ve tried to embrace. Each season has taught me something different that at now 53 has created wisdom. While there have been many successes and much happiness, I’ve also learned to deal with mistakes and disappointment, handling regrets, and practicing forgiveness. Often the greatest shifts and growth have come from re-addressing previous truths that came after life tragedies. My wisdom has taught me that everything in life, whether positive or negative, or significant or seemingly not, has value. Personal reflection is so important, and implementing new ideas or goals, yet still allowing yourself to dream. I likewise believe in teaching my dancers to be adaptable, disciplined, hard working, resilient and tenacious in all they do. Dance teaches us SO much more on our life path at times than just dance, and I’m grateful for all the lessons along the way.
Something I’ve also considered as I’ve aged is wanting to assure I’ve created a positive impact on the world. Whereas in my youth I was primarily a performer, transitioning to teaching gave me even greater purpose. Before teaching I incorporated the arts and dance into my academics in college with an internship at Pacific NW Ballet in their Public Relations Department and later was the Publicist for the Seattle Symphony. I have more avenues to explore, but I’ve also found peace and felt pride and satisfaction with what I’ve accomplished thus far. I think positive self validation is really important always, but especially as we get older-we don’t have to continually prove ourselves as dancers, or otherwise. What I hope to have passed along as a teacher and be remembered for is that I truly cared; that I challenged myself and others both creatively and in physical abilities and technique; that I showed my students how to have fun even when working hard; and that believing in themselves is always most important. I love connecting with others in our shared humanity which has been a big part of my purpose. I think it’s important to identify the why? as well and once we have, better align ourselves with our purpose. Progress and growth is always important, but sometimes it also includes rest or reinvention. There’s no particular ‘standard’ we have to meet to be dancers either- no right or wrong. Nor do we have to be doing certain things like performing or even teaching to still be viable in our art form and make a contribution. There are so many options for how we can incorporate dance into our lives that are meaningful and joyous. I love just dancing around the world or taking classes whenever I’m traveling. For many years I’ve also helped in volunteer positions judging the dance category in art competitions, assisting with high school dance team tryouts, producing and choreographing school musicals, and representing the arts at student career fairs.
click to shop the look:
Jule meshie crop top | CD World grey/black sports bra | SoDanca Black Shorts
Sometimes rest or change is something we resist though until life throws us a prominent “stoplight!’ There are always indicators around us if we are present enough to pay attention, and sometimes an opportunity we hadn’t considered becomes a wonderful transition to a new chapter. The Universe sent me a message recently to listen to my gut, literally. It led me to health tests that revealed a gut disorder most likely brought on from years of cumulative stressors and past traumas. As dancers and artists, we of course are quite empathic and feel everything deeply. Additionally, we hold ourselves to high standards and push ourselves in all ways. And after so many years of being in front of people, no matter what level of confidence or mastery we have, we can still get anxiety and butterflies in our stomach. Practicing greater self care and managing stress including both physical and mental health has been a big priority for me especially in this latest season of my life. The gift in awareness was that I was able to bring its importance into my professional life as well by offering mindfulness and meditation classes for my dancers, as well as teaching yoga to both kids and adults.
In more recent years, I’ve really tried to start leaning more into my wisdom and intuition, giving myself more permission to say “no” when necessary to find greater balance in my life. I think this is such a great practice for dancers or anyone. Sometimes things are just too much at times, and when we ease off and take a few steps back we can actually proceed forward with greater care. We don’t always have to be “on'' and available to everyone either. We’re already so exposed as performers and teachers, and it’s okay to not have to always be front and center. Using this skill, I try to step back when I teach for instance so my dancers can let themselves be their own focus.
I may be getting older- everyone is! But I’ve found acceptance in that and all the undeniable things my body has gone through as a mother and otherwise. In this way I practice non-resistance to the things I can’t change. That said, I still don’t need to be limited by or defined by my body or age in my strengths or abilities throughout any of the seasons of my life either. In many ways I know my body has been stronger the older I’ve gotten. When we truly love ourselves, our body responds positively in a homeostasis in our mind, body, and soul. As a dancer and most importantly a human being, I am always viable in what I have to offer and in any capacity that I may find myself in. This is what keeps me going and growing, always, and staying positive and allows the freedom and ease of transformation to occur, in dance or otherwise.
If we think of ourselves as being in constant creation then we are in a revolutionary process of reinventing ourselves throughout life. Growth is a choice we can make over stagnation. The more we move in all ways,, the more we find opportunities to stimulate our brains and bodies in new exploratory ways. This can help us defy the aging process just by the natural occurrence of our choices and actions. You are confined only by the walls you build yourself; the opposite of courage is not cowardice, it’s conformity.
Just like there are several positions in dance that we flow through from first to fifth, we move through different points in our relationship with dance in each new season. Each is beautifully unique for what it offers us in experiences and memories and grows us in different ways. When holding a pose in dance, we still remain alive and breathing before transitioning into the next step, just like through the stages of our lives. So may we all Temps lié, Chassé or Pas de Bourrée into our next position in life and embrace whatever it may be! Ultimately as we know, life itself is truly a dance!
“You can have as much ballet or dance as you want in your life. You can have a lot or a little bit, or somewhere in-between,” said Miko Fogarty, the star of the 2012 dance documentary First Position who herself has found different directions in life beyond dance.
About the Author
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Getting To Know DWC Ambassador Laurie Balise
Becoming a DWC Ambassador was something that Laurie Balise knew she wanted to do. She saw an opportunity to positively impact the dance community by participating in the program especially because she shares the company’s ideals of integrity, laughter and tenacity. Additionally, her impetus was because she believes in the importance of positive support and collaboration in our industry in order to more greatly empower all dancers. We got the chance to speak with one of our new Ambassadors and hear about her dancing journey and what motivated her the most in the dance world! Read on to learn more about Laurie’s experience with dance and what she’s looking forward to most about becoming an Ambassador!
Pronunciation: La-Ree Ba-Lees | Pronouns: she/her
By Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Editor
Becoming a DWC Ambassador was something that Laurie Balise knew she wanted to do. She saw an opportunity to positively impact the dance community by participating in the program especially because she shares the company’s ideals of integrity, laughter and tenacity. Additionally, her impetus was because she believes in the importance of positive support and collaboration in our industry in order to more greatly empower all dancers. We got the chance to speak with one of our new Ambassadors and hear about her dancing journey and what motivated her the most in the dance world! Read on to learn more about Laurie’s experience with dance and what she’s looking forward to most about becoming an Ambassador!
Laurie started dancing when she was just 3 years old. Ever since she has loved the world of performing arts. She was one of the founding senior dancers at Olympic Ballet Theater in the 1980’s and originally trained with Dorothy Fisher dancers. Her family has always been a big supporter of the arts, so growing up she knew her life would always involve her passion in some way. She’s had positions in the arts in several of Seattle’s largest arts organizations, as well as taught dance and fitness for many organizations, and currently teaches ballet, pilates, and mindfulness and meditation at Vibe Dance Studio and primarily pilates and yoga at Columbia Athletic Club. Her teaching career has spanned 22 years in the greater Everett/Seattle area.
One thing that Laurie is most excited about when it comes to her new ambassadorship is the community that is around Dancewear Center and the connection and education it provides. She loves the message that DWC has put out that “every body is a dancing body” and she is excited to offer her unique perspectives with the dance community especially as an older dancer and teacher. After nearly 50 years of dance experience, she has many personal stories and teaching wisdom she is looking forward to passing along during her ambassadorship, as well as she is hoping to be an inspiration in longevity to other dancers.
We are so happy to have Laurie as one of our new DWC Ambassadors! Be sure to check out her interview on our YouTube channel to hear more about Laurie’s dancing journey!
About the Author
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Teaching Artist Kirsten Cooper On Tackling Technical Dance Challenges
Kirsten’s favorite thing about dance, she shares, is the connections people make through this art form are something that she finds to be the best thing about the dance world. “Through my teaching, I’ve seen people from different economical lives come and dance together and I think that that is just amazing,” she shares. She also shares that the connection through an emotional basis and a common love of dance is something that is very important to keep going. The relationships that she has made through people that she has taught are something that is very important to her and sets an example for the connection that dance can make through people.
A Conversation About Opening Dance for All Ages
Phonetic pronunciation: Kir-sten Coo-per | Pronouns: she/her
By Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Editor
Photo by Nigel Cooper Photography
Freelance teacher Kirsten Cooper is no stranger to the dance world. From dancing in her hometown in Spokane, Washington to dancing professionally in Los Angeles, California, there is no doubt about the amount of experience that she holds. Read on to learn more about Kirsten’s dance journey and her work with Westlake Dance Center!
Kirsten Cooper has always been a freelance teacher. She has been teaching in the Pacific Northwest for many years now after moving to Seattle following being a professional in Los Angeles. She shares that she mostly teaches jazz, contemporary, lyrical, and theater dance. Kirsten has taught at numerous different suburban studios, but she does the majority of her teaching at Westlake Dance Center where she runs the pre-professional program. She also teaches at the summer intensive at Pacific Northwest Ballet focusing on jazz, and she expresses how much she loves teaching ballerinas. She also shares that she loves to travel as much as she can, sharing that she’s journeyed to Texas, Montana, California, and Bulgaria to teach dance. Kirsten also just finished her Barre Eclipse License where she can now teach barre during her conditioning classes.
When asked about what sparked her passion for teaching, Kirsten shares that growing up in Spokane, she always loved dance. She expresses that she never got serious about it until she reached high school when her dance teacher opened her own studio. “She opened her own studio when I was a senior in high school, so then I was just there all the time” Kirsten shares. When she was at her studio, there was a variety of mixed-age groups that were in her classes. She shares that that is something that made her feel comfortable in the suburban environment and showed her that classes with different age groups were possible.
Going into college, Kirsten attended Pacific Lutheran University for about a year and a half and realized that she wanted to dance in Los Angeles. Once she arrived, she started taking dance classes for about a year and finally landed an agent. She began assisting Rhonda Miller with teaching, helping out in different jobs, and teaching at L.A. DanceForce. She shares that this experience taught her how to teach and run effective rehearsals and sparked her passion for teaching. Assisting also allowed her to create more art in the dance world which is something that she loves.
Photo by Nigel Cooper Photography
Moving on to Kirsten’s favorite thing about dance, she shares that the connections people make through this art form are something that she finds to be the best thing about the dance world. “Through my teaching, I’ve seen people from different social-economic backgrounds come and dance together and I think that that is just amazing,” she shares. She also shares that the connection through an emotional basis and a common love of dance is something that is very important to capitalize on in the dance community. The relationships that she has made through people that she has taught are something that is very important to her and sets an example for the connection that dance can make through people.
“My former dancers are some of my closest friends,” Kirsten shares.
One of the biggest struggles that Kirsten experienced when starting to dance is that she simply started training later. While Kirsten excelled at performing onstage, she struggled with more technical elements of dance, such as lacking turnout in her hips. She expresses that getting over the hump of needing to look and be a certain way was a big struggle for her. She conveys that some advice she would give dancers is simply to ensure that they are taking care of themselves. Physical therapy and nourishment are something that she believes are very important in the dance world. Kirsten also says that the aspect of social media in dance can be harmful to dancers but also have some good impacts too. Therefore, she thinks that recognizing the technical challenges of dancing and using social media can put dancers in the right direction to dance safely.
When asked about what she wants to see change in the dance world, Kirsten shares that talking about dance competitions in a healthy way is something that could potentially make a positive impact. There are many unhealthy ways that competitions and conventions are thrown onto dancers at younger ages, and Kirsten acknowledges that aspect. She believes that introducing conventions and competitions in healthy ways is something that needs to happen so dancers can reap their benefits. A way that she thinks the industry could move towards this change is emphasizing improvement instead of constant recognition. “It is nice to be recognized but [that] cannot be the only focus,” Kirsten says of class feedback, sharing that she likes asking her students how they feel about a skill they’ve learned before any kind of outcome from her, as the teacher, is revealed.
Photo by Nigel Cooper Photography
Coming up this summer, Kirsten is still teaching open classes at Westlake Dance Center and she will be doing all five weeks of the summer intensive program at Pacific Northwest Ballet. For Kirsten’s pre-professional program, she is taking auditions this summer for slots in classes and more information will be up with posters soon. She is also doing a workshop with Broadway dancer Mary Ann Lamb at the end of summer/early fall and typically in the fall, she has workshops with Jaci Royal as well. She shares that anyone that wants to come to these workshops is more than welcome and that they are open to everyone!
For more information about upcoming events with Kirsten, be sure to check out her socials!
About the Author
Sources:
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Ainslie Cyopik On Prioritizing Quality at Ainsliewear
Through the clothes she made, Ainslie’s mother instilled an appreciation for product quality in her daughter at a young age that shines through at the dancewear company. “The quality of AinslieWear is high,” Ainslie stresses, sharing that the factor that sets the brand apart is the depth of detail it puts into how leotards are made and how they fit. The company sets the bar high, paying close attention to how the leotard lays, the surface area it covers, the stretch and resilience of the fabric, and more. It helps that all the leotards are proudly made in Vancouver, B.C., just steps away from Ainslie’s office. “We have a great team here,” Ainslie says proudly.
A CEO On Progress in Dancewear
Pronouns: she/her | Name pronunciation: Ainslie Sigh-oh-pick
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
Photo by Melika Dez
Few know the vast range of leotard qualities better than a professional dancer. The sensation of an uncomfortable leotard against your skin can feel like it impedes your dancing ability, even leading to a less confident performance. Former professional dancer Ainslie Cyopik knows this all too well - that’s why she founded AinslieWear, a world-class dancewear company celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2022. Read on to learn more about AinslieWear President & CEO Ainslie Cyopik’s own artistic journey and the brand's plans for the upcoming future.
Before becoming a leotard designer extraordinaire, Ainslie led a career as a professional dancer for about 15 years. Like many children, her mother put her in dance at a young age and she quickly took to it. Training at a local ballet school, Ainslie explored ballet and jazz but fell deeper in love with ballet specifically. She eventually ended up dancing in the corps de ballet at The National Ballet of Canada in Toronto, a large company known for its classical ballet work. Ainslie later moved to Vancouver, British Columbia where she danced with Ballet BC. Here, she got to perform in work by renowned choreographers like William Forsythe. “It was a great career,” Ainslie says of her dancing years.
Ainslie grew up in a house full of color and creativity - her father was an artist and her mother had a passion for sewing. She describes drawers in her house being filled with beautiful, colorful fabric, sharing that a love for making beautiful clothes was instilled in her early in life.
“Even as a young teen, I was sewing clothes and loved it,” Ainslie shares. “[I] just adored going to fabric stores with my mom and [seeing] just rows and rows of fabric.” It was a feast for the senses!
Later on, Ainslie began altering some of her leotards that weren’t fitting quite right or that she thought would look interesting with a different color. It was at Ballet BC that she dove deeper into the art of designing and sewing leotards. During her lunch breaks, Ainslie would drop into Dressew, a fabric store next door to the company, and find the best “stretchy stuff” to make leotards with. “That’s where I really started making dancewear for myself and my colleagues,” Ainslie shares.
This year, AinslieWear is celebrating its 25th anniversary. “I can hardly believe it!” Ainslie shares. “We want dancers to feel good. We want people to feel good in the studio,” she says of the philosophy behind the brand. “What we wear does impact how we feel. It can boost us up.”
Through the clothes she made, Ainslie’s mother instilled an appreciation for product quality in her daughter at a young age that shines through at the dancewear company. “The quality of AinslieWear is high,” Ainslie stresses, sharing that the factor that sets the brand apart is the depth of detail it puts into how leotards are made and how they fit. The company sets the bar high, paying close attention to how the leotard lays, the surface area it covers, the stretch and resilience of the fabric, and more. It helps that all the leotards are proudly made in Vancouver, B.C., just steps away from Ainslie’s office. “We have a great team here,” Ainslie says proudly.
Ainslie places value in instilling confidence in her customers, whether they are professional dancers or mothers picking up leotards for their busy dancing children. “They know it’s going to last. They know it’s going to fit well,” she says. Ainslie wants dancers to put on AinslieWear’s leotards and feel like they “hit the mark,” making them feel more self-assured so they can focus on their actual dancing and not on the discomfort of what they’re wearing.
In terms of AinslieWear’s designs, Ainslie shares that the whole world can act as inspiration. She might catch inspiration from fashion trends on the streets or in magazines, but generally, Ainslie loves when happy design accidents happen. “Some things will just cross paths on the product development table,” Ainslie says of such serendipitous designs.
AinslieWear’s 2022 Fall Collection is currently out, featuring falling leaf prints in an elegant “blue heron” shade. In the winter, customers can expect a collection full of darker, edgier tones, as well as holiday-themed products, including those with motifs from The Nutcracker.
Photo by Emily Cooper
Moving forward, inclusivity remains a priority to AinslieWear, particularly in the dancers that are presented across its catalogs and marketing resources. Ainslie voices that it’s “one tiny step,” but through promoting equitable actions across the company’s different branches, she hopes to continue being a part of forward-thinking change. Even across dance companies, Ainslie is thrilled to see so many directors changing up their repertoire, bringing in fresh and dynamic choreography. “Classical ballet [is] not just one thing anymore. It’s really evolving,” she says excitedly. “We’re all broadening how we look at things.”
Shop AinslieWear at Dancewear Center today!
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Getting To Know DWC Ambassador EmmaRose DeSantis
At Dancewear Center, we always look for people that can help fulfill our message that “every body is a dancing body.” New DWC Ambassador Emma Rose DeSantis was perfect for that! We got the opportunity to speak with Emma Rose about her dancing journey! Read on to learn more about what dance means to Emma Rose and what inspired her to become an Ambassador!
Pronunciation: Em-ma Rose Dee-san-tis | Pronouns: she/her
By Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Editor
At Dancewear Center, we always look for people that can help fulfill our message that “every body is a dancing body.” New DWC Ambassador Emma Rose DeSantis was perfect for that! We got the opportunity to speak with Emma Rose about her dancing journey! Read on to learn more about what dance means to Emma Rose and what inspired her to become an Ambassador!
Emma Rose has been dancing ever since she was 3 years old. She shares that she started with creative movement/ballet classes and then took some modern classes. Emma Rose grew up on Vashon Island, so she took classes and trained at Vashon Center for the Arts. As she entered high school, Vashon Center for the Arts introduced some other styles like jazz and hip hop to their studio, which allowed Emma Rose to explore those styles during her later dance years.
After high school, Emma Rose went to Western Washington University to get her BFA in Dance with two minors in Business Administration and Entrepreneurship and Innovation. During her time at Western, she was involved in some dance clubs around campus and she shares that she mainly was involved with those clubs during her junior and senior years at the university. Emma Rose currently focuses on contemporary and hip-hop styles and continues ballet to help with her technique and training for other styles.
At first, Emma Rose didn’t think that she could become a DWC Ambassador. She then received a message on social media from Dancewear Center saying that she should apply. As she was applying, Emma Rose was looking at the mission of DWC and loved the message that they wanted to uphold as a company and she knew that she wanted to apply. She loved how friendly the community was and is looking forward to being a part of the DWC community as an Ambassador.
We are so happy to have Emma Rose as one of our new DWC Ambassadors! Watch the full interview below to hear more about Emma Rose’s dancing journey!
About the Author
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Local Young Choreographer Christian West on What Modern Dance Means to Him
This show is formatted like a double feature where the first act is a showcase of pieces to Kate Bush songs and the second act is its own piece to a concept suite on one of her albums Hounds of Love, which is on the B side of the record called The Ninth Wave. The plot of the concept piece is that she is drowning and it explores themes of rebirth, grief, death, life and love. “It’s a very cathartic human sound, all of her music is, and it’s such a heavy subject matter that we’re having so much fun with,” he shares, laughing.
A Conversation on Promoting Young Dancers
By Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Editor
Photo by Nicole Barrett
The DWC Blog loves to highlight dancers and choreographers in the Seattle area. Because of this, we got the opportunity to speak with Christian West who is a newly graduated high school student who has put together a show coming on stage this November! Read on to learn more about Christian’s dance journey and what his show has in store!
Christian started dancing when he was in the first grade. He has been dancing at Spotlight Dance Center since he started and shares that he has taken some tap classes at Village Theater KidsStage. One of the main reasons why he started dancing was because he did musical theater, which is why he primarily started out with tap. He shares that his immense passion for dance outside of musical theater didn’t occur until his junior year of high school. “So, fairly new!” he says, laughing.
Christian has always been fascinated by dance and it is a pivotal part of his life. Dance has allowed him to view the world around him in ways that he wouldn’t have if he wasn’t as involved in dance. “[I’m] just constantly looking at people and the way that they move and how that's fascinating to me,” Christian shares.
All his dance training has been through Spotlight Dance Center and he shares that it feels like a home. “It’s definitely a big part of my dance upbringing,” he says. Modern dance is a specific style that he says means a lot to him and he shares that dancing at Spotlight is why he thinks it means so much to him. Through his own choreography, he has noticed that it is much more geared towards the performance bases of dance rather than the competition-based dance of other studios.
Photo by Nicole Barrett
In late November, Christian is putting together a show dedicated to Kate Bush. He shares that he has been obsessed with her music for about four years ever since his sister showed her music to him. “She showed me all of her really weird music videos where she has all this modern dance, and that’s almost been like a spell, like it’s entrancing,” he recalls, smiling. The meaning of the music and her own dancing in her music videos is something that he gains inspiration from, specifically for this show.
This show is formatted like a double feature where the first act is a showcase of pieces to Kate Bush songs and the second act is its own piece to a concept suite on one of her albums Hounds of Love, which is on the B side of the record called The Ninth Wave. The plot of the concept piece is that she is drowning and it explores themes of rebirth, grief, death, life and love. “It’s a very cathartic human sound, all of her music is, and it’s such a heavy subject matter that we’re having so much fun with,” he shares, laughing.
Christian loves incorporating small, specific movements in his choreography, so he shares that Bob Fosse, Pina Bausch and Mark Morris are some choreographers that inspire him as well. Aside from big-name choreographers, Christian seeks inspiration from co-choreographer of this piece Pilar Galdamez. Both have danced at Spotlight Dance Center together and he says that they can connect in ways of understanding one another very easily because of it.
Christian and Pilar’s choreographic process involves many different aspects. Most of the process is expressing a vision to one another and then choreographing it themselves and placing it on the dancers. But, they also use a unique technique that is used by one of the teachers at Spotlight where they tell the dancers to improv and then film them dancing. “We then watch the way their bodies move and the poses that their bodies naturally fit into to try and make it seem as natural and authentic for the dancers to perform as possible,” he says.
When asked about what he enjoys about the style of modern itself, he shares that he appreciates the time that it was born and how much it changed the dance world. He loves the pure innovation of what modern dance has done and the authenticity of what it means and looks like in every dancer’s body. He shares that there is a specific piece in his show where there are multiple different dancers in pointe shoes, and bare feet doing what they love and feel good in their bodies. Christian and Pilar’s main goal for this piece is to integrate personality and just being a person into their choreography which is how they are trying to bring light to modern dance.
“She’s 16 years old and I’m 18, so we’ve never done anything like this before,” Christian shares. “This is a huge project to take on.” Just simply creating everything and being in a room full of people and telling them what to do is something that he shares has been a struggle for the both of them. In light of the pandemic, he shares that any struggles that they have faced while putting this production together have come as a hidden blessing. All of the dancers that they are putting into the show are close friends or attend Spotlight, which has helped them in the long run.
Photo by Nicole Barrett
When asked about what aspect he is most excited for people to see in this show, Christian shares that he is really excited for people to see something that he loves and hopes that they love it too. He hopes that people can be as entranced and fascinated by the music as he is. He is also really excited to share younger people’s viewpoints on the subject matter of this piece and to introduce new choreographers to the dance scene.
You can come and see this show at the Erikson Theater in Capitol Hill, Seattle on November 25th and November 26th and all of the proceeds of this event will go to the charity LANDBACK. This show will feature dancing from Christian West, Pilar Galdamez, Mia Behnke, Alivia Behnke, Nicole Barrett, Tija Dupont, Miles Rich-Davis, Simone Joshua and others. Buy tickets here for any of the three performances. We hope to see you at the show!
About the Author
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Getting To Know DWC Ambassador Aubrey Zappen
Promoting body positivity is something very important to new DWC Ambassador Aubrey Zappen. When she heard about DWC, she instantly loved what the company stood for and new that she wanted to apply for the ambassadorship. We got the opportunity to speak with Aubrey about her dancing journey! Read on to learn more about what dance means to Aubrey and what inspired her to become an Ambassador!
Pronunciation: Aw-brie Zap-in | Pronouns: she/her
By Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Editor
Promoting body positivity is something very important to new DWC Ambassador Aubrey Zappen. When she heard about DWC, she instantly loved what the company stood for and new that she wanted to apply for the ambassadorship. We got the opportunity to speak with Aubrey about her dancing journey! Read on to learn more about what dance means to Aubrey and what inspired her to become an Ambassador!
Starting at the age of 3, Aubrey knew that she always wanted to dance. She shares that there were very few times in her life that she ever doubted that she wanted to dance. She knew it was for her. Aubrey currently dances at the Academy of Dance in Port Orchard, Washington, and shares that she loves the community there. Within the past year, she realized that she wanted to dance as her career and go to school for it. As a senior in high school, she is preparing for auditions for various schools that she is wanting to go to.
One reason why Aubrey was inspired to become a DWC Ambassador was because of some of her peers at her studio. She had just heard about Dancewear Center and she shares that when she did she immediately fell in love with everything about it. Aubrey loves the importance of “every body is a dancing body” and appreciates that this business is promoting diversity and body positivity in every way. She shares the importance of this acceptance in the dance world and hopes to do that as a DWC Ambassador.
We are so happy to have Aubrey as one of our new DWC Ambassadors! Watch the full interview below to hear more about Aubrey’s dancing journey!
About the Author
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Local Dance Non-Profit on Prioritizing Dance Education for Adults
This new upcoming show will be held on November 18th and 19th at Broadway Performance Hall in Seattle at 8 pm. Dare to Dance’s shows started in 2010 with the first show simply called Dare to Dance. These shows aim to get people who don’t have a lot of dance training but want to start dancing on stage and perform. To include people who are dance enthusiasts and just want to dance. These dance pieces specifically are meant to showcase different dance styles and the utter joy that the people onstage have when performing.
A Conversation with the Directors of Dare to Dance Seattle
By Nicole Barrett, DWC Blog Editor
Photo by Zheng Wang
The dance world has come a long way in recent years for the acceptance of everyone. Gender norms are being broken and traditional ways of training are being pushed aside. One gap that is still working its way through the realm of dance is the gap for adults starting to dance at an older age. This is something that Dare to Dance Seattle is trying to tackle with their yearly performances. We got the opportunity to speak with Administrative Director Cindy Jacobs and Artistic Director Zheng Wang about their upcoming performance on November 18th and 19th! Read on to learn more about the mission of Dare to Dance and details for their upcoming show!
Zheng shares that he was not a dancer when he was growing up. He says that he never considered himself a dancer until he found a group that participated in flash mobs in 2010. The flash mob was performing at Westlake Center in Seattle and he says that he went with a friend and was a part of the big crowd dancing together. “That was just really fun, really exciting, so I just kept going back,” he recalls.
While participating in the flash mobs, he met a group of people that were very passionate about dance, but they weren’t “professionals.” He credits meeting this group of people as the true beginning of starting Dare to Dance and his reason for creating a show with the flash mob community.
Cindy started taking dance classes when she was five years old and shares that back when she was training, there were no performances or recitals. There were just strictly classes for technique. Her father was in the military so she says that she moved around a lot and learned different dance styles such as tap and hula. She continued to dance throughout high school and shares that she took a little break after graduating.
Photo by Zheng Wang
Later on, in her adult years, she started dancing again in some community-based performances and stage musicals. She then started dancing with a community show choir and later on choreographed for them. Cindy and her choreography partner Sue have worked together for many years and have choreographed numerous pieces in various locations. “I just love to dance,” she shares, smiling.
This new upcoming show will be held on November 18th and 19th at Broadway Performance Hall in Seattle at 8 pm. Dare to Dance’s shows started in 2010 with the first show simply called Dare to Dance. These shows aim to get people who don’t have a lot of dance training but want to start dancing on stage and perform. To include people who are dance enthusiasts and just want to dance. These dance pieces specifically are meant to showcase different dance styles and the utter joy that the people onstage have when performing.
Dare to Dance encourages group performances to share the joy of dancing together. Each specific piece showcases a dance style and choreographers from various locations bring these pieces for the dancers to perform. This organization just wants to share dance with everybody.
Cindy shares that when she joined the team in 2018 she was very impressed with the organization of the company and loved the mission. “It was extremely welcoming,” she shares. She says that something that surprised her was the amount of diversity between the dances and the dancers. “It’s really a fun show!” Cindy says.
The goal of Dare to Dance as a non-profit organization is to provide professional-quality opportunities for dance enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels to create, perform, connect and grow. “It’s really about providing that opportunity to people that don’t get it otherwise,” Zheng shares. He emphasizes the fact that “non-dancers” don’t get the opportunities to perform onstage like dancers that train at a studio do. Zheng believes that the audience can see themselves onstage when they are watching these performances that they might not with other shows.
When coming up with this idea, Zheng shares that he thought that this was a very out-of-the-box concept to create. He says that he disguised the first show as a big birthday celebration for his 35th birthday to ensure that people would turn out and want to celebrate. “I figured that if it was a total disaster, we could just write it off as having fun for my birthday!” Zheng shares, laughing. What surprised him the most was how successful it was and it allowed him to continue doing these shows from then on.
Something that makes Dare to Dance stand out amongst other organizations is the fact that every idea is open for discussion. “‘Hey, you have a good idea? Sure! Can you get some dancers?’” Cindy shares, smiling. She elaborates that there aren’t the boundaries that typical dance organizations have and they focus their time on allowing adult amateurs to have the opportunity to dance onstage. Cindy states that the most important thing about Dare to Dance is that there are no pre-existing rules for what kind of dance or dancers they need. “We are willing to look at everything,” she shares.
Photo by Zheng Wang
About the Author
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Exploring Dance in Academia as a Parent
“It’s my personal way of processing and understanding the world,” CarliAnn says of why she loves dancing. She describes herself as a kinesthetic person, using physicality as a way to connect with others and share experiences. CarliAnn also appreciates what a great medium dance is for storytelling, as communicating stories through the body can utilize a richness that simple text cannot, making it an accessible storytelling tool.
CarliAnn Bruner Recounts Her Dance Journey
Name pronunciation: Carlee-Ann B-run-er | Pronouns: she/her
By by Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Contributor
Photo by 127th St.
The role dance plays in a person’s life can vary immensely, from taking community classes, to professionally performing, to becoming a trained educator in the practice. Dance artist and educator CarliAnn Bruner has experienced this wide range of dance roles throughout her journey and currently works as an adjunct professor of dance at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Read on to learn more about CarliAnn’s dance journey and experiences exploring dance in academia and as a parent.
Some of CarliAnn’s earliest movement memories are in gymnastics lessons, which her parents enrolled her in at age two. She loved gymnastics but felt especially drawn to the dance and style aspects of the balance beam and floor routines. After participating in competitive gymnastics until she was thirteen, CarliAnn dove head first into dancing and fell in love with it.
“At fifteen, I was like ‘Mom, I’m going to be a dancer when I grow up!’” CarliAnn recollects. At sixteen, she began regularly driving herself two hours from her hometown of Yakima, Washington to Seattle to take dance classes at Velocity Dance Center, Spectrum Dance Theater, and Westlake Dance Center. “My parents were so trusting,” she laughs about her younger self driving so far for dance.
CarliAnn attended Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada, where she received her BFA, majoring in dance and minoring in kinesiology. While in the Vancouver area, a standout moment for her was getting to perform in the closing ceremonies at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
After college, CarliAnn auditioned for some dance companies in other cities, eventually landing a job with 127th St. Dance Company in Seattle. “That was my jumping-off point, my entry into the Seattle [dance] scene,” CarliAnn says of the job. “I met a lot of people who I’m still good friends with.”
CarliAnn later danced with Khambatta Dance Company, where she performed at venues around the world, including India, Brazil, Mexico, and Lithuania. She also danced in the inaugural season of Intrepidus Dance, with DWC Owner and General Manager Samantha Weissbach and former DWC staff member Holly Logan Livingston.
Through Khambatta Dance Company, CarliAnn was introduced to fellow dancer and DWC Director of Marketing Ethan Rome. The two artists were drawn to the art of choreography and desired to create their own dance company. So, they started Forthun + Rome Dance Theater in 2016, which created and showed work around Washington for about three years.
In 2018, CarliAnn and her husband found themselves itching to live in a new city. After some searching, they landed in Spokane. CarliAnn got connected with Gonzaga University Dance Director Suzanne Ostersmith and became a guest artist at the university, choreographing work for a production of theirs.
Photo by Audrey Parks
Teaching at Gonzaga prompted CarliAnn to think about getting her master’s degree. In 2021, she earned her MFA in dance at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Her thesis focused on indigenous contemporary dance, a subject personal to CarliAnn as a descendant of the Colville Tribe in Washington. “It was a nice way to use my art to reconnect to my heritage and my ancestry,” she says. Due to COVID-19, much of CarliAnn’s master’s program took place over Zoom in Washington, while she was pregnant with her second child. While this virtual format posed many challenges, she appreciated having the opportunity to interview family members for her thesis research, an opportunity she may not have had if she was living in a different state.
“It’s my personal way of processing and understanding the world,” CarliAnn says of why she loves dancing. She describes herself as a kinesthetic person, using physicality as a way to connect with others and share experiences. CarliAnn also appreciates what a great medium dance is for storytelling, as communicating stories through the body can utilize a richness that simple text cannot, making it an accessible storytelling tool.
Currently, CarliAnn is working as an adjunct professor of dance at Gonzaga University. She’s in the process of creating a curriculum for a course on arts leadership and administration with a specific focus on art management in the nonprofit sector. She’s passionate about making sure organizations are conscious of the voices that they are uplifting and hopes to bring attention to that through her teaching. CarliAnn also recently launched a course on dance improvisation, something that many of her students had been seeking more education about. She’s also planning on being the rehearsal director for the Gonzaga University Repertory Dance Company. This season, dance artist Ashley Menestrina will be setting work on the Gonzaga dancers, which CarliAnn is greatly excited to see.
In addition to her academic work, CarliAnn has been making a greater effort to slowly come back into the studio for herself for the first time in a while. She’s created a couple of pieces largely inspired by her thesis and personal research. She shares that being able to travel and tour her art around the world again is a long-time goal of hers.
Photo by Tabor Cote
“It’s interesting being an artist and a parent,” CarliAnn says. Not only has she had to re-acquaint herself with her body after having children, but she also says she’s learning where her place in the dance community is again. She says that in many ways, due to COVID-19, dance opportunities have been made more accessible to her as a parent due to the abundance of online options. At the same time, there are also many opportunities that aren’t as accessible due to time and distance limitations interfering with her important role as a parent. She shares that she sometimes feels like she has to hide her children away as an artist when in reality, they are an important part of her art-making. CarliAnn is excited to see discussions about being an artist and a parent beginning to happen more and hopes to see more holistic acceptance of artists and dancers as whole beings.
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Celebrating Multicultural Dance at O-Jak Bridge Dance & Art Festival
O-Jak Bridge Dance & Art Festival is set to have an array of guest performers, in addition to performances from MMDC. The festival will feature performances by KOSMIX, a dance group that covers popular K-pop dances around the Seattle area. MiYoung looks forward to KOSMIX bringing a youthful energy to the festival line-up. Eurasia Virtual Academy & Ensemble is another guest performer, featuring artists specializing in dance from Central Asian cultures, as well as classical Russian-style ballet. Adage Ballet Studio, founded by PNB dancer Abby Jayne DeAngelo and former PNB dancer Guillaume Basso, will also showcase excerpts from Swan Lake, including a pas de deux danced by the founders themselves. Finally, Parmida Ziaei, an Iranian American designer, performer, choreographer, and MMDC dancer, will be a featured artist/choreographer at the festival, showcasing a modified version of her work Journey, centered around the concept of immigration.
MiYoung Margolis on Connecting Cultures Through Art
Name pronunciation: Me-Young Mar-gole-is | Pronouns: she/her
By Madison Huizinga, DWC Blog Editor
Part of what makes the Seattle area such an inspiring and vibrant place to live is the diversity embodied across its inhabitants. Throughout the region, artists of all genres showcase their unique backgrounds and help cement feelings of community through their own innovative creations. Local artist MiYoung Margolis is interested in not only celebrating Seattle’s cultural diversity in dance but also bringing multiple cultures together through art. That’s why she and the rest of MiYoung Margolis Dance Collective are presenting the first annual O-Jak Bridge Dance & Art Festival, an event aimed at engaging audiences in an elevated multicultural performance art experience. Buy tickets for this one-night-only event on November 5th, 2022 at 7:00 PM at Broadway Performance Hall in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington.
MiYoung is a lifelong dancer and artist who has trained mainly in ballet, modern, and traditional Korean dance styles. She is the creator of MiYoung Margolis Dance Collective or MMDC, a Seattle-based dance company specializing in performance art that blends contemporary dance with various cultural traditions, including those inspired by MiYoung’s Korean heritage.
The name of O-Jak Bridge Dance & Art Festival is inspired by the Korean folk tale of Ojakgyo, or the “Bridge of Crows and Magpies.” The tale is about two lovers who are vastly separated but meet together on July 7, the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, when crows and magpies form a bridge to unite them. MiYoung points out that Seattle is a multicultural city that often has community events centered around individual cultures, often in their own silos. Thus, she created the O-Jak Bridge Dance & Art Festival as a way to “bridge” the gap between these different cultural events and bring performers together for one night to celebrate art on an upscale stage.
Poster Art by: S.L. Yang
“My purpose is to create a platform that brings these talented local artists to an elevated stage,” MiYoung says of her mission behind the festival. She hopes the event inspires performers and audience members to embrace the unique facets of different cultures while enabling explorations of fusions between traditional and contemporary dance traditions. The juxtaposition of tradition and modernity is a theme MiYoung enjoys exploring in her own choreography as well.
O-Jak Bridge Dance & Art Festival is set to have an array of guest performers, in addition to performances from MMDC. The festival will feature performances by KOSMIX, a dance group that covers popular K-pop dances around the Seattle area. MiYoung looks forward to KOSMIX bringing a youthful energy to the festival line-up. Eurasia Virtual Academy & Ensemble is another guest performer, featuring artists specializing in dance from Central Asian cultures, as well as classical Russian-style ballet. Adage Ballet Studio, founded by PNB dancer Abby Jayne DeAngelo and former PNB dancer Guillaume Basso, will also showcase excerpts from Swan Lake, including a pas de deux danced by the founders themselves. Finally, Parmida Ziaei, an Iranian American designer, performer, choreographer, and MMDC dancer, will be a featured artist/choreographer at the festival, showcasing a modified version of her work Journey, centered around the concept of immigration.
MMDC’s choreography often involves elements of contemporary, ballet, or tango styles of dance, which are used to help facilitate the telling of Korean-inspired stories. MMDC plans to showcase three dance pieces, including a version of MiYoung’s piece “The Wind of Fate,” a dance originally set as a duet that will be reworked as a group performance. Throughout her choreographic work, MiYoung enjoys blending traditional elements of Korean culture, such as music or costumes, with more non-traditional contemporary movements to defy audience expectations.
On September 10th and 11th 2022, MMDC performed during Chuseok, a traditional Korean mid-autumn harvest festival in honor of the full moon. The dance company’s performances in Gig Harbor and Tacoma, Washington acted as a preview of what to expect at the O-Jak Bridge Dance & Art Festival in November.
Poster Art by: S.L. Yang
In the coming years, MiYoung hopes to make the O-Jak Bridge Dance & Art Festival an annual event. And in the spring of 2023, she plans to organize another Seattle dance festival centered around solos and duet performances. Stay tuned to MMDC’s social media for more information.
Be sure to buy tickets for the first annual O-Jak Bridge Dance & Art Festival on November 5th, 2022 at 7:00 PM at Broadway Performance Hall in Seattle, Washington.
About the Author
Disclaimer
All content found on the Dancewear Center Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and all other relevant social media platforms including: text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. Offerings for continuing education credits are clearly identified and the appropriate target audience is identified. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately. Dancewear Center does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on dancewearcenter.net. Reliance on any information provided by dancewearcenter.net, Dancewear Center employees, contracted writers, or medical professionals presenting content for publication to Dancewear Center is solely at your own risk.
Links to educational content not created by Dancewear Center are taken at your own risk. Dancewear Center is not responsible for the claims of external websites and education companies.
Interested in writing for the DWC Blog? Click below to fill out the DWC Contributor application!