Find Time and Space This Summer for Some Dance Reading

This summer, whether you’re reading for personal enjoyment or starting to build a syllabus for the fall, check out these nine new titles. The books below offer career advice, fascinating life stories, and fresh takes on dance history. Careers in Dance Four new books support the field with information about career paths, skill building, wellness, and work environments.  Living the Dream: Building a Sustainable Career in the Performing Arts, by Kirstin Chávez and Johnathon Pape, is a practical yet reflective book. Use it as a textbook in a senior seminar or recommend it to a fledgling professional dancer in your […]

Headliners… Creating a True Competition Experience Fueled by Passion and Focused on Education

In 1989, CEO Shari Tomasiello and her mother created Headliners with a simple mission: that it would be an educationally based and goal-oriented competition, providing a fun and encouraging environment that’s inclusive of dancers of all sizes, levels, and abilities. Headliners continues to expand and will be hosting fall conventions and regional competitions in 19 states, culminating in a national finals in July. Tomasiello remains committed to that foundation, and to keeping the dancers at the center of it all. “We have always been about the kids,” she says. “This isn’t just a job for us. It’s really and truly a […]

Headliners… Creating a True Competition Experience Fueled by Passion and Focused on Education

Headliners… Creating a True Competition Experience Fueled by Passion and Focused on Education

In 1989, CEO Shari Tomasiello and her mother created Headliners with a simple mission: that it would be an educationally based and goal-oriented competition, providing a fun and encouraging environment that’s inclusive of dancers of all sizes, levels, and abilities. Headliners continues to expand and will be hosting fall conventions and regional competitions in 19 states, culminating in a national finals in July. Tomasiello remains committed to that foundation, and to keeping the dancers at the center of it all. “We have always been about the kids,” she says. “This isn’t just a job for us. It’s really and truly a […]

Sahasra Sambamoorthi Teaches a Bharatanatyam Warm-Up Combo

Whether she is teaching advanced or beginner kathak or bharatanatyam-style Indian dance classes, Sahasra Sambamoorthi, director of New York City’s Navatman Dance Company, has implemented a version of this warm-up combination for over 30 years.  The spine stretch, found in bharatanatyam and other classical Indian styles, is useful for dancers of all backgrounds and disciplines. “The spine is super-integral in bharatanatyam,” she says. It is one of the few styles that necessitates full twists without moving the hips, “so we want [the spine] always to be a little bit flexible and prepared.” In this warm-up, she says, you’ll feel all […]

Letter From the Editor: Creating Safe and Respectful Dance Spaces

For generations, dance teachers have relied on physical touch to guide and even mold their students’ bodies into alignment. Certainly, touch can be an effective teaching tool—but is it always appropriate? What happens when dancers start feeling uncomfortable? What if they simply prefer not to be touched?  We’re tackling this sensitive topic in our upcoming DT+ Teacher Talk, “Consent Practices in Dance Education.” On Thursday, July 17, at 12 pm EDT, guest speakers Elaine DiFalco Daugherty, assistant theater professor at Central Michigan University, and Heather Trommer-Beardslee, associate dance professor at CMU—co-authors of the book Consent Practices in Performing Arts Education—will […]