Eastview's classic version of "Hotel California" at State 2005. They tied for 3rd place that year (when you could still do that!) and left us with a memorable dance. I can't recall if the competition was tough that year or if this dance was a little underrated, but I think this one was a little overlooked. This was the first time I had seen a version of this song for MN dance teams, and I liked their attempts to play with different versions. Now this song is often repeated. The skirts on those costumes were also a fun touch not often used, but I wonder if they were tough to work with, there are moments where they look like they could have gotten in the way.
While this dance now seems a little long and the level of "clean" isn't remotely up to today's standards - the creativity of visuals still stands out. With 17 in formation, they used a nice transitional pattern throughout that compliments the opening music especially. This is just an enjoyable dance more than anything else, a classic for its re-watch-ability!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
News: Dance Teams - Little Girls are Watching
Dance Teams: Little Girls are Watching
News article written by a mom in Missouri about fall dance team performances and what they are saying to little girls who are watching. Interesting thoughts on what we are as a sport vs. art and what we can and cannot do in a high school setting. My jury is out on what I think needs to be a "rule", what is ethical, and what is just being conservative. I'd love to hear from you about what you think! Add comments below.
News article written by a mom in Missouri about fall dance team performances and what they are saying to little girls who are watching. Interesting thoughts on what we are as a sport vs. art and what we can and cannot do in a high school setting. My jury is out on what I think needs to be a "rule", what is ethical, and what is just being conservative. I'd love to hear from you about what you think! Add comments below.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Music Mondays - Like This, Try That: State 2011 Edition
Everybody has their favorite songs from each passing state tournament, and 2011 was no exception. While there is nothing better than seeing a team master the art of picking a good song and matching it to a good dance at state - but it can quickly be ruined by watching it get reused over and over again in years following. While there is something to be said for doing a well used song - and doing it better - I have always found there are ways to take your favorite dances of the past and capturing their magic without copying them in an exact sense. Here is my list of some of the most "copyable" songs from state 2011, and some suggestions for what to do instead. See what else you can come up with!
First up: Totino Grace - Mambo Italiano. What a fun vintage inspired song choice this was. What I think this goes for is a special feel of a vintage 50's/60's era and plays well to a theme costume and movements. Try anything from the Mad Men soundtrack too.
St. Charles - Stuck on You. Talk about sugar sweet adorable fun. I can't believe how many times people have said this dance was "cute". Great way to work with a lower skill level and maximize the creativity.
Benilde-St. Margarets - Heart of the Matter. This was a return to something more along the lines of the John Mayer song "Say" that they did 2 years previously. There are some 90s tunes to look at and some things along a similar vein. Handsome Boy Modeling School's version of Jack Johnson's Breakdown is amazing.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Get Stretchy this fall!!
The best time to get your splits is always yesterday (unfortunately) but once you do - everything improves in your dancing when you have the flexibility to fill out those jumps and kicks. Building flexibility is an investment that requires time, technique, dedication, and overcoming fears to achieve. It’s something that seems easy unless you are one of those with a split still a foot off the ground and facing the long haul of holding stretches. I’ve put together a tips sheet from my experiences as a dancer and coach. Note: I am not a doctor or trainer and this advice should not take the place of the advice of a professional about your personal flexibility. If you are unsure, always seek advice in person from a professional!
Time: I encourage dancers to give themselves plenty of time to work on splits as there is a point when you need to stop for the day or even the week to give muscles time to repair and build new tissue. Waiting until winter is a risky idea as your muscles are weakened and subject to tearing while you are building flexibility. A hamstring injury can last a few weeks or even the rest of your season, not a pretty picture. Coaches also don’t like to see that they need to spend extra practice time on splits; it’s a prerequisite on some teams so you can’t come in without them. So how long do you hold them? I suggest 1:30-2 minutes on each hold to build flexibility. :30-1:00 gains your normal range of motion and you need to go past that point to be increasing. I’d do one hold, change to another, and then come back to your first one for 2-3 cycles to really jump start the improvement. Don’t just do it once and expect gains. Check out this guide from the International Fitness Association on building splits.
Technique: make sure you’re doing holds with correct technique – this includes pointed toes, sitting up over the split and not to the side, holding your posture, or incorporating any team standards you have for that stretch so your body learns to do it correctly every time. Technique protects you and builds muscle memory of correct positioning so don’t neglect it. If you’re unsure, ask your coach for guidance.
Dedication: This won’t happen overnight. It might not happen even in a few weeks if you have a long way to go – but I’d recommend doing it as often as your muscles can take it, allowing for rebuilding time. Don’t forget you’ll need vitamins and good nutrition to promote healthy muscle growth. Bananas, dairy, lean protein like nuts and chicken will be essential. Don’t reach for a bag of chips after a long session of splits.
Fear: You might feel a little afraid that you will hurt yourself. Your legs and arms will likely shake. This is a normal reaction and something you will need to control and try to listen to your body’s real responses vs. fear. I suggest focusing on breathing, relaxing, and not clenching the supporting muscles like your quadriceps to “hold yourself up”. If you need assistance, a partner is a great help, as well as hanging on to the back of a chair, couch, or using a stair for an oversplit. Fight to stay still and calm during a split rather than wiggling out over and over again. Don’t ‘bounce’. If you fall out of a split, jump right back in during your timer.
Tips: Be healthy and able first. Discuss a plan with your coaches or trainers. If you have a hard time watching a timer without boredom, play the commercials game where you are holding splits during the commercials of a show you are watching, and then get out during the program. ½ hour of that is amazing! Reading during the holds is also helpful to relax and not clench muscles. Think about what you are trying to achieve and see yourself achieving it for maximum motivation. You CAN do it!
Time: I encourage dancers to give themselves plenty of time to work on splits as there is a point when you need to stop for the day or even the week to give muscles time to repair and build new tissue. Waiting until winter is a risky idea as your muscles are weakened and subject to tearing while you are building flexibility. A hamstring injury can last a few weeks or even the rest of your season, not a pretty picture. Coaches also don’t like to see that they need to spend extra practice time on splits; it’s a prerequisite on some teams so you can’t come in without them. So how long do you hold them? I suggest 1:30-2 minutes on each hold to build flexibility. :30-1:00 gains your normal range of motion and you need to go past that point to be increasing. I’d do one hold, change to another, and then come back to your first one for 2-3 cycles to really jump start the improvement. Don’t just do it once and expect gains. Check out this guide from the International Fitness Association on building splits.
Technique: make sure you’re doing holds with correct technique – this includes pointed toes, sitting up over the split and not to the side, holding your posture, or incorporating any team standards you have for that stretch so your body learns to do it correctly every time. Technique protects you and builds muscle memory of correct positioning so don’t neglect it. If you’re unsure, ask your coach for guidance.
Dedication: This won’t happen overnight. It might not happen even in a few weeks if you have a long way to go – but I’d recommend doing it as often as your muscles can take it, allowing for rebuilding time. Don’t forget you’ll need vitamins and good nutrition to promote healthy muscle growth. Bananas, dairy, lean protein like nuts and chicken will be essential. Don’t reach for a bag of chips after a long session of splits.
Fear: You might feel a little afraid that you will hurt yourself. Your legs and arms will likely shake. This is a normal reaction and something you will need to control and try to listen to your body’s real responses vs. fear. I suggest focusing on breathing, relaxing, and not clenching the supporting muscles like your quadriceps to “hold yourself up”. If you need assistance, a partner is a great help, as well as hanging on to the back of a chair, couch, or using a stair for an oversplit. Fight to stay still and calm during a split rather than wiggling out over and over again. Don’t ‘bounce’. If you fall out of a split, jump right back in during your timer.
Tips: Be healthy and able first. Discuss a plan with your coaches or trainers. If you have a hard time watching a timer without boredom, play the commercials game where you are holding splits during the commercials of a show you are watching, and then get out during the program. ½ hour of that is amazing! Reading during the holds is also helpful to relax and not clench muscles. Think about what you are trying to achieve and see yourself achieving it for maximum motivation. You CAN do it!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Music Mondays - Dirty Dog Productions Interview (pt.2)
Erin: Any favorite or memorable dance team projects you worked on? (and why)
Mark: Cannon Falls has allowed me to do some pretty interesting mixes over the last few years. I did a Ke$ha mix last year for a camp routine for Hayfield what I liked a lot. Most of the teams will trust me to make some changes and additions to their plans, though not all will have the finances to do complete remixes. I recall a mix a few years ago where I had to literally add instruments to the mix to make it work the way the team wanted. I was composing new string parts, new brass parts, new synth parts, all to supplement what was there in the mix but not giving it the energy that they wanted without the additions.
Erin: I think you’re talking about our mix for Cannon jazz in 09 – The Wall. Now THAT was something new. We had a costume we couldn’t reuse from the year before and the song fell into place after hearing it at a dance party (while complaining about the situation we were in). When we brought it to you we had no idea how something with so little to dance to would work, but you wrote some key changes to make it mesh with our techno song underneath. I think only 20 seconds of the original Pink Floyd was actually used when all was said and done. That same year you wrote all of the “straightline” music for the TLC kick dance we did. There wasn’t a highlight of the dance until you made one. If you want that though, it took extra planning and lots of extra time and money. Fortunately our school paid for the music without giving us a budget. Needless to say the next year they wanted a cost estimate. haha
Erin: So after a project like that one, are there any key elements to making sure you get a good mix? Something other than saying I want it to sound like this other song or team? I know you mentioned lots of source material and the possibility to isolate single vocals or sounds.
Mark: It is always easier to build a complete remix if there are lots of isolated elements in some of the songs. For example, sections of a song with just beats, but no vocals, bass or guitars. Sections of vocals without beats and harmonic backgrounds. Any time I can find and isolate a vocal part (a word or a phrase), or a beat, or a guitar lick, or some off the wall talking thing or funny sound effect, I can recombine them with other elements of other songs in the mix, often in very surprising and unexpected ways. I can totally amuse myself at times with things that seem to come together. I mentioned beats per minute is a good thing to be aware of. Also, be aware that technology does not yet let us remove elements from a mix, so I can't pull out a vocal part or other sound from an existing song. Also, layering different songs together (ala a mashup) often works less well than one would hope. You have too many competing elements like keys, bass lines, drum parts, vocals, etc. Even if you can get things in the same keys, the results are usually kind of disappointing.
Erin: Agreed. It can be tough to understand what will work in the real world when you hear LA DJs doing mashups, but they have the source tracks with all the elements isolated down to each and every kick drum, vocal, bell, and whistle. We don’t bring that to you so its not the same to pick it apart they way record labels can. I also think you’ve also had me bring in many versions of the songs you I want - live, acoustic, remixes, dance tracks can all have snippets of something to make it what you want. Even if it’s only a one second edit.
Here's some shots of Mark's gear: Notice the Chemical Brothers CD?
This pup is the original dirty dog: Boris! (who sleeps through all the mixing sessions)
Mark: Cannon Falls has allowed me to do some pretty interesting mixes over the last few years. I did a Ke$ha mix last year for a camp routine for Hayfield what I liked a lot. Most of the teams will trust me to make some changes and additions to their plans, though not all will have the finances to do complete remixes. I recall a mix a few years ago where I had to literally add instruments to the mix to make it work the way the team wanted. I was composing new string parts, new brass parts, new synth parts, all to supplement what was there in the mix but not giving it the energy that they wanted without the additions.
Erin: I think you’re talking about our mix for Cannon jazz in 09 – The Wall. Now THAT was something new. We had a costume we couldn’t reuse from the year before and the song fell into place after hearing it at a dance party (while complaining about the situation we were in). When we brought it to you we had no idea how something with so little to dance to would work, but you wrote some key changes to make it mesh with our techno song underneath. I think only 20 seconds of the original Pink Floyd was actually used when all was said and done. That same year you wrote all of the “straightline” music for the TLC kick dance we did. There wasn’t a highlight of the dance until you made one. If you want that though, it took extra planning and lots of extra time and money. Fortunately our school paid for the music without giving us a budget. Needless to say the next year they wanted a cost estimate. haha
Erin: So after a project like that one, are there any key elements to making sure you get a good mix? Something other than saying I want it to sound like this other song or team? I know you mentioned lots of source material and the possibility to isolate single vocals or sounds.
Mark: It is always easier to build a complete remix if there are lots of isolated elements in some of the songs. For example, sections of a song with just beats, but no vocals, bass or guitars. Sections of vocals without beats and harmonic backgrounds. Any time I can find and isolate a vocal part (a word or a phrase), or a beat, or a guitar lick, or some off the wall talking thing or funny sound effect, I can recombine them with other elements of other songs in the mix, often in very surprising and unexpected ways. I can totally amuse myself at times with things that seem to come together. I mentioned beats per minute is a good thing to be aware of. Also, be aware that technology does not yet let us remove elements from a mix, so I can't pull out a vocal part or other sound from an existing song. Also, layering different songs together (ala a mashup) often works less well than one would hope. You have too many competing elements like keys, bass lines, drum parts, vocals, etc. Even if you can get things in the same keys, the results are usually kind of disappointing.
Erin: Agreed. It can be tough to understand what will work in the real world when you hear LA DJs doing mashups, but they have the source tracks with all the elements isolated down to each and every kick drum, vocal, bell, and whistle. We don’t bring that to you so its not the same to pick it apart they way record labels can. I also think you’ve also had me bring in many versions of the songs you I want - live, acoustic, remixes, dance tracks can all have snippets of something to make it what you want. Even if it’s only a one second edit.
Here's some shots of Mark's gear: Notice the Chemical Brothers CD?
This pup is the original dirty dog: Boris! (who sleeps through all the mixing sessions)
Monday, September 19, 2011
Music Mondays - Dirty Dog Productions Interview (pt.1)
Its Monday - (ouch) so we're back for another article for Music Mondays! Today was a little lengthy, so part 2 is coming up tomorrow - stay tuned!
I’m here sitting down with a long time dance team professional and music maker extraordinaire- Mark Henderson, at Dirty Dog Productions. Mark has a long and storied history with dance team from back when his daughters danced for the Burnsville Blazettes in the 90s. I first got a chance to meet him when I was a choreographer on the Winona dance team in the late 90s and it was “so cool” to come to Minneapolis to have him do the music. A decade later, he’s doing projects for me still.
Mark has a keen ear for all the needed tweaks and touches that make his mixes stand out in the crowd, and I’ve come back to him year after year for projects and dreaming sessions. After many years in a downtown Minneapolis studio, Mark has now moved his enterprise to his home in NE Minneapolis. (Just down the road from myself!) I got a chance to talk shop and take some photos of the impressive gear Mark runs just for Minnesota High School Dance Team Online:
Erin: So Mark, tell me a little bit about how you got started working with dance teams, weren’t your daughters Blazettes?
Mark: I have two daughters, Mandy and Lauren, who were on the Blazettes from 1998-2002 (they overlapped one year). Were State champs four of those five years if my memory is correct.
Erin: Yes, yes they were. I remember dancing for Apple Valley and being “arch rivals” during that time. Seems like ancient history now.
Erin: Do you think your other musical pursuits (teaching, playing for orchestras and shows, ect) helps you in your dance team editing?
Mark: I think it helps somewhat to understand key signatures, harmonic concepts, rhythmic concepts, and instrumentation. Understanding how to make things go together in mixes when they come from different keys, different sound textures and things like that help me work at some more creative kinds of problem solving, but it don't think it is an absolute requirement. It just helps me to work out some of the more complicated remix projects that I end up doing. It always helps to understand beat structure in music though. Couldn't do much dancing without that!
Erin: What do you wish coaches would know more about before they come to work with you? Anything that really slows the project down and adds time and costs in particular?
Mark: Coaches and teams that are doing fairly simple edit/cut mixes can save a lot of time and money by having cut lists prepared for me. A list of the songs and the timings of what they want to use, in what order. Speed adjustments will often take more time, as some of that is trial and error and hard to predict ahead of time. Complicated mixes usually require more time for me to experiment with putting different elements together, and that is not only hard to do when the coaches or team members are sitting there, but also pretty boring to have to watch. It would be like watching someone paint a picture. Better to come back later and see what it looks like then. One of the most important things for coaches to understand is beats per minute (bpm). It's like tempo to a musician and not too hard to figure out. Count the number of beats in a song over 15 seconds and multiply by four to get your result. Most high kick music is about 142-156 bpm. If your source material is closer to those tempos, then you don't have to make such extreme changes in the music speeds to get it to danceline tempo, and you can avoid the chipmunk effect.
Erin: Understanding speeds can help you in your practices too. I’ll have an upcoming article on using BPM and understanding it. For now, you can use my favorite online way to count BPM, just click your mouse to the beat! Online BPM meter It also gives you a way to calculate your % change you need for competition day.
A photo of Mark at work - that monitor is 30"! Thats bigger than a lot of TVs....
Stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow!
I’m here sitting down with a long time dance team professional and music maker extraordinaire- Mark Henderson, at Dirty Dog Productions. Mark has a long and storied history with dance team from back when his daughters danced for the Burnsville Blazettes in the 90s. I first got a chance to meet him when I was a choreographer on the Winona dance team in the late 90s and it was “so cool” to come to Minneapolis to have him do the music. A decade later, he’s doing projects for me still.
Mark has a keen ear for all the needed tweaks and touches that make his mixes stand out in the crowd, and I’ve come back to him year after year for projects and dreaming sessions. After many years in a downtown Minneapolis studio, Mark has now moved his enterprise to his home in NE Minneapolis. (Just down the road from myself!) I got a chance to talk shop and take some photos of the impressive gear Mark runs just for Minnesota High School Dance Team Online:
Erin: So Mark, tell me a little bit about how you got started working with dance teams, weren’t your daughters Blazettes?
Mark: I have two daughters, Mandy and Lauren, who were on the Blazettes from 1998-2002 (they overlapped one year). Were State champs four of those five years if my memory is correct.
Erin: Yes, yes they were. I remember dancing for Apple Valley and being “arch rivals” during that time. Seems like ancient history now.
Erin: Do you think your other musical pursuits (teaching, playing for orchestras and shows, ect) helps you in your dance team editing?
Mark: I think it helps somewhat to understand key signatures, harmonic concepts, rhythmic concepts, and instrumentation. Understanding how to make things go together in mixes when they come from different keys, different sound textures and things like that help me work at some more creative kinds of problem solving, but it don't think it is an absolute requirement. It just helps me to work out some of the more complicated remix projects that I end up doing. It always helps to understand beat structure in music though. Couldn't do much dancing without that!
Erin: What do you wish coaches would know more about before they come to work with you? Anything that really slows the project down and adds time and costs in particular?
Mark: Coaches and teams that are doing fairly simple edit/cut mixes can save a lot of time and money by having cut lists prepared for me. A list of the songs and the timings of what they want to use, in what order. Speed adjustments will often take more time, as some of that is trial and error and hard to predict ahead of time. Complicated mixes usually require more time for me to experiment with putting different elements together, and that is not only hard to do when the coaches or team members are sitting there, but also pretty boring to have to watch. It would be like watching someone paint a picture. Better to come back later and see what it looks like then. One of the most important things for coaches to understand is beats per minute (bpm). It's like tempo to a musician and not too hard to figure out. Count the number of beats in a song over 15 seconds and multiply by four to get your result. Most high kick music is about 142-156 bpm. If your source material is closer to those tempos, then you don't have to make such extreme changes in the music speeds to get it to danceline tempo, and you can avoid the chipmunk effect.
Erin: Understanding speeds can help you in your practices too. I’ll have an upcoming article on using BPM and understanding it. For now, you can use my favorite online way to count BPM, just click your mouse to the beat! Online BPM meter It also gives you a way to calculate your % change you need for competition day.
A photo of Mark at work - that monitor is 30"! Thats bigger than a lot of TVs....
Stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow!
Friday, September 16, 2011
Vintage Video - Brainerd Kixters State Champs 1999
By request from a reader we have a classic Brainerd video today! This is the last time Brainerd won a state championship, with an innovative Irish concept. Interesting side fact: These costumes were also worn for jazz that year. This was also the first year state was at the Barn on the UofM campus. (Correction: the tournament was at the U in '95 and '96, then at the Rivercenter, then back to the U before heading to the Xcel) Now it would be far too small for our attendance. Notice the blue glitter in their hair?? Thats not legal anymore, but was a fun touch back then. This was also one of the earliest appearances of "jazz pants" for kick. leggings and skirts were worn by Brainerd the year before this.
Happy Friday!
Monday: Dirty Dog Productions Interview
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
DX Connect Convention Draws Participants from all Across Minnesota
This past Saturday, September 10th, Dance Extreme (formerly UPA) hosted its second ever Connect Convention at Totino Grace High School in Fridley. The first Connect Convention was held last spring, with this being the first fall event for DX. There were over 100 dancers, coaches, and judges in attendance for the event which covered technique, choreography, safety, leadership, and judges’ certification. I got a chance to teach 3 classes and meet some new faces at the event. It was great to see how many dancers came from far away! I’ve included some pictures of my classes and some other events going on that day. I already can’t wait to see the event next year!
The morning started off strong with a turns and combinations class in the main gym – and my awesome assistant (and Cannon Falls graduate) Sara Jensen brought me the customary Saturday morning dance tradition – Chocolate Milk! While my weekdays are usually filled with a mix of diet Mountain Dew and Poweraid – Saturday dance practices have always started with chocolate milk. (Something Sara didn’t forget after having me for 4 years as her coach) Pictures of the class were taken by Sara:
Class 2 was a chance to dig into some kick technique and conditioning. It was great to work with some very talented dancers; I hope your competition is ready for that solid technique you’ll be bringing! After kick flew by, we were back to a leaps class where we talked about combining skills effectively.
After lunch, coaches and judges had a great chance to take the Judges Certification offered by UPA. If you are a coach or judge who hasn’t learned the shorthand system from them – I would get to another class this fall/winter to learn the technique. I love having taken the class last winter – it makes analysis of the competition (and ourselves) so straightforward and fast. In the picture you see superior judge, Sadie Oraskovich, talking about the expectations and criteria for judges.
Overall a very fun and successful day at Totino!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Music Mondays - The Sounds of Fall
We're starting a new series on Mondays from now until the start of the winter season called Music Mondays! This will be a look at the ins and outs of picking, editing, finding, and working with music from a dance team perspective. Because after all, music is the most important thing not on the scoresheet! This week, a look at the songs filling practice gyms and football fields for the fall season.
Upcoming Articles:
-Mark Henderson, Dirty Dog Productions Interview
-Editing music at home with Audacity
-Making an effective practice track CD with Pyro
- Like this: Try That (State 2011 Edition)
- and MORE!
Upcoming Articles:
-Mark Henderson, Dirty Dog Productions Interview
-Editing music at home with Audacity
-Making an effective practice track CD with Pyro
- Like this: Try That (State 2011 Edition)
- and MORE!
The SOUNDS of Fall Season:
With football season kicking off all around the state, we’re hearing new songs for fall performance teams echoing through stadiums, letting us know that fall is really here. Aside from the perennial favorites from the JFK camp soundtrack, what else can be used for fall performances and even practices? If you are in need of something to spice up fall drills or performances – I have a soundtrack of some new ideas for this season.
Hello – Martin Solveig: This song will be great for across the floor drills, fall performances, and might even make it into some winter mixes. Something about this is new and fresh, yet classic house dance music.
Pumped Up Kicks – Foster The People: Well the name sure suggests this one to you, but it’s great for walking kicks across the floor and the dancers are probably already rocking this on their Ipods – so it’s an instant practice favorite. I would love to see someone find a way to mix this one into a winter dance….what a challenge that one would be.
Party Rock Anthem – LMFAO: This one I know I’ve heard everywhere already, but what a fun fall football song. This one will likely make winter appearances as well.
Moves Like Jagger – Maroon 5: If you can get away with the slightly “interesting” lyrics in this one, I’d pump it at practice for some fun, contagious energy this song drives. I wish it had a tamer version for some winter mixes, but alas, I think this one will be relegated to practice time.
Just Can’t Get Enough – Black Eyed Peas: This one will be everywhere in performance mixes and probably a lot more BEP in the winter season too – they’re really coming out with good dance music left and right. Not to be missed.
Put Your Hands Up – Kylie Minogue: #1 dance track right now. This artist is often overlooked here in the US, but has a great dance team worthy sound.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
GTM Sportswear Makes a Splash with Sequin Warm-ups for Dance Team
Recently I got a chance to sit down with the new representative for GTM Sportswear in Minnesota, Jessica Housh, to talk about what is new and trendy in the world of team gear and warm-ups. Jessica also kindly volunteered to be my model and take pictures of some of the demo items in detail so you can see something not found in the GTM catalog.
If you haven’t gotten a chance to check out the GTM online store, (link) it’s really a cool place to dream and work on designing a warm-up or team gear. I was surprised to find out that GTM had no minimum, rather just a discount for larger quantities. (Nice bonus for small teams or for coach only gear) Jessica also informed me that GTM manufactures all the tops, jackets, and gear on-site – so they have exclusive products and don’t have to wait on a third party to manufacture their clothing, everything is ready and controlled right there in Manhattan Kansas. On to the pictures!
First off, I really liked the newest warm-up jacket – Passion – since it is a sleek shape and made with the same foil look tricot that many of the costumes today are created with. It was really a professional look for fall sidelines or for wearing to awards ceremonies in the winter – no baggy sweats look. This jacket pictured is a foil lettering that works like tackle twill, without the weight. It sits smoothly against the back without feeling weighted on such a light jacket.
In dance tops, I liked the full sequin lettering on the “dance” v-neck. It actually laid out flatter than I had expected and really stood out in the mix of tops. There is also a photo of the “rhythm” dance top and another foil top which would be awesome for fall, marking times, or under jackets.
If sweatshirts are more your thing, there is a new “off the shoulder” look which is also showing the foil screen print that is now available. I haven’t seen that kind of print anywhere else, and looking at it up close it seemed stronger and less likely to crack and chip than some of the traditional screen printing.
Sequin lettering on jackets looked awesome in person. I tried to take a photo of the black hologram sequins, they were surprising and rich looking in person (I had thought they would blend too much) but I was caught by how dramatic black sequins turned out to be. Also see the example of sequin lettering up close, there were many levels of detail possible, this one was a thin line that added punch to tackle twill without being overwhelming.
That’s all for now! I’ve included Jessica’s contact info below.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Fall Preparation for Parents
It’s back to school time and that means it’s also back to dance team! Parents have a big part to play in preparing for the season too – everything from booster club meetings, invitational planning, and getting your daughter physically and mentally ready to make this season the best it can be. Here are some stress-saving items to start doing now.
Happy first day of school!
-Coach Erin
· Transportation. How is your daughter getting to and from practice and competitions? Now is a good time to talk about carpooling, driving (and texting) rules, and what you expect to make sure you’re not waiting hours in the car. Talking about it now can save you from arguments about when she gets the car and who she can ride with.
· Budget. Can you get any supplies in advance to cut costs when it comes time? Sports fees are way up at area schools and there are always extras like clothing, accessories, trips, gear, food, you name it. (I have a Discount Dance %15 off code coming soon that you can use by clicking here -- and entering my teacher code: TP48303 I have a list of some of my personal recommendations under the teachers page. The code will be a one time use so stock up! - look for an updated post with my discount code coming soon) What are the rules about buying things at invitationals? Are t-shirts allowed every time?
· Nutrition. Don’t forget your dancer will be eating more and needing more nutrition help than usual once dance is in full swing. Tired, lethargic girls dragging themselves into practice don’t make anyone happy. What are they rules about sleep and food during the season? Make sure there are healthy pre-practice snacks around to keep them moving and less crabby at the dinner table.
· Tryouts and Cuts. 90% of any parent “issues” I’ve had are somewhat related to tryouts, cuts, and performance time. Talk about it in advance for less tears later. What are your daughter’s goals? What is realistic? What happens if you don’t get what you want? Is it ok to quit? Complain? How will it be handled in your house? Disappointments are far less if your daughter has thought – “we’ve talked about this happening and I already know how I feel about it”. Remember your daughter may not share everything she’s feeling with you or even tell you the whole story about how things really went. Keep in mind coaches do what is in the best interest of the team while you want what is in the best interest of your daughter.
· Injury and Illness. What is the plan if your daughter gets hurt? When do you go to the doctor/trainer and when do you expect her to stay home sick? Know the teams’ rules about injury and missing practices so you are aware. If you as a parent wish to be stricter about something, be sure to let the coaches know what the plan is so they are on board. Coaches will be much more understanding if they knew your “stay home” or “sit out” policy in advance.
-Coach Erin
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Vintage Video Review!
This one is a classic, maybe not very vintage (yet), but this is one everyone should watch at some point. From a coaches perspective, this dance has a subtle mastery of difficulty suited to the group that is rarely achieved in jazz. They seem to have found a way to just touch that line of what they can do cleanly, without surpassing it from any member of the team, or sacrificing overall difficulty. This dance is a unique song choice, that adds creativity and interest without alienating those who don't know the tune. I liked this dance when it won AA in 2007, but I've appreciated it more since then - a mark of a classic in my book! Enjoy!
My comments:
- These costumes are great. Clean, simple, flattering. Satin Stitches made these - they probably still have the sample floating around if you ever get to see it up-close.
- Skill choices are well suited to the group and create a pleasing aesthetic that unifies the feeling of the entire piece. Great features with the musical cues
-This dance could have gone more creepy considering the lyrics, but I for one am glad they didn't.
- This might be the best group of talent from SLP I've seen in their history at the state tournament. 2009's group might give them a run for their money in head to head comparison however - I'll let popular opinion judge that one
-This song gets stuck in my head. Unfortunately the speed change they did also plays for me which I could do without. (Thank goodness there aren't too many chipmunk style speed changes left in mixes anymore!) The CD is below in case you were wondering where this came from - the MP3 is also posted to listen to or download on the left side of the main page.
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