Coram Deo Academy of Dance

http://www.balletforadults.com/3-red-flags-to-avoid-in-adult-ballet-class/

3 Red Flags To Avoid In Adult Ballet Class | Ballet for Adults Everything seemed to be going fine: registration was a breeze, the location was perfect, then you arrived to class and found out that the standards are, well, low. If you ever come across these 3 red flags in class, run, don’t dance, to the nearest exit.

http://www.dancespirit.com/your-body/reaching-new-heights/

Reaching New Heights Have you ever seen a ballerina’s arabesque and thought, Wow, her back is so flexible—does she even have a spine? Believe it or not, a bendy back isn’t the only key to a killer arabesque. “Dancers who focus exclusively on stretching often fall into improper alignment, crunching the lumbar spine and s...

To start out life on the war-torn streets of Sierra Leone and end up a rising star of the ballet world seems an impossible feat, but 20-year-old Michaela DePrince, who is currently a dancer in the Dutch National Ballet, has been proving the impossible possible her entire life. She and her mother, Elaine DePrince, recently co-authored a book to share her inspiring story with young readers and it has just been optioned for a feature film by MGM studios. "When I look back at all the things I've been through and everything I've accomplished," Michaela reflects, "I realize, Wow, I am very blessed.".

Orphaned at age 3 during the midst of Sierra Leone’s 11-year civil war, Michaela was called the “devil’s child” by orphanage workers and ostracized for her skin condition, vitiligo, which leaves unpigmented spots covering her chest and neck. It was at the orphanage, as Michaela describes below, that she first discovered her life’s passion:

“I found the magazine lying on the ground outside the gate of the orphanage, I’d never seen anything like that before, so I took the cover off and put it in my underwear because I had nowhere else to put it... I kept the picture with me every day until I got adopted. It kept me going and believing and looking forward to something, because I was going through so much at the time. I thought I was just worth nothing and nothing’s going to happen. This person in the photograph symbolized hope for me.”

Soon after she was adopted by an American family who encouraged her blossoming talent in dance. At age six, the determined Mighty Girl won a scholarship to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of the American Ballet Theatre after competing against 5,000 other dancers in the prestigious Youth American Grand Prix. She was also one of the six dancers profiled in the 2011 documentary “First Position.” In 2012, at 17, she became the youngest dancer at Dance Theatre of Harlem, and, in 2013, she took a position with the Amsterdam-based ballet.

This past year also brought a very special moment when Michaela finally found the dancer whose picture sustained her dream. Magali Messac, a French prima ballerina, is now retired, and the two dancers hope to meet this summer. “Michaela's story — the magic of it, but equally the hard work and belief in her dream — is remarkable," Messac says. "She will inspire other young girls to dream high and believe in themselves.” Michaela hopes to open a ballet school in Sierra Leone one day, so that she can provide the same inspiration to others that Messac gave her: “Sometimes you just need to make a little ripple to open the doors for others.”

You can read more about Michaela's inspiring story in The Washington Post at http://wapo.st/1SZUHtb

Michaela's recent book about her life story is available in two versions -- a memoir for ages 11 and up, "Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina" (http://www.amightygirl.com/taking-flight), and an easy chapter book for ages 6 to 9, "Ballerina Dreams: From Orphan to Dancer" (http://www.amightygirl.com/ballerina-dreams).

There is also a wonderful 3-minute video about her story on YouTube at http://bit.ly/1yqJn0k -- and you can stream the documentary, "First Position," in which Michaela is profiled at http://amzn.to/1ix7mmG

For an inspiring children’s book about a would-be ballerina who has to overcome her fears of being difference, check out Debbie Allen's “Dancing In The Wings” which is loosely based on her own experiences -- for ages 4 to 8 at http://www.amightygirl.com/dancing-in-the-wings

For more stories of girls and women in dance and the arts, visit our "Creative Arts" section at http://www.amightygirl.com/books/general-interest/creative-arts

And, to learn about a few of our favorite stories about Mighty Girls and adoption, check out our post, "Born In My Heart: Five Mighty Girl Books for National Adoption Day" at http://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=5116

Why a ballet dancer never gets dizzy: Scientists uncover differences in ballerina's brains that... A study has identified important differences in their brain structures that prevent them feeling dizzy during those endless spins.

Lovely idea!

LOVE this idea! Save their ballet shoes, and attach a photo from that year to the ribbon, then hang on the wall. BEAUTIFUL!

8 Ways to Make Pointe Pain-Free - Dance Informa Magazine Dance Informa's Rain Francis teams up with dance physical therapist Lisa Howell to bring you a list of 8 ways to make dancing en pointe pain-free.

Ankle strengthening!

4 Ways Dancers Can Get Stronger Ankles | New York Spring Spectacular 4 Ways Dancers Can Get Stronger Ankles July 28, 2015 10:17 AM Share An otherwise striking pose can be foiled by the dancer’s nemesis: wobbly ankles. Strong ankles and feet not only help improve your dance quality, but if the ankle musculature is strong, you’re able to withstand greater force before…

Yes!

2 Exercises to Improve the Height of Your Leg Extension As dancers, we all want higher leg extension. These are some exercises to help you get your leg to the height you always dreamed of!

Lovely!

How and when did you know that you wanted to pursue ballet professionally?

(Students of the The Royal Ballet School, photo by Johann Persson)