No Sweat!

As Commercial choreographers we often focus so much time and energy on the movement portion of the creative process that the message behind it gets put on the back burner. This can lead to a hot looking bit of choreography that impresses our eyes but may not linger in our hearts for days to come. While I am an advocate for taking time to write up an artist statement for every piece and obsess over every little detail of the costuming, there is another option that is effective and requires less time. This tip can be your creative backup plan. Enforced Arch Dance creative directors Tracey Katof and I, James Koroni, have been working on two new pieces for a New York City based music group that fuses electronic, soul, hip hop and pop sounds to make a new genre they call "Superfuture". We are so thrilled to be collaborating with them! For costuming we felt that their sound would go well with a fresh urban look. We decided to wear t-shirts with positive messages on them to complete our urban look. This is when we realized that this idea could apply to most looks.

One of our favorite designers and friend, Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart of Vaute Couture, makes t-shirts that say "For the love of dog adopt!" By wearing her t-shirts while dancing we make the artist look hip and socially relevant. With these shirts on, our piece is now complete, "no sweat". The movement impresses the audiences' eyes, just as we had hoped, while the message is something that sticks with them after all is said and done.

Another great idea would be to see if your favorite non-profit organization is selling t-shirts with positive messages on them. They often do this to encourage supporters to buy their clothing, promote the non-profit and apply the money raised towards their cause. Could this be any more perfect!

Here are few other examples of great apparel to wear while dancing:

Improve your movement

... with the 6 essential pilates concept: Part 1 - Centering Centering means beginning movement from what is referred to as the powerhouse or core. In pilates, the center of the body is located between the lowest ribs and pubic bone.  By initiating all movement from this region, the rest of the body will be able to align and move more efficiently.

Many people think the core is just the abdominals and then think of a crunch or situp. In pilates we know that the core includes the abdominal, lower back, and buttocks.  It is a misconception that in order to engage your core, you must bend the spine (like in a crunch), hold your breath & press your abdomen outward. In actuality, it is the opposite!  First of all the spine does not need to bend in order to engage your core.   The core can engage without any structural change of the body. Second, breath is essential for your muscle strength and endurance.  And Finally, a strong core is a tight and pulled in feeling.

Try it out: This can be done standing, sitting, laying down and basically in any other position. If someone is watching you, they should not see your body change positions.  I like to think of the core as I would a fist.  To make a fist I curl my fingers in, wrap my thumb around and squeeze.  I ask my clients to engage their core in a similar way.  Think of pulling the core muscles inward and like a fist, wrap the muscles around the spine. You will feel an intense 360 degree tightening of the core.  This is your powerhouse!

Part 2 - Concentration