Stage Presence

Archive for September, 2010

As the United States continues to struggle with a sluggish economy, so are artists and lovers of the arts struggling to support their career, and in some cases livelihoods.
As families are forced to tighten their budgetary belts, spending money on what many consider an ‘extra’ within the arts community is getting harder. Families that try to inject culture into their children’s lives with several appearances at the theatre per year, are staying home, and those that once frequented arts markets are saving those extra dollars to pay for household necessities instead of springing for a new trinket or painting
Many artists that perhaps quit ‘regular’ jobs to pursue their passion for a career in the arts, are being forced to go back to school or take a dead-end job just to make ends meet.
As the economy improves, and families go back to work, it will be crucial for art lovers and those that enjoy all forms of the arts, to return to supporting these passions. For some, supporting the arts is as important as a National Football league enthusiast in following sports spread betting on a weekly basis.
The arts have always been a way for artists to express their moods and feelings. For the arts lovers, following the arts is a great way to see things through the eyes of others be it vocally, through acting, or on the canvas of a beautiful painting. Visiting the theatre during the holidays to watch The Nutcracker with your children is a great way to continue a love of the arts to a future generation.
Despite recent struggles within the arts world, this community will survive. Those within the arts world have always been subject to the whims of the public, and these theatrical performers, vocalists and artists will continue to prosper despite the woes of the current economic situation.

Recreation is a favorite pastime enjoyed by people all over the world.  One favorite form of recreation comes in the form of dance that people from all cultures and

Ethnic backgrounds have practice for centuries as a form of expression either professionally or intimately, some have and even currently use dance in their religious ceremonies.

Dance can not be traced back to a specific time in which it began such as with hunting because there are no identifiable physical artifacts that link them to when it possibly started.  It has definitely been a part of the celebrations, rituals, ceremonies, and entertainment in the earliest parts of our civilizations.  There are traces of dance from prehistoric times from Archeology in instances with the 9,000 year old painting called the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka from Egyptian and Indian tomb painting that pictured figures dancing from circa 3300 BC. The performing and telling of myths may be one of the earliest structured uses of dance.  It was also used to show the feelings of the opposite gender.

Dance studies were introduced in the 1920s such as critical theory, Musical analysis, dance practice and history which was thought of as an academic discipline.  There are now a large range of dance courses available in the area of practice research in universities humanities and arts programs, some of which include:

Ethnochoreology- This is dance that encompasses cultural studies area studies, postcolonial theory, ethnography, gender studies, and anthropology.

Practice research-This is performance and choreography

Professional practice-This is technical skills and performance

Dance Therapy-This is performance technologies and new media

The Laban Movement Anaysis-This is somatic studies type dance

Those interested in a degree in dance can obtain a BA all the way up to a PhD with additional postdoctoral fellowships available.  Dance has been around for centuries and with the inception of a lot of new forms, it is clear that dance is here to stay.

Performaning arts, from theater, drama and orchestra, have seen very few major changes since the middle ages. The middle ages saw it take its birth among wandering bars and poets known as strolling minstrels. One can argue that the birth of religious theater took place in 2500 B.C in Egypt and moved on to the ancient Greek where it really took form, but it never stood the test of time. The Greeks took their theater seriously and developed laws, regulations, professions, and theater architecture. It is sad that this era of performing arts was lost permanently with the fall of Greece. But the Greek theater concepts and ideas stayed alive.

Performance art did take form in thousands of different forms in Europe, but failed to find a steady audience to keep it alive. The 16th, 17th and 18th Centuries saw a unique theater emerge due to the blending of the Indian, Chinese and Japanese theaters. However, enough of the history, let’s see where modern performing arts are evolving.

True performance arts have become a romantic night out for a wealthy couple or an exotic night out in Vegas for tourists. Though this will suffice for it to stay alive, it cannot help the grow and evolve. Colleges and schools promote theater, but every budding artist dreams of starring in a Hollywood movie and not Broadway. Television and internet have caused a direct effect on performance arts. Just like the change internet has brought about in business with the facilitation of off shore and in casinos with online casino games, it is projected to do the same to performing arts. The definition of performance art is slowly changing from live performance to recorded live performance. Lately, the increasing popularity of reality television competitions has proved that performance arts has a huge scope to expand. But is it ready to expand?

Trying hard to lose weight? Or maybe just trying to maintain a healthy regime of exercise?  Dancing is a novel and innovative way to keep fit, and also, more importantly, to enjoy oneself. Dancing has many health benefits.

Studies have shown that dancing, while being a great way to lose those extra pounds and keep that tummy in check, dancing is also great for relieving stress, increasing one’s energy levels and endurance, and  improving on one’s strength and flexibility. It is also an excellent way to tone up those muscles and improve coordination.

It doesn’t really matter what style of dance you prefer– whether it be ballet, hip hop, jazz, or ballroom, the benefits are all desirable and worth the work.  Dancing is one of the most unique forms of exercise, for it provides all the benefits of a full aerobic workout, but it also works and tones muscles, making them long, lean, and beautiful, rather than short and stocky. It reduces the chances of coronary disease and lowers blood pressure. The benefits are not only for the body though, as dance is an art form and is especially stimulating to the mind. A study that had been published in the New England Journal of Medicine has shown that dancing reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Dancers also claim that dancing is a great way to brighten up one’s day and help keep depression at bay, and scientific research has concurred.  Actually, this is not surprising, since dancing, specifically with a partner and to music, has been shown in scientific studies to decrease the levels of stress hormones.  This was especially true, for some reason, when partners danced the tango!

Dancing is a great workout and helps you utilize muscles that you never even knew you had,  especially in the entirety of the legs, stomach, back, and sometimes arms. Health benefits aside, dancing is also a great way to meet new people and make new friends. So don’t waste your time and money on those fruitless gym memberships that you never really use. Use that next payday loan to sign up for a dance class, and then dance your way to health and happiness.  A payday loan is nothing but a small arrangement with a money-lender, which entitles you a certain amount of money as a loan, until your next paycheck arrives.  By then, you will be well on your way to being a dancer.

If you go to a sport arena you will notice that there is probably a lot more excitement coming from the stands than that which takes place on the field.  That is because it really does not matter where you reside in the world people really like their sports.  Going  to a game is a great form of recreation that releases stress, it allows you to wind down, and is also a great way to socialize with those you enjoy spending time with. The following is a list of some great sports that people enjoy every day:

You may be about to take up archery, or you may be have been actively involved in competitive soccer for years. Either way, you know, or soon will know, how participating in sports can keep you in tip-top shape. Sports are a fabulous way to stay active and keep your body healthy. You even have built-in workout buddies known as teammates who know just how hard one more mile or one more game can be, and will push you to achieve. And nothing can beat the feeling of winning a match or taking home a gold medal.

The rewards of being involved in your favorite sport don’t end when you’ve stepped off the field or put away the bat; there are rewards you feel and see every time you see your reflection in a mirror or slip on your True Religion jeans. Your hard work on the field, the skating rink or the pool pays off in ways your body will thank you for. Being involved in sports is the perfect all-around workout. Sports involve cardiovascular, or cardio, exercise, which helps strengthen your heart, improve stamina and burn calories. Did you know that, depending on your weight, you could burn through more than 400 calories fencing for an hour? Sports also involve a great deal of muscular strength. Boxing, rowing and even horseback riding rely on certain muscles of the body for a great performance. Strength training tones the body so it appears sleek and tight, and the body will continue to expend calories when a strength-training session has ended.

When you’re involved in a sport, you’ll see that the rewards don’t end when the game is over. The jersey will come off, but the jeans, the fitted tees and the dresses will come on, and while your skills can be impressive, wait until everyone sees what sports have done for your body.

It is great after a hard day at work to go out with family and friends to wind down with your favorite form of recreation the following are a list of popular forms of recreation that people use every day which they find exciting fun and engaging.

1. The Library-The library is a great form of recreation, it is multifaceted and offers an array of opportunities. Schools often hold tours there where a worker from the library might take a young class on a guided tour and introduce them to a lot of the aspects of a library. You can also find a quite spot and read your favorite book.  A lot of libraries today offer internet access whereby members can get on for free in usually 15 minute sessions.  There are opportunities to check out reference materials, books and magazines and all of this for free.
2. If you like performing arts they can come in the form of music, acting, dance and a host of other expressions.  With performing art a person is usually used as the basis for the art.  If attending a performing arts center, it can be a wonderful way to be introduced to other cultural forms of art expressions.
3. Dance-Dance is a wonderful form of recreation and can be done for fun or can be professional.  There are many forms of dance and all require the body to make some sort of movements or flexibility.  Some people may  find that dance is not just fun but a great way to stay in shape.  There are some cultures that use dance as one of their major forms of communication.  If you go to any festival or fair you are sure to be introduced to groups that demonstrate some form of dance for the entertainment of others.

For those who are interested in sports it is important to note that there are a number of exercises a person can do in order to strengthen and condition your body physically to get you in the best shape to perform.  The following are some exercises that condition the body for some very popular sports activities:

• Arm Wrestling- exercises- Did you know that the bicep Nautilus machine strengthens the arm of those who participate in wrestling?  Wide grip bar curls, dumbbell concentration curls, and triceps pushdowns.  You can also use a curl bar and straight bar to strengthen the wrist.
• Baseball for America’s favorite sport–Cardio respiratory is very important because this sport requires a lot of running.  It is important to include polymeric drill exercise such as sprints, line jumps, bounding, depth jumps, lateral jump with two feet, jump forwards, push up claps, and incline push up depth jumps, lateral jump over barrier. Medicine ball exercise- these exercises help increase starting power and strength.  Some of these exercises include pull over pass, overhead throw, over under, power drop, and side throws.
• Basketball-This is a very active sport in which you will need to be aerobic and quick.  Weight exercises-smith squats (you should go down low and you can) bench press, side laterals for the shoulders, leg presses, and calf raises. You also need to incorporate some Polymetric exercises such as deep jump with stuff, lateral cone hops, low post drill, front box jumps, incline push up depth jump, sprints, and depth jump with 180 degrees turn. Medicine ball exercises are also helpful.
• Bowling-This sport is not yield a continuous cardio workout.  Helpful exercises include:  front dumbbell raises, pectoral deck, bicep curls, incline bench press, adduction, lat pull downs, and polymetric (for the abdominals) exercises-one legged hops and one legged box hops.  Cardio respiratory training will raise your endurance pace if they are done consistently.

There are those that perform sports professionally and there are those that participate in sports for the sheer love of the game. For those who have struggled in the area of making their game all that it could be should understand that there are exercises you can do that will strengthen and condition the parts of the body that need work.
The following are a few favorite sports and exercises that will help build speed, flexibility, and agility to certain body parts that will improve your game:

Bodybuilding-This is a sport that aims at the appearance the body has.
Because of this bodybuilding focuses on a person’s physical appearance, weight training and nutrition are very important.
The training that is needed heavy muscle gaining on the off season.
Here higher weight and low reps and the exercises should include a six second eccentric exercise and w second concentric contraction. The following are a few of these exercises that work the chest area: decline bench press, flat bench presses, and incline bench press. To work the fly’s arms you need to do: triceps push-downs, reverse push-downs, bicep curls, and dumbbell kickbacks. To work the shoulders do: dumbbell front raises, dumbbell rear raises, and dumbbell laterals. To work the back areas do: low back extension machine and the lat pull-downs. For the legs do: leg curls, calf raises, adduction, hack squats, leg extensions, and regular squats.

Soccer-Soccer is a sport requires great leg strength, agility and requires a large amount of cardio respiratory work. Some weight exercises that may be beneficial are the leg extension, leg curl, smith machine squats and leg presses. You additionally need to keep neck strong and agile. Polymetric training is also very helpful. Some of these exercises include split squat jump, cone hops with 180 degrees turn, and sprints.

Participating in a sport that you are good in can be a joy but for those who love a sport but do not perform it well this can be very frustrating.  There are actually exercise that a person can do which may lead to the strengthening of the body thus enriching your performance of the game.  The following exercises can be done to improve areas of weakness so the body will be conditioned for a better performance.

• Cycling-With cycling you get a great cardio respiratory workout.  You use the leg muscles a lot with cycling. It is also important to note that the arms and the lower back hip muscles are very important in this sport.  Before you participate you want to make sure you have enough endurance and are well fueled.  The best way to train is through lighter weights that have 15-25 reps and between 3-4 sets.
• Downhill Skiing-This sport requires a lot of cardio reparatory work. Because you will utilize a lot of clothing layers it is important to stay hydrated.  These are training exercises.  Leg press, leg curls, abduction exercises, one legged presses, adduction, abdominal and low back exercises.  Some helpful Plyometric exercises include: zigzag drill, stadium hops, diagonal con hops, and hip-twist ankle hop.
• Ice Hockey-This sport is very physically challenging so those who participate will need to have great muscle mass.  You will want to start with higher weight and low repetitions.  These exercises should include 6-second contraction, which is the resistance of weight moving together with gravity and 2-second concentric contraction, which is resistance of weight moving away from gravity.  These are some training exercises:  Triceps push downs, leg press, leg curl, raised leg extensions, incline dumbbell, and squats. Here are some Plyometric exercises that may be helpful: The zigzag drill, 90 second box drill, and the split squat with cycle.