The Blog We Share in MM199

By Mariah Rollwagen There is a lot of debate in the dance community about whether or not skimpy dance costumes are inappropriate for young dancers. Many people, like the author and self-proclaimed “dance mom” of this Huffington Post article , believe that the current trend of dance costumes is inappropriate and needs to change. Dancers are often seen in rhinestone bras and small shorts or briefs by the age of 5 years old. Are these costumes inappropriate for young girls to perform in? Photo By Sherry Hauser From the age of 12, I danced competitively and saw these types of dance costumes among many different studios and students of many different ages. Many of our classes required us to rehearse in sports bras and shorts or tight leggings. This was required to help the teachers see our bodies more clearly in order to correct our technique. Although my opinion may be unpopular, I believe these “skimpy” types of costumes allow judges to more clearly see the dancers’ performan...

By Mariah Rollwagen As a dance teacher, I have experienced teaching many different age groups, dance styles, and skill levels. Each class type requires a different approach and a different layout to succeed; the biggest difference in my teaching styles comes from teaching recreational dance classes verses competitive dance classes. Recreational dance classes are aimed toward giving students an outlet to express creativity and make friends. When teaching a recreational class in any age group, it is less focused on developing certain skills and more focused on building confidence and having fun. In these classes, I typically develop a plan based around what the students want to learn and the experience they want from my class. Students are encouraged to develop dance skills, but their progress is largely based around the pace they wish to learn. In recreational classes most teachers do not give harsh criticism. These classes often have one performance at the end of the year for ...

By Mariah Rollwagen https://youtu.be/jVTIpkrRGmQ This video is my personal story growing up as a dancer and the different phases I went through on my journey. Dance has been a big part of my life for a long time and I am lucky to say I found my life long hobby.

By Mariah Rollwagen Many art forms include some sort of medium; sculptures could use clay, musicians use instruments, and dancers use their own bodies or the bodies of others. This puts an extra pressure on dancers to maintain an aesthetically pleasing bodily form. This impact has started to create body image issues among dancers starting younger and younger. The emphasis on extreme thinness in dancers started as early as the 1950’s when famous ballet choreographer, George Balanchine , emphasized the need for ballerinas to have the perfect body and perpetuated many dancers to develop eating disorders.  The dance world has worked hard to perpetuate the idea that health and well being is more important than an ideal body type, but there is still a long way to go. Many auditions will cut dancers for their looks, whether it be hair color, size, height, and many other reasons beyond talent. Photo By Crystal Rollwagen My personal story involves many struggles with body imag...