Living in Calgary we really are so fortunate to have a number of pre and professional dance groups that perform regularly over the course of the year. Whether it is the Alberta Ballet, Decidedly Jazz or En Corps Dance Collective, I am always trying to encourage my dance students to get out and watch live dance performances. These experiences educate them on everything from music to history to current events and will give them a much stronger complimentary education to their studio training than any episode of Dance Moms. That being said, going to these performances are not always affordable and often conflict with dance classes, competitions and the like. It is hard to get those who should be the biggest supporters out and into the seats.
Absolute Dance has recently made the effort to organize outings to see one live dance performance a year and it has always been a very positive experience. I am always surprised at what children and teens find interesting during a performance. In January we attended The Alberta Ballet's Up Close series which featured company members performing shorter, locally choreographed pieces to an in-studio audience of only 100 people. It was such an opportunity for the dancers to see how much could be done with minimal costumes and set pieces. It was also great for them to realize how long and hard these dancers had to work to deliver a strong performance for the length of each piece. Every single person in the audience could see every little detail. Hopefully our dancers gained some perspective on where they stood with their own training and returned to the studio with renewed inspiration. This performance was also great for young dancers because it was contemporary ballet and a wonderful demonstration of how classical shapes and movement can be reworked to become something entirely new. Following the performance some of the company members took part in a Q and A with the audience. The students were able to gain some insight on what the concepts for the pieces were and how it feels to be dancing a contemporary piece as a dancer who is more accustomed to dancing classical repertoire. I had to laugh (to myself) at when one of the dancers strongly emphasized the importance of barre work and repetition. It was so nice to hear and coming from a professional who just gave his everything for 60 minutes I think those words had much more meaning coming from him rather than myself.
In March, the Alberta Ballet went on to perform Giselle. A stark contrast to the previous production, the company members returned to the classical "box" and did a great job. With the Calgary Philharmonic playing that famous music it made for a great night out. What was also nice about this performance is that it was the perfect length for the average theatre goer who maybe didn't have too much interest or knowledge when it comes to dance. As it usually is with most ballets, the storey line took a backseat to the dancing. The Peasant Pas de Deux was performed to a tee. The gentleman, in particular, did a stellar job with some very difficult jumps and turns. In the second act the patterning of the corps was stunning. The dancers floated effortlessly around the stage and moved as one. It was beautiful and thank goodness the lighting did a great job at making the 27 year-old costumes look great on stage. All in all it was a great night out.
Since the Alberta Ballet is nearing the end of its season they have very recently announced their upcoming season. It features a great line up of ballets I always seem to make reference to in class but haven't been performed in Alberta in recent years. I really hope that many of my students will be able to make it out. Some of the ballets I am most looking forward to are Don Quixote, La Bayadere and Carmen. Seeing at least one of these classics is a must and as hard as it can be to get organized enough to make it out, once you are in that seat you will be glad you made the effort.
Monday, 31 March 2014
Saturday, 1 March 2014
Snack to Success
Well competition season is upon us but, wouldn't you know it, before our first competition comes March Break! Of course a change from the usual routine and, for some, a chance to get away, is always welcome. It is still funny that we get a holiday right before the most challenging time of year. We should embrace the holiday knowing that the rest will hopefully leave us in tip top shape once things start up again. We do have to be careful, however, that in resting we we still maintain our fitness and nutritional habits that we have kept since September.
Take care of your body and make sure that any physical activities you do do not come with too much risk of injury. Downhill skiing, for instance, is a wonderful sport but I always advise dancers not to do it right before any important performance simply because the chances of getting injured are fairly high. It is great to stay active by trying different things like swimming, running, or participating in a yoga or cross training class at a gym. Swimming in particular is considered great complimentary training for dancers because it works the entire body, has no impact on joints and does not leave a build up of toxins in the body the same way that higher impact activities will do. It is a fantastic way to ensure that your cardiovascular fitness is maintained.
If you are staying in the city, I would also encourage you to get into the kitchen and experiment with some healthy, fuel-providing recipes that you'll be able to throw in with your competition gear when the time comes. Days at competition can be very long and quite often the cafeteria food on hand is not a great option. To get you started, here are some of my favorite lunch/snack recipes. They have become go-to options for me and I encourage you to try them out. If you have special dietary requirements online sources like Pinterest will leave you with many fun options.
Sweet and Salty Granola-Nut Clusters (from Grazing A Healthier Approach to Snacks and finger Foods. By Julie Van Rosendaal)
Ingredients: 1. Preheat oven to 350
1 cup mixed nuts and seeds
1/2 sesame seeds 2. Spread nuts and seeds on a baking sheet and
1/4 cup ground flax seeds toast for 8-10 minutes until pale golden. Set aside.
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp water 3. In a medium saucepan, combine the honey,
1 tsp canola or flax oil water and oil. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
1 cup low-fat granola Stir in the nut mixture. Reduce heat to medium-
2 Tbsp sugar low and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes. Stir
1 tsp coarse sea salt in the granola, sugar, and salt and cook for
another minute.
4. Spread the mixture in a thick layer on a baking
sheet and allow to cool. Once cooled, break into
clusters, or shape it into balls while it is still warm.
Store in a tightly sealed container.
Makes about a dozen clusters.
Crunchy Kale Salad (Posted on Pinterest and found on www.userealbutter.com)
(This salad takes a bit of extra work but is well worth it. If you are not a huge fan of kale, chop it in fine pieces to make it incorporate with the other ingredients a bit better)
Ingredients:
4 cups kale, washed, trimmed, and shredded
2 cups red cabbage, shredded
2 cups green cabbage, shredded
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 cup almonds (or walnuts)
1 cup dried black currants
Maple Orange Tahini Dressing:
1/2 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp maple syrup (I have used table syrup as well)
3 Tbsp tahini
pinch of salt
1/3 cup olive oil
lemon juice to taste
Make the Dressing: Place the orange juice, maple syrup, tahini and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together until blended. Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the bowl in a steady stream while constantly whisking. Add lemon juice to taste.
In a large bowl, combine the kale, cabbage, apple, avocado, almonds and dried black currants. Pour the dressing over and toss to coat. Enjoy!
Of course I have several other recipes that I make week after week. In addition to Grazing - A Healthier Approach to Snacking, I would highly recommend 5 Easy Steps to Healthy Cooking - 500 Recipes for Lifelong Wellness by Camilla V. Saulsbury. I have likely tried 30 recipes from this book and have had success with every single one. None of the recipes are overly complicated. The author has a way of coming up with great ingredient combinations that are unique and delicious.
Good luck in the kitchen this month.
That's all for now,
Madame Jete
Take care of your body and make sure that any physical activities you do do not come with too much risk of injury. Downhill skiing, for instance, is a wonderful sport but I always advise dancers not to do it right before any important performance simply because the chances of getting injured are fairly high. It is great to stay active by trying different things like swimming, running, or participating in a yoga or cross training class at a gym. Swimming in particular is considered great complimentary training for dancers because it works the entire body, has no impact on joints and does not leave a build up of toxins in the body the same way that higher impact activities will do. It is a fantastic way to ensure that your cardiovascular fitness is maintained.
If you are staying in the city, I would also encourage you to get into the kitchen and experiment with some healthy, fuel-providing recipes that you'll be able to throw in with your competition gear when the time comes. Days at competition can be very long and quite often the cafeteria food on hand is not a great option. To get you started, here are some of my favorite lunch/snack recipes. They have become go-to options for me and I encourage you to try them out. If you have special dietary requirements online sources like Pinterest will leave you with many fun options.
Sweet and Salty Granola-Nut Clusters (from Grazing A Healthier Approach to Snacks and finger Foods. By Julie Van Rosendaal)
Ingredients: 1. Preheat oven to 350
1 cup mixed nuts and seeds
1/2 sesame seeds 2. Spread nuts and seeds on a baking sheet and
1/4 cup ground flax seeds toast for 8-10 minutes until pale golden. Set aside.
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp water 3. In a medium saucepan, combine the honey,
1 tsp canola or flax oil water and oil. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
1 cup low-fat granola Stir in the nut mixture. Reduce heat to medium-
2 Tbsp sugar low and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes. Stir
1 tsp coarse sea salt in the granola, sugar, and salt and cook for
another minute.
4. Spread the mixture in a thick layer on a baking
sheet and allow to cool. Once cooled, break into
clusters, or shape it into balls while it is still warm.
Store in a tightly sealed container.
Makes about a dozen clusters.
Crunchy Kale Salad (Posted on Pinterest and found on www.userealbutter.com)
(This salad takes a bit of extra work but is well worth it. If you are not a huge fan of kale, chop it in fine pieces to make it incorporate with the other ingredients a bit better)
Ingredients:
4 cups kale, washed, trimmed, and shredded
2 cups red cabbage, shredded
2 cups green cabbage, shredded
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 cup almonds (or walnuts)
1 cup dried black currants
Maple Orange Tahini Dressing:
1/2 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp maple syrup (I have used table syrup as well)
3 Tbsp tahini
pinch of salt
1/3 cup olive oil
lemon juice to taste
Make the Dressing: Place the orange juice, maple syrup, tahini and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together until blended. Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the bowl in a steady stream while constantly whisking. Add lemon juice to taste.
In a large bowl, combine the kale, cabbage, apple, avocado, almonds and dried black currants. Pour the dressing over and toss to coat. Enjoy!
Of course I have several other recipes that I make week after week. In addition to Grazing - A Healthier Approach to Snacking, I would highly recommend 5 Easy Steps to Healthy Cooking - 500 Recipes for Lifelong Wellness by Camilla V. Saulsbury. I have likely tried 30 recipes from this book and have had success with every single one. None of the recipes are overly complicated. The author has a way of coming up with great ingredient combinations that are unique and delicious.
Good luck in the kitchen this month.
That's all for now,
Madame Jete
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