Color Guard: 7 Dance Terms Explained (and demonstrated)

UPDATE 10/1/2014: Clarified what I mean by using tendu when you walk, and also clarified the difference between the classical ballet tour en l'air and the way we use the term in color guard (which is technically a chasse en tournant).

In color guard, we don't usually learn what the terms that we use mean, or even how to spell them! Here are a few basic terms we use all the time but may not know the meaning or explanation.

  Chassé (shah-say)  

Definition: to chase

Description: The concept is that one leg is chasing the other. The thighs should pull tight together, in fact the entirety of both legs should pull together. But guess what, you don't have to leave the ground for it to be called a chassé. See the "how to" video below to see what I mean.

How To: Here is a link to a ballerina demonstrating the chassé in the air, and here is another link with more of a "how to" video for chassé on the floor, and lastly a "how to" video for chassé in the air.

http://northlandschoolofdance.com/2012/11/c-is-for-chasse-dance-terminology-a-z/

  Passé (pah-say)  

Definition: to pass

Description: Passé is a movement in ballet in which the working leg passes the supporting leg, sliding close to the knee. Passé is sometimes confused with the ballet position retiré in which the toe of the working leg touches the knee of the supporting leg. However, in color guard, we use passé to mean retiré, so don't stress about which to call it.

How To: Check out this video to see how you can do a passé correctly

http://www.showcasedanceproductions.com/aboutus.htm

  Pilé (plee-ay)  

Definition: to fold or to bend

Description: This is an exercise to render the joints and muscles soft and pliable and the tendons flexible and elastic, and to develop a sense of balance.

How To: This is a link for a grand plié in first position (notice how her heels go to the ground as soon as they can as she rises), and a basic first position demi plié.

http://dicasdeballet.tumblr.com/post/32241865384/o-que-e-plie-en-dehor-e-passe

  Relevé (rehl-leh-vay)  

Definition: to rise or raised

Description: In a relevé, you rise to the demi-pointe or to the ball of your foot

How To: Here is a great, detailed explanation of relevé

http://www.evolutiondanceleander.com/not-about-dance-workshop/2014/3/15/elevate-ballet-intensive

  Sauté (soh-tay)  

Definition: to jump

Description: Typically, we think of a sauté as jumping with off one foot, landing on the same foot, with our free leg straight behind us. And yes, that is a sauté. However, any jump you do is really a sauté! Try varying the types of jumps by putting the free leg into coupe or pase

Factoid: Did you know it's the same word for when you sauté something in a frying pan? The food "jumps!" 

How To: Here is a sauté in first position (two feet), and here the last jump she does is a sauté as well

http://entertainmentguide.local.com/types-dance-leaps-10940.html

  Tendu (tahn-deu)  

Definition: tense, strained or tight (this is the literal french translation)

Description: This is something we do day-in-day-out in color guard. You can do an exercise with tendu's. When I teach jazz walks, I explain that you go through first position, and straightening/lengthening to a tendu before stepping. Another option for jazz walks goes through coupe which would not include a tendu.

How To: Here is Jennifer Carlynn Kronenberg demonstrating a tendu

http://www.nanou.org/sports/ballet/leia/Standard%20positions%20gallery/pages/tendu-front.htm

  Tour en l'air (toor ahn lehr)  

Definition: A turn in the air

Description: In traditional classical ballet, the tor en l'air is a jump turn that men (typically) do where they start in fifth position, jump straight up in the air and turn 1 or more times, landing back in fifth position. In color guard, however, we sometimes use this term to mean a chassé turn, in which you essentially do a chassé while doing one full rotation, straight up in the air. Just like with a non-turning chassé, the thighs should pull tight together. Our use of this term in color guard is not technically correct, and yet, we still call it a tour en l'air or an "air tour." Just know we are using the term the way color guard means it, and not classical ballet. Technically, in ballet this would be called a chassé en tournant (sha-SAY ahn toor-NAHN) (thanks to the commenter who posted!)

How To: Seems I can't find a good video of a chassé en tournant! Maybe I'll just have to make one. Below is a graphical explanation of the classical ballet use of tour en l'air.

http://theclassicballet.blogspot.com/2010/12/tour-en-lair.html
Note: this is the true classical ballet version that goes straight up and down, and often has 2 or more rotations before landing. It is often a jump for the male dancers.

What other steps would you like to learn more about? I am thinking of a post all about fun unique jumps (e.g., the firebird, a calypso). What else would you like to see?





References:
1. http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/index.html
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_ballet
3. http://www.step-by-step-dance.com/ballettermspronunciationdefinitions.html
4. http://dance.about.com/od/ballet
5. http://ballethub.com/ballet-term/chasse-en-tournant/

Color Guard: How Can I Learn Faster?

Now that you've aced your auditions for winter guard, or soon will, your season starts with a lot of technique and new choreography. That means, after getting to that comfortable auto-pilot phase of performing at the end of last season, you now have to start learning to learn again.

Some people learn quicker than others and I wanted to give a few tips to those who may find themselves wanting to be more efficient learners.

  1. Think Big Picture First  

Everyone knows that one person on your team that always asks super detailed questions after the choreography teaches the first 8 counts. Don't be that girl or guy! You need to look at the big picture first before you start getting into the details.

First - Watch the general movements of the flag or weapon. For example, is it going up and over to the right or to the left, or is it making a cone up or a cone forward.

Second - Look at the hand positioning of each movement (don't worry about counts yet!)

Third - Look at the body underneath. This is a pet peeve of mine, considering I'm the movement instructor for any guard I work with! What do the feet do? Do they go into passé? Are you up on relevé? Does your leg rond de jambe around? What about your free hands?

Keep in mind, you don't need to get all the big picture components perfectly, but you do need to know what they are!

  2. Count or Talk as You Spin  

Most color guards I teach either count through most of their sections or talk through them (up, down, around, over the mountain, wiggle wiggle, whatever works!). It's usually something we make them do when they're not getting the choreography or spinning together, but I recommend that you use the technique when you're first learning the work. If you feel weird talking out loud, try doing it silently. If you start talking yourself through the choreography, you'll actually be using a larger portion of your brain and connecting more neurons so that you can start to put it into your long term memory rather than remember it for 2 seconds and then struggle to get through it once the instructor isn't in front of you anymore.

  3. Divide into Chunks  

Sometimes the instructors do this for you as they teach, but if not, make sure you do it for yourself. Divide the work into manageable, logical sections or "chunks." It may be every 16 counts makes sense, but maybe 8 counts is more manageable for you. Then practice each chunk separately. I like to do one chunk a few times, and then move on to the next chunk. Then I connect the two chunks together. Every time I do a chunk, I first think about what comes before it, and then as I finish the chunk, I think about what comes next. That will help your brain start to put the pieces together because your brain needs to understand the work before your muscles will start getting it right (for most people anyway.

  4. Don't Stop, But Go Slow  

After you've learned each of the chunks, try this one! One technique I found particularly useful when I was at Carolina Crown was to force myself not to stop as I went through the work. I had a habit of getting to a part and making a mistake, pausing, and then resuming the work. Or I would do a chunk, my brain would freeze, and then I'd do the next chunk. I realized I was trying to take the work up to the right tempo. I tried slowing myself down and forcing myself to do every count in time, to that slower tempo. I found that I could get my brain to go through the work and not let me stop spinning. Eventually then I could pick up the tempo little by little and was back up to speed, but without pausing!


Do you have a technique for learning faster that works for you?

Color Guard: The Audition Mindset

It's the time of year when winter guard auditions start occurring, and it's a great time to really grow as a performer. I've attended auditions for the specific purpose of getting better, because it's a time when instructors can really push you and try out new ideas without worrying about a specific show yet.

Last year, Byron Valentine (of Zydeco and Fred J. Miller fame) posted his thoughts about what you should think about going into auditions, and this year I wanted to put my thoughts on paper (virtually...so to speak!).

With Stonewall Independent auditions only a week away (September 21!), here are my top five tips to get yourself in the right mindset for any audition.

These are on top of the basics like (a) bring your own equipment in case it's needed, (b) wear form-fitting dark clothes (unless told otherwise, (c) have your hair neatly pulled back so you don't mess with it at all, (d) stay hydrated....etc.

  1. Fake it Till You Make it  

As I posted before, Stonewall's number one rule is "Fake it Till You Make it." Oftentimes, the instructor is looking for you to perform well, and just make things work. They know that you'll have a very short amount of time to figure out the choreography and they're not looking for perfection. They're looking for someone to perform it no matter how well (or how little) they know the choreography. To help yourself LEARN how to perform, check out my blog here.

  2. Crave Corrections  

My favorite auditioners are those who come to us and ask "what else can I fix?" or "how can I do xyz move?" Better yet, we love it when auditioners use each other to figure out what they are doing wrong! It warms my heart when someone goes up to a vet and asks them to watch them do the work and then ASK for the feedback. If you go into the conversation requesting the feedback, your more willing to hear what someone has to say. However, if you get a correction without asking for it, just say "okay" or "thank you" (love the Broad Run HS girls that say thank you!). Then, try your darndest to figure out how to fix it! Just like on the judges sheets, recovery is important. If you can take that correction and do something with it, the staff will notice you. More importantly, they will be excited to work with you throughout the season.

  3. Embrace a Beginners Mindset  

"In a beginners mind, there are many possibilities. In an expert's mind, there are few." ~Shunryu Suzuki

When you enter the audition space, remind yourself of this quote. Anything is possible if you recognize that within this audition, you are a beginner. That's not a bad thing. You just don't know exactly what it is the instructors will give you in terms of choreography. You may not know the instructors or veterans yet. Even the veterans are entering a space where they are learning. They won't be given choreography they've seen before, just like the rookies! If you embrace that fact, it will both allow you to have confidence and the openness to absorb everything you can.

  4. Don't be Married to "Your" Technique  

Students who audition for a new guard sometimes don't realize that every instructor or team has their own version of technique on everything. If you take the opportunity to be in a beginner's mindset, you will also open yourself to new technique as well. This new guard may toss differently. They may hold their arms in second differently (like we do...we use Horton modern technique for this arm position, which isn't typical in color guard). They may do a lot of body wraps (again...we do this!) and you may not be used to that. Even as a vet, you can use the opportunity to FIX your technique. Assume there may be a bad habit that you have. Use the auditions to fix those technique habits because it's a time to learn, not to be perfect.

  5. Try Something New  

As I've mentioned, auditions are a time for instructors to try out some new things. At Stonewall Independent, we often try some crazy tosses, just to see what happens. It's important for those auditioning to try something new even if it's scary or different. That doesn't just apply to a single piece of choreography, but maybe there's a weapons audition and you've never spun weapon. If you're interested, tell the instructor on the side that you haven't spun before but you'd really like to give it a shot. That way they know you're knew at this AND you get a chance to try something fun and different! Maybe you don't make the weapon line, but the instructors will see that you're willing to try new things. Plus, there's value in spinning a different piece of equipment and learning bits and pieces that you can take and apply elsewhere. For example, in high school I learned how to catch solid on rifle, and that improved my solid catching on flag!


What other recommendations or thoughts do you have for those who are auditioning this month?

Recipe: Zucchini-Onion-Pepper Fritatta

I was at the Farmer's Market two weeks ago on a Thursday, thinking, "what can I cook for dinner tonight that won't cost an arm and a leg?" We all know that while Farmer's Markets are amazing, and there can be some great deals, meat is not exactly cheap when you purchase it there (a whole chicken is $4 a pound!). I realized I had eggs at home and could try my hand at making a fritatta!

A fritatta is an Italian egg-based dish, similar to an omelette but cooked in the oven, and similar to a quiche but with less cream and no crust. It's an incredibly flexible dish and you can add any combination of veggies you have on hand! Here's the recipe I used (it's a combo of a few recipes I found online).

Zucchini-Onion-Pepper Fritatta
Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 Tbs oil
• 1 Tbs buttler
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 zucchini, sliced or julienned
• 1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 teas salt
• 1/2 teas dried basil
• 1/4 teas dried thyme
• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup cream or half-and-half
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 5-6 leaves of fresh basil, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. In an oven proof skillet, heat the oil and butter. Add in the sliced onions, sprinkle with 1/2 the salt, and cook until translucent. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add in the zucchini and pepper, and continue to cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat with the remaining salt, the basil and thyme.
4. While the veggies cook, in a bowl, crack the eggs, add in the cream, and beat everything together.
5. Once the veggies are cooked, take it off the heat and add 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese, stirring to coat. Flatten out the veggies into an even layer.
6. Pour the egg mixture over the veggies (don't stir), and put into the oven for 13-15 minutes, until the eggs are set. You can jiggle the pan to check (use an oven mitt).
7. Turn on the broiler and cook for 1-2 minutes until the top begins to puff and turn brown (note, it doesn't ALWAYS puff). Keep a close eye on it!
8. After it's browned a bit, take it out and pour the remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan along with the fresh basil.

Serving Suggestion: Serve a wedge of the fritatta along with a salad that has a vinaigrette dressing. The dressing will help cut the richness of the fritatta.

Variations:

• Spinach and Mushroom
• Tomato and Onion
• Swap out the cheese for Gouda or Goat Cheese

If you like this recipe, check out some other's on my blog:

• Sunday Gravy
• Healthy Homemade "Ice Cream" (it's really bananas)
• "Leftover" Pasta, Carbonara Style
• Oyster Cracker Bar Snacks
• Roasted Bell Peppers

Couponing: Ways to Earn Gift Cards

Since back to school just happened, and that means fall, which means soon to come are the holidays, I thought everyone could use some insight to how I've found ways to earn gift cards to Amazon and Starbucks with little to no effort.

But first, if you're going to coupon, make sure you set up an email address specifically for signing up for random stuff you're not really interested in getting tons of mail from. My couponing email address is similar to my regular one, but has ".shop" after it (just as an idea for you!).

  1. Swagbucks  

For the past few years, I've earned Amazon gift cards through Swagbucks. Since 2011, I have earned 17 $5 gift cards....that's $85 I didn't otherwise have! They have other rewards options, but I find Amazon to be the best value. I don't participate in everything on the site (because some of it isn't worth my signing up for various things like insurance!). The activities I do participate in to earn the points towards rewards - and at 450 points I earn a $5 gift card! Some examples include:

• Daily Poll
• NOSO (no obligation special offers)
• Videos
• Games (free ones only!)
• Brand Activities
• Surveys
• Swagcodes (find them on http://sc-s.com)
• Coupon printing (I even print them for friends!)

  2. Pampers Rewards  

I'm the mom of a 7.5 year old little girl who I am in love with! But man, does she go through a lot of diapers. From day 1 we've used Pampers (except for two Huggies diapers - one broke and one leaked; and a box of Honest Company diapers which were great but too expensive). About 2 months in, we realized there were little codes on every Pampers product that could be saved on the Pampers Rewards site! So far I've earned a $5 Starbucks Gift Card, and since we have a Nespresso machine at home, I've decided I won't reload my Starbucks card myself and only use free gift cards I earn. That said, the Starbucks card isn't always available. Right now they have a $10 card to Barnes & Noble and a lot of options for Shutterfly products (which is great for holiday gifts to relatives when you have a child in diapers).


  3. Biore  

On Facebook, Biore has an app to submit codes from their products to earn points. In addition, you can answer trivia questions and make daily pledges to earn even more! For 2800 points you can earn a $5 Starbucks or Amazon gift card.


  4. RecycleBank  

RecycleBank is a great site to learn about environmental impacts of consumer goods, along with ways to save money, energy, and water. Every day you can pledge to do one thing that earns you 5 points. Then every month they have different topics to learn about (e.g., how to save energy in your house) or quizzes to answer (e.g., testing your knowledge of how much trash the U.S. makes each year). For 1500 points you can earn a $5 gift card to Starbucks or Target.


Do you have any other ways that you earn gift cards or free items?