We're halfway through winter term here at Mercyhurst and the feeling of stress across campus is palpable. Midterms can be an especially stressful time for students when they are taking their exams and starting to get into a heavy workload. The combination of stress, a busy schedule and the cold weather can easily lead to getting sick. As dancers it's especially important that we stay healthy so that we can put our best effort into class and rehearsal. January and February is also audition season and dancers want to be in their best form, so remembering to stay healthy and de-stress is vital. Here are some tips for staying healthy and happy:
1.Get enough sleep! Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep to function at their best.
2.Eat well balanced healthy meals. Eating a lot of simple carbs, sugar and chugging that coffee in the morning won't help your energy level. By the time 3pm rolls around you'll be ready to crash. Eating a good breakfast of fruit and whole grains and a well balanced lunch with some veggies and protein will provide you with the energy and nutrients you need to get through the day.
3. Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated and drinking enough water throughout the day will help prevent headaches and fatigue.
4.De-stress. If everything seems too overwhelming take some time to relax. Take a yoga class, listen to music, go for a walk or take 10 minutes to stop what you're doing and close your eyes and take some deep breaths.
5. Have fun! Everything doesn't have to be about work or school or dance. Take some time for yourself and have fun, whether it's going out with some friends, reading a good book or watching a funny movie.
"To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear."
Buddha
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Welcome Back!
Hoping everyone had a great holiday break! Classes have started up again for the remainder of winter term and we finally have snow!
Choreographers are busy getting for our Raw Edges performance in February, there is only about six more weeks until the show! Before break we had showings to see what the choreographers have done and all of the pieces look really interesting. There are two ballet pieces on pointe and the rest are more modern contemporary pieces. Can't wait to see how they all turn out!
Seniors are also getting ready to go on auditions starting within the next few weeks. This is always a crazy time getting ready to go out into the dance world and find a job but it's always exciting! Every year our seniors go out and make name for themselves beyond Mercyhurst, which has been our home for the past four years. Our dancers have gone on to dance with companies such as Nashville Ballet, St. Louis Ballet, Oklahoma Ballet, the musical CATS, cruise lines, Disney and even for the Cleveland Cavaliers! Mercyhurst has a great network and we wish all of our seniors good luck on their endeavors.
"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance." --Alan Watts
Choreographers are busy getting for our Raw Edges performance in February, there is only about six more weeks until the show! Before break we had showings to see what the choreographers have done and all of the pieces look really interesting. There are two ballet pieces on pointe and the rest are more modern contemporary pieces. Can't wait to see how they all turn out!
Seniors are also getting ready to go on auditions starting within the next few weeks. This is always a crazy time getting ready to go out into the dance world and find a job but it's always exciting! Every year our seniors go out and make name for themselves beyond Mercyhurst, which has been our home for the past four years. Our dancers have gone on to dance with companies such as Nashville Ballet, St. Louis Ballet, Oklahoma Ballet, the musical CATS, cruise lines, Disney and even for the Cleveland Cavaliers! Mercyhurst has a great network and we wish all of our seniors good luck on their endeavors.
"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance." --Alan Watts
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Great Performance!
Thank you to everyone who came out to see our performance 'Tis the Season this past weekend! It was a big success and the audience loved it. Unfortunately one of our dancers was injured at the last minute so there was some shuffling around to replace him but he still made an appearance in the Toy Shop with his "candy" cane. Amidst all the Nutcrackers this season, 'Tis the Season changed it up a little and spread the holiday cheer with skaters, liturgical dancers and dancing elves. Now if we could just get a little more snow!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
'Tis the Season
It's finally here! After months of preparation our holiday performance is upon us. We've been in the theatre this week spacing and rehearsing on the stage. Our tech crew led by Mr. Gleason has been busy building sets for Santa's toy shop and they look fantastic. Everyone is pitching in to finish the costumes and make sure that every last detail is perfect in order to have a great performance. It will be a fairly short show lasting about an hour. Christine Hay's ballet piece "Skaters" will open the performance, followed by "Multitude of Angels", a liturgical piece choreographed Noelle Partusch, and finally "Toy Shop" a fun piece choreographed by Mark Santillano.
Performance are Friday Dec, 9th at 4:30pm, Saturday Dec. 10th at 2pm and 7pm and Sunday Dec. 11th at 2pm.
Tickets: Adult: $15.50
Senior/Student: $12.50
PC: $7.50
Youth 15 and under: $5.00
MC Student: $3.50
Special Preview Performance Friday December 9th, at 4:30 pm $5.00!
Hope to see you there!
Performance are Friday Dec, 9th at 4:30pm, Saturday Dec. 10th at 2pm and 7pm and Sunday Dec. 11th at 2pm.
Tickets: Adult: $15.50
Senior/Student: $12.50
PC: $7.50
Youth 15 and under: $5.00
MC Student: $3.50
Special Preview Performance Friday December 9th, at 4:30 pm $5.00!
Hope to see you there!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
It's begining to look a lot like Christmas
Hello Everyone!
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Now that we've all had our fill of turkey and stuffing it's ready to get back to work. Winter term has officially started and it's starting to feel a lot like Christmas around the Dance space. We've got our tree up and Christmas lights strung all around the space. It looks great!
The Dance Department had the privilege in participating in the 2011 Erie Festival of Trees this year, an event that is organized by Saint Vincent Health System. The Dance Department donated a Christmas tree decorated in the 'Tis the Season theme. We also presented performances by the Mercyhurst College Liturgical Ensemble with faculty member Noelle Partusch and student Allegra Glinsky. The festival raised over $100,000 and the dance department is proud to have been a part of this wonderful event.
Our Holiday Performance 'Tis the Season is fast approaching and if you are around campus you will start to see posters advertising it. Be sure to leave your calendars open for the weekend of December 10th!
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Now that we've all had our fill of turkey and stuffing it's ready to get back to work. Winter term has officially started and it's starting to feel a lot like Christmas around the Dance space. We've got our tree up and Christmas lights strung all around the space. It looks great!
The Dance Department had the privilege in participating in the 2011 Erie Festival of Trees this year, an event that is organized by Saint Vincent Health System. The Dance Department donated a Christmas tree decorated in the 'Tis the Season theme. We also presented performances by the Mercyhurst College Liturgical Ensemble with faculty member Noelle Partusch and student Allegra Glinsky. The festival raised over $100,000 and the dance department is proud to have been a part of this wonderful event.
Our Holiday Performance 'Tis the Season is fast approaching and if you are around campus you will start to see posters advertising it. Be sure to leave your calendars open for the weekend of December 10th!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Beyond Words
This weekend the Mercyhurst College Dance Department is presenting Mercyhurst Ballet Theatre and SoMar Dance Works in the fall performance, Beyond Words.
Both companies have been rehearsing for the past few months and have some exciting new works to perform! Mercyhurst Ballet Theatre is performing three pieces choreographed by Tauna Hunter, Thom Clower and alumni Sarah Grace. SoMar will capture the audiences with pieces including ones about monsters under the bed and a tribute to 9/11. Each company has a group of talented dancers and it is not a show to miss!
Performances are on Saturday at 2pm and 7pm and Sunday at 2pm. Tickets are $15.15 for Adults, $12.50 for senior/students, $7.50 for presidents club, $5 for youth and $3.50 for MC students.
Hope to see you there!
Both companies have been rehearsing for the past few months and have some exciting new works to perform! Mercyhurst Ballet Theatre is performing three pieces choreographed by Tauna Hunter, Thom Clower and alumni Sarah Grace. SoMar will capture the audiences with pieces including ones about monsters under the bed and a tribute to 9/11. Each company has a group of talented dancers and it is not a show to miss!
Performances are on Saturday at 2pm and 7pm and Sunday at 2pm. Tickets are $15.15 for Adults, $12.50 for senior/students, $7.50 for presidents club, $5 for youth and $3.50 for MC students.
Hope to see you there!
Monday, October 10, 2011
Paul Taylor Dance Visits Mercyhurst
Last Friday Mercyhurst had the great opportunity to see Paul Taylor Dance Company perform at the D'angelo Performing Arts Center. We have been very lucky to see many world renowned companies perform here at Mercyhurst and Paul Taylor is one of them.
Paul Taylor Dance Company is a medium sized modern company based in New York City. Their repertory is centered on works choreographed by Paul Taylor. The company has performed in over 540 cities and 64 countries, representing themselves as one of the top modern companies in the world.
In their performance here on Friday they performed three works. The first piece was a fun one set to popular music from the ragtime era. It was broken up into different "episodes" with different relationships between the dancers on stage. There was plenty of comedy in the piece and lots of energy. The next piece performed was a much calmer and almost ethereal work. It reminded me a bit of liturgical dance with the movement style and music. The piece they closed the performance with, was by far my favorite. The dancers were dressed in fantastic green costumes and the music was Brandenburg concertos #6 and #3. The movement showed off the dancers’ technicality and quick speed along with energy and big movement.
In the dance department we had the amazing opportunity to take a master class from one of the company members. She taught a great class focusing on the Taylor style and at the end of class she taught a movement phrase from the piece "Brandenburgs". It made the performance that much more engaging when we could see the part of choreography we learned, danced by the company onstage!
Taking class and seeing Paul Taylor Dance Company perform was a great way to end last week. Looking forward to a short week this week before fall break!
"I want to lift the audience to the miraculous in human nature. After all, we shouldn't be here, with all the odds against us in nature. It's kind of unusual and wonderful!" -Paul Taylor
Paul Taylor Dance Company is a medium sized modern company based in New York City. Their repertory is centered on works choreographed by Paul Taylor. The company has performed in over 540 cities and 64 countries, representing themselves as one of the top modern companies in the world.
In their performance here on Friday they performed three works. The first piece was a fun one set to popular music from the ragtime era. It was broken up into different "episodes" with different relationships between the dancers on stage. There was plenty of comedy in the piece and lots of energy. The next piece performed was a much calmer and almost ethereal work. It reminded me a bit of liturgical dance with the movement style and music. The piece they closed the performance with, was by far my favorite. The dancers were dressed in fantastic green costumes and the music was Brandenburg concertos #6 and #3. The movement showed off the dancers’ technicality and quick speed along with energy and big movement.
In the dance department we had the amazing opportunity to take a master class from one of the company members. She taught a great class focusing on the Taylor style and at the end of class she taught a movement phrase from the piece "Brandenburgs". It made the performance that much more engaging when we could see the part of choreography we learned, danced by the company onstage!
Taking class and seeing Paul Taylor Dance Company perform was a great way to end last week. Looking forward to a short week this week before fall break!
"I want to lift the audience to the miraculous in human nature. After all, we shouldn't be here, with all the odds against us in nature. It's kind of unusual and wonderful!" -Paul Taylor
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