shannondoolingdances

Visions of Sugar Plums: Using a Nutcracker Workshop to Teach About Ballet

October 5, 2017

Most people might be reaching for their Pumpkin Spice Lattes right about now, but dancers know that it’s already Nutcracker time! Love it or hate it, the seasonal favorite is here again, with tiny tots and professional dancers alike heading into the rehearsal studio to perfect their performances as party guests, snowflakes, candy canes, and … More Visions of Sugar Plums: Using a Nutcracker Workshop to Teach About Ballet

“Hard Times Require Furious Dancing”: A Reflection on Right Now

August 18, 2017

I have been juggling emotions and grappling with words since learning of the events in Charlottesville last weekend. It feels so far away, so foreign, so completely unbelievable. How, in 2017, is this happening? I realize that even this reaction reveals my privilege: I have lived a life largely untouched by racism. I can only … More “Hard Times Require Furious Dancing”: A Reflection on Right Now

Empowering Our Ballet Students, Part 2

July 11, 2017

This is the second in a series of blog posts considering the ways we can teach ballet in a way that leads to greater student empowerment. What is an empowered dancer? In my opinion, students who are empowered are: Self-aware and self-reliant (physically, cognitively, and emotionally) Confident and able to make their own decisions … More Empowering Our Ballet Students, Part 2

Empowering Our Ballet Students, Part 1

June 27, 2017

This is the first in a series of posts on building empowered dancers in the ballet studio. What is an empowered dancer? In my opinion, students who are empowered are: Self-aware and self-reliant (physically, cognitively, and emotionally) Confident and able to make their own decisions Adaptable and open to new ideas Knowledgeable about their own … More Empowering Our Ballet Students, Part 1

An Update from the Choreography Studio

February 26, 2017

In January, I wrote about the challenges of starting a new piece of choreography for the new year. As sometimes happens with creative work, those plans fell through, but I am excited to have found another choreographic outlet. On March 17 and 18, Jonathan and I will present a revised version of our duet Improvisation No. … More An Update from the Choreography Studio

Everyday Advocacy

January 27, 2017

My last blog post focused on the “doom and gloom” of the impending dismantling of the National Endowment for the Arts. But I am not a doom and gloom person. I refuse to be. I believe in optimism, in faith, and in the power of community to overcome. So in this post, I offer some … More Everyday Advocacy

Art In Uncertain Times

January 19, 2017

Regardless of your political views, it is clear that we are living in uncertain times. Things are bound to change under this new administration, perhaps drastically, if the events of the past few weeks and months are any indication. The arts, which have a long history of holding up a mirror to society in our best … More Art In Uncertain Times