Dancing makes a “splash”

Dancers are athletes!

In fact, in a contest sponsored by Gatorade to find someone to be featured on their product, it was found that ballerinas scored higher or equal to professional athletes when tested for their athletic skills and strength.

Such was the introduction provided by Christine Rader, a professional dance teacher in her program for the Summer Reading at the Lakeside Public Library on August 11.

Water extremely important

In keeping with the theme, “Make a Splash–Read,” Rader emphasized that like all athletes, dancers need water to keep their bodies in top condition.  They undergo rigorous training and must be in top physical condition.

If they aren’t, they can get injured, just as any athlete can.  Although gradually building up to it, after the age of 12, ballet dancers learn to balance and turn on one toe.

Special shoes

This requires a special pointe shoe which has a padding made of paper and glue in the toe and special ribbons wrapped around the ankles.  A dancer must be 12 before using them because bones are still forming before that age.  Dancers usually work on a special hard surface floor with a special coating.

Ballet shoes have special padding in the toes

Dancing is story in pantomime

Christine is also a choreographer and stated that dance speaks.  The children were privileged to see one of her creations about the tide on video.  Many ballets, such as Swan Lake, are based around a water theme.  Dancers depict the movements of water or swans, etc.

French

The terms used in ballet are taken from the French language.  Because dancers have to learn them and because they are so disciplined, many go on to become professionals in later life because they can focus on their studies.

Demonstration

The children were privileged to see one of Christine’s students, Liriel Wilmes, perform and demonstrate many of the moves that Christine spoke about.

Christine has danced professionally, touring with the Phantom of the Opera. She has a degree in costume design and constructes costumes for a professional dance company. She is still involved with the creation of costumes and is a teacher at Pacific School of Dance.

She emphasized that anyone can learn to dance and this fall new classes will be starting.

Submitted by: Sue Groen, Lakeside library children instructo