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No Broadway musical is without a show-stopping dance number. Here are some of my favorites! Check them out and let me know what you think.

5. Be Our Guest – Beauty and the Beast
This is just such a fun number! It is impossible not to smile while watching. Also, it’s Disney, so what could be better?!

4. Too Darn Hot – Kiss Me Kate
I have a hard time picking whether I like the original performance better or the revival performance. Give both a watch! I’m impressed by the two different interpretations of the same song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8akvxDJQVc

3. Brotherhood of Man – How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
This number has a bunch of dancing businessmen, a high soprano, and Daniel Radcliffe himself. What’s not to love?! This dance number leaves you feeling all warm inside as the company sings and dances to the idea of brotherhood.

2. Once and For All / Seize the Day – Newsies
No list of Broadway musical dance numbers is complete without a performance from Newsies! I could watch these actors dance everyday for the rest of my life!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_Sz7_7T50Q

1. Anything Goes – Anything Goes
I have such a soft spot for giant tap dance numbers, so of course this is number one on my list! I just love the sounds of an entire company with clear taps.

So, what do you think? Do you agree? Have any other Broadway musical dance numbers to recommend? Comment below!

Are you planning on throwing a fun costume party for your little ones and their friends? Get the party started with some of our favorite, kid-friendly scary dance songs! Don’t worry . . . they’re not TOO scary!

1.  I’m In Love With a Monster – Fifth Harmony
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlkFTxnizyk
2.  Ghostbusters – Ray Parker Jr.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9We2XsVZfc
3.  Rotten to the Core – The Descendants Cast
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGlLe1w3DJM
4.  This is Halloween – Nightmare Before Christmas
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpvdAJYvofI
5.  The Harry Potter Theme Song
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Htaj3o3JD8I
6.  I Put a Spell on You – Bette Middler in Hocus Pocus
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaC-WDrvmUQ&index=12&list=RDQMZnDfqLhbuIs
7.  Calling All the Monsters – China Anne McClain in Ant Farm
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmSpn3EnsE0&list=RDQMZnDfqLhbuIs&index=34

Mwa ha ha ha! 

IfBa you’re going to be a dancer, there are some stage terms you need to know in addition to the names of the steps. Don’t worry though! I’ve made you a little cheat-sheet to help you remember.

House: the audience

House lights: the lights in the auditorium/performance space dancers are performing in

Onstage/Stage: the area where dancers perform

Stage lights: the bright lights that shine on the area where dancers perform

Backstage: the area where dancers can get ready to perform, it is usually somewhere behind the stage

Curtains: the fabric in front of the stage that hides dancers from the audience until it is time for them to dance

Wings: the area in between the backstage and performances spaces where dancers wait right before going onstage

Bows: the last time dancers are seen onstage and are applauded, usually with all of the performance’s dancers

“Break a legg”: good luck for a dancer, it means to get so many encores that the curtain legg breaks from being opened and closed so many times

And finally . . . here is an image breaking down Stage directions. Where this dancer is standing in this image is known as Center stage.

What is it?

Dance Therapy, also known as Movement Therapy or Dance Movement Therapy, is “the psychotherapeutic use of movement to promote emotional, social, cognitive, and physical integration of the individual, for the purpose of improving health and well-being” (https://adta.org/2014/11/08/what-is-dancemovement-therapy/) Now, you may be asking: what on earth does any of that mean? To put it simply, Dance Therapy allows one to get in touch with themselves through dance and movement. It is not dancing for a performance or dancing to improve technique. Dance Therapy is a way for one to non-verbally express their innermost feelings in a safe and comfortable way that makes the body feel good.

What can it help?

Some examples of the emotional, social, cognitive, and physical issues Dance Therapy can help include:

• Chronic pain
• Childhood obesity
• Cancer
• Arthritis
• Hypertension
• Cardiovascular disease
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Disordered eating
• Poor self-esteem
• Post traumatic stress
• Dementia
• Communication issues
• Autism
• Aggression/violence
• Domestic violence trauma
• Social interaction
• Family conflict

(https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/dance-movement-therapy)

Want to see an example?

Check out my favorite Dance Movement Therapy video! It shows how this modality can be used for children in a hospital setting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4KkQkv3vKk

Check out some of the important bullet points for each style of dance below and you’ll be an expert in no time!

Contemporary

• Modern + jazz + lyrical + ballet
• Free and fluid movements
• Close to the floor
• Can be done barefoot

( https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-contemporary-dance-1007423 )

Lyrical

• Ballet + jazz
• Smooth and fluid movements
• Expressive of dancer’s emotions
• Movement often goes with lyrics of music

( https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-lyrical-dance-1007414 )

Still a little lost? Check out this cool video to see the differences in contemporary movements and lyrical movements:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCFl2_QQloM

Check out these important tap basics below!

1. Stamp – put your foot on the ground with weight
2. Stomp – put your foot on the ground without weight
3. Hop – jump up and down on one foot
4. Leap – jump from one foot to the other
5. Slap – brush the ball of your foot forward and down without weight
6. Flap – brush the ball of your foot forward and down with weight
7. Shuffle – brush the ball of your foot forward and back
8. Scuff – brush the heel of your foot forward
9. Ball-change – use the balls of your feet to do two marches, often back and then front

I don’t know about you, but nothing makes me want to push harder in a workout than when my favorite singers are serenading me with words of encouragement.

1. Salute – Little Mix
2. Roar – Katy Perry
3. Brave – Sara Bareilles
4. Born This Way – Lady Gaga
5. Just Hold On – Louis Tomlinson and Steve Aoki
6. Work – Rihanna and Drake
7. Shape of You – Ed Sheeran
8. That’s My Girl – Fifth Harmony

~BONUS~

Here is the link to my favorite workout and song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDpB8pWEjhk

What is overstretching anyways?

Basically, it is just how it sounds. If you overstretch, it means you are pushing too hard in your stretching. Some people are born with natural flexibility, but if you push too far without the muscle and joint support to back you up, you can really hurt yourself.

What happens if I overstretch?

It is very likely that you will damage your body. Overstretching can manifest in sprained muscles, sore joints, damaged sockets, stress fractures, etc. Arthritis is a long term effect of repeated overstretching.

What are signs of overstretching that I can look out for?

Thanks to The Ballet Blog, here is an easy to read list of overstretching signs:

• Pain in the joint
• Like the joint needs to ‘crack’
• A strong ‘line’ of pull (often this is a nerve)
• Pain in another area (i.e. pulling in the calf when you are trying to stretch your hamstrings – again, this is usually fascial or neural tension)
• Pain on the opposite side of the joint (i.e.. in the back of the hip during second splits – this will not get better with more pressure)
• Compression pain (ie. in the front of the hip when pulling the knees to the chest)
• There should not be pain the next day (no – not even a “good sore”)

https://www.theballetblog.com/portfolio/is-over-stretching-bad/

How can I stretch safely?

Take it slow! Listen to what your body is telling you. It isn’t a race to see who can do a split first. Just enjoy dancing and take care of your body.

We love tap dancing here at Shooting Star Dance Center! If you love it too, it’s important that you know about the dancers who paved the way for tap today. Here is a list of some of our favorite tap dancers:

Ann Miller . . . You may know her ability to tap 500 sounds per minute!

The Nicholas Brothers (Fayard and Harold) . . . You may know them from their phenomenal tap dance sequence in the film, Stormy Weather.

Savion Glover . . . You may know him as the choreographer of Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk.

Gene Kelly . . . You may know him from Singin’ in the Rain.

Bill “Bojangles” Robinson . . . You may know him from his famous “stair dancing” talents!

Fred Astaire . . . You may know him from the many MGM musical comedies he starred in.

Ginger Rogers . . . You may know her as the woman who did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in heels!!

Sandman Sims . . . You may know him for his sandbox dances, if the name didn’t already give it away.

Eleanor Powell . . . You may know her as the “Queen of Tap Dancing!” (Now that’s a title!)

Be sure to share your favorite tap dancers with us, as well!

Want a fun night in with the family?  Check out our top picks for family dance movies!

1. An American in Paris
2. Singing in the Rain
3. Hairspray
4. Happy Feet
5. Mary Poppins

What are some of your favorite dance movies for the family?