Acting & Dance -- Nurture or Nature, Oct. Scholarship Winners, $1,000 Scholarship & more!

November 1, 2013

Enter the Harlequin Floors Scholarship -- Win $1,000!

Congratulations to the October Harlequin Floors Scholarship winners! Post your video now to be one of four $250 winners in November! In January 2014, all 48 winning videos from the 2013 Harlequin Floors Scholarship Monthly Video Contests will be eligible for the 2013 Harlequin Floors Video of the Year Scholarship contest. Four videos will be chosen - 2 Viewers' Choice winners and 2 Judges' Choice winners - for $1,000 cash scholarships. Enter the November Harlequin Floors Scholarship today! Win $250 now and qualify to win $1000 to start off your new year!

Acting & Dance --
Nurture or Nature?

Alessandra Ferri

Whether you are dancing the role of a swan queen, a villain or portraying an abstract concept - all dancers face the challenge of dramatically channeling your role and communicating with the audience. Great technique is not enough to get the audience to feel the impact of their role. In a recent interview, prima ballerina Diana Vishneva described her dramatic ability as a "divine gift." Can one cultivate such a gift through hard work? Fortunately, for those of us to whom drama comes less easily, there are ways to develop and hone acting skills.

If your role is an actual character, that is a great place to start. "For me it's impossible to perform until I'm able to feel the role, until it's under my skin and I take my breath as my character," says Vishneva. What does it mean to let a role "under your skin?" Imagine her or his life, beyond the character's moments on stage. Are you at a party? How did you feel when you got the invitation? Who else is there? Why would their actions affect your character? Are you a member of a cursed entourage (say, of swans or willis)? What was your life like before the curse? Do you identify with your co-cursed corps? In any case, how and why does your every motion convey and come from your character's experience? Empathy is a powerful force in art. If you can truly empathize with your character, odds are much higher that the audience will empathize with you!

Read more valuable tips to improve your acting skills.

By Tamara Johnson

Bold Young Dancer

My good friend and Prima Soft president, Marlena Juniman, shared a touching story with me last week. And now, with the permission of all concerned, I share it with you, our much-appreciated TheWorldDances readers...

From Marlena ... "Last week one of our customers came into our Prima Soft retail store and said that her daughter was told she was ready to go en pointe. This young lady, Sarah Fedders, is special in many ways. She's lovely, smart and a joy.

Sarah Fedders

Sarah has part of one arm missing and her mom was concerned that she would not be able to tie her own pointe shoes. At age 10, Sarah studies ballet and performs with the Metropolitan Ballet School in Jenkintown, PA. She also plays soccer on a traveling team, swims with teammates and participates in school activities. One cannot help but be impressed with this beautiful and vivacious girl and her "can-do anything" attitude.

When fitting Sarah with her new pointe shoes I suggested she use the Prima Soft Extension Stretch Ribbon. This ribbon can be sewn onto the shoes so that it can be twisted and looped to cross the instep and ankle without tying. Most importantly, it can be done with one hand -- a perfect solution for this independent young dancer.

The day after Sarah's first pointe class I received an e-mail from Sarah's mom, Tammy. "Sarah put her pointe shoes on with ease and pride tonight. The other girls were jealous of her straps and how easily she could put her shoes on compared to them. She was so happy! You are one of Sarah's angels."

To see more photos of Sarah Fedder, visit TheWorldDances.com!

By Karla Johnson