ART--A Random Thought with Allison DeBona

 So, here’s a thought—

 

When was the last time you sat down, took a good look in the mirror and asked yourself, “Why am I dancing?”  Is it because you love it? I’ll believe you, but it sounds generic.  I definitely love to dance and always have (I’ll admit I still dance around the kitchen the way I did when I was a kid!), but the older I get, the more it evolves into an understanding of why I’m still dancing at the age of 30. 

I’ve been asked many times when I knew I wanted to dance.  I was six or seven years old and taking a class when our teacher asked us to run across the room, stop in the middle of the floor, pretend to pick up a flower and put it in a basket.  It was true love from that moment on.  At that young age, I began to understand that dance is ART.  We have the amazing gift to tell a story with our bodies, and I cannot get enough of it. 

I am currently a Soloist with Ballet West in Salt Lake City, but when I’m not dancing, I spend a lot of time traveling around the country teaching young dancers.  There are talented kids everywhere!  Dance is evolving so fast, the technique is more difficult, and you’re required to do multiple turns, jump higher and battement to the sky.  I appreciate all of those things, but for me, that is not what defines a great ARTIST.  In class I am always working toward improving my technique and physical abilities, but it seems to me that today young dancers are so focused on quantity that the artistry of our craft is often lost.


Over the next 12 months, I am going to challenge you.  Ask yourself questions you’ve never asked before and push your mind and body to places you’ve never taken it before.  The great part about it is, you will not be alone!  This month I want you to explore your motivation for dancing and your contribution to our art form.  How are you planning on moving an audience to tears or make them jump to their feet with applause?  What will make you stand out on stage so people can’t take their eyes off you? 

To break the ice, I will be the first to post in “ART—A Random Thought with Allison DeBona,” Forum. You can visit the link below to see what I have to say and post your thoughts and ideas as well!  I would also love to see your journey each month on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook!  Post pictures, videos or quotes but make sure to use #artwithalli on all of your posts!  It’s never too early to start to develop the Artist you plan to be on stage!  I can’t wait to see what all of you have to offer!

 

Xoxo Allison

http://artwithalli.freeforums.net/

How to Sew Pointe Shoes

How to Sew Pointe Shoes


Hey everyone!!! If any of you have been following Me the past few weeks, you would know that I have been traveling and doing A LOT of teaching! I was in Pittsburgh teaching for four different schools and in Cleveland to teach Master Classes and dance in a Gala for Ballet in Cleveland with Rex Tilton and Christopher Ruud.  One question that seemed to pop up everywhere I taught was, "How do you sew your pointe shoes?"  I'm here to answer your questions!

If you ask any professional ballerina I'm sure they will tell you that how you prepare your pointe shoes is a very personal matter.  It takes a lot of time and planning to get your shoes the way you want them to feel and look.  If you do not know, I wear Grishko 2007 shoes with a few "specs" or special changes to make them perfect for me.  For example, I get the vamp and heel cut down a bit, with a medium shank and heel pin, xxx width and three quarter shanked.  I also do a few things at home to my pointe shoes like glue the toes and shank and cut a divot in the sole of the shoe where my arch is.  Obviously, it would be very hard to try to explain in words how I sew my shoes, so this Saturday will you join me on YouTube for a tutorial on how to sew pointe shoes the way I do??? 

I will be making a YouTube video this week that will show you step-by-step how I sew my shoes and how I prepare them to wear for rehearsals and performances.  I invite all young dancers and their mothers so that they understand, too.  I was surprised to hear from so many moms this week about how they wish they were taught how to properly sew shoes, too.  Here is a list of things you will definitely need for Saturday.

• Your Pointe Shoes
• 2 Needles (in case one snaps)
• Waxed dental floss in white (Yes! It's the strongest thread you can find and it's cheap!)
• Clean ribbon and elastic
• Scissors

My YouTube channel is Allison DeBona.  As soon as I post the video I will post it on my Twitter and Instagram accounts (allidebona) and my Facebook page Allison DeBona Breaking Pointe.  If you have any questions you can leave a message on the video and I will answer them as soon as I can.  I can't wait until Saturday! See you then!

xoxo

 

Allison