Emma ActonApr 2, 20203 minAll About Your TurnoutWhenever I ask students to tell me what they know about their turnout, they often answer with a wishy-washy explanation about random musc...
Emma ActonNov 13, 20195 minToo Many Ballet Dancers, Not Enough Jobs; How Best To Utilise Your Ballet TrainingThe overpopulation of ballet dancers is at a stage where only a tiny percentage of full-time ballet students are ending up with a profess...
Emma ActonSep 12, 20193 minWhy Is It That Dancers Are Still So Disrespected In 2019?With same-sex marriage finally being legalised in Australia and acceptance as a whole becoming much more normalised, I find myself wonder...
Emma ActonJul 30, 20193 minWhy Dance Events Shouldn’t Replace A Student's Regular TrainingDance students today are so lucky in that they have access to multiple training methods and opportunities to further their knowledge in d...
Emma ActonJul 9, 20197 min10 Things I Learned As A Professional Ballet DancerThe ballet world is a magical place where hard work is expected and dreams can be realised. I spent 21 years striving to perfect an art t...
Emma ActonApr 23, 20193 minIn It To Win It - The Culture Of Dance CompetitionsYoung dancers build their performance resume mostly by competing in dance competitions. These competitions can range from a low-budget ei...
Emma ActonJan 30, 20194 minLet’s Include Passion In The List Of ‘Must Haves’ For Ballet DancersBallet is a hobby that young children, particularly girls, are often thrust into by their parents from a very young age. It is common for...
Emma ActonDec 8, 20183 minThe Importance Of Mastering Musicality In Ballet A dancer’s ability to become one with the music is a development, along with technique, artistry and characterisation, that takes time an...
Emma ActonOct 26, 20183 minHyperextension In Ballet - A Help Or A Hinderance?Classical ballet is an art based on emotive storytelling, athletic ability and aesthetic lines. The line of a hyperextended leg is regard...
Emma ActonOct 2, 20184 min6-Step-Guide To Surviving Ballet Auditions Ballet auditions are daunting - and whether it’s to gain entry into a school, a competition or a company, the process is generally the sa...
Emma ActonSep 3, 20186 minHow Dance Makes Us Better PeopleDancers are a special breed of human. It takes a great amount of skill to equally mix art and athleticism and come out with something bea...
Emma ActonAug 14, 20186 min5 Ways to Stay Motivated While InjuredLike it or not, injuries are a part of what we do as dancers. We can be smart and strong and do everything right, and somehow accidents c...
Emma ActonAug 4, 20185 minStretch vs. Strength: The Key To Higher ExtensionsSylvie Guillem, Svetlana Zakharova and Misty Copeland are three of the incredible classical ballet dancers that I most often hear student...
Emma ActonJul 28, 20186 minTechnique Or Tricks - Which Is More Important To Master In Order To Become Successful In Ballet?Ballet has been around since the 15th century and has continued to evolve as an art form ever since. Even just looking back at dancers in...
Emma ActonJul 17, 20184 min5 Things The Mirror Has Taught Me As A Ballet DancerReflection is an important part of learning lessons and creating self-improvement. For dancers, this is just as true in a physical sense ...
Emma ActonJul 8, 20186 minThe 3 Things Dancers Should Be Doing During A BreakWhen the school holidays pop up out of nowhere throughout the year, my inbox always floods with emails from students or parents asking fo...
Emma ActonJul 1, 20186 minWhy Do Dancers and Dance Educators Favour Physical Health Over Mental Health?We all know that the dance industry requires dancers to be fit, strong and lean. But why doesn’t it also require them to be mentally heal If you notice a change in energy during class, that perhaps there are negative vibes floating about the studio, be sure to check in with the other dancers. This way if you or anyone else is having an off day, you can laugh together about your terrible pirouettes, release the negative energy and leave it as just that - one off day. DON’T BE