Wow, big news at Dance Magazine. Does anyone know what happened to Janice Berman? She moving on to another pub?<P>There's a European dance mag out there called "Ballet Tanz", or something like that, that I thoroughly enjoyed. But I've only read one issue because it is IMPOSSIBLE to find, and a home subscription was something like $70/year. Anyone else out there seen this? I liked the mag's interviews with choreograpers. They had a lot of straight Q and A's in which they chewed over tough aesthetic issues.

Ballet Tanz is published in Germany. Here's a link to their website: <A HREF="http://www.ballet-tanz.de" TARGET=_blank>http://www.ballet-tanz.de/</A> where you can read up on the current issue and get subscription information.

Some more stuff that I like in a magazine:<P>I like a clean layout, eye catching but not eye-snatching. By that I mean easy on the eyes - none of that teeny tiny squint print. I found Dance Europe Magazine very readable because of that. I didn't find myself skimming because of the small print.<P>I also like a bit of history. I remember a series many years ago in Dance Magazine on the history of tap dancing that was very well done. <P>And, book reviews when appropriate. Technical books, bios, history - all of that is good to me.<P>It would be interesting for a major publication to put out a junior version (maybe someone else has already thought of this). This could be a version of the regular dance publication - but done with an eye for what the teenage dancer likes. Bios on young dancers, discussions of ouch pouches versus lamb's wool, a bit history wouldn't hurt their young minds, and yes, competitions, etc.

Thanks Marie for that Ballet Tanz link.

I am enjoying Pointe magazine, because it is all about ballet (my favorite) but I, too, would love to see more adult-oriented articles - no competitions! Give me lots and lots of pictures, articles about wonderful dancers who you don't hear about any more (why can't I find ANY info about Alla Sizova?), summer intensive ads for grown-ups, dance class fashion tips for people who weigh more than 75 pounds . <BR> <BR>

Sissonne - have you seen this? It is results of a search on Google:<P><BR><A HREF="http://www.google.com/search?q=%22Alla+Sizova%22&btnG=Google+Search" TARGET=_blank><B>ALLA SIZOVA</B></A><P>Five pages of stuff.<P>

Ballet Tanz <I>is</I> a great magazine and they're not limited to things German. One of our early members and rooters, Jennifer, used to write for them.

Basheva - Thanks for the Google search on Alla Sizova. Most of the links were the usual passing mentions like "studied with legendary ballerina Alla Sizova", but there was one with a recent picture and brief bio that I had not seen before. I appreciate your efforts - thank you!<BR>

I liked "Dance Teacher Now" -- recently changed to just "Dance Teacher" enough to subscribe myself instead of just read the school administrator's copies. Obviously, it was geared towards the teacher, so it wasn't a teeny bopper rag. There was equal emphasis on different dance forms, always an article on how a particular studio functioned -- what helped it succeed and what didn't. There was always an article on a particular university's dance program. There were articles on injury avoidance, and not just ballet injuries but those related to other dance. I recall one article where Shirley MacLaine demonstrated hat tricks -- quite a novelty. There were also articles on business management, taxes, etc. -- very good for the person running or thinking of running a studio. There were articles about how to deal with parents, students -- the whole aspect of trying to deal with people as people while also maintaing your integrity as a teacher and/or administrator. <P>Although "Dancer" (a tabloid form publication) does feature many, many, many studios and news on competitions (and has full page color ads for this, that and the other competition), I imagine that they have to do so for revenue. However, they do manage to squeeze in some meat and potatoes. Judith Hatcher writes a column on Dance History, which I have found informative. Kathryn Austin speaks to students in her column, but as a teacher, I find her tone and comment of value. Peff Modelski (Basheva's 'twin sister') goes into great depth on various aspects of classical technique, for anyone who has the patience to read and reread these passages. Some people are more visual and would rather learn by rote instead of read about that which is physical, especially as long as these articles tend to be. There are columns about jazz history and technique and a column called "Yoga for Dancers." My only comment, as a former editor, would be to shorten this stuff. While the content might be valuable, these articles are not very good reads. Most dances are too long and not surprisingly, most articles about dances are too long as well. Save it for another dance or article -- whatever the case might be. <P>In this regard, I would have to commend "Dance Teacher Now" as being far better edited and making for a much better read. <BR> <BR>With publications like "Dance Spirit," I can't get much past the "Star Search" covers.<BR>

Agree Christina...one odd thing I find in a lot of dance mags, and even in Yoga Journal. They have a lot of shlocky ads and ads masquerading as articles,( but are really promotional things for workshops or a particular teacher.)Then, they'll have one really dynamite article or really valuable article, that you have to dig through all the silly stuff to find. I guess all the ads help pay for that one really great article. Didnt' used to be like that. I've looked through Dance Mag from like 20 years ago, and Yoga Journal from like 3 yrs. ago, and the contrasts are stark. Commercialism really does seem to be the name of the game. Once there's "bucks" to be made in something, it changes the tone. Agree, disagree? For example, in dance, the folks making the serious bucks, in my opinion, are the folks running those competitions. And the schools who participate in the whole competition thing, are also making some serious money, albeit, not as much as the companies that actually run the competitions.<p>[This message has been edited by trina (edited March 01, 2001).]

The thing is -- competitions will be held as long as people are willing to compete. Now, the competition in Jackson is one thing -- done with dignity and class. <P>But these competitions that no sane teacher or parent would allow her child to enter ... and which distort the image of dance beyond anything recognizable to me ...why such a market? Do the dance teachers/administrators at large in this country believe that competing at and winning this CRAP elevates their studio? <P>How does this relate to this thread? Well, would these ads and articles be running ad nauseum if the studios weren't buying into it? <P>Look -- I love M.C. Hammer's early work and have sufficiently eclectic taste to embrace just about any dance form. It's not that. I just don't think a school that purports to give quality classical dance training is proving anything in that respect by putting its dancers in spandex and sequins, instilling in them a sense of cheap emotion, playing the latest MTV hit, having them jete across the stage, kick their legs up to their ears, throw in a few lousy fouettes amidst a few shimmies and gyrations, snag a shiny trophy, and say, "See, we're turning out the ballerinas of tomorrow!"<P>

I will start another thread called "Dance Competitions" to deal with this new topic. Under "Studio"<p>[This message has been edited by trina (edited March 01, 2001).]