For today's post, I wanted to shed some light on the talented male dancers of Live Oak Dance, and the teacher that has helped Live Oak take our boys to the next level. Aaron Wiggins, Marigny Opera Ballet star and our senior teacher, has been fundamental to both the creation and the development of our…
Read More "Boys Do Ballet: a Conversation With Aaron Wiggins"
Over the course of the school year, we’ve observed our students who take a variety of classes, and what we’ve seen to be true is that their growth in ballet technique becomes accelerated.
Read More "Ballet Blog- Dance Epiphany after the Winter Intensive"
What a year, Live Oak Family! When we look back at 2019, we will probably always remember it as the year of experimentation. In 2019, Live Oak Dance held the greatest number of specialized workshops to date. From adult beginner ballet workshops, to contemporary workshops, to a completely revisioned winter intensive, we explored the outer limits…
What better way to start off 2020 than with a contemporary workshop with Jarrell Hamilton? Jarrell’s dance career and background in contemporary dance is beyond impressive. Her impressive background reads like a who’s who of the contemporary dance world (click here for her live oak bio). And even if names like Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre don’t…
New Orleans' own Kesha McKey is a major contemporary dance powerhouse. We are over the moon to be collaborating with Kesha in our Nurturing the Whole Dancer Winter Workshop, this December 27 and 28 (click here for more information). Kesha is the current Dance Department Chair at NOCCA and the founder and artistic director of…
It’s Time to Prepare for Summer Intensives! Recently, we hosted our annual photoshoot to help our students get a leg up for their national summer intensive auditions. Once their photo and video portfolios are ready, they will embark on the quest to find a programs they would like to attend. What is a Dance Summer…
Shreveport navite Gretchen Erickson talks about her dance training, teaching in New Orleans, and her favority moments as dance artist
One of the most important questions a dancer asks themselves is: how hard should I train? For many dancers this is a question that surfaces at the beginning of the year when they, together with their families, decide on the schedule for their dance training. One of my frequent jobs as a ballet instructor is to guide students who are faced…
This Fall Live Oak Dance resumes variations class on Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 8:30pm! We will be working on solos from classical ballets for ages 12 through adult. Dancers in this class can wear pointe shoes for the extra challenge, but flat shoes are also welcomed. In our variations class this week I will…
Hello, dancers! Our first-ever variations workshop is well on its way! Last week, we began with the "Odile" variation. For this week, get ready to learn "La Esmeralda"! Please enjoy the videos I have selected to help us see the full scope of what it means to embody the characters in these selections. Observe how…
