Welcome to “Get the Pointe” Interview #34 featuring DDN member majere!
DDN Name: majere
Real Name: Brittany
Member Since:September 29, 2007
Age: 19
Years in Dance: 13
Basic Information and Early Training:
At what age did you begin dancing, and what was the first style of dance you studied?
I started dance at 6. I was in a tap/ballet class.
What inspired you to continue your training as a dancer?
Inspiration. Well, for one the idea of stopping never occurred to me. Second, seeing other people going on to do what they loved (dance) showed me I could do the same.
What forms and styles of dance have you taken throughout your dancing career? What styles do you currently study?
I have done and currently do: ballet, tap, jazz, modern and hip hop. I have done some salsa but only as something for an assembly at school ( and it was my first and only time to do any partnering with a guy).
What have been your favorite styles of dance and why?
I started dance because of tap but I don't have a favorite per se. I love all the types of dance I do.
Has ballet always been an important part of your life? Explain to us why or why not.
Ballet has been a constant thing in my life for 13 years, how could it not be an important part of my life?
Current Training:
How much time do you spend dancing in an average week?
Since it's summer it varies week to week but in the fall approximately 21 hours a week. Since I am a dance major and am in (assuming I keep my places) two dance companies 10 of those hours are in rehearsals. The other eleven are classes.
What is in your dance bag?
One pair of ballet flats, two pairs of jazz shoes, one pair of character shoes, two pairs of tap shoes, knee pads and some food.
What do you normally wear to class? What are some of your favorite dance accessories (leg warmers, wrap skirts, etc.)?
Depends on the class. I never go to a ballet classes with out a leotard and tights. Usually I'll wear a pair of booty shorts or soffe shorts some times a wrap skirt. I have a ton of leos and try not to wear the same one more than once a week. I have this pretty spiffy fishnet cami to wear over leos.
How do you typically prepare for class? Do you stretch or warm up, possibly with fellow classmates? Do you mentally have to get into “the zone” of dancing?
Well, at school I come to several of my dance classes straight from an academic class or from my work-study job ( for example in the fall on Mondays I'll have an academic class at 8 then intermediate tap at 9 then advanced tap at 10 then an academic at 11 then lunch, then jazz at 1 etc). So I need to take a few minutes to change (or if I was wearing a leo under some sweats just strip down to the leo). Then I can warm up a bit before class starts.
What is your favorite part of class (any exercises at the barre, adagio, allegro, etc.), and why?
I like grand allegro, because that's what I'm good at but I do love a certain rond de jambe barre combo one of my teachers' has us do.
How do you feel when you are dancing? Does coming to class help you to escape your troubles and put you in a good mood?
It's definitely an escape. If I just got out of a hard class it just makes me feel better to go to dance class. Like last semester I had a philosophy class at 8 to 9:15 followed by ballet at 9:30, that philosophy class killed whatever good mood I woke up in and ballet brought it back.
Can you share with us one or two of your favorite class experiences?
Ah, class experiences...improv and learning to work with other people with out talking. But a ballet one would be getting told by other students I make it look easy (about pointe when I did it).
Do you practice at home as well? Do you stretch or do any other exercises on days that you don’t have class?
I try to stretch at home (aka in my dorm). Which leads to some weird encounters. I like to do that one stretch where you lie on your back with your bottom against the wall and legs in a straddle while reading a book. I tend to do this on my bed which is against the wall of my dorm and more than once has some one come in and say "What the heck are you doing?" which later became "oh, she always does that."
How many pairs of pointe shoes do you have? What are some of the brands and styles you have used, and which have been your favorites?
I don't do pointe any more but that doesn't stop me from have at least five pairs somewhere in my room. Grishko 2007's worked very well for me as well as RP Dolces.
What are your current goals as a dancer? (Would you like to develop stronger legs, get higher jumps, or receive a spot in a ballet company? Etc)
I want to be able to do more turns and get my degree (a BA) and then I'll go from there (possible to teach or a job preforming or to get a masters in dance, I don't know yet).
Where do you see yourself in the future regarding your dancing?
I see my self doing something with dance but I don't have a clear picture yet.
Performing:
What are some of your favorite things about performing?
Just being on stage doing what I love.
Before a performance, how do you prepare yourself to perform for an audience? Do you ever get nervous, and if so, how do you calm the nerves?
There's not much preparation to preform for an audience because as a dancer you do that every time you dance in class - your teacher is your audience, your choreographer is your audience and the rest of your class is your audience. I don't get nervous any more.
Describe to us how you feel after a performance.
Relaxed.
What has been your favorite role to portray in a performance?
I've never really had a role to play before except for one piece we did in the spring show where everyone was a different personality you get in an office - I was a "sophisticated business lady." It was fun.
Do you have any favorite performance memories? What was the performance, and what makes the memory so great? Tell us at least two.
I mentioned salsa earlier, well it was for my high schools version of SYTYCD when I was fifteen. I learned my part of the dance by myself with the teacher, but I had no one to dance with! So, day before the actual thing we find a guy do the dance together once. Then back stage (like ten minutes before the thing starts) the next day we add in some extra stuff. The choreographer gave us high praise saying to looked like we were meant to dance together and what we added look really good.
Second, also in high school, for the senior talent show. I was 17. I choreographed a jazz dance. At the dress rehearsal the day before I totally blanked and finished early. But the next day I also blanked up improved about half of the dance, and no one could tell! The rest of the day I people kept telling me how good it was and they didn't know I could do that. The dance started with me facing the back and developpe my leg in second to my ear and hold it for a bit. THAT's what they couldn't believe.
Final Remarks:
Can you offer any inspirational personal dancing experiences to motivate fellow DDNer’s? Did you overcome an obstacle, such as an injury, or reach a milestone in your dancing career? Tell us the story.
I don't think I'm inspirational and the only injuries I've had are shin splints. But I never thought that I'd be able to be a dance major. I only danced three days a week in high school (recreational). So when I went to auditions it was intimidating. At one school I auditioned for their Ballet program when I really wanted to audition for their Modern. But my Dad thought I'd do better at ballet (he never saw me do modern) needless to say I got a very mean rejection letter. Went to my second audition. I was the only on auditioning that day and got nothing but complements form the instructors. Good musicality and quick to pick-up combos and learn completely new steps etc. They got to see me do ballet, tap and jazz. I got in on the spot. I decided to go there and not even bother auditioning at the two other big schools I was planning on.
Do you have any advice that you would like to offer fellow DDNer’s?
Do follow your dreams, learn from your mistakes and you'll do fine in life.
Finally, briefly explain what dancing means to your life.
Dance is my life. I can't even have a conversation with someone that doesn't lead me to mention dance. Without it I'd have a big empty void to fill.
Thank you majere! All the best to you with your future as a dancer! 
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What a great interview to happen to you. YAY! I'm sorry I didn't see this before.
) Thank you very much!
