Dance Archives - Inside Chappaqua and Inside Armonk: The Magazines for New and North Castle

Discovering the True Gift of Dance… in an Operating Room

June 3, 2017 by Ari Brandsdorfer

When I started ballet in the 3rd grade, I was immediately thrust into the two worlds of dance: the world of practice and the world of performance. Practice consisted of endless classes and day long rehearsals where skills could be honed in the privacy of a studio. Mistakes were acceptable but promptly corrected and mastery of technique directly correlated with hours of hard work.

Performance, on the other hand, was different. The music enveloped you, bright lights illuminated you and as you look out on the dimly light audience between movements of carefully set choreography you realized there were hundreds if not thousands of eyes in the room…and they were all looking at you.

And while many people think dancers perform only for the applause, the truth is we perform for the intense, adrenaline-filled rush that accompanies successfully completing painstakingly practiced movements while under extreme pressure.

Although we practiced for months at a time leading up to our shows, inevitably every performance comes with its set of unforeseen errors. Props get dropped, people fall on stage, someone stands on the wrong mark, backstage lighting malfunctions, music starts too early or too late (or recently for our Snow Scene not at all!), but it is in those moments of chaos where true performers shine. Maintaining a calm demeanor when your heart is beating out of your chest, thinking up quick, effective solutions to unexpected snafus, and emotionally dealing with the embarrassment of a mistake cannot be learned in the ballet studio; it can only be learned on stage.

When I hung up my ballet slippers in 2011 after 13 years of dance, I felt a void in my life where performance had once lived; the adrenaline-filled moments I experienced on stage were gone. I resigned myself feeling this loss as the inevitable punishment for those who walked away from dance. But then, in my third year of medical school, I rediscovered the excitement in the most unexpected place: the operating room (OR).

In the OR for the first time, I felt an implacable but eerily familiar feeling. Scrub techs and circulating nurses were busy ensuring the surgeon had proper lighting and securing the patient to the OR table. After the patient was placed under anesthesia and covered with sterile drapes the room quieted as the surgeon and his residents entered. They gowned/ gloved up, the room lights were dimmed, the OR lights were turned on, and it hit me; I was at a performance! The OR had lights, cameras, a stage, and audience members. Principle, soloist, and corps dancers were replaced by surgeons, residents, and medical students. Each surgery had a carefully laid out choreography that required precise technique, impeccable timing, and hours of practice before show time.

In those early moments of my surgical training, I realized the gift ballet had given me–the gift of being able to perform. Thanks to years on the stage, it came naturally to me that I could think quickly while under the OR lights, improvise when something was going awry, and keep a calm demeanor when my heart was racing. In the Operating Room, confidence saves lives, and yet again, the confidence that my body would perform as I wanted it to under intense circumstances was there from day one.

To feel sure that you will actually help someone by cutting them open, inflicting wounds onto their bodies–which in any other setting is considered assault with a deadly weapon–and to believe after you have pieced them back together they will be better off (than if you had never touched them in the first place)…these are not convictions that can be learned in the library.

There are so many pieces of my life I am eternally grateful to dance for giving me: the best moments of my youth, great friends I still love seeing, a work ethic which got me through medical school, and the ability to thrive under the pressure of the OR.

Former dance students don’t say this enough to their instructors, and certainly not years later, but to Mr. Logrea, Mrs. Logrea, Nick and Carol, thank you for all the lessons and time you spent with me, I truly believe I am a better doctor and a better surgeon because of all of you.

From 1997-2007, Ari Bransdorfer, currently a first year Ophthalmology Resident at Montefiore Medical Center/Einstein College of Medicine, studied dance at Ossining’s Logrea Dance Academy www.logreadanceacademy.com He returned as a guest dancer in 2008 and 2010.

Studio Taps into the Fun & Joy that Dance Brings

August 25, 2016 by The Inside Press

A Visit with ‘Ms. Carol’ and ‘Ms. Dina’ inside Chappaqua’s Dance Emotions Studio

dance emo 1 — Ms. Dina (left) & Ms. Carol

By Matt Smith

“Not everybody takes dance to become a dancer–and you don’t have to. [Dancing] is fun and healthy for anyone’s body and mind. If you have the desire within you, you shouldn’t be overlooked.”

Such is the reigning philosophy at Dance Emotions, the Chappaqua-based multi-arts studio nestled on the second floor of a professional building in the center of town. With its wide variety of dance and fitness classes–from Zumba, yoga, barre and core workouts, to tap, jazz, ballet, hip-hop, etc.–the studio prides itself on its inclusivity, opening its classes up to people of all ages, regardless of ability. “[We feel] that everyone is important, and we’re here to give everybody the equal opportunity to develop their skills,” emphasizes Carol Mamara, known affectionately as ‘Ms. Carol’ to students and alumni, and who founded the studio over 30 years ago. “[We’re] a very loving, caring, and accepting place.”

A dancer herself, Mamara trained under ballerina Nina Tinova and famed tap dancer Charles Lowe, to name a few, before heading onto the June Taylor School of Dance and continuing with jazz great Frank Hatchett, among others. She also performed on TV and at such esteemed venues as Carnegie Hall and the Broadway Dance Center.

After moving to the suburbs to raise her family (and while on the Board of the Westchester Dance Council), Mamara sought to create her own company as a way to “bring the professionalism of New York City to Westchester.” She began at a studio in lower Westchester, but felt compelled to move to Chappaqua as “I felt at home here.” Lucky for her, her students felt the same way, and followed her uptown. (“I even had a couple of families who ended up moving into the area,” she laughs.)

“We’re a family place,” Mamara reiterates–and she means that in the fullest sense of the phrase. She caught the bug from her mother, and has successfully passed it on to daughter Dina Michelle, who heads the studio’s Community Outreach division. Hoping Dina will eventually bring in the next generation, Mamara’s happy to report that several alumni have followed suit with their kids: “We have moms that we taught when they were kids [who] are now bringing their daughters and sons to us,” she explains.

And why shouldn’t they? They’ve already experienced everything Dance Emotions has to offer! In addition to the aforementioned programming, dancers perform at a variety of county-wide events and several off-site community centers throughout the year, including BOCES, school enrichment programs, the JCC, and Cerebral Palsy of Westchester. Regional and national competitions round out the season at large, which culminates in an collaborative end-of-year show held in June. And don’t forget The Nutcracker, presented in part by Impact Dance Company, their non-profit organization, and performed with live accompaniment from The Chappaqua Orchestra.

There’s also the fact that several alumni have gone on to prestigious careers in the dance and performing arts fields, appearing in worldwide dance companies, music videos, tours, TV commercials, and even on Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance–which, of course, make Ms. Carol and Ms. Dina very proud.

They also take pride in knowing they helped get the students there, and are equally affected when the students recognize them for that. “All our alumni–and even our current students–say to us, ‘If it wasn’t for you and Dance Emotions, [I wouldn’t have] the confidence in myself to do these things,’” shares Mamara.

These “things” in question are, of course, social skills and self-esteem. “You can walk into a room and just feel good about yourself,” states Mamara. It’s exactly this strong and healthy sense of self Mamara aimed to tap into when she first opened the company.

“The studio is called ‘Dance Emotions’ for a reason,” she explains. “There are many emotions in dance.” Mamara’s very happy to know that students walk away having experienced each of them.

And what does Mamara consider the most rewarding news to receive from an alum? “That they [now] use dance as a stress reliever! It’s not a job; it’s just fun.”

Of course, whether the students and their families know it or not, that rewarding feeling is reciprocated: “I feel honored for them to be trusting us,” notes Dina.

Likewise, Mamara wouldn’t have it any other way. “It’s my calling in life,” she says, with a smile. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity of having the world of dance opened to me. If I can be instrumental in bringing this joy, fun, and happiness to others,” she concludes, “I’ll consider myself a lucky girl.” There’s no doubt she has.

Dance Emotions is located on the second floor of 75 South Greeley Avenue. For information on programs and performances, please visit www.danceemotions.net

Matt Smith is a writer and regular contributor to the Inside Press. For further information or inquiry, please visit www.mattsmiththeatre.com.

Armonk Dance: Where Fancy Footwork is Fun

August 25, 2016 by The Inside Press

By Stacey Pfeffer

At the end of a side street off of Old Route 22 in town, there’s a special place called Armonk Dance where children pirouette, plié and practice their latest hip-hop moves all in a warm, welcoming environment where the emphasis is on fun. Owner Cynthia D’Angelo envisioned opening a type of dance studio where anyone from Broadway-bound hopefuls to children with special needs can dance.

D’Angelo strives to make the studio “all inclusive.” Kids with Down syndrome or children with autism are included in classes and not segregated. “For us our mission statement is not just about the teams or medals on the wall, which I think can sometimes take over a school,” D’Angelo says. “Our philosophy is that all kids can dance. You don’t have to be the perfect height or the perfect weight.”

The dance studio has been in its current location for 13 years and houses four spacious studios with sprung floors or multipurpose flooring to ensure the dancers’ safety and prevent injury. It also contains a dancewear boutique, which is open for students of the studio as well as the general public. D’Angelo takes great pride in the fact that the children from her dance company also designed the murals on display on the studio walls. The space also features a large lobby, homework area, child’s play area and changing rooms and cubbies.

This past season D’Angelo’s studio had more than 600 dancers enrolled and had almost 100 classes to choose from with students ranging in age from three through 18. “I started dancing when I was nine because I was lazy,” laughs D’Angelo, who considers herself a “late bloomer” in the dance world. Despite her late entry into dancing, D’Angelo excelled at ballet and trained with Judi Drozd of the Joffrey Ballet as a teenager. D’Angelo trained additionally with the Boston Ballet, Walnut Hill of the Performing Arts and Jacobs Pillow 12 + 12 program, which toured in Russia.

As a student enrolled at the University of Missouri – Kansas City obtaining her fine arts degree, she began to study other forms of dance including hip-hop, contemporary, flamenco and jazz. D’Angelo eventually became an adjunct professor of dance at the university. She later moved back to the East Coast and taught at Armonk Dance for more than a decade. She was offered the chance to buy the studio after its previous owners decided to relocate. Even as the studio’s owner, she still enjoys teaching several classes a week there.

D’Angelo ensures that her staff is top-notch and looks for them to have a dance background or degree “so that they have the pedagogy of dance and understand anatomy and physiology so that we can build healthy dancers.” She also likes to hire local graduates of Manhattanville College in Purchase.

Her staff has obviously been very successful at honing the children’s talents. The school boasts some notable alumni such as Lauryn Ciardullo, who is the swing/Jasmine understudy in Aladdin on Broadway. Another recent alumni was on the national tour of Evita. Although D’Angelo likes to keep the focus on fun in her studio, dancers who yearn for more practice time can join the company or competition team. Interested students can visit www.armonkdance.com for more information.

Stacey Pfeffer lives with her husband and three young children in Chappaqua. She has written for Inside Chappaqua, New York Family Magazine, Westchester Parent and Kveller.com.

At Logrea Dance Academy: Free Ballet Classes on Sept. 11

August 25, 2016 by The Inside Press

Every year, before their fall season begins, children ages three and up can enjoy a free ballet class at the Ossining studios.

“There’s just no better way to spend the last weekend before our fall season begins, than to welcome eager and interested children into our studio and to introduce them to the wonderful art of ballet,” says Beth Fritz-Logrea, as Jean Logrea and their staff prepare for their Open House on Sunday, September 11. “It is an opportunity for us to give back to our community and a chance to share our love of ballet with children who are interested and would like to try a class without cost or pressure. It’s all about passing on the joy of movement and the gratification of accomplishment.”

Vivian Frerking, who teaches the classes for children ages 3-5, is always excited to introduce these youngest students to the routine of her classes, giving them an understanding of the basics of ballet training. “Even children this young seem to immediately grasp that the structure of the class gives them the parameters that allow them to be creative and express themselves in movement. I am always moved when I see the delight in their eyes as they use their bodies in new ways.”

Jean Logrea always makes the time to teach these free classes for the students age 6-13. He feels it is an opportunity for him to connect with children who are new to ballet and curious about what it might have to offer them in life. “I am always happy to think that no matter what they do in life, they will always have that experience with me in my class to hopefully inspire them.”

Miss Vivian’s class for three-year olds begins at 10 a.m. and is followed by her 11 a.m. class for 4 & 5 year olds. Mr. Logrea teaches three classes: Beginner Ballet for 6-9 year olds at 11 a.m.; Intermediate Ballet for students ages 10-13; Int/Advanced Ballet for students age 12-18 (with a minimum of 3 years of ballet training). For further information, go to: www.LogreaInfo.com

Steffi Nossen/Burke Rehab Offer “Dance Party for Parkinson’s”

July 1, 2016 by The Inside Press

You are Invited to Dance Party for Parkinson’s, a Partnership of Steffi Nossen School of Dance and Burke Rehabilitation Hospital

Join the summer series of Dance Party for Parkinson’s, a collaboration of the Steffi Nossen School of Dance and Burke Rehabilitation Hospital Fitness Center. Classes will take place at the fitness center, located at 785 Mamaroneck Ave in White Plains, NY on Fridays from 5:00 – 6:00 PM. Eight weeks of classes will begin July 8^th.

Classes are taught by dance professionals who have trained in the internationally-acclaimed Mark Morris Dance for PD program, a collaboration between the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Brooklyn Parkinson’s Group. Each week the class will present movement sequences drawing from musical theater, ballet, jazz, modern, folk dance tap, social dancing and more to create a dynamic and enjoyable hour of dance and artistic exploration in a group setting. Through dance, classes will address PD-specific concerns such as balance, coordination, flexibility, gait, and physical confidence while simultaneously developing artistry, grace, and creativity. Whether seated or standing, participants will experience the joy of body connection through the interaction of movement and music along with their partners, families and caregivers.

Join in to share an aesthetic experience that will keep your spirit dancing all week! No dance experience. Drop-ins are welcome. Join solo or with a partner. Class fee: $96 Individual; $160 per couple; $15 single class per person. Register at the Fitness Center or call 914-597-2805 for further information or to obtain a registration form.