Theresa Ruth Howard
Dancer/Writer/Teacher
Theresa Ruth Howard began her professional dance career with the Philadelphia Civic Ballet Company at the age of twelve. Later she joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem where she had the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the United States, Europe and Africa. She has worked with choreographer Donald Byrd as a soloist in his staging of New York City Opera's Carmina Burana, his critically acclaimed Harlem Nutcracker, as well as the controversial domestic violence work The Beast. She was invited to be a guest artist with Complexions: A Concept in their 10th anniversary season. In 2004 she became a founding member of Armitage Gone! Dance.
As a writer Ms. Howard has contributed to Russell Simmons’ One World magazine (art), and The Source (social politics), as well as Pointe and Dance Magazine. While teaching in Italy for the International Dance Association she was asked to become a contributor for the premiere Italian dance magazine Expressions. Her engaging, no nonsense writing style caught the eye of both the readers of Dance Magazine and its Editor in Chief who not only made her a contributing editor and has collaborated with Ms. Howard in See and Say Web-reviews. Her articles about body image prompted her to develop a workshop for young adult (dancers and non-dancers) My Body My Image that addresses their perceptions both positive and negative about their bodies and endeavoring to bring them closer to a place of Acceptance and Appreciation. She recently launched a blog by the same name to reach a broader audience (mybodymyimage.com)
As a teacher Ms. Howard has been an Artist in Residence at Hollins University in and New Haven University in addition to teaching at Sarah Lawrence College, Marymount, Shenandoah, and Radford Universities, and the historical American Dance Festival. As a result of her work at ADF Ms. Howard was invited to Sochi, Russia to adjudicate the arts competition Expectations of Europe and teach master classes, and in Burundi, Africa where she coached and taught the Burundi Dance Company. Currently she on faculty at The Ailey School but also extensively throughout Italy and Canada.
Ms. Howard's belief in the development, and nurturing of children lead her to work with at risk youth. At the Jacob Riis Settlement House in Queensbridge New York, she founded S.I.S.T.A (Socially Intelligent Sisters Taking Action) a mentoring program for teen-age girls where she worked to empower them to become the creators of their destinies. In addition she developed a dance program, which lead to an exchange with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Through her teaching and travels Ms. Howard began to observe a universal disenchantment and disconnection in teenagers that disturbed her, thus she set out to address it. Combining her philosophies of life and teaching, with the skills she garnered through outreach programs with diverse communities, she developed the personal development workshop Principles of Engagement: Connecting Youth to the Infinite Possibilities Within which gives teens a set of workable tools to increase their levels of success at tasks, and goals not only in dance, and all aspect of their lives.
Theresa Ruth Howard is certainly diverse and multifaceted as an artist, and is moved to both write and create work; however she sees every student she encounters as a work in progress, and the potential to change the world one person at a time.
The only was to make this world a better place it to be better people in it!
This video just surfaced of the Black Swan Oscar winner dancing in the early 90’s at the Stage Door Manor Performing Arts Summer Camp in the Catskills. Where she is not horrendous she doesn’t exhibit soloist (in an intense year of training) potential either. I think what it shows is that like many little girls Natalie Portman took ballet and tap as a child and learned the movement vocabulary enough to put on a summer presentation, though her level of technique is not brilliant or sophisticated she does have a presence that some f the other girls lack which make it understandable that she should go on to be a successful actress with appeal. Did she do that diagonal of pique turns in Black Swan —- uh I truly doubt it!!! All I kept thinking when I was watching this was Dirty Dancing“Nobody puts baby in a corner!”
Esquire Magazine has just named Katrina Bowden of 30 Rock fame as the Sexiest Woman Alive
hummmm.
Now I’m nit going to hate but I am trying to figure out who was voting and how this conclusion was arrived at?
I think that she is perfectly lovely young lady and even like her on 30 rock but the sexiest woman alive?
I find it curious since she looks to me to “barely legal” in age as opposed to womanly. She is the fresh faced high school graduate that no suburban woman in her right mind would hire as a babysitter, or the lead cheerleader that every girl wants to be and every boy wants to get with under the bleachers (do people still so that?—well there is 16 and pregnant so I guess so but perhaps the location has changed).
Her slight frame to me does not scream womanly or sexy, but that’s just me. So what does that say to we women out there? What is sexy and why? I also find it curious that the character that she play is that of the beautiful but clueless air head who is the sexual fantasy of all the men in the office. We have come a long way from the days where actual adult women (adult looking women) were crown with the title as the top of our gender. Again not to take anything away from Katrina (you go girl!) but I am casting a suspicious eye at those who came to this decision.
what do you think?
We may think that electronically shrinking waistlines and thighs, removing winkles and changing the color or background of a photo is something of our generation but women have been being “enhanced” for years. Times have changed these models posed for photographs that were then redrawn for the poster versions, the result is still the same, slightly unrealistic. When you look at them you realize that this may have been even harder core, sometimes their facial features, hair color as well as their body shapes were augmented for the final produce. However it is clear that through the eras the concept of the female hour glass form, that thing Susan Scafidi, director of Fordham’s Fashion Law Institute talked about (in the Sara Ziff film on fashion week) the preferred body type regardless of size had a .7 hip to waist ratio is very true and illustrated here. It’s mind blowing!!! check them out.
Here is what Portman said about the controversy when E entertainment interviewed her on the press junket for her new movie Your Highness:
“You know, I, it’s it’s….um…I know what went on. We, we had an amazing experience making the movie and I don’t want to tarnish it by entering into nastiness, because it’s such a positive thing what we get to do. We get to create things. I feel so lucky to be part of that, and um, I’m so proud of everyone’s work on that movie and my experience. And I’ll have that forever. And and and and and it’s important for me to remember that no matter what nastiness is going around.”
humm is nastiness code for the T’ruth? Could she have squirmed or stammered more? She was shifty and not just in her seat. you would think that an Academy Award winning actress would have given a better performance. Clearly I’m team Sarah!!! what do you think?
I loved Sara Rue in her television show “Less Than Perfect” she was this cute, chunky, funny girl with red hair she was so lovable, but part of her appeal was the fact that she was chunky, it made her lovable. It’s the Al Roker syndrome. Well the show was canceled and she faded out, but just recently she resurfaced as a spokesperson for Weight Watchers, and has dropped 50 lbs.! she looks amazing. People magazine covered the story.
Let me just say Weight Watcher’s has got it going on–or should I say OFF!
Before
Now WOW
People Magazine
By Aili Nahas
Only a year and a half after she began the Jenny Craig program, Sara Rue has lost more than 50 lbs. – and 4 dress sizes! – and is wearing a bikini for the very first time in her life.
“It’s a little strange,” says the Shedding for the Wedding host, 32. “But after I tried it on, I thought, ‘I look good!’ ” continue here
I can remember watching this as a young aspiring ballerina in Philadelphia. I was sort of an obsession, because it was the epitome of what becoming a dancer was, and because my father constantly threatened to ship me off to Russia! It brings back a lot of memories, ah sweet nostalgia…
First of all the film is introduced by the last, great and elegant Princess Grace, that was enough for me right there, but later as the this first clip progresses (around 7:00) the very specific and scientific methods of determining the which children possess the “ideal” body I find fascinating. That coupled with (and remember this was in the ’70’s) I find it interesting that the children are assessed in their underwear, some of the girls topless, and they actually shot them full on. Now the children are between 7-12 but it just shows you haw times have changed, in the way things are done and the way we view them. I the time I viewed this as a child I thought nothing of those scenes, now in 2010 I feel a bit strange watching the children being pushed pulled and prodded in of a table of women and men alike.
They were measured and weighed as well . It’s so interesting, in the other clip there are some great class work and training clips. enjoy this blast from the past. I wonder what happened to the children in the movie, how many actually made it through the training and how many actually danced for the Kirov?
This is really interesting to hear her discuss the very specific and (narrow) the idea dancers body is in Europe and how that effects her students, and the philosophy of Music Arts Show. Antonella also talks about how her students deal with not being the “ideal” and how she supports them in following their dreams!!!
I am a person who tries not to jump to conclusions.
When you see a person be it in person, on television or in a photo you never have enough information to make an honest assessment as to what is going on. For instance, when I see that a student of mine has lost some weight, (regardless of whether or not they look “good” or not) I never say “Oh you look so great” I always say “Your body has changed, what are you doing?” because I have no idea how or why that transformation came about. I don’t now if they simply cut sugar out of their diet, or if they haven’t been eating at all. I don’t know whether or not they have been binging, or perhaps they are ill. My stance is don’t assume, or jump to conclusions, ask a question and get the information.
So when it comes to someone like Leann Rimes, and her dramatic weight loss, It’s hard not to immediately say “Oh she’s anorexic” but I have not idea, it could be a result of stress because of the negative press she and her fiance Eddie Cibrian have been getting due to their relationship, it could be that she has a new trainer and changed her diet, who knows perhaps (I hope not )she is ill. So I’ll just express a passing concern as to her continuous reduction and say with sincerity that I hope that she is alright…
I spent half my life in a pointe shoe, I have had my share of bloddy blisters and corn nibblet toes, but who knew that ballroom dancing could jack up a gals feet like this! Wendy girl, I guess I don’t have to wonder “Howwwyooooudoooowin'” because these picture tell the story. I feel your pain. All I can say is that after you finish that Rumba, Quick Step or Jive, I hope that is was in the words of that overly exposed movie Black Swan, that “It was perfect!!” you get all 10’s from me for the effort and the agony that is a part of the beauty that becomes dance!!
Wendy tweeted her battle wounds from Dancing with the scars I mean Stars!!! wendy williams' dancin' feet
Psychologist; Author, Face It: What Women Really Feel as Their Looks Change
Since Elizabeth Taylor’s death last week, much has been said about her illustrious career and colorful personal life. And while tributes highlighted her many movies and marriages, it’s probably fair to say that a lot of us will remember her for her exquisite beauty: those violet eyes, her creamy skin and thick, black hair.
With Taylor’s iconic image in mind, I was interested in reading Robert Tornambe’s article, “What Is Beauty? A Plastic Surgeon’s Perspective.” The piece intrigued me not only because of my own research on this topic, but because I was interested in how his point of view (as a male and a surgeon) might differ from mine (a female and a psychologist). My work focuses more on raising questions about our beauty culture (e.g., “Under the Knife and Under Scrutiny,” and “Cosmetic Drugs Gone Too Far”), but I was pleasantly surprised that we both shared a similar perspective: that a woman’s attractiveness is based more on perception than the sum of her biological parts. I particularly resonated with these words: “We must stop sending the wrong, unhealthy superficial message to our daughters and granddaughters about the definition of beauty.”
