June Wrap Up

The last few weeks of a very successful season of dance are upon us and the staff at Absolute Dance could not be more happy with how well the year went.  It seems like so long ago we were preparing for our production of The Wizard of Oz and learning choreography for competition.  Even ballet exams, despite being in April, seem like they were ages ago.  Time flies when you are having fun!  Now here we are two weeks from our year-end recital where, once again, students will come together as a team and finish the year off with a bang.  We can't wait to see all the little ones in their costumes, performing on stage for the first time.  For our graduating students, sending them off after having them in our classes for many years is bittersweet.

It was truly a great year for Absolute Dance.  Our full-length production of The Wizard of Oz kicked off a long list of performances for many of our students on December 1st.  The show featured our largest cast yet.  75 students ranging from age 4 to 17.  The cast performed 3 shows to a packed house and also worked together to gather items for a silent auction which raised funds to support the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation.  The cast was featured on City TV's Breakfast Television and did a fantastic job of making the classic story of Dorothy come alive as a ballet.

The Fall at Absolute Dance also kept dancers busy preparing for vocational RAD ballet exams.  In fact, many of the students who had character roles in our Holiday Production also had to prepare and enter for these challenging examinations within a couple of weeks of each other.  As if that wasn't enough, choreographers Mindy Conto and Sabrina Philips were also in town during October to set pieces for competition.  What a crazy time of year!

Following the Christmas break our ballet dancers started to prepare for the annual performance of Plies to Performance.  This in-studio show was a great success and was an opportunity for some of our dancers to learn more about Enrico Cecchetti's style.  The winter months also meant continuous preparations for spring competitions and for graded RAD examinations.  Some Intermediate and Advanced students did have an opportunity for a night out on the town.  In January a group went to see a show in the Alberta Ballet's Up Close series which featured three original works performed to a small house at the Alberta Ballet's Calgary studio.  It was a great opportunity for our dancers to see what kinds of work could be created with very limited set and costume pieces and few dancers.

The arrival of March meant competitive dress rehearsal and mock exams.  Even after these two important events teachers and students could see that there was still so much more work to be done in order to enter competition season at our best.  Many students came into the studio for extra lessons, worked on their own, and continued to train hard in their technique classes.  What was also really nice to see was the team moral that was in full force by the time April came around.  Once we finally graced the competitive stage it was so great to see dancers coming out early or staying later just to cheer on their team mates.  Teachers saw great sportsmanship amongst the team over our three week run of competition.  As we see every year there were some moments of weakness, where we knew we could have done better, and there were also moments of triumph.  All in all Absolute Dance walked away from each competition with numerous special awards, choreography awards and overall awards in each age category and division.  We hope that dancers can look back on the past few months feeling proud and accomplished but also hope that there was some learning involved and that this years experience can be applied to make next year even better.

Now here we are ready to tackle two days of recital on June 14th and 15th.  Competitive pieces will be included in the line up but now it is time to really give our full attention to our many recreational dancers and give them the recognition they deserve for all their hard work over the course of the year.  For many of these students getting up on stage is a big deal.  It takes courage, confidence and proves that hard work is always worth it in the end.  Plus the costume, make-up, bright lights and large crowd creates an energy like none other.  We are so looking forward to seeing what these dancers bring to the stage.  Each year there are always a few students that really come out of their shell once the spotlight is on them.  It is so much fun to see.

The summer months at Absolute will allow for a bit of rest and change of schedule.  Competitive students will continue to take technique classes until the end of June.  As of July 8th - 31st classes will be suspended however the office will be open 4 - 8 Tuesdays - Thursdays.  Online registration will continue to be available for Summer camps and sessional classes.  Once August hits, Absolute Dance will be back in full swing with two weeks of Summer Camps (starting August 11th) and competitive bootcamp and choreography at the end of the month.  On September 6th we kick off our 17th season of dance.  Another season which promises all the wonderful things that comes with being a dancer; fun, friendship, sweat, hard work, determination and success!  Whether it is in the audience or in the studio, we hope that you will join us.

Have a safe and restful summer,

Madame Jete

Give It All You've Got

So here we are three quarters of the way through the dance season and, for many, at the pinnacle of the many hours of training and preparations that have gone on since August.  The competitive dance season is officially underway and this week Absolute Dance is in the thick of it.  Every year we are so pleased with how hard our dancers work and there are always different students who really step out and excel beyond our expectations.  This year has been no different, if not even better in terms of the determination and focus that these dancers have demonstrated.  What has been particularly impressive has been the team spirit and positive moral that can be felt in the studio and backstage.  This year not only have our team members done a wonderful job of welcoming newcomers but of working together in groups that blend various ages and levels.  It seems that each one of these dancers has recognized the importance of their effort and how each individual is imperative if you want to deliver a strong large group of dancers.  Cheering in the audience, wishing one another good luck, saying "good job" to dancers from other studios; these are all actions that contribute to the positive relationships that develop through dance.  This feeling of togetherness can be felt when on stage for both the dancers and audience and is so great to see.

Absolute Dance kicked off the competitive season with a bang.  Everyone danced really well.  When you hear your name being called and feel great about your performance, suddenly all those extra hours in the studio make sense.  But in the midst of all the positive feedback it was also really nice to see dancers come off stage and say things like, "oh that one part should have gone better" or "I'm going to make sure I nail that turn next time".  It is so important never to get comfortable as a performer and to always look for ways to delve deeper  into the movement and keep it fresh.  Continue to find the "guts" of your pieces and let the meaning behind the choreography drop even deeper.  For our more advanced dancers, strive for "whole body dancing".  You don't perform with only your face but with your back, arms, fingers, eyes, etc.  Allow yourself to be vulnerable as a dancer.  This does not mean that you are weak.  In fact, it takes more courage to open yourself up to vulnerability than it does to keep the walls up.  Be courageous and live in the moment.  Remember, you get out what you give in, so give it all you've got.

Things are also amping up for our non-competitive dancers with our upcoming 16th annual recital.  Many pieces have been completed and are in the process of being cleaned so they are ready for the stage.  Soon enough it will be their turn to dance their hearts out.  We are doing 7 different shows on June 14th and 15th and detailed recital packages have been sent home with each child.  It is important that the information be read carefully and any questions be brought to our studio office.  Tickets go on sale through the Mount Royal University theatre box office on May 1st.  There is a limit of four tickets per family until June 2nd when the limit will be lifted.

Our schedule and registration package is also going out this week.  Registration for our 2014/2015 season began May 5th.  If you have young ones between age 3 and 11 don't forget to check out our Summer Camps which run the weeks of August 11th to 15th, and August 18th to 22nd.  Registration for all sessional classes will also be made available online at www.absolutedanceinc.com within the next few weeks.

Once again, I wish the best of luck to all of our competitive team members.  Enjoy the rest of this exciting time!

That's all for now,
Madame Jete

A Night Out At The Ballet

Living in Calgary we really are so fortunate to have a number of pre and professional dance groups that perform regularly over the course of the year.  Whether it is the Alberta Ballet, Decidedly Jazz or En Corps Dance Collective, I am always trying to encourage my dance students to get out and watch live dance performances.  These experiences educate them on everything from music to history to current events and will give them a much stronger complimentary education to their studio training than any episode of Dance Moms.  That being said, going to these performances are not always affordable and often conflict with dance classes, competitions and the like.  It is hard to get those who should be the biggest supporters out and into the seats.

Absolute Dance has recently made the effort to organize outings to see one live dance performance a year and it has always been a very positive experience.  I am always surprised at what children and teens find interesting during a performance.  In January we attended The Alberta Ballet's Up Close series which featured company members performing shorter, locally choreographed pieces to an in-studio audience of only 100 people.  It was such an opportunity for the dancers to see how much could be done with minimal costumes and set pieces.  It was also great for them to realize how long and hard these dancers had to work to deliver a strong performance for the length of each piece.  Every single person in the audience could see every little detail.  Hopefully our dancers gained some perspective on where they stood with their own training and returned to the studio with renewed inspiration.  This performance was also great for young dancers because it was contemporary ballet and a wonderful demonstration of how classical shapes and movement can be reworked to become something entirely new.  Following the performance some of the company members took part in a Q and A with the audience.  The students were able to gain some insight on what the concepts for the pieces were and how it feels to be dancing a contemporary piece as a dancer who is more accustomed to dancing classical repertoire.  I had to laugh (to myself) at when one of the dancers strongly emphasized the importance of barre work and repetition.  It was so nice to hear and coming from a professional who just gave his everything for 60 minutes I think those words had much more meaning coming from him rather than myself.

In March, the Alberta Ballet went on to perform Giselle.  A stark contrast to the previous production, the company members returned to the classical "box" and did a great job.  With the Calgary Philharmonic playing that famous music it made for a great night out.  What was also nice about this performance is that it was the perfect length for the average theatre goer who maybe didn't have too much interest or knowledge when it comes to dance.  As it usually is with most ballets, the storey line took a backseat to the dancing.  The Peasant Pas de Deux was performed to a tee.  The gentleman, in particular, did a stellar job with some very difficult jumps and turns.  In the second act the patterning of the corps was stunning.  The dancers floated effortlessly around the stage and moved as one.  It was beautiful and thank goodness the lighting did a great job at making the 27 year-old costumes look great on stage.  All in all it was a great night out.

Since the Alberta Ballet is nearing the end of its season they have very recently announced their upcoming season.  It features a great line up of ballets I always seem to make reference to in class but haven't been performed in Alberta in recent years.  I really hope that many of my students will be able to make it out.  Some of the ballets I am most looking forward to are Don Quixote, La Bayadere and Carmen.  Seeing at least one of these classics is a must and as hard as it can be to get organized enough to make it out, once you are in that seat you will be glad you made the effort.

Snack to Success

Well competition season is upon us but, wouldn't you know it, before our first competition comes March Break!  Of course a change from the usual routine and, for some, a chance to get away, is always welcome.  It is still funny that we get a holiday right before the most challenging time of year.  We should embrace the holiday knowing that the rest will hopefully leave us in tip top shape once things start up again.  We do have to be careful, however, that in resting we we still maintain our fitness and nutritional habits that we have kept since September.

Take care of your body and make sure that any physical activities you do do not come with too much risk of injury.  Downhill skiing, for instance, is a wonderful sport but I always advise dancers not to do it right before any important performance simply because the chances of getting injured are fairly high.  It is great to stay active by trying different things like swimming, running, or participating in a yoga or cross training class at a gym.  Swimming in particular is considered great complimentary training for dancers because it works the entire body, has no impact on joints and does not leave a build up of toxins in the body the same way that higher impact activities will do.  It is a fantastic way to ensure that your cardiovascular fitness is maintained.

If you are staying in the city, I would also encourage you to get into the kitchen and experiment with some healthy, fuel-providing recipes that you'll be able to throw in with your competition gear when the time comes.  Days at competition can be very long and quite often the cafeteria food on hand is not a great option.  To get you started, here are some of my favorite lunch/snack recipes.  They have become go-to options for me and I encourage you to try them out.  If you have special dietary requirements online sources like Pinterest will leave you with many fun options.

Sweet and Salty Granola-Nut Clusters (from Grazing A Healthier Approach to Snacks and finger Foods.  By Julie Van Rosendaal)

Ingredients:                                                         1. Preheat oven to 350
1 cup mixed nuts and seeds
1/2 sesame seeds                                                  2. Spread nuts and seeds on a baking sheet and
1/4 cup ground flax seeds                                    toast for 8-10 minutes until pale golden.  Set aside.
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp water                                                       3.  In a medium saucepan, combine the honey,
1 tsp canola or flax oil                                         water and oil.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.
1 cup low-fat granola                                          Stir in the nut mixture.  Reduce heat to medium-
2 Tbsp sugar                                                       low and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes.  Stir
1 tsp coarse sea salt                                             in the granola, sugar, and salt and cook for
                                                                            another minute.

                                                                             4. Spread the mixture in a thick layer on a baking
                                                                             sheet and allow to cool.  Once cooled, break into
                                                                             clusters, or shape it into balls while it is still warm.
                                                                             Store in a tightly sealed container.

                                                                             Makes about a dozen clusters.

Crunchy Kale Salad (Posted on Pinterest and found on www.userealbutter.com)
(This salad takes a bit of extra work but is well worth it.  If you are not a huge fan of kale, chop it in fine pieces to make it incorporate with the other ingredients a bit better)

Ingredients:
4 cups kale, washed, trimmed, and shredded
2 cups red cabbage, shredded
2 cups green cabbage, shredded
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 cup almonds (or walnuts)
1 cup dried black currants

Maple Orange Tahini Dressing:
1/2 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp maple syrup (I have used table syrup as well)
3 Tbsp tahini
pinch of salt
1/3 cup olive oil
lemon juice to taste

Make the Dressing: Place the orange juice, maple syrup, tahini and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together until blended.  Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the bowl in a steady stream while constantly whisking.  Add lemon juice to taste.
In a large bowl, combine the kale, cabbage, apple, avocado, almonds and dried black currants.  Pour the dressing over and toss to coat.  Enjoy!

Of course I have several other recipes that I make week after week.  In addition to Grazing - A Healthier Approach to Snacking, I would highly recommend 5 Easy Steps to Healthy Cooking - 500 Recipes for Lifelong Wellness by Camilla V. Saulsbury.  I have likely tried 30 recipes from this book and have had success with every single one.  None of the recipes are overly complicated.  The author has a way of coming up with great ingredient combinations that are unique and delicious.

Good luck in the kitchen this month.

That's all for now,
Madame Jete

How to Train Like an Olympian

With the upcoming competitive dance season and the Winter Olympics just around the corner, what better way to tackle a dancer's physical and mental preparation than looking to the practices that the country's most elite athletes use?  From March through to June dancers really need to meet their maximum in terms of fitness and technical ability.  They have, after all, been training intensively since August.  When it comes to perfect execution of a group or solo performance on competition days, the mental component of things comes into play.  When dancers are going to one competition after the next, it becomes a bit of a marathon where they need to be absolutely on top of sleep and nutrition in order to perform at their best for the duration of the competitive season.

Here's a list of tips and tricks that are used by Canada's olympic athletes that dancer's can apply to their own routine as they prepare for the exciting season ahead:

1) Diet and Hydration: High performance athletes must eat every 3-4 hours and within 90 minutes of working out.  Start each day with a nutritious breakfast of complex carbohydrates (like steel cut oatmeal) and lean protein (cottage cheese, egg whites, nuts, fish or chicken).  Drink plenty of water throughout the day and hydrate during your classes with either water or sports drinks.

2) Sleep: Try to get to bed before 11pm and sleep for 8 - 10 hours in a very dark environment.  Avoid watching TV or being on the computer 30 minutes before bed.  This will give you optimal hormonal release while you sleep.

3) Warm-up and Recovery: Be sure to warm-up prior to class with at least 10 minutes of light jogging or skipping rope.  You can even try reverse lunges to improve body awareness and co-ordination.  After your class, cool down with gentle stretching, foam rolling or massage to avoid soreness and injury.  You want your body to feel good the next time you take class.

4) Mental Preparation: Dancers and athletes have a range of techniques to ensure that they are mentally present on the big day and during their performance.  Do some research and find out what might work best for you.  Some things include finding inspirational quotes or mantras, watching videos of other professionals for motivation, finding a "pre-game day" and "game day" ritual.  In the moment when you are attempting challenging steps, find out which visualizations work best for you.  Of course, there is the power of repetition.  Do challenging sequences over and over again in rehearsal until your body can do it without even thinking.  Finally, don't forget to breath!

5) Your Team: Teachers should be there to push you to meet your maximum potential.  Hopefully they are able to assess whether a "tough-love" approach or more gentle encouragement works best for each individual.  Competitive team members also need to be there for one another in class and at competition.  Telling each other that they are capable of achieving a difficult step and pushing one another when things get tough is very important.  A positive team atmosphere is essential.
Olympic athletes are known to train together even though they may compete against one another.  Training with a friend increases your accountability and your commitment to your dancing will go up.  

6) Complimentary Training: Any additional exercise you do outside of class should be varied.  This means that you shouldn't always go for a jog at the same pace for the same amount of time on the same path.  An athletes body will grow accustomed to that kind of repetition quickly and improvement will cease.  Instead, vary your cardio with things like jogging, jumping rope, biking, or going on an eliptical trainer.  Find different ways to strengthen abdominal muscles and switch it up from one work out to the next.  Lastly, don't forget to strengthen your back!  Dancers get pre-occupied with abdominals and legs often forgetting that leg lines and turns will become so much stronger with increased strength across the back.  Do push ups, use a swiss ball or thera-band to get your back in tip-top form.

Best of luck to our competitive team as we gear up for the exciting season ahead.  Hopefully these tips will help everyone surpass their expectations and goals for the year.

Sincerely,
Madame Jete

The Domino Effect

Well 2014 has arrived and I have decided to kick it off with one of my favourite topics.  It is one that is a huge part of a dancer's training from start to finish and grows in complexity as a dancer develops their technique.

Understanding turn out IS the key to strong technique.  I often wonder how much stronger I would have been as a young dancer had I known more than just the basics of turning out the leg and had a bit more knowledge in anatomy.  As an adult putting what I learned on the subject to use, not only did it improve the successful demonstration of classical steps and movements but it also changed the tone and shape of my instrument for the better.

Now the trick is, for you the dancer to come to the same level of understanding.  I have no doubt that you will be met with success.  I often talk to students about the domino effect in Ballet.  When one thing is misaligned, then it usually leads to other things being misaligned and, consequently, steps not being executed the way they should be.  When properly aligned, all of a sudden it becomes easier to hold correct placement further down the line and before you know it, you are achieving the desired movement and placement we are after!

Turn out - what IS IT??  Proper use of turn out varies in every body and unfortunately comes much more easily to some than to others.  That being said, I've known many dancers to have spectacular range of turn out in the hip socket but lack the muscular strength and body awareness to put it to good use.  I am a firm believer that we should not use the physical limitations we were born with as an excuse but rather work to build the strength and understanding so that every person is using their turn out to its absolute maximum at all times.  In its simplest form, turn out means turning the entire leg outwards starting in the hip socket and holding an equivalent range of turn out in the knee, lower leg and foot.  Both legs must use equal amounts, otherwise forced turn out is happening in one leg while the other leg is actually turning in on the pelvis.  Unequal placement of turn out creates an imbalance in the placement of positions and also effects a square alignment of the whole body.  See what I mean by domino effect?  And we've only just begun!

For the very novice dancer it is really important that healthy use of turn out is understood right from the start.  We must understand that it is easier to turn out the leg when the knees are bent so when finding our range of turn out it must be done with the legs stretched and thighs pulled up.  Some people think that good turn out is when the feet in 1st position have the widest angle (sometimes more than 180 degrees).  Yikes!  This is a complete myth!  Proper understanding of a turned out position starts on top of the legs with proper placement of the pelvis.  By engaging the abdominals, hamstrings (backs of legs) and gluts we need to find a neutral (level) placement of the pelvis.  Imagine if you had a platter tutu on - it would have to be parallel with the floor throughout all movements where the torso is held in an upright position.  The abdominals help to hold the hips high in the front and the hamstrings help to anchor the pelvis in the back.  Gluts and hamstrings help rotate the thighs but what will make it even easier is if there is also a sense of lift of the pelvis up and away from the legs.  If the weight is placed properly with 2/3 on the ball of the foot, then the hamstrings and calves are more easily activated.  There are numerous visualizations that one can use to find the correct placement of the pelvis and use of turn out.  What is important to understand is that whether in motion or holding a stationary position the use of turn out is always active.  Irene Dowd uses the word "spin" to refer to the "visceral spheres" that exist in the head and torso and also to describe the use of turn out in the legs.  I think it is the perfect word since it implies a never ending motion that remains in one spot.  

Turn out is quite involved but if you are new to dance please don't get ahead of yourself!  What I typically expect a novice dancer to understand is level placement of the pelvis and then appropriate and consistent use of turn out in the thighs, calves and feet.  Remember how there is more turn out when the knees are bent?  The idea in classical training is that we maintain the same level of turn out when the legs are extended or bent.  Take a plie for instance, with the legs turned out to the front corners and the pelvis held level, bend the knees and make sure that they stay aligned over the feet.  The feet must also remain flat to the floor with the toes long.  Do not go into a more turned out position or allow the toes to go further outwards.  The domino effect here: if the pelvis is tilted forward, then the knees are more likely to fall inwards and then the feet would pronate or "roll in".  This is the obvious way to do a plie incorrectly.  However, be aware that it is also common (especially in 2nd position) to have just the foot turned slightly inwards and to have a slight lift on the inner border of the foot.  This is a sickled foot without having any stretch to the foot and is a less obvious example of how turn out must extend all the way down to the toes.  

So the first step in using turn out is holding the outward spin and level pelvis with the legs extended and bent.  Parents of young dancers: you can watch for proper use of turn out by taking note of an upright pelvis and knees and toes always going towards the front corners.  When the leg is extended to the front (devant) the heel must point to the ceiling, when in second or to the side the heel must go forwards towards the audience.  It is good to think of the heel because it is at the end of the leg.  If the heel is free and pointing in the right direction then it means that the rest of the leg must be in the right position (make sure the pelvis is held too and not twisting!) and the weight is forward on the foot.

The next step from there would be to practice the same plie but to actually engage the backs of the legs as the knees bend so that the hamstrings gain strength and actively take the thighs to a more turned out position.  Be careful not to lift that inner border of the foot or to change the initial position of the foot.  Because we know that it is easier to turn out when the knees are bent, as we stretch up from a plie increase the amount of spin so that when the legs reach their extension, they are turned out to the same or more degree.  Suddenly, a plie has become much more than just bending and stretching the legs and is now a tool to strengthen rotators and improve range when the leg is extended.  Now think of battement fondu.  Here we are doing the same movement only on one leg and training proper use of turn out for take off and landings on one leg.  Of course in ronds de jambe a terre the primary focus is turn out and as the dancer gets more familiar with how it is done, the increased hold of turn out becomes more active and challenging as we experiment with changes in weight placement, speed and variations on the standing leg.  

At the more advanced level the challenge becomes using turn out to initiate absolutely everything.  I am not kidding.  You take a step forward and it is led by the stepping heel while the second leg works into that nice fondu position that was rehearsed at the barre.  The pelvis remains lifted and square.  Seriously.  All in one step.  And that step becomes proper placement into a 5th position en pointe, a proper preparation into a temps leve or a turn.  And the domino effect continues.  Turn out is held in the preparation and the steps that follow is more successful thanks to a good preparation and, hopefully, turn out is maintained in the following step and it goes on and on.  Turn out is used to initiate changes in alignment, promenades on one leg, it leads the way in pirouettes in both directions, it contributes to cleaner jumps, in particular any beaten allegro movements.  It effects everything!

As we venture into the season of resolutions, I really encourage everyone to take a few moments to consider the use of turn out at whichever level they may be and then to take those thoughts (or questions) to class and put them to practice.  Continue to consider this concept in all sections of your class and continue to focus on it in every class.  Turn out will never go away, will never be fully conquered and will always remain to be something that must be maintained.  Though it may seem daunting I promise that the more you work at it the better dancer you will become.  

Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Madame Jete

Sleigh Bells Ring...

It's official!  Winter is here to stay.  The first Tuesday of December turned Calgary into a winter wonderland keeping everyone housebound and off the messy roads.  Lucky for the dancers at Absolute Dance the storm was late and left us with pleasant weather to make it through our holiday production of The Wizard of Oz on December 1st.  

Throughout the month of November 72 dancers along with the staff of Absolute Dance worked hard to prepare for the annual event.  Costumes arrived from the US while others were custom made.  Of course there were many finishing touches to be done to make everyone look their best.  Accessories were added and costumes bedazzled from top to bottom.  With the help of Muge Performance Wear our leads resembled the characters from the movie but had a modern and unique design that enabled them to dance.  Set pieces were built and painted and as usual everyone pulled together to make the show come together in time.  Show day went off without a hitch.  Our dancers put on three wonderful performances.  By the end of the day everyone was exhausted but excited that all their hard work had paid off.  Most impressive was the fact that our 4-6 year olds were able to hold it together till the end of the third performance.  Congratulations to all of our dancers! 

There is no doubt that what makes an event of this scale possible is teamwork.  Many thanks to all the volunteers who helped with our load in and out, supervised dancers backstage, or took care of the pre-show events in the lobby.  Our silent auction was held prior to the 12 and 4 pm shows with 100% of the proceeds going to support the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation.  We had many great items donated and are happy to have raised $2500.  Way to go everyone!

Overall, the day was a hit, a positive and memorable experience for everyone.  Stay tuned for photos of the show to be posted on our website.  We were also happy to have Open Call Films shoot the 4pm performance.  We will contact those who ordered a video when they are ready for pick up.   

As if our dancers didn't have enough on their plates with preparation for The Wizard of Oz some of our more senior dancers also took a vocational level ballet exam in November.  Congratulations our Intermediate and Intermediate Foundation dancers who put their best foot forward and went through with the examination process.  Vocational level exams are not easy and require many hours of preparation in addition to strong technique and a broad vocabulary in classical ballet.  Our candidates had been studying the work since last winter/spring so finally having completed the exam really is an accomplishment to be proud of.  Now onwards and upwards into the next level!  

December promises to be a busy month of year-end wind ups, concerts and will continue with exciting studio events. Our fall preschool tour with Early Discoveries Nursery Schools is wrapping up and will resume full force in the New Year.  

We are also in deep preparation for our upcoming viewing week here at Absolute Dance!  Monday December 16^th through to Saturday December 21^st, parents and family are invited to come and watch the last 15 minutes of their dancer’s class. This applies to all classes at the studio.  Photography and video are allowed at this time, however please take footage of your dancer only.  We hope that parents will enjoy seeing what we have been up to over the last few months!

Registration for our Winter session is on-going and available in online or in person during office hours.  Monday to Thursday 4:00-8:30pm or Saturday from 9:00am-2:00pm.  As usual there are many different options for children and adults to choose from and our Adult class pass makes for an affordable opportunity to participate in dance and fitness classes and even take advantage of free childcare during our daytime classes.

The beginning of another month also means a new Student of the Month.  Congratulations to Malia Kerr for being nominated!  Malia is a hard-working and dedicated dancer.  Her attention to detail and effort has contributed to her success in her classes.  We hope that her work ethic can act as inspiration to her fellow dancers and help them build their skill and enthusiasm for dance.  

           

We have just launched out new website and encourage you to take a peek www.absolutedanceinc.com

You may even see some familiar faces in the promotional pictures of dancers you see around the halls here at the studio! 

Our last day of classes before our holiday break is Saturday December 21^st.  We will resume in the New Year on Monday January 6^th 2014. 

Absolute Dance staff would like to wish everyone a happy, safe and restful holiday season.  We are so looking forward to what lies ahead in 2014.

Happy Holidays!

Sincerely,

Madame Jete