We made it! My last post included updates on all fronts from recital to competition, from ballet exams to our latest Student of the Month. Now that our regular season has officially wrapped up, we can all take a breath and change the pace a bit so we can recharge for September.
On Sunday, June 10th, Absolute Dance dancers took the stage for our year end recital to wrap up our 14th season. This year, we attempted a new format that included four shows showcasing over 400 dancers all in the same day! This was accomplished thanks to the incredible energy and enthusiasm of our dancers, the extra effort and care from our volunteers and the dedication from our staff. Of course, the encouragement we felt from the familiar faces of our audience members also helped make the day a success.
Set up got rolling on Sunday morning at 8 am with preparations to organize little ones going on backstage and arrangements to entertain audience members being set up in the lobby of the Wright Theatre at the Mount Royal University. The first two shows featured our younger dancers from ages 4 to 8 and were themed "Food Glorious Food". We saw everything from "Princess Tea" to "The Ice Cream Freeze"! Seeing these little ones onstage was adorable and entertaining to say the least. These shows moved along at a great pace. Families were in and out in less than 90 minutes and even had a chance to grab a Crave cupcake and visit with Vito the Clown. For many of these dancers it was their first time on stage! We hope it was an exciting and positive experience. It's always great to see young dancers return the following year after having their first stage performance under their belt. They have a new sense of determination and purpose. Suddenly there is more of a driving force behind all the hard work they need to put in over the course of the year. As a teacher, it can sometimes be difficult preparing young ones for a stage performance when they have never seen one themselves and aren't really sure what it's all about. To witness these little ones backstage, it is always fun to see the wonder in their eyes as they watch older dancers from the wings and sneak backstage in the dark. I remember how magical the whole thing seemed at that age; the special lighting, the costumes, the makeup, the loud music and the hundreds of people looking up at you. With some first time dancers it's hard to anticipate how they will react under this new set of circumstances. Fortunately, every single one of our dancers rose to the occasion and danced their hearts out. We are so proud of this accomplishment!
After a quick turn around, we were ready to roll by 4 pm with our next two shows entitled "The Red Carpet". Both of these shows featured numbers inspired by Oscar winners and had everything from "Singing in the Rain" to "Rocky". Themed recitals are a great way to encourage teachers to come up with out-of-the-box concepts and it was great to see such a range of ideas come together to create a show that boasted such variety and talent from our dancers. The theme was carried through in the lobby where audience members enjoyed popcorn and red carpet fun at the free photo booth that was set up thanks to photographer, Joel Yana (pictures can be seen at www.joelyanaphotography.com).
Both the 4pm and 7pm shows went off without a hitch. Dancers put their hearts and souls into their performance and we couldn't have been more pleased with their energy and commitment onstage, not to mention their organization, focus and behavior backstage. Believe it or not, some dancers performed in all four shows! They did an incredible job of keeping their energy up throughout each show. When you are an experienced performer and have to go back on stage to dance the same number over and over again, sometimes it is hard to keep the performance fresh and new. You have to work hard to remember that it is the first time the audience has ever seen the number and it has to have the same excitement and drive that the performance would have had the first time it was performed. Our more experienced dancers are definitely getting better at this and our recital day was definitely a test of this skill.
Again, many thanks to the technicians and staff of the Wright Theatre, MRU, our volunteers, and for the support from all our parents. The day was exhilarating and exhausting at the same time! Seeing everyone on stage makes all the effort so worth it.
Although our regular classes have wrapped up, classes at Absolute Dance are still happening throughout the months of June and into July. On June 11th, we began our Summer Session of classes which include Zumba, Adult Ballet, Mini Hip Hop, Kinderdance, Growing Groovers and Tumblebums. This is a short session that will run until July 21st. Drop-ins for all classes are welcome! Until the end of June we also have our Technique classes running Tuesday - Thursday for our Competitive dancers and those who wish to keep their training up.
Office hours are Tuesday - Thursday 4:15 - 8:15 but of course we can always be reached by e-mail at directors@absolutedanceinc.com. We encourage parents and dancers to swing by to pick up photos and to order their recital DVD if they haven't already done so. Registration for our 15th Season is ongoing and can be done in person, over the phone or online (sessional classes only). Also, next time you're in, check out our new store which carries dance essentials like bodysuits, tights, skirts and Absolute merchandise.
Dancers did you know that rain makes your feet stretch more? Well, that's what we have to tell ourselves to make this weather more bearable! Let's hope we get some sunshine before the month is up.
