After a very busy summer Absolute Dance is pleased to welcome all returning and new students through its doors. We couldn't be more excited about entering into our sixteenth season!
Summertime offered a change of schedule with some rest but also many opportunities for our students to participate in camps, dance intensives and a chance to learn from visiting teachers from Ontario. Many of our ballet students started pointe work for the first time and trained for RAD exams, while some of our competitive students got an early start into learning their choreography for competition. There's nothing like having a leg up on the busy year that lies ahead. Our dance camps were bursting at the seams with over 110 participants over the course of two weeks. It was truly great to see enthusiasm for dance continue through the summer months.
What makes September so exciting is to see not only the physical changes in our students (they always come back taller!) but also the excitement and anticipation they have when they return ready to embrace the challenges of the year ahead. Even with our returning 4 year olds there is an air of confidence they feel when they come back to the familiar walls of the studio. There's definitely something about getting back into the swing of things that fills everyone with a renewed energy. Look out everyone! Starting now its full steam ahead!
Our new dance year means that rehearsals start for our latest and greatest Holiday Production. This has become a tradition at Absolute Dance and will be the fifth year that dancers have performed a full-scale ballet production in December. This year we are so excited to be doing The Wizard of Oz. Originally a novel and then a musical, The Wizard of Oz has never been done as a ballet on a professional scale. The staff and dancers at Absolute Dance are eager to go where no one has gone before and see how they can make the story of Dorothy and Toto come to life in a classical form. You can bet that you will see all your favorite characters and hear the familiar (and catchy) tunes, but we will be finding ways to develop characters and move through the plot using only the language of dance. Participating in the Holiday Productions are a great way not only for students to learn choreography in a short period of time, but also see what it takes to use movement as a means to tell a story. It's a great opportunity to get involved in the studio and for dancers of different ages and levels to dance together on stage. Registration for the Holiday Production classes will stay open until rehearsals begin. Don't miss your chance to be a part of a fantastic new production!
As a teacher, I always like to approach the new dance year with a few resolutions in mind. I also like to ask my students what their goals are for the season. Well this year I will still encourage everyone to come up with one or two personal goals as far as technique and class work goes but I would also like to invite dancers to find ways to expose themselves to as much art and culture as possible. This year, I want to find ways to foster creativity in my students in the hopes that they will become more aware and expressive in their performance. What does this mean? Well we can start by watching as much dance as possible. Nowadays this could not be any easier thanks to Youtube and televised dance series. The city of Calgary also happens to have a lot going on in dance for the 2013/14 season. Check out the line up for The Alberta Ballet and Decidedly Jazz. There are also smaller dance companies in the city like En Corps Dance Collective that are continuously taking new works to the stage. Absolute Dance will always post dance workshop opportunities which are also great opportunities to learn from new teachers.
Building a creative dancer does not stop at attending and participating in dance opportunities. Listen to music, go to art galleries and theatre productions. Attend the symphony or make a painting. Learn how to play an instrument. Write a poem or write or perform in a play. Take voice or acting lessons. Watch musicals. These are all ways that our dancers can start to connect the dots between various art forms, develop a wider appreciation and take what they gain from this exposure and apply it to their skills in the studio and on stage. In the studio, the teachers at Absolute Dance will continue to deliver classes that not only cover steps but also educate our students in the music and history that make the study of dance so much more than just fancy footwork.
Once again we wish all new and returning students a warm welcome and are so excited about the learning and achievements that the coming year holds. Here's to another season of artistry, expression, and fun!
Sincerely,
Madame Jete
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