Happy August everyone and a special welcome to all those newcomers who are joining Absolute Dance for our Summer Camps! We hope that this post finds everyone in good spirits and that summer holidays have been relaxing and rejuvenating!
During the month of July we finished up with our short summer session. We had a lot of fun with Mini Hip Hop, Adult Zumba and a very full Kinderdance class. It's always great to see interest in dance and fitness extend into the summer months. For some, the six week session is a great test run for what our full year classes are like. Many of our little ones will be returning in the Fall and we are thrilled that we were able to spark a love for dance during their time with us.
At the end of July, Ms. Erika, Ms. Meaghan, and Ms. Watson had the opportunity to attend the 3 day Dance Teacher's Summit in New York City. The conference featured dance teachers and choreographers from around the world and was informative and inspiring. In addition to many business seminars, the conference also offered several teaching classes that discussed age appropriate skill building, dance progressions, technique basics and conditioning, and storytelling in choreography. Ms. Meaghan had an opportunity to tap her heart out, while Ms. Watson participated in David Howard's ballet class, learned some contemporary ballet from Benoit-Swan Pouffer and took class from people like Desiree Robbins, Sheila Barker, and Mia Michaels. Ms. Erika talked body alignment and conditioning with Paula Morgan and Denise Wall. The experience was rejuvenating and exactly what was needed to motivate us for another great season of dance.
July was also a month where one of our competitive dancers, Dylan MacPahil, went off to Toronto to attend the second stage audition for the Professional Ballet Program at Canada's National Ballet School. Dylan stayed in the residence there and attended classes for four weeks. He had a great time, learned a lot, and was accepted! We are so proud of Dylan not just because of his acceptance but because he had the courage to attend all by himself and had the self discipline to push his abilities and act as a great representative of himself and Absolute Dance! Although Dylan will not be attending this year, his experience is no doubt a testament to where hard work and passion can get you. We hope that Dylan's time at the school continues to motivate him this year and is inspirational to all of our dancers. We are happy to know that we will still have Dylan with us this year!
Our Summer Camps offer dance experiences for children ages 3 - 12. This year we have a lot of newcomers and many return students, eager to learn some new moves that they can show off to friends and family. Not only will dancers participate in a variety of classes like Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre and Tap, they will also be doing arts and crafts, theatre games and story time. Our dancers will also learn a few routines that they will share with an audience on the last day. We've got lots in store for our campers including tile painting, treasure hunts, and a puppet theatre. Full Day campers will also be treated to a visit by Iviva who will lead them in some dance inspired contests with Iviva prizes! We are looking forward to welcoming all of our campers to Absolute Dance and hope that they have a great experience.
Following the two weeks of Summer Camp, our competitive dancers will be getting back into the swing of things with a four day Technique Bootcamp. This will be a great opportunity to review foundational elements so that dancers are ready to tackle new movements that will be introduced to them come September.
We hope that everyone has been enjoying the great summer weather and is starting to feel ready to get back into what promises to be a busy Fall. To those students who have been participating in dance intensives, we can't wait to hear about your experiences and hope that you have benefitted from the additional dance training. To those students who have taken the summer to travel or pursue other things, we hope that you have had fun and are looking forward to getting back to dance.
Sincerely,
The Team at Absolute Dance
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
Tuesday, 19 June 2012
May Flowers Bring June showers?
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.
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.
Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Everything but the Studio Sink
It is hard to believe that
it is already late May and we are 29 weeks into our season! That last
post was pre-competition season and we were just on the verge of taking our
competitive pieces to the stage. Well, we are almost over the craziness
now that our competition season is over and are currently in the process of
preparing for one last big hooray, one that we prepare for all year and
includes close to everyone involved in our studio, our year-end Recital.
This year, we were pleased
to take our competitive team to four competitions all in the Calgary area.
We were so happy with all the hard work that our dancers put into their
pieces and were proud of their performances. Of course, the level of
competition varied from one competition to the next. It was a great
opportunity for the dancers to see the outstanding ability of some other
dancers and become inspired by some of the "out of the box" pieces
that various choreographers created. After each competition our studio
walked away with at least one Overall Award, Choreography Award, Costume Award
- not to mention a placing in nearly every category and many other special
awards. Congratulations and thanks to our competitive team and their
parents for all the hard work and commitment throughout the year.
The month of April meant
that it was time for our spring session of RAD ballet exams. The studio
was visited by an examiner who flew all the way from South Africa! The
examination process was new for all our candidates who came out of their exam
smiling with pride. We can always recognize improvements that come with
working towards an exam and are so happy with the effort that was put forth by
all the participants.
Also in April, we
recognized another Student of the Month, one of our Junior dancers, Summer
Ramsay. Summer stood out in her classes thanks to her dedication, hard
work, musicality and at home practice. We can always count on Summer to
come in to class ready to work. It is not uncommon to see her reviewing
material from previous classes without being asked! What a great work
ethic! This month, we are pleased to recognize Camryn Lettich as the
Student of the Month. Camryn is a very conscientious person, who consistently
demonstrates leadership and care for her classmates. She also does a
great job remembering more specific details that are covered in class.
Way to go Camryn!
Throughout April and May
Absolute Dance has been completing the last leg of our 2011/2012 Preschool
Tour. This year, we teamed up with Early Discoveries Nursery School and
have been visiting each class for a short session. May 28th will wrap up
our visits to their Hawkwood location. Thanks so much to the students and
staff of EDNS for welcoming us into their schools. Parents, if you are
looking for a great preschool for your young one, find out more about EDNS on
the web. They are a fantastic organization with great instructors and
five convenient locations in the North West.
So here we are over
half-way through May and our 14th Season is nearly over! This past week,
our students were sent home with their recital costumes. Throughout the
week of May 28th, pictures for recital will be taking place during class time
at the studio. June 10th is the big day where we will treat audiences to
the work we've been preparing in class since the New Year. Absolute Dance
likes to make recital a special day of celebration. Audience members can
look forward to themed surprises in the lobby and fun for the whole family.
This year our Junior Show (10am and 1pm) is called "Food Glorious
Food" and our Senior Show (4pm and 7pm) is called "The Red
Carpet". All four shows will be held at the Wright Theatre on the
Mount Royal University Campus. Tickets can be purchased by calling their
box office at 403-440-7770 or online at www.mtroyal.ca/tickets. Good luck
to all our performers!
As we get into the summer
months, things at the studio will calm down a bit but there will still be
technique and fitness classes offered for all age groups. For the first
three weeks of June our competitive students will continue with technique
training classes three times a week. Our Summer Session will also offer a
few Zumba and Ballet classes for Adults as well as Hip Hop, Kinderdance and
Tumble Bums classes that will run June 11th to July 21st. Our Summer Camps are
extremely popular and have had very high registration since April. We
offer one-week half and full day camps for ages 3 - 12. Over the course
of each week dancers will take various dance classes including Hip Hop and
Musical Theatre, do some fun arts and crafts and will prepare a few numbers to
share at an informal presentation at the end of the week. These camps
will run August 13th - 17th and the 20th-24th. Registration is available
online, over the phone or in person. These camps are likely to sell-out
so it is best to register soon!
Absolute Dance students
were recently sent home with our 15th annual schedule for the 2012/2013 season
with a list of recommended classes. Registration is now open for these
classes that will begin September 8th. Online registration is available for Sessional
classes and Full year class can be registered for by phone or in person during
office hours.
Absolute Dance is very
pleased to announce that in November 2012 our Holiday Production will be Alice
in Wonderland. We are so excited about this production and are
looking forward to all the fun and wacky characters it will offer.
Although the show will be primarily based on character ballet, students
from our Glee classes, Hip Hop and Rising Stars will also have the opportunity
to work on this performance as well. This will be an Absolute Dance
original production and will give us a lot of creative freedom that we are
already beginning to organize. Some dancers will even begin learning their
roles in August! If you have a dancer that is interested in
participating, please see the office with any inquiries. Absolute Dance
will also hold a Silent Auction at the performance and donate all proceeds
going to The Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation. Keep us in mind if
you have any connections to businesses or individuals that may want to
contribute/donate ann item or if you would like to volunteer and help out in
any other way. This will be our fourth year putting on this special event
and we aim not only to give students another performance opportunity but also
to build a sense of community and participation within our studio.
This will likely be posted prior to our current season wrapping up,
however, to all the parents and dancers of Absolute Dance, thank you for
joining us for another great season! We are so fortunate to be sharing
our passion for dance with all our amazing students. Thanks for your
dedication, hard work and enthusiasm for dance. Enjoy a safe and restful
summer and we look forward to seeing you again in the Fall.
Wednesday, 14 March 2012
March Madness
It's that time of year at Absolute Dance where dancers, teachers and parents are on the treadmill. March is a nerve-racking yet exciting the time of year. In March, we can finally emerge from the studio and share with audiences what we have come up with after of hours of learning, practicing and perfecting. Although everything seems to have crept up on us very quickly, I think that earlier competition and exam dates have really pushed both students and staff in a positive way. In the past month, many extra hours have been spent in preparation for competition and ballet exams and it is so nice to finally start to feel ready for all the important events that will lead us up to our year end in June.
Our first performance event of the New Year was Plies to Performance, which was held at the studio on February 24th. This was a student-driven semi-formal ballet performance featuring nearly all those dancers who participated in our December production of Cinderella. The evening was another opportunity for the dancers to learn and present new material in a short amount of time and to perform more in smaller groups and as well as in pairs. Aurelle Crerar and Carling Strayer were our hosts for the evening and did a great job sharing some of the dance history information that was complied by the participating dancers. The show ran very smoothly and the dancers were proud of their work. It was also nice to connect with parents during the short reception that followed. We are already looking forward to next year!
On March 13th, our Spring Session of Royal Academy of Dance Ballet exams began. Congratulations to Katie Giammarino who went in for her Advanced Foundation exam. Coming up very shortly are our Graded set of exams which will be held at the studio on Thursday, April 12th. Mock exams for those candidates will be held on March 24th. Best of luck to all of our candidates! We are proud of all your hard work and hope you enjoy the experience!
This weekend kicks off our first of three competitions that Absolute Dance's competitive team will be attending. Thunderstruck will be held March 16th - 18th at the Martha Cohen Theatre (inside the Epcor Centre) and will feature all of the studios solos, duos/trios, and groups. To our competitors: get lots of sleep, stay focused, and give it your all! Absolute staff are looking forward to seeing everyone dance their hearts out on stage.
March 24th will mark the beginning of our two week long March Break. All regular classes are suspended and will resume on Monday, April 9. Please note that the studio will still be open on Saturday, March 24 for the RAD Mock Exams. For those families with children between the ages of 3 and 8, we encourage you to check out our March Break Camps which will be held from Monday, March 26 - Friday, March 30. Our Tinkerbells and Toads Camp is a half day camp for ages 3 - 5 and our Glamour and Glee Camp is a full day camp offered to dancers 6 - 8. No experience is necessary. These camps are a fun way to try out different forms of dance and see what interests your child. They are also a great way to stay in shape over the break.
In addition to our March Break Camps for younger ones, Absolute Dance is holding some fun workshop classes for older and more experienced dancers. Everyone is welcome! We've got Intermediate/Advanced Hip Hop and Contemporary classes happening the evening on Tuesday - Thursday the week of March 24th and April 2nd. Guest teachers have been invited to teach these special classes. Dancers are encouraged to participate to keep their technique up and to gain the experience of learning from someone new. Please sign up in advance at the office.
Finally, we are pleased to announce Ryan Tram as our Student of the Month for March. Ryan's charisma, effort, leadership and commitment to dance has stood out in his classes. Congratulation Ryan and keep up all the hard work!
Absolute Dance would like to wish the best of luck to the competitive team and ballet exam candidates in the weeks ahead. Also, to our families that may be traveling over the holiday, stay safe and enjoy yourselves! We hope that everyone is able to relax a bit over the course of the break. We are looking forward to coming back in April ready to venture into the last leg of our regular season.
Our first performance event of the New Year was Plies to Performance, which was held at the studio on February 24th. This was a student-driven semi-formal ballet performance featuring nearly all those dancers who participated in our December production of Cinderella. The evening was another opportunity for the dancers to learn and present new material in a short amount of time and to perform more in smaller groups and as well as in pairs. Aurelle Crerar and Carling Strayer were our hosts for the evening and did a great job sharing some of the dance history information that was complied by the participating dancers. The show ran very smoothly and the dancers were proud of their work. It was also nice to connect with parents during the short reception that followed. We are already looking forward to next year!
On March 13th, our Spring Session of Royal Academy of Dance Ballet exams began. Congratulations to Katie Giammarino who went in for her Advanced Foundation exam. Coming up very shortly are our Graded set of exams which will be held at the studio on Thursday, April 12th. Mock exams for those candidates will be held on March 24th. Best of luck to all of our candidates! We are proud of all your hard work and hope you enjoy the experience!
This weekend kicks off our first of three competitions that Absolute Dance's competitive team will be attending. Thunderstruck will be held March 16th - 18th at the Martha Cohen Theatre (inside the Epcor Centre) and will feature all of the studios solos, duos/trios, and groups. To our competitors: get lots of sleep, stay focused, and give it your all! Absolute staff are looking forward to seeing everyone dance their hearts out on stage.
March 24th will mark the beginning of our two week long March Break. All regular classes are suspended and will resume on Monday, April 9. Please note that the studio will still be open on Saturday, March 24 for the RAD Mock Exams. For those families with children between the ages of 3 and 8, we encourage you to check out our March Break Camps which will be held from Monday, March 26 - Friday, March 30. Our Tinkerbells and Toads Camp is a half day camp for ages 3 - 5 and our Glamour and Glee Camp is a full day camp offered to dancers 6 - 8. No experience is necessary. These camps are a fun way to try out different forms of dance and see what interests your child. They are also a great way to stay in shape over the break.
In addition to our March Break Camps for younger ones, Absolute Dance is holding some fun workshop classes for older and more experienced dancers. Everyone is welcome! We've got Intermediate/Advanced Hip Hop and Contemporary classes happening the evening on Tuesday - Thursday the week of March 24th and April 2nd. Guest teachers have been invited to teach these special classes. Dancers are encouraged to participate to keep their technique up and to gain the experience of learning from someone new. Please sign up in advance at the office.
Finally, we are pleased to announce Ryan Tram as our Student of the Month for March. Ryan's charisma, effort, leadership and commitment to dance has stood out in his classes. Congratulation Ryan and keep up all the hard work!
Absolute Dance would like to wish the best of luck to the competitive team and ballet exam candidates in the weeks ahead. Also, to our families that may be traveling over the holiday, stay safe and enjoy yourselves! We hope that everyone is able to relax a bit over the course of the break. We are looking forward to coming back in April ready to venture into the last leg of our regular season.
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Student Reviews for The Alberta Ballet's Cinderella
On Saturday, February 11 some students from Absolute Dance attended The Alberta Ballet’s production of Cinderella. Here are a couple of reviews written by our very own students! Enjoy!
On Saturday, February 11, 2012 my family and I had a wonderful opportunity to attend the Alberta Ballet’s production of Cinderella at the Jubilee Auditorium. It was amazing to learn that there were over 40 ballet dancers involved in this performance. The stars of the show were Hayna Gutierrez as Cinderella, Kelly McKinlay as the Prince, Mariko Kondo as the Fairy Godmother, and Mark Wax, Nicole Caron, and Melissa Boniface as the Stepmother and Stepsisters. It really was a lot of fun. We were first given a backstage tour. It was amazing to see how much work goes into making Cinderella, so wonderful to watch on stage. There are people who are in charge of props, in charge of lighting, and in charge of costumes. The costumes were so beautiful. We were very lucky to also have an opportunity to meet the ballerinas who play Cinderella’s two stepsisters. They seem like really nice people and not at all like when they are performing in the ballet.
The ballet itself, was divided into three Acts with an intermission between the first and second Act. My favourite part of the ballet was the part where Cinderella comes out of the hidden hutch under the stairs and the Prince realizes that he has found his true love. My favorite character of the whole play was the bird who was played by Anthony Pina. When he danced he almost seemed like a real bird! He seemed very nice especially towards Cinderella. I didn’t think the performance was too long or too short…it was just right. It was very interesting to watch because it was a different version than any I have ever seen. It was definitely better than the Disney version.
I really enjoyed myself and give this ballet two thumbs up. I would recommend everybody have the chance to see it.
Catarina Hill
Cinderella Review
By Kathryn Strayer
Next time the Alberta Ballet puts on Cinderella, I would recommend seeing it. It is very interesting and well put-together with many lively characters. A crowd favorite was the Jester, because he was entertaining and he was an incredible dancer. His technique was amazing when he “kicked” the guests at the ball it demonstrated amazing strength and body control. Another stunning character was the bird friend, his duet with Cinderella was graceful and well-performed.
The stepsisters played their part perfectly. They appeared rude, annoying and self-centred on stage. In parts of the ballet, they were actually screaming out orders to Cinderella, adding an amusement factor. Some ballets cast men as the stepsisters because they’re supposed to be ugly. Other ballets cast women, but tell them they’re ugly enough to play the part. In the Alberta Ballet version they do neither, instead they cast “beautiful women” as the stepsisters because the choreographer, Jean Grand-Maitre, thought that it doesn’t matter what a person looks like on the outside it’s the ugliness on the inside that made the stepsisters “ugly”. The stepmother, however, was cast a man so that she was visibly ugly, and ‘she’ appeared much taller than the stepsisters making it easy to tell at first glance who was a stepsister and who was the stepmother.
Hayna Gutierrez who played the character Cinderella was full of emotion and performance. You could really tell how the stepsisters made her feel, and Cinderella’s reaction to the old hag who visited her who turned out to be the fairy godmother. Cinderella was dressed in rags in the first and last acts, which are made to look shabby, but you can tell that the costume designer put a lot of work into creating the perfect look. Many of the other costumes in Cinderella were beautiful, and fit the role they played perfectly. The set transitions were smooth, and the screen dancers walked behind in the beginning, and when arriving at the ball added a nice effect to this performance.
Monday, 6 February 2012
February Update
Last year Absolute Dance decided to take our Kinderdance program beyond the studio and out into Calgary's northwest communities. We visited some fabulous preschools, met some great teachers and were uplifted by all the smiling, energetic children who took part in our classes. During the Spring of 2011, we were able to get nearly 750 students moving and their creative juices flowing. It was interesting to see that the response was positive regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity. Dance is a universal language!
This year, we have taken our visits a step further and have been working closely with the students from Early Discoveries Nursery Schools. Over the course of four weeks at a few of their locations our repeated visits have enabled us to build more of a relationship with the students and progress the material covered so that by the end of it all each student has visibly improved. It is always a struggle to balance a mix of personalities and interests but with the help of their great teachers the students have left the classes with a sense of accomplishment. We are about to wrap up our time at EDNS's Parkdale location and are so happy to have had the opportunity to spend an extended amount of time with them.
Coming up on February 11th some Absolute Dancers and parents will be spending an evening out at the ballet. Since this year seems to be the year of Cinderella, we thought it fitting for our dancers to go and see the pros handle the production. 40 of us will be meeting at the Jubilee to attend the performance and you can look forward to some student reviews of the show being posted on this blog shortly after.
Valentine's Day lands on a Tuesday this year and we are looking forward to hosting a couple's night out. We've had tons of interest in ballroom classes and figure that this is an excellent opportunity to give it a try. Come in with your honey and learn some ballroom basics with Kelly Lannan that will prep you for all those summer weddings. To end your special evening together Katrina will be sharing her massage techniques! Book a sitter, make a dinner reservation and then top your night off with us at the studio! Please call to book your space in advance as spaces are limited - 403-210-0188.
To top off another busy month on Friday, February 24th from 6:30 - 7:30, Absolute ballet dancers bring you the second annual Plies to Performance. The event will take place under our roof in Studio 2. Keep an eye out for some dance history projects being displayed in the lobby. A large part of this event will be inspired by the students. You can look forward to some of them acting as MC's and playing host to a small reception following the performance.
Finally, Absolute Dance is pleased to be starting a new Student of the Month program which will recognize one special student and acknowledge not only their dancing ability but their leadership, work ethic and enthusiasm. In February, Brookly Fernandes was nominated by Absolute staff. We hope that her friendly disposition and work ethic act as an example for her peers. Congratulations Brooklyn!
Stay connected and view fun dance related videos and pictures on our facebook page at:
Absolute Dance - A Complete Dance Experience
That's all for now!
This year, we have taken our visits a step further and have been working closely with the students from Early Discoveries Nursery Schools. Over the course of four weeks at a few of their locations our repeated visits have enabled us to build more of a relationship with the students and progress the material covered so that by the end of it all each student has visibly improved. It is always a struggle to balance a mix of personalities and interests but with the help of their great teachers the students have left the classes with a sense of accomplishment. We are about to wrap up our time at EDNS's Parkdale location and are so happy to have had the opportunity to spend an extended amount of time with them.
Coming up on February 11th some Absolute Dancers and parents will be spending an evening out at the ballet. Since this year seems to be the year of Cinderella, we thought it fitting for our dancers to go and see the pros handle the production. 40 of us will be meeting at the Jubilee to attend the performance and you can look forward to some student reviews of the show being posted on this blog shortly after.
Valentine's Day lands on a Tuesday this year and we are looking forward to hosting a couple's night out. We've had tons of interest in ballroom classes and figure that this is an excellent opportunity to give it a try. Come in with your honey and learn some ballroom basics with Kelly Lannan that will prep you for all those summer weddings. To end your special evening together Katrina will be sharing her massage techniques! Book a sitter, make a dinner reservation and then top your night off with us at the studio! Please call to book your space in advance as spaces are limited - 403-210-0188.
To top off another busy month on Friday, February 24th from 6:30 - 7:30, Absolute ballet dancers bring you the second annual Plies to Performance. The event will take place under our roof in Studio 2. Keep an eye out for some dance history projects being displayed in the lobby. A large part of this event will be inspired by the students. You can look forward to some of them acting as MC's and playing host to a small reception following the performance.
Finally, Absolute Dance is pleased to be starting a new Student of the Month program which will recognize one special student and acknowledge not only their dancing ability but their leadership, work ethic and enthusiasm. In February, Brookly Fernandes was nominated by Absolute staff. We hope that her friendly disposition and work ethic act as an example for her peers. Congratulations Brooklyn!
Stay connected and view fun dance related videos and pictures on our facebook page at:
Absolute Dance - A Complete Dance Experience
That's all for now!
Sunday, 8 January 2012
2012 Here We Come!
Hey all,
After a well deserved break, here we are ready to take on a new year and at the start of another busy time. Now that the holidays are over it really does mean full steam ahead with the push to finish competition choreography and get things polished and ready for our March dress rehearsal. Absolute's production of Cinderella was a huge success and has definitely given all those involved the inspiration to take on a new performance challenge. Next up, Plies to Performance.
As part of our ballet performance program, the students who participated in Cinderella, now have the chance to do a smaller, more intimate project which focuses more on classical technique and draws from various methods of ballet, while also giving some students a chance to find their creative voice when it comes to putting the show together. With this special program, the overall aim is to produce the thinking dancer. The students have multiple opportunities to perform choreography that is set in a fast paced environment. This work not only demands technical ability but, as seen in Cinderella, also ventures into the realm of characterization and storytelling. With Plies to Performance, there will be a large element of ballet history. Each student will have take home, written assignments that will focus on an important period in dance. The material will be shared and presented to our audience as part of Plies to Performance. Another objective with this project is to make a collaborative, student produced presentation. Students will take on the responsibility of acting as master of ceremonies and our eldest group, through a series of dance labs, will be taking on the task of choreography themselves! In this day and age where students are always given direction and told what to do it is important to let go of the reins a little bit and let them take some responsibility and ownership in what they present. As it always goes in the dance world most of these challenges we take on are experiments and ideas. It is important that we are open to trying new things, taking some risks, and can then stand back to take stock of what worked and what did not. This way we can make things even better the next time around. Our presentation of Plies to Performance will take place at Absolute Dance on Friday, February 24 and will be followed with a small reception in the lobby for all dancers and parents.
As if Cinderella wasn't a huge enough task to take on, some of Absolute's Grade 5 and 7 ballet students also participated in the Royal Academy of Dance's fall session of examinations on December 5, the day after the show! Congratulations to all those candidates on a job well done! Next up we look forward to a larger set of candidates who will be entering for their Grade 1, 2 or 4 ballet exam which will be held in April. Best of luck to Katie, who will be taking her vocational major Advanced Foundation exam in March. Another exciting bit of ballet news is that Dylan, one of our Intermediate Foundation students, was one of two grade 9 students in Calgary invited to attend Canada's National Ballet School's four week second stage audition in Toronto. This is a four week ballet summer school held in July where the school will host promising dancers from grades 5 - 12 from all over the world. Dylan and his family are still considering if he will attend. In any case, we are very proud of him for what he has accomplished - way to go!
As we head into 2012 another Absolute initiative to look out for is our up and coming Student of the Month recognition program. Together, Absolute faculty will choose one student a month who they feel displays commitment, enthusiasm and a passion for everything dance. A special display will be placed in our lobby where this student's photo will de posted, along with an interview sharing that student's interests, hopes and dreams. Keep an eye out for our first student of the month which will be announced come February 1st.
Lastly, as some of you may remember, in September I proposed that we all come up with some resolutions as we embarked on the new dance season. Here we are at the start of a new calendar year and almost midway through the regular dance season. If you didn't come up with a resolution in September perhaps it would be a good time to choose 1 or 2 things to focus on improving. This could mean giving more attention to the stretch of your feet, or the use of your turn out, or a commitment to asking questions in class or helping out a classmate with a challenging step. For those of us that did make a September resolution now is a great time to reassess how it is going. I seem to remember wanting to give my students more time to repeat a new step and trying not to move to the next level too quickly. I'll do my best to continue to stick to that plan as I can already see the results coming through in some of my dancers.
From everyone at Absolute Dance we wish you a happy and healthy 2012. Let's work together to make this another year of accomplishments and great memories!
After a well deserved break, here we are ready to take on a new year and at the start of another busy time. Now that the holidays are over it really does mean full steam ahead with the push to finish competition choreography and get things polished and ready for our March dress rehearsal. Absolute's production of Cinderella was a huge success and has definitely given all those involved the inspiration to take on a new performance challenge. Next up, Plies to Performance.
As part of our ballet performance program, the students who participated in Cinderella, now have the chance to do a smaller, more intimate project which focuses more on classical technique and draws from various methods of ballet, while also giving some students a chance to find their creative voice when it comes to putting the show together. With this special program, the overall aim is to produce the thinking dancer. The students have multiple opportunities to perform choreography that is set in a fast paced environment. This work not only demands technical ability but, as seen in Cinderella, also ventures into the realm of characterization and storytelling. With Plies to Performance, there will be a large element of ballet history. Each student will have take home, written assignments that will focus on an important period in dance. The material will be shared and presented to our audience as part of Plies to Performance. Another objective with this project is to make a collaborative, student produced presentation. Students will take on the responsibility of acting as master of ceremonies and our eldest group, through a series of dance labs, will be taking on the task of choreography themselves! In this day and age where students are always given direction and told what to do it is important to let go of the reins a little bit and let them take some responsibility and ownership in what they present. As it always goes in the dance world most of these challenges we take on are experiments and ideas. It is important that we are open to trying new things, taking some risks, and can then stand back to take stock of what worked and what did not. This way we can make things even better the next time around. Our presentation of Plies to Performance will take place at Absolute Dance on Friday, February 24 and will be followed with a small reception in the lobby for all dancers and parents.
As if Cinderella wasn't a huge enough task to take on, some of Absolute's Grade 5 and 7 ballet students also participated in the Royal Academy of Dance's fall session of examinations on December 5, the day after the show! Congratulations to all those candidates on a job well done! Next up we look forward to a larger set of candidates who will be entering for their Grade 1, 2 or 4 ballet exam which will be held in April. Best of luck to Katie, who will be taking her vocational major Advanced Foundation exam in March. Another exciting bit of ballet news is that Dylan, one of our Intermediate Foundation students, was one of two grade 9 students in Calgary invited to attend Canada's National Ballet School's four week second stage audition in Toronto. This is a four week ballet summer school held in July where the school will host promising dancers from grades 5 - 12 from all over the world. Dylan and his family are still considering if he will attend. In any case, we are very proud of him for what he has accomplished - way to go!
As we head into 2012 another Absolute initiative to look out for is our up and coming Student of the Month recognition program. Together, Absolute faculty will choose one student a month who they feel displays commitment, enthusiasm and a passion for everything dance. A special display will be placed in our lobby where this student's photo will de posted, along with an interview sharing that student's interests, hopes and dreams. Keep an eye out for our first student of the month which will be announced come February 1st.
Lastly, as some of you may remember, in September I proposed that we all come up with some resolutions as we embarked on the new dance season. Here we are at the start of a new calendar year and almost midway through the regular dance season. If you didn't come up with a resolution in September perhaps it would be a good time to choose 1 or 2 things to focus on improving. This could mean giving more attention to the stretch of your feet, or the use of your turn out, or a commitment to asking questions in class or helping out a classmate with a challenging step. For those of us that did make a September resolution now is a great time to reassess how it is going. I seem to remember wanting to give my students more time to repeat a new step and trying not to move to the next level too quickly. I'll do my best to continue to stick to that plan as I can already see the results coming through in some of my dancers.
From everyone at Absolute Dance we wish you a happy and healthy 2012. Let's work together to make this another year of accomplishments and great memories!
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