Welcome back students and staff to what promises to be an action packed April after a well deserved March/Easter break. Hopefully families that left Calgary over the past two weeks had a restful time away and travelled safely. If you stuck around the city, hopefully there was time to reconnect with friends and family and treat yourselves to some of the events and activities that Calgary has to offer at this time of year.
Things were not totally shut down at Absolute Dance over the past few weeks. On March 25th, we welcomed a group of dancers ages 3 - 6 to our March Break half day camps. We had a great time doing creative movement, jazz, ballet, hip hop, musical theatre, arts and crafts, and story time. It was great to see many familiar faces return to our camps and to welcome new ones into our studio. We finished up with a small demonstration of dances on the 29th and were so pleased to have such a large turn out from our audiences. The dancers did a great job with their crafts as well. One of the more exciting projects we did was some ceramic painting made possible by the folks at Fire Escape, a local pottery painting studio. Special thanks goes out to our camp assistants who kept the little ones engaged and busy throughout the week.
Over the holiday we were also happy to see some of our competitive dancers continue their training on their own here at the studio. It was great to see dancers take the initiative to come in, run their numbers and stay on top of their fitness level and keep choreography and corrections fresh in their minds. Practice and rehearsal will only make things better. You will only get out what you give in so you might as well give it all you got! Your hard work does not go unnoticed.
An exciting announcement went out just before we went on holidays. We unveiled our Holiday Production for 2013! On December 1st Absolute Danee will be presenting The Wizard of Oz. This full-scale production will feature dancers ages 4 - 18 from both our recreational and competitive streams. Not only do these productions give dancers another opportunity to perform on stage, but it adds a storytelling element to dancing which may or may not be present in the material a dancer would focus on in a recital numbers. A project of this size also gives the younger dancers a chance to see older dancers at work. It is great for generating a sense of teamwork and community. There is a lot of work involved but dancers are left with lasting memories and a sense of accomplishment.
Although it is a story that most people are familiar with, you'd be surprised to know that The Wizard of Oz has never been done on a large scale by a professional ballet company. This means that we have a huge task ahead of us as we work to put together music, develop which parts of the story line and characters we want to highlight and what concepts we want to experiment with in order to make the production unique to Absolute Dance. This opportunity is open to anyone enrolled in a full-year ballet class and is available on a sessional (10 week) basis, or for the full year as part of a special performance based class. We encourage you to chat with the office if you are interested. Last year's production of Alice in Wonderland was a huge success and we are very excited with where we can go with this upcoming production. If you don't join us onstage, then we hope to see you in the audience!
As we venture into April get ready for an on slot of information! Between our new schedule, registration, pictures, competitions, recital and summer session/camps, there are many important dates you'll want to highlight on your calenders.
April 12th - Graded Royal Academy of Dance Exams held at Absolute Dance. Best of luck to all our candidates entering for their Grade 2, 3, or 5 exam!
April 15th - Our schedule of classes for 2013/2014 will be available
April 20th - Our competitive season gets underway with "Dance Stars" held at The Edge School.
- Recital packages will be sent home.
April 23rd - 27th - Our competitive team will attend "Champions" held at the University of Calgary campus.
May 1st - Registration for Fall programs open to the general public.
Tickets for our Year-End Recitals go on sale through the Wright Theatre box office. We've got 4 shows scheduled for June 9th. Our Junior shows entitled, Get Up and Go! will take place at 10am and 1pm. Our Senior shows, Dancing on Air, are scheduled for 4pm and 7pm. Tickets can be purchased by calling 403-440-7770 or by visiting www.tickets.mtroyal.ca. Parents be sure to get your tickets quickly as these shows will sell out!
Come May, we will be sending dancers home with their recital costumes which need to remain in their garment bag and are not to be worn until our recital is over. Dancers will have to be in full costume for pictures which are scheduled for the week of May 27th at Absolute Dance.
Please stay tuned for more important dates for the month of May which will be listed in the blog posting next month. As we get closer to summer and you start to think about how you want to keep your dancer busy, Absolute Dance is excited to be welcoming some fabulous teachers to our June Bootcamp, August Intensive and Summer Camps. Adults, we are also excited to announce that our 6 week summer session (June 10 - July 18) will essentially give you an all-access pass to attend any dance or fitness class throughout the week for only $94.50. Don't miss out!
Hold on to your tights! April is the month where we finally get to see the results of all our hard work that has taken place throughout the year. Dancers stay well rested, healthy, and eat nutritious meals and snacks. We look forward to a very exciting month!
Sincerely,
Madame Jete
Monday, 8 April 2013
Monday, 11 March 2013
March Madness
It may not feel like it outside but believe it or not Spring is upon us! Looking at our studio schedule for the upcoming weeks Spring will have come and gone in no time.
February was a month jam packed with all things dance. In the majority of our full year classes teachers started setting their recital choreography. These pieces are now in full swing and students are able to get a copy of their music from the office so they can practice at home. We always encourage students to spend a bit of extra time on their choreography. Not only is it a great habit to get into but there is always a noticeable difference in a child's confidence, accuracy and sense of achievement when they know they have put in the extra time to learn the material to the best of their ability. Parents and teachers play a big role in encouraging these good habits. Having a great work ethic is a quality that can be developed in the studio and extend into the other aspects of a child's life. There is no doubt that at-home practice is a must.
Also in the month of February the studio held its 3rd annual presentation of Plies to Performance. This was an in-studio performance that involved all the students enrolled in our full-year Holiday Production class. The evening went off without a hitch and was hosted by Sydney Miltimore, Keana O'Grady and Shantel Grasdal. Three different groups of dancers presented various exercises that focused heavily on patterns, transitions, and choreography that was more suited to the stage. The goal when setting the material was to design exercises that fell somewhere between what dancers do in their everyday technique class and what they did on stage in Alice in Wonderland. With the older groups, classes became more of a collaborative effort and students were encouraged to voice any ideas they had regarding choreography or patterning. It was fun to hear the different highlights dancers catch in the music and the variety of interpretations that come out when creating an exercise together. There was also a research portion of Plies to Performance where each student was asked to put together a short project that focused on some aspect of dance history. Everyone did a fantastic job and came up with some projects that were not only informative but fun to look at.
The end of February also meant crunch time for our competitive team. On March 1st and 2nd, Absolute Dance held its competitive dress rehearsal showcasing all of our solos, duets, trios and groups that will attend competition this Spring. The dress rehearsal is a great way to see how dancers perform in front of an audience, how costumes move with the choreography and to get past any major nerves that dancers may be feeling. From the point of view of the directors, it is also a day where they get to see the scope and variety of what will be representing Absolute Dance beyond the studio walls. Our dress rehearsal featured several out-of-the-box numbers that really highlighted the abilities of our dancers and the expertise of our choreographers. We are so pleased to be venturing out with a fantastic team of talented kids ages seven to eighteen. While we still have a few more weeks to clean and perfect, this years competitive team is well on its way to a successful season. We encourage dancers to stay healthy, rested and focused as we move into one of the most important times in our dance season. We will be attending three local competitions starting with the first on April 20th. Some of our more experienced dancers will also be traveling to Phoenix, Arizona in May. Good luck to all of our competitors!
As if dancers didn't already have enough on their plates, the Royal Academy of Dance will be visiting our studio once again for our Spring set of ballet examinations. On April 12th we wish all the best to our 21 candidates in Grades 2, 3, and 5. Ballet exams can be nerve racking but, for the most part, dancers are proud of themselves and there is often a noticeable improvement in their skill level when all is said and done.
The end of the month means suspended classes at Absolute Dance as we break for Easter and March Break. All regular classes will be suspended from March 25 to April 8 with the exception of our Adult classes which will run on April 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. This does not mean you cannot dance over the holidays! We are still taking registration for our March Break camps which run March 25th to 29th. These camps are for kids ages 3 - 5 and run from 9am - 12pm or 1pm - 4pm. Registration is available online!
Congratulations to Natalia Slaba, our Student of the Month for the month of March! Natalia got into dance only recently and we are so pleased to have such an enthusiastic and eager person join our classes. Way to go Natalia! Keep working hard!
We would like to wish everyone a safe and restful holiday as we move into Spring. We look forward to the last leg of our 2012/2013 season when we return. Hold onto your hats, April and May promise to be action packed as we tackle competition and recital season.
That's all for now,
Madame Jete
February was a month jam packed with all things dance. In the majority of our full year classes teachers started setting their recital choreography. These pieces are now in full swing and students are able to get a copy of their music from the office so they can practice at home. We always encourage students to spend a bit of extra time on their choreography. Not only is it a great habit to get into but there is always a noticeable difference in a child's confidence, accuracy and sense of achievement when they know they have put in the extra time to learn the material to the best of their ability. Parents and teachers play a big role in encouraging these good habits. Having a great work ethic is a quality that can be developed in the studio and extend into the other aspects of a child's life. There is no doubt that at-home practice is a must.
Also in the month of February the studio held its 3rd annual presentation of Plies to Performance. This was an in-studio performance that involved all the students enrolled in our full-year Holiday Production class. The evening went off without a hitch and was hosted by Sydney Miltimore, Keana O'Grady and Shantel Grasdal. Three different groups of dancers presented various exercises that focused heavily on patterns, transitions, and choreography that was more suited to the stage. The goal when setting the material was to design exercises that fell somewhere between what dancers do in their everyday technique class and what they did on stage in Alice in Wonderland. With the older groups, classes became more of a collaborative effort and students were encouraged to voice any ideas they had regarding choreography or patterning. It was fun to hear the different highlights dancers catch in the music and the variety of interpretations that come out when creating an exercise together. There was also a research portion of Plies to Performance where each student was asked to put together a short project that focused on some aspect of dance history. Everyone did a fantastic job and came up with some projects that were not only informative but fun to look at.
The end of February also meant crunch time for our competitive team. On March 1st and 2nd, Absolute Dance held its competitive dress rehearsal showcasing all of our solos, duets, trios and groups that will attend competition this Spring. The dress rehearsal is a great way to see how dancers perform in front of an audience, how costumes move with the choreography and to get past any major nerves that dancers may be feeling. From the point of view of the directors, it is also a day where they get to see the scope and variety of what will be representing Absolute Dance beyond the studio walls. Our dress rehearsal featured several out-of-the-box numbers that really highlighted the abilities of our dancers and the expertise of our choreographers. We are so pleased to be venturing out with a fantastic team of talented kids ages seven to eighteen. While we still have a few more weeks to clean and perfect, this years competitive team is well on its way to a successful season. We encourage dancers to stay healthy, rested and focused as we move into one of the most important times in our dance season. We will be attending three local competitions starting with the first on April 20th. Some of our more experienced dancers will also be traveling to Phoenix, Arizona in May. Good luck to all of our competitors!
As if dancers didn't already have enough on their plates, the Royal Academy of Dance will be visiting our studio once again for our Spring set of ballet examinations. On April 12th we wish all the best to our 21 candidates in Grades 2, 3, and 5. Ballet exams can be nerve racking but, for the most part, dancers are proud of themselves and there is often a noticeable improvement in their skill level when all is said and done.
The end of the month means suspended classes at Absolute Dance as we break for Easter and March Break. All regular classes will be suspended from March 25 to April 8 with the exception of our Adult classes which will run on April 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. This does not mean you cannot dance over the holidays! We are still taking registration for our March Break camps which run March 25th to 29th. These camps are for kids ages 3 - 5 and run from 9am - 12pm or 1pm - 4pm. Registration is available online!
Congratulations to Natalia Slaba, our Student of the Month for the month of March! Natalia got into dance only recently and we are so pleased to have such an enthusiastic and eager person join our classes. Way to go Natalia! Keep working hard!
We would like to wish everyone a safe and restful holiday as we move into Spring. We look forward to the last leg of our 2012/2013 season when we return. Hold onto your hats, April and May promise to be action packed as we tackle competition and recital season.
That's all for now,
Madame Jete
Thursday, 6 December 2012
Dancing in a Winter Wonderland
Well it is safe to say that it is officially the Holiday Season! Children's concerts, presentations and wind ups are in full swing as everyone gets ready to go on a well deserved break and then ring in the New Year. Things at Absolute Dance have been extremely busy and it is amazing to look back over the past twelve weeks and see how much we've accomplished.
As many people know, on November 25th, Absolute Dance held its 4th annual Holiday Production. This year, students and staff were pleased to share a full scale production of Alice in Wonderland. The show featured a cast of 45 and included all levels and ages from four to seventeen. The story of Alice is so open to creativity that we could have gone on and on with different ideas and the grandeur of the production. Taking on the task of Alice in Wonderland demanded the combined efforts of many staff, friends, and parent volunteers. We were amazed at the enthusiasm and energy that the cast brought to the production. The show was so much fun to put together and a great learning experience for everyone involved. For our youngest dancers, it offered a chance to perform on a real stage. For our more intermediate dancers, it offered a glimpse into what their dancing will soon become. With this production, we tried our best to make it an ensemble piece for our more senior students and not only expected them to know their own choreography but also made them responsible for set changes and prop placement. Hopefully it gave them some insight what it takes to put a show together and made them think beyond their individual parts.
Show day went off without a hitch and we were extremely lucky to have some fantastic technicians work with us at the Wright Theatre on the Mount Royal Campus. During both show we held a silent auction that was put together thanks to the extra effort of parents and members of the Absolute community. Many thanks go out to everyone who donated an item. We were so excited to have such a large amount of donations come in and were touched by the effort and kindness of those that went out of their way to make the silent auction such a success. This years silent auction was our most successful to date. All proceeds have gone to support The Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation. On Wednesday, December 5, Erika and Meaghan will present a cheque in the amount of $4300.00 to the foundation. Way to go dancers and parents!
If you missed out on the show, please check our facebook page. We had professional photographer Joel Yana snapping pictures throughout the day and he's got some fantastic shots posted online. With the exception of the Holiday Production Sessional class, all Holiday Production classes will now turn their focus to their next presentation, Plies to Performance, which will take place at the studio on Friday, February 22nd.
December also meant Fall Vocational Ballet Examinations for our Intermediate Foundation students. Yes, you guessed it, these dancers finished up with Alice and then had to turn around and do a ballet exam! Congratulations to Sydney Moncrieff, Milaina Robinson, Nevada Piraux, Hannah McCarthy and Dylan MacPahil. Now on to Intermediate!
A new month also means a new Student of the Month. For December, Absolute staff selected Danica Berg thanks to her focus and effort in class. She has improved by leaps and bounds since September and her enthusiasm and work ethic are a great addition to the Absolute Team. You can learn more about our December Student of the Month by checking out the display our front entrance.
The upcoming end to the Fall Session means parent viewing in all of our classes. From December 15th to 21st parents will be invited into the studio for the last 15 minutes of each class. Photography and video will be permitted. We encourage parents to come see what your dancer has been working on since September. Viewing for competitive choreography classes will take place on Thursday and Friday only.
Our last day of classes before we break for Christmas is Friday, December 21st. Classes will resume on Monday, January 7. Please be advised that the studio will be closed for two weeks but the Directors will still be available over e-mail. Please be sure to check the lost and found before December 21st as all remaining items will be donated to Goodwill. As we look forward to the New Year and the new Winter Session, don't forget to re-register for any sessional classes. Our sessional schedule will remain the same but will have a second Kinderdance class added on Fridays from 4:30 - 5:15. Our Moving Forward class will also be running again but in shorter session lengths: Winter, Spring and Summer. Please see the office for more details. Already planning activities for March Break? Check out our March Break Camps for children ages 3 - 12. We've got an excellent Early Bird rate until February 15th and registration is available online. Please chat with the office or visit our website for more details.
Absolute Dance would like to wish all students and their families a happy, safe a restful Holiday. We look forward to seeing what 2013 has in store for us!
Happy Holidays,
Madame Jete
As many people know, on November 25th, Absolute Dance held its 4th annual Holiday Production. This year, students and staff were pleased to share a full scale production of Alice in Wonderland. The show featured a cast of 45 and included all levels and ages from four to seventeen. The story of Alice is so open to creativity that we could have gone on and on with different ideas and the grandeur of the production. Taking on the task of Alice in Wonderland demanded the combined efforts of many staff, friends, and parent volunteers. We were amazed at the enthusiasm and energy that the cast brought to the production. The show was so much fun to put together and a great learning experience for everyone involved. For our youngest dancers, it offered a chance to perform on a real stage. For our more intermediate dancers, it offered a glimpse into what their dancing will soon become. With this production, we tried our best to make it an ensemble piece for our more senior students and not only expected them to know their own choreography but also made them responsible for set changes and prop placement. Hopefully it gave them some insight what it takes to put a show together and made them think beyond their individual parts.
Show day went off without a hitch and we were extremely lucky to have some fantastic technicians work with us at the Wright Theatre on the Mount Royal Campus. During both show we held a silent auction that was put together thanks to the extra effort of parents and members of the Absolute community. Many thanks go out to everyone who donated an item. We were so excited to have such a large amount of donations come in and were touched by the effort and kindness of those that went out of their way to make the silent auction such a success. This years silent auction was our most successful to date. All proceeds have gone to support The Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation. On Wednesday, December 5, Erika and Meaghan will present a cheque in the amount of $4300.00 to the foundation. Way to go dancers and parents!
If you missed out on the show, please check our facebook page. We had professional photographer Joel Yana snapping pictures throughout the day and he's got some fantastic shots posted online. With the exception of the Holiday Production Sessional class, all Holiday Production classes will now turn their focus to their next presentation, Plies to Performance, which will take place at the studio on Friday, February 22nd.
December also meant Fall Vocational Ballet Examinations for our Intermediate Foundation students. Yes, you guessed it, these dancers finished up with Alice and then had to turn around and do a ballet exam! Congratulations to Sydney Moncrieff, Milaina Robinson, Nevada Piraux, Hannah McCarthy and Dylan MacPahil. Now on to Intermediate!
A new month also means a new Student of the Month. For December, Absolute staff selected Danica Berg thanks to her focus and effort in class. She has improved by leaps and bounds since September and her enthusiasm and work ethic are a great addition to the Absolute Team. You can learn more about our December Student of the Month by checking out the display our front entrance.
The upcoming end to the Fall Session means parent viewing in all of our classes. From December 15th to 21st parents will be invited into the studio for the last 15 minutes of each class. Photography and video will be permitted. We encourage parents to come see what your dancer has been working on since September. Viewing for competitive choreography classes will take place on Thursday and Friday only.
Our last day of classes before we break for Christmas is Friday, December 21st. Classes will resume on Monday, January 7. Please be advised that the studio will be closed for two weeks but the Directors will still be available over e-mail. Please be sure to check the lost and found before December 21st as all remaining items will be donated to Goodwill. As we look forward to the New Year and the new Winter Session, don't forget to re-register for any sessional classes. Our sessional schedule will remain the same but will have a second Kinderdance class added on Fridays from 4:30 - 5:15. Our Moving Forward class will also be running again but in shorter session lengths: Winter, Spring and Summer. Please see the office for more details. Already planning activities for March Break? Check out our March Break Camps for children ages 3 - 12. We've got an excellent Early Bird rate until February 15th and registration is available online. Please chat with the office or visit our website for more details.
Absolute Dance would like to wish all students and their families a happy, safe a restful Holiday. We look forward to seeing what 2013 has in store for us!
Happy Holidays,
Madame Jete
Tuesday, 16 October 2012
October Update
Here we are six weeks in and it feels like we've been at it for ages! Things have really taken off around Absolute Dance. Classes are well underway, competitive choreography is getting started, and students are in the thick of participation in workshop classes, exam preparation and our November production of Alice in Wonderland. The snow last week makes it feel like Christmas is just around the corner. What a relief to find that we still have a few more months to take care of the many things that need to be covered before we break in December!
Some exciting news that Absolute Dance is very pleased to announce is that we've been chosen as The Calgary Herald's Reader's Choice Award for Best Dance Studio and were also given an honorable mention for our Summer Camps. You can can look forward to a small write up about the studio in The Calgary Herald on October 26th. The story will remain online at www.calgaryherald.com. A big thanks goes out to our wonderful clients who put in the good word for us and everyone who helps make this studio a great place to come and dance!
Since October is our first full month of classes, we are happy to bring back our Student of the Month program. Congratulations to Madi Hannaford! Madi is new to our studio this year and has already impressed her teachers with her organization, focus, effort and participation in all her classes. Thanks for all your hard work Madi. Keep it up!
A few exciting things went on this past weekend: Absolute dancers attended Groove Street Productions on Saturday and Sunday. GSP is a dance convention that comes out of Vancouver. The fantastic husband and wife duo, Joanne and Alex Pesusich, always bring out the best faculty and out of the many conventions that come to Calgary, this is one we highly encourage our dancers to attend every year. It is always great practice for dancers to take classes from as many different people as they can. Not only does it build their technique and experience, but adjusting to different teaching styles of choreographers is a learned skill that takes practice.
Also this past weekend, some of our Intermediate Foundation candidates attended an exam preparation class taught by Anuschka Roes. Ms. Roes has been the director of the Teacher Training Program at Canada's National Ballet School for over a decade and is also a long time Graded and Vocational Examiner for the Royal Academy of Dance. The class was a great way to see how the dancers worked under pressure and revealed the areas that need more attention before the big exam day.
Saturday, October 13th was also the first day of an exciting new dance program here at Absolute Dance called Moving Forward. This class is for children who are considered "slow bloomers" with regard to their coordination, also a great class for children with special needs! Registration is still open for this unique opportunity.
Competitive choreography for our groups heading to competition in the spring is also getting underway this month. Mindy Conto and Sabrina Phillips are two talented choreographers that are flying in from Toronto and LA to set pieces on some of our Intermediate and Advanced soloists. Bringing in people from outside Alberta is not something many studios do and we consider our dancers very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with some of the best. Mindy will also be teaching workshop classes that are open to the public on Saturday, October 20th. There will be a Junior class from 2 - 3, a Youth/Teen class from 3 - 4 and an Advanced class from 4 - 5:15. The cost of the class is $20.00. Classes are filling up fast!
On Tuesday, October 23 Intermediate and Advanced dancers are also invited to come take a Hip Hop workshop from Jungle Boogie who is currently touring with Sean Desman. The class runs from 8:15 - 9:30 and the cost is $15.00. This class is open to the public so tell your friends!
Last week Absolute Dance finished this years first four week session of Creative Dance and Movement Classes at the Hawkwood location of Early Discoveries Nursery Schools. We taught nearly 150 boys and girls between the ages of 3 and 4 and had a great time teaching them dance steps through imaginative storytelling and songs. We always enjoy visiting EDNS since the children have such enthusiasm and the teaching staff are so much fun to work with. Many thanks for having us! We look forward to another session at the Parkdale location starting at the end of November.
Choreography, costumes and set pieces are slowly coming together for our November 25th presentation of Alice in Wonderland. Generally, each group has two big numbers that they learn for the show. At this point in time each class has just gotten their second piece off the ground. Putting a full length show together in only 12 weeks is no small feat and requires team work and 100% attendance from everyone. At-home practice is a must since there is no time to review in classes. We can only move forward and learn new choreography from week to week to get the show done! We've also got some really fun props and set pieces that we have started to work into our rehearsals. What's so great about this show is the room for creativity that it leaves and the many opportunities for comedy within the storytelling. It has been really fun to give the dancers a starting idea and then see where their imaginations will go with their characters.
During the evening presentation of our Holiday Production, Absolute Dance holds a silent auction with all proceeds going towards a charity of choice. This year, we will be giving to the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation. We have been very successful with our silent auction in the past and over the years have raised a cumulative amount close to $10,000. We encourage everyone to bring an item in for the auction. They can be handed in at the front desk. Let's work hard to raise even more than we have in the past! We also encourage our current students to bring a friend and come see the show. At just over an hour long, it is the perfect way to introduce ballet and theatre to little ones. Tickets go on sale November 1st through the Wright Theatre box office on the Mount Royal University Campus or online at www.mtroyal.ca/tickets.
The month of October will finish off with a bang. Halloween is on a Wednesday this year and we will still run classes as usual. Dancers are welcome to wear a costume to class on the 31st as long as they are still able to dance full out with it on. Sometimes wearing an accessory from their costume works just as well!
Hope you all have a spooktacular month!
Some exciting news that Absolute Dance is very pleased to announce is that we've been chosen as The Calgary Herald's Reader's Choice Award for Best Dance Studio and were also given an honorable mention for our Summer Camps. You can can look forward to a small write up about the studio in The Calgary Herald on October 26th. The story will remain online at www.calgaryherald.com. A big thanks goes out to our wonderful clients who put in the good word for us and everyone who helps make this studio a great place to come and dance!
Since October is our first full month of classes, we are happy to bring back our Student of the Month program. Congratulations to Madi Hannaford! Madi is new to our studio this year and has already impressed her teachers with her organization, focus, effort and participation in all her classes. Thanks for all your hard work Madi. Keep it up!
A few exciting things went on this past weekend: Absolute dancers attended Groove Street Productions on Saturday and Sunday. GSP is a dance convention that comes out of Vancouver. The fantastic husband and wife duo, Joanne and Alex Pesusich, always bring out the best faculty and out of the many conventions that come to Calgary, this is one we highly encourage our dancers to attend every year. It is always great practice for dancers to take classes from as many different people as they can. Not only does it build their technique and experience, but adjusting to different teaching styles of choreographers is a learned skill that takes practice.
Also this past weekend, some of our Intermediate Foundation candidates attended an exam preparation class taught by Anuschka Roes. Ms. Roes has been the director of the Teacher Training Program at Canada's National Ballet School for over a decade and is also a long time Graded and Vocational Examiner for the Royal Academy of Dance. The class was a great way to see how the dancers worked under pressure and revealed the areas that need more attention before the big exam day.
Saturday, October 13th was also the first day of an exciting new dance program here at Absolute Dance called Moving Forward. This class is for children who are considered "slow bloomers" with regard to their coordination, also a great class for children with special needs! Registration is still open for this unique opportunity.
Competitive choreography for our groups heading to competition in the spring is also getting underway this month. Mindy Conto and Sabrina Phillips are two talented choreographers that are flying in from Toronto and LA to set pieces on some of our Intermediate and Advanced soloists. Bringing in people from outside Alberta is not something many studios do and we consider our dancers very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with some of the best. Mindy will also be teaching workshop classes that are open to the public on Saturday, October 20th. There will be a Junior class from 2 - 3, a Youth/Teen class from 3 - 4 and an Advanced class from 4 - 5:15. The cost of the class is $20.00. Classes are filling up fast!
On Tuesday, October 23 Intermediate and Advanced dancers are also invited to come take a Hip Hop workshop from Jungle Boogie who is currently touring with Sean Desman. The class runs from 8:15 - 9:30 and the cost is $15.00. This class is open to the public so tell your friends!
Last week Absolute Dance finished this years first four week session of Creative Dance and Movement Classes at the Hawkwood location of Early Discoveries Nursery Schools. We taught nearly 150 boys and girls between the ages of 3 and 4 and had a great time teaching them dance steps through imaginative storytelling and songs. We always enjoy visiting EDNS since the children have such enthusiasm and the teaching staff are so much fun to work with. Many thanks for having us! We look forward to another session at the Parkdale location starting at the end of November.
Choreography, costumes and set pieces are slowly coming together for our November 25th presentation of Alice in Wonderland. Generally, each group has two big numbers that they learn for the show. At this point in time each class has just gotten their second piece off the ground. Putting a full length show together in only 12 weeks is no small feat and requires team work and 100% attendance from everyone. At-home practice is a must since there is no time to review in classes. We can only move forward and learn new choreography from week to week to get the show done! We've also got some really fun props and set pieces that we have started to work into our rehearsals. What's so great about this show is the room for creativity that it leaves and the many opportunities for comedy within the storytelling. It has been really fun to give the dancers a starting idea and then see where their imaginations will go with their characters.
During the evening presentation of our Holiday Production, Absolute Dance holds a silent auction with all proceeds going towards a charity of choice. This year, we will be giving to the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation. We have been very successful with our silent auction in the past and over the years have raised a cumulative amount close to $10,000. We encourage everyone to bring an item in for the auction. They can be handed in at the front desk. Let's work hard to raise even more than we have in the past! We also encourage our current students to bring a friend and come see the show. At just over an hour long, it is the perfect way to introduce ballet and theatre to little ones. Tickets go on sale November 1st through the Wright Theatre box office on the Mount Royal University Campus or online at www.mtroyal.ca/tickets.
The month of October will finish off with a bang. Halloween is on a Wednesday this year and we will still run classes as usual. Dancers are welcome to wear a costume to class on the 31st as long as they are still able to dance full out with it on. Sometimes wearing an accessory from their costume works just as well!
Hope you all have a spooktacular month!
Thursday, 6 September 2012
A Ballerina Walks Into a Barre...
Happy September everyone! It is so exciting to see so many familiar faces after summer holidays and a special welcome to all those newcomers who are joining Absolute Dance for our 15th Season! We hope that this post finds everyone in good spirits and that summer holidays have been relaxing and rejuvenating. We have a busy couple of months ahead so buckle up, it's going to be a wild ride!
Things didn't come to a complete halt over the summer months. Here's a quick run down on what's been happening:
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 this month 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 offered dance experiences for children ages 3 - 12. This year we had a lot of newcomers and many return students, eager to learn some new moves that they could show off to friends and family. Not only did these dancers participate in a variety of classes like Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre and Tap, they also did arts and crafts, theatre games and story time. Our dancers learned a number of routines that they shared with a large audience on the last day. We kept them very busy during their visit doing everything from tile painting to treasure hunts to puppet theatre. Full Day campers were also treated to a visit from Iviva who conducted them in some dance inspired contests with Iviva prizes! Thanks again to all our camp participants for making it two weeks of fun!
Following the two weeks of Summer Camp, our competitive dancers surfaced and attended a four day Technique Bootcamp. This was a great opportunity to review foundational elements and get back into shape. It now feels like our Team will be ready to tackle the new material that will be covered over the next few months. Great work and enthusiasm everyone. What a nice way to start the year!
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 this month 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 offered dance experiences for children ages 3 - 12. This year we had a lot of newcomers and many return students, eager to learn some new moves that they could show off to friends and family. Not only did these dancers participate in a variety of classes like Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre and Tap, they also did arts and crafts, theatre games and story time. Our dancers learned a number of routines that they shared with a large audience on the last day. We kept them very busy during their visit doing everything from tile painting to treasure hunts to puppet theatre. Full Day campers were also treated to a visit from Iviva who conducted them in some dance inspired contests with Iviva prizes! Thanks again to all our camp participants for making it two weeks of fun!
Following the two weeks of Summer Camp, our competitive dancers surfaced and attended a four day Technique Bootcamp. This was a great opportunity to review foundational elements and get back into shape. It now feels like our Team will be ready to tackle the new material that will be covered over the next few months. Great work and enthusiasm everyone. What a nice way to start the year!
What's on deck for September? On September 8th we will begin our Fall classes as well as our Used Shoe Sale which will run until the end of the month. Dancers are encouraged to bring their used shoes to the studio in a zip loc bag with the name, size, and price written on the bag. Anyone is welcome to participate.
Also in our first week back rehearsals for our production of Alice in Wonderland will begin. With a performance set for November 25th, the cast has a very short rehearsal period to pull off another spectacular Holiday Production. This is Absolute Dance's 4th Annual Holiday Production. The experience for the participants encourages creativity, theatricality and allows the dancers to really step outside of themselves. Alice is the perfect ballet to get the creative juices flowing. The possibilities are endless and students, staff, and audience members are bound to have a lot of fun. With this production, we also hold a Silent Auction during our performance day with proceeds going to the Alberta Children's Hospital. If you have items to donate please let our office know. We are also still taking last minute registrations for the Sessional Alice in Wonderland dancers if you have a dancer wanting to participate. If you are interested, please sign up within the first two weeks of classes as costumes need to be ordered very soon.
Bring a Friend to Dance Week will run from September 24 - 29. Friends are invited to come for FREE but must come with their invite/waiver signed by their guardian. Only children are permitted to attend Children's classes and only Adults are permitted to attend Adult classes.
Our Annual Competitive Meeting will be held at the studio on Friday, September 28 from 6:3 0 - 7:30. It is mandatory for all competitive parents to attend.
Also new this year is our Class Pass for all Adult Dance and Fitness Classes. If you register for two Adult classes, you are welcome to attend any number of our Adult classes throughout the week. This applies to everything whether it be dance or fitness. This year, we have some new classes like Ballet Booty Fitness and Bootcamp. Let this be the year you become your most fit and have fun doing it!
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.
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
Summer Fun!
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
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
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.
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