September: What did you do with dance this summer and what are you looking forward to most this year?
Welcome to a new year! I’m super excited to start blogging again for the new school year. So our topic for September is what we did with dance this summer and what I’m looking forward to the most this dance year.
I will start with what I did this summer with dance. This summer was spent primarily taking my daughter to dance conventions in Arizona and California. We started after Nationals for her team by going to Camp Pulse in Arizona. Hallie danced and I did the business track. I connected with other studio owner across the nation and some from Australia. We had a great round table discussion on building classes and what does beginner/intermediate/advanced mean in the current state of dance. I had a wonderful lunch with all the choreographers on the Camp Pulse/Pulse on Tour. I also took the parent hip hop class and unknowingly became a hot topic on the instructors Instagram! I also took at teacher’s only class with Brooke Lipton that was wonderful!
We then went to Los Angeles for the first week in August. Hallie attended the Monster of Hip Hop Tour finale and for once I got to watch like a proud parent. I did go to take a hip hop class at Millenium Dance – hip hop. I’m very proud to say that I kept up with the 20 something year olds in the room! I also took an African Dance class at Debbie Allen’s studio. It was an awesome experience! We had a great time that week.
This was one summer I didn’t do a ton of things dance wise, but I did do more theatre things. I’ve started a sing/dance/act class at the studio I’m on staff at (Cedar Park Dance Company). I also did a theatre intensive over the summer that was wonderful! I’m really excited to do more of this during this dance year. I think it’s something that can make dancers more well rounded that want to pursue more opportunities in dance.
This year I’m most looking forward to teaching more classes in musical theatre. I get to use my love of dance, theatre and singing all at the same time. Who hoo! I’m also looking forward to a new year with the Junior Capital City Dancers. Auditions for anyone 7-15 years old is October 24th. This year we are going to have a pom group and a hip hop group. I’m also looking forward to traveling around the country with Hallie for Camp Pulse. She received the honor of Camp Counselor so she gets to assist the faculty at each convention she attends. This year we are going to Las Vegas, Dallas, New Orleans, Chicago, Orlando and Boston. Needless to say this year will be busy, but I don’t like any other way!
Best of luck to you all in your new dance year!
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
September: Juwan Alston
September: What did you do with dance this summer and what are you looking forward to most this year?
My summer break began May 1st. I gave myself about a week off and I just slept and enjoyed life from the sofa. I am such a busy body, that a period of rest was exactly what I needed. I then went to Texas to spend time with my family and taught about 9 master classes. Boy did I have a great time. I love teaching and being able to pour into the lives of others. It is always so refreshing to work with dancers that you have never worked with before, as well as dancers that you have not worked with in a long period of time. When I came back home to Charlotte, I continued teaching and begun taking classes again to get back in shape preparing for our summer Chautauqua Residency. Rehearsals began June 6th and I spent 2 weeks beginning learning the rep for the first show. After 2 weeks I then spent 4 weeks in Chautauqua, New York. In those 4 weeks I danced 5 different ballets, 2 of which were brand new. I had about 6 days off once I got back from New York, which I spent taking class with the Charlotte Ballet Summer Intensive students. Then the magical day came for me to return to UNCSA to teach at the Preparatory Summer Dance Intensive for 2 weeks. While there I was able to work alongside some incredible teachers, and well as some incredibly talented dancers. It was such a learning experience in really allowing me a new perspective on how I approach my teaching, as well as how I approach the way that I work in my technique classes. Upon finishing at UNCSA I received a phone call about an injury that happened in Chautauqua, and so I caught a plane the very next day back up to New York to begin rehearsing for a show that would be performed 6 days later. I was fortunate to have danced the ballet before, although dancing many parts than I didn’t before was a great experience. I learned a lot about myself and what I am really capable of and I am really ready to go back into this new season and just kick some ballet bootay!
This new season, I am ready to go back and continuing growing not only technically, but as an artist. I am also excited to explore new cross training opportunities. The rep for the season is nice and versatile. I am most excited to perform in one of my favorite ballet’s Sleeping Beauty! This year is all about celebrating Jean-Pierre (the Artistic director of Charlotte ballet who is retiring in June of 2017), and I am honored to have a part in helping make this season as special as Jean-Pierre is to all of our hearts.
My summer break began May 1st. I gave myself about a week off and I just slept and enjoyed life from the sofa. I am such a busy body, that a period of rest was exactly what I needed. I then went to Texas to spend time with my family and taught about 9 master classes. Boy did I have a great time. I love teaching and being able to pour into the lives of others. It is always so refreshing to work with dancers that you have never worked with before, as well as dancers that you have not worked with in a long period of time. When I came back home to Charlotte, I continued teaching and begun taking classes again to get back in shape preparing for our summer Chautauqua Residency. Rehearsals began June 6th and I spent 2 weeks beginning learning the rep for the first show. After 2 weeks I then spent 4 weeks in Chautauqua, New York. In those 4 weeks I danced 5 different ballets, 2 of which were brand new. I had about 6 days off once I got back from New York, which I spent taking class with the Charlotte Ballet Summer Intensive students. Then the magical day came for me to return to UNCSA to teach at the Preparatory Summer Dance Intensive for 2 weeks. While there I was able to work alongside some incredible teachers, and well as some incredibly talented dancers. It was such a learning experience in really allowing me a new perspective on how I approach my teaching, as well as how I approach the way that I work in my technique classes. Upon finishing at UNCSA I received a phone call about an injury that happened in Chautauqua, and so I caught a plane the very next day back up to New York to begin rehearsing for a show that would be performed 6 days later. I was fortunate to have danced the ballet before, although dancing many parts than I didn’t before was a great experience. I learned a lot about myself and what I am really capable of and I am really ready to go back into this new season and just kick some ballet bootay!
This new season, I am ready to go back and continuing growing not only technically, but as an artist. I am also excited to explore new cross training opportunities. The rep for the season is nice and versatile. I am most excited to perform in one of my favorite ballet’s Sleeping Beauty! This year is all about celebrating Jean-Pierre (the Artistic director of Charlotte ballet who is retiring in June of 2017), and I am honored to have a part in helping make this season as special as Jean-Pierre is to all of our hearts.
September: Haley Ivy
September: What did you do with dance this summer and what are you looking forward to most this year?
Hello TFDE members! I am excited to be a professional mentor this year and I hope what I have to share is helpful or at least interesting to you.
This summer was a little different for me because I didn't attend a ballet summer intensive for the first time in 7 years! YIKES! I would've like to have gone to another summer intensive but the truth was I couldn't afford it even with the scholarship I got. And I was already stressed since the Georgia Ballet ended in early march last season. (So I had a terribly long summer with no free dance in sight.) I ended up taking open class 2 times a week at Atlanta Ballet, student classes at my company, random hiking and doing yoga and Pilates in my living room. Thankfully I got to go back to Texas in April to celebrate my 21st birthday and guest perform Les Sylphides with my old studio for a week. I also had two jobs in the summer to help make ends meet. I taught a 4 month long outreach program for dance at an elementary school and worked at a church daycare helping look after toddlers. The glamorous life of a broke ballet dancer... But I somehow managed to stay in shape and get some dance in before our season started.
Now that the 16'/17' season has started, the company is back doing class and rehearsal 5 days a week. (Plus 3 side jobs for me ;) ) I am really looking forward to performing Peter Pan in October and Sleeping Beauty in the spring; Daet, my director has some exciting choreography that is very challenging in the corps de ballet. I feel that I will improve a lot in his Peter Pan, it's also a very playful ballet so it's fun to act out all the pantomime scenes AKA being a pirate. Sleeping Beauty is one of the most classical ballets out there so I am definitely thrilled to do the full ballet in all it's glory. The company is also pretty small so for sleeping beauty that means each company member will have lots of different roles to rehearse. Which means I will be dancing a lot, which obviously makes me happy.
Hello TFDE members! I am excited to be a professional mentor this year and I hope what I have to share is helpful or at least interesting to you.
This summer was a little different for me because I didn't attend a ballet summer intensive for the first time in 7 years! YIKES! I would've like to have gone to another summer intensive but the truth was I couldn't afford it even with the scholarship I got. And I was already stressed since the Georgia Ballet ended in early march last season. (So I had a terribly long summer with no free dance in sight.) I ended up taking open class 2 times a week at Atlanta Ballet, student classes at my company, random hiking and doing yoga and Pilates in my living room. Thankfully I got to go back to Texas in April to celebrate my 21st birthday and guest perform Les Sylphides with my old studio for a week. I also had two jobs in the summer to help make ends meet. I taught a 4 month long outreach program for dance at an elementary school and worked at a church daycare helping look after toddlers. The glamorous life of a broke ballet dancer... But I somehow managed to stay in shape and get some dance in before our season started.
Now that the 16'/17' season has started, the company is back doing class and rehearsal 5 days a week. (Plus 3 side jobs for me ;) ) I am really looking forward to performing Peter Pan in October and Sleeping Beauty in the spring; Daet, my director has some exciting choreography that is very challenging in the corps de ballet. I feel that I will improve a lot in his Peter Pan, it's also a very playful ballet so it's fun to act out all the pantomime scenes AKA being a pirate. Sleeping Beauty is one of the most classical ballets out there so I am definitely thrilled to do the full ballet in all it's glory. The company is also pretty small so for sleeping beauty that means each company member will have lots of different roles to rehearse. Which means I will be dancing a lot, which obviously makes me happy.
September: Sarah Steinbacher
September: What did you do with dance this summer and what are you looking forward to most this year?
Hello TFDE Members! I can’t believe another year is here!
Time is flying by and I am so excited to be apart of your amazing organization.
This past summer has been a busy one, which is probably why I feel like it has
flown by us. You know how that saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun
and this summer has been filled with fun! This summer I finished my
undergraduate degree and walked the stage at Texas State University to get my
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance with a minor in Business Administration. Now
that I have my degree, I am in the process of getting my teaching certification
to be able to teach dance in middle school and high schools and have been
preparing for my content exam through out the summer. I am the Drill Team
Program Coordinator and the Director of Legacy Dance Company at Acrotex Cedar
Park, which means I have had a busy summer at the studio as well! With the
start of summer classes to choreography camps to conditioning a new team, I
have been kept on my toes in such a positive way! My competition team, Legacy
Dance Company, is in their third season and started their training this summer.
We started lots of technique work and endurance exercises to help them get
ready for the upcoming 2016-2017 competition season. Getting ready for this
season has been the most challenging for both the girls and me! The girls on my
team range in ages from 7 to 11 and have been working so incredibly hard. They
have won lots of awards at competition the past two years which include overall
high score, judges choice awards, and many others but this year we are pushing
even further to be greater than we have been. We have added in two extra
routines for them to perform at competition and most of them also have solos to
prepare for as well. While getting them ready for competition season meant a
lot of work for them both physically and mentally, it also meant a lot of
behind the scenes work for me including editing music, choosing costumes and
hairstyles for the company girls and soloists, ordering team gear such a
jackets and little things for costumes, getting payments and communicating with
parents and choreographing their upcoming competition routines and scheduling
all practices for the upcoming season to send out to parents. In the midst of
all the team to do lists, I also choreographed numerous solos for dancers for
this upcoming competition season and worked with numerous dancers one on one to
help improve their technique for the upcoming year. This upcoming year, as
cliché as it sounds, I am most excited to watch my students grow individually
as well as dancers. There is nothing more rewarding than helping someone
achieve his or her goals while watching them learn valuable lessons at the same
time. My favorite part of being a teacher is really building up each student so
they can not only crush their dance goals, but also crush every goal they make
for years to come!
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