How to know if your dancer is ready for a competitive dance experience

At Legacy Dance Project, we have three different programs... 

The Petite Program for 3 and 4 year olds to introduce newbies to the world of dance.  Our Sweet Petite Program consists of Tiny Tumble, Petite Ballet, and Petite Tap.  It's a fast growing program... so much so that we've created two Petite Ballet classes and all our Petite classes are quickly filling up. 

The second program is our Core Program.  This a structured program that is available to dancers with not as much previous dance training or would like to keep their dance experience on a more conservative side, taking 1-5 classes weekly.  Our core program is a wonderful foundation for any dancer between ages 5 and 18, wanting to gain more confidence and provides an avenue for dancers to explore their love of dance and performing. 

Our third program is our Concentrated Company Program.  This is a more intensive program that is designed for dancers ready to take their love for dance and transform that into a passion of the performing arts. Every Company Program is different at varying studios, so we encourage you to investigate what is required for the competitive company at each studio, to figure out which is best for you.  Our company classes are open to dancers 7 and up.  Really, once they can retain choreography and perform it without assistance, is when they are STARTING to be ready for company.  At Legacy, we require our company members to take technique classes during the summer to maintain their dance progress they have acquired during the regular season.  During the regular season, dancers are required to attend two technique classes during the week and attend choreography weekends, usually the 2nd weekend of each month to learn the choreography they will compete and perform.  They are also required to participate in other events like master classes with guest artists that are brought into the studio and will be required to be a part of Vet's Stories this year, a tribute to the veterans.  Ballet is not required, but HIGHLY encouraged of our dancers, as we have noticed those with ballet training progress to upper levels of companies quicker than those that do not enroll in ballet.  Also, ballet is the foundation of all dance, so if dancer's are serious about their dance education, than they should be enrolled in a ballet class.  We have 3 competitive teams this year... LDP Company (where dancers learn a lyrical/contemporary and jazz routine, with the possibly of a 3rd summer routine), LDP Tap (where dancers learn a tap routine), and the Goldsboro All-Star Dance Team (where they will learn hip hop, jazz, and pom routines to compete and perform around Goldsboro and Wayne County).  Each have their own set of placements/auditions attached to them. 

While many dancers have goals to be on a competitive team, it takes a lot and requires much commitment so I want to go through a checklist to see if your dancer is ready to join: 

• Is your dancer open to trying new styles of dance like jazz, lyrical, contemporary, ballet, modern, acro, hip hop, musical theatre and so on to help them become unicorns of dance?  Like a chameleon in all styles?
• Is your dancer ready for the lights, camera, and action of large crowds?
• Is your dancer eager to learn from other teachers on convention circuits? 
• Is your dancer motivated enough to practice, stretch, and work on their technique at home? 
• Is your dancer ready to be a team player?  To help other dancers, show up to mandatory rehearsals, and put in extra work for the sake of a team? 
• Does your dancer have the physical stamina, focus, and the attention span for long rehearsals with a lot of repetition? 
• Is your dancer ready to trust the process, hear a lot of corrections about their technique and ready to apply those corrections to help further their confidence?
• Is your dancer ready to be happy for the opportunity to dance, even when competition results don't go the way they'd like?
• Is your dancer ready to still push and be motivated when they are given a lot of praise and awards for their hard work?
• Is your dancer ready to go through a placement and/or audition process confidently where there is added pressure?  We do this so we know they are ready for the big competition stage. 
• Are you and your dancer ready for more hours at the studio?  It will often become their home away from home. 
• Are you and your dancer ready for more of a financial commitment?  Between extra costumes, competition fees, convention/workshop fees, and accessories and props, it begin to add up and if you aren't prepared for that, those given opportunities are often met with hostility instead of gratefulness. 

The attributes the performers gain from company are priceless! You'll find your dancer has more self-esteem, self-awareness, determination, perseverance, discipline, humbleness, and inspiration.  These kids often improve on study and time management skills.  It's an exciting program to be a part of but the dancers MUST be passionate about their classes and committed to their dance education.  

While, it may sound intimidating right now, I, the staff at Legacy, and the veteran competition parents, are here to help guide into this program so you can reap all the benefits.  

If you are interested in joining the Goldsboro All-Star Dance Team, you are invited to the interest meeting this Saturday at 4 at the studio and auditions that are this Sunday at 4.  You can rsvp here. 

If you are interested in joining the LDP Company, you are invited to interest meeting May 21st and placements May 22nd-24th.  You can rsvp here. 

If you are interested in joining the LDP Tap Company, you are invited to the Tap Placements in August.  You can rsvp here. 

Got questions? We got answers!  We can't wait to get started dancing with you!

Until next time,

Megan

LDP

My Spiel about Ballet

Hmmm, let's see where should I start...

I've always had a love/hate relationship with ballet.  I remember loving it when everything came easily and sank into my brain quickly.  But I also remember hating it... would rather have banged my head against the wall than do one more combo at the barre that I just wasn't getting.  I think most people probably feel that way about anything that takes some time learning.

I went to the Boulder Jazz Dace Festival in Colorado and absolutely loved it because well, the emphasis was jazz, but in every class I realized I was lacking because I just hadn't been taken my ballet education seriously and I knew I needed a swift kick in the backside.  Back home, I spent hours in the studio and took privates with a ballet teacher to better prepare myself before the college audition/placements at ECU.

I went in that intimating, mirrored studio a little more confident because of my hard work and low-and-behold I placed into level III ballet... something I wasn't expecting to do.   I came out with a wide smile and even wider shoulders because I was proud of what I had accomplished.  Even still in collegiate ballet classes with Joe Carow and Galina Panova, I found ballet to be... mundane, rigid, very structured and... I came to love the feeling of it in my body.  I mean, I didn't love ballet, this I knew, but I found comfort in the routine of it all.  And I also knew all this labor would pay off in other dance classes.  I would have much rather been tapping, jazzing it up, or almost anything else than one more degage but I knew it was what I had to do.

I push ballet and technique so much because I want my students to know its the fast track to understanding dance better and pushing to the next level.  I don't expect prima ballerinas or principle dancers to walk out of my doors but I do want them to one day smile just as big of a smile as I did that audition day.  Remember, whatever you put in, you get back in return... even if it does seem dull, slow, or tedious.  One day you'll be shining, proud, and exciting to watch on stage.

And we're starting off on a great foot here at Legacy... our Petite Ballet class is currently closed as is our Ballet I class due to full enrollment.  There is still some space in Ballet II, Ballet III, and Pre-Pointe/Pointe.  And that's so exciting! To know were spreading the love of tutus, tendus, and technique to a younger generation of dancers.  If you are interested in joining any of those ballet classes or any other genre of dance, request our schedule here or call 919-738-3772.  Remember, this is the last week to join so get your requests in before the registration window closes for good this 2017 year!

Until next time,

Megan

LDP

Improv tips... for those who are missing out on Write-To-Dance.

Improv... you either love it or hate it, but either way there's no denying its vital necessity to a student's dance education.  It's been a whirlwind of a summer so far... company placements are complete, technique and choreography classes are underway, we just had an awesome hip hop workshop and a highly successful flash mob performance, and we are currently in the middle of our Write to Dance creative arts workshop.  And I have to admit... this might be my favorite camp/workshop of all!  I could talk about the art of improv and its segway into composing choreography all day long if I could.  The lucky dancers that are here this week will be performing their own choreography and get a taste of creating a dance now that we have delved into the world of improv immensely.  For those of you who are interested in improv, choreographing, or looking to push yourself out of your comfort zone, here are a few tips:

• Listen to your music and investigate the musicality, feeling, and other aspects of the song.
• Relax... you can't really do anything wrong... but maybe... just stand there. 
• Think about the BEST dance elements to include in your improv and if you don't know what the BEST dance elements are, be sure to ask you dance instructor.
• Take some risks... you don't know what you can achieve unless you try!

At some point in every dancer's career, they will be asked to improv... at conventions, auditions, workshops... and we are ready to help prepare this generation's dancer as much as possible.  Stay tuned for snippets of our dancer's choreography soon.  I'm so excited!

Until next time,

Megan Hoyle

Legacy Dance Project

What's coming up?  Pencil in these events for your dancer to attend before the hum-drum ritual of school starts back!

Perfect for the little ones running around your living room jamming out!  Still two sessions left!

Deadline approaching quickly!!! Probably the best way to eliminate the summer "I'm bored" and "It's too hot" excuses.

Just what the toe-tapping dancer needs!  Anyone wanting to join LDP's tap company is also REQUIRED attend.

See ya then!

Dress for Success

This girl is about to go shopping!  For some new dance clothes that is!  Because it's summer and NOBODY wants to be sweating up in the studio more than they have to.  I want to take a second to explain why Legacy and other studios have particular attire requirements. First of all, I require all my dancers to either be in a leotard, sports bra, or tight fitting tank with booty shorts, skirts, or leggings.  Loose fitting t-shirts and sweatpants have a place in hip hop class, but not so much for classes that require so much technique training.  And here's the reasons why:

1. To train dancers, you must be able to see body lines and see how a dancer's placement is affecting them while they are moving.  And loose fitting attire hinders that progression of training.  I can't tell you how many times I've reminded a student to straighten their knees when they were wearing loose fitting pants and I see that dancer get so frustrated.  When I ask them what's going on, they explain to me how they are trying so very, very hard to do what I'm asking them to do.  I tell them to roll up their pants so I can see their knees and do the exercise again... and lo and behold... there they are with their knees straight, but I simply couldn't see them because they were not in the proper attire.  That's only one example.  You wouldn't go swimming in your snow bibs right? Then why would you wear anything but dance attire to dance? 

2. When cleaning dances for competition, showcase, or any other performance, it's much easier to do when all the dancers are in proper dance attire.  Teachers and choreographers have a very trained and sensitive eye when it comes to dance.  I may get distracted by a dancer wearing a flowy white shirt in the right side of the formation and completely miss a dancer to the left with a timing mistake.  And if the dancer to the right is a habitual flowy-shirt wearer, it may take me a very long time to catch the left dancer's mistake... which helps no one in the end.

3. Fabric actually matters a lot too. Jeans are a huge no-no because you cannot move in any dance class when you wear jeans! So that means no plies, no stretching, no nothing.  And dance wear is specifically made with material to help the dancer move.  Some dance attire even has that cool wicking material... you know... that stuff that helps let the skin breathe even when you're sweating up a storm.  And that helps because dancers have more energy because they are not overheating and feeling exhausted. 

4. When you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good, you'll dance good... err, I mean, you'll dance better than if you weren't properly dressed.  But if you decide to roll out of bed in your pj's and come to dance you are probably going to be tired and will be counting down the minutes before you can get back in bed.  Be ready and prepared to work.

5. Discipline.  It's what makes dance so beneficial.  In the petite preschool classes, we do exercises and drills over and over again.  In core classes, we talk about plies and tendus all the time.  In concentrated classes, repetition of dances and technique is imperative.  In any style of dance or age range, there is no shortage of the life lessons of perseverance, determination, and yes, discipline.  Doing the same thing over and over again may seem boring and monotonous but having a routine and structure for children is laying the foundation for success.  When children get old enough to pick out their own dance attire, they then have to remember to put them in their dance bag, to remember which dance shoes to take that day, and perhaps put it in the car before they leave for school because they will be going to the dance studio right after.  Everything from the warmups we do, to the exercises/drill we perform in class, to even our attire is all in the name of discipline and putting our best foot forward... always.   

Now with all that being said, we don't have a too terribly strict dress code at Legacy.  You can choose whatever color for your attire and can be as unique as you are.  I encourage dancers to have fun with their dance clothes because it just another extension of their personality.  Listed below are some of my favorite places where you can purchase dance attire pretty affordablely.  I've seen leotards well into the hundreds of dollars and I would purchase and use those only in performance aspects.  Children grow so fast so it only makes sense to get dance clothes as reasonable as possible.  Check these out below and let me know what all you purchase.

All About Dance

California Kisses

Dancewear Solutions

Discount Dance Supply

Jo and Jax  

Just for Kix

Purple Pixies

Sugar and Bruno

Until next time,

Megan

LDP

If you were a dance style, what would you be?

I'm not a quiz generator or anything and this ain't buzzfeed but I want to take a stab at this one... One question that comes up almost every year is "Ms Megan, what's your favorite style to teach?", and I absolutely, positively have no way to answer that question because I love to teach them all, perform them all, and watch them all!  I just think dance crazed people appreciate and love all genres of dance.  But I do think there are characteristics that might align with someone's personalities more than others, so I propose the question... if you were a style of dance, what would you be?

You might be BALLET if...

You are very poised in any situation, you're very organized, and you present yourself in a very tidy fashion.  You are constantly checking your calendar and to-do lists to stay on top of your game.  You have high aspirations for the goals in your life and push and demand a lot from yourself because...

Ballet is very much focused on one's turnout, alignment, and the control and training of muscles.  It's important for ballet dancers to be disciplined in their craft and their dancing.  Good technique will allow ballet dancers to progress and one day perform on pointe.

You might be CONTEMPORARY OR LYRICAL if...

You're style is very eclectic going from boho to classic to trendy all in one week.  You are an over thinker or analyze everything sometimes complicating situations.  You are a fan of poetry. You find yourself enjoying all kinds of music like hip hop, alternative, to even some instrumental because...

Contemporary is a combination of all kinds of dance genres to form a particular style of movement.  It's quite hard to define because of its many contributors like ballet, modern, and jazz.  Because the technique of it branches from so many other forms, its great to be aware and know those various genres that are catalysts of this unique style.

You might be JAZZ if...

You're closet is filled with the latest fashion trends.  You consider yourself in a state of "organized chaos".  You usually take whatever people consider popular and put your own spin to it to make it more unique.  You have a Facebook, an Instagram, a Snapchat, and whatever else you could have.  You have a certain love for hip hop music and you can't get enough of a good musical.  You're not so great at multitasking but you try.  You march to the beat of your own drum and you're certainly not afraid to be the fabulous you because...

Jazz has always been influenced by pop culture at the time and so might be the same case with you.  It take key notes from Ballet, Contemporary, Social, African, and Theatrical dance styles.  It can be romantic at times, reflective and themed around internal struggles, or sassy to the max!  The moves in jazz are typically very isolated, strong, and sometimes syncopated.  And most of all its a celebration of the dancer!

You might be HIP HOP if...

You have the r&b classics, the 90's rap, and today's hip hop overloading your playlists.  You are pretty go-with-the-flow and can adapt to many situations.  You don't back down from a challenge and are highly competitive.  You feed off other people's energy because... 

Hip Hop is a style of dance that spans many eras... from the days of breaking, pop and locking, to today's social dances and more intricate movements.  Hip Hop is heavy on improvisation and making up moves, poses, and freezes on the fly.  Lots of times you can see hip hop battles and competitions and most dancers try their very hardest to be on the winning end of the game.  But all in all, it's ok, because hip hop is the most social dance of all, making it one of the most popular here at Legacy Dance Project!

You might be TAP if...

You are a multitasking master.  You have a fondness for music especially songs with a strong beat.  You hear rhythm in many things... things like the cadence in how people talk or your windshield wipers.  You too are a pretty quick thinker and can adapt to change fairly swiftly.  You work well with others but you aren't afraid to be a pioneer and work alone because...

Tap is full of quick thinking.  It's dancing with your body and your making music with your feet.  In tap, you have to be aware of what beat or rhythms are present in the music.    Improvisation is also a strong contributor to tap and its choreography.  Tap can be done to almost any style of music because all music is composed using notes, beats, and counts.  "A cappella" tap dancing is when dancers don't use music to dance... or rather... they are the music they dance to... cool huh? Check out our latest Instagram post from one of our tap classes...

I truly cannot pick just one because I think I am all those combined together, if that's possible.  Which one do you think you are? 

Until next time

Megan