May Mini Session Starts Today + Annual Performance (Online Edition) + Steppin' Out May News
Greetings from the virtual studio! We've had a ton of fun online with your dancers this past month. While our zoom adventures haven't been without their share of hiccups, thanks to your patience and our teachers' endless energy and innovation, we think we've gotten the hang of it. Lots of important news below--please scroll down for information on our Annual Performance (Online Edition) and a reminder of our May Mini Series for children, teens, and adults (which starts TODAY)!
MAY MINI SERIES FOR YOUTH AND TEENS STARTS TODAY!
Try new classes like Musical Theater or Dance, Yoga Play Date--or add an additional ballet class each week. You can still register for these four-week mini sessions (specially priced to allow dancers to try new things!). Learn more!
MAY ADULT DONATION-BASED DROP-IN CLASSES ALSO START TODAY
Why should the kids have all the fun? Drop in to these donation-based classes for adults--no commitment required! Try classes like "Un-Zoom Yourself Yoga," "Cardio Jazz," and "All Levels Ballet" when they fit your schedule. Learn more.
FEATURED VIRTUAL ACTIVITY OF THE MONTH
Visit the San Diego zoo without leaving home! Their child-focus website offers activities, videos, games, and stories, plus lots of educational information about the animals.
MOVEMENT OF THE MONTH: LEGS UP THE WALL
Legs Up the Wall, or "viparita karani" (its formal yoga name) is a yoga pose that can help your dancers combat anxiety and headaches, among other benefits. Yoga Journal provides some very detailed instructions for this pose, and we're suggesting it now because we're all (adults and kids alike) performing "Computer Pose" way too often these days, and Legs Up the Wall can help mitigate some of Computer Pose's bad effects.
ANNUAL PERFORMANCE (ONLINE EDITION):
While we are saddened that, for the first time in 25 years, we won't be together for our performance this year, we are excited to be inspired by many performing arts organizations who are moving performance online this season (see below for an example from Julliard!). As we want to recognize our students and teachers for their hard work, this year's celebration will be a dance video record on Zoom. Recordings will be made during the last week of May (May 25-30, our last week of classes for the spring season) and will be shared with current families later this summer.
ANNUAL PERFORMANCE COSTUMES
We are counting on our students to create their own costumes this year with whatever they already have at home. Students are welcome to recycle any of their previous costumes or just wear whatever feels right for these performances. Individual classes may make more specific plans--please attend each week in preparation for "curtain time."
HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE ANNUAL PERFORMANCE
Parents, please mark your calendars and be sure to have your dancers participate in the last class so they can be featured in the performance video. Please also help set your dancer up so that their entire body can be seen in the screen, if possible.
DANCE PERFORMANCE IN THE TIME OF SOCIAL DISTANCING
We love this beautiful and innovative interdisciplinary performance from 100+ students and alumni from Julliard, Bolero Julliard, featuring breathtaking dance throughout. You can also read about how the performance was created.
QUICK TIP: TAKE RISKS
Some of our dancers may be finding a silver lining in their online dance classes--they might even feel safer taking risks from the privacy of their own homes. Encourage your dancers to use this time to experiment, to "go big," and to soar.