Show us what you can do in a week!

‘Puss in Boots, Puss in Boots Doesn’t need tuxedos or sparkly suits’

10 AM until 3 PM, 5 days, children aged 7 to 12, 3 teachers: A Show in A Week…

“Are you insane?”, I hear you ask. “Yes, most likely”, I respond.

But do you know what? That’s OK because, as they say, insanity is just a synonym for imagination, and we are going to require a lot of it!

“Why A Show in a Week?” CM Dance has decided to host A Show in A Week over the summer holidays, as sometimes six weeks is just too long without dance and performance-based activity! Not only is activity such as this a great physical and emotional challenge for children, it also provides a bit of a rest bite for parents that have a full summer ahead of them. Doing A Show in a Week, as opposed to classes, highlights the importance of team work. Another great thing about this is having something tangible to show for all the hard-work that’s been put in. Working towards a specific goal, and being able to share the outcome with close friends and family, will enable the children to feel a sense of achievement and pride.

“Why have you chosen to do Puss in Boots?” The chosen show, Puss in Boots, is one that is often associated with Christmas, as opposed to summertime. So why would we choose that for A Show in A Week? There are a few reasons for this: The story is well-known. This means that we won’t need to focus too much on the plot, and instead can spend the time on learning the script, music and choreographies, whilst developing performance techniques. There is a good balance of female and male roles; there are also some that are non-gender specific. This means that there is a lot of flexibility regarding who can take on the roles. No one has to feel excluded or demotivated due to their gender. There are many opportunities to sing, dance and act. Everyone can be involved with all three of the ‘triple threat’ elements, as songs and dances are seamlessly integrated to the script. Just because you’re singing and dancing in a chorus number, doesn’t mean that you won’t have lines and a ‘role’ in a few minutes time. It’s a fantastic moral story. In case you don’t know, the story focuses on the importance of friendship, imagination and resourcefulness. Being able to present such a positive message through children’s theatre must be a

good thing!

The fairy-tale Puss in Boots is not exclusive to Christmas; the story and its moral can be appreciated all year round. Adding energetic dancing, joyful singing and creative direction to the mix will form a fabulous musical for the whole family to enjoy.

“Tell me about the practicalities…”

Dates: Monday 30th July to Friday 3rd August 2018 Times: 10am to 3pm (the performance will be at 3pm on Friday) Location: Oasis Academy, Lord’s Hill, Southampton Cost: £90 per child The cost includes the full week of rehearsals, a t-shirt and tickets to the performance for family and friends.

“How do we get involved?”

To find out more please: Email: christinemaydance@gmail.com

Telephone: 07944 287902

Find the event on Facebook: Puss in Boots in a Week

Find the company on Facebook: CM Dance

We are really excited about hosting this event and we look forward to meeting many new faces on 30th July. We hope to provide an encouraging and fun environment, where children will push themselves and produce something truly fantastic to show all their family and friends, in just one week.

Get in touch, get sharing and get involved!

Top of the class!

How do you pick a teacher?  Why is a qualified teacher important?

Dance teachers seem to be ten a penny these days. They’ll teach you all manner of things, ballet, tap, modern, musical theatre, commercial, contemporary, national... the list goes on and on and on! Every church hall seems to have a class running.

So how do you decide which teacher or school you pick?

I’ve got some helpful tips.

Check out their qualifications. A reputable teacher is likely to be a member of one of two major exam boards. Why is this important? Because it’s proof that they have been commited to their training to become a teacher. The teacher training for the ISTD (Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing) the board I’m a member of consists of both practical exams plus a whole bunch of theory before a teacher becomes qualified to DDE standard (Diploma of Dance Education). This qualification takes a lot of work to achieve, hours and hours of study time. Your teacher should have a DDE in each genre in an ideal world. They might have been the most wonderful dancer but they might not make the best teacher without retraining to learn their new trade.

Have a look and see if they attend CPD - I’ve got Intermediate Tap and the ISTD’s brand new Contemporary courses booked in my diary for the summer, chances are that won't be all I do. A good teacher is always prepared

to keep learning.

I’ve attended the ISTD teachers summer school several times to make

sure that my teaching and knowledge is up to standard.

Trial classes - you can go and trial a class with most teachers with no demand to commit to a term. We want you and your child to feel safe and happy so I am always pleased to be led by your family. If they need you to sit in for a few weeks thats fine, If your child demands that you stay outside thats fine too! Ensure that when you attend the class you pay attention to the interaction between your child and their peers as well as the teacher. My classes are friendly, possibly bordering on too chatty! My wonderful students are welcoming and a total delight most of the time! A good teacher ought to be able to understand your child very quickly. Some kids are quiet and need gentle interaction, some children are the total opposite and require a louder teacher! A good teacher can use both voices within the same class.

Price - shop around, but don’t go for the cheapest option! Unless thats your favourite teacher that you meet. Remember that reputable

teachers will have overhead costs including insurance, memberships, CPD etc.

Venue - your teacher should have evaluated the space that they are using - it should be a clean, well lit, an appropriate floor, well ventilated, and a secure space. In an ideal world it should have mirrors and barres. You should never ever feel uncomfortable walking into a studio.

In Southampton, if my class times don’t suit your schedule you can organise a private lesson or, I would recommend the following ISTD members - Emjay School of Dance, Kings Academy of Performing Arts,

Jane Mackinnon School of Dance, Roynon Dance, Sylvan School of Dance, Tori Caine School of Dance or in the forest Lindsey Read School of Dance or Joanna Hyne Dance School. Towards Fareham - try Natasha Lea

School of Dance or Roynon Swanmore.

Hope that these tips help you pick a great school for you or your child

A very good place to begin..

Why wear a uniform in class?

I often get asked what should my child wear to dance class?

This is a good question.

When a child first joins a class for a trial I ask that they wear leggings and a tee with bare feet or fitted ballet shoes, or if they are little

a ‘ballet outfit’, you know what I mean, those frozen dresses

that crackle as they move and make them feel worth a million pounds! Once they’ve picked their genre I like for them to wear the Uniform, and I’ll explain why.

1 - A sense of being in the team - once they are in their uniform they are all in it together, they recognise the kids who have moved up a grade by their uniform, they get excited about getting the next colour as they progress up the grades. I always longed for the day I could pick my own leotard colour when I became a student teacher. Totally rocked my bottle green dansez camisole cotton lycra leotard! They start to work as a team, helping each other with tricky steps and looking out for their pals.

2 - An idea of being ready to work, having their leo and ballet shoes on means they are in the zone and ready to dance. Preparing them for the job in hand. Compare it to being a grown up, If you worked in a fancy restaurant you wouldn’t turn up in short shorts and a crop top, for ballet class it’s just the same.

3 - To show clear body lines, this is hugely important. Baggy clothes can hide a multitude of sins! Legs that aren’t correctly turned out from the hip, putting tension through the knee and ankle joints, spines that aren’t in alignment, rib cages that are protruding, shoulders that are sneaking towards the ears holding all the tension that ought to be taken care of by the abs! It also means that poor technique can’t hide, no bent legs in arabesques, no droppy arms hidden by baggy sleeves.

4 - Presentation is important - many children aspire to being a dancer or a performer of some type. They will soon discover that appearance is important - regardless of what that image is its vital to nail it each time. Being in your correct uniform is the start point of this. 5 - It’s the safest thing to dance in! Its important to be cool enough to dance but also warm enough not to injure themselves. It’s also not ideal to have baggy clothes that drag, other dancers could catch them, or you could trip over the ends or snag yourself on the barre. This also goes for jewellery - necklaces and earrings are pretty but not ideal for ballet class!

6 - Shoes - All students should have their ballet shoes professionally fitted,

I personally would not recommend buying ballet shoes online unless you

absolutely can not make it to a shop or you are buying like for like - size and

brand. Ballet shoe sizing is not typical and your child needs the perfect fit,

too big and they bag, they will not be able to get a well pointed foot

to look nice in them. Too small and they will crunch up their toes when standing,

which is equally as bad. Pointe shoes must be professionally fitted for every

single pair and never bought until your teacher approves it.

Hope this gives an insight to why we believe uniform is important in ballet class :)

Our uniform is available from our online store, or in store at Stars Dancewear in Totton or Roynon Dancewear in Woolston.

All photos are of CM Dance students and published with permission of parents.