Belly Dance class at CSDS!

Posted on August 8, 2012 by cleonard

Join us this Thursday, August 9, at CSDS for our final class of the summer intensive program!

This Thursday we are offering a special “Belly Dance” master class for ages 13 and up.

Class takes place from 6:30 – 8pm and will be conducted by Susi Good, a well-known and respected belly dance professional in the Boston area. This is Susi’s last week here in Boston before she moves to Austin, Texas. She is a wonderful teacher and mentor to students, and I am honored to have been her friend and colleague for the past 6 years.

Details & Payment Information

  • What: Belly Dance, Ages 13+
  • When: Thursday August 9, 6:30 – 8pm
  • Pricing as follows:

- Students enrolled in “Intermediate Jazz” Summer Intensive, regular class time, no additional charge.

- Students enrolled in Summer Intensive “Unlimited Classes”, drop-in, no additional charge.

– All other students, age 13+, $10 drop-in rate per person.

 

  • Dress Code: dance attire is required but tights are not necessary. Acro attire (i.e. dance shorts, sports bras, tank tops) okay. No shoes.

- Bring a decorative scarf or shawl that you can wrap around your waist if you have one available.

No pre-registration necessary, class available as drop-in, cash payment only. If you have any questions please email or call us before Thursday’s class.

Please remember, drop-in class is only available to those ages 13 and up! Hope to see you there!

 

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Changes to Summer Schedule

Posted on June 9, 2012 by cleonard

Dear CSDS Families,

There have been some minor changes to the Summer Intensive schedule for 2012.  Please note the changes in the schedule on our “Summer Programs” page, and don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

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Dance Ovations Results

Posted on April 2, 2012 by cleonard

Congratulations to all of our dancers who competed at Dance Ovations in Saugus this weekend.  You all performed beautifully and made your teachers VERY proud! Here are our results from competition:

  • The Bird and The Worm: HIGH GOLD
  • Tiki Tiki Room (Cassie Sleeper): HIGH GOLD
  • The Climb (Gianna Filaretos): ABSOLUTE
  • The Swan (Maya Talwar-Hebert): HIGH GOLD
  • La Esmeralda (Sophie Carroll): ABSOLUTE
  • Corner of Your Heart (Sarah Donovan): HIGH GOLD
  • Turning Page: ABSOLUTE
  • Autumn’s Child (Justine DiBiasio): ABSOLUTE
  • Giselle (Carolyn Harney): HIGH GOLD
  • Falling in Love With You (Charlotte Rodgers): HIGH GOLD
  • Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Jessica Prince): HIGH GOLD
  • Zombie (Michaela Short): ABSOLUTE
  • Porcelain (Ariana DiBiasio): ABSOLUTE
  • Leaving on a Jet Plane (Olivia Pettenati): HIGH GOLD
  • Time After Time: ABSOLUTE
  • The Composer (Jonny Leonard): ABSOLUTE
  • Don’t Worry Now (Kaleigh McCall: HIGH GOLD

High Scores

The Climb / Gianna Filaretos: Junior Lyrical Solo
Turning Page: Senior Contemporary Duo

Special Awards

“Perfectly Paired”: The Bird and the Worm (Gianna Paladino & Emily Nguyen)
“Absolute Artistry“: Turning Page (Jonny Leonard & Sophie Carroll)
“First Lady of the Stage“: La Esmeralda (Sophie Carroll)

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WCDE Convention Recap!

Posted on February 28, 2012 by cleonard

What a refreshing weekend of dance classes & performances at the West Coast Dance Explosion convention in Boston!  I attended the convention as a teacher, and 5 CSDS students attended as well. The staff is phenomenal.  If you are a follower of the dance/choreography world you will recognize names like Elizabeth Parkinson, Ricky Palomino, Jeff Lapes, Natalie Reid, and Sasha Mallory to name a few.

The entire weekend was organized, inspiring and refreshing.  Dancers & teachers alike learned choreography, and had the chance to receive sage advice from people who live and breath this world we call dance.   It’s not everyday that you meet inspired and inspiring people who thrive on their passion.

One man whose name wasn’t on the playbill but appeared in classes with Jeff Lapes & Ricky Palomino was Chaz Buzan.  I’ve been following Chaz for the past year or so, mostly through gazing at You Tube videos with my jaw on the floor.  He is one of the most fluid, silky, and technically strong dancers I have ever seen.  His movement is unique & heartfelt, and he has legs to die for.  The first video I ever saw of Chaz was this one:

I was so glad that my students that attended the convention got to see with their own eyes just why their dance teacher kept telling them to “You Tube “My Heart!” for the past 6 months.

Lastly, here is a short video from the “Teen Room” where Ricky Palomino, Chaz Buzan, and their assistant Gabby David (17 years old, oh. my. god.) demonstrated the combo they were teaching. Speechless…
http://a.yfrog.com/img138/7620/x21.mp4

Thanks to WCDE, the staff and faculty, the dancers, and my students for another renewing experience. When you teach 25 dance classes every week, it’s easy to burn out. We all need a vacation to revive ourselves, and sometimes we need a little inspiration to light the fire again too. I’m happy to say, mine is lit!

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2012 Voters Choice Awards

Posted on February 13, 2012 by cleonard
Friends & Families of CSDS,
The 2012 Voter’s Choice Awards is on for Wicked Local and CSDS would appreciate your vote for “Best Dance School” in Melrose! Visit http://www.wickedlocalfavorites.com/ to vote for your favorite local businesses. Voting ends February 15, 2012.

Thank you!

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A Cute “Flirty Fosse Fusion” Combo

Posted on November 9, 2011 by cleonard

Dance 212 is a great website that pDance 212roduces video shorts focusing on the dance community around the world.

Their latest video shows a group of dancers who are learning choreography for a song called “Rent a Cop”, set by NYC choreographer Grady Bowman One of the dancers, Paloma, calls the style “Flirty Fosse Fusion”. It’s clean, it’s cute, and I can see some Fosse influence in the dance too!

You’ll have to visit their website to watch the video, just click this link: http://dance212.com/node/397

If you see some videos on Dance 212 that you’d like to share, put them in the comment section below!

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Halloween Week at CSDS

Posted on October 30, 2011 by cleonard

This week at CSDS we told our Creative Dance & other young students they could dress up for class!  In Miss Christina’s classes we played Halloween games, had party snacks, and some kids even decorated pumpkins & ghosts.  Dance class is a great way to celebrate Halloween.  Students love to dress up in costume, and for us teachers it is a great chance to spend time getting to know our students and let them explore their creativity both in costume & in dance!  Here are some great pictures from a few of our Halloween Parties this year!

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CSDS’ Fall Raffle

Posted on October 30, 2011 by cleonard

The CSDS Fall Raffle has come to an end.  Congratulations to the winner of thirty (30) $5 scratch tickets, William Filaretos.  Here are some photos from yesterday’s drawing!

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CSDS Dancers to Perform in Nutcracker

Posted on October 26, 2011 by cleonard

30 dancers from Center Stage Dance Studio will perform in Melrose Youth Ballet’s 17th annual production of The Nutcracker on December 2 – 4, 2011 at Memorial Hall in Melrose. These young dancers, ranging in from age 9 – 18, auditioned and were cast in the annual production. MYB is a 5013c non-profit organization whose mission is to help young dancers realize their potential by being part of a full-scale ballet production that pairs children, young adults, and professional dancers on stage together. Front Row: Margaret Hoff, Sophia Cresta, Liam McCall, Ronnie DiBiasio, Lindsay Jepson, Chloe Orcutt. Second Row: Courtney Murphy, Amanda Cavicchi, Emily Nguyen, Kaleigh McCall, Elena Bibilos, Gianna Filaretos. Third Row: Justine DiBiasio, Emma Wiklund, Maya Talwar-Hebert, Michaela Short. Fourth Row: Charlotte Rodgers, Lucy Naslas, Sophie Carroll, Jonny Leonard, Carolyn Harney, Sarah Donovan, Ariana DiBiasio, Mackenzie Murphy. Missing from Photo: Emily Blatchford, Ruby D’Amico, Alyssa Milton, Brigid Scanlon, Nora Scanlon, Lydia Steger-Wilson. For more information on The Nutcracker visit www.melroseyouthballet.org or call 781-665-4MYB.

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The Ethical Side of Choreography

Posted on October 13, 2011 by cleonard

Over the past few days I’ve been following a debate on Beyonce Knowles’ choreography for her new music video.  Today the news broke that she indeed was “influenced” by Belgian choreographer, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker.

Choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker has accused Beyonce of stealing routines for her “Countdown” video, calling it “pure plagiarism,” Belgian dance troupe Rosas said Monday.

On Tuesday, Beyonce acknowledged that her latest video was “inspired” by the work of a Belgian choreographer who has threatened to sue for plagiarism.

This brings up a lot of questions regarding influence versus plagiarism in dance.  With the commercial dance industry booming, dancers and choreographers are constantly seeing and being influenced by each other’s work.

Personally, I have adopted certain “tricks” in my dance classes that I have seen done on TV shows or at dance competitions.  This might include new methods of leaping, turning, or “falls” that are increasingly popular in the dance world.

I believe that a certain degree influence is generally accepted in the dance world, and the commercialization of dance has helped dance studios and teachers grow in creative ways.  We are privileged to see the most creative, innovative dance styles & moves on a daily basis through tv shows like “So You Think You Can Dance”, “Dancing with the Stars”, “America’s Best Dance Crew”, and of course the dance encyclopedia that is YouTube.

However, “ripping off” a dance routine or a choreography sequence and claiming it as your own is wrong (and lazy!).

Studio Brussel, a Belgian radio station has produced a “side by side” of the two videos at odds. It intercuts clips of Beyonce’s October 7 Countdown video, with the 1997 film that musician and filmmaker Thierry de May made of Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s Rosas danst Rosas. The comparison video has gotten close to a million and a half hits.

See for yourself, what do you think?  Influence or plagiarism?

 

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