Center Stage Dance Studio http://www.centerstagestudio.org Donna Leonard, Artistic Director Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:17:54 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 Dance Ovations Results http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2012/04/dance-ovations-results/ http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2012/04/dance-ovations-results/#comments Mon, 02 Apr 2012 01:39:54 +0000 cleonard http://www.centerstagestudio.org/?p=875 Continue reading →]]> 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)

]]> http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2012/04/dance-ovations-results/feed/ 0 WCDE Convention Recap! http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2012/02/wcde-convention-recap/ http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2012/02/wcde-convention-recap/#comments Tue, 28 Feb 2012 16:08:54 +0000 cleonard http://www.centerstagestudio.org/?p=847 Continue reading →]]> 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!

]]> http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2012/02/wcde-convention-recap/feed/ 0 2012 Voters Choice Awards http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2012/02/2012-voters-choice-awards/ http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2012/02/2012-voters-choice-awards/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:06:29 +0000 cleonard http://www.centerstagestudio.org/?p=834 Continue reading →]]> 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!

]]> http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2012/02/2012-voters-choice-awards/feed/ 0 A Cute “Flirty Fosse Fusion” Combo http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2011/11/a-cute-flirty-fosse-fusion-combo/ http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2011/11/a-cute-flirty-fosse-fusion-combo/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:49:49 +0000 cleonard http://www.centerstagestudio.org/?p=768 Continue reading →]]> 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!

]]> http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2011/11/a-cute-flirty-fosse-fusion-combo/feed/ 0 Halloween Week at CSDS http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2011/10/halloween-week-at-csds/ http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2011/10/halloween-week-at-csds/#comments Sun, 30 Oct 2011 15:41:44 +0000 cleonard http://www.centerstagestudio.org/?p=713 Continue reading →]]> 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!

DSC03745 DSC03746 DSC03747 DSC03748 DSC03749 DSC03750 DSC03751 DSC03752 DSC03753 DSC03755 DSC03756 DSC03758 DSC03759 DSC03760 DSC03876 DSC03877 DSC03878 DSC03879 DSC03881 DSC03882 DSC03883 DSC03884 DSC03885 DSC03886 DSC03887 DSC03888 DSC03889 ]]> http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2011/10/halloween-week-at-csds/feed/ 0 CSDS’ Fall Raffle http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2011/10/csds-fall-raffle/ http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2011/10/csds-fall-raffle/#comments Sun, 30 Oct 2011 15:15:59 +0000 cleonard http://www.centerstagestudio.org/?p=708 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!

IMGP0054 IMGP0056 IMGP0057 ]]> http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2011/10/csds-fall-raffle/feed/ 0 CSDS Dancers to Perform in Nutcracker http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2011/10/csds-dancers-to-perform-in-nutcracker/ http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2011/10/csds-dancers-to-perform-in-nutcracker/#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:44:03 +0000 cleonard http://www.centerstagestudio.org/?p=700 Continue reading →]]> 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.

]]> http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2011/10/csds-dancers-to-perform-in-nutcracker/feed/ 1 The Ethical Side of Choreography http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2011/10/the-ethical-side-of-choreography/ http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2011/10/the-ethical-side-of-choreography/#comments Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:45:29 +0000 cleonard http://www.centerstagestudio.org/?p=697 Continue reading →]]> 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?

 

]]> http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2011/10/the-ethical-side-of-choreography/feed/ 0 Looking back on Summer http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2011/09/looking-back-on-summer/ http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2011/09/looking-back-on-summer/#comments Thu, 22 Sep 2011 15:40:18 +0000 cleonard http://www.centerstagestudio.org/?p=680 Continue reading →]]> The Summer of 2011 was exciting at CSDS!  We had several week-long dance camps, including Theater Arts Camp for ages 6- 8, and two wonderful Advanced Intensives for ages 12 – 14.  It’s sad to see summertime leave, but here’s one routine I know these dancers will remember.  This was a jazz routine choreographed for our end of the week demonstration, to Lady Gaga’s “Born this Way”.  It’s hard to see on the video, but dancers made custom spray-painted t-shirts with one or two words that describes something unique about themselves.  Great job girls!

 

 

]]> http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2011/09/looking-back-on-summer/feed/ 0 “Goals” for the Fall Season http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2011/09/goals-for-the-fall-season/ http://www.centerstagestudio.org/2011/09/goals-for-the-fall-season/#comments Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:43:46 +0000 cleonard http://www.centerstagestudio.org/?p=658 Continue reading →]]> Dancers,
As I prepare to get back in the classroom with my students, I ask myself what my goals as a teacher are for the year ahead. The easy answers come in the form of new warm-ups, new music compilations for class, and collecting enough new & challenging movement concepts to keep my students ‘on their toes’ throughout the year.

Something I also like to think about are my goals as an individual, as a person, and as a mentor in the classroom. These goals always boil down to one important thing, which is to make my students feel good about themselves. I cherish my toddler, pre-school, and kindergarten classes for this reason. My goals in the classroom at this age are simple yet effective. I am teaching these young little dancers some of the most basic concepts, but they bring the joy of discovery and self-confidence to each child in that classroom. The first time a 3 year old learns to stand in first position and that feeling of something new…Or the first time a kindergartner understands shuffle and realizes that sound & feeling go together in perfect harmony in Tap dance… The simple joy that teaching with creative approaches and simple goals are what being in the classroom is all about.

Sometimes I lose sight of this simplicity, especially as I work with advanced level dancers or competitive level dancers that are in the stage of training that requires fine-tuning and corrections in class. As I prepare my list of goals for the upcoming season, I will not forget that happiness is one of them. The feeling of freedom that comes with understanding movement and executing it without hesitancy is a feeling that all dancers deserve to feel. Sometimes there may be hurdles to overcome in order to get that double pirouette, or to kick that leg a big higher, but those are GOALS that I want to keep alive in each of my dancers. Helping my students to seek the happiness & joy of dance is a goal that I will try to achieve this year.

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