BACKSTAGE at Center Stage

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Duane Bridges
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1 BACKSTAGE at Center Stage Issue Number 1 December 2, 2013 Personal Message... I am happy to publish this 1 st edition of "Backstage". It is our goal to make your dance journey the best it can be and this newsletter is just one of the ways we make your "Center Stage experience" organized and exciting. It is also a great way of keeping in touch with our families and keeping you informed of important news here at the studio and in the lives of our students. It is so wonderful to see the beautiful faces of all the dancers filling our studio each week. Our dance year has been quite eventful thus far. In October our dancers performed at the "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk", and in November we cheered our dancers on at the Young Choreographer's Festival and UBS Parade Spectacular performances. We are definitely off to a great start! We want to thank all of you for your trust in us and we pledge to offer your children a wonderful experience they will fondly remember for life. Enjoy our newsletter and have a great day! JoAnn YOUNG CHOREOGRAPHER'S FESTIVAL A huge congratulations to dancers... Morgan Arvoy Julia Charkales Kelly Wilson These young women presented original dance works in the 3rd Annual Young Choreographer's Festival at the Palace Theatre on Sunday, November 17th. The leadership role these choreographers took on included, developing a concept for their piece, auditioning dancers, organizing and running rehearsals, selecting and editing music, and creating both costume and lighting designs. The choreographers worked very hard on making their vision come to life. The performance was fabulous and all the dancers were fantastic. Congratulations again to our wonderful Young Choreographers!! RECITAL 2014 NEWS! We have booked our Center Stage Recital 2014 for... Sunday, May 11th, 1:00 curtain at the Palace Theatre Our Dress Rehearsal will also be held at the Palace Theatre on Wednesday, May 7th beginning at 4:00 Mark your calendars and we'll keep you updated as we move closer!

2 BIRTHDAYS Happy Birthday to all of our dancers celebrating their special day in September, October, November & December SEPTEMBER Frances Onorio 02 Mary Ostaszewski 03 Julia Brown 08 Chiara Fabiano 08 Gianna Garufi 08 Stephanie O Connor 09 Alexa Smeriglio 10 Maria Julia Baisi 12 Anne Clark 12 Arianna Hernandez 13 Lillian Hegarty 17 Juliana Goldfluss 22 Alyssa Vartuli 23 Aubrey Orgera 24 Molly Cannon 25 Gianna Moore 25 McKenna O'Neill 30 OCTOBER Suzie Gentle 01 Briana Kastrati 01 Elisabeth Karipides 04 Samantha DeMartino 06 Elise Rowland 08 Analese Carlucci 09 Sabina Farley 09 Kaylee Deenihan 15 Skylar Nicole Pinto 16 Brianna Diaz 17 Olivia Stiller 20 Brett Newman 21 Sabrina Pensiero 21 Nicolette Melia 22 Alyssa Tuccinardi 24 Gabriela Jana Perrone 25 Chloe Rowland 26 Ava Smeriglio 26 Amanda Smeriglio 27 NOVEMBER Lily Gillespie 01 Rose Onorio 09 Courtney Sasser 10 Jacalyn Taccone 11 Morgan Arvoy 12 Amanda Morabito 13 Hannah Tisser 14 Samantha Bradley 21 Isabella Frangione 21 Olivia Gover 24 Sydney DeLelle 26 Amber Cruz 27 Cassidy O'Brien 27 Finleigh Benkwitt 30 Elizabeth Coritt 30 DECEMBER Andrea DiTeodoro 01 Addison Newman 01 Breanna Calle 02 Brianna Fabiano 03 Isabella Orlando 03 Danielle DeLeo 04 Jovita Li 09 Lauren Monk 10 Sara Malizia 11 Nico Peragine 15 Alana Barth 17 Julia Nanos 21 Jillian Rutstein 21 Jenna Scarano 22 Morgan Bello 25 Isabella Cruz 27 Melia Peragine 27 Dominique Gentile 28 Jordan Pinto 31

3 Congratulations Lisa Lorenti! Excitement is in the air at Center Stage! Lisa is engaged! We are all so thrilled for her! We wish you much love and happiness always! 2013 UBS PARADE SPECTACULAR On Sunday, November 24 th, Center Stage Dance Studio geared up (and BUNDLED UP!) for one of our favorite annual performances the UBS PARADE SPECTACULAR! The temperature in the morning was in the uppers 20's with winds gusts making the real feel temp of 15 degrees! After making some costume modifications that included adding gloves, wool headbands, under armor, hand warmers, toe warmers and leg warmers, our group of 20 dancers with tap shoes on their feet, big smiles on their faces and tons of energy and excitement hit the parade route! The dancers tapped their way through the streets of Stamford, pumping up the crowd with their FUN and lively dance to "Nite Fever"! Our BIG performance at the review stand in the heart of downtown was a hit and brought tons of cheers and applause to the dancers. Center Stage is so proud to be a part of this great event year after year! Congratulations to all the dancers who braved the cold weather to spread joy throughout the city! WE ARE PROUD OF YOU! Monday, December 23rd thru Wednesday, January 1st Monday, February 17th thru Saturday, February 22nd DATES TO REMEMBER Studio closed for HOLIDAY BREAK (Happy New Year!) Studio closed for WINTER VACATION IMPORTANT REMINDER: We DO NOT follow the Stamford Public School calendar. Please refer to our Center Stage Calendar for studio closings. Emergency studio closings due to inclement weather can be heard on our studio answering machine after 2:00PM If machine does NOT say closed, we are OPEN and ready to DANCE! or visit our website

4 Dancers Notes Sylvie Rosenberg went to Camp Gan Israel this summer for the first time. Her family took a trip to Rehoboth Beach together. And Sylvie played soccer for the first time this fall! This summer Francesca Ripegno and her family went to Walt Disney World. It was her first time going. She had an awesome time and can't wait to go back again! Sarah Broder will be performing in the All School Musical performance of SHREK on December 7, 8, 13, 14 and 15 at Rippowam Middle School. She also performed with the cast of SHREK in the UBS Parade Spectacular in Stamford on November 24th! Over the summer Ashley Brusky attended Center Stage's Summer Fun program for 3 weeks and had a great time. She did a lot of swimming too, and welcomed a new baby brother to her family in August! Lilli Hegarty spent the summer at her summer home in Breezy Point, NY. Hurricane Sandy flooded the house and burnt her Grandma's to the ground, but her Dad fixed their house! Lilli is a cheerleader for the elementary team Raiders and participated in a big exposition! She is also a horseback rider...she loves horses! UNITED DANCE MERCHANTS DANCE RESOURCE and COSTUME SHOW The weekend of October was truly inspiring for the staff of Center Stage. The teachers traveled to the Meadowlands Exhibition Hall in New Jersey to attend the country's biggest trade show for dance. The staff was able to view the latest and greatest trends in music, conventions, flooring and shoes. And the best part of all, they were treated to a sneak peek at the beautiful and glamorous costumes that will be worn in the CENTER STAGE RECITAL! STUDIO DOOR ON THE FIRST LESSON OF EACH MONTH, WE INVITE PARENTS TO WATCH A 5 MINUTE DANCE DEMO AT THE END OF CLASS. THIS IS ONCE A MONTH ONLY, NOT WEEKLY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING ALL OF YOU! Help us keep our studio neat and tidy Please clean up your mess in both the lobby and bathroom. Remember, this is your home too!

5 Thank you! "You know you're a dancer when you try to reach something high, and subconciously are in some type of arabesque" -Unknown Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk On Sunday, October 27th, students from Center Stage were featured in a performance at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. The event held at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport is a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. The chance to dance for a cause was a very rewarding experience for the dancers. The event raised $450,000! Thank you to all the dancers who participated! YOU WERE AWESOME! REMINDER! As a courtesy to the staff, please remember to phone in all absences. Thank you! PARKING We hope everyone is finding our new parking lot convenient and stress free. We have received alot of positive feedback from our families, In case you missed the info about our new lot, here it is... From High Ridge Road, turn into the driveway for Gloss Nails and Dancers Depot (870 High Ridge Road), drive to the back of the building and down the small hill. Here you will find a brand new parking lot. All the way to the left is a covered, lighted staircase that leads directly to our studio!

6 CLASS NOTES Pique 1 (Monday 3:15-4:00) These 14 happy, beautiful ballerinas know how to start off the work week. They are only 4 years old and are off to a wonderful start. They come to class each week smiling, ready to dance and ready to learn something new! We have been working on our passes, chasses and arabesques. In tap, we love to tap our toes, march across the floor and continue to work very hard on our shuffle steps. These girls are ready for a fun year of dance!! Jazz/Tap 5A (Monday 5:00-6:00) This amazing group of young ladies came back from summer ready to work, and they have sure showed me what they can do. Whether we are learning new tap steps or practicing their turns they always do it with a smile on their face. I am so proud of this class already and I cannot wait to see how much they grow this year. Keep up the good work girls!! Jazz Company (Monday 7:00-8:00) Oh have these girls been busy! They started off the year participating in many different local dance events in addition to their own busy schedules outside of dance. But still every week they come in ready to work and eager to learn. Their drive pushes me to challenge them with new steps and harder choreography, and every time they step up to the challenge. We have had a great start girls, let's keep it going! Intermediate Advanced Tap (Tuesday 5:00-6:00) One word that comes to mind when I think of this class? Dedication. This talented group of THIRTEEN dancers come to class every week and start tapping the second they walk into the room! Whether it is practicing a new step, going over last week's choreography or just tapping around, these young ladies never stop working! Their dedication to and love of dance shines through as they come to class every week. While we have been working on perfecting the basics we are also throwing in some fun, new, upbeat and funky FUN choreography. We're building up strength for toe-stands (our absolute favorite, right ladies?), perfecting our syncopated pull backs, and listening to the rhythm of our riffs and waltz clogs, just to name a few. These dancers take any challenge thrown their way and practice until it's perfect. This group is dedication at its finest - and I couldn't be more proud of the progress they are making. Keep it up ladies! Senior Advanced Jazz (Tuesday 8:00-9:00) The dancers in Senior Advanced Jazz are a hard working and dedicated group. They show up to class every week ready for a challenge. We have been focusing closely on flexibility, strength and of course, technique. Watching my dancers grow every week makes me very proud as their teacher. Since the beginning of the year we have been playing with a few different ideas, one of which will be their Recital dance for The girls have been very open to changes and give it their best during every class. I am looking forward to the rest of the year with a wonderful and talented group of dancers! Jazz/Tap 4 (Wednesday 6:00-7:00) It is great to see all these dancers back and even some new faces. We have been spending alot of time on technique both in Tap and Jazz. In Jazz, we have been working on our posture and focus as we do our across the floor exercises. In Tap, we continue to practice our basic tap steps making

7 them sound clearer and sharper each week, as well as, learning new steps like the time step and manhattan. We have picked our recital songs and cannot wait to get started!! CLASS NOTES CONTINUED Teen Jazz 1 (Wednesday 7:00-8:00) Although a little shy toward me from the start, the dancers have been working hard and are improving every week. They take challenges and push themselves, they take corrections and apply them, and in addition, they have been very open to new ideas for choreography. They have been working hard on their pirouettes, leaps, and splits and we will soon incorporate these steps into a fun dance for the recital. I m looking forward to what is to come from Teen Jazz 1! Jazz/Tap 3A (Thursday 4:00-5:00) This is the first time I have had the pleasure of teaching the girls in this class...what a great group of dancers! As a whole, the group possesses a tremendous gift of gab (lol!), but once focused they are excellent learners. Technique is most important in my class and these girls are really stepping it up and looking strong. They take correction and apply it to their movement. They never quit when doing progressions across the floor until they get it right. They ask questions or demonstrate a step for me to be sure it is correct. These are the qualities of an outstanding dancer and student. Good job girls! Jazz/Tap 5B (Friday 7:00-8:00) I have had the honor of teaching this group of talented young dancers (who aren't so young anymore) and I cannot say enough how much these girls have really "grown up" this year. Their love of dance is apparent - I see it in their smiling faces as they come through the door - but their level of commitment and dedication has really turned up this year! Practicing as they walk through the door and helping each other perfect last week's new tap step makes me a very proud teacher! This year we're focusing on TECHNIQUE and S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G and really building up strength in our bodies so we can do more challenging steps, jumps and turns. These girls come ready to work each week and through the "Ouch!" and other moans and groans as we're all holding our splits, I've seen immense progress. We're breaking down and making our turns perfect - chaines, pirouettes and piques are just naming a few. Buffalo, Maxi Ford and Cramp Roll turns are also being perfected on the tap side. I can honestly say I have seen a new, more grown up side to these talented young dancers, and I couldn't be more proud. Keep up the great work ladies! Arabesque 2 (Saturday 10:00-11:00) What a wonderful way to wake up! These beautiful dancers brighten my morning every Saturday! They are full of life and eager to learn. We have accomplished so much in our short time together. They continue to improve on steps they already knew from last year...passe hop, arabesque, and leap... and each week learn new steps...kick ball change, pas de bourree and step ball change. In Tap they are pros at shuffle, shuffle step, shuffle hop step and shuffle ball change. Now its on to trickier steps like flaps and flap ball change. I am so proud of these dancers and looking forward to a very fun-filled year! Ballet 1 (Saturday 11:00-12:00) In Ballet 1 we are working really hard on our flexibility. We are also doing a lot of floor exercises to strengthen our muscles. Every week we try to become stronger and more flexible than the week before. This is very important in order to become a more experienced ballet dancer. They are

8 working so hard and I can already see improvement! The staff of Center Stage wishes our Dancers and Families a VERY HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!

BACKSTAGE at Center Stage

BACKSTAGE at Center Stage 2010-2011 Issue Number 3 IT S SHOW TIME!!! As the dance season comes to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone in our Center Stage family who