Dancer of the Month

Our Dancer of the Month for February is celebrating her 10th year of dance.  Hadley McArthur has really pushed herself technically and artistically this season.  In ballet she is very focused on her feet.  Working the articulation of them from flat–to ¾–to then en pointe, she has made tremendous strides in her overall pointe work.  By utilizing her feet in this manner, she has also improved all of the quality of her jumps—from petite allegro to grand allegro, she is so strong.  Miss McArthur is also working her port de bras with much grace. While conducting a jump combination, Hadley is careful to display gentle arms, a strong corps, and quick feet all at once.  This achievement requires a lot of rehearsing, so it is a delight to observe her arrive to this level.  She has absolutely no fear in attempting any falls or floor work in modern. Her modern technique has come so far because Hadley is very focused on all of the fine details it requires. She is in complete character while performing the work for our Summer Concert.  Ms. Cindy just loves seeing this side of her, and her audience will as well.  Thank you, Miss McArthur, for sharing these strides with us.                    

Dancer of the Month

  Our Dancer of the Month for January is in her third year of dance at the studio.  In ballet, Miss Addilyn Anderson is working diligently on improving her technique while also focusing on her performing.  She is exploring performance on a new level.  Capturing the artistry of movement is a skill in itself, and she is very aware of it.  However, Miss Anderson is learning to play a character in her dancing as well.  She “paints the roses red” in ballet with precision and grace.  She has always paid attention to her technique, but seeing her reveal this maturity in her dancing is truly a treat!  This can also be applied in her modern classes, where she is mastering movement style, responding to the vocabulary questions with 100% accuracy, and displaying a positive and determined-to-get-it-right attitude.  Whether she is working a modern fall or jumping in a jete, Addilyn is very passionate in her movement—applying herself completely.  All of this and she is so friendly with her classmates and genuinely cares for them and their well-being.  Thank you, Miss Anderson, for your positive, hard-working attitude.  Thank you for what only you can bring to each and every class.                                                 

Dancer of the Month

  Our Dancer of the Month for December is in her third year of dance and working so hard.  Evangeline “Eva” Sutherlin is enrolled in ballet and tap.  She is improving so rapidly in both disciplines.  In ballet Eva is reciting movement vocabulary regularly.  At the barre she reinforces all of the barre etiquette and rules which apply in ballet technique.  Her great growth in her class focus is seen both at the barre and center floor.  She is able to maintain what is expected technically while moving with such joy for her art form.  Not only all of this, but Miss Sutherlin has a cheerful and positive attitude.  One of her strongest accomplishments in ballet is her beautiful tendu.  Currently, she will be starting her role as The Caterpillar in ALICE IN WONDERLAND.  In Tap Eva is a ray of sunshine working hard on shuffles, shuffle hop toe, shuffle ball change, and her newest one –Irish Step.  She loves Flash Trick Step and Boogie Woogies.  She is able to retain what she learns and even has memorized The Little Chickadees song at the end of class. Eva is a tremendous joy to have in class.

Dancer of the Month

  Our Dancer of the Month for November is in her third season of dance and making tremendous strides in ballet.  Gabriele Church is focusing hard on her technique and fine tuning the many details ballet requires.  From plies to grand battements, her barre work is improving so much.  She is utilizing the balance of resistance and allonge in plies and her port de bras as well.  She is fully extending her feet in tendues, which carry into the extensions with her legs off of the floor. When she is offered a correction she uses if and does not forget to apply it in the next class she takes.  Honing in on her pointe work and paying close attention to dancing over her box has improved her work en pointe tremendously.  Miss Church does not stop there because she carries this work ethic center floor and is also rehearsing the artistic elements of ballet at the same time.  She is not afraid to ask when she does not understand something.   If the combo is tough, she never gives up.  Miss Gabriele Church, you are a complete pleasure to teach in class, and Ms. C loves your positive attitude.                                             

DANCER OF THE MONTH

  Our Dancer of the Month for October is in her third year of dance at the studio.  Hayleigh Maxey is a bright, ambitious, hard-working technician and artist in the making.  Prior to this year she studied ballet, but she added modern to her disciplines and is excelling with every class she takes.  Hayleigh is a well-rounded ballet dancer.  She asks all the right questions and retains what she learns week after week.  When it comes to her ballet vocabulary, she is spot on.  Miss Maxey hears it once and remembers the French term for her next class.  As a matter of fact, Ms. Cynthia calls her the Queen of Vocabulary.  Furthermore, her technique is exquisite, and she always strives to improve.  Lately, she is working on quality of movement and expression.  The class is concentrating on utilizing the head and arms properly.  Hayleigh is mastering this engagement so well. In modern she is not afraid to fall to the floor and roll over her shoulder.  She will try any new movement or step without hesitation.  The technique in which she is working is aggressive, and she does not shy away from it.  Miss Maxey is a complete joy to have in class.  Thank you for your dedication, Hayleigh.     

Dancer of the Month

  Our Dancer of the Month for June is in his 16th season of dance.  I wonder if his Mom had anything to do with this?  He has studied tap, modern, and jazz through the years. He subbed in a few non-dance roles like a police officer in MARY POPPINS and King Kandy in THE THREE MUSKATEERS MEETS CANDY LAND.  However, after a 6 year break, Riley Whittle is back in the saddle again, dancing, and even taking the stage.  He is joined by his 5 partner’s in crime as a Smooth Criminal.  Watch Riley’s quick isolations and fancy footwork in the June Concert.  Working his spectacular hat skills, he has added partnering a few of the ladies to his list of talents!  This all brings back fond memories for Ms. Stefanie and Ms. Cindy.  Thank you, Mr. Whittle                                            

Dancer of the Month

  Our Dancer of the Month for May is in her third season of dance and has improved so much this year. Audrey Simmons arrives to ballet ready to work and learn.  She brings the most playful and bright personality to class.  If she doesn’t love ballet, she sure fools everyone.  Paying close attention to the details of her ballet barre work, she asks great questions and applies all the corrections given by Ms. Georgia.  Working hard to maintain her placement, Audrey performs plies with much grace and fluidity.  Also, Miss Simmons has the most beautiful feet.  She utilizes and articulates them completely in tendue and remembers to stretch as far as she can.  She carries this skill center floor as well.  In the Concert, Audrey plays the role of a Butterfly, which she has memorized and carefully rehearsed.  She remembers to stay very quiet before her entrance on stage.  This is a hard task for a 5 year old.  In her tap studies Miss Simmons brings that same smiling and eager personality to each class.  Currently the class is working on mastering shuffles, Maxie fords, and flaps.  She is quick to let Ms. Stefanie know that walking flap double heels are very difficult to do when they are fast.  Audrey loves Boogie Woogies.  So, if she is in doubt on what the next step is in her choreography, her go to is Boogie Woogies.  She has worked hard and improved a great deal in her tap studies.  Thank you, Audrey, for being such a positive light at the studio.                                         

Dancer of the Month

Our Dancer of the Month for April is in her 9th season of dance and has accomplished so much on so many levels.  Naomi Turner moved to Ballet III this year and has faced every challenge with a smile.  Miss Turner approaches class with focus and a ready-to-learn attitude.  She has done nothing but achieve.  Some of her strides have been in improving her rolling through her shoes in her pointe work.  She is better attacking the arrival en pointe.  This enables her dancing to be more expressive and artistic.  From piques to pirouettes, she is fluid and strong.  Naomi landed her first ballet solo lead role as Aurora in SLEEPING BEAUTY.  She has grown so much as a performer and is embracing all the challenges involved in portraying a lead character. Her core is improving and gaining much strength as she navigates her was through Level III/IV Graham technique in Modern.  She is mastering the Pretzel Preparation, which requires a great deal of strength in the abdomen and upper body.  Miss Turner continues to improve the flexibility in her torso through Spirals as well.  In jazz, she is working even more core work, isolations and gaining flexibility in grand battements.  Be prepared for her performance on stage in her jazz piece.  Naomi has danced in the Junior Company for years, but this is her first year dancing in Dance Company.  She is filling the stage with a variety of styles and strengths for us all to witness.  All of this, and she demonstrates for two classes as well.  Miss Turner is a tremendous role model and a lot of help to Ms. Georgia.  Thank you for all you bring to the studio, Miss Naomi!