September 2018 Dancing News

DANCING NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018

Can you believe Term 3 is almost over!!! Wow! This term has flown by!!

Thank you to everyone who is working so hard this term. There has been a great improvement seen in fitness and technique by all of you! Your exam work is coming along well too! Great stuff!!

MANLY RESULTS

Congratulations to the four studio dancers who competed at Manly last Sunday.

Beginners

Amy - 2nd in Swords and 2nd in Flora

Novice 

Julia - 1st in Flora and 1st in Trophy Fling

Intermediate

Emi - 1st in Flora and 1st in NSW State Title - Intermediate

Premier

Sabrina

3rd in Swords, Earl of Errol and Village Maid, 5th in Trophy Laddie and 2nd overall in NSW State Title - Restricted

COMPETITIONS COMING UP

There are 3 more competitions available for dancers this year. Please let me know if you need a copy of these syllabi.

Saturday 6th October - Canberra Highland Gathering (outside games, with bands and races etc.)

Sunday 14th October - Lithgow Competition

Sunday 4th November - Gosford Scottish Spectacular (outside gathering, with bands and races etc)

I will be attending Lithgow with Darcy, I will be taking Elisha, Naya and Edain with me in my car. This competition has been cancelled the last two years, so hoping that it goes ahead this year. Lauren, I am hoping this will be your first competition back since your injury. 

The outside competitions are so much fun, we had quite a few go up to Gosford last year (the day it rained and rained and we had it inside the conference centre at the racetrack) and it really was a great comp. Let's hope this year doesn't rain! 

DISPLAY AT WAVERLEY

We have been asked to provide dancers for a fundraising concert at Lugar Brae Uniting church on Sunday 28th October, from 2pm. We have danced at that event before and it's a nice afternoon with a beautifully appreciative audience. A great event to try out those new dances you may be learning, but that aren't ready for competitions yet. I know a few of you have emailed me to let me know you can't attend. Thank you for that. Please, if others could let me know if they are available or not I can plan the running sheet. I will be there, and so will Darcy, Ceilidh and Connor. 

OLD SHOES AND LEOTARDS

As you know, fitting out a dancer is expensive work, which is why we have a cupboard full of items for people to borrow and use. Many of you have been lucky enough to take advantage of 2nd hand shoes and blue leotards for exams etc. If you have some highland shoes at home that you are no longer using, or some leotards it would be wonderful to donate them back to the studio so we can put them in the cupboard for the next person to borrow.

SOUTH AFRICAN TATTOO

Congratulations to Sabrina, who leaves next Saturday for South Africa as a member of the OzScot Tattoo team. She will be performing at a huge event in Johannesburg with Australian and South African dancers. She is then going on  safari! The things you get to do and the ways you can see the world with highland dancing is phenomenal!! Stay safe Sabz! We can't wait to hear the stories!!

HSC BEST WISHES!

Both Talitha and Brodie graduate Year 12 this week and start their HSC exams next month. We wish them all the very best! Try and stay calm, and remember, the HSC is NOT the be all to end all!! 

JANUARY WORKSHOPS

In January, the day after the Australia Day competition there will be a workshop with World Champion Teacher - Joy Tolev, from Canada. This will be broken into ages and levels. In the afternoon there will be an OzScot Tattoo workshop, where you will get to learn some of the kinds of steps and formations used in tattoo pieces. This is being run by Cheryl Roach, director of OzScot. You must be over 14 to attend the OzScot workshop. The flyer for this will be out soon and I will send it through.

EXAMS

Studio Exams will be held on Saturday December 8th at our Five Dock studio. We will be having exams from Pre Primary1 all the way through to Gold Bar exam. I will send out exam application forms in the first few weeks of Term 4. For those dancers sitting an exam from Bronze level upwards it would be a good idea to arrange a private lesson with Miss Ceilidh or Miss Justine in the October Holidays and/or Term 4 to make sure that you are on the right track with your work. Private lessons are $15 per half hour. 

HOLIDAY CLASSES

There will be three holiday classes during the October holidays that you may attend if you would like. Tuesday 2nd October at Five Dock. Class from 6 - 7.15  and adults class from 7 - 8.30. Private lessons can be arranged for before that class. There will also be two holiday classes at the Fairfield West studio. Thursday 4th October and Thursday 11th October. Junior class 5 - 6pm and Adults class from 6 - 7pm. Private lessons and exam lessons can be arranged for the hours before those classes. If there are any other times during the holidays that you would like classes I can arrange to hire the Fairfield West studio. I cannot organise the Five Dock one, except for the date noted above.

END OF YEAR PARTY AND DISPLAY

I can't believe that I'm writing about our end of year function!! However, it will be upon us before we know it, so best to diarise it now! Saturday 15th December at Five Dock Senior Citizens Centre. We will have normal classes from 2 - 3pm, so that we can run through the order of dances for the performance. The performance will begin at 3.30pm in the big room and we will have our party afterwards. If everyone could please bring a plate :)) Our Fairfield dancers are invited to this event too - both the class, display and party. I would love it if our adult dancers would perform at this as well! You come every week and have such a great time, it would be awesome to participate in this event! Don't forget to invite your family and friends, it is a lovely afternoon of celebration!

PRESCHOOL CLASS NEXT YEAR

Next year we will be starting a PreSchool class at Five Dock from 1.30 - 2pm. It will be for 2 - 3/4 year olds. It is $10 a class. Although it is part of our highland school this class will be teaching movement to music, with an introduction to technique, through following directions and dance songs that use turn out, hopping and spring points etc. Please pass on the word to anyone whom may be interested.

We will also hopefully be starting more classes at our Fairfield studio, but that won't be confirmed until early next year.

CONGRATULATIONS

We've had a few of our students achieve exciting results in school events! Well done to Amelia for her schools win in Wakakirri last week! To Edain for performing with his school dance group and gaining a prize at St George Eisteddfod, in that same congratulations, to Miss Jen and Emi for choreographing that school dance. To Amy and Lily for their selection in their schools Mind Quest event and Edain in Tournament of the Minds with his school. And to all of our other dancers, whom I'm sure are reaching goals and achieving amazing results in your school and other activities! We are very proud of you!

WELCOME TO NEW STUDENTS

We welcomed a few new students into our dance rooms this term! To Heidi, Isabelle and Belle at Five Dock and to Tamarah, Arianah, Laylah, Dakota, Sally, Jennifer and Emily at Fairfield West! It's lovely to have you as part of our dancing team! 

STUDIO CODE OF ETHICS

I thought that I would share our studio ethos and code of ethics. I think we are very lucky to be a part of such a wonderful caring environment at Banks/StrathAnnan and I hope that can continue throughout 2018 and beyond!

GENERAL INFORMATION & CODE OF CONDUCT

1 – ATTITUDE is everything. If you have a good attitude about working hard in class and practice at home, you will be come a better dancer.

a) Come prepared to work; wear proper clothes, tie hair back AND PIN, go to the bathroom before class, arrive early enough to change and begin warm up.

b) Don’t argue with the teacher or each other.

c) Don’t moan and groan about what you have to work on.

2 – TEAM SPIRIT will go a long way to help your fellow classmates. Let your classmates know that you care how they do.

a) Cheer for them at competitions when they win, even if they beat you.

b) Help each other get ready at competitions.

c) Warm up together at competitions

d) Older students should help younger students, but do not BOSS them.

e) Wear your studio uniform PROUDLY to all competitions, you are there representing your school.

3 – HAVE RESPECT for yourself and your classmates and your Teacher.

a) Respect the teacher. This includes paying attention, trying your best at all times whether or not you are being watched. When you are corrected do your best to fix the problem. I know problems are not always easy to fix instantly.

b) Do not laugh or tease your classmates because they have trouble with things. Remember that you will have trouble from time to time.

c) Do not speak to another dancer whilst they are dancing. Do not correct them unless you are asked to do so by the teacher.

d) Treat your classmates the way you want to be treated.

e) Keep your brains turned on and only speak after thinking.

f) Do not leave the studio in a mess. If you brought a drink bottle in, take it out with you. If you used tissues in class, put them in the bin.

g) Have respect for other peoples belongings. Do not take what is not yours and if you borrow something return it to the person in the same condition.

4. - SOCIAL GROUPS – It is great that you find dancing lessons so much fun and want to chat to your friends in your groups whilst you aren’t dancing. HOWEVER - DO NOT

a) Make the teacher ask you more than once to get up on the dance floor.

b) Cause fights or hurt by excluding fellow classmates from your conversations.

c) Become loud and raucous whilst lesson is on.

Please be aware that if you do not wish your child to be involved in photos during class, it will be their responsibility to step out of the frame when the photos are taken. If you could advise your child in this matter, it will save any confusion or misunderstanding when the photo may be published.

REGISTRATION CARDS

Once you have finished your final competition of the year, please remember to send off your registration card to Julie Joseph's (address is on the back of the card) with your $35 registration for 2019. You can direct deposit the rego money into the State Committee's account. I can send you those details if you would prefer to do that. Don't forget to send a SAE with your cards. Julie is happy to receive cards in bulk, so if a parent at the studio would like to arrange to collect the dancers cards and the $35 each and send them all off together, that would be fabulous.

RELAX!

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday break. Wishing best of luck to Sheridan, who has her final uni placement in Victoria during October. I hope you can see the light at the end of the tunnel!! See you and Annika back at the studio soon!!

Happy Dancing to ALL!

Miss Justine, Miss Marianne and Miss Ceilidh