Important Upcoming Dates - Info for Parents and Dancers

It's Performance Time for the Performing Dance Company!!!!
Here are some upcoming DATES you need to know about!!!  Mark your calendars!
Remember not to schedule family events, doctor, dentist, tests, etc. during our PDC practice times.  We really need all of our time to finish and work on our dances we are performing.


Drill Concert - Thursday March 24th 7:00pm @ Lp Big Gym
Stay at school until we are finished performing in concert.  Will have a 30 min break to get food.  We are in first half of the concert.  First we do Shakespeare Ensemble, then we do Bird Dance. 
2:30 is PDC practice
3:30-4:00 is spacing in small gym for drill
4:00-4:30 is spacing in big gym for drill (drill concert is in big gym). 
4:30-5:30pm continue our PDC after school dances. 
Break, eat, get make-up and costumes ready. 
6:00pm - Call.  You can leave when you are done performing.


Parent Meeting - Trip Approval for daCi Conference, Texas - Friday March 25th @ 2:30pm in Lp Dance Room
Submissions for Trip Approval for Spring Summer must be turned into the District with parent approval before April 1st. 
I need to call a super short quick meeting to get approval from each parent that this trip is worth it and educational.  By signing and approving this trip it does not mean that your child is attending the conference.  I estimate maybe only 5 or so students will go, but it still needs approval from all parents.

We would like to open up the opportunity for some of our dancers (those who want to and can do it) to attend the "dance and the Child international" conference in Texas this summer.  We are invited to do a collaborative choreography piece with other high school dancers from Philly, New Mexico, Seattle, and Florida for the opening ceremony of this conference!  There are many classes, workshops, and performances with dancers all ages from all over!  We hope to do fundraising to help cover some of the cost of this festival.  It is quite reasonably priced, just need to find cheap airfare...anyone want to help me find prices and break down cost?  I will be going there anyways as I have been asked to teach some of the junior high dance technique classes.  This is a great experience for the dancers, with lots of networking with many famous dance educators.  This conference will be in Thailand in 2012!  To see all details go to: http://www.daciusa.com/pages/4thintergen.htm

 
Mt. Ridge Dance Co. Concert - Tuesday March 29th 7:00pm @ Mt. Ridge Jr. High Auditorium
Friday March 25th B1 Nyah and Brit light dances at Mt. Ridge
Tuesday March 29th
- PDC regular After School Practices 2:30-4:50pm.  Then eat, get ready, head over to Mt. Ridge
- 5:30-6:00pm PDC dances spacing on stage (do not be late)
- 6:00-6:30pm warm up all together
- 7:00pm concert starts.  We are dances #6 and #10 out of 17 dances, which are all short (3 minutes long).  We will be doing Konda and Bird Dance.


Dance Company Festival - Thursday April 7th - all day, school excused (A-day)  Permission Forms coming soon!
This is a new festival in it's pilot stage this year.  It will include adjudication in various dance genres, workshop classes, and an evening gala performance.  It is only for student choreography.  It will cost roughly $15 per student.  Parents will drive their own son/daughter to and from the festival which is at the Covey Center.  Schedules have not yet been sent out yet.  They will adjudicate Bird, Shakespeare Ensemble, and possibly Ashley's Chair Dance, but we can only perform 2 in the gala.  It does cost for spectators to watch the adjudications and the gala. 

We will need parent chaperons to be in attendance, especially for the Gala and the late afternoon/evening, since I (Mrs. Di Lello) have a mandatory dress rehearsal that night in SLC for a show I am performing in the next day.  Please Please Please let me know if you (parent) can come and chaperon our dancers! 


Guest Choreographer: Chelsea Ellis (Hip Hop)
Only for dancers who have proven themselves thus far with points, attendance, etc.  Special "Beatles" Hip Hop choreography.  Utilizing different styles of hip hop.  Must commit to being in attendance each practice.  Optional additional Mondays during same weeks at same time.  May continue the week before spring break, depending on how fast it is learned.  Dates:
Wed, March 30th: 3:00-4:30pm
Fri, April 1st: 3:00-4:30pm
Wed, April 6th : 3:00-4:30pm
Fri, April  8th: 3:00-4:30pm 


PDC Auditions 2011-2012
Wednesday April 27th -PDC Try Out Parent Meeting: 6-7pm
This is during the Parent-Teacher Conference, so stop by the dance room at 6:00pm for the meeting, to get info, get audition papers, etc.  Encourage graduating PDC officers to be in attendance.

PDC 2011-2012 Auditions - PDC Seniors required to help with clinic and auditions
Clinic: Wed-Thur May 4-5th 3:15-6:00pm (only need to attend one)
Auditions: Fri May 6th 3:00-6:30pm

PDC Spring Concert "The Beatles"
May 9-20: Concert Week (spacing, tech, dress, etc.)  Do Not Miss!!!!
May 19-20: PDC Spring Concert.  5:30 call.  7:00pm concert.


Other possible dates and times to add, tba:
-Lp Fine Arts Extravaganza?
-Senior Dance practices
-Socials
-Closing End-Of-Year Social
-NHSDA Meeting
-Service Performance?
-Timberline Concert Performance?


And a Special Thanks to Mercedes Miller's Mom for all the help with our lovely bird dance costumes and Nyahka Greer's Mom for chaperoning at State and on the long bus rides!!!!!  We Love You!!!

Utah State Dance Festival

We had such a great time at State. We had fun staying overnight at the Marriott, going to amazing master classes and performing in the gala. We also performed Nyah's Bird dance and Caine's Cricket dance extremely well for the adjudication (and had awesome hair and makeup). Here are some highlights from State:

March Newsletter

Brittany LeSueur - Sterling Scholar Finalist

Excerpts from Brittany LeSueur (Dance Sterling Scholar Finalist) in the Deseret News and Daily Herald Newspaper Article:

One of the Sterling Scholar finalists, Britany LeSueur of Lone Peak High, suffered a major setback only a few weeks before this important part of the competition.
Right after the regional portion of the process, she fell on some ice and suffered a radial head fracture in her arm — a devastating development, since her area of expertise is dance. Two weeks of doctor's appointments and hard work followed.
"I tried to keep as much of my original routine as I could, but some of it I couldn't," LeSueur said. "It could've easily been looked at as a disadvantage, but I think when we're faced with those kind of limitations, it allows us to be more creative. It definitely allowed me to find a lot more ways of do things I would've never thought of."
With mature poise and ambition, LeSueur and the other finalists said they have valued the opportunity to take part in the competition and do so well.
"It's been a lot of work and a lot of waiting, but I think it's definitely been worth it," she said. "It's helped me realize a lot of stuff about myself, also. I know I'm going to keep my portfolio for a long time ... (and) while winning would be awesome, whatever happens happens."


The final 13 winners and 26 runners-up will be announced at Cottonwood High School at 7 p.m. March 23.
To read full article, click here
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Brittany also explained her Sterling Scholar experience in our March 2011 PDC Newsletter:

"The Sterling Scholar competition has been an extraordinary experience. It has been well worth the large amount of work. I have had to compile my scholastic, service, leadership and dance achievements into my portfolio. I then had to prepare for my solo, improvisation and interview. I was always asked about the choreographic devices I have used or the process I went through. When I was choreographing I looked back at all of my notes and handouts on choreography. I was able to choreograph using creative devices and then explain it using proper terminology and specific examples from my solo to show my choreographic skills. I then was given a random improvisation prompt.  Improvisation is an advanced technique that takes risky dancers. It requires you to commit completely and just go for it. Improvisation is where you show your creativity, your knowledge and your range of dance.  In my interviews at the school, region and state levels I was asked questions about figures in modern dance history, dance in public education, the elements of dance, dance in society and even about the future of technology in dance. I was able to effectively answer these questions from everything I have learned in dance 3 and Dance Company for the past 3 years. I made it to the state level because of the guidance and vast knowledge of the elements and history of dance that I have learned from Mrs. Di Lello and PDC. I have also been to several college scholarship auditions, and I have seen that the dancers that come from Lone Peak are known for being extremely knowledgeable and creative dancers. We have many opportunities other schools do not. Anyone wanting to go on in dance or get dance scholarships should continue to work hard on Dance Company and in dance 3 in addition to studio or technique classes. This is the best path to achieving great things in dance. I am so grateful for everything I have learned on Dance Company and the tools is has given me to have a successful Sterling Scholar experience."    ~Brittany LeSueur, PDC President