great gig DANCE co.


Home

Summer Camp 2011

2011-2012 Class Schedule

great gig Calendar

Pre-School

Our Philosophy

Classes

Ensemble Information

Ensemble Auditions

Links

Photo

Galleries

 Contact Us

 

Ballet is the foundation of all other forms of dance, and is essential for dance training. Our classes focus on proper body placement, technique and terminology, and our advanced classes include Pointe work.
 
Tap, which is known and loved for its rhythmic tapping of toes and heels, is explored in our classes through complicated rhythms and asymmetrical steps.

Jazz and its popular forms such as        Hip-Hop and Lyrical dance,  (offered as separate classes), are all urban folk dance styles that mirror current trends in music and social dance. Learn the different styles as well as correct body placement and technique

Modern dance dates from the beginning of the 20th century and is currently the mainstay for most college dance programs and many professional dance companies. Our classes not only teach the different techniques of this art form, but also its interesting history.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INFORMATION – 2011 - 2012                          download information as pdf - click here

Season

Our season lasts 40 weeks or 10 months (August 15, 2011 through June 11, 2012). We will be closed the week of Thanksgiving (Nov. 20-27), two weeks during the Winter holidays (Dec. 21-Jan. 3) and one week during Spring Break (Apr. 1-8). We will be open all other holidays, including all the Monday Holidays!

We will close for inclement weather if Cobb County Schools are also closed. 

 

Tuition and Fees

Tuition schedule:

30-minute class - $38 monthly

45-minute class - $46 monthly

1 hour class - $54 monthly

1-1/2 hour class - $68 monthly

 

Each student registered for 2 or more classes will receive a 10% discount on their total tuition.

Additional family members will receive a 10% discount on their tuition (not in addition to the multiclass

discount).

Tuition paid as one annual payment will receive an additional 10% discount. This payment must

be made by September 15. All tuition payments are non-refundable

There is a $24 registration fee per season per family. This fee is non-refundable.

Tuition is due on the 15th of each month.

A $10 late fee will be charged for payments that are 1 week late.

A $25 fee will be charged for any checks with insufficient funds.

Tuition is a monthly fee and will not be pro-rated based on holidays or missed classes.

Written notice of withdrawal from classes is required at least 2 weeks prior to departure.

 

Showcase 2012

Performance experience is essential for a well-rounded dancer. While we realize that not everyone

aspires to be a professional dancer, our annual Showcase in June presents the student with the

excitement of a live stage performance and the opportunity for recognition from their parents and

peers for all their hard work.

This year’s Showcase 2012 will be held June 7-10, 2012 at the Cobb Civic Center.

 

Costume

Each student must purchase the costume and accessories required for the recital. A $50 costume

deposit is due on or before November 1st. Costumes will be ordered in December, and usually cost

between $60 and $90. The balance of the costume payment will be due February 1st. Costumes will

be distributed in late-March. Professional dance portraits will be taken in the Spring.

 

Placement

Placement of a student in a class is governed by the individual’s potential and technical proficiency

and not necessarily by age or length of training.

 

Attendance

Promptness and regular attendance are important in each student’s progress. Attendance is

especially critical as dancers are learning their performance routines for the annual showcase.

Excessive absences can result in the dancer not being prepared for the performance, and can also

adversely affect the entire class.

 

Make-up Classes

Classes missed due to illness may be made up. Please ask your child’s teacher for an appropriate

day and time to make up classes. No refunds will be given for unattended classes.

 

Attire

All students are required to wear appropriate dance attire. This includes tights, leotard, unitard, hot

shorts or jazz pants. Boys may wear sweat pants, shorts or jazz pants. Students in a single subject

Ballet class are required to wear a black leotard and pink tights. Hair must be pulled back at all times.

Please wear a cover-up to and from all dance classes. All dance accessories should be labeled with

your child’s name, including shoes, bags and clothing.

 

Shoes

• Ballet: Pink ballet shoes (split sole recommended if over age 6)

• Jazz: Tan jazz shoes (Bloch SO495)

• Tap: ages 3-12 wear Tan Mary Jane style tap shoes (Bloch SO352 or SO302); ages 12+ wear

black lace-up tap shoes (Capezio CG100 "Hoofmaster")

• Hip-Hop: Dance sneakers (see instructor for performance color)

• Lyrical/Contemporary: DancePaws or bare feet

*Please do not wear your dance shoes outside on the sidewalk or in the parking lot! This will

damage our flooring!

 

Observers

We encourage all parents, family and friends to observe class any time through the classroom

windows. Please become involved in your child’s dance experience! However, if you see that you

are distracting your child, also be respectful of his or her need for privacy.

 

Waiting Area

For safety reasons, students must remain in the waiting room for their rides. They are not permitted

to wait in the parking lot area or outside the building. Great Gig Dance Company accepts no

responsibility for children who leave the premises unattended.

 

Food and Drink

Students may bring water to class. However, other beverages and food are not permitted inside the

studio. Gum chewing is also not allowed.

 

Classes

Each student, regardless of age or experience, is taught at a serious level, the terminology of dance,

technique, and a basic understanding of body involvement. Combination classes are offered for

beginner and intermediate students. For advanced students a range of classes in Ballet, Jazz, Tap,

Hip-Hop, Lyrical and Modern dance are offered. Dancers who desire more performance opportunities

may audition for our performing group, Great Gig Dance Ensemble. Auditions are held in June at the

studio.

 

Ballet

Ballet is a form of dance more than 300 years old which originated in France and is now performed all

over the world. Through strenuous training, the dancer masters classic technique, learning intricate

steps and combinations of movements that are combined with music, costumes and sets to create

visual designs, to tell a dramatic story, or to depict a mood. Ballet is the foundation of all other forms

of dance and is essential to proper dance training. Our Ballet classes focus on proper body

placement, technique and terminology. Advanced classes include Pointe work.

 

Tap

Tap dance is characterized by rhythmic tapping of the toes and heels in special shoes, which make

the sounds audible. Tap dance originated in Vaudeville reviews and was popularized by early

musical theater. Tap has experienced a recent resurgence in popularity in this country. Our

challenging Tap classes explore complicated rhythms and asymmetrical steps.

 

Jazz

Jazz dance is a kind of “urban folk dance” which mirrors the current trends in music and social dance.

Movement comes from Broadway shows, musical theater, film, television, nightclubs and other forms

of popular entertainment, and parallels the particular phase of popular music. Jazz dance includes

other popular forms of dance such as Hip-Hop, Musical Theater and Lyrical dance. Our Jazz classes

focus on correct body placement and technique. Students are exposed to many different popular

styles of Jazz.

 

Lyrical/Contemporary

These popular dance forms can be described as fusions of Jazz, Ballet and Modern dance. Music

choices often have lyrics intended to create emotion and evoke movement. When possible, creative

partnering and weigh sharing enhance choreography and movement.

 

Hip-Hop

Hip-Hop dance mimics the most current trends in the rap and hip-hop “pop culture”. It is an extremely

athletic form of dance that includes elements of Jazz dance, tumbling and break dance. We use prescreened

and edited music and teach movements that are age-appropriate.

 

Combination Classes

Our combination classes are designed to give each student a basic

understanding of various types of dance. With age and experience, students may then make an

educated choice in which dance forms they will focus on. Early combination classes include Ballet,

because it is the foundation of all types of dance. Each class type is also based on the student’s age.

 

Preschool

We offer a 1-hour Preschool class for 3 & 4 year-old children that includes Tap, Ballet

and Tumbling. This class is designed not only to introduce basic dance skills, but also to offer age appropriate

physical development activities and to encourage creativity.

 

Primary

We offer a 1-hour Primary class for 5 & 6 year-old children that includes segments in Tap,

Ballet, Creative Movement and Tumbling. This class is designed to continue developing dance skills

as well as creativity and rhythm.

 

Primary-Pre Jazz

Our 30-minute add-on to the Primary Tap & Ballet class incorporates

introductory movements in Jazz dance. Students will learn body isolations and basic jazz technique.

*Secondary - We offer a 1-hour Secondary class for 7-9 year-old children (Grades 1-3) including ½-

hour segments in Jazz and Tap. This class is designed to prepare dancers for more advanced

training at the next level. It includes longer segments with more complicated rhythms, patterns and

combinations. More emphasis is placed on proper technique and terminology.

 

Intermediate

We offer 1-hour or 1.5-hour Intermediate classes (length of class depends on age

and level) for children that are 9-12 years old (Grades 3-5), and teens. This class includes segments

in Jazz and Tap and focuses on more advanced dance training, including proper body placement,

technique and dance terminology.

 

*We recommend that students in the Secondary and Intermediate programs also attend a 45-

minute weekly Ballet class to reinforce their technique and body placement. Ballet is the

foundation of all dance styles and it is an essential discipline for the properly trained dancer.

 

Adult

We offer adult classes in Tap, Hip-Hop, Jazz and Ballet. The adult classes are 45 minutes in

length. Adults are encouraged but not required to participate in our annual Showcase in June.

 

Special Needs

We offer a 1-hour class for exceptional children with special needs. This class

includes Ballet, Tap and Creative Movement. The curriculum includes basic locomotor skills

(hopping, galloping, skipping, sliding) and such concepts as right/left, and tempo and level changes.

All students will be featured in our annual Showcase in June.

 

STAFF 2011-2012

 

Our professionally trained staff is looking forward to making this year of dance a rewarding one. The

instructors continue to expand their art form by attending seminars, workshops, and professional

classes to ensure that our students receive the best dance education available.

 

Tammy Everhart

Tammy began her dance education at age 9 in Clearwater, Florida, where she studied with Gayle and Phyllis Tutterow, Nilo Toledo and Peggy Wallis. While attending the University of Florida, Tammy performed with UF Dance Company and received a minor in Dance in 1988. She has more than 25 years of teaching experience in Florida and Georgia, and she specializes in Tap & Jazz. Her students have performed in the Opening Ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, for Royal Caribbean Cruises, and at the prestigious Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC.

 

Dawn Parker

Dawn completed her Bachelor of Science in Dance Education at the University of Georgia in 1993, where she performed with CORE Concert Dance Company, and Non-Stop Dance Company. Dawn’s areas of expertise include Ballet, Modern dance, Gymnastics, and movement classes for children with special needs. Her unique choreography is innovative and artistic.

 

Lindsay Fritz

Lindsay is a graduate of the University of Georgia, where she studied Psychology and Dance. Lindsay received her early dance

training in the Atlanta area and has been a featured performer of the Great Gig Dance Ensemble. She specializes in Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Lyrical dance. Lindsay’s choreography is fresh and current—always on the cutting edge!

 

Diane Young

Diane (known by all her students as “Ms. D”) is a professional dance instructor and choreographer with more than 25 years of

experience teaching Ballet, Tap and Modern dance. She studied dance at the Wessex School of Dancing in Bournemouth, England. Diane has extensive teaching experience and maintains several degrees and certifications recognized and respected throughout the world. Diane owned and operated her own school in Trinidad. She has trained and prepared students for the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) exams, as well as the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) exams. Diane’s former students are currently performing all over the world—from cruise ships to television to professional dance companies.

 

Tara Luke Watkins

Tara received her dance training in Dothan, Alabama and the Atlanta area. She graduated from the University of Georgia in 2003 with a degree in Classical Cultures. While at UGA, Tara studied dance with Bala Sarasvati, Molissa Finley, Kent DeSpain and others. She performed with the Concert Dance Company and her choreography was featured in the annual Young Choreographers’ Series. Tara also began “Feet” - a new modern and African dance company, while she was in Athens. She specializes in Ballet, Jazz and Modern dance. Her style is very youthful, athletic and creative.

 

Zack Everhart

Zack has literally grown up in the dance studio! He began his dance training at the age of 7 with most of the staff members listed above. Zack has received numerous accolades over the years: he was selected as a PULSE Protégé and assisted Mia Michaels, Cris Judd, Dave Scott, and Laurie Ann Gibson on a national convention tour; he was also awarded a full scholarship to tour with Dance Caravan as a demonstrator in the summer of 2008; he has received multiple dance scholarships to many prestigious organizations including Joffrey Ballet, Luigi Dance Center, Steps on Broadway and Broadway Dance Center in New York. Zack was selected to attend the 2011 Governor’s Honors Program in Dance. Zack’s favorite styles of dance are Tap and Hip Hop – his choreography is intricate, energetic and exciting!

 

Dale Desiree Browne

Dale is majoring in Dance and Sociology at Kennesaw State University where she has been a Dance Company member for 5 years. She was a soloist in the cast of “Chakra” which was selected to be showcased in The American College Dance Festival Association’s National Festival, in Washington D.C at The Kennedy Center in 2010. Dale also performed as a guest in Atlanta Ballet’s “Vivaldi’s Four Seasons,” at the University of Georgia and Emory University. In 2007, Dale spent 2 months training in New York with The Paul Taylor Dance Company, and received a full scholarship to a Pilobolus workshop. Dale has received awards from her time spent training at The North Atlanta School of the Arts including “Artist of the Year” and “Dance Arts Rising Star” for the choreography she produced there. Dale is proficient in all styles of dance and her choreography is very insightful.