NATIONAL DANCE DAY 7/27/2013

Parkside Academy of Music and Dance

to Host FREE Classes on July 27, 2013

in Celebration of National Dance Day

About National Dance Day:  “Launched in 2010 by “So You Think You Can Dance” co-creator and Dizzy Feet Foundation co-president Nigel Lythgoe, National Dance Day is an annual celebration that takes place on the last Saturday in July. This grassroots campaign encourages Americans to embrace dance as a fun and positive way to maintain good health and combat obesity.” 

About the Official Dances:  “This year, DFF co-presidents Nigel Lythgoe and Adam Shankman choreographed an “Everybody Dance” routine for people of all levels of ability, and SYTYCD choreographers Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo have created a “Hip-Hop Master Class” routine for those who want to challenge themselves.”

source:  http://dizzyfeetfoundation.org/national-dance-day

To Donate to the Dizzy Feet Foundation please go to: http://dizzyfeetfoundation.org/support

9 - 9:50 AM Hip Hop (ages 12 and Up)
10 - 10:50 AM Zumba (ages 12 and Up) or Hip Hop (ages 6 - 11)
11 - 11:50 AM Ballet (ages 12and Up) or Praise Dance (ages 6-11)
12-12:50 PM Praise Dance (ages 12&Up) or Kinderdance (ages 3-5)
1 - 1:50 PM Tap (ages 12 and Up) or Elementary 1 (ages 6 - 8)
2 - 2:50 PM Modern (ages 12 and Up) or Elementary 2 (ages 8-10)
3 - 3:50 PM Jazz (ages 12 and Up) or Elementary 3 (ages 10 - 12)
4 - 4:50 PM National Dance Day Official Dances!! Hip Hop Or Everybody Dance Routine!

Special Offer:  Any dancer who attends a National Dance Day class at Parkside Academy and has not previously been a student at Parkside Academy may register for the upcoming 2013-2014 season for FREE ($25 registration fee waived).  This offer is valid only on Saturday, July 27, 2013.

Special Drawing:  All dancers who attend a National Dance Day class at Parkside Academy will have their name entered into a raffle to take that style of dance for FREE for the upcoming 2013-2014 season.  Multiple classes = multiple entries.  Prize may not be transferred to another person, style, or class.  Prize may not be exchanged for cash.  One winner will be chosen at the conclusion of the day's classes on Saturday, July 27, 2013.  Chance of winning depends on the number of entries.

Ballet Intensive Recap

For four nights this past week, Parkside Academy held a Summer Ballet Intensive.  Miss Pamela taught ballet using The Vaganova Ballet Method to over 16 students.  Each class concluded with a variation taught by Miss Laura.

Students Stretching

Splits!

Some much loved shoes.

Fun at the barre!

Miss Laura at the barre.

Monday's Variation was from Don Quixote.

Tuesday concluded with The Blue Bird variation from Sleeping Beauty.

Wednesday's variation was a class favorite; Esmerelda!

Thursday ended with Flower's Festival, the female variation from Flower Festival in Genzano.

Royal Ballet - Ballet Evolved Series

This is a wonderful youtube series from The Royal Opera House that focuses on the history and evolution of ballet.

Please Read - Article on "Cracking Your Back"

http://www.dancespirit.com/2012/09/snap-crackle-pop/

Snap, Crackle, Pop!

Posted on Sep 7, 2012 by Julie Diana 

Ever notice it often sounds like someone’s popping bubble wrap at the start of a ballet class? Knees click and ankles crack as dancers warm up their bodies and work out the kinks. Some people pair up with friends to adjust each other’s backs while others feel like they have to pop their hips before doing a battement.

There’s no doubt about it: Dancers love to pop! Whether your body cracks on its own or you need to tug and twist to get an oh-so-good release, you probably look forward to hearing that sweet sound several times a day. But is cracking safe for you?DS checked with the experts to find out.

What makes the “pop”?

The cracking sound happens for a variety of reasons. The current belief is that most of the time, it’s air being released from a contained space. “When you crack a joint, you take it to the end range of motion,” explains Dr. Lenny Stein, a sports chiropractor and dance medicine specialist. “It creates a little bit of stretch on the joint capsule, which then releases gas to produce the popping sound.” You’re not feeling a need to pop so much as a need to find mobility or articulation within a joint.

You can also think of it like opening a bottle of soda. Once you twist off the cap, it won’t fizz again right away. But close the bottle and leave it for a while, and it’ll fizz when you open it again. “It takes time for this gas to build up again within the joint,” says Dr. Lawrence E. DeMann Jr., a chiropractor who works with New York City Ballet dancers. “It usually takes 30 minutes or longer.”

Some joints, like knees, crack due to a cartilage irregularity. Cartilage isn’t always smooth—it can have bumps and divots that catch when the joint moves, similar to a car tire that rolls from a smooth area to a grooved highway. In the hips, popping can also happen as the hip flexor or tendon slides over a bursa, a fluid-filled sac that helps with mobility.

What’s safe and what’s not safe?

Repetitive cracking isn’t a bad thing to do, so don’t believe your grandmother when she tells you it’ll cause arthritis. “There was a scientific study done on people who crack their knuckles on a regular basis,” says Stein, “and their joints are the same as or healthier than those of people who don’t.” Cracking your joints using a natural range of motion, without any rough yanking or tugging, is safe and won’t cause you any long-term problems.

Think twice, though, before you ask a friend for help. “When you twist and turn to get a pop, that’s OK,” DeMann says. “When a friend helps you do it, you lose the sense of how far you should go. That’s when you can get into trouble.” Having someone who’s not a professional try to adjust your lower back or neck, for example, is very risky and can result in temporary injuries.

Dr. Marc Harwood, a sports medicine physician at the Rothman Institute in Philadelphia, says you shouldn’t be concerned about popping unless it’s painful. “Dancers know their bodies better than anyone,” he says. “If something doesn’t feel right, get evaluated. Pain is a big thing to look out for, especially if something is louder or happens at a different point in a range of motion—any change from baseline.” Younger dancers should be extra careful because their bones and joints haven’t fully formed.

But if you’re cracking because it makes you feel good and loose, have at it! Just make sure it’s within your natural range of motion. Animals, like cats and dogs, actually do it all the time. “They’ll stretch out and go to their very end range and open their joints out,” Stein says. “It’s a natural, safe process.”

Tap Intensive; July 29 - August 1

Summer Tap Intensive 
July 29th - August 1st

Students moving into Level 1 Tap and Up are invited to take part in the 4 night camp with Miss Pamela and Miss Tamera.  Classes will be held Monday through Thursday from 7 PM to 9 PM.  You can pay by the class ($20 per night) or sign up for the whole week ($70 for the week). 

Private Lessons

Instruction by Miss Pamela.

Private lessons are available in music (piano, harp, guitar, and voice) as well as dance (ballet and tap). Cost is $100 per 5 lessons. Each lesson is 1/2 hour long. Please contact Miss Pamela ( 610 874-8080 ) to discuss cost and dates.

Praise Dance Camp

PRAISE DANCE CAMP

Instructed by Miss Donna.

This is for children 4-18.

July 15 - 19

• 9:00 A.M. – 11:30 A.M. for kids age 4 to 1st grade (must be 4 yrs. by July 1st)
• 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. for kids entering 2nd-5th grade
• 6:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M. for students entering 6th-12th grade

Each camp includes dancing, singing, crafts, Bible stories/study, and games. Each camp concludes with a special performance for family and friends! Camp Cost $32/$25 for each additional sibling, price includes a camp t-shirt! A daily free will offering will be collected to support ministries.

Attire – Please wear modest clothing that you can comfortably stretch in. No bare midriffs please!  Dancewear / shoes are optional.