Fly Me to the Moon

Yesterday was our third annual spring recital.  We view our dancers without limits, therefore our theme this year (Fly Me to the Moon) fit perfectly- the moon and the stars are no reach for them!

This year has been different for our organization in that I stepped down as a full-time instructor and we increased the amount of choreography our dancers learned.  We have been so very lucky to have Charis Paul as our new full-time instructor and choreographer.  Her creativity and dedication have been an immense addition to A Chance to Dance.  Our curriculum expanded from last year and our dancers have certainly grown with that expansion.  The technique and breadth of their "dance knowledge" has truly grown this year, very much so for Class II.  We also gained our first male dancer and we were lucky enough to get Alden, a new Angel, to help him participate this year.

We often discuss how we are excited to have new dancers joining us each year and sometimes even each semester.  What we often think, but don't say, is that we are as equally, if not more, excited to have dancers with us since the first year.  And, my!  How they have grown- not just physically, but in maturity.  I got to see growth in all of them as I watched them from backstage this year.  Bigger movements, increased confidence, and improved social skills as well.

We, of course, had an amazing crew working with us to make things go that much more smoothly.  Linda Arntsen, from The Center, provided her light design and light tech skills to us.  Linda has previously worked as a school teacher in special education.  When I arrived to The Center (quite early) before recital, Linda was already there- tweaking the lights to make the show that much better.  It's funny how I can feel so grateful and appreciative for all of the volunteers who make ACTD work, and yet those very same volunteers feel the same gratitude towards ACTD.  Linda and I were standing in the middle of the dark stage discussing light cues when she said, very seriously, "Thank God for A Chance to Dance".  She went on to say how people and organizations that spend intentional and directed time towards children with special needs have the opportunity to make such a great impact on them.  She commented that if it wasn't for this time, some of these children (dancers) would still be holed up "in the corner, shutting out the world" and "look at (them) now".  They are on stage, under bright lights, dancing to loud music, and wearing costumes---AND enjoying it.

Kyndell and I always strive to make our program better each year, but it was so nice to be able to look back at some of these dancers from year one until now.  I am impressed by the dancers they were and also by the dancers they have become.

I cannot write this blog without mentioning how thankful I am for the following people- bear with me, but believe me when I say it takes ALL of them to make our show happen.

- Buddies and Angels: Their dedication and patience is inspiring and they are bringing a lot of joy to not only their dancers, but to their dancers' parents.  They are irreplaceable.
- Stage Crew: Barbie, Mona, and Lauren: Their ability to take my vision and foresee all the detail that must occur to make it happen is amazing.  From light cues to keeping my time for me and willingly doing whatever it takes to make the "show go on" is essential to our recital.
- Charis: She stepped up to the plate this year and never ceased to give her all towards our dancers. 
- And finally, Kyndell, my partner:  It's been almost 4 years since she offered to team up with me.  She has been a blessing in my life in so many ways.  Her humility, patience, creativity, and passion have helped shape A Chance to Dance in ways that I would never be able to do alone.  I am so glad that SHE is Directing the Art of our program.

I hope we get the chance
to create and to give Inspiring Motion to others for many years to come.

- Leah

Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Way Up High.

Merry Christmas!  Our first semester has already come to a quick conclusion with Clute's Christmas in the Park.  We love this venue and the wonderful crew that runs it.  It was a very special performance because we were able to have each class perform independently and then together. 

Kyndell commented on how much our students have grown in just one year and in two years.  The audience may see a small dancer trying to hide behind her buddy on stage, or a dancer making very small motions, or a dancer that may not face the crowd straight on. What they don't see is two years of working towards getting on and staying on the stage for the performance, putting on and keeping on an itchy or not-so-favorite costume and hairpiece, not playing with your star on the ground, and then finally actually performing the movements that we practice in class each week in front of a noisy, bright, and picture-taking crowd.  There was so much success tonight and we are proud of each moment- whether on stage or in the waiting room at the dance studio.  It ALL matters for these dancers.

One dancer thanked me tonight for teaching her how to dance- the irony is that truly, she has taught me so much more in two and half years.  I may have given her words to call movements and a room with mirrors that she can move in, but she has taught me that dance transcends past the limbs and technique.  It is much grander than that.  In almost 20 years of dancing, it took this student and these dancers to truly teach me that.  It's one thing to know that dance moves past the body, and one thing to feel it in your heart that dance is part of the soul.

I also gained a new gratitude for our Buddies & Angels tonight.  They are so committed and loving.  They care about our dancers and have bonded with them.  I was able to stand back and watch the gentle hands lifting and encouraging on-stage as well as the quiet conversations happening off the stage. I am so very thankful for EACH volunteer that has helped our dancers and our organization.

Some of our dancers danced to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Kaulana Kanekoa & Vince Esquire.  Today, I hope that each dancer gets to feel that they dance over the rainbow, way up high, where dreams really do come true.

Have a very Merry Christmas and I hope that each of you get to feel the joy of the season, like I did tonight.

Ms. Leah

It Never Ceases to Amaze Me

We have had a great couple of months of classes.  Our dancers are moving through the curriculum exceptionally well and I was so pleased to see their progress this past Saturday.  It was the first performance of the year at the Habitat for Humanity Walk, in their brand new tutus and costumes.  For many, it was the first performance on stage ever.  Even though it has only been two years since we began, I went into this performance with a mindset of, "Here we are at another performance and I know the dancers will do well."  What I didn't remember was what it feels like to see the crowd, especially moms, dads, and grandparents, watch their loved one dance for the first time.  In a less than 3 minute song, these dancers captured their audience.  I was caught off guard when I found tears in my eyes!  This is our third year and I am still touched by the abilities of these dancers.

This was the first time that I was not "on-stage" with the dancers and I was able to experience them as a whole along with the rest of the audience.  I really love this program and I am so happy that the community has continued to embrace us. 

The last thing I'd like to comment on today is that our audience only gets to see a limited view of what our dancers are capable of.  In order for them to take the stage, there are many hours of preparation that they go through.  Having the courage to go up on stage in front of hundreds of eyes watching, where loud music is blaring, and while they are wearing a brand new outfit can be very daunting.  Some of these dancers struggled with entering the dance room on the first day of class, some used to wear headphones to decrease the auditory input they were receving, and some were so focused on the other dancers, they didn't complete the moves themselves.  What you saw yesterday was courageous, successful, and triumphant.  I am overwhelmingly proud of ALL of our dancers and for everything they overcome daily.  I am also extremely grateful that we have young men and women in our community who stand up and take the time to assist and love on our dancers each week.

Have a truly blessed week and if you remember, take a moment to be thankful for the children in our world who do make it extra special.

Leah

"The Voice Within"

Unfortunately, I missed watching the MDA telethon this year.  I had several parents comment to me about some of the highlights with one being a physically integrated dance to a song sung by Christina Aguilera, "The Voice Within".  I was able to find the video easily on youtube this morning and enjoyed watching the celebration of life that these dancers created.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHjgAyImnxk

It of course reminded me of the integrated dance Kyndell and I choreographed in 2011 for one of our dancers in a powerchair, "Shepherd Moons".   I love that the idea of a butterfly and the ability to fly is associated with freedom and that the art of dance allows us to catch a glimpse of this image through movement on stage.

"When you're safe inside your room, you tend to dream
Of a place where nothing's harder than it seems
No one ever wants or bothers to explain
Of the heartache life can bring and what it means

When there's no one else, look inside yourself
Like your oldest friend, just trust the voice within
Then you'll find the strength that will guide your way
You'll learn to begin to trust the voice within" - The Voice Within, Christina Aguilera

An undocumented goal of our program that is inherent to the art of dance is for our students to find their own way to create motion and dance,  and to be confident of their motion, especially when taking the stage to perform.  I hope that this year we are able to allow some of our dancer's dreams move out of their rooms and into reality at dance class.

- Ms. Leah

Houston Ballet, WHAT???

I wish I could tell you that I was completely selfless in arranging this tour, but I must say I was equally excited to see the center and meet the world class ballerina- Lauren Anderson, as our personal host.

Lauren began our tour 20 minutes early, because we were all there early---and excited!  She took us from the top down, beginning at the 6th floor.  We were able to peek in on studios on the floor below and watch developing ballerinas and danseurs, yes, that is what  you call male dancers- not ballerinos :). They were color coded by leotard for their level and come from across the world to train here during the summer.  We were even able to see a pas de deux class (dance with male & female).  We got the inside scoop on composers and choregraphers too.  The live pianists were wonderful background noise.

Down, down we went- sometimes crammed lovingly into one elevator.  We saw AND walked on part of the new walkway leading to the Wortham and then made it down to....tah dah! the WARDROBE room.  While the Houston Ballet does have the majority of their thousands of costumes stored in a warehouse- some are kept on site- such as Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, and Giselle.  We were given strict instructions to not touch anything- the oils from our hands can ruin the costumes- yes we are talking $1500-$5000 custom tutus.  Beatiful tutu trees lined with black, teal, and pink tutus were organized in one closet.  We even got to see the sugarplum fairy costumes.

With choreographer permission, we were able to see the Dancer's Lab- a theater type setting with curtains, clocks, seats, and all, which is used for practices and studio series.  We quietly sat in while a choreographer was working with 4 dancers and were able to see a glimpse of beauty in the making.

Lauren was gracious enough to give plenty of hugs, take lots of pictures, and show us many things from each floor.  It was definitely one of the most awesome things I have done and I am so grateful that Lauren took the time to meet and greet our dancers this afternoon.  Lauren mentioned that she would like to come and give a class to our dancers as well, and we are definitely excited about that!

By the end of the afternoon, Lauren had spent over an hour and a half with us instead of the scheduled 30 minutes.  She was such a joy to meet and an inspiration to our group as a whole.  I hope this is the beginning of a long relationship with the Houston Ballet. 

In awe and in a very happy ballet place of life,

Leah

Houston Ballet Tour with Lauren Anderson 7.6.12

Better late than never, Our Shining Stars.

"Our Shining Stars" proved to be just as successful, if not more, than our first recital.  The dancers did great during dress rehearsal and even better at recital.  EVERYONE participated, even our smallest dancer who was feeling under the weather.

NONE of it is possible without a wonderful team of volunteers and our stage crew.  BIG shout out to Barbie Rhodies Dance Studio with a backstage crew of Barbie & Mona Rhodes and Lauren Lara.  They are my headset queens- taking  care of any problem as soon as the first word was out of my mouth.

The girls felt really special as they walked along their very own red carpet with their Hollywood Stars.  It is such a honor to put on this event just to see our dancers smile and feel confident about themselves on stage.

This has been a wonderful year and I am very proud of our dancers' accomplishments as well as the diligence and dedication of our Angels and Buddies.   Next year is already being planned,with of course, our recital taking place at The Center for the Arts and Sciences.  While I will be stepping down as an instructor, we have a great team getting geared up to teach our dancers in the fall. Don't worry- I will still be directing the organization and popping into class frequently.  My favorite part of this organization is getting to know the dancers and their helpers, so I am sad to be missing that.  God has directed my path for as long as I can remember and as long as I stay on it- I know good things will happen.  ACTD is one of my greatest ventures and I am ecstatic to see it growing each year.

Thank you for your love and commitment as we once again wrap our year for summer.

**Remember we are always looking for more dancers and willing buddies and angels.  Let us know if you're interested!

Happy Summer!

Leah

Out Under The Trees- Courtesy of Wonderfully Made- a Laurie Heath studio.

Tendre, Elancer, Plier, Elever, Sauter, Tourner

Laurie Heath is a fabulous photographer who has been supportive of our organization since the beginning.  She spent time with us early on in the spring to capture candid pictures of our dancers in class. She has been gracious enough to give us the use of these images for A Chance to Dance's use.

The five basic verbs of classical ballet that a dancer learns is the foundation for what they later build upon.  Here they are personfied, in a unique way, by our dancers.

Tendre- to stretch

Plier- to bend

Elever- to raise

Tendu- stretch (as in the foot)



 Sauter- to jump

Tourner- to turn

Here are the basic verbs that ballet terminology lacks.

Hug- to press tightly, especially in the arms



Smile- to make a facial expression in which the eyes brighten and the corners of the mouth curve slightly upward







 Sparkle-to shine brightly with flashes of light

High-Five: to display a gesture of celebration or greeting in which two people slap each other's palms with their arms raised

Have fun- to have enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure