Dance Classes continue into the new year!

Have you wanted to join a dance class in Inverness County? We are offering classes on:

Mondays in Belle Cote

Tuesday in Port Hood

Thursdays in Waycobah

Fridays in Inverness

Saturdays in Port Hawkesbury

We have spaces available to have new students join us in January. The full outline for the year is below. Please send a message to info@dancedebut.com if you would like to know more.

Dance Debut is excited to start the 32nd season!!!  After a summer of incredible scope in learning, Michelle Greenwell has been busy with music, themes and choreography to entice dancers of all ages.  The schedule this year will have some special features as we will do some classes to bring age groups together in a workshop environment so that Dance Club dancers have a chance to be together more than once a year at show time, and Music in Motion dancers can play with themes and props in a much more in-depth way.  Here is the schedule for the Inverness County programs as well as Waycobah and Port Hawkesbury.  Tap and Jazz have been combined this year in order to provide the best learning environment for Character Ballet, Storytelling, Themes and skill.  The ultimate goal of increasing the opportunity for more dancing for everyone.  The program is designed as a full year program with the opportunity to create choreographies to showcase at the year end recital on Friday, May 8th at Strathspey Place Theatre in Mabou.  Dance payments can be made in two installments – Session 1: Sept to Jan, Session 2: Feb to May.  Payment can be made to Michelle.   Each community has the dates listed.  Special workshop days will be announced in September once registration is complete. 

Dance Club:  A combination of Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Hip Hop, Character and Lyrical Jazz, this group will be focusing on expression, personal choreography, special group projects, and fine-tuning skills in the dance disciplines.  Dancers will need Tap Shoes and Ballet slippers or Jazz shoes, leggings and a t-shirt for class.

Music in Motion:  A combination of Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Character and Song and Dance, this group will be focusing on how to play a character, listening to the music, group dynamics, fine motor skills, locomotor skills, special choreography and storytelling.  Special stories, music and activities will be offered to play at home. Dancers will need Tap shoes and Ballet slippers, leggings and a t-shirt or bodysuit. 

Celtic Dance:  By special request, this class will be a combination of highland and Cape Breton stepdance with celtic stories and choreographies to showcase skill and introduce performance.  Dancers will need Hard soled shoes and black gymnastic slippers, leggings and a t-shirt or bodysuit.

Power Hour Dance Club for Adults:  Many adults request a dance class just for them.  This hour will introduce choreography, skill development, energy building, routines that can be performed at home, and a chance to exercise through dance.  Please wear anything comfortable to move in, jazz shoes or socks on the feet.

Monday

Belle Cote – Cape Breton Highlands Academy  – on the stage 

Dance Club 6 – 9 yrs   2:45 – 3:45pm   $130/$130

Dance Club 10 years and older     3:45 – 5:00 pm   $150/$150

Music in Motion 2   4-5 yrs    5:00 – 5:45 pm   $115/$115

Music in Motion 1   3-4 yrs     5:45 – 6:25 pm   $100/$100

Power Hour Dance Club for Adults    6:40 – 7:40 pm   $120/$120

Sept 9, 16, 23, 30 Oct 7, 28, Nov 4, 18, 25 Jan 13, 20, 27 Feb 3, 10, 24 Mar 2, 9, 23, 30 April 6, 20, 27  May rehearsals, Including special workshop days.

Tuesday

Port Hood – Bayview Education Center – on the stage

Dance Club   6 – 9 yrs   2:45 – 3:45pm   $130/$130

Celtic Dance   6 – 10 yrs   3:45 – 4:45 pm   $130/$130

Music in Motion 2   4-5 yrs    4:45 – 5:30 pm $115/$115

Music in Motion 1   3-4 yrs     5:30 – 6:10 pm $100/$100

Sept 10, 17, 24, Oct 1, 8, 29, Nov 5, 12, 19 Jan 14, 21, 28, Feb 4, 11, 18, 25, Mar 3, 10, 24, 31, April 7, 14, 21, 28   May rehearsals, including special workshop days

Thursday

Waycobah/Whycocomagh – Waycobah School Cafeteria

Dance Club   7 – 10 yrs   2:45 – 3:45 pm   $130/$130

Music in Motion 2   4 – 6 yrs   3:45 – 4:30 pm $115/$115

Music in Motion 1   3 – 4 yrs   4:30 – 5:10 pm $100/$100

Sept 12, 19, 26, Oct 3, 10, 30th (WED) – due to Halloween on Thursday, Nov 7, 14, 21 Jan 16, 23, 30, Feb 6, 13, 20, 27, Mar 5, 12, 26, April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 May rehearsals, including special workshop days

Friday

Inverness Education Academy – on the stage

Dance Club 2    9 – 12 yrs   2:45 – 4:15 pm   $150/$150

Dance Club 1   6 – 8 yrs   4:15 – 5:15 pm   $130/$130

Music in Motion 2    4-5 yrs   5:15 – 6 pm   $115/$115

Music in Motion 1   3-4 yrs   6 – 6:40 pm   $100/$100

Celtic Dance 6 – 10 yrs    6:40 – 7:40 pm  $130/$130

Sept 13, 20, 27 (Conference day at the school), Oct 4, 11, Nov 1, 8, 15, 22 Jan 17, 24, 31, Feb 7, 14, 21, 28, Mar 6, 13, 27, April 3, 17, 24, May 1 May rehearsals, including special workshop days

Saturday

Port Hawkesbury SAERC – on the stage, includes room rental and insurance.

Music in Motion 3 – 5 yrs   9 – 9:45 am   $130/$130

Dance Club 1   6 – 9 yrs   9:45 – 10:45 am   $150/$150

Dance Club 2   10 – 14 yrs   10:45 – 12:15 pm $170/$170

Sept 14, 21, 28, Oct 5, 12, Nov 2, 9, 16, 23, Jan 11, 18, 25, Feb 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Mar 7, 14, 28, April 4, 18, 25, May 2 May rehearsals, including special workshop days

Recital Theme for the Year:   If These Shoes Could Talk”

Dancers involved in all the programs are asked to find a pair of shoes that have a story.  They might be baby shoes, shoes from a Grandparent, shoes from a relative who did something interesting, a work shoe…it is up to you.  You can have a picture of the shoe, take a picture with the shoe, draw or paint a picture of the shoe and have it ready for our special program beginning the Second week of January.  This will be a part of the recital theme this year, and pictures and stories will be compiled as part of the choreographies.

Dance Story Themes this year:  “Ballet stories”

Inverness County is extremely lucky to have the Jorgen Ballet coming to Strathspey Place for a special showing of Anne of Green Gables the Ballet on Tuesday, April 14th.  In preparation for this special event, the Theatre is working on a special package for us.  One of the dancers in the company was trained by my childhood dance friend, Rhonda Gillrie of Danceology in Stettler, Alberta.  We will be pairing with her studio to celebrate what it is like to be a professional ballerina on tour, and will exchange with her studio, as well as gather stories of this special ballerina, before she arrives for our performance.  Tied into our shoe theme, we will have the opportunity to have our shoes signed by famous ballet dancers, creating more “lucky shoes” with special signatures on the bottom.  Last year we had two dancers retire their shoes with all the ballerina signatures that they were able to get on their shoes from a ballet performance.

What stories will we celebrate this fall?  I have collected a whole section of music on Stories for the Ballet on Spotify, you can find my list under Michelle Greenwell.  You can listen to some of your favorite stories and hear classical music entwined with these recordings.  We will be using similar music for our dancing this season.

Dance Technique Themes this year: “Dancing from your Roots”

Providing the dancers with a chance to build their own choreographies, this year will feature time spent on the elements of a choreography, the story that is portrayed through dance, and the skills of technical development that can lead to a strong performance.  Each month will have a different theme that will focus on learning about muscles, flexibility, strength and power. We will be using special music, movement and props to create personalized approaches to dance that the dancers can build and explore at home.

Additional Adult programs for the 2019-2020 year.

Qi YINtegration:  A Movement Journey

Over the last three years this program has been developing and evolving.  The material within represents a broad scope of subjects to assist in easy movement, understanding wellness challenges, creating programs for practice at home and developing the skill to achieve BioEnergetic Feedback from the body to meet its needs going forward.  This new program will provide background on what posture, movement and action share about the challenges in the body.  It will include handouts, personal observations, activities to do at home, and special movement choreographies that are a cross between dance and Tai Chi.  Beginners welcome and returning students – gather your notes for more to come!  Please wear something easy to move in and socks or flat shoes on the feet.

Mondays:  12:00 – 1:15 pm Belle Cote Community Hall   $98/session

Session 1: Sept 9, 16, 23, 30 Oct 7, 28, Nov 4, 18   Session 2: Jan 13, 20, 27 Feb 3, 10, 24 Mar 2, 9

Session 3:  23, 30 April 6, 20, 27, May 4, 11, 25

Thursdays:  12:30 – 1:45 pm Mabou, The Old Manse   $98/session

Session 1: Sept 12, 19, 26, Oct 3, 10, 31, Nov 7, 14    Session 2: Jan 16, 23, 30, Feb 6, 13, 20, 27, Mar 5, Session 3:  Mar 12, 26, April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 May 7

Fridays:  Tai Chi for Health, Inverary Manor, Rodney Beaton Music Hall  $55/session

1:00 – 2:00pm   A sessional class that is great for beginners and those with specific movement challenges.  Seated Form Exercises as well as Moy Tai Chi movements. Please wear something comfortable to move in, socks or flat shoes/slippers.

Session 1:  Sept 13, 20, 27, Oct 4, 11, Nov 1, 8, 15,   Session 2:  Jan 17, 24, 31, Feb 7, 14, 21, 28, Mar 6

Session 3: Mar 13, 27, April 3, 17, 24, May 1, 15, 22

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