Dance Works: avocation not recreation.

Dance Works provides training in several forms of dance, but fundamental training is focus on an accredited classical ballet program. This is because ballet provides the fundamental tools for a dancer to understand and move their body. Dance Works is an advocate for your child’s mind and body. It is committed to the development of your child’s character, intellect and physical well being. In addition we provide economic assistance for children from economically disadvantaged families.

Dance Works program is unique.

International syllabus from Pre-Primary ( 4years) to pre-professional level(approx. 22years).International external examiners from UK, Australia, Italy, Brazil, Spain and Africa to name a few. Royal Academy of Dance has accredited instructors sending students in for exams. International guest choreographers (Judy Davies/Ottawa Dance Theatre, Mel Tomlinson/New York City Ballet, Matthew Keefe, James Sewell Ballet etc ) Live musicians for classes and performances. Summer Exchange Program with Ottawa Dance School in Canada since 1991. Students: 98% minority students Performance of multiple mediums: romantic period ballets, jazz, modern, contemporary ballet, African, hip hop and folk. Two thirds of the students have scholarships at Dance Works, sponsor of National Dance Week since 1996.

Dance Works has trained over a 1000 African American students from ages 5-22.

Our students have received dance scholarships to Juilliard, Interlocken Arts Academy, Virginia Commonwealth University. Most students select non dance careers and have gone to colleges. They have become teachers (Memphis City Schools), broadcast producers (CBS), nursing. Dance Works is the only program in Memphis that has been providing a rigorous accredited training program for African American students for the past 19 years.

Economic Assistance:

Dance Works  provides public and private scholarships for African American students for the last 19 years.

Is this program for your child?

Every parent is proud to see their child on stage, but how do you know your child is making progress? Dance Works is more than recreation or keeping your child occupied. Dance Works does more than provide an opportunity for your child to be seen at a performance in nice costume. Progress reports are done annually (May) with notice of achievement for the coming summer or fall program. Dance Works teaches an accredited RAD syllabus that is used by thousands of other accredited studios around the world. The syllabus has 10 levels of graded classes and 7 levels of the pre-professional level of classes, students advance at their own pace. A Dance Works’ student could go to accredited studios in Europe, African, Asia and Latin America and know exactly what to do in a class at their level. Also grauduates are well prepared for college B.F.A. programs. More importantly Dance Works provides our students with an opportunity for external examinations. The RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) sends external examiners from all over the world (such as Italy, Brazil, England, African, Florida, Spain, etc.) to objectively evaluate your child’s progress. These examiners are rigorously trained by the RAD in London, England, and examine thousands of students, and are in a position to determine if your child is receiving good training.

What are the benefits for students at Dance Works.

Certainly there is physical development: coordination, conditioning, strength, grace, and control. There is also intellectual and emotional skills: concentration, discipline, responsibility, communication, cultural awareness, consideration of others, and team work. The most important benefit however is achievement. Why? All through life your child will be presented with opportunities to succeed or fail. Everyone fears failure, but you must have the confidence to seize the opportunity to succeed. Confidence comes from past achievement. Once a child achieves they are confident they can achieve again. More importantly the child learns that success does not come with every attempt and that some failure is part or the learning process. The greatest success requires persistence and preparation to overcome the greatest obstacles. Your child can learn that with hard work (preparation and persistence) they can achieve. Their achievement will build their self confidence, and self confidence will encourage them to achieve in all their activities: school, work, recreation, government, and relationships.

Preparation, Examination, Performance. Three components for achievement and self confidence.

How does Dance Works contribute to your child’s achievement (success) in life?

Preparation (classes)

Your child will be placed in a class level where they more likely to achieve based on their current ability. Dance exercises will be challenging requiring, strength, control of posture, balance, coordination, and timing. The student learns to listen and execute complicated instructions. During each class there is opportunity to achieve and observe that there is more to learn. The student first learns simple movements and positions that are later incorporated into more complicated exercises and dances. Over the course of many classes students learn that repetition and persistence (hard work) leads to achievement and that success is rarely immediate. Learning the RAD ballet syllabus is the core of the Dance Works program. From beginner to pre-professional there are more than 15 levels of classes. It ensures the credibility of the training for the student and family and tells them level the student has achieved.

Examination

Students who excel in class is guided by the teacher when to enter and test their skills in annual RAD examinations. The same examinations are taken worldwide by thousands of students in over 85 countries. This requires additional commitment by student and family. Examination fees are required. Examination deportment, dress and hair codes are more stringent than regular classes. Out-of-state travel is usually required for more advanced examinations. Often private donations provide partial financial assistance for this. Over 500 hundred students have participated in RAD examinations. The additional effort to achieve high marks on RAD examinations promotes greater self confidence.

Performance

Greater responsibility, work and commitment are required for students who wish to perform. In a performance with other dancers, success depends on working well others. Commitment to additional rehearsals is required to learn how to interact with other dancers. Dancers depend on each other to be in the right place at the right time. Specific movement, style, interpretation, and presentation skills are required by choreographers and rely on the fundamentals leaned in dance classes. The student learns about the artistic process and that each dancer must do their part and rely on each other to make the performance a success. Thus each student has a responsibility to themselves, other students, and the choreographer to attend rehearsals, work hard, execute the movements, and get used to costumes, props, make up, or hair styles consistent with the choreographers creation. It is a team effort and achievement. Students, choreographers, musicians, stage hands, teachers, parents all have a hand in the success in the performance as well as parent/guardian involvement. They all rely on each other. For the performance to succeed, they all must work hard and be responsible.

Family Achievement

Dance Works cannot transform a student alone. Parents, brothers, sisters, friends, grandparents must all help. Someone must transport your child to classes and rehearsals, make sure they are dressed properly, provide encouragement when classes or performances don’t go well, and congratulations when they do. A child’s achievement is a community achievement. Further more Dance Works could not succeed in its mission without the Dance Works Guild. This is an organization comprised of parents that provide logistic and financial assistance. They donate time fundraising and give money to support the program as a whole.

Not just dance.

Other topics are discussed or evaluated. A nutritionist comes in once a year, from the Board of Education, to talk with students. History of dance is talked about as well as music. Art has been given as a subject during the summer month. A Chiropractic evaluation is done every year on each child’s development..