2019- 2020 Dance Handbook for Students and Parents


2019- 2020 Dance Handbook for Students and Parents


Welcome to DANCE at Frank Hurt Secondary. My goal is to help students become happy and healthy dancers. This is a fun class but it is a lot of work. Dance is an art form that when performed can look easy, but much work and effort goes into even the smallest movement. With hard work, determination, and a positive attitude, students will do really well in this class, gain a sense of accomplishment, have fun, and make some new dance friends.  

Units of Study

We will review concepts that we learned in previous grades and move towards increasing our cardiovascular endurance, strength, and flexibility.

Here are some of the activities that we will be working on for each curricular competency:

Explore and Create (8-12)

·      Combinations in different dance genres (Hip Hop, Jazz, Contemporary, BBoy/BGirl, Tap, Bhangra)
·      Freestyles, battles, ciphers, improvisations
·      Across the floor
·      Choreography challenges

Reason and Reflect (8-12)

·      Verbal / written critiques to watching performances
·      Feedback Activities
·      Scoresheet Activities

Communicate and Document (8-12)

·      Class choreography – the process
·      Dance quizzes in small groups
·      Performances: Breakout / Outbreak, Dance Festival, and Frank Hurt Dance Shows
·      Ms. J’s warm-up quiz

Connect and Expand (9-12)

·      Student warm up and music edit
·      Student choreography and music edit with a social, cultural, environmental, or historical context connection
·      Finale choreography challenge
·      Choose your own adventure

How are you Marking Me?

As you can see above there are not a lot of written assignments in Dance. Most of our assignments are physical. If you attend regularly, try your best, and have a positive attitude towards learning dance while helping and encouraging others, you will be very successful in Dance.

You will be asked to complete an online Questionnaire before each report card. You can use your own device, a classroom IPad or computer. You will also have an interview with your teacher to talk about your personal dance goals and how to accomplish them.

Work Habit Marks




I have changed the names of each level to match the district’s proficiency scale, just to keep consistency. Instead of: beginning, developing, achieving, and excelling, we will be using: emerging, developing, proficient, and extending. It is a small change, but one that I think will help us all become more familiar with the language that is being used across all courses.

Days of the Week

Tech’ Tuesdays: longer warm-ups to work on different areas of conditioning: cardiovascular, strengthening, and flexibility.

Freestyle Fridays: Some time on Fridays is set aside to explore and expand our freestyling capabilities.

*Please refer to the Frank Hurt Dance calendar on the blog, or read the week plan on the white board, to keep up to date with which days you will have to work on your own student choreographies, and other important dates, like when you will lead your warm-up or have a choreography showcase.

Performances

Dance is a performance art. Performances and competitions are mandatory. If you know that your child is going to be absent, please have him/her inform the teacher as soon as possible. This will give the class time to learn new formations and choreography as well as, become comfortable in their new positions. We are a team and are learning to work together. You let your team down if you do not show up to a performance.

Semester One Performances and Field Trips
Please mark in your calendar and check the blog for updates.
What
Where
When
Who
Transportation
Ticket Info
Throwdown Vol. 4
Panorama Ridge

Thursday, Nov. 14: 3-8
Anyone can enter this freestyle / break competition
Parents / public transportation
Tickets $5 at the door.
Dance Dress Rehearsal & Show
Frank Hurt Theatre
Wednesday, Dec. 18: Dress Rehearsal 3 – 4/ go eat / Return at 5:30/ Doors open at 6:15 for audience/ Show starts at 6:30 – 7:30/ Clean up and home by 8pm
All dance 9-12 semester one dancers and all dance team members.
Parents / public transportation
Tickets are $5 in advance and at the door.
Surrey Dance Festival
Bell Centre
Thursday, Ja. 16 9- 12:30
All semester one 9-12 dance classes.
School bus – paid for by district
Free – come and watch!
Breakout Dance Competition
Ecole Salish Secondary
Saturday, Jan. 18: 10 – 5pm
All dance 9-12 semester one dancers and all dance team members.
Parents / public transportation
Tickets $10 in advance from Ms. J (Always best to buy in advance for competition – they tend to sell out.)






Semester Two Performances and Field Trips
Please mark in your calendar and check the blog for updates.
What
Where
When
Who
Transportation
Ticket Info
Pulse Small Teams Competition
Fleetwood Park
Monday, Feb. 24: 3:30 - 7pm
Anyone can make their own duo, trio, quad, or small team (5-8 dancers)
Music 2 minutes maximum
Parents / public transportation
Tickets $10 in advance from Ms. J
Surrey Dance Festival
Bell Centre
TBA: April 6-17
All semester two 9-12 dance classes.
School bus – paid for by the district
Free – come and watch!
Outbreak Dance Competition
Chandos
Saturday, April 25: 11 - 5pm  
All dance 9-12 semester two dancers and all dance team members.
Parents / public transportation
Tickets $10 in advance from Ms. J (Always best to buy in advance for competition – they tend to sell out.)
Frank Hurt Volunteers needed.
Bhangra604 & Step into the Arena
Frank Hurt Secondary gyms
Monday, May 25: 9:30 – 1:30  
Anyone can enter
Parents / public transportation
Tickets are $5 in advance and at the door.
Big Ideas
North Surrey
TBA
Anyone can enter
Parents / public transportation
TBA
Dance Dress Rehearsal & Show
Frank Hurt Theatre
Thursday, June 11: Dress Rehearsal 3 – 4/ go eat / Return at 5:30/ Doors open at 6:15 for audience/ Show starts at 6:30 – 7:30/ Clean up and home by 8pm
All dance 9-12 semester two dancers and all dance team members.
Parents / public transportation
Tickets are $5 in advance and at the door.
T

Costumes and Make-up

Frank Hurt Dance has a costume room that has some costume items in it. (If you have not returned costume items from previous years please give them to Ms. J in the dance office. You will be rewarded with great thanks. I know how easy it is to forget you have something at home and I will appreciate that you have washed it and returned it.)
Students will often be asked to bring in their own clothing to use as costumes. We are going to order a t-shirt (or similarly priced item) for the classes. All classes will pay $15 and get to keep their class t-shirt. Teams will discuss costuming as a team and will let Ms. J know if they need help with acquiring items.  

Students are responsible for keeping their costumes fresh and must bring them to each performance and competition themselves. If students are using a Frank Hurt item, they are responsible for cleaning, folding and returning to Ms. J. Please let Ms. J know if an item is damaged so it can be repaired or replaced.

In professional theatre, male and female dancers wear make-up. It allows the audience to see facial expressions with all the stage lights. We are aiming to be professional but I also do not want to make anyone uncomfortable or deter them from taking Dance. For this reason, make-up should be worn for shows and performances (unless of course there is an allergy or parents do not allow make-up). If any human is uncomfortable wearing make-up, they do not have to wear it. Please do not share make-up. Basic required make-up for dancers (this may change slightly, depending on the artistic requirements for each dance):
      Foundation
      Brown/black eyeliner and mascara
      Brownish-red blush
      Natural red lipstick

(This is a very detailed video. Students do not require fake eye-lashes. Mascara is sufficient.)

Ms. J will talk about costumes and make-up for each dance with the students before performances and competitions. I will also post this information on the blog and send reminders through social media.

Field Trips

Field trips to performances are strongly encouraged. If you know that your child is going to be absent, please inform Ms. J so we can make changes in the formations and choreography with ample time for the other students to learn new places confidently.

Semester one we will have a field trip in October. More information will be sent home with a permission form soon.


Frank Hurt Dance Policies and Classroom Expectations

1.    Arrive on time and be prepared to work.
You must be at the change room or in the studio when the bell goes. Make sure Ms. J sees you and marks you present. You will then have five minutes to get changed. Start warming up your muscles, reviewing choreography, or have a seat in the circle. This year we will start all classes in a circle. If you are late, please enter quickly and quietly. Make sure Ms. J sees you so she can adjust the attendance. If you missed the warm-up, please warm yourself up on the side to prevent injury and join us as quickly as you can. If you are late (or have unexcused absences) to class more than three times, Ms. J will call contact your parents. If lateness persists the administration will be informed.  
2.    Please respect the studio space, audio equipment, washrooms, and Fine Arts building.
This is your dance space and the only one we have. Please work to take care of it by wiping up any spills, throwing out garbage, and treating the sound system with care. Please do not bring food or drink (other than water) into the dance room. If you do not know how to work the soundboard, please ask before touching. Ms. J or one of the senior dancers will be happy to show you.
3.    Participate fully and positively.
The course content is best learned through active participation. Maintain an open mind and have a positive attitude. Be ready to listen, learn and share your ideas.
4.    Show courtesy and respect at all times.
a)    Be respectful of others’ opinions, space and personal property, as well as that of the studio space.
b)    Listen to whoever is speaking. Everyone has a right to participate as well as to be heard. Therefore, do not call out or speak over others.
c)    Rudeness, intolerance, discrimination, ridicule and other unacceptable behaviors will not be tolerated. This includes comments that are sexist, racist or homophobic in nature.
d)    Everyone is learning. Help each other and demonstrate your capacity to teach as well as learn.
5.    Catch up on missed choreography.
If you miss class and new choreography, make your best effort to get a friend in class to catch you up at lunch. This is a great way to make a new friend too. J
6.    Take responsibility for your own learning.
Each day you will be faced with dozens of choices, some of them more difficult than others. Part of Ms. J’s responsibility is to help you make sound decisions about what goes on both inside and sometimes outside the classroom. Ultimately, however, YOU are the one who is responsible. Your success in this class depends on the choices YOU choose to make. Remember that learning and growth in dance is an ongoing process that is a culmination of effort, a positive attitude and focused practice.

Injuries

Injuries happen. In class, we will talk about warming up properly and using proper technique to help prevent injuries. But sometimes, injuries still occur. So, what happens when you have an injury and you cannot participate fully in Dance class? First of all, communicate with Ms. J, your parents, and your physician. We want all injuries to heal properly so that they do not get worse. During class, injured students can participate by watching, playing the music, taking choreography notes, or coming up with costume ideas. Everyone is different and has different interests, so Ms. J will talk with the injured student to come up with an individual plan. The key is, an injured student should still be participating in class to some degree. The student should not be somewhere else – like on their phone.  

If a physician has sent a note saying that the student cannot dance for a certain period of time, they should be cleared by their physician before they re-join the class.

Above all, listen to your body. There are two different kinds of pain. One is good pain that tells the dancer that they worked a new muscle group and the other is the bad, sharp pain that tells the dancer that they have gone too far. We want only good pain in Dance class. It is better to work slow and steady than to try and do too much too soon.

Supplies needed for Dance

      Comfortable clothing to dance in that is appropriate for school
      Bare feet, socks, toe undies, jazz shoes, or ballet slippers for contemporary, jazz and ballet.
      Sneakers for street styles: hip-hop and bboy – bgirl styles.
      Water bottle
      Sweat towel
      Internet device *There are two computers and three Ipads we can share (Frank Hurt is not responsible for lost or stolen items, so if you are not good at taking care of expensive items leave them at home and use ours.)
      Stage Make-Up for shows

Dance Team

Dance team is a class that you get credit for and runs during an X block after school. This year we have four dance teams: Junior Hip Hop, Senior Hip Hop, Break Team, and Contemporary Team. Sign up for Dance Team Auditions HERE.

Get prepared for dance team auditions by coming to our pre-audition classes:
Mon. Sept. 9 3-4 BREAK Pre-Audition class
Tues. Sept. 10 3-4 JUNIOR Pre-Audition class
Wed. Sept. 11 3-4 SENIOR Pre-Audition class
Thurs. Sept. 12 3-4 ELITE BHANGRA Pre-Audition class 
Mon. Sept. 16 3-4 BREAK Audition
Tues. Sept. 17 3-4 JUNIOR Audition
Wed. Sept. 18 3-4 SENIOR Audition
Thurs. Sept. 19 3-4 ELITE BHANGRA Audition  
Mon. Sept. 23 3-4 ALL TEAMS - After school Dance Team practices Start - X block
What if you do not get accepted on a dance team this year? Take Dance with Ms. J, dance at lunch, take classes outside of school, or even just practise at home with some YouTubes or Steezy. Join us when we “swarm” a studio once a month. Do not give up. If you really want to dance you should continue to practise and learn wherever and whenever you can. Then, try again next year. If you practise all year you will have an amazing chance of getting on the team next year and you will have shown that you are dedicated and can persevere which are two amazing life skills that all dancers need to have. We learn more from our failures than we do when we succeed.  

Dance Teams will run after school on Tuesday and Wednesday from 2:55 -4:55 and Mondays 2:55 – 3:55. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are for reviewing and adding new choreography. Mondays we will have use of the theatre and we will rotate between two teams and all teams’ showcase practices.

Dance Team members are strongly encouraged to attend all field trips and “swarms” to broaden their perspectives on all dance genres and become more familiar with new dance opportunities outside of Frank Hurt.

Dance Team members are strongly encouraged to take Dance class with Ms. J. Dance team is designed as an add-on to supplement Ms. J’s Dance class during the school day.

 

Communication is Key

We are so lucky to have so many ways to communicate with one another. Let’s use them!
Facebook: Frank Hurt Dance
Instagram: Frank Hurt Dance
Spotify: Frank Hurt Dance – music playlists
Microsoft Teams: Frank Hurt Dance

To Do:

      Read through the 2019 – 2020 Dance Handbook for Students and Parents.
      I will be posting all future notices on the blog. If you would like to get blog updates you can enter your email on the home page. Feed Burner will send you a confirmation e-mail. You must open the e-mail and click to complete the subscription.

      Be aware the field trip forms will be handed out in the next few weeks. Please have your parents/guardians sign them and bring them back ASAP.
      Sign-up for Dance Team Auditions HERE.
      I will be sending home more information about our class t-shirt ($15) and field trip ($20-$25). An online payment link, exact change, or cheque made out to Frank Hurt Secondary with student number on it will be accepted.

NEW!

Killa Beez on a Swarm

All dance team members must take one dance or fitness class each semester. Each month, we will choose one dance studio and one class to “swarm.” “Swarm” with us every month or as often as you can. Challenge yourself to take classes of different styles, from different teachers, at all the studios. Let’s get out in the community and have some fun expanding our dance family and repertoire.

ALSO, all dance team members must participate in ONE battle a year. It can be The Throwdown, Step into the Arena, a youth battle, or other studio battle. There will also be opportunities to battle at dance team practices for those that are not feeling quite ready. Let’s challenge ourselves to do scary things this year. Let’s overcome our fears and expand our freestyling abilities.
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