I have updated the CALENDAR and made a list for us to follow. For more details see below by date.

Friday, June 5th^th

· DUE: June Show Dance Videos – Solos, duos, small teams: SUBMIT ON TEAMS OR INSTAGRAM

· DUE: #Blacklivesmatter image, quotation, link, book, black owned business to support, philanthropic organizations, or other resources to help educate on what we can do to support *This was a new one I added as a result of the events going on around us at the moment*

· Mission #6: Share Zoom Link with family and friends

· Battle Prelims start on Instagram ~ DANGER OF NOT HAVING A BATTLE! MORE PEOPLE MUST SIGN UP ~ More info to come.

· DUE: LAST CALL FOR BATTLE

· J Fresh’s SFT 3 released

· FINAL ASSESSMENT LINK: You can start now!

Monday, June 8^th

· Dance Show order/program/social media video will be shared. Please share online with your friends and family to promote our show.

Thursday, June 11^th

· June CYBER Show and Battle DRESS REHEARSAL 4-5:30pm

· SHOW 6-8pm

Friday, June 12^th

· Mission #7: FINAL ASSESSMENT

· J Fresh’s Yoga 3 released

Friday, June 12^th

· DUE: FINAL ASSESSMENTS (I would prefer to receive them earlier – this is the last possible day you can hand them in.)

J Fresh’s Barre 3 released

Monday, April 6, 2020:

I have written to your coaches to find out how you all want to proceed with dance teams. Please chat with your coaches. Here are the questions I asked them:

1. How are you?
2. How are your teamies?
3. How are the rest of your classes?
4. Do you want to dance?
5. How much - a little or a lot?
6. Solos?
7. Team dances still? (Socially distant but edited together in video??)
8. Or just join in the challenges I post when you feel like it?
9. Virtual June show???
10. Other ideas?
11. Would you like to have a meeting? Zoom, Teams, just chat here?
12. if Zoom or Teams... what day/time?
This is an amazing opportunity to document this time in history with a beautiful dance project. You will be able to remember and share this with your grand kids... but I don’t want you to feel pressure - I just want you all to feel happy, healthy, and know that any support you in any decision or project you want to pursue.

I also asked them to:

Things to do now:
1. Check on your teamies (I am sure you already have)
2. See what they want to do... share ideas
3. Participate and encourage participation in the things we have going on already: Cyber Cipher, Dance Chain, Freestyle Fridays... and the new one: More than Dance - sharing skills/passions other than dance: singing, making beats, rapping, baking... drawing... sewing... all that stuff!!!

Friday, April 10, 2020:

Summary of coaches meeting

Team Dances: We want to continue with team dances in some sort of way. There are so many ways you can continue and we can edit them together. This is going to be fun. I wonder what the other schools will come up with? Let's get creative.
All Teams' Collaboration dance will not continue this year. I don't want to overload you with too much work.
Student Choreographies/small teams: This will be an optional assignment this year. You never know, some of the challenges that I post, might inspire you to create a solo piece to share/or not share for the June "show."
We will do some sort of June Show... somehow. It might be all video - it might use some live streams - I mean, we could time it out and do and IG or FB Live show... Where people have to click to the next LIVE performance... it could be very interesting... or a total disaster - who knows... BUT... we WILL DO SOMETHING!
BIG IDEAS is still on. Dances are due as videos May 21st. Link to INFO
We talked briefly - I have an idea of hosting an online battle - I think this could be good practice for our June show - working out the technology... and it would be fun and something to do.
We talked about the three most important things for DANCE: warm-ups/staying fit and active, taking choreography classes at least once every two weeks to keep that brain working, and practising your freestyling/improvising to music and creating your own movement patterns. Your coaches and I will post and share classes we take, they may offer you choreo combinations to practice as well. I will post missions each Friday for you to explore.
FRIDAY is our X block. I will post here and post the link of Teams on Fridays. I will answer any questions or chat with you on Teams, IG, or FB - just reach out... I am here!
I lied the MOST important thing is that you know that you are missed and for you to stay happy and healthy. Dance is the thing that makes me happy and for most of you it makes you happy too - use that - put on music and dance... and stay happy and connected with all of your Killer Beez. Greet each other online, tell people when they do something awesome, and check in and support one another.

Peace and Love!

Friday, April 17, 2020:

X Block: Dance Teams: Mission #1

To Do:

1. Weekly Check-In: Weekly Plan

2. Mission #1: The Artist’s Way

3. Check out new blog page: *J Fesh’s Journal*

4. Check out new blog page: *J Fresh’s Warm-Ups*

Mission #1: The Artist’s Way

Today’s mission is a book recommendation.

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

(https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-artist-s-way)

Now, you can choose the level to which you delve into this mission. This book takes you through twelve weeks of tasks to get you focused and ready to be your most successful, creative self. You do not have to buy the book or do the whole twelve week program if you don’t want. I wanted to introduce this book to you because at some point in your creative lives, you are going to come across it again. At that point you will remember me mentioning this to you. At that point, you may want to delve into the entire program.

What do I expect of you now? I want you to try “Morning Pages.” I have started them as well. I am on this mission with you. I have collected some YouTube videos for you to watch about both, The Artist’s way and “Morning Pages.”

What are Morning Pages?

· 3 pages of longhand, strictly stream of consciousness writing. Don’t think, just write – keep your hand moving. (750 words)

· Nobody is allowed to read them.

· You shouldn’t even go back and read them and if you do want to read them you have to wait 8 weeks.

· Don’t correct your writing, worry about grammar, or spelling.

· Don’t censor your writing – just let it all flow out

Ms. J’s Story:

I love writing and used to write in a journal all the time. I would just put whatever I was thinking out on the page. It was never meant to be read. My husband – before he was my husband – read them while I was at school. And we are talking.. I wrote stupid stuff in there – Like I am so fat and ugly and I wish this and that… blah blah blah.. some stuff I know it wasn’t true.. but it was stuff that my younger me was concerned with at the time. When I found out, I was so angry. I took all of my journals – I had photos taped in and calendars of workouts and trips to Bali all my memories good and bad.. and I threw them in the dumpster. GONE. Since then, I stopped writing like that. So the thought of me writing long hand and keeping it private didn’t work for me. I found a web site that you log into and it tells you when you are done your 750 words. I am trying that out. It costs $5 a month after the first month – so not sure if I will keep writing in there – but I will never leave a journal in my house to be found. My writing would change and it would defeat the purpose of getting the negative thoughts out of my head. So… I just told you all of this, in case you are like me and are worried about someone finding your writing and reading it. The book also suggests writing and then throwing it away or burning it.. but that might be dangerous.. and take too much time.

You don’t have to watch all these videos. Choose the ones that speak to you.

The Artist's Way - My 12 Week Journey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5155a9yGJE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DA45eebMCg

Morning Pages - Write Daily For Clarity, Creativity, Productivity

15 Tips to Get the MOST Out of this Exercise (TODAY)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRz-ajS_2zI

3 Things I Wish I Knew About the Morning Pages (THE ARTIST'S WAY)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAS3M9zweQ8

Writing Site: 750 Words

https://750words.com/

Friday, April 14, 2020

TO DO:

1. Weekly Check-In: Weekly Plan

2. Coaches organize a time to have a discussion with your teams about the team dance for the virtual June Show.

3. NO NEW MISSION TODAY. Please continue with mission #1. I feel that this one is important and that not everyone was on board last week. Take the time to soak this one in and give your “Morning Pages” a go.

X Block: Dance Teams: Mission #2

Friday, May 1, 2020

To Do:

1. Watch Ms.J’s video (listen/watch for the secret code word!)

2. Weekly Check-In

3. Mission #2: Dare to Dance Challenge with DanceParadeNYC

Big Ideas has been cancelled :-(

Mission #2: Dare to Dance Challenge with DanceParadeNYC

· We will use the video that you make for this challenge in the June show.

· It doesn’t have to be the same as your team dance that you have already planned – or it can be – up to you.

· Maybe it is just a good way to start collaborating as a team and learning more about HOW we can use the different technologies available to us to overcome our distance.

· Maybe this is a way to get some $$$ for??? Up to you and your team!

· Let Ms. J know if you need help – I am here to help!

Here is the challenge copied from the Dance Parade NYC Facebook Group:

(I highlighted important parts and wrote in red)

Have fun Killa Beez!

(Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/events/2586612321657480/

Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/danceparadenyc/)

OPEN CALL TO CHOREOGRAPHERS:

Create a work with three or more dancers during this period of isolation and social distancing! Cash prizes are offered for one-minute videos using Zoom. Deadline to apply May 7 11:59pm EST. – SO… 7pm PST THURSDAY

Three winners will have their dances presented at the Virtual Dance Parade Worldwide May 16th. Sample videos in isolation, complete contest rules available at danceparade.org/dare-to-dance-challenge.

Each dancer can shoot a phrase or use Zoom technology to create group movements.

#danceparadenyc #dare2dancechallenge #dancewithoutborders #danceparade #quarantinedance #dance #dancers #theshowmustgoon

WATCH SAMPLE VIDEOS, REGISTER AND LINK YOUR VIDEO HERE:
https://danceparade.org/dare-to-dance-challenge

COMPLETE CONTEST RULES:

This contest is being offered starting at 12:01am Eastern Standard Time (EST) April 18 to 11:59pm EST May 7, 2020 and is administered by Dance Parade, Inc, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, incorporated in New York State. Partcipation in the Dare to Dance Challenge Video Contest is free. Dance Parade will be held May 16th at 1pm (8am our time) and will be free to attend and open to all. No Purchase Necessary. Void where prohibited.

Eligibility requirements: Video must be a video created on or after April 18, 2020. Video must be uploaded to a public link on YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook or other online public platform. At least three or more unique, individual dancers must participate by socially distancing (in separate venues or at least 6ft apart from each other). There is no limit to the maximum number of dancers allowed. Only one video submission per person may be submitted. One coach from each team will submit.

Dance Parade’s Curatorial Committee will review all submissions and score them based on artistic merit and creative choreography in a traditional genre of dance, urban or contemporary form. All submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis with winners being chosen starting May 8th at 12:01am. May 7^th 7pm our time

Judges will use of theme as it relates to isolation and social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, technique and skill level, synchronicity of performance, creativity to assemble dancers in multiple venues using virtual format.

Each judge will score submissions by awarding points with 3pts to 1st place, 2pts for 2nd place and 1pt for 3rd place. A bonus point will be awarded to all dance organizations who were selected in the Festival Curation Committee curation process at DanceFest in Tompkins Square Park before the event was cancelled by the City of New York April 17, 2020. Winners will be selected based on the highest points given by the judges.

Announcements will be made between 1pm and 3pm EST at the Dance Without Borders Virtual Parade Saturday May 16 2020 and posted to our website danceparade.org/Dare-to-Dance $1000 cash prize awarded to 1st Place Winner and paid via PayPal, Venmo or mailed by check. $500 awarded for 2nd place winner and $250 awarded for 3rd place. All winning entries must submit an IRS form W9 prior to be given award money. All entrants must grant Dance Parade, Inc. a non-exclusive, irrevocable license to use their video submission for any promotional, marketing or educational purposes in any medium or format.

For any inquiries about these rules, please contact curation@danceparade.org

Thank you, please stay safe, have fun and good luck!

X Block: Dance Teams: Mission #3

Friday, May 8, 2020

To Do:

1. Weekly Check-In: Due Friday, May 8 by midnight.

2. Mission #3: TEAM DANCES. Due: June 5^th by midnight

3. Optional: Make a small team choreo or solo for the June Virtual Show

JUNE SHOW and BATTLE – more info coming out next FRIDAY!

Mission #3: TEAM DANCE VIDEOS

I hope you were inspired by last week’s mission. I hope you got some ideas about what is going to be possible for your team dance videos and perhaps even learned about some of your limitations. Please continue to work on your team dance videos with your teams.

ALL VIDEOS – teams, solos, small teams – for the June show are due on JUNE 5^th.

X Block: Dance Teams: Mission #4

Friday, May 15, 2020

· DUE: May 15^th Check-in FORM CLOSES AT MIDNIGHT

· Mission #4: Spotify Playlist

If you are in block D – this is the same as your mission. You are done. Everyone else… read on…

Spotify Playlsit: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/532gvPfdVrxzVQWHU98mGh?si=u09SAx2fRz-qRcR6KZVjJA

Music is an essential part of my life. It makes my whole life better. There are songs I listen to when I am feeling sad and there are other songs I listen to when I am feeling happy. There are some songs that make me think about the world and see it from a new perspective. When I go on a road trip and play music the scenery soaks into the song. I can later listen to that song and see where I was on that trip. It is a different way to capture memories. We are experiencing a crazy time in history and I am sure that you have your own soundtrack for this extended lock down we are experiencing alone but together. I know when you hear a song from your soundtrack in the future, you will be reminded of these times.

This mission is simple. All you have to do it add two or more songs to our shared playlist. We will be using this playlist in the June virtual show.