dancer’s datelineSan Diego Civic Dance Association September 2006

2nd annual dance fair & shoe fairCivic Dance Arts and SDCDA present a fun-

filled day for the whole family! Come join us

for dance workshops, entertainment, a dance

shoe sale, and more on Saturday, October 7 from 10

a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Casa del Prado Theatre,

Balboa Park.

Free Dance Classes…featuring several different dance

styles taught by the Civic Dance Arts staff. (Bring

dance shoes if you have them.)

Free Performances…by Civic Dance Arts students

including the San Diego Civic Dance Company.

Experience the best in dance—tap, jazz, musical

theatre and more!

Dance Shoe Recycling Sale…dance shoes (used and

new) and gently used dancewear.

Coffee Bar and Concessions…drinks and snacks are

available.

Literature and information available in the lobby…

where you can learn more about Civic Dance Arts

and our very affordable classes for dancers at all levels

and ages. Become familiar with the purpose of the

San Diego Civic Dance Association and its very active

Board of Directors. For example, did you know that

the Dance Association offers scholarships? Learn

about Dance Collage, our premiere concert consisting

of advanced performing level students and special

guests. Find out how you can become more involved

in the program as a volunteer. Discover what the

annual giving membership called The Premiere

Dancers’ Club is all about. Want to stay up to date on

all that is new and exciting in our Dance Arts Pro-

gram? Add yourself to our mailing list.

Come one, come all! We are looking forward to seeing

you at the Fair on Saturday, October 7!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7

10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

CASA DEL PRADO THEATRE

Yes! Civic Dance Arts has a new class for boys, called Boys Only MusicalTheatre Class. This class was formed directly after the article “Boys, Sign Upfor Dance Class” which appeared in Dancer’s Dateline (April, ’06). Ritchie

Valenzuela teaches Musical Theatre on Saturdays from 1:00–2:30 p.m. at the WarMemorial Auditorium, Balboa Park. Boys ages 6 through 18 are welcome. Ritchie isextremely pleased that such a class now exists, and already 12 boys have enrolled.I’m sure Ritchie’s energy, enthusiasm and expertise will keep them interested andattract even more guys. Ritchie is presently working on a piece from the musical,Promises, Promises, and feels that other choreoghaphy set to Oliver will also certainlybe suitable for the boys. He is hoping to have his Musical Theatre Class in Recitalsnext Spring. For more information on Boys Only Musical Theatre Class or any of thetap and jazz classes, call Andrea Feier at 619-235-5255.

SIGN UP FOR BOYS ONLYMUSICAL THEATRE CLASS

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10 Holiday/No Classes

14 Board MeetingBalboa Park Club6pm

20–25 Thanksgiving BreakNo Classes

NOVEMBER JANUARY

2 Classes Resume

9 Board MeetingBalboa Park Club6pm

15 Holiday/No Classes

22 Move to TheatreCollage 2007

3 Collage 2007, 3 & 7 pm4 Collage 2007, 2 pm10 Collage 2007, 3 & 7 pm11 Collage 2007, 2 pm17 Collage 2007, 3 & 7 pm18 Collage 2007, 2 pm

19 Holiday/No Classes

SEPTEMBER

4 Holiday/No Classes

12 Board MeetingBalboa Park Club6pm

18–23 Registration forFall Semester

25 Classes Begin

calen

darFEBRUARY

OCTOBER

7 Dance Fair & ShoeFair, Casa del PradoTheatre

10 Board MeetingBalboa Park Club6pm

DECEMBER

1–2 December Nights

12 Board MeetingBalboa Park Club6pm

18–1/1 Winter BreakNo Classes

Elegante Chamber Players performed at Collage2006 (above) and Recitals. Their classical andcontemporary music was the perfect backdrop towelcome our patrons to the theater. Look for thistalented group of musicians at the Dance Fair.

Thanks to those who have generously donated to our Scholarship Fund,SDCDA has awarded more merit scholarships than ever before. Twenty-sixstudents (graduating seniors and younger) received scholarships based on

their applications, essays, teacher recommendations, and an interview by a panelof judges. The following were chosen since they have demonstrated above averageinterest, attendance, cooperation, enthusiasm and dedication to their dancestudies:

Bonnie Ward Scholarship for Graduating Seniors: Haley Smith ($2,000), VincentPadilla ($1,000), Lori Allyn Groves Scholarship for Undergrads (free danceclasses): Juliana Bertin, Victoria Bussey-Neal, Kaylie Caires, Janelle Carter, EmmaDorn, Mariah Host, Meagan Host, Sasha Host, Arisha Joseph, Morgen Keim-Lopez, Kristina Kostenkova, Nicole Le, Emily Liu, Amanda McClenny, JordanNowakowski, Gabriela Lozano, Kelsey O’Shea, Christine Rafla, Kiley Sanders,Christina Shamilova, Chelsea Siebel, Haley Thomas, Savannah Visser, AshleyWarren.

An important goal of San Diego Civic Dance is to increase the scholarship fund forour deserving students. Please help finance the education of these young, talentedindividuals whose passion is dance. Send your tax-deductible donation to: SDCDA-Scholarship Fund, 2125 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101. Thank you!

2006 SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

news

brief

s Special thanks to Uncle Eddie and Jackie, and Kevin andKathy Landry for splitting the Recitals’ Cast Partybetween their homes. The pool at Morley Field becameunavailable at the last minute.

S.D. Park & Rec. Dance Program is 60 years old! OnSunday, July 23, our first annual birthday BBQ and partywas held in Balboa Park to celebrate the occasion. Agreat time was had by our dancers, parents, boardmembers and other friends and volunteers!

Kathy Landry and Rachel Mitchell attended tap and jazzworkshops for teachers in New York City, including TheNew York City Tap Festival’s Tap City. Teachers’ trainingis desirable since our teachers can take back to theclassroom new and innovative choreography and thelatest trends in dance.

Dance Fair is coming up on Oct. 7, and we would like toreplace the old, stained, frayed, worn, disgustingcarpeting in the Green Room of the Casa del PradoTheatre. We are looking for a benevolent dance enthusi-ast who will donate carpeting and labor. Call Carl at 619-692-9658 for more information.

Katherine Dunham, a legendary dancer, choreographer,teacher, anthropologist, and writer, died May 21 in NewYork City at the age of 96. Katherine was a pioneer ofblack dance, introducing the rhythms and techniques ofCarribbean and African dance. By weaving these danceforms with classical and modern styles, the DunhamTechnique was established and is taught today at theAlvin Ailey School.

Park & Rec. teacher, Theresa Landry, will be dancing inLas Vegas at the Jubilee! as a result of a recent auditionin San Diego. Theresa’s earnings will go for tuition at theUniversity of Nevada Las Vegas. Congratulations, MissTheresa!

Congratulations are in order for dancers, Kelsey O’Sheaand Kristina Kostenkova, who received awards fromUniversity City High School. “Outstanding Accomplish-ment” awards were given to the girls for their participa-tion in Collage 2006.

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Welcome to Civic Dance Arts!

For over 60 years, the Civic Dance Arts program has been the crownjewel of the San Diego Parks and Recreation Department’s culturalprograms. We are honored to welcome you to our group of 2,900children, teen, and adult students! While many of our studentsdance for pure pleasure, hundreds have developed into accom-plished artists embracing dance as a profession.

Presently, our affordable, 45-minute classes are held weekly, yearround, at 23 recreation centers throughout the greater San Diegoarea. Most centers have dance classes in at least two disciplines—tapand jazz (and/or ballet) at all levels of advancement. The staff, whoare city employees, have trained professionally across the nation. Inaddition to their extensive dance experience, many of our dedicatedstaff have university degrees.

At most centers the teacher has a volunteer liaison to help provideinformation to the students. Perhaps, you may consider being aliaison yourself!

For those who would like a Dance Schedule, please send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: San Diego Civic Dance Arts,Schedule of Classes, 2125 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101; or, viewthe schedule on line at www.citydancearts.org.

A hearty WELCOME, students, to Civic Dance Arts! We intend tomake your participation in our program a gratifying experience.

Sincerely,

Andrea Feier, Dance SpecialistSan Diego Park and Recreation Department

Student Shakespeare Festival - Students putShakespeare to the test in the first annual local festsponsored by the Shakespeare Society. 200 studentsparticipated from elementary school through highschool. Civic Dance Company performed two sonnetsthat tied into two of our dances, and alas, won “BestScene-Collage” and a beautiful trophy. Bravo, bravo,bravissimo! “All’s well that ends well.”

June Recitals - Over 2,000 students from our manyRecreation Centers danced in the 60th AnnualRecitals held at the Casa del Prado Theatre toappreciative, audience-packed houses. The dancersranged in age from four years old to well into theirsenior years, and were featured in twelve differentshows. The Grande Finale was Dancing Queen, anoriginal production written and directed by AlanSchueler. Bravo to Alan, the cast, and crew!

San Diego County Fair - Our audiences at the Fair are the best! Civic Dance Artsdancers put on a show in July that was filled with enthusiasm and professionalism,proving to be worthy ambassadors of our remarkable program.

Imperial Beach League of California Cities Dinner - July continued to be a busymonth for Company members. An Imperial Beach official attended DecemberNights and saw our dancers perform in the Prado Courtyard. Suddenly, they werebooked for this prestigious dinner. “Your dancers performed superbly and thechoreography was imaginative and creative”.......Jay Robbins, Imperial BeachHistorian. Company received a standing ovation.

Clairemont Event - Also in July, the Civic Dance Arts classes performed to a largeand receptive crowd in the community of Clairemont’s “Celebrate the Family”event. A beginner workshop was held, and later our dancers wowed the audiencewith their tap and jazz skills. Good job!

in step with our dancers in step with

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SDCDA, 2125 Park Blvd. San Diego, CA 92101

This newsletter is a publication of the San Diego Civic Dance Association, Inc. —a California 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Public Benefit Corporation — in coordination and coopera-tion with the City of San Diego Park & Recreation Department’s Civic Dance Arts program.Visit our website: www.citydancearts.org

T he Star Awards Event, held on May 22 at theSheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, waspresented by the San Diego Performing Arts

League to honor volunteers in the performing arts. Itwas a memorable evening from the reception in theGrande Foyer, to the dinner in the Grande Ballroom,to the Honoree Awards Ceremony and Show.

The Star Awards was created 15 years ago to encour-age volunteerism in the performing arts and shine thespotlight on special volunteers. Our own Leonard“Uncle Eddie” Ray was a recipient of a Star Award thisyear. Uncle Eddie has been an integral part of CivicDance for 8 years, and, simply stated, the programcouldn’t function at its superior level without him. Heis the rare volunteer who is always willing to dropeverything (except his kids) to make himself availableto help. Whether it’s building props and sets (at hishome), transporting production materials for thestage and palm trees for the lobby, or giving ourdancers a lift to the theatre in his truck, Uncle Eddie isalways there helping. When things get hectic puttingon two or three shows a day, Uncle Eddie takes thetime to provide food for the cast, crew, and volun-teers. Uncle Eddie is a caring and loving man who hasa passion for Civic Dance Arts. How lucky we are!Congratulations, Mr. Star Volunteer!

Summer Dance Camp - Numerous dancers enrolledfor two weeks in August at Balboa Park Dance Camp.This was a fun-filled and productive event for kids 6through 17 years at all levels of dance. In addition,they were educated in dance history, toured theatresand museums, and performed on stage at the end ofthe week Showcase. Dance Camp parents, call 619-702-3408 to be placed on our mailing list. Don’t missout on our coming events!

Congratulations to New Members - Company:Ashley Brown, Angelica Duarte, Lindsay Fulton,Casey Medlin, Coley Mills, Lindsey Nelson, ChristineRafla, Kiley Sanders, Kristina Shamilova; T-Troupe:Keila Ashkenasi, Phoebe Dorn, Morgen Keim-Lopez,Ariana Romio, Hana Stevens, Suzuka Wada; AdultDance Ensemble: Pamela Smith-Brown, MeredithWessels.

our dancers

pin a star on“Uncle Eddie”

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