Dance

I got Grace signed up for Dance class today. She will be attending the Kinderdance class at The Classical Ballet Centre in Summerville.

Paul Ray was hoping when he said he didn't want Grace doing the hip hop stuff and that if she was going to dance she should just do ballet. Now, what he was saying was, I don't want her to dance, he just wouldn't come out and say it. Come on, he should know better. I would not push the hip hop, I can understand that, but dance, come on. All the years of wanting a little girl, I always saw her dancing.

Anyway, I learned a little today. The director who was as nice as she could be explained the kinderdance program, its for 4 and 5 year old. She said they are not mentally or physically ready to study ballet until they are at least 6. So for two semesters, September - December and January - April she will have fun learning the correct stretching and hopefully learn to love ballet.

This is from their website, it gives a little history on the director.

Terry-Ellen Shields received her training from Antony Nelle, American Ballet Theatre and the Ballet Russe in NYC. After a professional career in Boston, New York and St. Louis, Ms. Shields and her late husband, David Shields (The Royal Ballet), co-directed the Dancers Studio and the Boston Festival Ballet in Massachusetts.

Ms. Shields has served on the Dance Faculty at the Boston Conservatory of Music, Boston University, and the University of Alabama in Birmingham. During the 1988 and 1989 seasons, Ms. Shields was invited to teach at the internationally known Chautauqua Institution. Ms. Shields has also been a guest teacher at the Ridley Arts Educational School and the Southeast Theatre School in England.

In 1983, Ms. Shields came to Summerville, SC and established the Classical Ballet Centre and its performing company, The Classical Ballet Centre Dance Theatre (formerly the SC Children's Ballet Theatre). Since establishing the school, a number of students have gone on to distinguished careers: notably, Jenifer Ringer, Principal Dancer for the NYC Ballet; Amanda Miller, Pennsylvania Ballet and co-director of the Phrenic New Ballet; Christine Williamson and Kim Larvey, NC Dance Theatre; Andrew Kelley, soloist with the Netherlands Danse Theatre, to name a few.
During the past few years, fourteen students have been accepted into the SC Governors School of the Arts in Greenville, SC. Three students have been accepted into the year-round program at the North Carolina School of the Arts. One student was accepted to the Virginia School of the Arts and another student received a full scholarship to the Houston Ballet.

Ms. Shields' goal is to foster a love of ballet and its related arts and to help young people develop standards of personal excellence, self-discipline and responsibility in an atmosphere that is warm and encouraging.

Many of her students have gone on to study or dance professionally. There is no recital. She does have a production company that the students can choose to perform in, but they must be through at least beginner classes which is around age 8.

Classes start September 1st. I hope she enjoys it.