tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54009558299612494712024-03-13T00:29:04.248-04:00Inside a Dance StudioInside a Dance StudioPegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-29974458024295281082012-02-14T16:08:00.000-05:002012-02-14T16:08:06.299-05:00Thank You<br />
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Hello everyone! Dances of Offering was a success again this year, thanks to all of you who supported us. We had an almost sold out show and raised a lot of money to donate to a terrific cause. We at Pegasus would like to take this time to extend our gratitude to everyone who aided us in our efforts this year.</div>
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First, we would like to thank everyone who attended, bought tickets but could not attend, or made donations online. We could not continue to put together a show like this without all of your continued support and encouragement.</div>
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Secondly, thank you to all those who donated their time and energy to rehearsing and preparing for this year’s show. You all performed beautifully and it was a pleasure to work with each of you.</div>
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Thirdly, this show has always been about bringing together dance artists of all stages and genres, and we would never be able to do that without the enthusiasm of the teachers, choreographers, organizers, and students here at Pegasus. Each one of you has contributed countless hours to making this show such an amazing celebration of dance and we are extremely grateful.</div>
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We would like to extend a special thank you to Adam Nashman for all of his help during the tech runs. You made the day run much more smoothly that it would have otherwise and we appreciate all of your efforts.</div>
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Next, to all of the students and teachers from Crescent Town Public School, Holy Name Elementary School, and Selwyn Public School who participated in our educational outreach concert programs last Tuesday, we thank you for sharing in the many gifts dance has to offer. We were so glad that you all enjoyed your time here at Pegasus and we hope to keep in touch and collaborate again in the future.</div>
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I have some personal thank you’s to extend as well, especially to Jane, Janice, Lisa, and Lia, who helped me every step of the way as I fumbled along trying to figure out how to run a social media campaign. Your endless encouragement and assistance made it possible for me to put this together. I hope you feel that it paid off in the end.</div>
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I would also like to thank my beautiful dancers, Kiersten McMaster, Vanessa Medeiros, and Alison Keery, for all of the hard work you put into bringing my ideas to life. I am so grateful to have been able to work with such willing and open hearted people and I can’t wait to work with you again!</div>
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Everyone at BOOM! Marketing, thank you so much for sharing our event with your audience. It is nice to know that wherever life takes me, I can come home to my family at BOOM! and receive a warm welcome and continued support. Fabio Buritica, I would especially like to thank you for all of your help in planning the online efforts for this event. I wouldn’t have known where to begin without your help.</div>
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Maja Zonjic, thank you so much for donating your time and efforts in taking pictures during the tech run. I can’t wait to see them and I’m sure they will turn out beautifully. </div>
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Most importantly, to my family and friends who stood by me through the times of stress and uncertainty: I’m not sure how I got so lucky as to have you all in my life, but I know that I would not be where I am today without your undying love and positive reinforcement. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. </div>
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Finally, thank you to all of you who have followed us along the journey. I never expected such a warm response and I thank you for taking the time to read these blogs. </div>
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So until next time, goodbye!</div>
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Sincerely,</div>
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Jessica Houghton</div>Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-29387517707552517512012-02-09T13:49:00.003-05:002012-02-09T13:51:48.465-05:00A Time to Grow: My Choreographic JourneyAfter hearing all the other choreographers talk about their processes in developing their pieces for Dances of Offering, it made me reflect upon my own process and how I have come to create my piece. <br />
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The dance that I choreographed last year for Dances of Offering reflected upon a personal experience that had impacted me greatly. It was an extremely emotional piece: a duet with myself and Alison Keery (who we heard from a couple weeks ago) that represented a particularly distressing event in my life and the struggle involved in moving past it. I used that piece as a part of my healing process and being able to explore and share those emotions helped me a great deal. This year I wanted to move in a different direction. My piece, entitled <i>A Time to Grow</i>, reflects images and movement found in nature.<br />
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Exploring the movement quality of plant life and the growth that is occurring around us all the time proved to be an interesting pursuit. My initial inspiration came from watching footage from the BBC series “Planet Earth” of plants growing and blooming at high speed. The quivering, vibrating, and constant nature of their growth was so compelling that I couldn’t help imagining how I could interpret that movement with dance. The images in my mind of people blooming and growing and constantly yearning for the sun excited me a great deal and I found myself unable to think about anything else.</div>
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Flowers opening their petals to the sun</td></tr>
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When I began choreographing, I started to worry that people might not be able to convey that same energy and vibrancy that I saw in the plants. I wondered if it was possible for us to understand and communicate with human emotions the feelings and sensations of beings that are often considered to be completely different than ourselves. I could only hope that the dancers I had asked to take part in the piece would help me find a way of embodying these feelings that I was uncertain how to present. </div>
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In my first meeting with my fellow <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">York</place></city> dancers, Alison Keery, Kiersten McMaster, and Vanessa Medeiros, I felt it was necessary to share with them the videos that had first inspired me to create this piece. Hearing their feedback and seeing that they shared my vision of how exciting it would be to explore these new movement possibilities encouraged me and gave me new hope. When we began to work on choreography I saw that they needed no explanation or clarification regarding how to convey the emotional qualities of the plants, it came naturally with understanding the material and embodying the movement.</div>
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Dancers opening their petals to the sun</td></tr>
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Now that the piece is finished, we continue to grow together as an ensemble, each planting seeds of inspiration in each other while cultivating and nurturing our individual and collective “tree of life”. Any fears I once had about our ability to express the abstract emotions of plant life were dispelled as it became clear to me that yearning, blooming, and especially growing, are emotions that we can all relate to, and it appears that life can always be considered as <i>A Time to Grow</i>.<br />
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-Jessica</div>Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-64378077634377586602012-02-07T16:46:00.000-05:002012-02-07T16:46:19.857-05:00Guest Artist and Choreographer: Nicola PantinDances of Offering promises to be a spectacular show this
year. It is our 10<sup>th</sup> anniversary and we’ve put together a show
filled with beautiful pieces from very talented choreographers. One of our
choreographers, Nicola Pantin, has shared some behind the scenes information
with me about her choreographic process. Here’s Nicola!<br />
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Hi Nicola, could you tell us a bit about yourself?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nicola Pantin</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a;">Nicola: I trained from the age of five in ballet, jazz
and tap in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Waterloo</st1:place></st1:city>
at three dance studios. Fell in love with contemporary dance upon moving to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Toronto</st1:place></st1:city> in 1990 and I've
been working as an independent dancer, choreographer, and teacher ever since. My
latest choreographic gig was a co-production of the musical Seussical for YPT (<st1:city w:st="on">Toronto</st1:city>) and the Citadel (<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Edmonton</st1:place></st1:city>). Upcoming is choreography for
a show called the Musical of Musicals for theatre <st1:state w:st="on">New
Brunswick</st1:state> and Henry V for <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Stratford</st1:place></st1:city>.
I'll also be dancing with Creative Habitat in February for Sick Kids. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a;">It sounds like you’re very busy, and yet you’re
choreographing a piece for Dances of Offering this year! What is the concept
for the piece you are choreographing this year?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a;">Nicola: The piece is loosely about two groups of
schoolgirls- the mean girls and perhaps what you may call the outcasts: a
little moment in how they relate and react to one another.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a;">How did you decide on this concept?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a;">Nicola: I explored some movement and character work with
my seven dancers and they seemed to gravitate towards two types of characters.
I wanted to present something that they could relate to, that was age
appropriate and that they could help be a part of the creative process. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a;">What have been some of the challenges you have faced in
the process? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a;">Nicola: I did not know my dancers well but I wanted to
use their abilities, age and experiences appropriately. I set some movement on
them and also set up scenarios that I thought were appropriate. Then I used
their input to create a theme. At first, time seemed to be on our
side, but once I got to know my dancers, I wished we had more time to explore
and refine the piece. We found ourselves at a loss for rehearsal time.
However, I feel that we discovered that we'd like to continue to explore these
movement themes and concepts as a company in the future. I never expected
such generous input from such young dancers. I feel blessed and encouraged by
their input. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a;">Could you tell us about your other piece in the show?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a;">Nicola: The other piece in the show is called The Table
Dance. My husband is directing and I'm choreographing and dancing. We are
reworking the first six minutes with three new dancers on very little rehearsal
- seems to be a theme!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a;">Why did you want to be involved with Dances of Offering?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a;">Nicola: I used to teach for Pegasus years ago (haha
I even taught you!) I really believe in the school and their mandate. And
of course all of their causes are worthy and well thought out. Jane and all the
Pegasus staff and family (I taught all three daughters of Jane’s daughters)
have also always been very supportive to me as a teacher and an artist. It
seemed only fitting to give back when I can. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Thank you Nicola for taking the time to share with us! I
personally can’t wait to see your pieces in the show!</div>
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Be sure to buy your tickets for Dances of Offering to see
Nicola’s choreography and performance. </div>Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-79822860681085854282012-02-06T18:51:00.001-05:002012-02-06T18:54:34.455-05:00I Can Dance: Rebecca Beayni<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a;">Today I would
like to share with you all a special story about someone who has opened my eyes to
new possibilities for dance. Rebecca Beayni, Anna Bruno, and Heryka Miranda have co-created a piece and are performing it for Dances of Offering this year.
I have had the pleasure of seeing the piece and I am eager to share a part of
it with you all. The piece is performed by Rebecca and Heryka, while Anna reads
aloud a poem that Rebecca wrote about her experience of life in a wheelchair.
The poem is entitled “I Can Dance” and I have included it in the blog below.
First, Heryka has shared with us some insight into how the piece was
choreographed:</span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">“The
choreography from Rebecca's poem 'I Can Dance' comes purely from her
relationships with each of her dance partners. Together we co-create
a series of moments led by our collective impulses, intuition, wheelchair exploration and play. Each dance partner accompanying Rebecca
in sharing her poem has had to learn to be still, in order to connect
with her unique impulses that come through a breath, a gaze or
slow head movements or sharp subtle gestures. These co-creative
processes inspire themes, colours, moods, and of course, important
messages through the body, in the moment.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anna Bruno tells us more about the
poem to which the piece is performed to and how the poem was written:<o:p></o:p></div>
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“I Can Dance was written as a
piece for Rebecca to express the depth of experience and capacity living within
her that others on first glance often fail to see. As Rebecca communicates
mainly through expressions and the common knowledge that comes through deep
relationships, it was important that the poem really was a collaborative
effort. While it may have been recorded by one writer the phrases were a
collection of expressions, stories, and ideas shared by many people who know
Rebecca well. In drawing upon the perspectives of many, we are able to more
closely come to understand the complex, and unique individual that Rebecca is
and therefore better reflect this in creating a poem as she would have written.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rebecca Beayni and Anna Bruno</td></tr>
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And now, “I Can Dance” by Rebecca
Beayni:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Me dance?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Me?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Who, me?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yes…<o:p></o:p></div>
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Freely, whirling, with grace<o:p></o:p></div>
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And a teacher too<o:p></o:p></div>
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Teacher of life<o:p></o:p></div>
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Teacher of joy<o:p></o:p></div>
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Spreading laughter in the midst of<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bombs clashing and words which strike us.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Advocate of strong will and continued hope.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am a voice<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sometimes fun, silly<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sometimes certain, firm<o:p></o:p></div>
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Working for justice<o:p></o:p></div>
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Working for peace<o:p></o:p></div>
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A strong spirit, a woman of faith.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I live my faith<o:p></o:p></div>
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I dance it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And I dance…<o:p></o:p></div>
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I dance for joy in life’s gifts<o:p></o:p></div>
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I dance in sorrow for friends lost<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am a friend<o:p></o:p></div>
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The bonds I make are rooted<o:p></o:p></div>
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Deep within.<o:p></o:p></div>
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These bonds weaving a web,<o:p></o:p></div>
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A network<o:p></o:p></div>
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A heart network.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am a connector<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bringing people together<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bringing people to encounter<o:p></o:p></div>
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A way of just being<o:p></o:p></div>
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People transforming<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ideas<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bodies<o:p></o:p></div>
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Hearts<o:p></o:p></div>
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When I dance<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yes<br />
I dance<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dance is often expected to involve expansive and dynamic
movement: an art form that by its very nature requires the use of the full
range of the body’s physical and expressive capability. Rebecca challenges this
definition by showing us all that dance can be so much more than that. Her
movement may be different than what is typically seen on dance stages, but it
is no less important, valuable, or beautiful. She demonstrates to us that
although our society has taken steps towards making the buildings around us
more accessible to people with physical disabilities, we still have a long way
to go before art is accessible to everyone. I am proud to be a part of a
community that is so accepting and open to new possibilities, and am grateful
to be able to share in this evening of education and enlightenment. This piece
has changed the way that I think about dance, and I hope that you all can
approach it with an open heart and mind and enjoy the beautiful gift that
Rebecca has shared with us.</div>
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To see Rebecca perform this beautiful piece, come see Dances of Offering on February 12th at the Betty Oliphant Theatre. Please visit <a href="http://www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com/">http://www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com/</a> for event information and to buy tickets.</div>Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-1981820679220820382012-02-04T18:56:00.000-05:002012-02-04T18:56:02.155-05:00Dances of Offering Update!<br />
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Hello everyone! Everyone here at Pegasus is thrilled with
how generous you have all been in supporting our benefit concert, Dances of
Offering. So far we have sold 80 tickets to fundraise for
the building of Toronto East General’s new paediatric ambulatory clinic.</div>
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We are so grateful to everyone who has supported us this
far, and we encourage those of you who haven’t bought tickets yet to buy your
tickets soon before they sell out! This year’s Dances of Offering promises to
be a wonderful evening, where we can all share in the gift that keeps on giving:
dance. </div>
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To buy your tickets, go to: <a href="http://www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com/">www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com</a>,
and don’t forget, you can also make a donation to our cause on the event
website even if you are unable to attend the show!</div>Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-81336351104810501782012-01-31T18:21:00.001-05:002012-01-31T18:23:05.412-05:00Inspire the Growth and Health of our Children<br />
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Dances of
Offering is fast approaching! Today we have a special blog post from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Toronto</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">East</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">General</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Hospital</st1:placetype></st1:place>, explaining the
many benefits of building a Paediatric Ambulatory Clinic and providing even
more inspiration for those of us who are involved in this fundraising event. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hECHuK1zkpQ/Tyh3Fux5h5I/AAAAAAAAAIo/A9l6JOfQ234/s1600/TEGH+logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hECHuK1zkpQ/Tyh3Fux5h5I/AAAAAAAAAIo/A9l6JOfQ234/s1600/TEGH+logo.png" /></a></div>
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The first
of our two-stage renovation of the Paediatric Ambulatory Clinic is scheduled to
open this fall. Located on the main level of the Hospital, the new Clinic will
feature a welcoming reception area, five examination rooms, a breastfeeding
clinic and an interview room. The key five programs offered as a part of the
Paediatric Ambulatory Clinic will now be located in one space, offering convenience
for parents and families and collaborative environment for Medical Staff.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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At <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Toronto</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">East</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">General</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Hospital</st1:placetype></st1:place>, we understand
that some of the most fragile members of our community are our children. In
fact, more than 20% of the emergency visits at TEGH are paediatric. By
addressing a full spectrum of childhood and youth health concerns, TEGH is
playing a vital role in providing better care and enhancing the health of our
young patients.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Our plans
are to consolidate the outpatient programs at TEGH and create one destination
for paediatric care at the Hospital. Once completed, the Paediatric Ambulatory
Clinic will be easy to access and will work collaboratively to ensure seamless
delivery of care.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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“A new
Paediatric Ambulatory Clinic will allow us to consolidate services to provide a
more efficient and welcoming environment for the patients and families we
serve.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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-<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';">
</span>Dr. Constantine,
Chief, Department of Paediatrics<o:p></o:p></div>
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Paediatrics
at TEGH<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
* TEGH’s
Emergency is the only community hospital emergency department to enter into an
affiliation agreement with <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">SickKids</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Hospital</st1:placetype></st1:place>, which enables
TEGH to treat children with the same care protocols and standards used in the
ER department at SickKids.<o:p></o:p></div>
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* TEGH is
designated as the Regional Paediatric Centre for South East Toronto.<o:p></o:p></div>
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* TEGH is
designated as one of five Regional Centres for Child and Adolescent Mental
Health.<o:p></o:p></div>
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* TEGH
offers a level II Special Care Nursery for infants who require monitoring,
incubation, isolation and short-term ventilation.<o:p></o:p></div>
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* TEGH is the only Hospital in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Toronto</st1:city></st1:place> to be designated
as “Baby Friendly” by the World Health Organization & UNICEF.</div>
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~</div>
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<br /></div>
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Thank you so much TEGH for caring
about the children in our community. To buy your tickets for Dances of
Offering and support this amazing cause, visit <a href="http://www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com/">www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com</a>.
The show is on February 12 at 5:00pm at the Betty Oliphant Theatre. We hope to
see you there!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-2215450385866105822012-01-26T20:10:00.000-05:002012-01-26T20:17:52.245-05:00From A Choreographer's Perspective - Bonnie Gaztambide<br />
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Our blog today takes a look into the process of developing Bonnie <span style="background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-origin: initial;">Gaztambide</span>’s piece for Dances of Offering. I had the honour of interviewing her and hearing what it’s like to work with the whole Pegasus Performance Group.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SKMRq0gH6xs/TyDIWQNo-3I/AAAAAAAAAIY/WEj1UtEQBgw/s1600/Bonnie+headshot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SKMRq0gH6xs/TyDIWQNo-3I/AAAAAAAAAIY/WEj1UtEQBgw/s320/Bonnie+headshot.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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Jessica: Tell me about yourself, your background.</div>
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Bonnie: I’m a dancer and choreographer, from Boston originally. I’ve been working with the PPG dancers for three years now, and I love it. I love their energy and they are very talented. I love the Pegasus community. </div>
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Jessica: What is the title of your piece this year?</div>
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Bonnie: Surge</div>
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Jessica: What is the concept?</div>
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<span style="background: white;">Bonnie: The piece is about water and in particularly about flooding.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>The beauty and the power of water. It's about loss, survivors, and the importance of community.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Water as a life necessity, water as a relaxing, cleansing space to release tension. Water as destructive and surprising force. Water as a surge that can whisk our life away in an instant. Water is powerful and ominous. Something so awesome, and yet something those of us who have it in abundance, take for granted.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">The story is mostly for the dancers. To infuse their movement with not just steps, pretty lines, awesome jumps, turns, flips and counts, but to use imagery, videos and stories to help tap into their emotions, their feelings, their frustrations and their own passion. </span></div>
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Jessica: How many dancers are in your piece?</div>
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Bonnie: 22. The entire Pegasus Performance Group.</div>
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Jessica: What is it like to work with a large group like that?</div>
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Bonnie: It was a challenge mostly because of number of dancers. I wanted to do a group piece using the entire cast. Personally I enjoy seeing all the different stages, ages and abilities on stage. It was a different working process for them than in previous years because they would have to sit and watch at times. Obviously I couldn’t work with all 21 at the same time, so I would send some of them off to another studio to work on material and to clean sections together. They had to learn how to work as a team. I also invited them be “collaborators” with the piece, in terms of sourcing movement. Some things we kept and other things we edited. The older PPG dancers helped A LOT and were amazing role models. </div>
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Jessica: How did you arrive at the concept for your piece?</div>
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Bonnie: I guess I was inspired by the music first. “All Fence No Doors” by Rising Appalachia. R.I.S.E is a female folk band from Atlanta, Georgia that recorded a piece back in 2005 about Hurricane Katrina. As we know, flooding happens everywhere, all over the world - the devastation and cost to people's lives it havocs is unfathomable. </div>
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Personally I like to do dances that have a story. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the audience has to get the story, but it gives the dancers something to think about so it’s more part of their essence, why they’re moving. They’re moving because they have some image in their head of a floating body or the water rising.</div>
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Jessica: How do you feel about the process so far?</div>
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<span style="background: white;">Bonnie: Overall, I feel that the PPG dancers have done a FANTASTIC job and continue to inspire me each rehearsal. I feel very blessed to be a part of their lives and dance training. Pegasus is a beautiful place. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HIf_Diz0YEo/TyH6au24GGI/AAAAAAAAAIg/8km72Blubpk/s1600/408178_10151181325430004_266509295003_22132544_1138041077_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HIf_Diz0YEo/TyH6au24GGI/AAAAAAAAAIg/8km72Blubpk/s320/408178_10151181325430004_266509295003_22132544_1138041077_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bonnie Gaztambide leading rehearsal with the PPG</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background: white;">Thank you Bonnie for this enlightening look into the mind of a choreographer! If you would like to see Bonnie's piece in Dances of Offering, visit </span><a href="http://www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com/">http://www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com/</a> for tickets!</div>Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-52971109701743243712012-01-23T15:38:00.001-05:002012-01-23T15:41:07.753-05:00A Student's Perspective: Ava Phenix-Ng<br />
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a;">Today’s blog post is a special one. Ava Phenix-Ng, one of
the dancers in the Pegasus Performance Group, has shared with us her
perspective of the rehearsal process and performing with the PPG. Just one more
way that events like Dances of Offering really do make a difference! Take it
away Ava!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a;">~<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #2a2a2a;"><br /></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GC-sa3jxjHc/Tx3E0q1XO6I/AAAAAAAAAIQ/D_RTmthLSfo/s1600/AVA+PN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GC-sa3jxjHc/Tx3E0q1XO6I/AAAAAAAAAIQ/D_RTmthLSfo/s320/AVA+PN.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ava Phenix-Ng<br />
<br /></td></tr>
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</div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a;">Hi! I’m Ava. I’m 11 years old, and in Grade 6 at school.
I started dancing in Jane’s Music and Movement class when I was 3, and am
currently in my ninth year at Pegasus. I take ballet, jazz, and tap in addition
to dancing with the performance group. Dance has been very important and
special to me ever since I started dancing at Pegasus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #2a2a2a;">This is my second year in the Pegasus Performance Group.
I decided to audition for the group because I felt that it would give me a lot
of opportunities that I otherwise never would have. I’m glad I made that
decision because I love being in the performance group and I’ve learned so
much!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #2a2a2a;">For the 2012 Dances of Offering benefit show, I will be
performing in Bonnie Gaztambide’s original piece, “Surge”. I’ve loved working
with Bonnie and I’m honoured to be able to work with such a fantastic
choreographer. My favourite part of the rehearsal process has been being able
to work with so many people (there are 21 of us!), and being able to add our
ideas to the choreography. I’ve enjoyed how Bonnie gave us the storyline and
let us help her develop the piece. My favourite thing about performing is being
able to share my passion for dance with an audience. I love dance so much that
sharing with people gives me a wonderful feeling inside.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #2a2a2a;">I think the charity chosen for this year is a great
charity to support for so many reasons. The main reason is that the new TEGH
Paediatric Ambulatory Clinic will help so many children in our community.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a;">Performing in the benefit show has given me such a
wonderful opportunity as a dancer. By being in the benefit show, I have been
able to participate in a professional show, which has taught me how things work
in the performing arts world. It has also taught me about thinking of others
before myself. I find it very special that I can do what I love, while helping
people by supporting different charities each year.</span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Segoe UI';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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~</div>
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Thank you so much Ava for sharing with us! If you would like
to see Ava and the rest of the Pegasus Performance Group perform in Dances of
Offering, buy your tickets here: <a href="http://www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com/">http://www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com/</a></div>Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-54082128418526115392012-01-18T14:58:00.000-05:002012-01-18T15:13:43.408-05:00A Message from Alison Keery<span style="line-height: 115%;">Hello again! Today’s blog is written by
someone near and dear to me, Alison Keery. Alison has been my friend since our
first year at <st1:placename w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">York</st1:place> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:placename>. I asked her to be a part
of a piece that I was choreographing for Dances of Offering and she was
incredibly supportive and performed the piece beautifully. I had the pleasure
of working with her again for last year’s Benefit Concert, when we performed a
very emotional duet together. I feel blessed to be able to collaborate with her
again this year and am glad to have shared this experience with her. </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">So without further ado, Alison Keery!</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T1_MDW4IeQM/Txcjf1Qg6KI/AAAAAAAAAIA/Co_lrwjSJyA/s1600/330276_10150940558295346_891945345_21172203_226453795_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T1_MDW4IeQM/Txcjf1Qg6KI/AAAAAAAAAIA/Co_lrwjSJyA/s320/330276_10150940558295346_891945345_21172203_226453795_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Alison Keery</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Photo credit: Andrea de Keijzer</span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;">In 2008 I moved to <st1:city w:st="on">Toronto</st1:city>
from a small town in Northern British Columbia to study dance at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">York</st1:placename> <st1:city w:st="on">University</st1:city></st1:place>. I didn’t know very many people but quickly
befriended Jessica Houghton who was also studying at <st1:city w:st="on">York</st1:city>. We became fast friends and eventually she
asked me if I would be interested in performing in a group she was creating for
her studio’s annual benefit concert known as <i>Dances of Offering</i>. I was
touched and agreed to be her third dancer. Rehearsals took place at Pegasus Studios. I come from a very family oriented studio and
coming to Pegasus was a little like coming home for me. Their arms and doors were opened and I felt
very welcome and comfortable among the faculty and students. At the dress rehearsal I was treated with
compassion and professionalism and it felt so wonderful to be a part of such a
spectacular show. Again in 2010 I was
asked by Jessica to be in another piece she was creating for the same concert
and though most of our rehearsals took place at York for convenience sake, when
we did take them to Pegasus so that both <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Jane
Davis Munro, the studio director, and Janice Pomer, Jessica’s choreographic
mentor,</span> were able to see the piece, I again felt welcomed as a member of
the Pegasus community. Janice - who had
never taught me technique - was supportive and encouraging in how I had grown
as a performer from when she last saw me.
I was touched that she had noticed and felt she was able to compliment
me on it in a familiar and “teacher-like” way.
Back stage at the show I truly felt this time like a member of Pegasus
Studios and was surrounded by the generosity that permeates the mentality of
all the faculty members, in particular Jane.
This is reflected in her continuous and annual dedication in creating
this beautiful performance for multiple different charity organizations. However, <i>Dances
of Offerings</i> is not only an offering to these various organizations but
also to lonely dancers who have found their way to a safe haven in a large and
sometimes overwhelming city. I will
forever be grateful to Jane and Janice for being so supportive and to Jessica
for welcoming me to her home. </span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cDdItBGHmAM/Txcjh9Nse_I/AAAAAAAAAII/S2lH-HNA2Yo/s1600/327511_10150943346755346_891945345_21186698_2145101547_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cDdItBGHmAM/Txcjh9Nse_I/AAAAAAAAAII/S2lH-HNA2Yo/s320/327511_10150943346755346_891945345_21186698_2145101547_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Alison Keery</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Photo credit: Andrea de Keijzer</span></td></tr>
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I hope you all enjoyed hearing from Alison! Look forward to seeing her perform in Dances of Offering on February 12th at the Betty Oliphant Theatre. For tickets go to <span style="line-height: 18px;"></span><a href="http://www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com/">http://www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com/</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-66993314409611467542012-01-16T17:28:00.000-05:002012-01-16T17:32:52.942-05:00An Interview with Janice Pomer<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DMycuxYZils/TxSj1a9BeBI/AAAAAAAAAH4/2ga2UMJanQc/s1600/janice+pomer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DMycuxYZils/TxSj1a9BeBI/AAAAAAAAAH4/2ga2UMJanQc/s400/janice+pomer.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Barry Prophet</td></tr>
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Today’s blog takes a closer look into the
choreographic process that goes into creating the beautiful performances in
Dances of Offering. After one of her rehearsals, Janice Pomer, our modern dance
teacher at Pegasus, allowed me to interview her about a piece she is
choreographing this year. Here's what she had to say:<br />
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Jessica: Hi Janice, could you tell us a little bit about
your dance background and what you're up to now?</div>
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Janice: I've been a performing artist in dance, theatre and
music since the mid 70's. For the first 15 - 20 years, from the mid 70's to the
early 90's, there was a lot of scepticism about people being multidisciplinary
and now it's wonderful seeing how many people are multidisciplinary performance
artists. As a performer I've embraced many different performance disciplines
and in the last 12 years or so I've been focusing on teaching modern dance and
also on a lot of writing. I write about the creative process, creative and
dramatic movement, and choreography, and those books are published
internationally and used by educators and dance artists around the world.</div>
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Jessica: What is the title of your piece for the Pegasus
Performance Group this year?</div>
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Janice: This is a piece about the
brain and brain overload. The title is "Sometimes I think I think too
much"<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jessica: What is the concept for the piece?</div>
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Janice: It's a human experience. We’ve all experienced what
it’s like when your brain is buzzing while you're
lying in bed at night trying to sleep and you start thinking about all the
things that you didn't do or need to do, or when you're trying to focus on one
job and you keep being distracted by your brain's interest in something that is
totally mundane and wonderful, like looking outside and seeing the clouds. It's
a very human experience and it’s fun for the kids because they're going through
it. They've got exams, they've got their dance stuff, they've got
responsibilities at home. Some days in class kids come in and say, "my
brain is going to explode", so I know they can relate personally to the
situation.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jessica: Why did you decide on this concept?</div>
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Janice: It was an interesting
process. I have not worked with this group of young dancers before, and they're
all from a number of different dance disciplines. I was looking for something
that could help make them a cohesive ensemble and that's when I decided to go
for a more theatrical piece that I could use as a catalyst to introduce certain
modern concepts and to let them have some fun exploring a whimsical and
humorous aspect of human nature.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jessica: What has been the biggest challenge that you've
faced so far in this process?</div>
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Janice: I think the biggest
challenge was that once I established what I was interested in exploring
thematically, I knew that it would require a special sonic composition to
accompany it. My partner, Barry Prophet is a composer and percussionist. He
works with experimental music, sound art and computer assisted music. Barry was
happy to create a piece for me but he's busy with a number of other projects.
There was only a short period of time that he could work on the composition so
the challenge for me was to articulate all of my ideas to Barry before I
started rehearsing with the dancers. Barry reached into his incredible array of
sound files and created a fabulous piece. He manipulated voices so they sound
like beautiful watery music, he has voices that sound really rough like they're
being heard over a weak cell phone connection, and he included some great
percussion. The music was the biggest challenge. Barry did it and it’s
phenomenal!</div>
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Jessica: Why did you want to be involved with the Benefit
Show and the performance group?</div>
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Janice: I love the benefit. I love
the idea that the dancers are dancing for others and not for themselves. I love
the fact that it resonates to what I believe is the essence of dance. Dance for
me is a way of connecting to the world. Dance is a kinetic art form, it's not a
sport where the goal is to win. Dance is art and art is communication. It is a
gift to be able to dance and gifts are for giving. In this day and age with the
popularity of so many competitive dance shows on television young dancers can
lose sight of the joys of dancing with others and for others. That’s not to
discredit competitive dance programs. A lot of hard work and dedication is
involved in competitions, and there can be great value in competing, but there
is also great value and great merit in dancing for others.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jessica: What does this cause in specific mean to you?</div>
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Janice: For the past ten years
Dances of Offering has been alternating between global and local charities.
Last year we reached out to support children in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Haiti</st1:place></st1:country-region> and this year we’re focusing
on something that impacts directly on the Pegasus community. A large portion of
our students were born at Toronto East General and when I see kids come to
class with stitches or taped rotator cuffs I know they've probably been to the
ER at East General. So raising money for TEGH is fabulous -there's a real
connectivity for the students. They can say, “Hey, I am raising money for the
people and the organization that has helped me, my friends and my family."<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thank you Janice for an amazing and enlightening interview!
Come to Dances of Offering on February 12<sup>th</sup> at the Betty Oliphant
Theatre to see Janice’s piece and many more! To buy tickets visit
www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com</div>Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-51491194330949087312012-01-05T15:12:00.000-05:002012-01-08T16:37:25.832-05:00Dances of Offering 2012Hello again everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! Here at Pegasus it was nice taking a short break from classes and rehearsals, but soon we’ll be back at it with fresh perspectives and enthusiasm to match the New Year. <br />
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As some of you may know, for ten years Pegasus Studios has been putting on Dances of Offering, a Benefit Concert created to provide an opportunity for Pegasus to give back to the community. The dream was to create a show that joined the talents of professional performers with those of students to raise money for a local charity. The first shows were held at Pegasus Studios, but in 2007 we moved to the Al Green Theatre and after that the Young Centre for the Performing Arts and the Betty Oliphant Theatre. In past years, we have raised money for foundations such as Sheena’s Place, The Food Bank, Red Door Shelter, Robin Rock’s On, Liam’s Light, and World Vision. Every year we choose a charity that reflects the values of Pegasus Studios and the issues that resonate with the faculty and students involved in the show.<br />
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This year, Pegasus Studios is proud to present the 10th annual Dances of Offering Benefit Concert, an evening dedicated to bringing together members of the Toronto dance community to perform, celebrate, and give back. We will be raising funds to help build a new Paediatric Ambulatory Clinic at Toronto East General Hospital, a hospital that has already helped many of our students and where many Pegasus dancers are born (myself included)!<br />
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Dances of Offering will take place at the Betty Oliphant Theatre on February 12th, 2012. We are honoured to have two time Dora award winner, Nicola Pantin, as one of our featured choreographers and performers. Other artists include, Bonnie Gaztambide, Georgia Leung, Janice Pomer, Pam Reid-McKay, Melissa Nascimento, and Lisa Weiler. I will also be choreographing and performing in a piece alongside some of my friends from York University. Students from Pegasus Studios will be joined by senior dancers from Earl Haig and Claude Watson (TDSB) and Father Redmond (TCDSB) High Schools for the Performing Arts.<br />
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What began as a small student produced show a decade ago has evolved under the guidance of Pegasus Studios' artistic director Jane Davis Munro into a much anticipated annual event that raises thousands of dollars each year for non-profit organizations whose work benefits the lives of children and youth.<br />
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Please join us at the Betty Oliphant Theatre on Sunday February 12, 2012 at 5:00 pm for this exciting event. All proceeds go towards the new Paediatric Ambulatory Clinic at Toronto East General Hospital.<br />
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For tickets please visit <a href="http://www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com/">http://www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com/</a><br />
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Have a great day!<br />
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-Jessica HoughtonPegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-46121436273369260702011-12-27T11:28:00.003-05:002011-12-27T11:52:20.719-05:00An IntroductionWhen you meet someone new, how do you introduce yourself?
Say your name, what you do, where you’re from, a bit of your history. Well, I’m
new to blogging, this is the first I’ve written, so I guess I should introduce
myself. Hi, my name is Jessica Houghton. I am currently in my fourth year at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">York</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place>
in the BFA Honours Dance Program. I am 21 years old, living and dancing in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Toronto</st1:place></st1:city>, and am proud to
say that I am a part of that special community that is Pegasus Studios.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ifc3rqZaPZQ/TvlCUprp91I/AAAAAAAAAHM/JassWHxmIaM/s1600/Scan-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ifc3rqZaPZQ/TvlCUprp91I/AAAAAAAAAHM/JassWHxmIaM/s320/Scan-15.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pegasus graduating class of 2008<br />
Photo credit: Katherine Aczel</td></tr>
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Growing up with a dance studio as your next door neighbour
is something that few people can lay claim to, and I am one of those lucky few.
I never used to get away with being late for class. What could I say? “The
traffic on the sidewalk was terrible!” But who would want to be late anyway?
Dance class was always the best part of my day. Starting dance classes at the
age of three meant that as I grew up, my love of dance grew with me. It was
nurtured by supportive teachers and family, tested during times of hardship, burnt
out almost completely by broken dreams and injuries, and rekindled over and
over by that undying desire to move and express. That is true love, a love that
has lasted my whole life and a love that will never die. I would have never
found that love without Pegasus.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cchqxz5C85E/TvlEaqx2azI/AAAAAAAAAHY/f5j6rW1GEbM/s1600/Scan-23.BMP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cchqxz5C85E/TvlEaqx2azI/AAAAAAAAAHY/f5j6rW1GEbM/s320/Scan-23.BMP.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jessica Houghton - age 5<br />
Photo credit: Katherine Aczel</td></tr>
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At Pegasus there was never a question or a doubt about
whether or not you would be accepted. Everyone was welcome and everyone felt they
belonged there, and it is still the same today. The teachers are more than just
teachers, they are friends and mentors. The students become a part of the
family as well, knowing that they can turn to any family member in times of
need and find solace. Everyone contributes to making the studio what it is, a
home.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wn65gIwiopE/Tvn3CmtOz6I/AAAAAAAAAHw/x6csRz44lcs/s1600/dance2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wn65gIwiopE/Tvn3CmtOz6I/AAAAAAAAAHw/x6csRz44lcs/s400/dance2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jessica Houghton - age 20<br />
Photo credit: Jay Crews</td></tr>
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Since leaving Pegasus, I have spent the past three and a
half years at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">York</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place>, studying
under amazing and inspiring teachers and learning as much as possible from
them. I have performed and choreographed at <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">York</st1:place></st1:city> and have been performing with a
community theatre company for three seasons. I have been accepted into the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">National</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Ballet</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">School</st1:placetype></st1:place>’s
Teacher Training Program, and will be starting there in the fall of 2012. No
matter where I go though, I am always drawn back to my first dance home. I have
choreographed for Pegasus’ Benefit Concert, Dances of Offering, for the past
three years, and am choreographing another piece this year. I am also taking a
more active role in the planning this year by organizing the social media
aspects of the show. Moving forward, I know that wherever life takes me, Pegasus
will always be a part of me, and I am glad to finally be able to give back and contribute
to making this year’s Dances of Offering the best one yet. I look forward to
sharing more with you in the future, goodbye for now!</div>Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-1927660426012731072011-12-12T19:37:00.000-05:002011-12-12T19:37:50.275-05:00Holiday Dance and Theatre Traditions in Toronto<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Toronto’s winter holiday season brings a basket full of fun dance and theatre shows that are perfect for the whole family. Some of our favourite traditions are:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bed and Breakfast by the PuppetMongers – this year the story of the Princess and the Pea at the Tarragon Theatre, Dec. 17, 18, 26-Jan. 1</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ross Petty Pantomime – this year, The Wizard of Oz, at the Elgin Theatre, running until Jan. 6</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The National Ballet’s Nutcracker – at the Four Seasons Centre, running until Jan. 3</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pia Bouman School for Ballet and Creative Movement’s Nutcracker – Dec. 15-18 at Lismer Hall in the Humberside Collegiate Institute</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wishing you a happy and safe winter break! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pegasus Studios will be closed from Dec. 18<sup>th</sup> to Jan. 8<sup>th</sup>. Classes resume Jan. 9<sup>th</sup>. </span></div>Liahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04649728292172767031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-25644566669919090732011-11-28T17:04:00.000-05:002011-11-28T17:04:22.626-05:00Romeo and JulietOn Friday I attended the National Ballet's production of Romeo and Juliet... in the standing section! What an experience! <br />
<br />
But I promised to talk about theatre/literature and the ballet. This season the National Ballet has two Shakespeare plays and a Chekov play. Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and the Seagull are all being adapted into ballets. This is an interesting thing for a dance company to do, especially since these three plays are considered classics in the theatre world and are often taught in high school english classes. The great part about seeing these stories in this format is that the story is distilled to it's basic plot and emotional content. No "to be or not to be" to contend with here! Language in classics like these can often be a big hurdle, especially if the story is a new one, which is why seeing the ballets can really help understanding. By getting simply the plot and an exagerated emotional portrayal the plays quickly open up to new readers and difficult language becomes a lesser issue.Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-77262689981025313702011-11-03T17:49:00.001-04:002011-11-03T17:50:14.264-04:00Student Post - "The Studio"Last month our student blogger, Dryden, went to see <em>The Studio</em> at the Young People's Theatre. This was an interesting show that used a contemporary dance style to explore the visual arts, inspired by the work of artists such as Jackson Pollock and Jean Dubuffet. The show used a variety of mediums, from traditionally structured dance pieces to pieces that intergrated puppetry and video technology to literally and figuratively paint a picture. Here is what Dryden had to say about the show:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong>I recommend “The Studio” with four stars for sure! It was an incredible performance! I absolutely loved it!</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong>The show was mostly about dances that were completely based on pieces of art work! In the whole show there were only four dancers.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong>It was a great show, and I love how the choreographer combined dance and art to come up with this great show. It was incredible! I overly recommend it! </strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After seeing the show, Dryden and I discussed the use of Ballet technique that we saw in the dancers, even though it was not a strict Ballet show, the use of space they used - including the backstage space and the use of video to show different perspectives - and how nice it was to see a cast with boy dancers as opposed to all girl dancers.</span> <br />
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YPT has some great shows this season, including <em>Seusical</em> starting next week. <br />
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Check back later in November for more discussion of using dance to explore and learn about other art forms. We will be talking about the National Ballet's new <em>Romeo and Juliet.</em>Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-65668626869882145052011-10-24T09:41:00.000-04:002011-10-24T09:41:05.163-04:00Alumni Post - Molly<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Hello there Pegasus!<br /><br />Let me count the ways…<br /><br />When I started dancing at Pegasus in 1993 my 9 year-old self realized it loved to dance and it decided never to look back. I’m pretty proud of my 9 year-old self and I owe this wonderful place called Pegasus a lot for providing me with such an inspiring, warm and encouraging environment to move and grow in. I can easily say that I loved every minute of the time I spent being part of the Pegasus community and it definitely shaped the person I am today.<br /><br />Now I am 27 years old and I work in arts education. I am a theatre artist and a teacher. I work at Soulpepper Theatre Company as their Education Coordinator where I support the running of all the theatre’s educational and outreach programming for youth. I love what I do because I see the value in providing opportunities for young people to freely explore and express themselves creatively. See how the Pegasus philosophy might have rubbed off? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">And just between you and me, I can’t seem to stop dancing… I take my tap shoes wherever I go! In 2008 I taught English in Japan and I incorporated tap dancing into all of my elementary school classes. It ended up being a pretty big hit and all of the students ended up tap dancing on the local news channel! It was great. This year I pulled out my tap shoes again and explored choreography with the youth in Soulpepper’s Summer programs.<br /><br />So, thank you Pegasus, for encouraging and instilling a life-long love of dance in me and so many others. You’re a gem! Keep dancing all!<br /><br />Molly</span>Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-21598360518595529382011-10-19T19:42:00.000-04:002011-10-19T19:42:32.356-04:00Free to be you and me<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The dance world can be an intense place full of judgment and
high physical and mental demands on youth. The pressures to have “the dancers
body” or to be a “beautiful ballerina” are all over the place and can be quite
hard for some young dancers to deal with… and rightly so. <span> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So what can be done to promote positive feelings and
positive dancers? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pegasus has long been on a mission to promote the healthy
dancer. The healthy dancer respects and takes care of their body. We encourage
our students to connect to their own body and to embrace the differences that
make us all unique. Each of us can bring a different quality to our dancing
because of these unique attributes and it is our goal at Pegasus to make sure students
learn to cherish themselves for whom they are. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We should all feel free to be ourselves whether we are in
the dance studio, in the dance school or out in the world! </div>
<!--EndFragment-->Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-52786032829141040902011-09-13T23:02:00.000-04:002011-09-13T23:02:09.477-04:00When to ditch the warm up gearOk, your dance uniform may not be the most exciting thing to
wear. Plain leotard and tights, or black jazz pants. Warm up gear provides a
fashionable variety… but dance teachers are not always one hundred percent
behind it and inevitably they tell you to take it off long before the warm up
is over. What’s the deal? When should it really come off and what kind of gear
will teachers accept?<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
1)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>If
you are really using the warm up to it’s fullest potential (wink, wink) you
should be almost sweating by the end of your plies! I know it sounds like you
would have to do killer plies but it’s true. During a plie exercise practically
every muscle in your body has to work, so if you put energy and focus into your
plies it will warm up your muscles fast and furiously. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
2)<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>That
being said… sometimes dance studios are really cold, especially in winter, so
it’s best to choose some warm up gear that teachers will accept. The main
factor to look for is does it allow the teacher to clearly see what’s going on?
The scary thing is that if a teacher cannot see what your muscles are doing you
might be doing something that can cause serious harm to your body. So, choose
gear that emulates your dance uniform only in heavier or knitted materials.
Some classic options are below and often come in fun colours… however; most of
your teachers will prefer a colour that matches your uniform. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ma3sMWkdvRY/TnAYWZDGDQI/AAAAAAAAAGw/ghVMcHbgnj4/s1600/leg+warmer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ma3sMWkdvRY/TnAYWZDGDQI/AAAAAAAAAGw/ghVMcHbgnj4/s200/leg+warmer.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9YJ_Giq4O3I/TnAYYzRNhjI/AAAAAAAAAG4/LTSywqK5zas/s1600/wrap.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9YJ_Giq4O3I/TnAYYzRNhjI/AAAAAAAAAG4/LTSywqK5zas/s200/wrap.jpeg" width="200" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"> </span></a></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2dGOuDkCzZQ/TnAYXmA_ocI/AAAAAAAAAG0/ZUjdUjU-lms/s1600/shorts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2dGOuDkCzZQ/TnAYXmA_ocI/AAAAAAAAAG0/ZUjdUjU-lms/s200/shorts.jpg" width="200" /></a> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-71806774360800787542011-08-09T16:05:00.001-04:002011-08-09T16:06:02.665-04:00Dusk Dances<div class="MsoNormal">
Meet Ava, our student correspondent extraordinaire! Ava has
been a Pegasus student for years and years. She brings joy to each and every
dance class and we are so happy that she will be writing for our blog. Ava not
only works hard in her dance classes but she is one of our dedicated Pegasus
Performance Group dancers as well. Ava has a wonderful attitude and commitment
in everything she does and we are excited to read her blog posts.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b2MzzbWzV_0/TkGSlDTcaNI/AAAAAAAAAGs/kGQk6wG6XHc/s1600/AVA+PN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b2MzzbWzV_0/TkGSlDTcaNI/AAAAAAAAAGs/kGQk6wG6XHc/s200/AVA+PN.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Dusk Dances </span></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">By: Ava</span></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The weather at Dusk Dances on Saturday night
definitely DIDN’T put a damper on things. Even though it rained, many people
came out to Withrow Park to watch 5 SPECTACULAR dance pieces. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The night started with music from contemporary
string band “Moonshiner’s Daughter”.
The music got everyone on their feet, and grooving along. Lots of the
little kids attending were running around, and dancing their hearts out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">After the music had finished up, our host Ryan
Egan guided everyone to our first venue in the park to watch the world premiere
of the piece “The Horlogium”. It consisted of a woman playing the accordion,
dressed in a long, flowing white dress. Under the dress were four dancers who
were actually ATTACHED to the dress. The concept of the piece was these four
dancers trying to convince a businesswoman to join their dance. The piece had
lots of humour, and the movements were staccato and jerky, which made you not
know what was going to happen next.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The next piece was called “Strathcona High,
Class of ‘56”. This piece was about three girls at their prom. At one point two
girls grab two guys from the audience and dance with them as their dates. This
leads to the other girl being upset that she doesn’t have a date. Overall, this
piece was very comical and entertaining. This dance SCREAMED fun! The dancing
and music were perfect! This dance was GREAT!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">A piece called “Eugene Walks with Grace” was
next. It was a reinvention of a piece from 1995. It was truly a BEAUTIFUL duet.
I loved how the two dancers seamlessly moved from fluid to sharp movements.
This piece was FANTASTIC!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The next piece was called “BoxSet”, and it was
my personal favourite. The three dancers used 5 boxes of different sizes in
their routine. They had lots of
acrobatic moves in the dance. For example, jumping off the top of one of the
boxes! The thing I loved was that they were so in sync, and so rhythmical. It
was WONDERFUL!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -42.9pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Last but not least,
was the piece “Bao”. It was an African Rhythm dance that was full of energy.
The four dancers were accompanied by African drummers, who were AMAZING! The
choreography had lots of intricate hand and foot movements that were very
intriguing. This was a GREAT dance to end the night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Overall, Dusk Dances was FANTASTIC, and I highly
recommend that everyone attends next year!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-76720201805678598352011-08-01T10:46:00.002-04:002011-08-01T10:46:48.348-04:00How to Prep for Fall Classes<link href="file://localhost/Users/liamunro/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link>
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Haven’t danced all summer? Haven’t used any of those
muscles? Does September usually mean more than just going back to dance
classes? Sore, tired, achy muscles that seem like they will never go away?
Well… you’ve got time to prepare yourself! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
September is still a few weeks away, which means this is the
perfect time to start doing some exercises and stretching at home to help your
body get back into the groove.
Here are some tips for slowly preparing yourself for the fall:</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
1.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Plies
– the first exercise in most Ballet classes for a reason! Plies work all the
muscles in the legs, including the muscles you use in dance but not really
anywhere else. Do some simple demi-plies and grande-plies in each position and
hold your arms in second position to get the arm and back muscles engaged as
well. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
2.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Stretch!
How often we forget to stretch. START SLOW. If you haven’t stretched in a while
you will not be as flexible as the last time… that’s the way it should be, so
slowly work up to your previous abilities. Stretching should always be done when the muscles are warm.
The best time for this is after you’ve walked home from the subway (or any form
of exercise), just had a warm shower or as soon as you wake up (that is unless
you like to sleep in a freezer!). </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
3.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Once
you start classes, if you’re muscles are sore, try an Epsom salt bath. It is
the tried and true remedy for those achy muscles. </div>
Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-54082434296994809182011-07-26T10:29:00.000-04:002011-07-26T10:29:15.583-04:00Summer Camp<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k5ie67O_bHk/Ti7PFStYrtI/AAAAAAAAAGo/o71o5-qjgM4/s1600/DSC_1400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k5ie67O_bHk/Ti7PFStYrtI/AAAAAAAAAGo/o71o5-qjgM4/s200/DSC_1400.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
Meet one of our new student correspondents: Dryden!<br />
<br />
Dryden is a 9 year old dedicated to his ballet, art and writing. Dryden has been at Pegasus from Kindermusik age (baby) and is a very hard working student of various art forms... and school of course! This summer, Dryden came to the last two weeks of our summer dance camp. Here is his blog post on the experience. Enjoy.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div align="center">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Summer Camp</span><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<div align="center">
<span style="font-size: small;">By Dryden</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I thought Pegasus summer camp was absolutely incredible, because I met new friend’s, I loved dancing, and thought art was great! My favourite class was drama, because I really had fun making up our own skit! Lyrical was fun too! We also had Jazz, Music, Modern, Ballet, Choreography, sports games and we went to the park. Friday was the best day of the week because we had pizza lunch and open house. I can’t wait for next year! </span>Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-89198896361982395572011-07-18T13:00:00.001-04:002011-07-18T13:00:50.001-04:00We’ve been busy! Plus… win a pocket camera!<link href="file://localhost/Users/liamunro/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
If you are coming back to Pegasus in September you might
have noticed the addition of a new studio, the Stage Studio, on our schedule.
June was a busy, busy month getting the new space ready for summer camp. At the
back of Studio A was a stage that used to host the Pegasus recitals, but the
floor was a bit run down and the backstage space was rather small for us, so we
moved our recitals to an outside venue a few years back. In the mean time the
stage became our costume storage space. We packed it full of racks and bins
with over 20 years worth of costumes, props and accessories! It was full! What
was also full last year was our schedule… so we moved the costumes to a new
home and turned the stage into a shinny new studio! The space feels very new
but our summer campers are working it in for us. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But that’s not all we’re doing… Right behind the new studio
is a pocket of outside space that has been overgrown bushes for years. We’ve
cleared it out and are in the process of turning it into a magical garden for
our pre-school program to play, learn and create in! We have grand plans that
may not get finished by September but the garden will be started and ready for
some outdoor fun… with the finishing touches arriving in due course. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wSObpBQSpK0/TiRmeR2RFvI/AAAAAAAAAGk/nfpGJwVaZss/s1600/10164309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wSObpBQSpK0/TiRmeR2RFvI/AAAAAAAAAGk/nfpGJwVaZss/s200/10164309.jpg" width="200" /></a>We’re saving the grand reveal for September… that is if you
aren’t a summer camper, but we do have one problem that needs some help… we
don’t know what to call these two new spaces. For now “Stage Studio” has been
the name, but I’m sure with all the creativity at Pegasus we can find something
more fun, and our magical, enchanted garden is in dire need of a fantastic
title. So we’re holding a contest!!! The winner of the best name for one of the
two spaces will win a Samsung Digital Camera so small it fits in your pocket!!!
* </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To enter, write your suggestion in our comment section of
this blog and make sure to include your name in the body of the comment (these
comments will not get posted online). Then we will choose our top three and
post them for everyone to vote on! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*Or a gift card for equivalent value</div>
Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-38110661364399628712011-07-11T18:02:00.000-04:002011-07-11T18:02:34.577-04:00Congrats to our students!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FodJPDmEeRI/ThtxlgExwhI/AAAAAAAAAGc/8OVFQkaZVIY/s1600/Kiwanis+Wardrobe+passport+002+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" m$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FodJPDmEeRI/ThtxlgExwhI/AAAAAAAAAGc/8OVFQkaZVIY/s200/Kiwanis+Wardrobe+passport+002+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pegasus Performance Group</td></tr>
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To begin our summer blogs we wanted to take one post to say congratulations to our dancers from 2010/2011! We are so proud of all of them for the hard work they put into to each and every dance class. We also are very proud of our dancers who participated in our annual benefit show, Dances of Offering, the RAD ballet exams, all of our recitals and the Pegasus Performance Group. This year the Pegasus Performance Group attended the Kiwanis Festival and yet again came out shinning! The piece “Between Lungs” choreographed by Sheri Kimura won a scholarship in the Lyrical Jazz category! <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WcM9Z2D6r5Q/Thtxd54T8DI/AAAAAAAAAGY/f2ICI6HsSzc/s1600/Kiwanis+Wardrobe+passport+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" m$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WcM9Z2D6r5Q/Thtxd54T8DI/AAAAAAAAAGY/f2ICI6HsSzc/s200/Kiwanis+Wardrobe+passport+001.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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Although we can never thank or acknowledge our fabulous faculty and staff enough for their commitment and talent, this month we want to send out a special thanks to the dancers at Pegasus. It is through the spirit that our students bring to the studio everyday that makes Pegasus the place it is. Thank you for your joy and dedication and congratulations on all that you’ve achieved this year! <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
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Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-25964213056255857332011-05-16T16:39:00.003-04:002011-05-16T16:40:03.319-04:00Performance as an important learning tool<link href="file://localhost/Users/liamunro/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link>
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Every year at Pegasus we do a recital to finish off our season. It is a big event for us with hundreds of costumes, professional photographers and lots of parents, grandparents, friends and family in the audience watching out talented students showcase the choreography they have been preparing in the previous months. It is an exciting time but it can also be rather stressful, which may raise the question; what is this experience giving to my child?<br />
Pegasus is built on careful philosophies that are focused on encouraging each student's self-esteem and developing life skills through the tools of dance arts. We strive for this everyday in our classes and the recitals are no different. To us a recital is a chance to celebrate (and show off a bit) the amazing progress that students have made during the year. It is also a time to develop the skills needed to stand in front of a group of people and perform, present, demonstrate, etc. What we hope our students take from recitals is the feeling that they should take pride in their hard work and feel confident to show it to a large group of people.<br />
We know that this task is a hard one to achieve in our society that is continuously judging even our youth, so we appreciate all the work that our faculty, staff, volunteers and, of course, parents contribute to endorsing these lessons. Recital is our time to celebrate the Pegasus community! We can't wait to see you all in the next weeks as we prepare for our Junior and Senior Recitals. </div>
Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400955829961249471.post-5600877028801746362011-04-25T00:05:00.002-04:002011-07-11T18:26:49.667-04:00The Parent Toolbox: What you should ask when choosing a dance school<br />
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What is the philosophy or mandate – Many schools focus on competitions, which endorses competitiveness amongst students, places a lot of pressure on younger dancers and often encourages provocative dancing in inappropriate costumes. Make sure the values you have in raising your children match the values of the school. </div>
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Quality of studio – Sprung dance floors are crucial in preventing injuries in dancers. So when assessing the studio’s facilities make sure to ask if they have proper dance flooring. Change rooms, waiting rooms are other areas to look for. </div>
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Staff – what qualifications do the teachers have? Do they make sure their staff is trained in first aid and CPR? Do they have a front desk employee during all classes in case of emergency? </div>
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Hidden costs - The price of classes is one thing, make sure to ask about other costs such as recital costumes/tickets, exam fees and extra classes, uniform cost, etc. </div>
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Trial class – always try a class before signing up, make sure that you and your child feels comfortable with the studio, staff and the class. Ask about the refund policy before signing up as well, sometimes kids change their minds. </div>
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</ul>Pegasus Studioshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03105311006029774814noreply@blogger.com0