Tag: dance

Sandpiper Youth Club Has Heart

SYC Dancers

 
Kids are always excited about the SYC (Sandpiper Youth Club) end of the year talent show. They usually start asking to show staff their routines six months in advance! Unfortunately, one of our beloved girls, Jamie, got some unexpected news that she would be moving back to Indiana in less than a month! Jamie had performed in the talent show for the past two years and was really looking forward to this year’s production. You could only imagine the disappointment she felt to hear that she was moving away and the TALENT SHOW would not be in her future.

First, she asked staff if they could change the date of the show. Our Staff mulled over this option, but settled on another idea. Instead of moving the entire show, they decided to make it a little more special for Jamie and actually have a special performance for her and her friends! Jamie recruited a group of kids and asked Miguel – our resident breakdancer/amazing team member- if he could help choreograph a dance routine to the song Thriller, and of course, he agreed. For three weeks the girls practiced with Miguel and on Jamie’s last day at SYC, they performed their awesome routine!

 



 
P.S. It took Jamie about 45 minutes to finally leave…crying crying and more crying. Her mom was sobbing and of course, so was our SYC Coordinator. Jamie’s Mom told us were weren’t just an afterschool program, we’re a family 🙂

By the way, if you think this program sounds awesome, and you have children at Sandpiper Elementary School, registration begins TODAY for the Fall 2012 session! We also have a Kindergarten program called K-Play that will now be available 5 days a week!

Check out the program information here: http://www.redwoodcity.org/parks/kidstuff/SYC.html

Oh… and if you need more dancing, check out this fantastic video – straight from SYC, of course.

 

Meet Angie Torres, Dance Machine

If you don’t have a little person under the age of 6 in your home, you may not have met instructor, Angie Torres. Angie has been teaching gymnastics with Arista’s Jump Start Gymnastics for three years and has recently added Children’s Ballet & Tap as well as Jazz & Tap classes for adults here at Red Morton Community Center. I met with Angie recently to go over Spring & Summer class ideas and was overwhelmed by the crazy amounts of energy she exuded. She can start a class at 9am and finish at 9pm, exercising the same amount of high-energy throughout the entire day!  I felt like I needed a nap after our meeting, but in a good way OF COURSE!  Here’s a little more about our beloved, resident Energizer Bunny!

When & Why did you start dancing?
I have been dancing since I was seven years old. I went to see the San Francisco Ballet perform the Nutcracker and I fell in love with the Sugar Plum Fairy. I wanted to be just like her, so I started taking lessons. Ballet was my first love, but soon I discovered my passion for jazz and tap as well.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I always wanted to be a teacher. When I was very young I wanted to be a school teacher. As I got older I wanted to be a dance teacher (and a broadway star!).

When did you start teaching?
I began teaching dance at age eleven. My mother had an art camp which she ran out of our house. She taught painting in the garage, and I would teach dance in the play room downstairs. We had about 40 kids a week. At the end of each week we would have a show for the parents. I have been teaching ballet, tap and jazz at Kirkpatrick’s School of Dance in San Mateo for six years as well as gymnastics with Arista for three years.

Fun Facts

Favorite Style of Dance: Jazz

Favorite Broadway Show: Guys and Dolls.

Favorite Performer: Bette Midler.

Favorite TV Show: Modern Family

Favorite Dessert: Cheesecake AND Chocolate Mousse!

If you could be any cartoon character, who would you be?: Betty Boop

Come learn to dance this Winter from a seasoned dancer who makes learning fun. Classes for kids adults are held at Red Morton Community Center.

Click links to register for Angie’s classes!

Children’s Ballet & Tap – Ages 5-7
FRIDAYS 3:45-4:45pm
REGISTER (in progress 1/13-2/210)
REGISTER (2/24-3/30)

FRIDAYS 4:45-5:45pm
REGISTER (2/24-3/30)

Adult Jazz
THURSDAYS  8-9pm
REGISTER (1/19-2/16)
REGISTER (3/1-3/29)

Adult Tap
MONDAYS  8-9pm
REGISTER (1/23-3/26)