Inside a Dance Studio

Thank You

2012-02-14T16:08:00.000-05:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

So until next time, goodbye!

Sincerely,

Jessica Houghton

A Time to Grow: My Choreographic Journey

2012-02-09T13:49:00.003-05:00

After 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.

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 A Time to Grow, reflects images and movement found in nature.

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.

Planet Earth: Seasonal Forests
Flowers opening their petals to the sun

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.

In my first meeting with my fellow York 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.

Kiersten McMaster, Alison Keery, Jessica Houghton, Vanessa Medeiros
Dancers opening their petals to the sun

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 A Time to Grow.

-Jessica

Guest Artist and Choreographer: Nicola Pantin

2012-02-07T16:46:00.000-05:00

Dances of Offering promises to be a spectacular show this year. It is our 10^th 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!

Hi Nicola, could you tell us a bit about yourself?

Nicola Pantin

Nicola: I trained from the age of five in ballet, jazz and tap in Waterloo at three dance studios. Fell in love with contemporary dance upon moving to Toronto 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 (Toronto) and the Citadel (Edmonton). Upcoming is choreography for a show called the Musical of Musicals for theatre New Brunswick and Henry V for Stratford. I'll also be dancing with Creative Habitat in February for Sick Kids.

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?

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.

How did you decide on this concept?

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.

What have been some of the challenges you have faced in the process?

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.

Could you tell us about your other piece in the show?

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!

Why did you want to be involved with Dances of Offering?

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.

Thank you Nicola for taking the time to share with us! I personally can’t wait to see your pieces in the show!

Be sure to buy your tickets for Dances of Offering to see Nicola’s choreography and performance.

I Can Dance: Rebecca Beayni

2012-02-06T18:51:00.001-05:00

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:

“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.”

Anna Bruno tells us more about the poem to which the piece is performed to and how the poem was written:

“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.”

Rebecca Beayni and Anna Bruno

And now, “I Can Dance” by Rebecca Beayni:

Me dance?

Me?

Who, me?

Yes…

Freely, whirling, with grace

And a teacher too

Teacher of life

Teacher of joy

Spreading laughter in the midst of

Bombs clashing and words which strike us.

Advocate of strong will and continued hope.

I am a voice

Sometimes fun, silly

Sometimes certain, firm

Working for justice

Working for peace

A strong spirit, a woman of faith.

I live my faith

I dance it.

And I dance…

I dance for joy in life’s gifts

I dance in sorrow for friends lost

I am a friend

The bonds I make are rooted

Deep within.

These bonds weaving a web,

A network

A heart network.

I am a connector

Bringing people together

Bringing people to encounter

A way of just being

People transforming

Ideas

Bodies

Hearts

When I dance

Yes
I dance

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.

To see Rebecca perform this beautiful piece, come see Dances of Offering on February 12th at the Betty Oliphant Theatre. Please visit http://www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com/ for event information and to buy tickets.

Dances of Offering Update!

2012-02-04T18:56:00.000-05:00

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.

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.

To buy your tickets, go to: www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com, 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!

Inspire the Growth and Health of our Children

2012-01-31T18:21:00.001-05:00

Dances of Offering is fast approaching! Today we have a special blog post from Toronto East General Hospital, 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.

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.

At Toronto East General Hospital, 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.

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.

“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.”

- Dr. Constantine, Chief, Department of Paediatrics

Paediatrics at TEGH

* TEGH’s Emergency is the only community hospital emergency department to enter into an affiliation agreement with SickKids Hospital, which enables TEGH to treat children with the same care protocols and standards used in the ER department at SickKids.

* TEGH is designated as the Regional Paediatric Centre for South East Toronto.

* TEGH is designated as one of five Regional Centres for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

* TEGH offers a level II Special Care Nursery for infants who require monitoring, incubation, isolation and short-term ventilation.

* TEGH is the only Hospital in Toronto to be designated as “Baby Friendly” by the World Health Organization & UNICEF.

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 www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com. The show is on February 12 at 5:00pm at the Betty Oliphant Theatre. We hope to see you there!

From A Choreographer's Perspective - Bonnie Gaztambide

2012-01-26T20:10:00.000-05:00

Our blog today takes a look into the process of developing Bonnie Gaztambide’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.

Jessica: Tell me about yourself, your background.

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.

Jessica: What is the title of your piece this year?

Bonnie: Surge

Jessica: What is the concept?

Bonnie: The piece is about water and in particularly about flooding. The beauty and the power of water. It's about loss, survivors, and the importance of community. 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.

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.

Jessica: How many dancers are in your piece?

Bonnie: 22. The entire Pegasus Performance Group.

Jessica: What is it like to work with a large group like that?

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.

Jessica: How did you arrive at the concept for your piece?

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.

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.

Jessica: How do you feel about the process so far?

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.

Bonnie Gaztambide leading rehearsal with the PPG

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 http://www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com/ for tickets!

A Student's Perspective: Ava Phenix-Ng

2012-01-23T15:38:00.001-05:00

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!

Ava Phenix-Ng

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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: http://www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com/

A Message from Alison Keery

2012-01-18T14:58:00.000-05:00

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 York University. 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. So without further ado, Alison Keery!

Alison Keery
Photo credit: Andrea de Keijzer

In 2008 I moved to Toronto from a small town in Northern British Columbia to study dance at York University. I didn’t know very many people but quickly befriended Jessica Houghton who was also studying at York. 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 Dances of Offering. 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 Jane Davis Munro, the studio director, and Janice Pomer, Jessica’s choreographic mentor, 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, Dances of Offerings 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.

Alison Keery
Photo credit: Andrea de Keijzer

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 http://www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com/

An Interview with Janice Pomer

2012-01-16T17:28:00.000-05:00

Photo credit: Barry Prophet

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:

Jessica: Hi Janice, could you tell us a little bit about your dance background and what you're up to now?

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.

Jessica: What is the title of your piece for the Pegasus Performance Group this year?

Janice: This is a piece about the brain and brain overload. The title is "Sometimes I think I think too much"

Jessica: What is the concept for the piece?

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.

Jessica: Why did you decide on this concept?

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.

Jessica: What has been the biggest challenge that you've faced so far in this process?

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!

Jessica: Why did you want to be involved with the Benefit Show and the performance group?

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.

Jessica: What does this cause in specific mean to you?

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 Haiti 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."

Thank you Janice for an amazing and enlightening interview! Come to Dances of Offering on February 12^th at the Betty Oliphant Theatre to see Janice’s piece and many more! To buy tickets visit www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com

Dances of Offering 2012

2012-01-05T15:12:00.000-05:00

Hello 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.

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.

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)!

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.

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.

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.

For tickets please visit http://www.dancesofoffering.myevent.com/

Have a great day!

-Jessica Houghton

An Introduction

2011-12-27T11:28:00.003-05:00

When 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 York University in the BFA Honours Dance Program. I am 21 years old, living and dancing in Toronto, and am proud to say that I am a part of that special community that is Pegasus Studios.

The Pegasus graduating class of 2008
Photo credit: Katherine Aczel

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.

Jessica Houghton - age 5
Photo credit: Katherine Aczel

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.

Jessica Houghton - age 20
Photo credit: Jay Crews

Since leaving Pegasus, I have spent the past three and a half years at York University, studying under amazing and inspiring teachers and learning as much as possible from them. I have performed and choreographed at York and have been performing with a community theatre company for three seasons. I have been accepted into the National Ballet School’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!

Holiday Dance and Theatre Traditions in Toronto

2011-12-12T19:37:00.000-05:00

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:

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

Ross Petty Pantomime – this year, The Wizard of Oz, at the Elgin Theatre, running until Jan. 6

The National Ballet’s Nutcracker – at the Four Seasons Centre, running until Jan. 3

Pia Bouman School for Ballet and Creative Movement’s Nutcracker – Dec. 15-18 at Lismer Hall in the Humberside Collegiate Institute

Wishing you a happy and safe winter break!

Pegasus Studios will be closed from Dec. 18^th to Jan. 8^th. Classes resume Jan. 9^th.

Romeo and Juliet

2011-11-28T17:04:00.000-05:00

On Friday I attended the National Ballet's production of Romeo and Juliet... in the standing section! What an experience!

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.

Student Post - "The Studio"

2011-11-03T17:49:00.001-04:00

Last month our student blogger, Dryden, went to see The Studio 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:

I recommend “The Studio” with four stars for sure! It was an incredible performance! I absolutely loved it!
The show was mostly about dances that were completely based on pieces of art work! In the whole show there were only four dancers.
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!

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.

YPT has some great shows this season, including Seusical starting next week.

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 Romeo and Juliet.

Alumni Post - Molly

2011-10-24T09:41:00.000-04:00

Hello there Pegasus!

Let me count the ways…

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.

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?

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.

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!

Molly

Free to be you and me

2011-10-19T19:42:00.000-04:00

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.

So what can be done to promote positive feelings and positive dancers?

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.

We should all feel free to be ourselves whether we are in the dance studio, in the dance school or out in the world!

When to ditch the warm up gear

2011-09-13T23:02:00.000-04:00

Ok, 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?

1) 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.

2) 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.

Dusk Dances

2011-08-09T16:05:00.001-04:00

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.

Dusk Dances

By: Ava

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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!

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.

Overall, Dusk Dances was FANTASTIC, and I highly recommend that everyone attends next year!

How to Prep for Fall Classes

2011-08-01T10:46:00.002-04:00

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!

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:

1. 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.

2. 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!).

3. 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.

Summer Camp

2011-07-26T10:29:00.000-04:00

Meet one of our new student correspondents: Dryden!

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.

Summer Camp

By Dryden

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!

We’ve been busy! Plus… win a pocket camera!

2011-07-18T13:00:00.001-04:00

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.

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.

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!!! *

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!

*Or a gift card for equivalent value

Congrats to our students!

2011-07-11T18:02:00.000-04:00

Pegasus Performance Group

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!

Pegasus Performance Group

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!

Performance as an important learning tool

2011-05-16T16:39:00.003-04:00

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?
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.
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.

The Parent Toolbox: What you should ask when choosing a dance school

2011-04-25T00:05:00.002-04:00

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.
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.
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?
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.
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.

Health Smart! Caring for Injuries

2011-04-18T00:05:00.000-04:00

The majority of dance related injuries are soft tissue injuries – being muscle, ligament or tendon damage. First and foremost, always get a professional opinion. What may appear to be a slight muscle strain could in fact be something more serious. But… in the event that you are dealing with a basic soft tissue injury the best treatment is R.I.C.E.

Rest

You know when you are at the beginning of a cold and you take a day off to stay in bed with chicken noodle soup? Often you get over the cold within a day or two and are back at it functioning at 100%. But, if you push through the cold and don’t take that one day off, the cold often lingers for weeks leaving you at maybe 80% for a long time. Injuries are the same. Rest is important to allow the injury time to heal, pushing through could end up doing more damage than sitting out for one or two dance classes, which can mean you are back on your feet sooner.

Ice

Applying ice to an injury helps to decrease pain and swelling while increasing the healing process. The best ice treatment is 15-20 minutes on once an hour. Always wrap the ice pack or frozen vegi’s in a towel so it does not have direct contact with skin.

Compression

Compression of the area using a tensor bandage can help to keep contain the swelling.

Elevation

Elevating the area that is injured can help to get the blood back into circulation rather than pooling at the injury. Gravity can be in your favour.

Spotlight: Recital Costuming

2011-04-11T00:05:00.001-04:00

Recital time is coming up and we’ve got costume fever at Pegasus! Ever wonder how we get all those costumes together or why we handle costumes the way we do? Here it is… the cat is out of the box! All our secrets.

Secret number one: Hanna – Hanna is kind of like the fairy god-mother of costumes. We recycle costumes at Pegasus to try to keep costs down for parents. An average dance costume costs about $60-150 and many of our students need more than one costume! Parents, are the dollar signs starting to ring in your head yet? So instead of adding this extra cost, we invest in new costumes each year but always see what previous costumes we can reuse. But that means a lot of things. Cleaning, organizing and storage facilities – Hanna takes care of all of this. But most of all is the issue of fitting. When we reuse a costume we often find that we have to alter it for certain dancers or even that we have to re-create one or two because we have 12 dancers to 10 costumes. Hanna is the queen!

Secret number two: Missy – Missy is a seamstress that we’ve been working with for years now. Like Hanna, Missy can alter and re-create any costume we need, on top of designing and building wonderful costumes for our dancers. Without Missy… well, let’s not even think about that.

Secret number three: Embrace chaos while being extremely organized! This one is not as easy as it sounds. The hardest part of this whole thing… making sure each and every student has a costume… that fits! Once that’s taken care of (a process that usually takes about 4 months) we have to make sure each student’s costume makes it to the theatre and in perfect shape.

Secret number four: Make sure you have some relaxation method in mind for directly after the evening of the recital… because the next day the cleaning, re-organizing and move to storage begins.

The best part of this whole process: Seeing the faces of the dancers when they first try on their costumes – it’s usually pretty exciting!

Inspirations: Twyla Tharp

2011-04-04T00:05:00.002-04:00

If you go to Twyla Tharp’s website, her bio begins with a list of accomplishments that is immense, to say the least. Tharp has been choreographing since 1963 and has to date created over 135 dances, 5 movies and 4 Broadway shows (add director to those credits). Want to hear what honours she’s received? Try a Tony, a couple Emmy’s, 19 honourary doctorates, and on and on and on. This woman has been creating, performing, dancing, directing and inspiring to infinite and beyond! After studying with legends like Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham, Tharp created her own company, Twyla Tharp Dance, in 1965. Her style is a mixture of all things great, classical traditions with pop music, techniques from Graham and Cunningham with jazz.

Why is Twyla Tharp inspiring? Well… not only has she proven her abilities to choreograph stunning pieces that touch an audience, she has also proven she can cross genres from classical to Broadway to film, and above all else… she’s still going!

Interested in Twyla Tharp’s choreography? Check out her piece The Upper Room at the National Ballet of Canada this summer, June 15-19.

Check out Twyla Tharp's website, where we got this information, for more great photos like the one above. http://www.twylatharp.org/home.shtml

A Look Ahead

2011-03-31T00:05:00.002-04:00

Here is what we have up our sleeves for April blogs:

Inspirations: Twyla Tharp
Spotlight: Recital Costuming
Health Smart!: Caring for Injuries
The Parent Toolbox: What to ask when shopping for a dance school

Hope you enjoy!

Parent Toolbox: Everything you will need on exam day

2011-03-28T00:05:00.001-04:00

Although most of this checklist is specifically for the exam candidates and not the parents, we’ve made sure to include a few things you might want to pack along with the list of what your child needs to have on the big day.

In the dance bag:

· Uniform – everything washed, ironed, polished. New tights (or somewhat new) are good as they will be clean with no chance of runs.

o Leotard

o Tights or socks

o Waistband

o Ballet slippers

o Character shoes (Grade 1+)

o Character skirt (Grade 1+)

· Hair Kit

o Elastics

o Pins

o Hair net

o Brush

o Hair spray

· Water bottle

· A snack for after the exam – they take a lot of energy so a granola bar or piece of fruit is really nice for after

For Parents:

· Camera

· Coffee and book – once you arrive at the studio and the preparations begin it can be a lot of sitting and waiting

Health Smart! Remaining Focused on personal goals rather than competition

2011-03-21T00:05:00.001-04:00

One of our core values at Pegasus is that each person that comes through our door should be valued for their unique qualities. We’ve built our dance program off this principle and it is one of the reasons we rarely participate in competitions. We try to focus on what each student’s personal best is and encourage them to reach it… and hopefully going far beyond it.

This month’s blogs are focused on ballet exams and we wanted to take this health section to talk about the mental health that surrounds a high stress situation for children. Last month we talked about how to encourage children through tough times and one of the suggestions from the experts was to help them focus on their personal goals. A ballet exam, dance competition, recital or even just day to day class, is the perfect forum for setting personal goals. In each situation a dancer will be surrounded by number of other people who all have their own talents and challenges. In our society we are encouraged to compare ourselves to those around us and in the dance world this is very prominent - those mirrors don’t help at all. Comparison can be very intimidating and in the end can turn out to be very harmful. So this month… try setting goals for just you. Are you going to work towards relaxing your hands during ballet class, landing the double pirouette in jazz, get all the sounds in a delayed wing in tap class, or be able to run through the entire routine without forgetting what comes next in modern?

What is always helpful in reaching personal goals is to tell someone what they are. Teachers are a great person because they can they help you stay focused on your goals in class and they can guide you towards reaching them. So… why are YOU doing a ballet exam this year? Or, taking musical theatre for the first time?

Spotlight: A Day in the Life of an Exam Candidate - by someone who did a few!

2011-03-15T10:12:00.000-04:00

Although most days would be spent going to school during the day and spending the evenings in ballet class learning and perfecting exam material, this spotlight will jump to the most important day… the exam day!

I remember the night before was always the most scary. Of course everyone, teachers, parents, friends, all said, “Get a good night’s sleep.” But that never happened. Before bed I would always double check my bag. ‘Do I have my uniform? Are they all in good shape? Do I have my hair kit? My good luck charm?

I’m reassured that my bag it ready, so now time to try to fall asleep. Snuggle into bed, turn off the light, shut my eyes… fall asleep… fall asleep… go to sleep… GO TO SLEEP! But all that is going through my mind is the exercises. Plie on one, rise on two, arm to second on three, head turn on four, and on and on and on. I play the entire exam in my head as I lie in bed. I can hear the music; see the examiner and my friends in my group. My partner for the character dance and I have been in total sync for the past week. We’ve got that down. I’m sure of it. But what about the study I do alone? What if I forget what comes next. ‘Just breathe and try to sleep,’ I tell myself in between the exercises happening in my head. And eventually I do drift into sleep.

In the morning the panic sets in. This is it. The day. I carry my bag downstairs and leave it by the front door. It’s ready to go. Breakfast is eaten but it doesn’t taste quite as good because of the nerves. I pack a bottle of water and get ready to go to the studio. Butterflies fly through me, but I try to appear cool on the outside.

At the studio I find all my friends in the same state as me. We have got to breathe and relax a bit if we are going to enjoy this at all. After our hair is finished – a very tight bun that doesn’t let any little piece of hair get loose – we start to warm up together. Over the past few weeks, we’ve learned to support each other, to work together, to calm each other. I know that I will have friends to my left and right that will always smile back even if the examiner isn’t.

It’s time. We line up at the door, our character skirts folded neatly over our arms, our shoes in hand. We have perfect uniforms, perfect hair and perfect smiles. We’ve practiced the examiner’s name over and over again. We are ready. The bell rings. The door opens. And…

About an hour later we emerge. Life is back to normal, relaxed. “How was it?” someone asks. “Great!” I say, “so much fun!” Fun? Not often a word one hears alongside “exam”. But, this exam was fun. It was a chance to be in front of an audience, even if only an audience of one. I performed with my friends, we showed off the skills we’ve been working on all year and most of all we got to dance, dance, dance! No stopping for corrections from teachers, no pausing to ask a question, just straight dancing!

Dance as Inspiration

2011-03-07T14:12:00.000-05:00

Famous dance quotes can be found from sources as varied as dancers, philosophers, and ancient proverbs. Some of the most frequent themes in these quotes is a spiritual connection that dance brings as well as dance as a form of poetry. What is great about the quotes that we’ve put below is that in a short sentence or two the emotional aspects and benefits of dance is expressed.

So… here is a dash of inspiration in the form of quotes:

Let us first teach little children to breathe, to vibrate, to feel and to become one with the general harmony and movement of nature. Let us first produce a beautiful human being, a dancing child. - Isadora Duncan

Everything in the universe has rhythm. Everything dances. - Maya Angelou

Dancing is like dreaming with your feet! – Constanze

The truest expression of a people is in its dance and its music. Bodies never lie. – Agnes de Mille

You can dance anywhere, even if only in your heart. – Unknown

There are shortcuts to happiness and dancing is one of them. – Vicki Baum

Dance is the hidden language of the soul. – Martha Graham

To watch is dance is to hear our hearts speak. – Hopi Indian Saying

Dancing is the poetry of the foot. – John Dryden

We’re fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance. – Japanese proverb

The Month Ahead...

2011-03-03T11:59:00.000-05:00

Here is a look at the posts we are planning for March:

Inspirations: Inspiring Dance Quotes
Spotlight: A day in the life of an exam candidate
Health Smart!: Remaining focused on personal goals rather than competition
Parent Toolbox: The exam Toolbox - everything you will need on the big day

Parent Toolbox: The Tough Get Going: How to motivate your child when the going gets tough

2011-02-28T15:11:00.000-05:00

Motivating children is one thing… keeping them motivated during the rough times or when they are deep in the middle of a project, like preparing for a ballet exam, is another thing. So, how do you help your child get through that dip, the rough patch in the middle, to keep working hard and push through to the other side? We’ve compiled some resources and tips from various places for this blog entry for you – they’ve been helpful to the teachers here at Pegasus and we hope that you may find a little nugget that can be helpful to you as well.

To begin with, these are the two main types of motivation:

· Intrinsically motivated “for its own sake, for the enjoyment it provides, the learning it permits or the feelings of accomplishment it evokes”. (Mark Lepper 1988)*

· Extrinsically motivated – “in order to obtain some reward or avoid some punishment external to the activity itself”. (grades, stickers, teacher approval (Lepper).

*The first one, intrinsically, is much more beneficial in the long run as it will give them the skills to become motivated in any situation.

According to Jere Brophy (1987) motivation to learn is a competence acquired through general experience but stimulated through modeling, communication of expectations and direct instruction or socialization by significant others (parents and teacher).

Home environment shapes the initial attitudes they develop toward learning. When parents nurture their children’s natural curiosity about the world, welcoming their questions, encouraging exploration and familiarizing them with resources that can enlarge their world – the message is that learning is worthwhile and fun and satisfying. (www.kidsource.com)

One of the most important aspects of keeping children (or anyone for that matter) motivated is the ability to set personal goals. Sure, your child may be working towards a ballet exam, but if you can help them set up their own goals within that – for example: working towards a specific exercise that is challenging for them, using the exam as a way to practice performance skills for the upcoming recital, practicing the ability to learn and remember choreography, etc. – goals that speak directly to their own personal bests, their own personal desires to be in that situation and their own personal strengths. This process not only makes the larger goal seem more achievable but it also helps to keep the larger goal in focus as sometimes it can get lost because of its size. For a child, being able to clearly see how their activities are applicable to their life is key. (parentingideas.com.au)

Strategies parents can use to help children remain more fully intrinsically motivated.

· Provide environment that allows children to freely explore and to see the effect of their actions.

· Allow children ample time when working to allow for persistence. When children are deeply involved with an activity, make sure that they can finish without interruption. Resist the natural urge to help

· Provide many opportunities for children and adults to explore together and interact directly. This lets you observe, model and encourage your child.

· Provides situations that give children an acceptable challenge. Activities that are slightly difficult for the child will be more motivating and provide for stronger feelings of success when accomplished.

· Give children opportunities to evaluate their own accomplishments. Rather than stating that you think they have done a good job, ask them what they think of their work. “What do you think?” (www.nasponline.org/resources/home_school/earlychildmotiv_ho.aspx)

For the older child, this is an excerpt from a great book:

From the book; Dr. Karyn’s Guide to the Teen Years. By Dr. Karyn Gordon

How to Help your teen be a motivated student;

Modeling is very important – if you love to learn, they are likely to as well;

o How to help; focus on their efforts, not on the end results.

o Praise and affirm their effort when you see it.

o Don’t over function. If parents are highly anxious about their teen’s school work and performance, there is a strong chance your teen will under function in reaction. Let them own their school experience.

o Ask what they are learning and studying. Invite them to discuss some of the things that have interested them

o Ask if they need any help Let them know you are available if they need any support.

o If they show an interest in a career choice, do activities with them that might further excite them about that field.

o Look for everyday events and family trips to inspire a love of learning.

o Get solution-focused and brainstorm with them about what has worked in the past regarding their motivation

- The Key is to partner with your teens and not micromanage them. You want to help your teen discover the unique equation that helps them be focused and efficient.

The resources in this article are a great source of information, much more than we’ve provided here. Check them out for more detailed information on this subject.

Health Smart! Heart Health!

2011-02-21T10:27:00.000-05:00

Keeping your heart healthy is not only about eating right. Regular exercise that has a variety of qualities to it can be extremely beneficial in preventing illness or failure of the heart. This may seem like a topic for a fitness blog, or even for a blog dedicated to a more senior reader… but, old or young keeping the heart healthy is crucial and dance is just the way to do it. Doctors are advocating, not just physical activity, but dance as a good form of exercise to promote a healthy heart. Exercise increases the functioning of the heart and the healthy flow of blood and the great thing about dance is that it includes a variety of types of exercise. Unlike running on the treadmill, dance allows for various tempos and rhythms of movement, it includes cardio work as well as muscle resistance training and on top of that you always get a great stretch! But, most of all, dance provides that added something for the health of the heart – joy! Some good music, friends and fun! What more can a heart ask for?

Spotlight on the Dances of Offering guest artists

2011-02-14T11:33:00.001-05:00

Each year for the benefit show, Dances of Offering, we invite guest artists to perform and/or choreograph pieces on our students. This year is very exciting as we have everything from Flamenco to Hip Hop! Below is a list of the artists that are volunteering their time to this wonderful cause. I’ve posted a link to their website or some brief info so you can have a better sense of what to expect from our show.

Confirmed Guests

1. COBA (youth ensemble) (www.cobainc.com)

2. Carmen Romero Flamenco Co (www.carmenromero.ca)

3. Apolonia Velasquez (www.gadfly2.com)

4. Meagan O¹Shea (www.standupdance.com or www.meaganoshea.ca)

5. Puja Amin Sanskriti www.sanskritiarts.ca

6. Jessica Houghton - Jessica is a Pegasus alumni who went on to study dance at York University. She has been developing her choreography talents over the past few years and we are glad that she is back again this year with another stunning contemporary piece!

7. City Dance Corps Salsa - Estelle and Cornell (www.citydancecorps.com)

8. City Dance Corps Youth ensemble –Hip Hop Shavar

9.Melissa Nascimento-So – Melissa is not only a renowned performer of various dance styles but she is also a Pegasus teacher! Melissa has been doing amazing work with her organization, Women in Dance, who showcase female choreographers and performers. Women in Dance takes great pride in the work they do to give back to their community. (http://www.womenindance.com/)

10.Georgia Leung – Georgia, one of our fabulous Ballet teachers, is a classically trained performer in Chinese dance and her performances are always a stunning spectacle. We are excited to have her back again this year with another beautiful performance.

So… there you have it! Another year of great guests to the Pegasus family! We hope that you will have the chance to come see the show. For more information check out our website, http://www.pegasusdance.com/AnnualEvents.asp

Inspirations - Margot Fonteyn

2011-02-07T00:05:00.000-05:00

Margot Fonteyn is considered to be one of the best classical ballet dancers in history. That’s a big claim to make and is purely subjective to your own perspective. However, what cannot be denied is that she greatly impacted not only her colleagues but her audiences. Inspiring many young dancers to follow in her footsteps, many choreographers to create new works and even the unique inspiration she had over her long time dance partner Nureyev are the testaments to her skill as a performer. In our examination of inspirations, Fonteyn was one of the first names to come up. Why? Well, Fonteyn was a British dancer who stayed at one company, the Royal Ballet, her entire career. Eventually she was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II. But, one of the most inspiring things about Fonteyn was her longevity as a ballet dancer. Although many professional ballet dancers retire somewhere between 30 and 40 years old, at least from the prima ballerina role in a classically based company, Fonteyn danced until she was 60. Her famous partnership with Rudolph Nureyev did not even begin until she was in her 40’s!

What can we take away from Margot Fonteyn’s influence as a dancer? It’s not so much about her technical precision but perhaps more of her philosophy that can inspire us. Fonteyn said, "The one important thing I have learned over the years is the difference between taking one's work seriously and taking one's self seriously. The first is imperative and the second is disastrous." Taking your work in the dance studio seriously can mean great achievement in the form of technical abilities and physical care. Perhaps her longevity as a dancer came from this serious approach to her work in rehearsal halls, classes and performances. However, Fonteyn continues, taking yourself seriously can cause disaster! Maybe it is in this sense that she was able to connect with through her work. Allowing for a freedom, for pleasure and joy in her performances and her relationships, on and off stage, is perhaps why she affected so many dancers, audience members and colleagues.

Check out this video of Fonteyn and Nureyev: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLItQ3vFUZk

Coming Up in February

2011-02-02T00:05:00.002-05:00

Hello again! This month we are are preparing for our annual benefit show, Dances of Offering, in support of World Vision. The show takes place on February 26th at the Al Green Theatre. Check out our Facebook event page for all the details http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=188722941152182.

We have some good blog posts for you this month. Here are the headlines!
Inspirations: Margot Fonteyn
Spotlight: The guest artists involved with the benefit
Health Smart!: Heart Health!
Parent Toolbox: The Tough Get Going: How to motivate your child when the going gets tough

Hope you enjoy this month! Feel free to add some comments to any of the posts you see - we are always welcome to having discussions when it comes to dance, art, health, education... the works!

The Parent Toolbox: What you need to know about Pointe shoes

2011-02-01T10:14:00.000-05:00

Here it is... our last January post... in February!

Pointe shoes are an inevitable part of a young ballet dancers training. Some dancers will be given the “okay” by their teachers and some dancers may never reach the stage of getting pointe shoes. Either way, this time in the ballet class is one of change. As a parent of a ballet dancer, pointe shoes may be something completely new to you, or perhaps you have experienced this process before. This article is designed to give you some basic information, all of which the students will be learning in class, to help give you a greater understanding of this process.

To begin with, some students will be selected to begin training on pointe while others are not. This is due to several factors. Age is a big one. As the process of dancing on pointe is very impactful on bones, students are not given permission until they reach an age where their bones are fully formed and less likely to damage. This is around 11-14 years. The second reason is due to strength. Dancing on pointe requires a very specific set of muscles in the feet, these muscles most work in conjunction with the legs and abs, among others. At Pegasus, we require dancers who are interested in going on pointe to take a preparation class. This class is spent doing simple exercises such as a basic rise and lower. Although it may seem like your 12 year old is going back to the 4 year old class, they are actually articulating and building strength in the muscles needed for pointe work. Until these muscles are at a certain level it is dangerous for a dancer to attempt pointe work. The assessment of the teacher of who is ready is perhaps the most important part to keeping dancers safe in the beginning of training on pointe.

The next step will be to purchase a pair of shoes. The fitting of pointe shoes is the second most important part to keeping dancers safe. A shoe that does not fit properly can cause significant damage to the foot. The key to getting the right shoe is going to the right people. Your teacher can point you to the right place and if possible it is ideal that they attend the fitting as well. Shoes should never be too big, growing room means room for the foot to slide around. The reason that a shoe must fit so precisely is that the shoe in fact does quite a bit of the work for the dancer. The box of the shoe (the area that incases the toes) is designed to protect as well as support the toes. This area provides added strength to the toes through its material and tight fit. The shank is another important area. The shank runs along the length of the foot, mirroring the sole on the inside of the shoe. The shank supports the arch of the foot which actually carries a significant part of the weight of the dancer, thus making it a vital part of the shoe. If these, or any of the other features of the shoe, do not fit like a glove, their benefits will be lost, leaving the dancers foot without support.

The decision and opportunity to train on pointe is a big one. It will be a new and often difficult technique for dancers. Remember, what will make a ballet class on pointe a good experience is if the dancer is the right age, they have the proper strength and the right shoe. Pointe shoes are an inevitable part of a young ballet dancers training. Some dancers will be given the “okay” by their teachers and some dancers may never reach the stage of getting pointe shoes. Either way, this time in the ballet class is one of change. As a parent of a ballet dancer, pointe shoes may be something completely new to you, or perhaps you have experienced this process before. This article is designed to give you some basic information, all of which the students will be learning in class, to help give you a greater understanding of this process.

Health Smart! Injury Prevention

2011-01-24T09:24:00.000-05:00

Given that many dance studios take a few weeks off for winter break, January is a time when injuries are more likely to happen. This is because the body has not been actively engaging certain muscles with the same rigour as when dance classes are happening regularly. This post is a reminder of certain precautions to take in order to avoid injuries as dance classes and performances get started again.

The most important thing is to always listen to your body. Even though in December you may have been able to do the splits, that doesn’t mean that after a few weeks off you will still be able to do them. Pushing yourself to where you were before the break is bound to cause an injury. So take it slow and ease yourself back into the swing of things. It may take a couple of weeks, that’s okay.

Warm up gear is essential, especially in this cold winter weather. Warm up gear that follows proper dance attire can help to get your muscles warm faster. Muscles tear when they are cold and being pushed, so keep them warm until they can generate their own heat!

Drinking water before class is key. Although staying hydrated during a dance class is important, the body needs to be hydrated going in as well. It’s best to drink more about two hours before you take class and sip smaller amounts during class. Water will help your whole body work better, keeping it all safe.

Finally, if you get an injury, make sure it’s healed before you start using that body area again. A complete heal means that it has a better chance of staying healed. If you force yourself back before you are ready, you may create a recurring injury. So like that old saying says, better safe than sorry.

Spotlight on the Erik Bruhn Prize

2011-01-17T00:01:00.002-05:00

The Erik Bruhn Prize is presented every year by the National Ballet of Canada and is always a night of amazing ballet, stunning choreography and fresh new faces. Erik Bruhn was one of the most highly regarded dancers in his time and that legacy has continued to this day. He began his career with the Royal Danish Ballet, but travelled to several companies around the world, and finally finished his career right here in Toronto as the Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Canada from 1983-86. Bruhn was praised for being not just a dancer with perfect technique but a dancer that embodied characterization and storytelling as the feature in his performances. His work went above and beyond the steps and touched audiences around the world.

The Erik Bruhn Prize was established by Bruhn in his will. Bruhn left a portion of his estate to be awarded to one male and one female dancer between the ages of 18-23. Today five companies participate in the Prize, the National Ballet of Canada, The American Ballet Theatre, The Royal Danish Theatre, San Francisco Ballet and Stuttgart Ballet. The Artistic Director from each company picks one male and one female dancer to send to the Toronto for the competition. Each pair dances a classical duet and a contemporary duet. Despite dancing in pairs, each dancer is judged individually. Last year Elena Lobsanova from the National Ballet of Canada and Cory Stearns from the American Ballet Theatre won the prize. In addition, last year a Choreographic Prize was added and Canadian choreographer Matjash Mrozewski won.

The Erik Bruhn Prize will be held this year at the Four Seasons Centre on March 5th.

We Are Looking for Inspirational People (Under 18!)

2011-01-10T23:12:00.002-05:00

This spring we are talking about what inspires us; our heroes, teachers, friends, anyone who gives us the drive to be the best that we can be! I’m sure you are already thinking of someone! But are they under 18? We hear about many people who are inspiring, but often they are adults with incomes, resources or large support systems behind them. We are looking for the younger inspirations, people who are under 18 years old but that are doing something inspirational with their lives. We are not talking about superheroes here, but someone who goes out of their way to help people or tries to make a difference in someone’s life, or even someone who provides you with the fuel to keep reaching for your dreams. Maybe they have achieved things you look up to or maybe they volunteer. Whatever it is, we want to hear about it. Have someone in mind already? Nominate them here on this blog! Just leave us a comment in the section below!

Coming Up in January

2011-01-09T14:34:00.000-05:00

This month we will have four blog posts for you. We are kicking off the new year with four areas we want to address each month; things that inspire us, a spotlight on a certain artist, company or event, a health smart section and lastly a little thing we like to call the parent toolbox which will have lots of information on aspects of being a parent in a dance studio.

This month look for:
The search for inspiration under 18 years old
Spotlight on the Erik Bruhn Prize
Injury Prevention Techniques
Parent Toolbox on Pointe shoes

Enjoy!

We're Back! And New!

2010-11-25T19:45:00.003-05:00

It has been a very long time since we posted on here. Well, we’ve been busy!

This spring we began the process of renovating Pegasus in several ways. If you are coming to class each week or have passed by us, I’m sure you noticed our new look! One of our alumni, Andrea de Keijzer, is the photographer of that stunning picture that is hanging in our window. We love Andrea’s work and choose this picture for our front window because it captures the joy of dancing that we are always trying to pass on to our students.

But that’s not all we’ve been doing… This spring was also the beginning of a huge project to renovate our costume reservoir! That’s right, a reservoir! We have been renting recital costumes for all of our 24 years and it was about time to ditch the old and revitalize the new. And, it was time to find more space for all these costumes, so we went up! Our costume storage got lots of brand new double racks, so now we can hang twice the amount of costumes!

But why was that stopping us from blogging? Because we also started renovating our website! This was the biggest renovations this summer, and they are still going on! Our website is not just getting revamped, it’s getting in shape! All summer we were busy working away on design and content and this fall we’ve been putting all that into place. The website will have lots of information, in fact, all the information you will need, whether you are new to Pegasus, been with us for a few years, or are just investigating potential dance schools for the future. As we move more and more into this digital age, we want our website to have all the information our front desk staff would give you, while still conveying our welcoming atmosphere.

And guess what also got a reno? You guessed it, this blog! We re-designed our blog to have a similar feel to our website, as well as getting a new name! So consider this a sneak peek for what’s coming!

We hope you have had a smooth transition from the summer vacation back into the school year! And now, that you have a smooth transition into the winter vacation. Stay warm!

Remember, look for our website, it’s on its way!

The Young Child's Need For Movement

2010-03-22T08:10:00.002-04:00

Jane Davis-Munro, co-founder and Artistic Director of Pegasus Studios, has been teaching children dance, music and art for over 34 years. Through her extensive and continued research and training in working with young children, Jane has learned the importance of movement for children. Jane has put together some of her research to give us a better understanding of why the young child needs movement.

Movement is life. The human body begins movement at conception and continues in some form until death. The young child uses movement to explore and experience their environment and therefore it is one of life’s primary tools for learning. To ask a child not to move is to ask them not to breathe.

New research in the development of function of the human brain is reinforcing the importance of encouraging movement activities for young children. The more movement the more efficiently the brain becomes at processing motor responses. Children’s brains exercise three major steps when formulating movements;

1. The brain selects an appropriate cue and then forms a mental picture of the desired outcome.

2. This information is integrated with past experiences so that they can form a strategy.

3. The brain forms a pathway that gives feedback about the appropriateness of the mental image and the selected plan.

Once the plan is in place an opportunity to practice the skill is necessary to increase their efficiency. This is not as time consuming and complicated as it sounds, but when children are given the freedom to move, the brain becomes efficient in procession these steps. For example, when a child masters how to move in a specific space allocation, he has also learned about concepts of space, shape and abstract thought.

Early childhood is not a time to be limiting movement experiences but involving children in opportunities to develop creativity and expression through movement and music.

How Can Dance Improve Grades?

2010-03-19T20:00:00.002-04:00

In several studies it has been proven that children who participate in dance classes or dance related activities achieve higher grades. At Pegasus we have witnessed our students go on to earn many academic achievements at the secondary and post secondary level. Many of our students are on the honour role and have been through high school and into university. Why is this? The studies will explain that dance exercises both the right and left side of the brain at the same time and helps students build the necessary brain muscles needed to be successful in Math, Science, English, and other subjects. At Pegasus we are not neuroscientists, but we are child educators and from our 24 years of observation we have seen that the discipline, creative and physical outlet as well as a positive and encouraging environment has helped our students reach success in their academic education. Dance classes allow students to get all their pent up energy out. The energy that gets stored up because they are sitting at a school desk all day is allowed to be expressed in the high energy level that a dance class requires. We have also noticed that because dance is a form of creative expression, students feel more at ease in their lives. They are not searching for a way to express their emotions and their creativity. The dance class allows students to use their emotions and creative nature in a positive and safe environment, a part of life that often gets pushed aside to make room for all that science! And speaking of a positive environment, at Pegasus we believe that every child, no matter their dance ability, is a valuable person and a valuable artist. We believe in encouraging every student that comes through our doors and by creating that type of environment we encourage our students to be the best that they can be, and we know they can be great! And the last factor that we’ve seen help improve our students grades… discipline. On top of a creative, emotive, and energy outlet, dance classes rely on discipline to operate. Dance in itself, like a sport, requires discipline in order to continue learning and expanding skills. Through dance our students have learned the importance and the basics of discipline and we’ve seen them transfer the disciplined practice they use for dance to their homework. And practice makes perfect!

We are so proud of our students, past and present and we believe that with high energy level, creativity, emotional expression, positive environment, and discipline, all children can achieve positive results in the school system and beyond.

2010 Dances of Offering

2010-03-05T08:10:00.003-05:00

Saturday night, February 20, 2010, marked the 8th annual Dances of Offering, Pegasus Studios benefit show. We packed the Betty Oliphant Theatre on Jarvis St to almost full capacity! The Pegasus students shinned alongside the professional performers and it was very special to have former Pegasus students, Jessica Houghton and Catlin Chin choreograph pieces for the show. The dance was complimented by some musical pieces from Etobicoke School of the Arts and an original song by Jeff Wilston who performed with Dan Munro. Miles Faber, from So You Think You Can Dance Canada, hosted the night. But the best part… Liam himself was in the audience! Joined be his parents, Liam from the charity we were celebrating, Liam’s Light, watched the show from box seats. His mom, Deborah, talked to the audience at the start of the show to explain the charity that raises money and awareness for pediatric transplants at Sick Kids Hospital. Sitting in the box, Liam was a constant reminder throughout the 2 ½ hour show that we were all there, audience and performer alike, to help the children at Sick Kids. Thanks Liam!

Inside the Dance Bag

2010-02-16T07:19:00.000-05:00

What’s inside your dance bag? We asked the dancers at Pegasus to find out what goes inside the perfect dance bag!

We got some pretty funny responses, like; a grandfather clock, ham and whipped cream.

But here’s a list of what our dancers seriously put in their bags:

• Dance outfit

• Water bottle

• Character skirt

• Ballet shoes

• Pegasus T-shirt

• Dance sweater

• Brush

• iPod

• Hairpins

• Pencil or pen and paper

• Hair elastics

• Hair band

• Foot Undez

• Crackers and cheese or a granola bar

• Book

• Name tag

• Hair spray

And lots of other good stuff too. The most important thing about a good dance bag is to make sure the essentials are ALWAYS in there. What are the essentials? The three things that you can’t dance without: class uniform, hair kit and a water bottle. Although, some of the things on the list above are also really important. It is a great idea to bring a snack. After a dance class or between dance classes it is important to nourish yourself, a granola bar is an easy and mess free snack to keep in your dance bag. A name tag on your dance bag and your other dancewear is important when you have the same uniform as everyone else in your class. It can be difficult to distinguish between two pink leotards without a name tag! A dance sweater is always nice, especially in the winter. It can be cold at the start of the class before you’ve fully warmed up, so a proper dance sweater that still allows you to move can be nice and cozy for the first few exercises. But remember, let your dance bag breathe now and then, take your shoes out and leave it open one night.

We'd love to hear what you have in your dance bag. Use the comment feature below to let us know.

The History of Dances of Offering

2010-02-09T12:03:00.002-05:00

Dances of Offering began nine years ago in 2001. 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 at the JCC. Last year’s performance took place at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts and this year we are excited to be at the Betty Oliphant Theatre. As our venues are growing so are our profits. In 2001 we raised around $2,000 for donation and last year we raised over $5,000, with a sold our performance! Our charities are chosen specifically to reflect the values of Pegasus Studios and the issues that resonate with the faculty and students involved in the show. Our past charities have included Sheena’s Place, The Food Bank, Red Door Shelter, Robin Rock’s On and others. This year we are proud to be dancing in celebration and support of Liam’s Light! Hope to see you at the show!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-13T08:03:00.000-05:00

Welcome to 2010 at The Pegasus Dance Bag!

Here at Pegasus we are excited to start a new year and a new season of blog posts. We hope that everyone has had a safe and fun transition into 2010.

Follow our blog as we take a look back at 2009, look ahead to 2010, countdown to Dances of Offering, consider how dance class can improve school grades, and other interesting discussions and news from Pegasus.

The Thriller

2009-11-08T19:44:00.000-05:00

We hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween! The Pegasus Crew certainly did. We spent the night dancing at The Thriller party at the Hyatt Regency. The Pegasus Crew performed a Michael Jackson inspired piece using a compilation of his songs to kick off the Michael Jackson dance contest… and they rocked the house! With their solo white gloves and their creepy crawling into the audience, they were definitely feeling the music and the mood of the evening. And they helped get Batman on the dance floor! We saw lots of other great costumes as well; a big fury dog, a bloody nurse, a mermaid, and just a few Michael Jacksons.

Thanks to Melissa So and Chris Guglick for choreographing the awesome dance piece and all the Pegasus staff who were there to support the dancers (Pam, Heather, Briar and Lisa). Also a big thank you to all the wonderful Pegasus parents, it was great to see you on the dance floor!

Welcome - The Very First Post!

2009-11-03T07:19:00.001-05:00

Welcome to our new blog! We are very excited to begin posting on this blog, thank you for joining us. The Pegasus team created this blog to generate discussion on the benefits of dance for children, teenagers, and adults as well as to provide updates on events at Pegasus Studios. We hope to have various types of posts on this blog, including informative articles, opinion articles, articles from students, parents and teachers, as well as photos, links and information about the Pegasus community. Please join us in November for our first month of blogging!

And remember, this is a forum for you to participate in. Please join our blog and comment on our articles or e-mail Pegasus Studios if you are interested in writing a post for a future blog.

To kick off this month of blogging, check out this article from the Toronto Star’s Atkinson series on how dance has been used in the public school system in England.

http://www.thestar.com/atkinsonseries/atkinson2009/article/719129--doing-the-education-dance