Thursday, July 11, 2013


& THE
JUNIOR SPARKLERS!

Dance Team Workshops July 22-25!  
  • LEARN THREE DANCES!
  • FARMER'S MARKET PERFORMANCE AUGUST 24TH AT 11:30!
  • OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM AT MANY COMMUNITY EVENTS!
  • TAUGHT BY ERIKA BROWN
The Sparklers (ages 11-15):  
1:00-3:00 pm, Studio 110 & 212 
8 hours of dance for only $50! 
   
The Junior Sparklers (ages 8-10):  
noon-1:00 pm, Studio 110 
4 hours of dance for only $30!
 
The Sparklers and the Junior Sparklers is a new concept for dance performance opportunities. The two teams will perfect and perform highly entertaining dances for different events, such as the Latah County Fair, UI Homecoming Parade, Moscow Farmer's Market, Light Up the Night Parade, fundraisers, Joy to the World, holiday events, Mardi Gras Youthreach, and talent shows. Many of the dances will merge both teams in creative formations, featuring both skill levels. They have fun in appropriate and tasteful dances and costumes. If your child is interested, please join the workshops so they will know all of the choreography. A sparkling representation of our young dance students! 

Register today at  
www.festivaldance.org or call 208-883-3267. 

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

The Dancer Biography Blog: Morgan Dial



Morgan is the girl that gives.  That’s why Festival Dance wanted to give her something in return…a featured spot on our Dancer Biography Blog.  Morgan Dial is known for her enthusiasm and kind-heart.  She really gives her all to everyone and everything.  

Morgan is constantly striving to be the best role model for her younger sister, Katie.  In fact, it was her loving response about her sister, at the Distinguished Young Women of Moscow scholarship competition, that cemented her earning the Self-Expression Award.  At the competition, Morgan chose dance for the talent portion.  

Morgan started taking various dance classes in Potlatch at a very young age.  When she moved to Moscow in fourth grade, Morgan began taking Jazz/Hip Hop classes from Festival Dance Academy and has continued ever since then.  This year, she will be in Diedre Sakota’s Advanced Jazz/Hip Hop class, again, which is perfect because she “loves Diedre”.  Morgan is particularly excited about the opportunity to perform a Senior Solo at the Festival Dance Spring Recital.  She will likely choose a lyrical or jazz solo, because it is “more graceful”.  

One of her favorite performances to date was Festival Dance’s “A Magical Peter Pan Christmas 2008”.  Her Lost Boy patched costume and “dirt-like” makeup made the performance particularly memorable.  Morgan was recently fond of her colorful Bollywood coin-embellished skirt and bracelet bangles from this year’s spring recital.  Morgan loves her dance costumes and all fashion.  Morgan would love to own her own clothing store one day. 

To achieve her dream, Morgan will be working extra hard during her senior year at Moscow High School.  She is especially excited for her printmaking class.  She has already completed all of the other art classes offered and has loved them all.  However, Morgan is less enthusiastic about all of the college applications she must complete this fall.  Luckily, she already has the SATs out of the way! Morgan would like to attend the University of Idaho and study business.   

Festival Dance would like to wish Morgan the best of luck during her final year at Moscow High School!  We encourage everyone to come to watch Morgan’s Senior Solo at our free Spring Recital in May 2014.  It will be fantastic!

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Country Kidz Rock!


There is still room to join Festival Dance Workshop Country Kidz Rock June 24-28 from 9:00-1:00 in UI PE Building Studio 110. No experience necessary! Our most popular workshop;
Dancing, stage craft, and art & crafts. Contact us now to reserve your spot in this mini-musical based on the hit songs of Taylor Swift, with glitter country attire and all the fixin’s!


For more information, please click here.  To register, call 208-883-3267 or click here.

Friday, May 31, 2013

June InterSession Classes

Join Festival Dance at our June InterSession classes June 10-28! 

These Intensive InterSession Classes will cement the growth your child has experienced this year in dance. With a regular schedule continuing through the end of June, your child’s stamina, skill, and technique will be enriched. Use these intersession classes as a way to ‘move to the next level.’ Get double the dance! Enroll now! 


To register, call 208-883-3267 or click here or click here for more information

Thursday, April 11, 2013

The Dancer Biography Blog: Caroline Hurd



“It’s always been ballet,” Caroline explains, as if the idea of another type of dance being her favorite is completely outlandish.  Caroline Hurd started taking ballet when she was only 5-years-old.  The studio she attended offered an extremely limited selection of classes.  Luckily, ballet was the perfect fit!  
 
She’s always loved that ballet tells a beautiful and entertaining story, which is why performing is so much fun for her.  In fact, Caroline admits that she often tears up watching a ballet performance.  And sometimes she develops a leg twitch because she’s fighting the urge to jump on the stage and start dancing, too.  If it weren’t for all of the discipline she’s learned from dance, maybe she would!

Caroline has taken many dance classes while attending the University of Idaho, but her major is in Psychology.  Her favorite aspect of Moscow is the UI campus and the local art scene, particularly the Farmer’s Market and Jazz Festival.  During her free time, Caroline enjoys cooking, attending fitness classes, and playing with her two bunnies.  After Caroline graduates in December, she will take a little time off to study for the MCATs and apply to Podiatry Schools.

The best way for Caroline to stay connected to dance during college was to teach for Festival Dance!  Caroline has a special position teaching ballet in Lapwai in Nez Perce County, Idaho.  She praises her students for their dedication and eagerness to learn ballet.  Caroline would like to let all young dancers know that they will really appreciate having a strong dance background when they are her age.  

Caroline is revving up to teach more dance at Festival Dance’s Moscow Academy this summer.  All of you little Ballet Princesses and Country Kidz better get ready for some major fun and dancing with Caroline this June!  For more information or to register for one of these summer workshops taught by Caroline, please visit www.festivaldance.org. 

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

The Dancer Biography Blog: Lauren Smith



Plie is your friend,” jokes Lauren.  And it certainly is Lauren’s friend, too!  Beginning this fall, Lauren Smith will create lifelong friendships between Festival Dance students and the plie when she is the head instructor for the Young Dancer’s Program.  Lauren would like to let her future students know that, “Each and every dancer has something special, and I can't wait to discover what makes each of you shine. Never let an opportunity to dance pass you by.”

Lauren began dancing in 2nd grade at a studio in Newman Lake, Washington, mostly focusing on jazz, musical theatre, and lyrical.  Lyrical was her favorite because it was “strong” and “powerful” and she could make it her own.  However, in 6th grade Lauren started taking classes in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, too, and fell in love with ballet.  She’s been doing rond de jambe en l’air and circular port de bras ever since then.  Lauren has won numerous dance awards, including the Idaho Distinguished Young Woman Talent Scholarship, and performed in numerous shows, such as “Don Quixote” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.  She is most proud of her dance experience training with the Long Beach Ballet and then touring around China for three weeks.  The tour company of 25 to 30 dancers even performed in Beijing.

Lauren is currently finishing her first year at the University of Idaho.  Her favorite classes have been Diedre Sakota’s jazz class and Mia Seshiki’s ballet class.  When Lauren is not busy working towards her degrees in Dance and Exercise Science and Health, she likes to spend her time running, cooking, and traveling.   After Lauren graduates from UI, she plans to continue her education and eventually become a physical therapist for a dance company on the West Coast.  She will of course keep dancing!  Lauren would love the opportunity to do the aerial work in Cirque Du Soleil.  

Don’t miss Lauren’s upcoming performance as the lead principal in the Ballet School of Coeur D’Alene’s performance of “Giselle” this spring at the North Idaho College Auditorium.  For more information, please visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ballet-School-of-Coeur-dAlene/163421170388886.   
We look forward to seeing you all there!

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The Eugene Ballet's "Swan Lake"

 
Save the Date ~ 3/3/13
3:00pm ~ Beasley Coliseum
 
Your spirits will soar with the stunning dance, magnificent music, magical story, and breathtaking sets and costumes of this, the world's most popular ballet. Danced to one of Tchaikovsky's most brilliant scores, "Swan Lake," tells the romantic and magical tale of a princess transformed into a swan. From the dazzling ballroom to the enchanted lakeside, you will be spellbound as powerful and passionate dancing exposes the sorcery of Von Rothbart, the evil mastermind behind the mystery.

~ Visit festivaldance.org for tickets and to watch video ~
Tickets $14-$30
208-883-DANS

Thursday, February 7, 2013

The Dancer Biography Blog: Amanda



Dance or hockey…why choose?  Amanda loves both!  In fact, this next Festival Dance student featured in our Dancer Biography Blog spends every day of the week doing some sort of activity.  Amanda says her favorite activities are dancing, drawing, swimming at the pool, and playing sports. 

Amanda spends most of her time dancing and playing hockey.  Amanda has taken ballet from Festival Dance for many years and just recently started taking Beginning Jazz/Hip Hop.  She really enjoys her Ballet 2/3 class because she has learned battements and the instructor, Karissa Jacobs, is “a nice teacher”.  Amanda’s other favorite instructor is her dad, Derek, her hockey coach.  Her mom, Brenda, and younger brother, Chase, can be found skating around the ice rink, too!  Playing hockey as a family is fun because they can all spend time together.  

Amanda is currently a 2nd grader at West Park Elementary School.  Her favorite subjects are math and science because it is “fun to figure things out” and she’s “good at it”.  She is also a talented reader and writer, and even tries to help Chase spell difficult words.  Amanda often writes thank you notes and thinking of you notes to her friends.  If you see Amanda at dance class or hockey practice, ask her if she will write you a note that rhymes.  After all, her favorite animal is a panda because it rhymes with her name!