Latin Dance Team: Youth Auditions

We are thrilled to announce auditions for a new competitive dance team at Adam in Chatham!

This group is geared towards pre-professional dancers considering a career in dance. Lessons will focus on the partnering and ballroom skills that are desirable by casting directors. Once the team has been selected, we will meet Saturday mornings from 9:45 – 10:25.

Team and audition details

Auditions start at 1 PM on Saturday, May 15th. We have slots for a maximum of 8 dancers (and 2 swings), and will have the necessary number of slots needed to accommodate auditionees. This is open to dancers age 15 to 21 –  allowances will be made either side to those who demonstrate the necessary skills and attributes.

Please:

• Be prepared to learn a short Latin dance combination in groups of 8

• Prepare a solo or duet no longer than 3 minutes; send music in advance to adamjspencer@hotmail.com

• Bring with you a headshot/photograph and a short bio of where you dance/danced and why you would like to learn ballroom and Latin and belong to this formation group

For more information and to register for the auditions, contact adamjspencer@hotmail.com or text 508-514-0809.

Many thanks and good luck!

New classes with Angel Fox!

Photo by Kim Roderiques

As many of you know, the lovely and talented Angel Fox is an integral part of our growing Adam in Chatham team. In addition to a busy schedule of private and semi-private lessons, Angel will soon be teaching new group classes!

As more of us are or soon will be vaccinated, we feel we can open our group class schedule to more of you. Masks are still required. Classes are limited to 8 people and will run for 40 minutes, allowing us 5 minutes for a changeover.

Schedule of new classes

Saturdays, starting May 15

9–9:40 AM

Chance2Dance Beginner/Intermediate class (ages 6 to 9)

Curious to begin learning the basics of ballroom and Latin dance? This is a free class and open to all – although donations are greatly appreciated ($5 suggested donation). First come, first served. Maximum capacity is 8.

9:45–10:25 AM

Latin Dance Team – audition only (ages 15 to 21)

A class for our new competitive Latin and ballroom team. Learn more about auditions here.

10:30–11:10 AM

Adult Group Class - 10 week series, May 15 - July 17

May be extended due to holiday weekends

Cost: $125 per person for 10 weeks

For adults who either take private lessons at the studio or have prior experience. Class is designed to work on independent dance movement to ensure that you understand what your body is doing while in partnership. The class will focus on the 6 major dances as a foundation, but will explore all body movement. It is important to note even if you don't dance some of the dances covered, all the movement will give you a greater understanding and greater depth of movement knowledge. Maximum class size is 8; we need at least 6 to run.

11:15–12 PM

Adult Performance Group - May 15 - July 17

May be extended due to holiday weekends

Cost: $125 per person for 10 weeks

Geared towards those who would like to perform as a group, with an emphasis on theatre, movement, characterization, team dancing and formation work. We will work on a small piece to either be filmed or performed later in the school year. 8 person maximum.

Signing up for the adult classes will be on a first come, first served basis. Payments are due before the beginning of the course or at the first lesson. You can sign up by emailing Adam at adamjspencer@hotmail.com.

The lessons of 2020 reach so far beyond dance.

Students, friends, supporters and family,

Each December, I look back to congratulate, reminisce and share a little message to bring us into the new year. 2020 is without exception.

I will not lie. This has been a difficult year, probably one of the most tumultuous on record for most of us. As we trudge through the last week of the murky quagmire that is 2020, I hold onto the belief that all of us have the strength, love and hope to shed the darkness and dance into the light.

Home has been a cornerstone for us all. We've learned to adapt to and reacquaint ourselves within the walls that we sleep, live and breathe. Since March, a burgeoning paradox grew... are these walls that surround me there for protection – or do they prevent me from escaping? Either way, they were a constant reminder of our desire – our need, really – to be human and to connect.

This innate desire to connect under these terrible circumstances did have silver lining, however. It set into motion an unprecedented acceleration of innovation and industrious tenacity. It forced us to prove what we are all made of. For me, my coping strategy was to find new ways to be creative – to maintain some semblance of normalcy for my student community and to make sure we could still connect through dance.

This innate desire to connect under these terrible circumstances did have silver lining, however. It set into motion an unprecedented acceleration of innovation and industrious tenacity.

This year, we put on Cape Cod's first-ever dance film festival – "Step into the Season" was enjoyed by a welcoming audience. We participated in a community fundraiser for the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod to benefit the Artist Relief Fund. We welcomed Angel Fox as part of our dance faculty and she, along with Brandon and Samantha, navigation this unchartered landscape with pizazz. I learned to choreograph words into sentences, started to blog, and found that the power of writing can touch people profoundly. I reenergized my love for dance on film (dormant skill I never considered using until now) in our new DanceScape lecture series. We continued to provide dance education virtually and in person for the youths in the Chance 2 Dance program – making sure they would have space and time dedicated to them for dance. We learned to dance with heart, despite the clinical procedure of temperature checks, mask wearing and sanitization.

We are prevailing. Now, going into 2021, I couldn’t be more proud of the student body, supporters and teachers of Studio 878, Adam in Chatham and Chance 2 Dance. I look forward to seeing you all in 2021 with lots of exciting developments for the studio as time and climate allows.

Thank you for being your unique you – it allows me to be my unique self, too. This year has really invited us to find the best in all of us and our neighbors! Let’s take this positive into the new year and never forget that we are much stronger than we all anticipated. We can achieve anything together.

Much love,

Your dance teacher, Adam x