Season Calendar & Events
2018-2019 Season
Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul
AUGUST 2018
301 . 371 . 4228 | office@dbdance.com
Special Programs
Dee Buchanan Theatre Experience
Each summer our dancers who strive to be triple threats participate in an audition process, and then we hold a camp for the purpose of learning an entire musical. We hold three performances of that year’s musical each August, and we love the final product! Our most recent productions have included "White Christmas", "Mary Poppins" and "The Addams Family".
The Nutcracker Ballet
We hold an annual Nutcracker Ballet every holiday season! Our older dancers audition for feature roles, and all of our class dancers participate in ensemble roles. Our annual event is typically held in the theatre of Middletown High School. (Our 2020 Nutcracker took the form of a Drive-In movie and On-Demand video.)
RhythmWorks Integrative Dance
Our Rhythm Works class is designed for students Kindergarten and older who have specific learning needs. Class format is based on the specific goals and needs of the dancers in the class. Our Rhythm Works instructors are happy to talk with you about your child’s specific learning needs, so please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Birthday Parties
We love hosting birthday parties at our studio! We provide set-up in the theme of your choice, and we provide a dance class, theme-based choreography and games. You bring the food, and we do the rest!
Cecchetti Ballet Exams
We offer classes in the Cecchetti Method of Ballet Training to dancers 9 and older. These classes allow dancers to give their ballet training the additional attention needed to ultimately become strong enough for Pointe work. Our dancers test in this material approximately once every other year, and then move to the next level of the curriculum. CCA Examiners adjudicate our students, and they provide constructive feedback that helps them continue to grow in technique.
Acrobatic Arts Exams
Our Acro dancers have the opportunity to participate in Acrobatic Arts exams each season. When our dancers prepare for exams, we see a tremendous amount of growth in them as balanced acrobatic dancers! Examiners visit from out-of-town to adjudicate our students, and they provide constructive feedback that helps them continue to grow in technique.
Competition Team
We hold auditions for our Competition Team in the late spring of each year for the upcoming season. Our team members are required to take specific core classes (the list of required classes is longer for our older dancers), and are also required to participate in regular Saturday rehearsals. The Team competes in three competitions per season, and families also have the option to attend up to two additional events. We attend the Dance Masters of America National Convention each summer to participate in convention classes, scholarship auditions and often the National Title event!
Middletown Valley Interfaith Dancers
Dancers 5 and older are invited to participate in our Interfaith Dance group. There is no fee to participate, but dancers must purchase the required attire at the front desk. We rehearse a few weekends each season and then participate in local worship services and special celebrations. Our first commitment each season is typically Middletown’s “Christmas in the Valley”, and then we visit several local churches each spring.
Master Classes & Intensives
We love bringing guest faculty to our studio for master classes and intensives! Some of our regular guests include Densil Adams, Drew Burgess, Ashley Canterna-Hardy, Jourdan Epstein, Maggie Kudirka and Shylo Martinez!
Alixa Flexibility Training
Several of our faculty members have trained in Alixa Flexibility, and Alixa has visited our studio both to work with our dancers and to hold teacher trainings. Some of our dancers have had the opportunity to serve as demonstrators for her as well, and we look forward to her regular visits!
Disney World Performances
Groups of our older dancers visit Disney World every few years to participate in “Disney Dancin’”. The dancers enjoy a 3-hour training with a Disney Performing Arts Cast Member and have the opportunity to perform onstage in Disney World! Families are welcome to join us!
Partnering Work
We love training male dancers at DBSD, and our males have partnering opportunities as soon as they reach the required maturity. All of our dancers look forward to their partnering opportunities, and we make every effort to feature this specialized skill whenever possible.
New York City Bus Trips
Every December we enjoy chartering a bus for a day trip to New York City, including a visit to Radio City Music Hall to watch the Rockette Christmas Spectacular!
Seasonal Mini-Camps
We offer ½ day mini-camps several Saturdays per season, including a Fall Festival, a Snow Soiree, Be My Valentine Camp, a St. Paddy's Party, a Spring Fling, and A Surprise for Mom Camp. All camps are designed for dancers 3-12-years-old, and enrollment begins a few weeks before each special event.
Theme Weeks
We love celebrating a few theme weeks every year! One of our favorites is “Costume Week” every October. Dancers are permitted to wear old dance costumes or Halloween costumes for class all week. We also enjoy Studio Spirit Week and Parent Appreciation Week, and our final theme week each season is our Kindness Wall Week. We cover all of our studio mirrors with paper (in part so that the dancers can prepare for recital), and then the dancers have a chance to leave one another special messages on the paper all week!
Dance Video Projects
Our older dancers enjoy learning Dance for Camera skills, and each season they have an opportunity to put together a student-directed piece. Samples of their work can be found on our YouTube Channel.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach us at:
The Dee Buchanan Studio of Dance
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301 . 371 . 4228