The Perfect Sunday

This week’s post is about YOUR idea of the perfect Sunday.

Sundays for me have always represented dance. Here is my idea of a perfect Sunday:

In the morning I would get up late and meet up with some of my closest friends for brunch. Following that I would go to rehearsal for Kinetic Elements and then teach classes to my students. After an afternoon of rehearsal and classes, I would drive with Adam and Parker to my mom’s house where we would have dinner with my family. Where we would have roast beef (not Adam of course) and strawberry shortcake for dessert! MMmMMMmmMMMmmMM

The End

What would your perfect Sunday look like?

Audition Class – January 23, 2011

Kinetic Elements is holding an audition for their 2011 season! We are adding dancers to the company for upcoming performance opportunities such as; The Toronto Fringe Festival, The Bazaar, etc. The audition will take place in a class format with a combination to learn at the end. If you have ever auditioned for us, we have your information and will contact those who are right for the project.

Audition Class Information

When: Sunday January 23, 2011, 1pm – 2:30pm *Please come early to sign in*

Where: George Brown College Casa Loma Campus- 160 Kendal Ave. Studio C

Cost: $12

We are looking for:

–         Mature male and female dancers with a strong background in ballet, jazz, or hip hop that are dedicated and team focused

–         Dancers must be available to rehearse on Sundays between 10 -1pm starting in February

–         Dancers must be over 19 years of age

For more information or to RSVP please email a headshot and resume to kendra@kendrahughes.com.

About Kinetic Elements

Kinetic Elements is a new and fresh contemporary modern dance company committed to exploring modern dance and fusing it with other dance forms. Our mission is to make modern dance more accessible to the public by performing in various settings and by casting light on the essence of the dance form.

Kinetic Elements has performed throughout Toronto and vicinity at such events as Nuit Blanche, Choreographer’s Snow Ball, The Bazaar, What’s Going On Down There Festival and Dance Ontario’s International Dance Day at Pearson International Airport. In the future Kinetic Elements will continue to produce shows in the community and to bring contemporary/modern dance to the public. You can find out more about us at www.kineticelementsdance.com.

First Impressions

It is a new year and a fresh start again at rehearsals with Kinetic Elements. There is a lot coming up for us on the horizon. It made me really sit back and remember what it was like to be a dancer coming into rehearsal for the first time. For me it was such an exciting time! I enjoyed meeting new people, learning new choreography and I was always interested to see what the music choice would be. I can’t wait to get started!

The T-Shirts Are Here!

Now you can own your very own Kinetic Elements T-Shirt!! T-shirts are $15 and they come in all sizes! We have t-shirt for men and women!! So order today at kendra@kendrahughes.com!

Plus!! Don’t forget to register for the beginner contemporary session coming up on Sunday January 16, 2011! Another fun 8 week session is in store. Kendra always provides a comfortable atmosphere for beginner students. We work on technique, flexibility and we learn a combination at the end of each class. To find out more visit our classes section! Is trying a dance class one of your resolutions? Now is the time!! Don’t miss out – register today!! kendra@kendrahughes.com

Three Cities

Post per week!! Here is the latest topic…..

Three cities that I would like to visit and take some dance classes:

1) New York City, NY – A place that I have gone back year after year to visit the Broadway Dance Center to train. I have been there so many times and been lucky enough to train with some of the best in the industry. It was my home for a while when I was working on a cruise and I remember I would rush off the boat when we were port in Times Square and take a class any chance I would get.

2) Los Angeles, CA – This is one place that I have not been to yet. It is a goal of mine to get to LA one day and to take classes.

3) Somewhere in Germany – I will get to Germany and study dance, it is just a matter of time!!

How about you? Is there a place that you have always wanted to train? Or where have you gotten some of your best training?  Which city do you think has the best training centre for dance?

Goals

“We will open the book.  Its pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”  ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

The first day of 2011 is an exciting day for me. I like to take a look back at 2010 and see what worked for me and what did not work. I also like to set some new goals for the new year!! Goals are a tricky thing, sometimes it is hard to know where to get started so here are a few tips to think about when setting new goals (or even if you want to take a look at your old ones!).

Make your goals – SMART goals!!

Specific: Make your goals as specific as possible. It is one thing to say “I want a million dollars” and it is another to take a look at exactly how are you going to get there. Let’s say a good specific goal would be ” I want a job in my preferred field”. From there you are have to take a look at what steps are you going to take to get to that specific goal. (i.e. Revise my resume, start looking at the classifieds, etc.)

Measurable: A great goal is one that you know you have reached. So using the example of looking for a job in your field, you know you have reached it by attaining a job in your preferred field. Sounds simple right? Exactly and it is a really important thing to look at when you set your goals . Ask yourself: “How will I know when I have reached my goal?”

Achievable: Do not be your own worst enemy!! Set goals that are within your reach in the near future. Setting goals that are beyond your reach hinders your motivation and makes it hard to keep and set goals!

Realistic: Once again you want to set a goal that is attainable within your means of time and resources. To set a vague unrealistic goal will only frustrate you! Set goals that are realistic for you.

Timely: Deadlines are crucial for setting goals. It is one thing to say I want to have a new job, but by when? Not having a deadline that is time sensitive would make it easier for you to procrastinate. Keep yourself motivated by having a deadline to meet!

Here are some other websites about setting SMART goals:

SMART Goal Examples

10 Steps to Setting SMART Goals

What is your goals this year? We would love to hear from you!

Wishing you all the best in 2011!
Kendra

 

 

reSURGEnce

Kinetic Elements performed this year as part of the Take Two Program at Series 8:08. Here is a short excerpt of the second performance in November. Feel free to leave some of your feedback as well!

Why Do We Dance?

How did you first get into dance? Did your parents put you into a class when you were a kid? Was dance offered at your high school? Was it from watching So You Think You Can Dance?

For me I first got into dance like most children. My mom put me into classes when I was a kid. I eventually I asked my parents to pull me out, because of the teacher. After that I kept on dancing. In my basement my friends and I would make up dances and perform them sometimes for our parents, friends and sometimes for no one. Dance quickly became an outlet for me – happy, sad, angry I have always been able to pour all my emotions into movement and express myself when words could not. Down the road I went to school for dance and have been able to make it my career and the rest is history.

We want to hear from you! Tell us your story? Why dance?

60 x 60

 

Kinetic Elements is proud to announce that they are a part of the 60 x 60 Festival! There is going to be 60 choreographers each presenting 60 seconds of choreography to tie it all in together in one big show! Find out more information here about the event.

Where: The Music Gallery, Toronto ON
When: Saturday November 20, 2010 8pm
Cost: $15

Check out Sandra Clarke, Anali Reizvikh, Stephanie Seaton and Chelsea Robin perform Kendra’s newest work to The Shape of a Shell. You can buy your tickets online here on ticketweb.

We hope to see you there!

Resources – Twitter

I love the information age! At a touch of a button we have so much at our fingertips. Kinetic Elements is on twitter and you can follow us for inspirational quotes, quick tips, facts and the latest news about what is going on with our company. As well a chance to win free tickets to shows, free classes and more!

Here is a list of fantastic people in the dance world that we recommend to follow on twitter:

Answers for Dancers : Grover Dale had one goal in mind when he launched his site in 1999. Get dancers employed and keep them working. How? Job opportunities and on-the-job know-how.

Dance Advantage : Dance writer/blogger, instructor, giving students, teachers & parents an edge in dance education. Busy mommy to a toddler too! If you follow, try and keep up 😉

4Dancers : A blog for dancers, dance teachers and others interested in dance

Rhee Gold : Publisher Dance Studio Life magazine | Producer DanceLifeTV.com

Tights and Tiaras : A blog introducing ballet to outsiders, and providing a unique insight to a male professional ballet dancers life

Who do you follow on twitter for all the latest in dance? Comment below to let us know who we missed!

Keep dancing!