We’re delighted to announce a very special festive dance experience coming to SK Dance Studio this Christmas Eve, 24th December 2016.
We’re very lucky to have Northern Ballet School graduate and ex professional dancer Nicola Ciotta with us, who comes all the way from New York where she now runs her own dance school. Nicola will be leading the Nutcracker Workshop for us, which is designed to bring the magic of this timeless classical ballet to life for four to twelve year olds.
Nutcracker Ballet Workshop - 10am to 1pm, 24th December 2016 at SK Dance Studio in Appley Bridge
Boys and girls aged 4 through to 12 years old are all welcome, regardless of whether they’re an existing SK Dance Studio pupil. And given the workshop spans a whole 3 hours, parents can use the time to do their last minute Christmas shopping, wrapping or other preparations!
Our Nutcracker Ballet workshop includes:
Ballet warm up
Learn choreography from the famous “Snowflake Scene”
Let’s be Clara
Dress up
Nutcracker story time
Paint & take home your own Nutcracker
And more!
Cost – £15 for full 3 hours including refreshments
On Sunday 20th November 2016, 48 tap dancers from SK Dance Studio in Appley Bridge, Wigan joined thousands of other tap dancers across the UK in an attempt to break the World Record for the biggest EVER tap dance.
As well as a really fun thing to be involved with, Tapathon 2016 tap dancers helped to raise money for BBC Children in Need, with dancers paying a £10 entrance fee each to take part. In addition to the entry fees, the generous SK Dance “family” also raised an additional £187 for this very worthy cause via a bake sale and a raffle.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped on the day, and to the generous local businesses who donated prizes for our raffle, including:
Were SK Dance Studio's tap dancers world record breakers?
We were SO close to the World Record this year we could almost smell it. In fact, we were just 116 dancers short of breaking the World Record for the largest ever tap dance. 7,484 tappers took part across the whole UK but sadly, we didn’t do it this year. HOWEVER…. and here’s the BIG and IMPORTANT point that all our tap dancers can all be really proud of… YOU helped raise a whopping £38,000 via Tapathon for Children in Need, and that’s an amazing achievement.
Well done everyone and here’s to finally getting the record next year!! Regardless of the outcome, our dancers absolutely LOVED taking part and were really proud to play their part in raising money for Children in Need.
Dancers from SK Dance Studio are gearing up to break a world tap dancing record and hope to help smash last year’s total of £36,000 raised for BBC Children in Need too.
For the second year running, SK Dance Studio in Appley Bridge is taking part in the national “Tapathon” event, which takes place at hundreds of locations across the UK on Sunday November 20th.
Around 40 of SK Dance Studio’s dancers will be joining in this year, representing children from the primary class, all the way through to the SK adult tap dancing group.
Tap dancers will be performing a funky tap routine, choreographed to X-Factor finalist Fleur East’s hit ‘Sax’.
The Guinness World Record for the largest ever tap dance currently stands at around 7,500
SK Dance Studio’s tap dancers will be performing the exact same routine, at the exact same time as thousands of other dancers in hundreds of locations UK-wide. Collectively, they hope to smash the Guinness World Record for the largest tap dance which currently stands at 7,596 persons dancing simultaneously.
“We were so close to breaking the World Record last year, but didn’t quite get there” said Susan Kielb, principal of SK Dance Studio. “Although our dancers were a little disappointed, they all loved being part of the record attempt and were really proud to have played their part in raising such a phenomenal amount for Children in Need – around £36,000 in fact. This year we’re back again, with our fingers crossed and our tap shoes ready to smash it”.
Good luck to everyone taking part in Tapathon 2016
The Tapathon 2016 routine will be performed twice back-to-back starting at exactly 1:00pm on the record attempt day. “Good luck to everyone taking part, especially those at other dance schools across the Wigan borough” said Susan.
Pictured: One of our little tappers wears last year’s Tapathon attempt t-shirt, surrounded by some of the SK Dance Studio tap dancers who’ll be hoping to smash the Guinness World tap dancing record with Tapathon 2016.
21 year old Ben Gambles from Wigan was a pretty fit guy. He ate well, trained at the gym three times a week and was a keen runner to boot. So when his friend Katherine suggested they join an adult ballet class together, he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.
Ben thought his existing workout regime meant all his fitness bases were already covered
“With my gym regime and long runs, I felt pretty sure I was covering all the fitness bases already” said Ben. “I’d never even considered a dance class before. I was worried I’d be no good and to be honest, I’d always thought ballet classes were mainly for girls.” But despite his apprehension, Ben decided to give it a shot. “I’ve always been one to try new things and I didn’t want to appear narrow-minded, so I just thought – why not?”
Ben and Katherine went along to the adult ballet class at SK Dance Studio in Appley Bridge, Wigan, taught by the dance school’s principal Susan Kielb.
“I was really nervous about my first class, but I needn’t have been” said Ben. “Everyone was really welcoming and friendly. Although there were people with different levels of experience in the group, Susan made time to break the steps down. This really helped me to understand the technical aspects of the exercises and what I was aiming to achieve.”
After a couple of classes, Ben was hooked and keen to learn.
Ben found ballet uses lots of muscles he'd previously neglected
“Although professional dancers make ballet look easy, it’s actually one of the most physically and mentally demanding things I’ve ever done. But that also makes it one of the most rewarding” continued Ben.
“Ballet class offers a really thorough all-over workout and uses muscles that my usual fitness regime hardly touches. It’s helped me to build incredible core strength, has made me more flexible than ever before and has massively improved my stamina. All these things have positively impacted both my gym work and my runs. I generally feel healthier and more energised.”
As well as the physical benefits, Ben’s also noticed the positive effect of ballet classes on his mental wellbeing.
“Conquering new steps gives a real sense of achievement, but it’s not just about the technical aspect of the class” said Ben. “Ballet is about bringing everything together to create something special – the steps; the way your body moves; your breathing; the music; how you feel; and your sense of timing. It’s great for the body, the mind and the soul.”
Ballet demands real power and strength - it's as demanding as any serious sport
Asked if he’d recommend ballet classes to his mates at the gym, Ben has no hesitation. “Absolutely yes – in fact I already have” said Ben.
“Don’t let the untrue stereotypical view of male dancers affect your decision to join a class. The power and strength required for ballet makes it more mentally and physically demanding than a lot of serious sports – it’s tough. Ballet needs more men and boys to get involved and since I joined SK Dance Studio’s adult class about a year ago, a couple of other guys have joined too. It’s been great to see.”
Ben has progressed into SK Dance Studio’s advanced adult ballet class and is now tackling much harder steps and enchainment. “Susan is a fantastic ballet teacher. She encourages you to push yourself, because she knows what you’re capable of achieving and wants you to be the best dancer you can be. I think Susan enjoys the class as much as we all do.”
As well as the support of his teacher, Ben also values the camaraderie and team spirit within the group. “If someone’s struggling, we’ll work together to go over things, or give each other big clap when we’ve conquered a step. It’s a really fun class – we laugh a lot.”
“I can’t recommend adult ballet classes at SK Dance Studio highly enough” he continued. “If you’re thinking about it, then just go for it. You never know until you try and it might just be your talent.”
Why not try an adult ballet class for yourself? Come along to SK Dance Studio and give it a go!
Two pupils of SK Dance Studio in Appley Bridge were honored with special awards last weekend. Both awards were presented at the end of a second night’s performance of the dancing school’s show – “SK UK, the Great British Dance Tour”.
In front of a sell-out audience at Preston’s Playhouse Theatre, 14 year old Erica Walker (pictured right) was presented with the Victoria Trophy, traditionally awarded to the dancer who has shown real commitment and made the most progress during the year.
“Erica is such a hard worker and so focused during classes“, said Susan Kielb, principal of the dance school since 1974. “She’s only been dancing with us for around two years, but she’s stunned me with her progress”.
Erica, who studies ballet and modern classes at SK Dance Studio was delighted to win the award. “I was so surprised when my name was called out, I couldn’t believe it was me. When I started at SK Dance I felt totally out of my depth, especially when we started to dance en pointe,” said Erica “but through encouragement from my teachers I really gained in confidence. I’ve made many great friends whilst preparing for the show and despite my nerves, loved being on the stage”.
A special dance award to remember Melissa
10 year old Violet Stout (pictured left) was equally delighted to receive the Melissa Joyce Dancing for Joy Award, a very special trophy presented in memory of a talented former SK Dance Studio pupil from Appley Bridge who sadly died in 2001 after a battle with cancer, aged just 21.
Melissa Joyce – a beautiful and talented dancer who always danced for joy.
Presented every two years at the dance school’s show, the award is given to the dancer who loves, lives and breathes her craft, finding joy in every single step just as Melissa did.
“Violet has a lot in common with Melissa,” said Susan. “Her beaming smile when she’s performing and the 110% effort she puts into every class, performance and rehearsal is just the same. It’s been a joy to teach them both”.
“I really want to be a professional dancer when I grow up” said Violet who studies ballet, modern, tap, acro and street dance classes at SK Dance Studio. Violet is also part of a weekly ballet associates programme in Manchester, where she’s further honing her skills with ex-professional ballet dancers who trained at the Royal Ballet School. “My mum knew Melissa well and has told me what an amazing dancer and lovely person she was. I really hope I will make Melissa proud with my dancing”.
As many of you will know, SK Dance Studio has a page on Facebook – check it out here: www.facebook.com/susankielbdancestudio. It’s a great way of helping to keep everyone up to date with all the latest news, class information and updates from our dance school. But there’s a problem. Some of our dancers and their parents tell us that they don’t always see SK Dance Studio’s posts in their Facebook news feed, even though they’ve ‘liked’ our page and really want to see our information. So why is this?
It’s all down to Facebook’s complex algorithm, which decides which posts it will deliver to the news feed of individual Facebook users. “But I thought if I liked a page I’d always see their posts?” we hear you cry. Not so. Just being a liker doesn’t mean you’ll always see a Facebook page’s posts.
Facebook says this strategy helps them deliver more relevant content to their users, but the cynics in the community would say it’s just Facebook’s way of making page owners PAY for the privilege of communicating with their own followers – indeed if you do pay, hey presto…. you can reach your likers! Big businesses may be able to afford this, but for smaller local businesses like SK Dance Studio, it’s just not realistic to pay out every time we post.
But don’t worry – there is a way to guarantee you always see SK Dance Studio’s posts in your Facebook news feed – it takes just a few seconds to sort
Use the options to “follow”. If you’re using a laptop/desktop PC rather than an app, you’ll need to choose “all on” for notifications (see the screenshots below for instructions)
Choose “see first in news feed”. Note: liking alone isn’t enough to ensure our posts are delivered to your news feed.
That’s it – you should now see all SK Dance Studio’s posts
Please help other dancers and parents to get SK Dance Studio posts delivered to their news feed – please share this blog post using your own Facebook or other social media account. We hope you found this article helpful.
Follow the instructions above if you use Facebook via an app (screen shots are from iPad/iPhone but will be similar on other devices)
Follow the above instructions if you use Facebook on a laptop or desktop PC
All our dancers are working really hard in preparation for the SK Dance Studio full school show. Our theme this year is “SK UK: The Great British Dance Tour”, so expect a treat for the eyes and ears as our dancers take you on a trip around Great Britain!
Please attend all classes: As we get closer to the show, it’s really important that dancers attend ALL of their show rehearsals, both those held during class time and those on stage at the theatre.
We’d ask for your support in avoiding absence from classes unless absolutely critical. Susan and Cara’s choreography uses patterns, partner work, group work and a lot of movement around the stage, so a missing dancer makes rehearsals difficult and impacts other dancers in the group.
Thank you in advance for your support with this.
Temporary Pre-Show Saturday Class Timetable starts Sat 21st May
To give dancers more rehearsal time during classes in the run-up to the show, we’ll be running a temporary timetable on Saturdays effective from Sat 21st May until Sat 25th June inclusive. The temporary timetable is as follows:
Babies: 9.30am – 10.30am. Rehearsing “ Mary Mary” and “Pat-a-Cake”
Primaries: 10.30am – 12.00pm. Rehearsing “ Rubber Ducky” and “Hiking”
Juniors: 12.00pm – 1.30pm. Rehearsing “ Jockeys” and “Night at Museum”
Inters/Seniors: 2.15pm – 3.15pm. Rehearsing “ Harry Potter” and “London Town”
Seniors Tap: 3.15pm – 4.00pm. Rehearsing “ Billy Elliot”
On-Stage Rehearsal Timetable at Preston Playhouse Theatre
In the week prior to the show, we’ll be holding on-stage rehearsals at the theatre for all dancers involved. It’s really important that dancers attend ALL of their scheduled on-stage rehearsals. It’s where we ensure dancers are familiar with all of their stage entrances and exits, as well as spacing on the stage. It’s really hard for us to do this properly if some dancers are missing. All of the following rehearsals will be at Preston Playhouse Theatre:
Sun 26th Jun
Babies: 12pm to 12.45pm
Primaries/Juniors: 12.45pm to 3.30pm
Acro/Street Pupils: 2.30pm to 3.30pm
Inters/Seniors/Students: 3.00pm to 6.00pm
Mon 27th Jun
Primaries/Juniors: 4.30pm to 6.00pm
Acro/Street Pupils: 5.30pm to 6.30pm
Inters/Seniors/Students: 6.30pm to 9.00pm
Tues 28th Jun
All dancers – Full dress rehearsal: Arrive by 6.00pm for a 6.30pm start
Wed 29th Jun
Students only: 6.00pm to 9.00pm
Thurs 30th Jun
All dancers please keep free: Either rest day, extra rehearsal if required, or extra show performance depending on demand for tickets
Fri 1st Jul
All dancers – SHOW: Arrive by 6.00pm for a 7.00pm start
Sat 2nd Jul
All dancers – SHOW: Arrive by 6.00pm for a 7.00pm start
No classes at dancing on this day
Theatre address and parking
There is an NCP car park directly opposite the theatre. The theatre’s address is: Preston Playouse Theatre, Market St West, Preston, PR1 2HB.
Meeting for parents about show: Sat 21st May at either 10.30am or 1.30pm
Want to learn more about what to expect when participating in an SK Dance Show? Then come along to our parent’s meeting in which we’ll cover everything you need to know, plus it’s an opportunity to ask questions.
Buying Tickets
Tickets will be available to buy at dancing from Saturday 4th June onwards.
Thank you for taking the time to read this information and for all the support you give to both the school and our dancers as they prepare for their big performance!
We’re all getting excited for our upcoming performance at The Opera House Theatre, Blackpool Winter Gardens on Saturday 30th April 2106. As you’ll have seen in class, all our dancers have been working really hard and our Riverdance-inspired tap routine is really taking shape now.
A full dress rehearsal for ALL dancers taking part will be held on Sunday 24th April at Shevington Community Centre. Everyone will need to arrive, dressed in full costume, ready for a 2.00pm start. The rehearsal will last until 3.30pm. The fee for this session is £3, payable with your Saturday class fees on 23rd April.
We’d be really grateful if you’d make every effort to attend this rehearsal as it’s the final opportunity before the show for all dancers to work together.
It’s where we finalise spacing, and where we make sure that everyone knows their cues and places throughout the whole routine when all class groups dance at the same time.
It’s important that costumes are fully finished and worn by dancers throughout the duration of the rehearsal. If there are any ‘wardobe malfunctions’ this is where they’ll be spotted so they can be fixed before the Opera House show!
We’ve put together a full checklist below which includes all the information you need to know about costumes and hair. However if you have any questions at all, then don’t hesitate to ask us.
Costume for younger groups (11.30am class and younger):
Green velvet sequin-trimmed dress with white net underskirt
Plain white knickers (the high waisted ‘granny’ style with good coverage!)
White ballet socks
White tap shoes (tied with green ribbon – Susan to supply)
Stage make-up (blusher, blue eye shadow, red lips)
Hair “half up, half down” style as per image:
Front section secured with plain elastic bobble
Dressed with green ribbon (Susan to supply ribbon)
For April 30th show, please curl damp hair overnight with curly rags or similar
Neatly hairsprayed into place with plain bobby pins to secure
Costume for older groups (12.30pm class and older):
Green velvet sequin-trimmed dress with white net underskirt
Black opaque tights
Black tap shoes (tied with green ribbon – Susan to supply)
Black leather ballet shoes (those doing soft-shoe part of routine only)
Stage make-up (blusher, blue eye shadow, red lips)
Hair “half up, half down” style as detailed above and shown in image
Thank you for your continued support as we prepare for our Blackpool performance. With so many dancers and parents in the building at the same time, we know it will be a little hectic at the dress rehearsal on Sunday 24th April, so we thank you in advance for your patience. It’ll be worth it when your tap superstars make you so very proud on stage at the Opera House!
We’re really excited to announce that Hannah Wilson, professional dancer and musical theatre cast member of “Fame – The Musical”, is coming to SK Dance Studio to run a special Fame workshop!
Open to everyone aged 6 years old and upwards, the workshop will take place at Shevington Youth Club on Sunday 28th February 2016 between 12 noon and 1.30pm. You don’t have to be an existing SK Dance Studio pupil to attend – this special class is open to all.
“This is sure to be a really fun class” said Susan Kielb, Principal of SK Dance Studio. “We’re thrilled that Hannah is able to come and give our dancers a taste of what it takes to star in a huge professional musical like Fame”.
During the hour and 30 minute workshop, you’ll learn some of the iconic dance routines from the show and get a taster of what it’s like to audition for a big musical theatre production. Regardless of age or experience, you’re sure to have huge amounts of fun!
About Hannah Wilson – Professional Dancer
Hannah Wilson is a performing arts graduate from Studio La Pointe in Leeds. She has performed in stage productions of Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland, was a semi-finalist on the TV show “Got to Dance” and has worked as a professional dancer with Pacific Pearl Australia before winning a role in Bill Kenwright’s “Fame the Musical” production, touring both the UK and Ireland.
To reserve your place:
If you have any questions, or would like to reserve a place, either call Susan 07952 864 084 , send us an email, or send us a Facebook message. We just need the name and date of birth of the dancer.
The workshop costs just £10 per person, payable ASAP after booking.
The SK Dance Studio Fame workshop will take place at:
Shevington Youth Club and Community Centre
Highfield Avenue
Shevington
Wigan
WN6 8HB.
It’s just behind Shevington Methodist Church, down the side of Muffin Man bakery.
Susan and the team at SK Dance Studio are thrilled to announce some very exciting news for our dancers… We’ve been invited by the producers of “Hits of the Musicals” to perform in their 25th anniversary show at the beautiful Opera House Theatre, Blackpool Winter Gardens, host to recent West End shows such as Cats, Mamma Mia, “Joseph” and “Priscilla”.
“I’m really honoured that the producers have invited us to perform again this year, especially given it will be an extra-special programme to celebrate this long running show’s 25th anniversary” said Susan.
“We’ll have to go some to top the dazzling 42nd Street routine that our talented tappers delivered the last time we danced at the Opera House” Susan continued; “Our dancers were so good that we were asked to close the show – they really brought the house down!”.
But as you’d expect from Susan, Cara and the talented SK Dancers, they’re already working on something really special for this year’s performance – a fast and furious Riverdance inspired Irish-style tap that will get the whole audience tapping along.
“Dancing on a huge professional stage like the Opera House Theatre is such a thrill for our young dancers” said Susan. “Over the years, we’ve performed at some amazing venues including Sadler’s Wells in London and even at Disneyland Paris. Our dancers always look back on their big stage experiences with such fond memories and I’m so pleased that SK Dance Studio is part of making them”.
Diary Date: Saturday April 30th 2016 – 7pm Performance Time
SK Dance Studio to perform at Opera House Theatre, Blackpool
Format of the day
We’re pleased to confirm we’ve now been given our on-stage rehearsal time-slot for the Blackpool show on Saturday 30th April. It will be at 6pm. This means we don’t need to leave for Blackpool until 4pm, which gives us time for an extra rehearsal at dancing before we go. See below for details.
Because of this late rehearsal slot, we won’t get any free time like previous years between the rehearsal and the 7pm show, so children won’t be released to meet parents for dinner. Instead, they will stay backstage with chaperones and eat a pre-packed tea which you’ll need to send with your child.
Transport to and from Blackpool:
As in previous years, all those taking part will be required to travel to and from Blackpool on our dancer’s coach.
This ensures we’re able to keep everyone safely together as one group, and makes it easier to manage our rehearsal.
Every child will have a named chaperone so you know exactly who’s caring for them, but we appreciate that parents who are not chaperones may still wish to travel on the coach with their child. There will be some spare capacity – see below.
On arrival at the theatre, children must be left with their named chaperone to go backstage. This is to comply with Health and Safety regulations.
Your child will be chaperoned at all times during the whole day.
Format of the day on Saturday 30th April:
Extra rehearsal at Shevington Community Centre for all dancers taking part – 11:00am to 1:00pm.
This is instead of your usual Saturday dancing class.
Coach leaves at 4:00pm from Appley Bridge Village Hall, Appley Lane North
Additional coach places are available: Please book your coach places with Susan by Sunday 24th April (we will book 2 coaches if demand for coach travel requires)
On arrival at Blackpool dancers will go straight to their dressing room with their chaperone to get ready for the on-stage dress rehearsal at 6pm.
Dancers will return to their dressing room after the rehearsal with chaperones and eat a packed tea.
Show starts at 7:00pm and will run until approximatley 10:00pm.
Chaperones will escort dancers from the theatre to the coach.
Parents travelling on the coach with us should meet their children ONLY once safely back on the coach only. This ensures we can keep all dancers together and account for everyone’s whereabouts.
Coach will return to Village Hall at approx 11:30pm where parents should collect their children – we will confirm the exact time on the day.
Chaperone list will be available at dancing – see noticeboard. Please note that chaperones won’t be able to watch the performance – they’ll be in charge back-stage!
Tickets
Tickets are sold by the theatre (not by SK Dance Studio).
Tickets are £10 each, or £7.50 for concessions.
You can buy online now at Ticketmaster (search “Hits Lancashire 25” at Blackpool Opera House). There is a booking fee.
Tickets are also available at the theatre box office. It’s a MASSIVE theatre and there’s never been a problem getting tickets on the day in previous years, but it’s your call whether you risk this :-).
“Although professional dancers make ballet look easy, it’s actually one of the most physically and mentally demanding things I’ve ever done. But that also makes it one of the most rewarding” continued Ben.
