Top Hat & tales: august 2007 edition
Summer may be winding down, but Top Hat Dance Studio is heating up with new events and opportunities. A few highlights include the myfoxphilly’s HOTLIST – a chance for Top Hat to be named Philadelphia’s favorite dance studio and the addition of a monthly Salsa Morph Party. Read on for more details…
First, we would like to congratulate all those who participated at the North American Ballroom Championships in Cherry Hill, NJ and the World Hustle Championships in East Brunswick, NJ. Both of these events were new to the Top Hat competition schedule and both were equally successful! Whether competing, cheering on fellow dancers, or social dancing, every participant had a great time. If you missed the fun, be sure to keep your eyes & ears open for upcoming competitions this fall!
In this month’s edition you will find information on…
1) Myfoxphilly’s HOT LIST
2) Mind & Body Seminar
3) New Salsa Morph Party
4) August Studio Schedule
5) Children’s Summer Workshop Update
6) New Youth Classes
7) New Lancaster Group Classes
Top Hat Dance Studio has received an extreme honor; we have been nominated as one of the “Best Dance Studios in Philadelphia”! The Fox 29 Television Station is running an 8-week contest entitled “myfoxphilly’s HOT LIST”. This is an open contest which any Philadelphia business can enter. However Fox 29 nominated Top Hat directly!
What is the myfoxphilly HOT LIST contest?
* An online guide to local businesses, launching with an 8-week contest to discover Philadelphia’s best in various categories.
* Voting began Monday, July 23rd. Once the contest is completed, the guide will be available all year-round.
* Consumers from all over metro Philadelphia nominate & vote for their favorite businesses.
We have been overwhelmed with the votes and comments Top Hat Dance Studio has already received. To win this award would be remarkable!
Please do not forget to vote and tell all your friends which studio is your favorite place to dance in Philadelphia! Thank you for supporting Top Hat Dance Studio!
Mind & Body SeminarOn September 9th, Top Hat Dance Studio will hold a “Mind & Body Seminar” from 11am-2pm. This event will include a workshop discussing the benefits of yoga and pilates and how these exercises promote a healthier and more centered practice. There will be mini lessons in yoga, partner yoga, and pilates. A light lunch will served. More information to follow…but in the meantime, mark September 9th on your calendar and join us for an afternoon of relaxation and stress release.
New Salsa Morph Party
With the success of Top Hat’s new Salsa Program, we are excited to add a monthly Salsa Morph Party to compliment the already popular Morph Parties and to give everyone more chances to practice their spicy Salsa steps.
The Salsa Morph Parties will begin September 1 and continue on the first Saturday of each month. Every party starts at 8:00pm with an all levels group class. The party commences at 9:00pm with a mix of only Latin music. As the evening continues, the music will Morph into a strictly salsa party.
Please join us September 1 for an evening of fiery Salsa fun! And if you want to freshen up on your Salsa moves, why not come to a Friday night Salsa class?! Level I is at 7:30pm and Level II is at 8:30pm every Friday night. See you off the dance floor!
August Studio Schedule
Philadelphia:
Hustle classes are cancelled for August 11th. All other group classes will run to schedule for the month of August.
Basic Ballroom group classes begin new dances on August 22nd. Basic Ballroom I (7:30-8:30) will be starting Waltz. Basic Ballroom II (8:30-9:30) will be continuing with Rumba.
There will be 3 Morph Parties this month! Ballroom & Latin Morph Party on August 11, Hustle Morph Party on August 18, and West Coast Swing Morph Party on August 25. All Morph Parties include an all levels group class at 8:00pm with the party beginning at 9:00pm. The cost of each party is $10 per person and you are welcome to BYOB. If you have any questions, please contact the studio.
Lancaster:
There will be no Private Lessons on Friday, August 3rd and Friday, August, 17th. No Group Classes will be held on Thursday, August 16th.
The monthly studio party is on Friday, August 24th. There will be a group class at 8:00pm and the party will immediately follow at 9:00pm.
Children’s Summer Workshop Update
The first Children’s Summer Workshop held on July 22nd was a terrific success! Each little dancer had a great time running through the dance obstacle course, forming their own dance moves for a game of follow-the-leader, creating silly masks to dance like their favorite animal, and skipping around the studio as they learned beginning ballroom steps. It was a fun filled whirlwind of an afternoon!
If you missed the July workshop, no worries – there is another FREE Children’s workshop scheduled for August 26th. Activities will include mini Dance Classes, Dance Games, Arts & Crafts, and a Dance Obstacle Course! All dancers ages 4 – 10 are welcome to attend. Space is limited for this FREE workshop, socall the studio to reserve a spot for your little dancer! The deadline for joining this program is August 22nd.
New Youth ClassesBeginning in September, there are new & exciting dance classes for our young students. Please see the descriptions below to find the perfect classes for your youthful dancer.
|
Class
|
Ages
|
Description
|
Date & Time
|
|
Pre-Bronze Ballroom & Latin
|
6 – 12
12 - 17
|
Students will begin to learn the excitement and joy of Ballroom and Latin dancing through the teaching of the ISTD International Syllabus. Within the structure of this class, students will gain the necessary skills that will prepare them for various competitive and performance opportunities.
|
Wednesday
5:00pm – 6:25pm
|
|
Creative Movement
|
3 - 5
|
Creative Movement begins the journey of body awareness and motor skill development for every little dancer. Through the use of music & dance games, students learn self-expression and movement in a fun and encouraging atmosphere
|
Saturday
10:00am –10:45am
|
|
Dance Fundamentals I
|
5 – 7
|
In Dance Fundamentals, students begin to learn specific dance terminology & technique by incorporating steps from ballet and jazz. The basics of musical expression are also explored in this class.
|
Saturday
9:00am –9:55am
|
|
Dance Fundamentals II
|
7 – 9
|
|
Ballet I
|
9 – 12
|
In these classes movement is learned in a more conventional ballet class setting. Strength, flexibility, and poise are developed through barre work, exercises in the center of the floor, and traveling across the floor.
|
Saturday
11:00am –11:55am
|
|
13 – 17
|
Thursday
4:30pm – 5:25pm
|
|
Ballet II
|
Upon
placement
|
Wednesday
3:30pm – 4:25pm
|
|
Hip-Hop
|
8 – 12
|
Hip-Hop is the perfect avenue to learn today’s most popular dance moves. The dance patterns given in this class will challenge the mind & body to move creatively while studying Hip-Hop and it’s influence on jazz and theater dance styles.
|
Saturday
10:00am – 10:55am
|
|
13 – 17
|
Saturday
11:00am – 11:55am
|
New Lancaster Group Classes
Lancaster Group Classes will be getting a fresh new look this fall. With the addition of a new class and the restructuring of your favorite classes, Top Hat will keep you on your way to perfecting all of you favorite dance styles!
Each of the different classes will be structured in such a way that a specific dance will be carried through each of the different levels of the class in 6 week intervals. For example, if Rumba is started in the Basic Ballroom 1 class it will continue for 6 weeks. At the end of those 6 weeks, Rumba will begin a new 6 week session in Basic Ballroom 2. Finally, at the end of the second session, Rumba will then move into Latin/Rhythm 3 for a third and final 6 week session. In essence there will be 18 solid weeks of each dance that you could take to really get a solid foundation and understanding of the dances of your choice. The same formula will be true for Waltz, Foxtrot, Cha Cha, etc.
We are really excited about this new curriculum and believe that it will lead to a stronger, more comprehensive reinforcement of the material that you may have already learned or are on your way to learning.
The cost of all of the group classes will be $10.00 per class and $5.00 for the 2nd level of the same class. The changes will take place in the fall starting on September 5th & 6th.
Take a look at the new schedule….
|
Class
|
Description
|
Date & Time
|
|
Basic Ballroom 1
|
A GREAT choice for the new dancer, this class will give you a chance to learn the beginner level of all of your favorite partner dances. Students will learn the basics of Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Rumba, Cha-Cha, Salsa, and Swing in 6-week intervals.
|
Wednesday
7:30pm – 8:30pm
|
|
Basic Ballroom 2
|
As a FANTASTIC follow-up, this class picks up where level 1 left off. For the more experienced dancer, BB2 is a wonderful combination of step patterns, styling and technique. A must have for anyone wanting to further their partner dancing skills.
|
Wednesday
8:30pm –9:30pm
|
|
Social Dance Class
|
A new combo class! This class will teach you the basics of both Hustle and West Coast Swing. These dances can be done to various types of music so they are perfect for parties and other social settings. So no more standing around – get on the dance floor!
|
Thursday
6:00pm –7:00pm
|
|
Latin/Rhythm 3
|
Time to really delve into the inter-workings of Latin dancing. This level 3 class will cover Cuban Motion, Arm Styling, and more in an in-depth manner. We will cover such dances as Rumba, Cha-Cha, Salsa, Bolero, Samba, & East Coast Swing.
|
Thursday
6:00pm –7:00pm
|
|
West Coast Swing 2
|
Add some RAZZLE DAZZLE to your dancing! Picking up where the Social Dance Class left off, this class is great for increasing your knowledge of West Coast Swing. The style and technique learned in this class are indispensable for the intermediate dancer.
|
Thursday
7:00pm –8:00pm
|
|
Ballroom/
Smooth 3
|
This level 3 class is a MAGNIFICENT way to continue your dance experience. Moving beyond the steps, this class will incorporate all the necessary elements to make your partner dancing look and feel a step ahead. Dance types will include Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Viennese Waltz, & Quickstep.
|
Thursday
7:00pm –8:00pm
|
|
Hustle 2
|
After you’ve become Hooked-on-Hustle, continue into Hustle 2. Here you will learn TERRIFIC Turn Patterns along with other signature Hustle steps. Take your dancing to a new level as you learn to dance the Hustle in fun and exciting ways!
|
Thursday
8:00pm –9:00pm
|
As always, if you have any questions or need more information on anything, please feel free to contact the studio, and as always…
Keep Dancing!!
Top Hat Dance Studio
10771 Bustleton Avenue
Philadelphia, Pa 19116
(215) 676-3100
Expanding the Enjoyment of Dance…One Step at a Time!
