Performing Company Program
WHAT?
Driftwood is offering two (2) Performing Companies for the 2019/2020 Season:
The Driftwood Performing Company for members aged 10+
The Willow Performing Company for members aged 7 - 9
These programs expose dancers to the demands and rewards of the pre-professional dance world, providing stage performance opportunities on community, competitive, and festival platforms.
Driftwood Performing Company (DPC)
DPC Members are required to take a two-hour Company class once a week,
Fridays, 5:00pm - 7:00pm, where they will be learning and rehearsing two group pieces:
Group Piece #1: A Production* piece featuring the Full Company (everyone together)
*A Production piece is defined by a minimum of 20 dancers of any age and level, incorporating any dance style. The entry must portray a theme or story line throughout the performance.Group Piece #2: The Full Company will be broken into three separate groups, each in a different genre. Dancers will be placed in one of these three groups. Possible genres include: Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, Lyrical, Hip Hop, or Stage
PLEASE NOTE: The genre of the dancer’s Group Piece #2 will be decided by faculty, based on auditions and choreographers’ vision. Should a dancer wish for extra focus in any genre, requests for additional solo, duet, trio, and small group opportunities will be reviewed on an individual basis.
Willow Performing Company (WPC)
Members are required to take a one-hour Company class once a week,
Thursdays 5:00pm - 6:00pm, where they will be learning and rehearsing one group piece.
The genre for this piece will be decided based on auditions and the choreographer’s vision.
WHEN?
Training commitment requirements for Company Members include a minimum, but are not limited to:
DPC
1 hour of ballet, either exam* (2 hours) or open class (1 hour)
Ballet exam students must take both the exam class and the open ballet class
1 hour of Company Jazz Tech - Company members will be placed in one of the following:
Jazz Tech 2, Tuesdays, 6:00 - 7:00pm
Jazz Tech 3, Tuesdays, 7:00 - 8:00pm
Jazz Tech 4, Tuesdays, 4:00 - 5:00pm
2 hours of Company Class, Fridays, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
WPC
1 hour ballet, either exam* (1 hour) or open class (1 hour)
Ballet exam students must take both the exam class and the open ballet class
1 hour of Company Jazz Tech 1, Tuesdays, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
1 hour of Company Class, Thursdays, 5:00 - 6:00pm
* To aid with member scheduling, Company students will be allowed to take the exam ballet class without pursuing the exam.
MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMPANY MEMBERS
In conjunction with two group Company pieces, members may be invited to solo, duet, trio, or extra group opportunities to take to competition or festival. Interest may be expressed by the dancer(s), which is then reviewed by faculty and choreographers to ensure the best fit.
Performance commitments per year include:
1 - 2 Local community performances
3 Local and/or out-of-town competitive/festival events
1 Performing Company showcase
1 - 3 End-of-year academy recital
WHY?
Driftwood values an inclusive experience, celebrating diversity in ages and abilities working together to create and perform exceptional dance work. Performing Companies seeks to teach and build strong work ethic, technical and performance proficiency, team building, and the importance of personal responsibility within a group.
WHO?
Members of the Performing Companies desire to learn, rehearse, and perform at high levels with like-minded dancers. These students will be viewed as the leaders of the Academy, exemplifying traits of a positive role model to younger dancers and the community at large.
> Ballet exam classes do not have a performance piece in the year-end recital <
> Open Ballet classes do have a performance piece in the year-end recital <
> Company Jazz Tech classes may have a performance piece in the year-end recital <
HOW?
Students interested in Company membership must audition in May for the following season.
Auditions give dancers the opportunity to demonstrate their technical and performative skills to the choreographers of the Company program.
Prospective members must formally declare interest by Sunday, May 19, 2019
via email to info@driftwooddance.com
This year’s audition date is Sunday, May 26, 2019, at Driftwood Dance Academy. Call times to be announced.
In addition to the in-studio audition, Driftwood requires additional material to complete the process:
A video-recorded statement describing why the dancer wishes to be a member of the Performing Company. This may include short or long-term goals, references to studio life and friends, artists or opportunities that are inspiring, etc.
A video-recorded piece of original or otherwise learned choreography, approximately 1.5 minutes in length. This can be recorded in a studio, outdoors, at home - anywhere there is space to dance.
PLEASE NOTE: WPC candidates can, but are not required, to submit a video-recorded piece of choreography; only the video-recorded statement is necessary.
Video recordings can be dropped off at the office on a USB drive, or sent through WeTransfer to info@driftwooddance.com no later than May 26, 2019.
Half Day Program
For students applying for the Peak Performance & Pursuit (formerly Super Achievers) Programs of North and West Vancouver secondary school programs. Students from Waldorf are also invited to apply for the Half Day Program at Driftwood.
The Half Day Program is for students working towards their highest level of dance education and performance.
Successful applicants study ballet and contemporary modern technique and repertoire, basic anatomy, prevention of dance injury, and mental heath awareness in performing artists. They use Progressing Ballet Technique to condition specific muscles for classical dance training, and utilize study periods for future planning, academic review, and personal work.
Students supplement their half day hours with after-school training, pursing an examination in either the Royal Academy of Dance (ballet) or Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (modern) syllbi.
Students may also be Company members.