It is with a heavy heart that I now need to postpone all private lessons. Dancing is such a wonderful expression of joy. So remember you can still dance in your own lounge ….
Stay Safe, Stay Calm, Stay Healthy
Elly
Like all dance teachers here and abroad I am following the updates on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) very closely and are continuing to evaluate the situation as new information comes to light. I will continue to follow the advice of the NZ Ministry of Health who are still advising that with good hygiene practices and continued vigilance that there is still a low chance of a widespread outbreak.
NEED TO KNOW
• I am still available to teach private lessons for couples only on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in Tauranga as normal and will continue to evaluate the situation as we move forward.
• I do have soap available so do wash your hands before and after classes.
• Please practice good hygiene such as washing your hands and coughing/sneezing into your elbow or a tissue that needs to be put immediately into the bin before you re-wash your hands.
As part of the protocols concerning the COVID-19 virus, I suggest you ask yourself the following when you are considering coming to class (or any other social situation):
1. Have you personally been diagnosed with Covid-19 (Coronavirus)? (Y/N)
2. Are you in contact with anyone that has been diagnosed with Covid-19 (Coronavirus)? (Y/N)
3. Are you displaying any symptoms of Covid-19 (Coronavirus) – dry cough, fever, fatigue, muscle pain etc? (Y/N)
4. Are you in contact with anyone that is displaying any symptoms of Covid-19 (Coronavirus) – dry cough, fever, fatigue, muscle pain etc? (Y/N)
5. Have you returned from any overseas ‘high risk’ countries in the last 14 days (currently listed as Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Iran, Italy, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Tenerife, Thailand & Vietnam)? (Y/N)
6. Have you been in contact with anyone that has returned from any overseas ‘high risk’ countries (as aforementioned) in the last 14 days? (Y/N)
If you answers YES to any question then we please ask that you do not come to class until you have completed the 14-day self-isolation requirement.
We understand that this will be causing some anxiety and uncertainty within our community. We want to encourage everyone to be kind, look out for each other and stay positive.
If you want to learn to dance and feel that this is a great time to learn with your partner or a friend – please contact me.
Elly (027 215 1430) or hi@dancecompany.co.nz
Often I receive the nicest comments from the wedding couples I work with:
“Just wanted to let you know we pulled our dance off brilliantly! The guests were incredibly impressed that we’d been to dance lessons and couldn’t believe my husband picked it up so easily! We had a lot of fun and were so proud we nailed it! Thanks so much for your choreography and positive teaching.” L&C
“The wedding was amazing and we surprised everyone with our dance. They all absolutely loved it and were so impressed! 🙂 Thank you for your patience and crafting a dance that suited us, you really made learning easy and fun. Definitely a memorable experience and I’m so glad we did it.” K&N
View Wedding Dance / First Dance videos.
If you want some help with your wedding dance do call or email. Remember you may not need a complex dance, just a few moves might be all that is necessary.
Dance Company is now closed for the holiday break and will be back teaching from the 13th of January.
In February I will be starting a “Ladies who Latin” class on Wednesdays 6.45pm – 8 pm in Matua. If you think this might be just what you need to look forward to in 2021 send me an email. I promise a fun class with a good dollop of technique.
Elly (027 215 1430) or hi@dancecompany.co.nz
The Blues Brothers™: First Contact
I’m so delighted to have been selected as the Choreographer for the Tauranga Musical Theaters April 2020 production. Its great to be able to bring my experience as a dance coach and choreographer to a new and exciting show
Two Tauranga Kiwi scriptwriters secured the rights to use the iconic Blues Brothers characters in a stage show inspired from the hit-film after talks with Hollywood bigwigs Dan Ackroyd and the late John Belushi’s widow.
Tauranga writers Liam Hagan and Gordy Lockhart spent three years writing the script and secured permission from Ackroyd and Judith Belushi by promising to donate to a children’s charity in the name of the film’s lovable main characters Jake and Elwood.
The 1980 blockbuster earned rave reviews and featured an all-star Hollywood line up of Ackroyd, Belushi, Carrie Fisher, Aretha Franklin, John Candy and Ray Charles.
“We set out to put on a Blues Brothers movie adaptation but we were told we had to write our own one, so we did,” Lockhart said.
“We wanted to do it properly so we reached out to the IP owners.”
That led to discussions with Aykroyd and Judith Belushi, who own the intellectual property for the name ‘Blues Brothers’ and the characters.
The result is Blues Brothers: First Contact which aims to capture the essence of the films, including the 1998 sequel Blues Brothers 2000, and bring them to the stage.
Belushi asked that the only payment for the rights be a $500 donation towards a childrens’ charity in the name of Jake and Elwood, the names of the characters from the film.
The story picks up from where the first movie left off, at the Joliet prison. The brothers are given a mission from the President of the United States directly, but that is just the start of their madcap adventure.
“Every Blues Brothers story has the same formula,” Lockhart said. “They are released from prison. Given a mission. Get the band back together. Get chased for some reason and put on a show.”
Hagan, who will direct the production, said a big challenge is bringing action sequences that made the movies iconic to a small-theatre production, including a car chase.
The Tauranga Musical Theatre and the production team will be hosting an information night in December – so if this is your type of show do watch out for that.
Elly (027 215 1430) or hi@dancecompany.co.nz
Its that time of the year when couples start planning their spring and summer weddings.
I teach quite a few wedding couples, Fathers of the Bride, Mothers of the Groom and complete wedding parties each year. The songs that couples used have been as diverse as Flume, Talking Heads and Motley Crue through to Frank Sinatra, Jason Timberlake and Elton John. The inspiration for a wedding dance always comes from the music and any style of music is perfect if it means something to you both.
Do consider booking your wedding dance lessons in advance – that means one less thing to worry about closer to the actual day. If you are looking for some help, do call or email.
Stephanie and Nate asked me to create something for their wedding to Michael Bolton “I said I loved you but I lied”.
“My husband was extremely anxious about having to dance but always promised me he’d only take lessons when we got married. So we took a few lessons! We found Elly so great, she listened to what we wanted and was flexible as we went along and made sure we were comfortable with what we were doing. She was so relaxed and comical it made it really fun and easy. You can just tell Elly loves what she does. Thanks for helping us out”
Elly (027 215 1430) or hi@dancecompany.co.nz