Our season lasts 40 weeks or 10 months (August 16, 2010 through June 12, 2011). We will be

closed the week of Thanksgiving, two weeks during the Winter holidays and one week during Spring

Tuition schedule:

30-minute class - $38 monthly

45-minute class - $46 monthly

1 hour class - $52 monthly

1-1/2 hour class - $68 monthly

Each student registered for 2 or more classes will receive a 10% discount on their total tuition.

Additional family members will receive a 10% discount on their tuition (not in addition to the multiclass

discount).

be made by September 15. All tuition payments are non-refundable

There is a $24 registration fee per season per family. This fee is non-refundable.

A $10 late fee will be charged for payments that are 1 week late.

A $25 fee will be charged for any checks with insufficient funds.

Tuition is a monthly fee and will not be pro-rated based on holidays or missed classes.

Performance experience is essential for a well-rounded dancer. While we realize that not everyone

aspires to be a professional dancer, our annual Showcase in June presents the student with the

excitement of a live stage performance and the opportunity for recognition from their parents and

peers for all their hard work.

Each student must purchase the costume and accessories required for the recital. A $50 costume

deposit is due on or before November 1st. Costumes will be ordered in December, and usually cost

be distributed in late-March. Professional dance portraits will be taken in the Spring.

Placement of a student in a class is governed by the individual’s potential and technical proficiency

and not necessarily by age or length of training.

Promptness and regular attendance are important in each student’s progress. Attendance is

especially critical as dancers are learning their performance routines for the annual showcase.

Excessive absences can result in the dancer not being prepared for the performance, and can also

adversely affect the entire class.

Classes missed due to illness may be made up. Please ask your child’s teacher for an appropriate

day and time to make up classes. No refunds will be given for unattended classes.

All students are required to wear appropriate dance attire. This includes tights, leotard, unitard, hot

shorts or jazz pants. Boys may wear sweat pants, shorts or jazz pants. Students in a single subject

Ballet class are required to wear a black leotard and pink tights. Hair must be pulled back at all times.

Please wear a cover-up to and from all dance classes. All dance accessories should be labeled with

your child’s name, including shoes, bags and clothing.

• Ballet: Pink ballet shoes (split sole recommended if over age 6)

• Jazz: Tan jazz shoes (Bloch SO495)

• Tap: ages 3-12 wear Tan Mary Jane style tap shoes (Bloch SO352 or SO302); ages 12+ wear

black lace-up tap shoes (Capezio CG100 "Hoofmaster")

• Hip-Hop: Dance sneakers (see instructor for performance color)

• Lyrical/Contemporary: DancePaws or bare feet

*Please do not wear your dance shoes outside on the sidewalk or in the parking lot! This will

damage our flooring!

We encourage all parents, family and friends to observe class any time through the classroom

windows. Please become involved in your child’s dance experience! However, if you see that you

are distracting your child, also be respectful of his or her need for privacy.

For safety reasons, students must remain in the waiting room for their rides. They are not permitted

to wait in the parking lot area or outside the building. Great Gig Dance Company accepts no

responsibility for children who leave the premises unattended.

Students may bring water to class. However, other beverages and food are not permitted inside the

studio. Gum chewing is also not allowed.

Classes

Each student, regardless of age or experience, is taught at a serious level, the terminology of dance,

technique, and a basic understanding of body involvement. Combination classes are offered for

beginner and intermediate students. For advanced students a range of classes in Ballet, Jazz, Tap,

Hip-Hop, Lyrical and Modern dance are offered. Dancers who desire more performance opportunities

may audition for our performing group, Great Gig Dance Ensemble. Auditions are held in June at the

studio.

Ballet is a form of dance more than 300 years old which originated in France and is now performed all

over the world. Through strenuous training, the dancer masters classic technique, learning intricate

steps and combinations of movements that are combined with music, costumes and sets to create

visual designs, to tell a dramatic story, or to depict a mood. Ballet is the foundation of all other forms

of dance and is essential to proper dance training. Our Ballet classes focus on proper body

placement, technique and terminology. Advanced classes include Pointe work.

Tap dance is characterized by rhythmic tapping of the toes and heels in special shoes, which make

the sounds audible. Tap dance originated in Vaudeville reviews and was popularized by early

musical theater. Tap has experienced a recent resurgence in popularity in this country. Our

challenging Tap classes explore complicated rhythms and asymmetrical steps.

Jazz dance is a kind of “urban folk dance” which mirrors the current trends in music and social dance.

Movement comes from Broadway shows, musical theater, film, television, nightclubs and other forms

of popular entertainment, and parallels the particular phase of popular music. Jazz dance includes

other popular forms of dance such as Hip-Hop, Musical Theater and Lyrical dance. Our Jazz classes

focus on correct body placement and technique. Students are exposed to many different popular

styles of Jazz.

These popular dance forms can be described as fusions of Jazz, Ballet and Modern dance. Music

choices often have lyrics intended to create emotion and evoke movement. When possible, creative

partnering and weigh sharing enhance choreography and movement.

Hip-Hop dance mimics the most current trends in the rap and hip-hop “pop culture”. It is an extremely

athletic form of dance that includes elements of Jazz dance, tumbling and break dance. We use prescreened

and edited music and teach movements that are age-appropriate.

understanding of various types of dance. With age and experience, students may then make an

educated choice in which dance forms they will focus on. Early combination classes include Ballet,

because it is the foundation of all types of dance. Each class type is also based on the student’s age.

and Tumbling. This class is designed not only to introduce basic dance skills, but also to offer age appropriate

physical development activities and to encourage creativity.

Ballet, Creative Movement and Tumbling. This class is designed to continue developing dance skills

as well as creativity and rhythm.

introductory movements in Jazz dance. Students will learn body isolations and basic jazz technique.

hour segments in Jazz and Tap. This class is designed to prepare dancers for more advanced

training at the next level. It includes longer segments with more complicated rhythms, patterns and

combinations. More emphasis is placed on proper technique and terminology.

and level) for children that are 9-12 years old (Grades 3-5), and teens. This class includes segments

in Jazz and Tap and focuses on more advanced dance training, including proper body placement,

technique and dance terminology.

length. Adults are encouraged but not required to participate in our annual Showcase in June.

includes Ballet, Tap and Creative Movement. The curriculum includes basic locomotor skills

(hopping, galloping, skipping, sliding) and such concepts as right/left, and tempo and level changes.

All students will be featured in our annual Showcase in June.

Our professionally trained staff is looking forward to making this year of dance a rewarding one. The

instructors continue to expand their art form by attending seminars, workshops, and professional

classes to ensure that our students receive the best dance education available.

Tammy began her dance education at age 9 in Clearwater, Florida, where she studied with Gayle and Phyllis Tutterow, Nilo Toledo and Peggy Wallis. While attending the University of Florida, Tammy performed with UF Dance Company and received a minor in Dance in 1988. She has more than 25 years of teaching experience in Florida and Georgia, and she specializes in Tap & Jazz. Her students have performed in the Opening Ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, for Royal Caribbean Cruises, and at the prestigious Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC.

Dawn completed her Bachelor of Science in Dance Education at the University of Georgia in 1993, where she performed with CORE Concert Dance Company, and Non-Stop Dance Company. Dawn’s areas of expertise include Ballet, Modern dance, Gymnastics, and movement classes for children with special needs. Her unique choreography is innovative and artistic.

Lindsay is a graduate of the University of Georgia, where she studied Psychology and Dance. Lindsay received her early dance

training in the Atlanta area and has been a featured performer of the Great Gig Dance Ensemble. She specializes in Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Lyrical dance. Lindsay’s choreography is fresh and current—always on the cutting edge!

A.J. is majoring in dance at Kennesaw State University, where he performs with the dance company. He has been a featured dancer of the Great Gig Dance Ensemble, as well as the CATS Performing Arts Program at Woodland High School. A.J. was accepted into the prestigious Georgia Governor’s Honors Program in 2005 and received a scholarship in 2006 to tour with Dance Caravan as a “Caravan Kid.” In 2007 he appeared on the Fox Television show “So You Think You Can Dance.” A.J. specializes in Hip-Hop, Jazz, Modern and Ballet. His classes and choreography are extremely energetic, lively and fun!

Diane (known by all her students as “Ms. D”) is a professional dance instructor and choreographer with more than 25 years of

experience teaching Ballet, Tap and Modern dance. She studied dance at the Wessex School of Dancing in Bournemouth, England. Diane has extensive teaching experience and maintains several degrees and certifications recognized and respected throughout the world. Diane owned and operated her own school in Trinidad. She has trained and prepared students for the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) exams, as well as the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) exams. Diane’s former students are currently performing all over the world—from cruise ships to television to professional dance companies.

Tara received her dance training in Dothan, Alabama and the Atlanta area. She graduated from the University of Georgia in 2003 with a degree in Classical Cultures. While at UGA, Tara studied dance with Bala Sarasvati, Molissa Finley, Kent DeSpain and others. She performed with the Concert Dance Company and her choreography was featured in the annual Young Choreographers’ Series. Tara also began “Feet” - a new modern and African dance company, while she was in Athens. She specializes in Ballet, Jazz and Modern dance. Her style is very youthful, athletic and creative.