Principal's greetings to applicants:Dance school Footlight's competition groups are based on strong dance skills and the development of students' skills. Our entire educational institution and all our teachers are supporting the development and success of both our special training groups and our competition groups. The difference in the activities of the two is that the competition groups participate in more competitions and thus there are more opportunities to perform. Our special education programs emphasize broad technical skills and multidisciplinary development of the student. In the coming season, only the competition groups of Performing Arts sports will operate in our educational institution (for now). Plans have been made to form competition groups for street dance sports, but now we are focusing on PA sports. From the beginning, our educational institution has developed our international networks, and last season we decided to take our EK group on a trip to New York. Next season, it is the turn of the competition group members to try their wings in international arenas, and therefore our main goal for the competition groups is the Danza di Fiera event in Florence, Italy, to be organized in February. The event is a great dance festival, which we have participated in before with a smaller number of participants, but for this year the goal is to bring all of our competition groups to the event.
In order to realize that, it requires work and it means a change in the number of training sessions for competition choreographies. For the season 2023-2024, choreography lessons for the competition groups will be increased to twice a week. In addition to this, the members of the competition group must participate in one technical class determined by the educational institution. During the season, Synne-Kristin Ytredal (formation) and Reine Antonio (small groups) are responsible for choreographing the competition groups.
The importance of the development of our competition groups and Special Education groups to our educational institution is also reflected in the pricing of training programs and competition groups. Unlike in many other educational institutions, these groups are representative groups and we have tried to keep the student fees as affordable as possible. This is how we strive to operate this season as well, even though all operating costs have risen quite a bit. For us, the pandemic is not yet completely behind us, but it can be seen as students who have disappeared from the field and, through that, in the tightening of competition between schools. Competition group members also have the opportunity to apply for free/semi-free student places if necessary. Tanssikeskus Footlight strives to remain the school it was founded as almost 40 years ago: an educational institution that is approachable, respects equality, values each other and invests in the dancer's development. We think we would survive the next 40 years with these fins.
In the next season, a very close teacher to all of us, Teija Nenonen, who has been responsible for the choreography of our competition group's formation for the past two seasons, has decided to move to another field and focus on her horticultural studies, which Teija already started earlier. Although we say goodbye to Teija with sadness, we are happy about his great plans for the future. That field also requires an artistic eye and execution, and who knows, even if Teija will return to dance. In life, you never know what tomorrow will bring. We wish you happiness with all our hearts and thank you for all these years. Teija is one of our school's own products and is therefore always welcome back. After all, Teija already tried that departure once, when she took a gap year and then returned home from her travels. You can always come home, we all know that.
The auditions are held on the 18th of May 2023. You should send your application in good time and our office will let each applicant know the more exact audition times.
Welcome to the crowd
Regards
Taina Schorin-Keltto
Principal
Dance Center Footlight