Newsletter 02 - Starbrite news, October 25th-December 19th, 2020
As we close the door to 2020, let's take time to appreciate our accomplishments, knowing that the best is yet to come. We have so much news to tell so grab a cuppa, sit back, and start reading...
The Starbrite 2020 Production - 'A Night at the Movies'
September to December was an exciting time for Starbrite as our doors reopened to welcome our members back into attending physical classes. It also meant it was showtime!
We've had to change so much of how our business ran, but the one thing we didn't want to change was the chance for our members to perform in their annual show. It is the calendar event that students and parents look forward to and we were determined to not have a show DVD missing from the collection.
We set about turning studio 1 into a black box theatre space, installed lighting rigs and video equipment, and invested in new costumes so our members could share some positive memories of 2020.
Miss Emma and Miss Destiny started teaching each Show Stars bubble two routines for them to perform to camera for their family and friends to enjoy when the DVD is released.
It really was a wonderful two weeks, there was so much excitement and buzz in the studios, and we felt immensely proud of each one of our star performers for adapting to such new times so well.
We had some students who unfortunately had to self-isolate during the two week show period and to give them the same opportunity we will be filming their routines in the New Year. We then anticipate that the DVD will be available by the end of January so get your popcorn ready for movie night.
IDTA Exams
Well we've all heard of the saying "sod's law" and this couldn't have been more true throughout the whole of 2020, especially in reference to our students taking their exams. Our second exam session of the year was due to take place just one week after we went into lockdown 1.0.
We then scheduled another session for November, but this then fell into the first week of lockdown 2.0. Luckily, there was a silver lining to this session as regulated exams could attend a Covid-19 secure venue to take their exam. We hosted our first ever live streamed session with amazing results. Again the students adapted amazingly and all said they had loved the experience with some even going as far as saying it was better as it felt like there was less pressure.
We still had 50% of the exams due to have been taken in November left to take so we set about organising another session, and due to examiner availability we hosted our first ever recorded session which was such a humbling experience.
As Starbrite's Principal, Miss Emma is never allowed to enter the exam room for certain examinations, so after she got over her initial nerves, she said that it really was an honour to be present and witness such beautiful work being performed. We really do train some amazingly talented dancers, and we are grateful to play a huge part of their journey.
In the Spotlight
In this newsletter we want to share our recent exam success stories which not only showcases the sheer determination of our members but also how much learning in a virtual environment does work, as the majority of the exam work taken in 2020 was learnt over Zoom.
The results below are from our graded exam session in November 2020:
| Genre | Grade/Level | Name(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballet | Grade 1 | Lucy, Scarlet, Tom | Distinction |
| Ballet | Grade 2 | Isabel, Ruby, Verity | Distinction |
| Ballet | Grade 3 | Hannah | Distinction |
| Ballet | Grade 4 | Cathy | Merit |
| Ballet | Grade 5 | Destiny, Phoebe | Distinction |
| Theatre Craft | Grade 1 | Lucy | Distinction |
| Theatre Craft | Grade 2 | Hannah, Isabel, Verity | Distinction |
| Freestyle | Teacher | Miss Destiny | Distinction |
What an amazing set of results these were. Congratulations to everyone on your exam success.
Miss Emma even managed to continue her Royal Ballet Inspire Training by attending a seminar titled ‘Developing and Sustaining a Positive Studio Climate'. She joined delegates from America, The Philippines, Australia, Russia, and Canada. Even as a fully qualified teacher, Miss Emma firmly believes in remaining a student to allow herself to remain open to new ways of thinking, new dance styles. Both Miss Emma and Miss Destiny continue to demonstrate this fact, showing their firm commitment to continually raising their own personal standards and consequently those of Starbrite, and hopefully inspiring Starbrite's students to push themselves to raise their own standards.
We are great believers that everyone who attends Starbrite is on their own personal journey of learning and success and with our guidance will achieve their personal goals at a time which is right for them.
