A Beginner's Guide to Ballet

We’re just a few days away from Thanksgiving break, and you know what that means… It’s Nutcracker season! This beloved holiday classic puts ballet on the front of everyone’s mind, but what exactly makes it so special? Do you have a budding ballerina just itching to get into class after watching the mice and fairies dance on stage? We’re here to help. From pliés to pirouettes, passés  and piques, consider this your complete guide to ballet — and why Turning Pointe offers the best ballet classes in Colorado Springs.

 

What is Ballet?

 Ballet is a type of dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century. It later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia before becoming popular worldwide. It’s a highly-technical art form with its own vocabulary that can be seen on stage during operas, stage productions and classical performances.

 

Why take Ballet?

 Besides being the quintessential form of classical dance, ballet balances length and strength, building essential skills and muscle tone alike. It also provides the basic foundation for most other forms of dance, meaning what you learn in ballet class will translate to values that can be used to pursue other styles like turnout, toe point, core strength, alignment and musicality.

 

Why Turning Pointe?

 Whatever you’re looking for in a ballet class, Turning Pointe has the perfect fit. And as Colorado Springs’ premiere faith-based studio, taking class at Turning Pointe ensures ballet students will be taught by warm, caring Christians who lovingly instruct and provide excellent role models of Godly young women and men.

 The Enrichment Division offers a carefully constructed curriculum which introduces ballet steps and concepts at an age-appropriate pace. Students in ballet class learn skills from the categories of technique, concepts and etiquette, working through monthly progressions to meet the targets and objectives of each level.

 The Recreational Division, which includes ballet classes for students age 5 to adult, offers an in-studio performance at Christmastime, and a formal recital in May.

 The Twirl Program introduces preschool-age dancers as young as 2 to ballet terminology through a balance of focus and fun, spatial awareness, flexibility, coordination, balance, expression, and hearing music/rhythm are explored through the joy of movement while worshiping God.

 The Training Division is for dancers, ages 10 through 21, who are interested in studying Classical Ballet. The structured program provides students the opportunity to gain an appreciation for art, preparation to pursue dance in college, and the ability to springboard into additional training for a professional career.

 Ballet students can even supplement their training with ballet technique classes, pre-pointe and pointe classes, and even learn what they’ve seen on stage in ballet variations class.

 

How to Get Started

 Are you or your student ready to hit the barre? Head to TurningPointeSchoolofDance.com for the 2022-23 School Year Session schedule, dress codes, studio policies, times to stop by the front desk, how to tour our facility and more. You’ll be on your way to becoming a prima ballet dancer before you know it!

Creating Progress

Fidèle Youth Dance Company to culminate ninth season with “The Pilgrim’s Progress” Nov. 12-13

 What comes next?

 It’s a question everyone faces when leaving one chapter behind and preparing to enter another. For Fidèle Youth Dance Company, that question was raised after rebounding from a challenging 2020 season with a stand-out 2021, culminating in an original stage adaptation of “The Lady and the Lionheart” by award-winning author Joanne Bischof.

 “The story of ‘The Lady and the Lionheart’ ends with a circus child, free from bondage, with all her debts paid and her whole life ahead of her,” Mimi McKinnis, director of FYDC, said. “The battle had been won. She’s free. Now what?”

 The “Lionheart” performance, attended and acclaimed by Bischof herself, welcomed more spectators, earned more revenue, and garnered more national excitement than any prior season, dating all the way back to the company’s inception in 2014. The company had pulled off a production with the real-life Biblical message of salvation through sacrifice, which led to its most successful season to date.

 So what comes next?

 “We walk,” McKinnis said. “We walk in a manner worthy of that sacrifice. Not all at once, but every day we make progress.”

 With that, the groundwork was laid for the 2022 season, and for an original stage adaptation of “The Pilgrim’s Progress.” Originally published in 1678, John Bunyan’s masterful allegory tells the story of Christian and his journey from The City of Destruction (representing earth) to The Celestial City (representing Heaven), depicting the obstacles that hinder a Godly life and the helpers God sends to overcome them. It is second only to the Bible in number of copies printed worldwide, has been translated into more than 200 languages, and in the 344 years since its release, has never been out of print.

 “It’s definitely a well-known story within the Christian community,” McKinnis said, “but at the same time, it’s got a gospel-driven message at its heart that will resonate with those who aren’t familiar with it. It’s been an amazing experience working to bring it to life in a way that’s never been seen or done before.”

 With the story set, the details were poured over in prayer as the season began to take shape, each one created with the company’s mission to impact the community for His Kingdom in mind. From the costuming to the choreography, every element of the production was carefully designed to ignite a spiritual spark inside each person in the audience.

 “There are so many little things in this production that I hope will have a really powerful impact in His name,” McKinnis said. “The character of Christian moves one limb at a time rather than in unison with others or all at once because the pilgrimage of Christianity is taken one step at a time. No one is perfect. We make progress. The character of Faithful is always ahead of Christian in the direction of movement on stage, or a note or phrase ahead in the music, because faith is something that has to be pursued. All the Kingdom-dwelling characters, and only the Kingdom-dwelling characters, have an element of royalty with purple incorporated somehow into their costume. My prayer is that, while all of these things might not be picked up on by everyone, the gospel-driven purpose behind each detail is felt through every performance, whether you immediately recognize why or not.”

 The book features a plethora of characters, lending itself to a production that spotlights 15 soloists, two duets, two trios and several ensembles—a challenge McKinnis says lends itself to opportunity.

 “There are so many characters within this story, which gives everyone in the audience more to relate to,” she said. “Sometimes you can see yourself in supporting characters, like recognizing times you’ve turned from the straight and narrow path at the first sign of trouble, or when you’ve talked about your faith louder than your actions show. Other times you can see yourself as Christian, identifying the flatterers, vanity or attacks you’ve encountered on your own pilgrimage. But you can also see that the Holy Spirit is with you in those battles. You also see the support and encouragement within the church, and the care and discretion among like-minded pilgrims. To be able to shine His light through so many different facets, and to physically show those aspects of this journey on stage is incredibly powerful.”

 One of the most powerful moments comes in one of the most poignant scenes of the production, when Christian and Hopeful find themselves locked in the dungeon of The Doubting Castle, under the guard of Giant Despair.

 “Creating a giant on stage was something I prayed a lot about,” McKinnis said. “I thought about crafting larger-than-life puppet limbs, or building a platform for that student to dance on so they’d always be looking down and appear taller than the other performers on stage. In the end, we didn’t do any of that. We created movements and lines the student can use to convince the audience she’s bigger than she is, in the same way that despair convinces us there’s no way out or to give up hope. When the pilgrim's place their hope in themselves, they fail. When they put their hope in the Holy Spirit, they succeed. The whole scene affects you in a way that feels so big while reminding us that God will always be bigger.”

 “The students and costume, hair and makeup volunteers who have come together this season have done an incredible job in bringing all these characters to life. We’re so humbled and blessed to be able to portray a message and a story of this magnitude. It’s been an amazing season that has resonated with each and every heart that’s been a part of it.”

 So what comes next?

 “We create,” McKinnis said. “We use the gifts He's given us as artists in a way that reflects His image, for His glory. We continue to create a legacy of faith-based productions that transcend the studio and stage. We shine His light with every detail and every note. Not all at once, but every day, we'll work to make progress.”

 Come see for yourself as Fidèle Youth Dance Company presents “The Pilgrim’s Progress” at the Wasson Academic Campus Auditorium, Saturday, November 12, at 2 and 6 p.m., or a Sunday matinee, November 13, at 2 p.m. Tickets are selling fast! Reserve your seats today: https://28948.danceticketing.com/r/events/

A Complete Guide to Worship Dance

As early as Exodus, Miriam led the other Israelites with tambourines and dancing to celebrate their freedom from Egyptian slavery. In 2 Samuel, David “leaped and danced before the Lord.” The Psalms encourage us to praise His name with dancing, and promise He will turn our wailing into dancing. But what exactly is worship dance? And how can you get started? Turning Pointe Dance is Colorado Springs’ premier faith-based dance studio, on a mission to provide excellence in dance and theater instruction while cultivating hearts of worship and nurturing creativity. Want to know more? Read on for our complete guide to worship dance!

 Four-In-One Technique

 Worship dance is a unique fusion of techniques, incorporating elements of ballet, modern, jazz and contemporary styles. Our worship classes emphasize interpretation of faith-based music and lyrics while telling a story with movement that can be both fluid and abstract. Students will learn to combine the grace of ballet with the sharpness and energy of jazz and the freedom of movement associated with modern and contemporary. They are encouraged to harness the gifts and talents He has given for His glory as they are taught to interpret his or her steps with feeling, motion and style in a manner that expresses God over self.

 Three-In-One Heart

 Each worship class is rooted in His word with a goal of glorifying the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In each class, worship students will learn to use dance as a way to communicate biblical messages or create pictures of song and scripture. We focus on cultivating innovation through creative worship, using scripture and words of worship as motivation for movement. (Think lyrical dance, only the lyrics are scriptures, biblical stories and gospel truths.) Students are encouraged to restore dance to an artform that is worshipful, God-focused, and praiseworthy, and performed in a way that is helpful to the entire class or congregation. Each class is a time of worship structured in a way that honors God and encourages those within the class as movements are practiced to point others to Christ.

 What to Expect

 Students in a worship dance class should wear a solid-colored leotard or fitted shirt, black joggers, leggings, or shorts, and either dance socks or bare feet, with hair securely off of their face. While Turning Pointe Dance incorporates a monthly devotional word and accompanying scripture passage into each and every class, these elements factor greatly into worship classes, acting as an anchor for discussions, exercises and combinations throughout the year. In addition to learning choreography and exploring how each step can be done differently to express different parts of the words and scriptures, an emphasis is placed on personal prayer and exploration of God’s Word through improvisation time in each class, allowing students to unplug from the world outside the studio, quiet their hearts, and focus on spending time in His presence.

 How to Get Started

 This season, Turning Pointe Dance offers worship dance classes for students age teen through adult, with leveled classes beginning at Level 3 (ages 12-18). To give it a try, our next Free Trial Week is December 12-17, with another set for January 2-7, 2023. If you decide to enroll, your last chance to sign up is January 31!

 To find a worship class that fits your schedule and abilities, browse our 2022-23 school-year session calendar here. To read more about the classes we offer at Turning Pointe, check out our complete list of class descriptions.

Turning Pointe’s Top 5 Ways to Support Your Dancer

Fall Peek Week is upon us, and studio-wide, we’re so excited to show you what we’ve been up to! All week long, parents and guardians are invited to watch the last 10 minutes of classes to see just how much work has already gone into the 2022-23 season. And while your student is busy showcasing their skills, you may be wondering what it is exactly that you’re looking at, and whether or not it looks the way that it should. Whether it’s your first Peek or you’ve been watching for years, the curriculum targets can certainly get a little confusing, especially when you’re trying to figure out if your student is hitting them. It seems complicated, but it doesn’t need to be. This week’s TP Top 5 is here to help and answer the question “How can I best support my dancer’s success?”

 

1. Be Present

 More than anything, just showing up can have the greatest impact on your student’s success. While you might never understand exactly what they’re working on, being present for the progress will help your dancer feel safe, seen and secure as they prepare to take the stage (in dance and in life). Want to stay a step ahead? Check out Dates to Remember under the “Calendar” tab on our website. Take note of upcoming events and take an interest in what’s happening. Plan ahead for Peek Weeks and any other chances to show your support and be there throughout your student’s studio journey.

 

2. Support Their Teachers

 Did you know each member of the Turning Pointe Dance staff is background checked and CPR certified? Our instructors are also Youth Protection Advocates in Dance certified, including training and continued education through a proven curriculum that covers topics like best practices, injury prevention, conflict resolution, and safety and wellness for every student. They’ve received extensive training on their class curriculum, and how to serve as a leader, mentor and teacher under Turning Pointe’s Mission and Core Values. Long story short, they know what they’re doing, and supporting them is a great way to support your dancer. Consider teacher feedback as tools for praising your dancer’s strengths and encouraging growth in the areas still under development.

 

3. Encourage Them to SHINE

 Whether it’s your dancer’s first year in class or they’ve been dancing for decades, we encourage you to trade pressure for praise, both for your dancer and for the Lord. Encouragement teaches children to evaluate themselves on their own merits. When adults provide children with feedback about what they are doing, the children learn to evaluate themselves without comparing their efforts and successes to those of others. The important thing is never whether or not your dancer is placed in the same level as their friends, if they’re always front and center at recital, or where they fall in relation to their classmates. God created each and every one of us with a unique set of gifts and talents, and that looks different on each and every student. Encourage your dancer to use their talents to praise the Lord, to SHINE in their own unique gifts, and to give Him the glory for it all.

 

4. Reinforce the FAITH

 At Turning Pointe Dance, students are learning more than just great dancing. They’re being trained, body, mind, and spirit, to flourish in their gifts for His glory through monthly memory verses, devotions and prayer prompts. While it’s a great idea to check in and ask your dancer what they worked on in class, we also encourage you to ask them about their verses and prompts, and how they grew closer to God at dance. If they had a difficult day or struggled to achieve a skill, shine God’s grace and remind them He commanded us to make a joyful noise, not a perfect note on the very first try. Find scriptures together about perseverance on the hard days, and about humility on the good days. We are seen and loved by the Father in each and every step of class, no matter how that looks on any given day.

 

5. Reinforce the FUN

 If your dancer truly LOVES to dance, nurturing that spark can take your dancer all the way from supported to successful. Give your dancer more opportunities to do what they love by signing them up for a mini camp or special event like the Nutcracker Tea, or even by trying new classes during a Free Trial Week. We have opportunities to learn and dance all year long, so be sure to read your Monthly Newsletter and Weekly Wednesday email, and follow us on social media for information on upcoming events.

 Come and celebrate our students this week, and join us in supporting them each and every step of this season. (Your next chance to watch is Dec. 5-10!)

Turning Pointe's Top 5 Tips For a Successful Dance Year

Can you believe we’re up and running on another dance year? As the premiere faith-based dance studio in Colorado Springs, we’ve got almost 20 years of experience under our belt… and we even feel those first class nerves sometimes! We know what you’re asking. “What does my child need for dance?” “How can I help my child succeed this dance year?” “How can I calm my dancer’s nerves?” We hear you, and we’re here to help! Turning Pointe is committed to providing excellence in dance and theater instruction while cultivating hearts of worship and nurturing creativity. From your child’s first class to their graduation performance, we’re here to make sure each student thrives in His name, every step of the way.

While there’s plenty of information out there, let’s start small with these simple steps to kickoff a successful dance year:

1. Read Your Resources

As parents, we’re inundated with information about our kids' activities. But even though it feels like a lot, keeping up with communication really is the easiest way to keep yourself in the loop! At Turning Pointe, we send an informational email each week and a newsletter each month to keep all of our dancers and families informed. Did you know we offer free trial weeks, the chance to bring a friend to class and parent peek weeks three times a year? We even host monthly outreach initiatives to shine the light of Christ to our community! Staying in the know will keep you one step ahead. And believe us… knowing what’s going on and what’s coming up goes a long way toward being calm and prepared! Which brings us to tip number 2…

2. Be Prepared

There’s nothing like scrambling at the last minute to send nerves flurrying on your way to class. Set your child up for success by arriving prepared and ready to go! Everything you need is already just a click away. Students received an email from their teachers prior to the first week of classes with information about the dress code, how to check which studio their class is in, what to bring to class, and even which Bible verse we’ll be studying this month. Take some time to familiarize yourself with our guidelines and policies from dancewear to registration and tuition so nothing comes as a surprise. If you didn’t receive an email from your teacher, or haven’t received a Weekly Wednesday from the studio, let us know at customercare@turningpointeschoolofdance.com. We’ll make sure your information is entered correctly and up-to-date!

3. Practice, Practice, Practice

Now that classes are up and running, it’s time to put that old saying to the test: Practice makes perfect! Encourage your dancer to practice what they learned in class at home so they’re comfortable and prepared for the next week. Have them teach you what they’re working on, or even give a dance class to their siblings and stuffed animals. The more familiar they are with their targets and material, the more comfortable and confident they’ll be. But parents, let’s not leave all the practicing to the dancers! Practice arriving for class on time, asking your dancer about their memory verse for the month, and having the proper clothes and shoes clean and ready to go before dance class days. That preparedness will rub off on everyone!

4. Trust the process

Just like in life, there will always be peaks and valleys to dance through. While it may seem overwhelming, or like your dancer has been working on the same steps forever, or even that they’ve been in the same level without moving up for too long, trusting the process will allow every dancer to thrive. Some steps are difficult and take longer to learn. Some levels are harder to advance beyond. While Turning Pointe uses a thoughtful curriculum designed to safely develop each dancer from first class to advanced student, God has gifted us all in different ways! Every class and every dancer’s progression is different. Trust the process, and encourage your dancer to do the same. We promise, there’s success in every season!

5. Have FUN!

Last but not least, be sure to have fun! Leave the world at the door and enter the studio ready to make friends, be inspired and leave refreshed. Whether this is your first time in class or you’ve been with us all 19 years, we invite you to experience the JOY at Turning Pointe. Our instructors are trained and ready to help you fall in love with dance as a mentor, leader and teacher. We’re all learning to use our gifts for His glory. What could be greater than that?

May Devotion: Reward

After a two-year hiatus, recitals as we once knew them are BACK! Soon we’ll be blessed with the incredible experience of performing in His name, filling the auditorium with praise and worship as we celebrate the gifts and talents God has given each student. We’ll see friends and family together in the audience once again as we hear the music we’ve practiced all season echo through the walls of the auditorium. We’ll smell the flowers in the lobby and the hairspray backstage as we prepare to feel the warmth of the bright lights center stage. And since the theater world over has endured a difficult season since COVID-19 altered the face of performing arts, this year’s return to normalcy will taste even sweeter.

 It’s no secret that the road back to recitals has been challenging, which makes this milestone all the more rewarding. The same can probably be said for the road you’ve traveled this season, whether that’s been since the start of classes, since the start of the pandemic, the last 10 years or the last 10 days. Maybe you’re still navigating your way through a season of struggles. No matter where you are when you take the stage in a few weeks, be assured with this month’s memory verse, Galatians 6:9…

 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

 The fact is, we worship a rewarding God. It’s written all throughout His word. 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 says the quality of our work will be tested with fire, and if it does not burn, we will be rewarded. Mark 10:29-30 tells us that those who leave to live in His name will receive a reward 100 times their present state. Luke 14:13-14 tells us that those who do good works and bless those who cannot repay will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. Are you sensing a theme? Rewards are promised, but not without being earned. There will be fire, broken relationships and sacrifice, but, if we do not grow weary of doing good, it will always pay off in the end.

 If only it were that simple, right? But doing good is hard work, especially if you lose sight of why doing good matters. We are called to live in a way that’s consistent with our beliefs—in a manner that brings honor and glory to our God. In this month’s verse, Paul reminds the Galatian Christians that trusting their lives to the world, relying on their own power and following their own selfish and sinful desires will only lead to corruption and decay. But “do not grow weary of doing good,” because we love a Father who keeps His promises, and He has promised to reward our servant hearts.

 How many times have you felt weary this season? We can feel a lot of exhaustion from the disappointment of canceled plans, setbacks, or even simply trying over and over to nail your skills or choreography that didn’t come easily. Maybe you didn’t get the part you auditioned for and really wanted. Maybe a new dance genre isn’t what you had hoped. God saw it all. He saw your struggles, and he sees your steadfast faith. He sees when we feel defeated. He sees when we’re good stewards of the talents and resources He’s given. He sees when we fall wayward toward our sinful nature. He sees when we seek first the Kingdom. He sees us—always. Just as our sins can’t hide in the shadows, so, too, does God see our faithfulness—a virtue which He has promised a reward.

 Now I know what you might be thinking… I was good through all of the hardships. I did not grow weary. I held true to His promises. Why then am I still struggling? Why wasn’t my progress report a rave? Why didn’t I advance to the next level? Why wasn’t I chosen for a lead role this time? Consider Hebrews 6:10:

 “For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.”

 God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. He not only sees you through the darkest times, He delights in your commitment and continued investment in Him. So let us not grow weary of doing good for His sake. There is no shortage of rewards on earth and in Heaven. If we can’t see it, we can rest assured in knowing that we trust in His promises, and this is one of them. He has promised that in time, the seeds we have planted in Him will reap a bountiful harvest. Maybe not where, when and what we expect, and maybe not even on this earth, but the scriptures assure us that God will reward us for our service and obedience in love.

 This month, as we prepare for performances, let’s pray that we know His goodness and shine it to all those around us. Let’s faithfully submit ourselves to His plan, and pray that acceptance of His timing and rewards be established in our hearts. Let’s celebrate this season of dance, and know that He will see each performance and be glorified. Let’s enjoy the reward of recital after all of our diligent classwork. We’re so proud of the work you’ve all put in this season, and we can’t wait to see you shine!