One lady’s imaginative and prescient birthed a legacy of magic! Dance the Magic was established by former studio proprietor Debi Barr, when she was trying to create extra cherished alternatives for her dance college students. Whereas she believed competitions perfected her crew’s efficiency, she realized that magical moments had been made when performing in entrance of huge crowds at spectacular venues, for each the dancers and their households. Thus, her thought was born, to offer proficient studio dancers the chance to carry out at Disneyland California. After years of arduous work, Barr was in a position to host the primary dance parade down Fundamental Road, U.S.A.!
Dance the Magic presents an expertise like no different for dancers from the world over – the possibility to your complete studio neighborhood to shine, in a dream-come-true setting. Because of their ground-breaking partnership with Disney, Dance the Magic offers each dancer the chance to carry out and sparkle in entrance of associates, household and actually hundreds of people that flock to Disney experiences.
And the enjoyable doesn’t cease there. Dance the Magic has grown from one parade efficiency in 2001, to internet hosting a number of occasions at Disneyland, Walt Disney World Orlando, Common Studios Orlando, Disney on Broadway, and The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville over the previous twenty years. Every vacation spot is an immersive expertise with parade and showcase performances, workshops and personal events.
Dance Informa sat down with Barr and her Govt Assistant and daughter, Mandy Taoatao, to be taught extra. You’ll be able to learn extra on how it began in our latest article right here. However let’s hear extra in regards to the expertise itself and what to anticipate.
Every occasion requires numerous planning and logistics. It takes navy precision and a spotlight to maneuver dancers across the websites. Disney is greater than you suppose! Lodging, rehearsal venues, backstage and downtime all occur in numerous places, however Dance the Magic plans each final element only for you.
The rationale for this seamless expertise is that Barr has hand-selected a crew of passionate, hard-working ladies with a background in dance who’re devoted to getting ready for Dance the Magic occasions. The crew understands the nuances of the dance studio world and works to be conscious of competitors season, recitals and the challenges studio administrators face. Each member of the crew is dedicated to delivering a magical expertise for all studio administrators, tour operators, dancers and their households. From the registration course of to arriving for rehearsal onsite, they attempt continually to deliver a way of creativity, connection and surprise to all of the occasions.
“It’s all in regards to the finish end result – that everybody leaves joyful having had an unforgettable expertise,” says Barr. “Mother and father don’t see us; they don’t know us. We’re behind the scenes. However the studio administrators know if their households are joyful, they’re extra prone to proceed on the studio. And Dance the Magic occasions are an excellent expertise for them. We take nice delight in serving to Studio Administrators add worth to their studio and look good.”
So how does it work for a studio group? Barr explains that offering lecturers with the choreography takes plenty of the strain out of the expertise. “They are saying, ‘Oh good, all we’ve got to do is educate it; we don’t must provide you with all of the parade choreography!’” One month earlier than the occasion, teams are requested to submit a video of themselves performing the routine in ahead movement in a car parking zone or round a college observe to display they’re working to maintain their strains straight.
“Our Inventive Director, Jennilee Barr, will present constructive suggestions, which is complimentary and useful,” Barr notes. “Then when the youngsters arrive on website for ultimate rehearsals, they acknowledge her and so they’re like, ‘It’s Jennilee! Can we get your image?’ She loves doing this and it reveals.”
“The best way we choreograph and educate is with a really constructive mindset,” provides Taoatao. “It’s such a constructive expertise. We hope to encourage extra dancers to proceed within the arts and to develop, thrive and be taught. Perhaps they’ll wish to pursue a profession? Or possibly we simply give them a singular reminiscence that they’ll treasure perpetually. It’s very particular.”
Within the lead as much as an occasion, the Dance the Magic crew additionally makes positive studio administrators are feeling as assured and arranged as potential. “We do Zooms to go over all the things, reply questions, and let everybody know the method and what’s anticipated,” says Barr, who provides that she goals to offer each studio director “an expertise of a lifetime that is top quality and enjoyable.”
And with added experiences like the brand new program at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, there’s an choice for each group! Performing in such an iconic venue is such a deal with for the dancers. “It’s so enjoyable,” says Barr. “Backstage, there are 17 dressing rooms, and so they’re all themed, and each studio will get their very own dressing room or two relying on what number of dancers they’ve. The historical past of the Grand Ole Opry is simply so superb!”
And what else is exclusive is the possibility to carry out alongside teams from different nations, exposing dancers to completely different cultures and folks. “We love working with dancers from all over the world,” says Taoatao. “It brings such pleasure. It’s such enjoyable to see the youngsters making associates with dancers from completely different nations or completely different states. And so they say, ‘We’re all doing this collectively, all of us as a crew – we’re going to deliver our best!’”
With over twenty years of magic, we questioned if there was something that actually stood out for Barr? “I believe the occasion that actually holds pricey to my coronary heart is the primary Broadway occasion we did in New York, since you’re on a Broadway stage,” she remembers. “You’re within the Disney New Amsterdam Theater on 42nd Road! We had been in tech rehearsals once they requested me to step exterior. I walked out and so they stated, ‘Flip round.’ I circled and lit up in LED on their marquee, it stated, ‘Dance The Magic welcomes you.’ Disney had by no means put something aside from a Disney message on the marquee, however it rotated the names of the studios that had been there in order that they acquired to see their identify in lights on Broadway!”
There’s little doubt for Barr and her crew that the dancers stroll away from Dance the Magic experiences extra motivated and excited than ever earlier than, with a lift to their confidence and reminiscences that final a lifetime. Who wouldn’t dream of one thing so magical?
For those who’d like to supply this life-changing expertise to your dancers, attain out to Dance the Magic by way of their web site and convey some further sparkle to your studio neighborhood.
To be taught extra about Dance the Magic, go to www.dancethemagic.com.
