McCANN FREESTYLE

Slow Dance - Effective 1st Jan 2009

Slow dance to be split into three categories Novice (currently Beginner/Starter), Intermediate and Championship with the same age groups as for solos.  Dancers to dance initially in the grade they are in for solos.  Status cards will be issued for slow for 2009 with the cards for solos and pairs.

Promoters who do not wish to run slow by age and grade can still put slow on as a supporting event but should make it clear in their advertising that this is the case.

Make-Up - Effective 1st Jan 2009

No make up on U6's

No lashes/stones/false nails on U8's

School Hopping

It was agreed that any dancer changing schools for the second or subsequent time within a 2 year period would incur an additional 3 months exclusion from the competition floor (6months in total).

Congratulations to Jade who has been offered an unconditional place on a full time foundation dance course starting in September 2009 following her audition on Friday 30th Jan.

Really proud of you!

Congratulations from all the school.

Paula x

Well it's official, the Dancers are stronger than the Avonmouth Rugby team!!  Thank you to everyone who took part in the Avonmouth Rugby Club fundraising event on Sunday 27th July and to all the volunteers for the Dance School Knock-Out team who beat the rugby team in a game of tug-of-war!  How hillarious is that!

Apologies for not being there but thank you to Kim, Maureen, Beth, Chalky, Caroline, Shaun, Katie, John, Claire, Mum, Dad and my little man Frank and anyone else I have missed out!!

Paula x

 Congratulations to Shev White who has been picked to be the new face of Play by Coty Exclamation.  Over 4000 girls entered the competition to be the face of five new fragrances and Shev was chosen to represent "Play". 

Shev travelled to Coty's London studios to collect her prize and to have a free portfolio put together.

Huge congratulations - all very proud of you!

Paula x

A quick note to confirm the summer break:

Last lessons : Tuesday 15th and Wednesday 16th July

Last Competition Practice : Friday 18th July

Last Competition : Sunday 20th July

First lesson after break : Tuesday 19th August

Have a good break everyone but please keep practicing!

Paula x

As part of the schools fundraising events this year we decided it was time for the dancers to put their energy into helping others. We also wanted a way of thanking Kim for her continuing hard work in helping the school, to show how much we appreciate all she does and to show her our support!

Around 24 Mums and dancers took part in the event on Sunday 18th May on the Downs in Bristol.  The dancers ran the 5km with Louise, Caroline, Paula, Sharlie and Kate whilst the Mums took a more leisurely pace! Congratulations to everyone who took part, we all managed to cross the line in one piece and receive our medals.  Huge congratulations to our youngest runner, Katie aged 6 who ran the whole way and kept telling the rest of us to speed up and keep going, a complete star!

The school managed to raise over £2000, absolutely amazing! 

Thank you to everyone who took part, a great cause and a really fantastic event and atmosphere - see you there next year .....

Paula x

The school attended the Feva Gold Cup qualifcation competition on April 20th in Swindon, hosted by Mandy and Bobbi.  Schools from across the South West attended including Newport, Swindon, Bristol, the West Midlands etc.  Following a great day of solo and pairs results the school completely dominated the Street Section.  

Seven dancers took part in seven different age groups and we took home six 1st places.

Congratulations to

Skye U6 Beginner/starter street - 1st

Katie U8 Beginner/starter street - 1st

Shadia U10 Beginner/starter street - 1st

Sophie G U12 Champion street -1st

Holly D U14 Champion street - 1st

Shev U16 Champion street - 1st

A brilliant result for all our girls and the school - congratulations to each and everyone of you!

Paula x

Thank you to everyone who supported the Easter Draw helping the school to raise over £300 to help the dancers.

I would like to say a special thank you to Vicky, Hayley and Jodie Thomas who won the 4.5kg giant egg and kindly donated it to the Bristol Childrens Hospital!

Also many thanks to Bookers Cash and Carry, Debbie, Maureen, Kim and Mum for organising the draw and the prizes.

Paula x

I am really pleased to announce that Kate Hoskins and Sharlie Sollars have joined me as two new student teachers training in their respective styles to help the school and dancers.

Kate

Kate will be helping me to develop our slow dancers as well as freestyle disco.  I have known Kate for quite a long time, we both danced with Julie Adams before she retired and Kate then joined my school.  Kate has vast competition experience in both disco and slow and will be a great asset to the school.  Slow has become a hugely popular style and will be graded from 1st January 2008.  We will be pushing our dancers to develop their slow style and ability.  Kate is also a backing singer in her spare time so has experience performing in front of various audiences, has danced on stage as a backing dancer and she has recently passed her fashion degree. 

Sharlie

Sharlie will be helping me to develop our street and hip hop dancers.  We will be challenging the girls to try different styles, developing technique, shape, line, etc.  Sharlie has been with the school for about six years.  Prior to starting with Freestyle disco Sharlie competed within the Irish dancing circuit, reaching the worlds stage.  Sharlie was recently asked to join a team of "Bristol's finest street dancers", representing the GWR radio station at events across the county and has always enjoyed this particular style.

I'm really looking forward to working with the girls and helping them to develop their teaching techniques and styles and also watching the school and dancers progress with all the experience and enthusiasm both Kate and Sharlie will bring to the school.

Paula

Huge congratulations to Sophie Miles, and her brother Harry, on their successful audition for a new BBC1 drama to be screened in January 2008.  Sophie and Harry have been chosen to act alongside Dawn French as her children for the first series of a new show.

Sophie has been working extremely hard over the past couple of years auditioning for musicals etc and this is her first big breakthrough!  The only sad part is that Sophie will now be taking a break from dancing due to her filming commitments but of course she is welcome back anytime!

On behalf of the whole school I would like to wish you lots of luck and congratulations!

Lots of Love

Paula and all the Freestylers

Anya, Naomi, Josh and Martine are sadly leaving us as they are moving house and region.

The whole family have been so supportive of the school and Josh, Anya and Naomi have been a dream to teach, so enthusiastic and hardworking in class and at competitions.

You will be greatly missed and we would like to wish you all our love and best wishes in your new home and schools.

With love

Paula, Bridie and everyone from the Freestyle School

Congratulations to Sharlie Sollars, Danielle Luff and Jess Griffiths who have been chosen to perform with GWR at all their big events over the summer.  They will be performing at the larger concerts, the Harbourside Festival, Ashton Court Festival and T4 on the Beach aswell as various other events across the City. 

The ladies took part in auditions to find Bristol's most talented street dancers and for all three to qualify is a fantastic result!  All the hard work we have put in over the past few years is really paying off and a fantastic opportunity for all three.

Well done ladies!

Paulax