At Red Door, we know the importance of having continuity between our classes and teachers and across our programs as a whole. It is so important to us that no matter what class a dancer enrolls in, they are getting high-quality instruction in dance technique and classroom activities.  We also place a great deal of importance on fueling their bodies and brains with positive, uplifting feedback and, above all, safe dance instruction.

One of the ways we ensure that dancers will always receive these foundational aspects in all of our classes is by using a curriculum. We have a proprietary dance class curriculum that was developed by our Program Directors to fit the needs of our specific dance studio. Through this curriculum, we are able to tailor our program to meet our dancers where they are in terms of dance technique and classroom needs. Our curriculum is what we like to refer to as a “living document” in that it is revised and updated every year based on how our students progressed in our classes. Our Dance Program Directors visit classrooms and make notes of our progress throughout the year so that we can be sure to customize our classes accordingly. This “real-time feedback” is what makes our curriculum so uniquely ours.

Another benefit of having this curriculum is that we are able to ensure that our dancers all learn the same concepts, skills, and technique regardless of the class they choose to take. We know that dance is not the only activity going on in your houses. This means we need to offer multiple times for people to take Jazz I or Tap III for example. It is so important to us, as a studio and educational institution, that no matter the day or time you take a class, your dancer will receive quality dance instruction and will be able to progress through our programs. We have seen tremendous success with our curriculum and the benefits it brings to all of our students.

We love seeing growth and progress in our dancers! We are fully invested in and committed to their dance journey with us. Dare I say, we are exceedingly passionate about it! (Yes, I do dare!) Our staff is building a dance studio; a place to grow up with friends; a place that we want our own children to thrive in; a family. We use our dance curriculum to ensure that that same culture and those high standards are a common thread that runs through our establishment. We are proud to be Red Door Strong in so many ways.

Who is FiRED Up Dance Team, you ask? Red Door’s version of a competitive drill team that is rewarding, challenging and so much fun! Read on to hear about this amazing program at Red Door.

FiRED Up currently has 2 teams: Intermediates and Juniors, who have a common goal of making their school’s drill team one day or want to get drill experience at a private studio to further their dance and performing journey with us. The program is set up to mimic the atmosphere of school drill team so our dancers find the most success possible throughout the tryout process and the many seasons in a drill team year. 

Want to know what a typical year looks like for Fired Up Dancers? 

We start the year with our preparations in the summer. Our dancers are required to take dance classes over the summer to stay in competition ready dance condition. They can take class in a variety of styles including jazz, ballet and leaps and turns. We prepared not only the dancers and their technique, but schedules and practice attire too (everyone loves a good team jacket!) At the end of summer, just before school starts, the first big team event happens- Choreography Camp! The goal of this camp is to learn as much choreography as possible! This allows us to start the year off ahead of the game. This year at Choreography Camp the Intermediate Team and Junior Team learned their entire jazz dances in just two days!! Pretty impressive if you ask me! At the end of the long camp we celebrated with some team bonding and cookies. Then the school year begins. While we have a big chunk of our choreography completed, the teams must continue to learn and work memory and technique to complete the rest of their routines. This year the Intermediate Team learned three competition dances- Jazz, Pom and Hip Hop while the Junior team learned Jazz,

Intermediate Team

Pom and Contemporary. As the year grows we, the routines grow stronger through lots of repetition, cleaning and drilling specific skills. This is the life of a dancer! Partially through the year we host a Technique Workshop that both teams attend to focus on the specific skills in their routines and spend a longer amount of time fine tuning some technique. By November, all dances are finished! What an accomplishment for just a few short months! This year, our FiRED Up dancers met up for a team Thanksgiving dinner for a little out of studio bonding time. The food was delicious and the girls had a lot of fun. In December, both teams performed in the Wylie East Sapphires Winter Showcase in December, a great performance experience before our competitions get here. We always love seeing our

Junior Team

girls on stage! By January, we are heading into competition season with full force.  January consists of an all day competition rehearsal. This is very much like something dancers will see on a high school team and one of my favorite events of the year. So much progress is made during this one rehearsal really showing off the talent these girls have and bringing everything together. Going into February, it is time to buckle down! Practices are still full of laughter but it’s ‘go time’! Dress rehearsal happens in February, shortly followed by the first competition. We close out the year with our annual Spring Show, Red Door’s Recital and an end of the year banquet, all in April, May & June. 

The work of a dancer is never completed and can be challenging, but being a part of a team like this you have so many wonderful personalities, friendships and memories. I’m telling you, these girls are so much fun! They keep us on our toes! I can’t wait to spend the rest of the year with them and watch all of their hard work pay off on the performance floor!