Dancer of the Week - Kathryn

Merry Christmas Party Week! You know what that means - tons of happy faces, Christmas dances and lots of sugar! We thought we would celebrate this week with a pint sized Dancer of the Week!

Kathryn has been taking dance with us for a couple of years now and is always ready to dance and eager to learn. She always comes to class with a positive attitude and always tries her best. And this miniature diva sure knows how to dress the part as she is always decked out in matching leg warmers, tutus and bows. She is such a little blessing and we can't wait for you to get to know her!

Meet Kathryn:

Kathryn Faith Bottem loves DCJ SOD because of her teacher Mrs. Jordan and all of the other helpers at the DCJ SOD. This is Kathryn's second year of dance and and she absolutely loves it, she has had Mrs. Jordan both years and she is an amazing teacher. Kathryn just turned five this past October and what she loves besides dancing is just learning new things and reading all the time :).

Dancer of the Week - Payton

Welcome to another great week at DCJ DANCE - We have another wonderful Dancer of the Week to highlight. Payton is fairly new to our studio but has totally blossomed in the short time we have known her. She is always willing to work hard, wear a smile on her face and share her own unique style. She definately makes DCJ a better place to dance!

And now meet PAYTON:

Hi!  My name is Payton Millis. I am in 8th grade and attend Burnett Junior High in Wylie.  I have been dancing since I was 2.  This is my second year at DCJ and my first year as a Diva.  I am enjoying learning all the choreography for Divas and having fun making new friends.  Dancing is my passion, but I also enjoy acting and singing.  I am in the A cappella choir at school.  I also have a heart for Christ and attend Gateway Community Church where I am involved with the Student Ministries. I have 1 younger brother named Parker and 2 very supportive parents Tony and Emily.  I feel blessed to be part of this studio.

Peace, Love and Pointe Shoes!

See what I mean - What a cutie!

Dancer of the Week - Harper

Hello Again! We have another DANCER OF THE WEEK to introduce you to... meet our very own Harper Lee. Harper is new to us in the last few years and has been such a blessing and bright spot around the dance studio. She is always eager to learn and ready for a new challange - we love teaching her at DCJ DANCE!

Meet Harper:

Hi, my name is Harper Lee, and I am a fifth grader at Hebron Valley
Elementary.  My favorite subject in school is Math.  I have been dancing for
eight years, and this is my second year at DCJ School of Dance.  I take
Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Musical Theater, Hip Hop, and Leaps and Turns.  I
also take a weekly Pilates class to help me with my flexibility.  For the
past four years, I have danced with the Moscow Ballet production of The
Nutcracker.  This year, I am going to be a Chinese dancer.  I love taking
classes at DCJ, and I love all of my teachers.  Each week we work on
technique and performance, while still having fun.  I LOVE dance!!


THANKS HARPER! HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK!

Pageant Pretties!

A few weeks ago some of our dance kids participated in the Miss Plano Frisco Teen and Junior Pageant. They were beautiful, talented, poised and oh so wonderful on stage and we wanted to share how well they did!

Three of our kids participated in the Junior pageant where the areas of competition consisted of sports and evening wear modeling, talent, and interview. All three blew us away with how well they did!  Here are Paige and Baylee modeling their sportswear!

At the end of the day Maryann walked away with Miss Congeniality, Paige won the talent competition and Baylee was crowned Miss Plano Frisco's Grande Supreme Winner! Check out these beauties!

The next day our sweet Brenna was in the Teen pageant and was amazing! She placed 1st runner up and we could not have been more proud of her! Here she is pictured with the outgoing Miss Teen Plano, one of our other student Jessica and the current Miss Teen Texas, Reilly.

The best part of the entire weekend was seeing the huge support system that all the girls had from the other young ladies at the dance studio. What a wonderful day it was!!!

FALL NEWS!

We wanted to take this time to wish Miss Sarah a Happy Birthday - We hope she had a wonderful birthday yesterday and that the rest of her year goes as great as her special day!

We want to welcome all of you to Miss Courtney's baby shower on November 6th - you can RSVP and get more info from Ms. Kim at the Front Desk! It is sure to be a special day as we celebrate Miss Courtney and Baby Brycen!

                                                       

Also - We will have class on HALLOWEEN - if your child will not be coming that day please notify the front desk so we can make further arrangements! We would like to welcome our Monday classes to wear their Halloween costumes on October 31st - as long as they can dance in them - and without masks please!

Have a nice chilly fall day yall!

Dancer of the Week: Ava

Hey Guys, Welcome back - I hope you all enjoyed your Monday off! We have another DANCER OF THE WEEK to celebrate and this time she is of the pint sized varity! We love little Ava and are so glad she is dancing with us and is new to Diva's this year as well! Even though Ava is still young we have known her mom a long time as she use to dance at DCJ with Miss Jordan when they were both in high school. My how time fly's when your having fun....

Let's meet Miss AVA....

Hello!!  My name is Ava and I am in the first grade.  This is my fourth year dancing at DCJ, and it is my first year as a Diva!!!! I love taking dance class, ballet dance is my favorite.  I have also been in gymnastics for 4 years, I am in a running club at my school, and I love reading, drawing, and music.  My whole family: my Mom, Dad, Gramma, Papa, and little brother love watching me dance and are always there for me.  I am having so much fun my first year as a Diva and I can't wait to learn from the teachers and the other dancers and get better as a dancer and a performer.  :)

What a little cutie! We love having Ava as a student and we hoped you enjoyed getting to know her!

Paige - Dancer of the Week

I have someone very important to introduce you to - PAIGE - our very first DANCER OF THE WEEK! We are so excited to start this new tradition and think it will be a great way to help you get to know some of our precious kiddos! Well, without further adieu...

Meet PAIGE:

Hi, I’m Paige J. I am 11 years old and in the 6^th grade. I have been dancing since I was 3 years old. I started dancing at Dianne Cole Johnson School of Dance when I was 6 years old. I am so excited to be in my sixth year at DCJ! I take ballet, tap, jazz, musical theatre, and pre-pointe. I love to dance because it is so fun and good exercise! It makes me happy to perform and share my love of music with others.  I love the teachers at DCJ! They are friendly, full of energy, and fun!  They motivate me and push me to keep working and improving! I also keep busy by going to Fellowship Church every week. I like to play piano. I am also part of the orchestra and choir at my school, and I take private violin lessons, and private voice lessons. I have a wonderful mom, dad, and little brother. They are very supportive to me in all of my activities! I love DCJ, and everybody there! It is a wonderful dance school and I am proud to be a part of it! J

Thanks Paige! Have a GREAT WEEK Y'ALL!!!

Hey Dance Friends - we almost forgot about Miss Sarah!

Somehow or another I think Miss Sarah got passed up during meet the teacher week - SORRY MISS SARAH!!!

Here is her welcome letter - we love you Miss Sarah!

Hello!

 

Let me be one of the first (or fifth!) ones to welcome you and your dancer to Dianne Cole Johnson School of Dance! We are so excited to have you be a part of the #1 dance studio in Texas! First of all, let me introduce myself and tell you a little bit about my dance and teaching background. My name is Sarah Rich and I was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas.  I began dancing when I was 2 years old at Caron Moore Dance Productions (now called Footworks Performing Arts) in Benbrook, Texas. I studied tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical and hip hop until age 18, and was also a member of their Showtime competition team. As a team we competeted in both regional and national dance competitions and also travelled to and danced in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Orlando. After high school, I attended Oklahoma City University where I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theater Performance - Triple Threat, which was a combination of theater, dance and music classes. Following my graduation, I moved to Los Angeles, California where I lived and performed for almost 5 years. I was a back up dancer and actor in several music videos and movies, was a featured dancer in the show 'Block Party Bash' at Disneyland California, and had a starring roll in an indie film titled 'Elimination'. I moved back to Texas in the spring of 2009 and continued to perform locally, playing the lead role of 'Mary' in Lifesong Theater Grapevine's musical production of 'Word on the Street'. I soon found that my passion for performing was slowly turning into a desire to teach. This is my 3rd year teaching at DCJSOD and I absolutely love it! I am also a dance and musical theater teacher at Dallas Children's Theater in Dallas, Texas.

 

My goal as a teacher is simple--to provide my students with the tools and knowledge of dance, music and acting--all while having fun!  You can be sure I will do my very best to provide an outlet for your child's own talent and imagination, and help build up their character, self confidence and passion for the arts. I have spent the majority of my life doing what I love, and I hope to pass along the same sentiment to your child! I can promise they will leave here with smiling faces, rosy cheeks and plenty of fun things to show your family and friends!

 

Thanks for being part of this amazing dance family! Here is to a great year ahead!

 

~ Sarah Rich

 

 

Wow- we feel so lucky to have Miss Sarah back with us for another year!

It's Fall Ya'll

Hey Ya'll - It has offically been feeling like fall around here lately and what better way to kick off fall than with a great open house. We would like to thank everyone who came out and help or helped us celebrate or had fun with us this last Saturday! I know WE had a blast.

With the first month of dance under our belts we are happy to get finally be getting into a groove and having everyone moved into just the right class for them. We still have classes with plenty of room though and regestration is open until January so feel free to refer a friend or sign up for another class by then.

Whew! Time flys when you are having fun!

Back for another year is - Miss Courtney!

Miss Courtney is back for another year of teaching for us at DCJ. As a master technician and stylist we are so excited to have her expertise at the studio and doing chorography on our competition once again this year. Courtney is great with the little ones and works wonders with the teenagers which is why we are so lucky to have her! Get to know Miss Courtney a little better by reading her welcome letter below:

Welcome!I am pleased to take this opportunity to introduce myself and welcome your child to my class.  Hi, my name is Courtney Bouse and I am very excited to teach dance to your child this year! I started dancing at the age of 3 and have loved every minute since. I received a dance scholarship from Oklahoma City University where I studied under the direction of Jo Rowan.  While attending OCU I was a member of The American Spirit Dance touring company and danced in numerous performances including "Oklahoma," The Yuletide Magic Christmas Spectacular with the Philharmonic Orchestra, OCU Centennial Celebration, and many more. In 2005 I graduated Magna cum Laude with a BPA in Dance Performance. Upon graduation from OCU, I danced for Holland America Cruise Lines aboard the Ryndam and Westerdam where I traveled the Caribbean, Mexico, and Europe. I also danced in Branson, Mo. for the Shoji Tabuchi Show and The Andy Williams Variety and Christmas Shows.  I have been teaching all ages and styles of dance for the past 8 years. This year I will be teaching Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, Pointe, and Tap as well as choreographing for the award winning Diva Competition Team.

 

My personal goal is to provide my students with a good quality dance foundation that encourages self esteem, creativity, discipline, confidence, appreciation for music and dance, and above all FUN!! I hope that my teaching will inspire my students to live out their dreams through the art of dance. I am looking forward to sharing my love of dance with all my students!

Here She Is... Miss Rebecca...

Returning for another year is Miss Rebecca. She is wonderful, kind-hearted and so so talented! We can not wait to spend another year with her, even if we do have to share her with UNT as she pursues her Masters Degree! Here is a little background on Rebecca...

A graduate of Texas A&M University, Rebecca is currently pursuing her Masters in Spanish at the University of North Texas. She danced with the Dance Arts Society at A&M and was selected to be a member of the Aggie Dance Team. She tapped her way to the title of Miss Texas 2008, winning a preliminary talent award. Rebecca also won Miss Teen Texas 2000 and was voted Miss Congeniality at the 2009 Miss America Pageant.

Rebecca has trained under Disney professionals in lyrical partnering as well as ballroom professionals. In college she studied tap under Broadway choreographer Shea Sullivan in New York. Most recently she served as head choreographer for the Lone Star Princess program at the Miss Texas Pageant.

Introducing Miss Morgan!

Morgan is new to use this year from Atlanta, Georgia. We are so excited to welcome her to our Saturday morning class schedule as she is obtaining her Masters Degree from TWU. Take a look at her bio below!

 Morgan Eisenhauer began her professional dance training at the Augusta Ballet, in Augusta Georgia, where she served as an apprentice training under NYC Prima Ballerina, Zann Colton.  She continued her pre-professional training at the Augusta Dance Theatre where she was a full company member training under ballet icon, Ron Jones.  Prior and during her college training, she studied at Julliard, Ballet Arts Manhattan, American Ballet Theatre, and Columbia City Ballet.  She attended Brenau University in Gainesville, GA and obtained a B.F.A. in dance performance and education.  While in college, Morgan served as a company member and soloist at the Gainesville Ballet Company.  After college, Morgan performed and taught at the Atlanta Ballet and Georgia Ballet.  Her choreography has been showcased at the South Eastern Regional Ballet Conference and Ballet Festival Atlanta.  Morgan is currently obtaining her M.F.A. in dance performance and education at Texas Women's University and has future goals to become a professor and start a professional contemporary ballet company.

Meet Miss Lisa

Miss Lisa has been with DCJ for a long time and is so great with our younger students. Her creativity and ability to connect with our tinest dancers aways seems to amaze us! And as an added bonus we have Lisa's daughter, Natalie, joining us for her 3rd year of dance! Here is Lisa's welcome letter!

 

My name is Miss Lisa and I can’t wait to get to know each of you!  This will be my 12^th year teaching at DCJ School of Dance, and I am so excited to start another great year!  

It is such a privilege to share my love of dance with my students.  Watching their eyes light up as they finally achieve that step they’ve been working on for weeks fills my heart with joy!  Throughout the year, we’ll have lots of fun, make new friends, and learn new things as we become beautiful dancers!   

Meet the Teacher Week - Colette

Hello Everyone! We managed to survive our first week of fall classes! The kids were great in class and we had a blast getting to know all of our new students and seeing our returning students after the long summer break! We have a few new faces around the studio so we thought we would take this week and introduce you to our teaching staff! Below is a welcome note from Colette. We are so excited to welcome her as a full time staffer at DCJ and can't wait to see what this year has in store for her!

Hello parents and welcome to another wonderful dance year.  For those of you who do not already know me, my name is Colette Spirer and I have been a guest teacher for DCJ over the past couple years.  I have also set choreography on the Divas Competition team, most notable, Shoeless Joe.  I am thrilled to now be a full time staff member. 

I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas where I was classically trained at Chamberlain Ballet.  While there, I was a part of in their pre-professional company performing in shows such as The Nutcracker and The Dallas Morning News Dance Festival.  I went on to study at Oklahoma City University as a dance performance major with an emphasis on musical theatre.  While at OCU, I was not only a member of the American Spirit Dance Company, but also auditioned and performed in many operas and musicals.  Shows include Seussical, The Merry Widow, Hansel and Gretel, and Guys and Dolls to name a few.  During my summers off, I went on to perform in WaterTower Theatre’s Cabaret and worked as a featured dancer/singer at the Iberostar Resort in Playa Del Carmen Mexico.  After graduation I moved to Orlando, Florida to follow my lifelong dream of wanting to be a performer at Walt Disney World.  While there I had numerous opportunities such as performing in shows, parades, media and corporate events, and most importantly being Princess Jasmine.  I loved every minute!

I now reside in Frisco where I am happily married to my husband, Tal, of almost three years.   I have been teaching dance for four years and enjoy every minute. This year I really look forward to sharing my passion for dance with your children, and to help them strive to be the best dancers they can be.   I want the dancers not only be great technicians, but to showcase their artistry and performance ability.  Here’s to a great year and I look forward to meeting you all!

WELCOME COLETTE! HERE IS TO ANOTHER GREAT YEAR!!!

Happy First Week of Dance!

Welcome Back to Dance! This week mark's our 35th first week of dance! WhooHoo! Please join us for a welcome back treat of lemon cookies and lemonade here in the lobby while your child dances! Also we wanted to offer a special thank you to our first ten followers - Christa Widjaja, Vaughn Merriman, Peyton Macha, Ava Anker, Taylor Girlmore, Erin Mims, Sarah Johnson & Katie Kelley in the form of one of the following: a free DCJ t-shirt, a free DCJ dance bag or a $10 credit on your account. Please see Kim at the front desk to reedem your prize & THANK YOU!!!

If you haven't enrolled yet hurry up and do so - some classes are already filling up! :)

Just Hangin' Around...

Come see us today! We will be at the studio from 12-4...

...Just hangin' around

And just a reminder to pick up your recital DVDs and Pictures if you haven't done so already!

WELCOME to DCJ DANCE!

Hello Everyone! Welcome to the new blog home of DCJ DANCE! We are currently ranked the #1 Dance Studio in the great state of TEXAS and are about to embark on our 35th year in business! Fall classes start next week so if you haven't registered yet get your booty up to the studio and do it before the class you want fills up! We will be here all week painting, cleaning and organizing so your little ballerina can have a year of fun with us! Be sure to follow our blog to keep up to date on the latest happenings of DCJ Dance and to be entered into special giveaways! Feel free to stop by the studio this week if you haven't picked up recital pictures or DVD or if you have any questions at all! What a wonderful year this is going to be - we can't wait to see all of our sweet kids faces this next week! Until then...

Love to all,

Dianne & Jordan