Refer to this post throughout the year for important information about Sparklers!
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IMPORTANT DATES
December 18th-22nd and January 2nd-5th - Initial Rehearsals
January 6th - CCA Leadership Awards at 6:30pm
Saturdays beginning January 13th - Production Number Rehearsals
February 9th-10th - Lock-In from 7pm-7am
February 24th - NO SATURDAY REHEARSAL
February 25th - Sunday Rehearsal from 3:00-6:00pm
March 2nd - Adjudication & Pledges Due
March 4th-6th - Final Rehearsals
March 7th-10th - Sparkler Weekend
May 4th & 11th - Brush-up Rehearsals
FACEBOOK GROUP
If you're new to our Sparklers team or have never joined the Facebook Group, please do so at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ccasparklers.
PRODUCTION THEME
The dance will be musical theatre in nature and parents and students will need to get creative with costumes based on which character they are assigned! 🤩
CHARITY FUNDRAISER
Our fundraiser this year is for Life Made New Ministries, a local non-profit that uses horses to provide positive experiences for children, families and individuals who are going through hardships. Our goal is to raise at least $3,000 to provide another horse for their ministry.
PLEDGES
Since our opening in 2013, we have been raising money for different charities through our competition dances. Our desire is to give dancers something to dance for that's more important than a trophy. Students use the form below to collect pledges based on the award we will receive for our Production Number. After the competition students will collect those pledged donations and turn them in to the Office. Sparkler Houses receive 1 point for every $25 that's collected!
REHEARSAL ATTIRE
Black leotard
Black dance shorts
Tan tights
Jazz shoes
INITIAL REHEARSALS
Our first rehearsals will take place December 18th-22nd and January 2nd-5th. Attendance for all initial rehearsals is mandatory since a majority of choreography will be learned at this time.
Mon, Dec 18th 4:00-5:30 Sr. Contemp. 4:00-5:30 Jr. Lyrical 5:30-8:30 Production | ​Tue, Dec 19th 4:00-5:00 Sr. Tap 5:00-6:00 Sr. Lyrical | ​Wed, Dec 20th 4:00-5:30 Sr. Contemp. 4:00-5:30 Jr. Lyrical 5:30-8:30 Production | ​Thur, Dec 21st 4:00-6:00 Sr. Tap 6:00-8:00 Sr. Lyrical | Christmas Weekend!
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New Year's Day! | ​Tue, Jan 2nd 4:00-5:30 Sr. Contemp. 5:30-7:00 Sr. Tap 7:00-8:30 Sr. Lyrical | ​Wed, Jan 3rd 4:00-5:30 Jr. Lyrical 5:30-7:30 Production | Thur, Jan 4th 4:00-5:30 Sr. Contemp. 5:30-7:00 Sr. Tap 7:00-8:30 Sr. Lyrical | ​Fri, Jan 5th 4:00-5:30 Jr. Lyrical 5:30-7:30 Production |
POLICY ON ABSENCES
Students are permitted one absence of a Sparkler rehearsal during the course of our season with no absences occurring during the four weeks leading up to competition (beginning February 5th). Absences should be excused three weeks in advance with the exception of a sudden death in the family, the hospitalization of the student, or a contagious illness. Please do not ask for an exception to this rule! If you are going to miss a rehearsal within the four weeks leading up to competition, then please excuse yourself from being a part of the competition for the year.
If you are unable to commit to this policy, please excuse yourself from the competition dance. Even if you're a strong dancer, missing rehearsal in the final 4 weeks before competition really throws the whole group off and makes those final rehearsals very stressful for Ms. Janet. 😊 Thank you in advance for not requesting special treatment on this policy. Remember, you can still join us for the exciting Sparkler Weekend by participating in audition and convention classes without being a part of the competition dance!
HOTEL
The competition and convention is taking place at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland attached to the Hilton. We feel it is best for everyone to stay at the Hilton because of this direct connection. It's certainly the easiest and most convenient place to stay! That said, you are welcome to stay elsewhere.
Please book your reservation NOW! Ohio Dance Masters has a room block at the Hilton, but rooms won't be available for long. You can make your reservation at the link below. The rate this year is $189/night.
Ohio Dance Masters also has a room block with the Cleveland Marriott Downtown. Please call the hotel at 216-696-9200 to reserve a room on that block.
If you would like to split the room with another mom and daughter feel free to use our Facebook Group to connect.
CCA LEADERSHIP AWARDS
This awards ceremony is a special celebration recognizing the achievements of our students. At the event we will...
hear from one of our celebrated alumni
reveal the winning Sparkler House from the previous year
present new Sparklers with their jackets
induct new and recognize current NHSDA members
pay special homage to our Student Assistants and Apprentices
hear from a representative of the charity we're supporting
announce our new Sparkler Houses
Students are encouraged to dress up! Please RSVP at the link below so we know how many chairs to set up.
LOCK-IN
Date: February 9th-10th
Arrival: 7:00pm on Friday... parents stay for 30-minute meeting Pickup: 7:00am on Saturday
Students should come dressed in their black leotard and shorts ready to dance for the first part of the Lock-In. Bring pajamas to change into as well as a sleeping bag, pillow and water bottle!
There will be a short parent meeting at 7:00pm before the festivities begin. We will distribute and go over the Packing List at this time.
Please use the spreadsheet below to let us know what you plan to bring to share with the group! We will need a variety of drinks, snacks and sweets as well as cups, napkins, plates and utensils. Healthy options are appreciated!
(Download the Google Sheets app or use a desktop computer.)
PACKING LIST
The Packing List below thoroughly lists everything we recommend that a dancer have in their makeup and emergency kit. Your choreographers can provide guidance about precise shades of blush and lipstick for each routine, so feel free to wait until the Parent Meeting at our Lock-in to learn what shades you will need.
Some emergency items could be shared among dancers, but if you want to be thoroughly prepared for any situation our list will help!
All dancers will need a plain black leotard for Auditions & Classes. This leotard needs to be made of one material, which means there can be no lace, zippers, rhinestones or other embellishments. Girls will need to wear pink tights for Auditions but can opt to wear tan tights for their classes. It doesn't hurt to pack extras in case one pair rips!
MAKEUP
Follow the tutorial video below for a general understanding of how to do dance stage makeup. The specific brand names are not important. You can match the colors in the video with whatever brand of makeup you prefer.
Please don't stress about doing it exactly like the video! Your final product should simply resemble the final product on the video's model. Keep in mind that we may ask for a specific color blush or lipstick based on the dance. We may also request eye glitter.
For younger dancers, please follow this softer tutorial. It lets you skip the false eye lashes if you'd like!
Remember, helps highlight a dancer's facial expressions. It should be way more dramatic than everyday makeup! But we aren't too picky. If there's something we'd like done a bit differently we'll let you know at Adjudication. Dancers should also bring their makeup kits to the offstage waiting area before they perform in case we need to fix something.
ADJUDICATION
Date: March 2nd at 9:30am
Location: Clarion Center for the Arts
This event gives students the chance to perform their dances for our teachers and CCA alumni who will then give students some final feedback to prepare for competition.
Students need to be ready to go in full hair, makeup and costume by 10:00am. As soon as your dances are finished, you are free to leave. We will go in the following order:
Production
Jr. Lyrical
Sr. Tap
Sr. Contemporary
Sr. Lyrical
Solos & Duo
SCHOOL DISMISSAL LETTER
Download and print the letter below to return to your child's school office. The date field has been left blank to accommodate different families' plans. There are additional lines at the end of the letter if anything else needs to be shared with the school.
FINAL REHEARSALS
Final Rehearsals: March 4th-6th from 5:30-8:00
Acro audition prep: March 4th-5th from 8:00-8:30
Wear your Sparkler Jacket on March 6th to take some team pictures at the beginning of rehearsal!
SPARKLER WEEKEND
Here's the schedule to follow for the weekend! Be sure to familiarize yourself with it before arriving in Cleveland.
BRUSH-UP & FINALE REHEARSALS
Dates: May 4th & 11th from 9:00am-1:00pm