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BackstageCoach Productions: We Know Dance!

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The Backstage Dance Library is where you will find informative and practical dance books. Class sets are available for schools and universities.

E-BOOKS (AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD)

• Dance Team Auditions: The Director's Guide to Successful Try Outs

• Sample pages: 10 | 14 | 21 | 24 | 32

The word on dance team auditions. An all-inclusive guide with examples for creating a team philosophy, attracting/keeping members, hosting the workshop, preparing a fair judging environment, choosing a system of evaluation, and announcing the new team. An abundance of applications, forms, and score sheets are ready-to-use. You will feel empowered to form a positive audition environment for the participants, parents and administration. This is a must have book for directors new to the dance profession.

"This is a wealth of information for all dance/drill team directors -both the brand new director as well as the 25-year veteran like myself. The material is comprehensive, easy to read and most importantly ready to use. Thank you Gina for helping us gather this abundance of information to make our job easier and more successful."

— Director Lisa Dalton, South Garland High School

• The Dance Maker Series: The Nuts and Bolts of Choreography

• Sample pages: 4 | 7 | 14 | 24

Simple and concise, the choreography topics share the basics of making dances. Beginning choreographers will appreciate the easy-to-read and straight forward language. Dance educators will value the terminology, and may use it to supplement their current choreography curriculum. Functional tools include essential elements to creating dances, selecting music, incorporating props, and using the stage space.

• Dance Tunes 1: 100+ Dance Music Titles (Jazz, Lyrical & Lyrical Ballet)
• Dance Tunes 2: 100+ Dance Music Titles (Character, Disco, Novelty, Musical Theater, Swing & Tap)

• Sample pages: Dance Tunes 1 | Dance Tunes 2

A library of selected music titles for dancers, choreographers, and teachers. Find music for dance class, competitions, recitals, and pageants. The music titles range from current works to timeless classics. Album recordings, films, and musicals have been used as references. We do the research. You create the dance. All content is written in text and shared in a read only format. Visit your favorite music website to listen to your selections.

MORE BOOKS FROM BACKSTAGE COACH PRODUCTIONS

The Performance Dictionary: A powerhouse of terminology for dancers and the entertainment industry

• Sample pages: 4 | 34 | 38 | 60 | 64 | 77 | 92
99 | 111 | 151 | 163

• Empowers students, teachers and choreographers in the performing arts with a rich and descriptive vocabulary

• A must read for anyone in the entertainment business

"Having a quick resource at the fingertips to use as an easy reference has been made much simpler. Running a musical theatre school for all ages and levels requires a multitude of tools with which to work. The Performance Dictionary is just such a tool and a nice addition to any performance arts library. Nice gift idea for any aspiring 'triple threat' too."

— Vicki Squires, choreographer, teacher and artistic director of The Dallas Summer Musicals School of Musical Theatre

"Gina Sawyer has put together a dictionary of entertainment knowledge. This is a must have for anyone that is wanting to get into the biz. This book is definitely beneficial to help you make your way up that entertainment ladder."

— Jeff Fenter, S.T.A.G.E., Society for Theatrical Artists Guidance and Entertainment

"What an amazing tool for educators and students alike! You no longer need to search various books to gain insight and terminology necessary for the performance artist because now it is all in ONE resource. Everyone needs this book in their library as a staple for their professions!"

— Elizabeth Gormly de Moraes; M.A., M.F.A.

BODY MECHANICS • SKELETAL & MUSCULAR SYSTEM • BALLET • POM, CHEER & DRILL • LEAPS, JUMPS & TURNS • STUNTS & TRICKS • DANCE/DRILL TEAM • THE HIGH KICK • ACTING • THE STAGE THE PLAY & PLAYWRITING • MUSIC & SOUND • COSTUMING • MAKEUP • LIGHTING • SCENERY & PROPS

If you're in the "biz" of entertainment you need The Performance Dictionary! An invaluable resource for anyone involved with ... Dance, theater, competitions, pageants or special events ...

Each section of the dictionary includes interesting and relevant quotes for the reader. Enjoy these short blurbs from the experts ...

Scenery and props: " Layering is the only term that comes to mind when I talk to groups about how I incorporate scenery, props, pyro (fireworks) and people in my halftime shows. I usually begin with a 'base' routine that everyone learns then I begin to enhance the surprise and entertainment value of the choreography with the scenery and props, etc. "

— Ruth Flynn, Director of the Tyler Jr. College Apache Belles and owner of Dance USA Performance Company

Fundamental placement: Pom, Cheer and Drill: "Good alignment is the positioning of various parts of the body in relation to a central axis, each part of the movement will then work efficiently and the whole structure will function in harmony. "

— Susan Angell, Director of the Southwest Texas Strutters and Owner of Show Makers of America

The performer: Acting for Theater: "Let’s face it, to be in the spotlight is something that is wanted in this business. If someone can dance as well as act, then that’s double spotlight time, and all the better."

— Craig Lowry, professional dancer for cruise ships, industrials, commercials, and theater

Over 1,200 definitions along with quotes from experts in the performance industry ...

GUEST WRITERS

Chris Bay-Andersen: Professional Lighting Designer in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex for over twenty years

Susan Angell: Director of the Southwest Texas State University Strutters, Owner of Showmakers Performance Camps

Mitch Carr: Radio Personality for KLUV and Director for Shakespeare works on the secondStage

Nike Carter: Lifetime Honorary Member of Dance/Drill Team Directors of America

Michelle Davis: Owner of The Costume Closet

Dee Ann Driver: Former professional ballerina for the Harkness Ballet and Dallas Ballet

Chuck Faucette: Strength trainer for Southern Methodist University

Ruth Flynn: Director of the Tyler Junior College Apache Belles and owner of Dance USA

Michelle Hames: Dancer, choreographer, and dance/drill team director

Craig Lowry: Dancer and actor for theater, film, and cruise ships

Donatelle Mascari: Professional makeup artist and consultant, The Makeup Maven^TM

Cass Moore: Musician for Granbury Live and owner of Cass Music Productions

Nikki DeShea Smith: Owner of DeShea Designs, creative lighting for entertainment and architectural applications

Jan Spann: Director of musical theater and drama shows

Justin Stanley: Screenplay writer with film credits at Universal Pictures, HBO and Miramax/Dimension

Nikki Thompson Caulder: Owner of Top Hat Dance Studio, Oklahoma City, Choreographer for award-winning dance teams

Amanda Wages: Former president of Dance/Drill Team Directors of America, head instructor for HTE Spirit Group

• • •

American Dance Team Leader: Unveil your hidden potential

• Sample pages: Interview scoresheet | 19 | 27
46 | 53 | 61

• The No. 1 audition guide for dance captains, leaders and officers

• Take the test and find out if you have what it takes to be a leader

• Both dancers and directors will appreciate the leadership vocabulary, interview questions, performance tips and score sheets

• A great preparation guide for team leader auditions

A winning attitude: Learn how to act and speak like a true leader

Leadership I.Q. test: Do you have what it takes to lead a dance team? Find out your leadership savvy by taking the test

Answer key to test: Just like the SAT, the answer key provides an explanation for both right and wrong answers

The performance: Learn how to prepare for the audition

Ace the interview: Understand how the candidate, judge, and director all benefit from a fair adjudication

Interview do's and don'ts: Find out what will make you a hit and what will make you miss

Fifty practice questions: Practice makes permanent

Dance, interview and leadership score sheets: Ask a friend to be the judge, and use the sample score sheets for practice

"The handbook is really informative. I am much more confident after taking the test and there were things I would never have known to do."

— Lindsay, First Lieutenant, Rockwall High School Stingerettes

"That officer book was a godsend! You’ll probably sell millions!"

— Amberly Griffin Brown, Rockwall High School Dance Department

Dance/Drill Team Directors of America Collegiate Scholarships: Are you eager to earn a dance scholarship? The Collegiate Scholarship Guide was first created by Gina Sawyer in 1996 to assist the members of the National All-Star Dance Team in making educated choices about pursuing higher learning and receiving dance scholarships. The idea originated from Erin Green who first produced a list of scholarships for Texas dance teams. Since then the guide has been updated to include colleges and universities from across the nation. Check it out www.dtda.org.