Happy Holidays from our family to yours!

Show your C3 Spirit!

Here are some pictures of the company dancers from CK Danceworks wearing their Katrina Dance Wear and showing their C3 Spirit! Katrina is one of our new favorite labels. They have cutting edge styles combined with comfy fabrics that work so well in the studio. Visit www.shopconcept3.com to see some of our holiday picks for your dancer.

Happy Thanksgiving from Concept3

We would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! We are so thankful for all of your support! To show our appreciation we are rolling out some hot new items for the holiday season. Stay tuned and see how you can "Take Your Stage in Style" with the most fashion forward trends in the market we like to now call our "Christmas Picks". You are sure to stand out in dance class with hot tank tops and dance dresses from designers like Sugar and Bruno and Tias Dancewear. We will be introducing them soon so check back often!

So You Think You Can Dance Tour 2008

Here are some pics from our front and center seats at the So You Think You Can Dance Tour at the Arena at Gwinnett.

Halloween Week at the Studio

Here are some pics of the kids and teachers in their Halloween costumes at the dance studio!

Chelsie Hightower joins the Sugar and Bruno Crew

Sugar and Bruno is proud to announce that the talented and inspiring Chelsie Hightower from this season's So You Think You Can Dance has joined the Sugar and Bruno Crew.Hailing from Pleasant Grove, Utah, Miss Hightower has exploded onto the scene and into the hearts of millions of dancers and fans by finishing fifth on this seasons SYTYCD. With her incredible dance background and love for learning and teaching, we knew that she would be a perfect fit to the team. Sugar and Bruno is always on the cutting edge of dance fashions and that is why we at Concept3 carry the line. Stay tuned for your opportunity to check out Chelsie's new line "Down and Groovy".

Future Super Stars

Here is a pic from the Atlanta Parents Block Party downtown in which CK Danceworks performed. These girls did awesome and are just gearing up to have a great year!!!

Go Kensey!

This week our very own Kensey Bowling of CK Danceworks in Acworth is up for Atlanta Falcons Cheerleader of the week! She needs your votes! Show your team spirit and follow the link below to create an account and vote for Kensey. There is an awesome video clip that shows her in action on the field. Check it out.

http://life.atlantafalcons.com/index.php?autocom=blog&blogid=6&showentry=430#comment647

Go Kensey!

The Nutcracker Character Breakfast

We are excited to announce our first ever…
“Nutcracker Character Breakfast”
Sponsored by CK DanceWorks and DancElite!
Saturday, December 13th at the Bentwater Activity Center
8:00AM & 10:00AM Seatings
Cost: $10.00 child/ $15.00/Adult
Come and enjoy a delicious continental breakfast while watching your favorite ballerinas perform a mini Nutcracker show. You can even get photos taken with your favorite characters! This is an event not to be missed and will be a wonderful morning to share with your child and provide them memories to last a lifetime.
Get your tickets at the front desk starting November 1. It is a great way to get your petite ballerina or encore performer into the holiday dance spirit!

For More Information Contact CK Danceworks at 770-975-7298

Back to School

Back to school is now in full swing and what better way to celebrate than to show some pictures of all those first dance class photos. I am starting it off by showing a picture of a little cutie Karalyn who is wearing just the fanciest little dance dress courtesy of Concept3. She was sure to be the star of her class all dressed and ready. If you have any great photos you would like to share dont be shy and send them to me at concept_3@comcast.net. When your dancer is a future star we can always look back and remember when....... Keep dancing!

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE TOUR 2008

Tickets are available for sale to general public on Saturday August 2nd. The venue this year is being held on November 13th at the Arena at the Gwinnet Center in Duluth, GA. This year will feature all top ten dancers including Jessica King who was previously removed from the competition due to an injury and brought Komfort back for one more round. This has been the most exciting year so far and I know I am looking forward to the finale as well as the tour. Get your tickets fast as this show is sure to sell out!!!

Check It Out!!!!

I would like to tell all of blogger world about our new website design. It has been a long and tedious process but we were able to really make it happen. I have to thank my husband first and foremost for his hard work and dedication in overseeing the whole process start to finish. What started with a little "image tweaking" grew and grew into a whole new look! So poke around the new website and send me an email and let me know what you think I would love to hear from you. Dont forget www.shopconcept3.com is the place to shop for all your dancing needs!

Changing Our Reality...One Step at a Time

That is this years theme for the Atlanta 2 Day Walk for Breast Cancer. Now this might seem like a personal matter but I have had so many good friends contact me with some creative ideas on how to raise funding for their team or looking for some types of donations. My problem usually always lies in I cant just help one I have to help them all and this year I have a handful of participants in this years walk who are looking for some extra boost to help with their donations. We at Concept3 have proposed an idea that will benefit everyone. And so the First Annual Tutus for Tatas is born.
If the pink ribbon means something to you lets come together as a community and help raise funds for the tremendous efforts of those people who are taking a stand to help end breast cancer!
From now until August 1st every tutu sold will have a portion of its proceeds given back to the walker that you are supporting. The tutu will be custom made to your specifications and you have 3 tutu options to choose from: Classic Tulle, Two Tone and Ribbon & Tulle. Each can be made in your choice of over 2 dozen colors and combination. All tutus are $35.00

How to show your support…
1.Simply decide which tutu you would love to have for yourself or your special princess. Use the color chart to help with combinations.
2.Email Concept3 at concept_3@comcast.net with your selection, personal information for shipping or drop off and the name of the person you are supporting. We will be in contact to discuss further sizing.
3.Your tutu will be hand made and sent to you directly to enjoy.

It is that easy and goes to a great cause!

s.

Do you need a kick in the ...?

If you are looking to get yourself into summer shape...Look no further! CK Danceworks very own Shannon Wilson is offering a Summer Fitness Program right at the studio for individuals at any level. It will be running through August 16th, Monday - Friday with classes from 5am-6am, 6:15am-7:15am, 7:30am-8:30am and Saturday classes from 7am-8:30am. Her program will focus on interval training, circuit training, weight training/body sculpt, pilates, flexibilty and cardio. Shannon has an extensive background in fitness, personal training and nutrition and together she can help you achieve your goals. For more information please call or email Shannon Wilson (404) 583-6448/ shannon@airtest1.com

Say a Prayer...

On a sad note I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to Patricia Goulding and her family who are mourning the loss of their beloved husband and father. Patricia Goulding is the Executive Director of National Dance Week and an intregral person in the dance community. Her husband had succumb to his long battle with cancer this morning. Although this is a sad occurence it is important to remember that all of the kind words, thoughts and prayers are very much appreciated by Patricia and her family.

Extra! Extra!

Look what came in the mail today! Here is the front cover of the June issue of Paulding Community Magazines North Paulding/ Cedarcrest Edition. And who is front and center none other then my daughter Alexa Santanastasio in her most fabulous custom made tutu! She and the rest of the girls are representing CK Danceworks in Acworth, GA. They are currently registering for summer dance camps and fall classes so stop on by when you can. They can be reached at 770.975.7298 or www.ckdanceworks.com

Congratulations Kensey!

After an intense interview and audition process the 2008 Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders will be welcoming Kensey Bowling to their dance team. Kensey is the Assistant Director at CK Danceworks Studio in Acworth, GA and an extremely accomplished dancer. Congratulations Kensey! We look forward to seeing you on the field

National Recognition

Dance Media is a nationally recognized organization that is a creative outlet for all things dance. They are featuring the trio performance on their website and it is in consideration for a contest they have going on. We will update you on any recognition these girls receive. Please check out the link to see their performance as well as some other great submissions. Make sure to register and comment so that they can count oyur vote! Great job girls!http://www.dancemedia.com/view/683a446fc483824cae9143d4186ec257a6e4d80d

Hall of Fame Dance Challenge

Here is the trio performance from this weekends Hall of Fame Dance Challenge. You can see these three girls have star quality. They received Platinum honors, the highest you can get, for their show stopping dance which was a crowd favorite. Enjoy watching these future hall of famers!

Stand Out

"Stand out above the crowd.. even if you have to shout out loud!!! " Those are some lyrics from the song for this next post but clearly they don't need to raise their voices to get noticed. These three girls are living proof that you are never too small and never too FAB-U-LOUS. Here is a picture of the Trio Costume for Alexa Santanastasio, Brook Hume and Kaleigh Wix of CK Danceworks. They are performing their Trio this weekend at the Hall of Fame Dance Challenge ( http://www.halloffamedance.com/ ) this weekend. Good Luck Girls. You look AWESOME!

And no doubt that you will Stand Out!

Special thanks go to Jennifer Johnson for bringing a little life to another one of my crazy ideas!

National Dance Week April 25th - May 4th

I am a proud Delegate of the National Dance Week Coallition as well as a member of their Virtual Kickline Across America. With this week being dedicated to National Dance Week I wanted to share with all of you a bit of how this important aspect of the dance world came to be. Please visit the official website at www.nationaldanceweek.org for more information. Keep Dancing!

NATIONAL DANCE WEEK© HISTORY
The Coalition for National Dance Week was formed in 1981 by a group of dance related organizations who began a strong "grass roots" movement across the United States to bring greater recognition to dance as an art form. Through the years, the basic premise was strongly maintained and kept alive through the combined efforts of Alfred Terlizzi of Capezio/Ballet Makers Inc.®; Bob Stern of Dance Magazine; Susan Wershing of Dance Teacher Now magazine; Tighe King of Tighe Industries/Curtain Call Costumes; and Susan Epstein, formerly of Taffy's, Capezio/Ballet Makers Inc. and Curtain Call Costumes. In 1991, the United Dance Merchants of America made a commitment to National Dance Week as a part of the UDMA campaign to actively encourage the growth of Dance in America. In 1994, Marianne Prinkey, Executive Vice President of Star Styled Dancing Supplies and a former president of UDMA, agreed to assume the role of National Chairperson for a formalized National Dance Week Committee. Gathering together an impressive Steering Committee, Ms Prinkey took the NDW movement quickly into a new realm of recognition and has led the NDW force forward with a strong growth in nationwide recognition. In 1999, on the recommendation of Ms Prinkey, Patricia Goulding, became the NDW Business Manager and, in 2001, was named the Executive Director of NDW. She has continued in this role under the Chairmanship of Michael Terlizzi from Capezio Inc. for the 2001 celebration and, since 2002, under the leadership of National Honorary Chairperson, Nancy Stone, from Danceamerica and International Dance Challenge. The "grass root" aspect of NDW continues to the present and is, in fact, largely the reason for the tremendous growth the annual celebration has seen over the years. A volunteer work force is made up of NDW delegates from all facets of the dance world. Events number in the thousands during the ten day annual celebration from Kickoff events in major cities to local showcases at small town malls. The vast assortment of events and activities vary largely and are limited only by the creative abilities of those who participate. Since the NDW movement has been rekindled in the American scene, NDW Spokespersons have included: Chita Rivera (1994), Gregory Hines (1995), Paula Abdul (1996), Gus Giordano (1997), Ann Reinking (1998), Shirley MacLaine (1999), Debbie Allen as Celebrity Spokesperson and Joe Tremaine as the Education Spokesperson (2000), Sandy Duncan as Celebrity Spokesperson and Luigi as Education Spokesperson (2001) and Ben Vereen as Celebrity Spokesperson and Jo Rowan as Education Spokesperson (2002). They join the American dancers in honoring the 2002 Spokespersons, Fayard Nicholas as Celebrity and Jo Rowan as EducationSpokesperson (2003) and; Tommy Tune as Celebrity and, once again, Jo Rowan, as Educational Spokespersons for 2004. The famed Radio City Rockettes® served us in fine fashion as the Celebrity Spokespersons as did Frank Hatchett as Education Spokesperson, all for NDW 2005 and 2006. With ballet, tap and jazz having been so ably represented in our national representatives over the years, our 2007 Celebrity Spokespersons, John O'Hurley and Charlotte Jorgensen bring the American Ballroom presence into our midst while the Classical Ballet field is being fastidiously represented in our choice for the 2007 Education Spokesperson, the esteemed David Howard. Our 2008 National Representatives are continuing that same balletic presence and bring the prima ballerina to the forefront with the illustrous Cynthia Gregory as the Celebrity Spokesperson. Another who has taken her bows as a principal is the highly respected Roni Mahler who is serving as the Education Spokesperson for NDW 2008. UDMA and NDW are dedicated to honoring all dancers, choreographers, teachers, students and their art and invite all supporters to join in their efforts to celebrate their appreciation for the dance arts as they continue on the quest for raising the public consciousness to the inherent benefits of dance.

Where it All Began

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh4JKvDUAIQ

The tradition continues as Holy Angels' students ( my high school alma mater) cheer for brother school Don Bosco Dance Team. I am particulary proud of this dance team because it is where I started my dance obsession. Aside from the stellar accomplishments, they recently competed at the UDA National Dance Team Competition in Disney World where they were crowned National Champs in Hip Hop. This is the largest and most prestigious Dance Team competition in the country. They competed against 55 nationally ranked teams over two days to win the title. I am so excited for them. I remember what it was like to participate in the event, the thrill of the competition was awesome. It brought back great memories to see how my old dance team continues to reach new heights. You can check out the you tube video of their National Finals Performance. The girls did great. Go Bosco!

How do you spell DanceElite? F-L-Y

The DanceElite girls from CK Danceworks competed at the Starbound National Talent Competition this Sunday in Atlanta. The girls rocked the stage winning Highgold for their production performance of Beautiful Girls. This high energy, action packed performance complete with dancing garbage cans and boyfriend showdowns left the crowd ( and all their parents) screaming! Here is a picture of the winning group with their funky fly girl costumes. The dance was choreographed by the Artisitic Director for DanceElite Christina Wiginton who could not have been more pleased with the performance. On stage these girls are nothing short of superstars. Way to go DanceElite!!!

BalletFest Atlanta 2008

March 8-9: Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta, Georgia, hosts BalletFest Atlanta 2008. The event offers performances and master classes open to the public. Info: 770-516-7229; www.dancefestinc.com

Atlanta Ballet Premieres at Cobb Energy Centre

- Atlanta Ballet will be performing a Twyla Tharp piece for the first time in the company's 78- year history! A contemporary unfolding of pulsating energy and dance, In The Upper Room is one of the most popular of Tharp's masterpieces. Along with the bold Ramblin' Suite, performed with acclaimed string band The Red Clay Ramblers, and Balanchine's tranquil Serenade, it's sure to be an evening to remember!

So if you still haven't made your plans to visit Atlanta Ballet and Cobb Energy Centre in March, don't wait another second! Buy tickets online and save 20%* on select performances. Groups of 10 or more, contact Atlanta Ballet Group Sales at (404) 873-5811 ext. 207 or groupsales@atlantaballet.com.

Red Shoe Initiative 2008

The Red Shoe Initiative is a national health education campaign inspiring women to step, walk and dance for heart health and wellness. Whether it’s taking steps to maintain a healthy diet, walking daily to increase physical activity, or dancing with friends and family to share and enjoy exercise, this campaign is motivating women into action across America.Red Shoe events occur across the country and throughout the year, educating women to take action and make healthier choices in the fight against heart attacks and stroke — the leading killers of women in America.Joining the Red Shoe Initiative in its crusade are celebrities, entertainers and professionals from the fashion, music, entertainment and medicine industries. Activities include celebrity auctions and other Red Shoe events that spread the word and raise funds for causes promoting women’s heart health and wellness.
Celebrity Red Shoe Auction - February 2008The Celebrity Red Shoe Auction begins February 5th, 2008, with shoes autographed by celebrities including Marcia Cross, Felicity Huffman and others who have joined together to raise money for women’s heart health and wellness.The Red Shoe Initiative store is currently featured on eBay.

New Year and a New You

Every dancer needs some type of inspiration through out their career. From not nailing an audition or recovering from an injury, the world of dance can be very competitve and after a while that atmosphere can take its toll on the most rock solid shoulders. I wanted to focus this year on bringing a little bit of the wisdom that I have learned through my years as well as share with you some wisdom from other dancers who have called dance more than their profession but their life. My bit of wisdom comes from an inspirational passage that has made its way from office desks to studio walls and back again. It ultimately tells you that you are who you are and you should not change that becuase the people around you are not up to par. Life is an occassion and you must rise to it. I hope you find the same centering that I found from it. Stay glued to this blog for more exciting words of wisdom, fresh tips for the trade and all out advice from some of todays hottest dancers in the industry!

Everyone Can't Be in Your Front Row
Life is a theater- invite your audience carefully.
Not everyone is spiritually healthy and mature enought to have a front row seat in our lives.
There are some people in your life that need to be loved from a distance.
It's amazing what you can accomplish when you LET GO, or at least minimize your time with draining, negative, incompatible, not going anywhere relationships/friendships/fellowships!
Observe the relationships around you. Pay attention to: Which ones lift and which ones lean? Which ones encourage and which ones discourage? Which ones are on a path of growth uphill and which ones are going downhill?
When you leave certain people. do you feel better or worse?
Which ones always have DRAMA or don't really understand, know and appreciate you and the gift that lies within you? When you seek growth, peace of mind, love and truth, the easier it will become for you to decide who gets to sit in the FRONT ROW and who should be moved to the balcony of your life.
You cannot change the people around you... but you can change the people you are around! Ask God for godly wisdom and discernment and choose wisely the people who sit in the front row of your life.
"Just because no one has shown up who can love you on your level, doesn't mean you sink to theirs!"