Hi everyone! I hope you are all having lovely summers.

While we are still in the middle of July, I am a habitual plan-aheader. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the shape of this upcoming academic year, and what I want to accomplish with all of you.

Here is a fact: This will be mine and Sven’s last year in Syracuse.

I’m saying this upfront because it is a fact that is informing many of my decisions for choreography and teaching, and I want to transparent about them. My time with SU Ballroom has been an exciting, complicated, exhilarating time, and I want to send you all off on the best possible note, as well as try a few new things while I still have the chance.

The Big Goal: I want us to host a Syracuse City Showcase in Goldstein Auditorium in Spring 2017.

This has been a ‘stretch’ goal of mine for a long time. I want to show the Central New York community all that ballroom has to offer, in a theatrical setting. I’m reaching out to many of my friends and colleagues in the amateur and competitive dance worlds to help us present an evening for the public. Beyond that, I want it to be the culmination of our work during my time in Syracuse.

Right now I’m aiming for Friday, March 31st as the night of our showcase but this is in no way confirmed. I’m still gathering interest and talking to the SU events people to determine cost. And I’m going to need help from you guys with publicity, all year.

Consequences of this idea: There will be new choreography in the Fall semester, but Spring we will spend perfecting our existing pieces, including the Jive(“Balrog Boogie”), the Tango, and “Shut Up and Dance”. We will also only be performing in the Homecoming Showcase in the Fall semester to give us practice time for the Spring. We will also not be attending the MIT Competition as I will not have the ability to plan and fund both events.

But before I commit us to this, I do want to hear what you all think. Are you on-board with the showcase idea? tl;dr?

Here are some other important dates for your calendar:

Sunday, August 28th –> First Practice of the year.

Thursday, September 15th–> Homecoming Showcase (There will also be at least one dress rehearsal Wednesday and/or Tuesday of this week. I will communicate times as soon as I know.)

Sunday, September 25th –> Performance Team Auditions

Saturday, October 15th –> Cornell Competition

Note: Official practice times from Club Sport will not be published until classes start, but for now assume they are the same as last year–with the addition of Monday Argentine Tango with Matthias.