Dance & Performance Opportunities
Associated Dance Teachers of NJ Workshops
October & January
Twice a year, the Associated Dance Teachers of New Jersey (ADT-NJ) has a workshop where dancers of all ages get the chance to learn from world-famous dance teachers and choreographers. ADT-NJ offers many scholarship opportunities that many of our students have had the honor of winning. We bring our Performance Team members to these events each year and it is an exciting and enriching day that everyone looks forward to.
Recital Kickoff Party
November
Each year we have a big party to celebrate the next recital. We have crafts, games, contests, dancing a special performance by our Performance Team and most importantly: This is the day where we unveil this year's recital theme. It is a party not-to-be-missed!
National Dance Week Dance Mob
April/May
The National Dance Week Foundation provides countless opportunities for dancers around the world to unite! One of their most popular events is their yearly dance mob which our students look forward to each year. Last year, we decided to put a twist on our dance mob routine and turn it into a different learning experience - we turned it into a music video shoot! What do we have planned for this spring? You'll have to wait and find out!
National Dance Day at Point Pleasant
July
National Dance Day was started by The Dizzy Feet Foundation whose mission is to improve and increase access to dance education in the United States. At Gotta Dance we like to celebrate National Dance Day by dancing on the beach, New Jersey style! We learn the routine that thousands across the world also learn, and we perform at Point Pleasant. For the rest of the day, we just relax and enjoy each others company.
Holiday Shows
December
While our Performance Team does compete, it is only a small percentage of the kinds of performances we do throughout the year. One of the most treasured group of performances we have is our holiday show. Our generous Team families take the time out of their busy holiday schedules to spread cheer to our surrounding communities. In the past we have performed at Children's Hospitals, Boys and Girls Clubs, Nursing Homes & Elderly Care Facilities, Tree Lightings, and Benefits for the homeless or underprivileged. We believe in teaching our students to use their talents for MORE than just a trophy and we couldn't be more proud of them!
In-Studio Parties
Throughout the Year
Throughout the school year, we host parties at the studio. Each party has a different theme and appeals to a different age group. Our goal is to give the students a chance to bond outside their regular dance classes as well as giving them extra opportunities to dance!
Guest Teachers
April/May
In the spring, we invite guest teachers to come in to offer master classes to our students. While some of them are open only to our Performance Team members, others are open to the entire school! Our past faculty includes Rockette Alumni and dancers who have Broadway experience. We are proud to bring these exciting *extra* opportunities to our students to our studio each year!
Elmwood Park Community Day
June
Gotta Dance is one of the oldest business still running today in the borough of Elmwood Park. We are proud that we can say we have been providing the quality dance education to the community for multiple generations! Because of this, we are sure not to miss Elmwood Park's yearly Community Day celebration. Our students entertain the crowds by performing routines from their upcoming recital....then they get to enjoy the rides, food, and free spray grounds!
Dance Competition Season
February/March
We bring our Performance Team to only 3 local competitions per year because we believe dance competitions should not overtake a student's life...or the lives of their entire family. We go with one goal in mind: To LEARN from the experience. We believe dance competition, when approached with the right attitude, can be a rewarding and enriching experience. We emphasize the benefits of hard work, goal-setting, and good sportsmanship at each event and to remember most importantly: HAVE FUN!
State Fair Meadowlands
June
Performing at the Meadowlands Fair has been a Gotta Dance tradition for many years. We love getting the chance to perform our recital routines *one more time* since we worked so hard on them all year. And of course, we love the opportunity to go on rides and eat fun food with our friends and family after we dance! It has become a tradition that kicks off our summer vacation in style!
Dance Costume Factory Tour
July
Our Performance Team had the exciting opportunity to go on a personalized tour of the Wish Come True Costume Factory in Pennsylvania! They got to see how their recital costumes are designed and put together right here in the USA! It was exciting to see so much sequin on one shelf and it gave our Team the opportunity to see that there are even more career avenues their love of dance can take them when they get older.