WPCNR WHITE PLAINS STAGE DOOR . By John F. Bailey. March 27, 2003: White Plains own serious dance troop, the City Center Dancers in business for just six months go where the dancing is, and they have the talent to “make the cut.”
TA-DA! City show buffs have seen the engaging, hip-twisting teens in action at the Columbus Day Parade and the Fort Hill Players More Than Music production in January. This Saturday a contingent from Dina Giordano’s studio at 236 East Post Road, selected on the basis of a videotape audition will perform with seven other dance schools across the county at the DRADance Invitational at Pepsico Theatre Performing Arts Center in Purchase at 7 PM Saturday night, for the benefit of AIDS victims.
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Dina Giordano, long time dance instructor in Westchester County, founder of City Center Dance, Inc., in September, 2002 is very excited about the opportunity: “This is the first time they’re doing a dance invitational in Westchester County. Back in the fall of 2002, I submitted a video tape because I have a 12-hour dance marathon each December. So I submitted a tape. We were accepted, and the piece that we are actually doing this Saturday night we debuted over there with this group of girls in this particular company. They asked us to come back so we are now taking part in the first annual Westchester dance invitational. All the money goes to their organization which they distribute to different AIDS organizations for research and medince. As far as I know it’s a 100% donated.”
The girls will perform two numbers in the dance showcase. Tickets are available at $25 a piece and may be purchased by telephone at 251-6200, by pressing “3”.
TAPPING ON BROADWAY: Performing in the benefit will be White Plains residents, Jason Kaplan out front, with Amanda Culp nearest camera and Stephanie Kaplan, tapping up a storm in rehearsal Wednesday at the City Center’s spacious studios at 236 East Post Road.
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Other performers in the DRADance Invitational from White Plains are Lauren Cokeley, Dana Jacobowitz and Alison Lipman. Dancers appearing in the program include Lauren Bernard, Jessica Yubas and Gilian Rappaport from Harrison, and Gabyu Migoya, Clare Galterio and Jill Tatarzewski from Bedford.
DELICATE DUET: Clare Galterio, closest to camera, and Jill Tatarzewski of Bedford perform an elegant pas de deux in Saturday’s performance.
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Goal is to Perform Regularly.
Dina Giordano’s goal in starting the City Center Dance is to book the girls for volunteer performances wherever she can get them around and performing in the area. Dance studios traditionally, she says, teach their students all year, culminating in a dance recital in the spring. Giordano does that too, but offers her students variety.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, Dina Giordano says students get bored working on the same routine for months. She grooms her dancers, listens to their tastes in music, and creates different numbers they like. She’ll even create dance numbers on request from organizations featuring different groups of her dancers.
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She has a recital at the end of the year, too, but the different local bookings keep her students interested, enthusiastic about their dancing, bringing the thrill and experience of performing to students more than once or twice a year.
Over 200 Dance with the City Center Dancers
Giordano currently has 120 kids and 120 adults taking classes at her showcase on East Post Road. “I would definitely like to see that number grow, because we have such a beautiful big space, It’s 6,200 square feet with three studios that are approximately 38’ x 26’ each. That’s really large so we have capacity. We’re open Monday through Thursday for general classes. Friday we have no classes and Saturday we do rehearsals because I run several dance teams in the area. I run the White Plains High School Dance Team, Fox Lane Dance Team and Harrison High School Dance Team.”
No “P.I.L.O.T.” for Ms. Giordano. She Saved Her Pennies.
Ms. Giordano, hailing from Harrison, saved her own money and contributed a third to the cost of building the studio. Dina’s Dad, Michael Giordano of Ser-Roc Building Corporation built her studios at cost for her. She did not have to borrow money to open the studio.
Asked how she got clients, Ms. Giordano said she advertised, but “Really, I’ve been dancing for so long. I’ve been teaching in the Westchester County area for the past 13 years, so a lot of the kids know me by name. So what I did when I first started advertising, was to really to market on my name. They knew that Dina was coming to White Plains and she was opening up her own studio here. That helped tremendously because I already had a base, but my base is very widespread. So to get it narrowed down a bit we started targeting some marketing areas in White Plains and the local papers like the Westchester Parent and Westchester Family to get the people who don’t know me and live in the area.”
Lessons Learned
WPCNR asked why she wanted to start her own studio:
“When I was younger, I actually had no ambition to start my own studio. I thought it was too much work, very difficult, spreading the artistic aspect with the business aspect. Just slowly, as I got older, I was less and less happy working for somebody else, and then the opportunity came to pass to go into a partnership.”
Ms. Giordano was in partnership in a studio in Bedford the last two years before beginning City Center Dance last September.
“I went into a partnership for the first studio I opened and it was a wonderful learning experience. I learned so much through that. But it is really difficult which I found out to work with partners, which I’m sure a lot of people know. Right now, I’m a sole owner and it’s wonderful. I love it. The stress is my own the business is my own and it’s totally different.”
Teen Explosion
“The most unexpected thing was the biggest age group I anticipated to come and sign was the younger age, first, and second and kindergarten. And the exact opposite happened. The biggest age group was the teenagers. What that said to me was they were not happy dancing where they’re dancing. They’re looking for something different that I can provide, which goes back to songs they like, stimulation, changing the routines, changing the music, listening to what they have to say. I ask them. I ask them what songs you listen to, is there anything in particular you’d like to see them done.”
“Of course, there’s always the basics, but why not teach the basics to music they really want to here. They get so excited about it.”
The City Center Dance Difference: No Auditions. No Solo Company.
“One of the big things right now that makes City Center Dance different is I don’t have a single performing company. A lot of schools in the area hold auditions for one performing company and then those kids get to perform throughout the entire year. I have broadened that and tried to offer different performance opportunities to different kids. The kids you saw tonight are mostly older children so they are going out and doing the DRA and the Dance Fest and things like that.”
Giordano offers performing ops for the younger dancers, too: “ But I have a younger, depending on what we’re doing I offer it to the younger kids too. We did the White Plains Columbus Day Parade. We are doing a performance at the March of Dimes, a Walkathon on April 27. I mentioned White Plains High School, I’m bringing them there. I believe in letting as many kids have the opportunity to perform as possible…the ones I feel are appropriate for which level whether it’s appropriate for the younger kids or the older kids and go from there.”
City Center Dance Seeks Volunteer Gigs for All Her Students.
Ms. Giordano’s tireless ambition to work and develop her students has brought the new troup many opportunities to perform in a short time. Three weeks ago they were invited to Dancefest at the Rich Forum in Stamford. She called the March of Dimes after seeing their ad. Her goal is to have one performance a month for her students, but they do have other activities, so she will be happy if she can provide 6 to 8 performance opportunities a year for them. They will also create custom performances to a group’s specifications.
All Kinds of Music. Giordano, shown working her team through Saturday night’s number, believes in a variety of music and listens to what the children like: “I use lots of different music from jazz to hip-hop, top forty to blues. I really believe in versatility so I try and change the songs periodically for them to experience different types, and of course, give them something they want to hear so they’re having a good time.”
Photo by WPCNR StageDoorCam
City Center Dance got involved with the Fort Hill Players
More Than Music production because Joan Charichak, President of the Players, was a student of Ms. Giordano’s when she was teaching at Dance Cavise. Ms. Giordano asked Joan how she might get more involved in the White Plains community. Ms. Charichak suggested doing a performance with the Fort Hill Players.
“She gave me a compilation of the songs they were going to do from the 40s, 50s and 60s,” Giordano said. “We picked our own songs to go along with the songs they were gong to sing and do acts from. That’s how we came up with it. I had our costumes made. We went from poodle skirts and ribbons in our hair to Capri pants to sunglasses through the eras. They don’t know about that music. They thought it was so much fun.”
Saturday Night Two Numbers for AIDS Victims.
Saturday evening’s DRADance Invitational has the City Center Dancers performing two numbers: “Mostly they just ask for a certain time limit, so whatever you can fit in in that time limit. There will also be a finale. They have a choreographer coming in to do a finale at the end. It’s a great performance opportunity. They’re performing at SUNY Purchase, which is something I could never give to the kids on my own. Being less than a year old, I don’t have the finances to rent out that type of theatre. The kids get to meet other children in the area. They get to talk and exchange stories and learn from each other. It’s not necessary to hold your kids tightly to one dance school. They should be able to diversify and learn. That’s the key to being a good performer is versatility. You’re not going to get that from one teacher forever and forever.”
ALL STAR FACULTY: Ms. Giordano teaches the jazz and hip-hop classes, and employs a staff of eight, bringing in teachers for tap, ballet modern, pilates and yoga. All of the teachers have dance background and professional experience.
Photo by WPCNR StageDoorCam
Parent Involvement and Diversity.
“I think what makes me different is the atmosphere we present here. We have double viewing windows, the studios are never closed. Parents can watch every single class. So parents have plenty of opportunity to watch throughout the year.
“We don’t concentrate on a recital at the end of the year. We do do one. But it’s not the focus of the entire year. The focus is to get the kids to diversify by going out and performing and doing different things by changing the music, by letting them have different routines as the months go by, and not simply concentrate on one routine from September to June. By then the kids are bored, they’re sick of it. They don’t want to do it anymore. They need to have stimulation. And that’s what makes us different we constantly give that stimulation they require.”
Dance for Adults with Adult Schedules in Mind
City Center Dance, Inc. does not require adults to sign up for classes, with adult classes being conducted on a “pay as you go basis.” Adults can buy a 10-class card and go to classes as they fit their schedule, at a discount.
Children are required to sign up for September to June. “The reason that we do that,” Giordano said, “is that I’ve found over the years half a year is not sufficient enough to teach these kids what they can learn, and what they learn between September and June is amazing compared to what they learn between September and January. Most of the kids who dance. They want to stick with it. They’re here for the duration. They love it. It’s part of their life.”
“I would hope their moms do not push it,” Giordano cautioned. “Kids express their interest on their own. They can come and watch a class. I will help them choose a class that’s appropriate for them.”
City Center Dance, Inc. is right on East Post Road next to Frozen Ropes and can be reached at 328-1881.
Ms. Giordano has been dancing since she was six years old. She studied at SUNY Purchase, doing the Young People’s Program there. She started dancing professionally at age 13 with Fernando Bujones. She continued dance training in New York through college. She attended College of Business at Pace University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. City Center Dance Incorporated brings her full cycle. More about City Center Dance can be found on their website at http://www.citycenterdance.com.
TICKETS for DRADANCE Invitational may be purchased at 251-6200, and pressing the button “3” on your touchtone phone. For more on how the benefit will contribute to AIDS research, go to their website http://www.dradance.org
Photo by WPCNR StageDoorCam
