Video of the Month: Crites' Kids Come Full Circle
Congratulations to Shannon Crites School of Dance! “Do You Remember,” is the Editors’ Choice winner for Dance Teacher’s January Video of the Month Contest! The studio, located in Ardmore, Oklahoma, has an enrollment of 200, from toddlers to teenagers. Students audition for a place in the studio company, which performs at numerous conventions, competitions and community shows. Studio owner Shannon Crites also puts on an annual recital to give every student the chance to perform.
Perhaps the most difficult task when putting together a show, she says, is creating tasteful and age-appropriate hip-hop numbers like the one in the winning video. “A lot of it is in how we clothe them, and all of the song lyrics are carefully monitored,” she says. Even a recent “Jersey Shore”–inspired number, where tiny hip-hoppers wore muscle suits and sleeveless T-shirts, was kept kid-appropriate with glittery sneakers and hats. “We called it ‘GTL,’” says Crites, referring to the reality show cast’s gym, tanning and laundry routine. “But the dancers still looked like kids. We really have to watch that.”
Crites’ biggest joy is when her students continue their dance education in college, and she currently has five former students enrolled on dance scholarships. This year, she hosted a college workshop where faculty from an area university taught classes and talked to her dancers about their options, and she encourages her students to attend workshops at other nearby universities.“All of my teachers are past students who have come back,” Crites says. “And many of them went to college, which I’m really proud of.”
To watch the winning video, go to dancemedia.com/v/4692.
Want to build buzz about your studio, workshop or class? Posting videos to the Dance Teacher Video of the Month Contest is quick, easy and free—and it’s a great way to get noticed. If your video is selected as Editors’ Choice, you’ll be featured on this page! Don’t miss out on a great opportunity—visit www.dancemedia.com, share your videos and vote for your favorites. Any and all kinds of dance are welcome.
