About The Earthdancer School

     The Earthdancer School and the Free Spirits Dance Company are both directed by Stephanie Ann Scherr, "Miss Stephanie".
     She has been a full time dance teacher at the B.F. Brown Arts Vision School of Performing Arts in Fitchburg, Masssachusetts. The school is a focus school with the Lincoln Center Institute, a division of Lincoln Center in New York City that trains, directs, and guides the B.F. Brown School and other performing arts schools and their instructors. She has also worked as a public relations representative and writer for the dance web site, DanceArt.com. Transparent Dreams Dance Stained Glass
     Ms. Scherr has degrees in English, Environmental Science, and Biology, a Master of Science degree in Environmental Studies from Antioch University New England, and is a certified teacher. In addition to teaching dance, she is currently an Environmental Science and Anatomy & Physiology teacher at Narragansett Regional High School in Massachusetts. She teaches at environmental education and Girl Scout camps.
     With a background in how the human body works, Ms. Scherr is able to explain to students how physics and motion affect the body and how they can improve balance and turning by improving the placement of weight and positioning of the body.
     At age four, Ms. Scherr's first dance teacher was a New York City Rockette. Ms. Scherr received her dance training at various schools in New Jersey and New York including the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City, and has been teaching dance since 1990. She continued to study dance and choreography, performed at, and received training in dance education at Brookdale College, the College of New Jersey and Franklin Pierce University, and has performed with several dance companies. She trained with dancer, instructor, and author, Dorothy Lister, of the Joffrey Ballet, and has taken master classes with Charles Kelley, Edward Villela and trained with Lori DeShaw. Her intermediate and advanced level dance students received gold and silver medals in east coast dance competitions in groups and as soloists while teaching dance in New Jersey. Earthdancer students have

received trophies at the Headliners Dance Competition.
In 1996 Ms. Scherr started the Earthdancer School (Jaffrey-Rindge Danceworks). In 1997 the Free Spirits Dance Company was formed to offer dancers more performing opporunities. The Free Spirits Dancers perform throughout the Monadnock region and at dance competitions. The Free Spirits Dance Company has now grown to 5 teams of dancers ranging in age and skill level from preschool through teens.

**Why Choose The Earthdancer School?**
THE JOY OF DANCING Why is your child taking dance? It is our belief that the first goal of parents is to have their child enjoy their extra curricular activities as well as gain knowledge of something new. Your child will learn about dance by exploring movement, dance styles, and expression, while being exposed to a variety of music and applying the skills they learn. First and foremost is JOY. How can you increase skill if you don't have the desire to learn more? This desire is nurtured by attentive and caring instruction and from seeing what others accomplish and having it shared. Dancers are allowed to express themselves and "dance their heart out". As they increase their skill and level, new opportunities are offered. Dancers are not advanced a level each year, but rather, as they accomplish their own goals. They work at their own pace, among peers in their age range, with encouragement, but are not pushed to compete against others. Your child will love dance and the music that is presented to them!	TEACHER COMMUNICATION • Dancers are comfortable asking questions in class and they are honored as students of dance, without being allowed to be disruptive. • Parent involvement is important. You will be informed of upcoming events and dates, and your phone calls and emails will be answered, and questions addressed. • Parent-Teacher conferences offer the opportunity to address student interests, how to increase skill, or at any time communication is needed that a phone call or email cannot address. • Newsletters are emailed out regularly to keep parents up-to-date on dance schedules, activities and upcoming events. • Written communication also goes home with students as needed.
YOUTH CLASSES Young dancers have a teaching assistant in the classroom to help guide them in their skills as instruction is offered. Our teaching assistants are hand selected as dancers who are friendly with children and are positive role models who are willing to lend a hand and a kind word of encouragement as they assist the teacher during class. Toddler and preschool classes have their Teaching Assistant on stage with them in the recital, and Recital Assistants as needed. This increases confidence, comfort, and safety while performing, making the recital a fun experience without fear.	CLASS INSTRUCTION Your dancer will be taught by an instructor who is experienced, trained, and skilled in working with children and sensitive to your child's specific needs in a way that helps build self esteem. Our dancers have a variety of class offerings open to them with classes for each level of skill. You and your child will not be pressured into a joining a performance team or going to dance competition. As your child's skill increases, options will be available to you when and if your child is ready.
RECITAL Our dance recital is an annual celebration of a year's work and accomplishment performed at a professional theater. Performance is not the only focus of class. Dancers are trained in dance technique, specific dance skills, and stage presence and expression. Our choreography is all original and unique, choreographed by the school's director. We never purchase recital packages. All music, costumes, and dances are created just for your child's class. Some schools spend precious class time training dancers all year for their annual performance and restrict dancers from certain class types unless they are already highly skilled entering the class. Such dancers are trained for the dance, but may not acquire a good base of knowledge and skill. This presents what may seem to be a glowing performance, but without the basic skills to increase confidence or to cross over into other areas of dance. Our recital costumes are beautiful, but we do not charge excessive fees. We want your child to look and feel great while making dance accessible to everyone.	PERFORMANCE GROUPS Our performance troupe is comprised of dancers who are both accomplished and confident, but is not tightly restrictive. We want dancers who enjoy performing to have the opportunity to be a part of our Free Spirits Dance Company family. As dancers increase in level, confidence, and skill, they are offered opportunities to be included in more dances. Our performers range in age from tots to teens! We currently have five performance teams at three levels. These are our Senior, Junior, and Beginner level performers. We perform at many schools and Monadnock area events. The Free Spirits News page of our web site offers photos and more detailed information about our dance company.

Why Choose The Earthdancer School?

THE JOY OF DANCING

     Why is your child taking dance? It is our belief that the first goal of parents is to have their child enjoy their extra curricular activities as well as gain knowledge of something new.
     Your child will learn about dance by exploring movement, dance styles, and expression, while being exposed to a variety of music and applying the skills they learn.
     First and foremost is JOY. How can you increase skill if you don't have the desire to learn more? This desire is nurtured by attentive and caring instruction and from seeing what others accomplish and having it shared. Dancers are allowed to express themselves and "dance their heart out". As they increase their skill and level, new opportunities are offered.
     Dancers are not advanced a level each year, but rather, as they accomplish their own goals. They work at their own pace, among peers in their age range, with encouragement, but are not pushed to compete against others. Your child will love dance and the music that is presented to them!

TEACHER COMMUNICATION

• Dancers are comfortable asking questions in class and they are honored as students of dance, without being allowed to be disruptive.

• Parent involvement is important. You will be informed of upcoming events and dates, and your phone calls and emails will be answered, and questions addressed.

• Parent-Teacher conferences offer the opportunity to address student interests, how to increase skill, or at any time communication is needed that a phone call or email cannot address.

• Newsletters are emailed out regularly to keep parents up-to-date on dance schedules, activities and upcoming events.

• Written communication also goes home with students as needed.

YOUTH CLASSES

Young dancers have a teaching assistant in the classroom to help guide them in their skills as instruction is offered. Our teaching assistants are hand selected as dancers who are friendly with children and are positive role models who are willing to lend a hand and a kind word of encouragement as they assist the teacher during class.
Toddler and preschool classes have their Teaching Assistant on stage with them in the recital, and Recital Assistants as needed. This increases confidence, comfort, and safety while performing, making the recital a fun experience without fear.

CLASS INSTRUCTION

Your dancer will be taught by an instructor who is experienced, trained, and skilled in working with children and sensitive to your child's specific needs in a way that helps build self esteem.
Our dancers have a variety of class offerings open to them with classes for each level of skill. You and your child will not be pressured into a joining a performance team or going to dance competition. As your child's skill increases, options will be available to you when and if your child is ready.

RECITAL

     Our dance recital is an annual celebration of a year's work and accomplishment performed at a professional theater. Performance is not the only focus of class. Dancers are trained in dance technique, specific dance skills, and stage presence and expression.
     Our choreography is all original and unique, choreographed by the school's director. We never purchase recital packages. All music, costumes, and dances are created just for your child's class.
     Some schools spend precious class time training dancers all year for their annual performance and restrict dancers from certain class types unless they are already highly skilled entering the class. Such dancers are trained for the dance, but may not acquire a good base of knowledge and skill. This presents what may seem to be a glowing performance, but without the basic skills to increase confidence or to cross over into other areas of dance.
     Our recital costumes are beautiful, but we do not charge excessive fees. We want your child to look and feel great while making dance accessible to everyone.

PERFORMANCE GROUPS

     Our performance troupe is comprised of dancers who are both accomplished and confident, but is not tightly restrictive. We want dancers who enjoy performing to have the opportunity to be a part of our Free Spirits Dance Company family.
     As dancers increase in level, confidence, and skill, they are offered opportunities to be included in more dances. Our performers range in age from tots to teens! We currently have five performance teams at three levels. These are our Senior, Junior, and Beginner level performers.
     We perform at many schools and Monadnock area events. The Free Spirits News page of our web site offers photos and more detailed information about our dance company.