Author: Amy Moore

We are just a few short weeks away from the concet, can you believe it!?

With that in mind, we’ve created this checklist to make sure you’ve planned, prepared, and packed!  And of course, we are just a phone call or email away if you have any questions.

•  First things first: find a few quiet minutes to review your concert information.  This is absolutely our #1 request because you will not only feel informed, you’ll have peace of mind!  Our team spends hours making sure we’re organized behind the scenes, and we want you to be caught up on all of the pertinent details, especially arrival/dismissal times and security precautions.
•  If you have guests outside of your immediate family who are attending the show, make sure you have shared with them the need-to-know info, particularly about tickets, parking, and audience etiquette.
•  In the days leading up to the show, encourage your dancer to keep a balanced schedule: help them get lots of rest, healthy snacks, plenty of water, and make sure they aren’t putting too much stress on themselves for dance.  Even young dancers can internalize outside pressures, and we want to keep concert preparations feeling fun and exciting for them.
•  Label everything!  Add your child’s name or initials to the tags inside their costume, tights, shoes, and any other important items in their dance bag or garment bag.  An easy way to do this?  Write on a small piece of masking tape or painter’s tape and stick it inside the item.
• Remove your child’s nail polish prior to the big day (it can be distracting from the stage) and have a practice session with their hair and make-up.  Not only is this fun, it will ease any nerves you have about making sure they are confident and ready-to-go!
• Before leaving the house for the concertl, make sure your dancer’s costume, tights, shoes, and accessories are packed!  This seems obvious of course, but in the busyness of the day, it helps to double and triple-check before heading out the door.  Remember to leave valuables at home so they will not be left unattended in the dressing room.

And hey, don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back for being an awesome parent!  We truly have some of the most attentive, involved, and supportive parents (and grandparents) here at Studio 56 Dance Center, and we’re happy you’re one of them.  We appreciate your dedication to your dancer at this extra-special time of year!

We absolutely love it when our students say they want to practice their recital dance at home.  Their enthusiasm is contagious, and then everyone in the class wants to practice at home too! 

But as a parent, how should you go about encouraging this?  Is there such a thing as a too much practice?  We’ve got all your practicing-at-home answers right here:

Should I make my child practice their concert dance at home?

The short answer here is no.  We don’t believe practice should be forced, or it can become completely unenjoyable.  But we do think it’s helpful for you to encourage it!  You might say, “Why don’t you practice your dance for 10 minutes and then we’ll play freeze dance together…  are you in?”  (Of course, then you have to follow through on your promise to freeze dance!)

When my child practices, there seem to be a lot of forgotten or rushed steps.  Does this mean she’s going to be a mess at the concert?

Nope.  Keep in mind that the concert dance is a group dance, and so practicing at home is completely out of context.  Your child is well-oriented with her group in the studio classroom, so remembering everything at home by themselves is a challenge.  Remember also that every child develops memorization skills at their own pace.  It will “click” for them in time!

What if my child expresses that they’ll be nervous onstage?

Know that this is completely normal and expected for nearly every dancer.  Reassure them that it’s OK to feel nervous (that most people do) and their familiar classmates and teachers will be with them during the show.  Talk with them about building up the courage to do their best, and remind them that you’ll be smiling and clapping for them from the audience.  Remind them that you’ll be proud of them no matter what.

Should I practice the steps with my child?

Not necessarily.  We recommend that children practice on their own in order to build their self-reliance and confidence, without mom or dad swooping in to help.  Practicing for the concert is not like studying for a test, where you might be able to cram the material into a short amount of time.  We want the recital to truly reflect all of our students’ abilities and progress, not what they drilled at home.

What else helps with practicing at home?

Listening to the concert music is really helpful, even if it’s in the car on the way to school.  Knowing the music is key to understanding the counts and rhythms in choreography, so the familiarity can make a big difference in your child’s learning curve and confidence.  Also helpful?  Encourage your child to ask questions in class if they’re not sure about a step!  Our teachers welcome their communication so we can make sure everyone feels prepared. 

THE EXCITEMENT FOR CONCERT IS HUGE FOR SOME DANCERS AND A LITTLE SCARY FOR OTHERS.  KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING AT HOME BY SUPPORTING YOUR DANCER’S EFFORTS TO PRACTICE WITHOUT ANY ADDED PRESSURE.  WE WANT TO KEEP THEIR SPIRITS HIGH AND THEIR INSECURITIES LOW!

HAVE YOU AND YOUR CHILD EVER WONDERED WHAT GOES ON AT STUDIO 56 DANCE CENTER WHEN YOU’RE NOT THERE?  THERE’S A WHOLE OTHER SIDE TO THE DANCE STUDIO THAT SOME PEOPLE NEVER KNOW ABOUT!  HERE’S A LITTLE REPORT ON HOW THE MAGIC HAPPENS AND WHAT YOU DON’T USUALLY SEE …

Documents, spreadsheets, and software, oh my … You don’t usually associate these things with teaching dance, but it’s how we stay organized and prepared.  On any given day, you’ll find Studio 56 Dance staffers plugging away at computer work, all in the name of maintaining reliable systems so we can serve you better!

Creating classes … Studio 56 Dance teachers are in constant creative-mode, working on which curricula will be the focus of which class, how that material will be introduced, and to which music.  They are always experimenting with different combinations of steps to find just the right mix for each class’s students.

Marketing development … You know the fun social media posts you see?  Created and scheduled behind-the-scenes!  That amazing master class opportunity coming up?  Contracted last year.  The new brochures, flyers, or rack cards that go up at the front desk?  You guessed it; they were all designed and printed with months of planning from our marketing calendar.

Problem-solving … Whether we’re troubleshooting a scheduling snafu, juggling a tricky music edit, or working through a budget, there’s always some element of problem-solving at play.  Our creativity can’t stop at the classroom doors; we need to use it everywhere!

Performance prep … The concert may only come around once a year, but the work needed to make it successful goes on all year long.  From planning choreography to choosing costumes, and from reserving the venue to setting the show order, every detail is sharpened before the information becomes public.

SO NOW YOU KNOW: STUDIO 56 DANCE CENTER IS FULL OF BUSTLING ACTIVITY, EVEN WHEN CLASSES AREN’T IN SESSION!  THE BEST PART OF THE DAY THOUGH, COMES WHEN WE SEE OUR FIRST GROUP OF STUDENTS FOR THE DAY.  IT’S WHEN THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES HUSTLE PAUSES AND WE ALL GET TO DO OUR FAVORITE THING IN THE WORLD: TEACH DANCE!

Many of our students absolutely love practicing dance at home.  You’ll find them twirling in the living room and tapping in the kitchen—they just can’t contain their enthusiasm!  It’s not uncommon for a parent to tell us that their child feels compelled to choreograph with their friends after school or teach their stuffed animals how to piqué and passé.

 IF YOUR CHILD IS ONE THESE NON-STOP MOVERS, YOU MIGHT HAVE STARTED WONDERING, “WHAT CAN I DO TO ENCOURAGE THIS PRACTICE IN A SAFE WAY?  HOW CAN I FOSTER THIS PASSION?” 

 At Studio 56 Dance Center, we get it!  And we’ve got some great advice for you here with our Dos and Don’ts for practicing at home:

First and foremost, Do designate a specific spot in your house that is “dance practice” space!  This could be a room or hallway with very little furniture, or perhaps your garage—somewhere that is easy to move in.  Don’t allow tap shoes on your easily-scuffed floors, and never allow your child to practice in pointe shoes at home (even if she has earned her shoes). 

 Do challenge your child to practice what they remember from class, but don’t worry if they just want to improvise their own moves!  Resist the urge to “teach” the dance steps yourself; Do allow your child’s dance teacher to be the authority of those skills in the classroom.

 Don’t expect perfection with at-home practice; it should feel relaxed and carefree as much as possible.  Do suggest that your child practice with music (any music!) since it will help them become even more familiar with finding the beat and keeping time with rhythms.

 Also take care to supervise when your child practices; do watch what they’re doing at home to ensure they are safe—and don’t hesitate to join in the fun!

Practicing dance at home should always feel comfortable and supportive so that your child can unleash their creativity and joy for dancing.  If you ever have any questions about what is safe or appropriate to practice at home, please ask!  We’re happy to help.

FIND THE PRACTICE VIDEOS FOR RECITAL DANCES HERE!

As you’ve probably noticed, the team at Studio 56 Dance Center has already begun talking about recital! Even though it’s only January, our recital planning is well underway.  It’s this time of year, with the buzz of recital just beginning, that parents sometimes ask us, “Why should my child participate?  What’s beneficial about it?”

This is an excellent question—and a significant one!  The recital is an investment in your child’s dance education, and it’s a pretty important commitment. At its core, dance is a performing art, which is part of the reason why we want every child to experience the thrill of being onstage.

We believe there are three core reasons at the heart of why performing is so valuable, even for our youngest dancers:

1. PROGRESS:

Throughout the dance season, your child is making awesome progressin class.  And when we say “awesome progress” we don’t necessarily mean the obvious, like learning fancy ballet steps (although that is pretty awesome too!).  What we mean is that your super-shy child bursts with confidence, or your child who said “I can’t” now says “I can,” or your teen who hid her smile now shines with every practice.  Seeing this kind of progress in class is great, but having it showcased on stage is priceless!  Performing allows your child to demonstrate their progress—both with the steps AND with their self-esteem.

2. POTENTIAL

The recital is an excellent time to see what’s possible if your child sticks with dance for the long-term.  From the audience, you’re able to see the potential dance holds as you watch the variety of styles and age groups.  Your child, too, will be inspiredby seeing the different dance routines, and might think to themselves, “I bet I can do that too!”  Dance offers the promise of so much growthif a young child perseveresand works hard; the recital performance brings this potentialinto the spotlight!

3. PASSION

Performing holds an excitementlike some children have never experienced before.  Nerves can transform in an instant as the dancers light up with joywhen stepping foot onstage; they are swept away by the magicof entertaining the crowd.  The sense of accomplishmentthey feel has them hooked!  It’s this growing passion—not perfect technique or memory—that makes performing so special.

Progress, potential, passion … these are the foundation of what performance is all about!  At Studio 56 Dance Center, we love pretty much any opportunity to chat about these benefits, so if you have any questions about having your child perform in our recital, don’t hesitate to ask! Be on the lookout for our recital information to be sent home after class and by email! All families need to submit their consent forms in order to participate!

Welcome to The Dance Bag….This blog is for all of our AMAZING families at Studio 56!!!  We started this blog to share ideas, thoughts, inspirations and gratitude with our dance families.  It is designed to help our parents SHINE BRIGHT on their journey as a DANCE parent!

You might ask, why did they name it The Dance Bag!!  Well as our dancers grow in our program we tell them to take their experiences from classes, workshops, performances and their peers and add it to their big “dance bag” of knowledge.  When the time is right you dip in and pull out a technique, a tip, a positive thought, whatever it might be and use it amongst your day.  Whether that be at dance class or in their day to day life.

As dance parents, you get to have your own “dance bag”. In that bag might actually be physical things like bobby pins, hair elastic, eyelash glue and an emergency pair of tights…but we are actually talking about your other “dance bag”.  The one that you have all your go to dance mom (or dad) knowledge in.  The bag that you go to when your dancer is headed to his/her first performance on the big stage and you need to help calm their nerves.  Where you look to find answers about supporting them in their passion and helping them reach their goals. The bag you dig into when they are feeling a bit burnt out and you are encouraging them to keep chasing their dreams.

Our blog will be filled with valuable tips, relatable stories, encouraging words and many thanks for supporting not only your dancer, but our community of dedicated dancers and their families!

We are here for you!  We have been there! We are ready to guide you and share our experiences.  We love what we do and we look forward to sharing with you!

So stay tuned!  There is more to come!

Miss Amy