Safety Level

Ballet and Football: Like Pliés and Jetés, Meant to Be Together

studio-dance-centre-just-danceStrength.  Stamina. Quick direction changes. Giant leaps.

So…are we talking about ballet or football?  Could be both!

The list of professional athletes who’ve benefited from ballet is a long one.  Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman, Steve McLendon; NHL goaltender, Ray Emery; and former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield are just a few!

Ballet increases flexibility and improves coordination.  In 2014, the Dallas Cowboys installed ballet barres outside the locker room for stretching purposes to help prevent injuries.

Take a look at Nathalia Arja, Principal Soloist with the Miami City Ballet, with New England Patriots tight end, Robert Gronkowski, in a “ballet lesson.”

Steve McLendon also talks about how ballet has improved his football game in this video.  I don’t know how he fares on the gridiron, but his glissades are pretty good!

What did you think about his performance?  Send us an email or a Facebook message and let us know!

Trip the light fantastic, dancers!

~Ms. Kerry

 

Hack Your Dance Bag

serious-dancer-content-logoDance class starts in two minutes.  You’re frantically digging for that one ballet shoe.  Or a bobby pin.  Or a toe pad.  That one thing you need and you can’t find it anywhere in the bottomless pit of your dance bag. We have all been there!

Even when I have a dance bag that’s super cute or expensive ($$$), I always seem to end up with a cluttered mess – and I’m still digging for that ballet shoe!

Check out this dancer’s solution – a Trader Joe’s bottle bag with each compartment dedicated to a specific item!  Plus, you can personalize it to your heart’s desire!

The cost of the bag $0.99!

Getting to dance on time with the correct shoes?  Priceless!

Trip the light fantastic, dancers!

~Ms. Kerry

Give Dance a Chance!

Does your child want to try a dance class? Come visit and join us for a Chance to Dance!

What is it?
Chance to Dance classes are 45-minutes and include two different dance styles.  It’s just $15 per class and no further obligation.

When are the classes?
For ages 3-4, our next class is offered on Tuesday, September 20 from 3:30-4:15pm (includes ballet and tap!)
For ages 5-7, our next class is offered on Wednesday, September 21 from 4:00-4:45pm (includes ballet and tap!)
For ages 8-11, our next class is offered on Saturday, September 24 from 10:15-11:00am (includes ballet and jazz!)

Please note: dancewear and dance shoes are NOT required for these classes.  Activewear and bare feet are welcome!

How do I sign up?
Click here to complete a short sign-up form to register!

See you soon!

Life Lessons You Learn From Dance

life-lessons-you-learn-from-danceWhen a dancer begins classes, the focus usually falls on learning the flow of classes, steps, combinations, and preparing for the highlight of the year – the Spring Concert!

Little does the dancer know, that while learning all of the dance steps, life lessons are being taught too.

Take a minute to read this great post from The Rockettes’ blog on life lessons you learn from dance.  What have you unexpectedly learned while practicing grand jetés or perfecting your chassés?  Send us an email or a Facebook message and let us know!

Trip the light fantastic, dancers!

~Ms. Kerry

Top 10 Dance Etiquette Reminders

dance-ettiquette-reminders

The 2016-2017 dance season at SDC is finally here!  It’s such an exciting time: Starting new classes, trying out new dance styles, and meeting new people.  It’s also a great time to learn (or remember) the basics of class etiquette, the way to show respect to yourself as a dancer, your fellow dancers, your instructor, and the studio.

Here are the top ten Dance Class Etiquette reminders to get you started this season:

  1. Dress appropriately and come prepared.  Be sure to check out the dress code and have your shoes ready to go!  Don’t forget to write your name in them.  You’d be surprised how quickly pink ballet slippers fly off after class!
  2. No chewing gum, food, or drinks in the studio.  Think of the studio floor like a rare, hand-woven Persian rug that is one-of-a-kind.    The only kind of shoes that can be used on it are dance shoes and anything like gum or food or drinks will stain it forever!  Let’s not take any chances!  Food and drinks, even water, can be hazardous.  Spilled water could be dangerous and cause a slip and fall.  This is why we keep everything outside of the class.
  3. Never wear dance shoes outside of the studio or wear street shoes (like your sneakers) in the studio.  
    Studio-Dance-Centre-No-Street-Shoes-Allowed

    Protect the floor!

    Be sure to check your tap shoes regularly for loose screws.  Remember our rare Persian rug?  You can’t wear street shoes on it!  Even if your street shoes look might clean, they carry dirt and germs.  Would you like to dance on top of that?  Or do floor work on that?  f you forget your dance shoes, ask your teacher if you can borrow a pair or go barefoot.  That’s how important our special dance floor and how important your dance shoes are!

  4. Watch out for your friends.  So important!  Remember to stay on your number, keep your hands, fingers, feet, toes, whatevers to yourself!  It’s safer for everyone.  Be sure to leave enough room for yourself and those around you to dance.
  5. Use the barre for gentle balancing only.  Pay attention, especially when waiting for your turn.  Never sit down unless you are asked to do so.  Did you know that the barre isn’t there to hold on to and swing on?  The ballet barre is different than a gymnastics bar.  A barre isn’t made for swinging and hanging (or doing amazing tricks!).  Older students only rest their hands on it lightly so it’s not made to hold up to constant pulling.
  6. Hands off the mirror!  After the studio closes, a team of magical fairies who look surprising like your SDC dance instructors sanitize and clean the studio including the mirrors.  The mirrors are so important to dance education as they allow students to see the instructor from behind as well as head on and see themselves clearly.
  7. Always cover up your dance clothes on the way to and from dance class.  There are so many reasons for this tradition.  Read more about it in my post from July here.
  8. Listen when your teacher is talking.  Have you ever heard that you can talk and listen at the same time?  It’s true!  Whispering and gabbing during class can mean that you miss out on instructions and later spring concert choreography!  Remember to keep your listening ears on in class.
  9. If you need to leave early, make sure the teacher knows in advance and leave as quietly as possible.  If the teacher knows that a student is heading out in advance, it’s easier to nip any “I have to leave too!” or “Why does so-and-so get to go” questions in the bud.
  10. Be involved and engaged!  Eager and alert dancers will always absorb more during class time.
Studio-Dance-Centre-Alert-Dancers-Like-The-Rockettes

Alert and Attentive – Like the Rockettes!

No matter the studio and no matter the style of dance, dancers will hear these reminders throughout this season and for many to come.  Keeping these in mind will make for a consistent and classic dance experience and education.

Trip the light fantastic, dancers!

~Ms. Kerry

Benefits of a Dance Education

Benefits of Dance EducationAs dance instructors, the SDC Staff can talk at length about the positive benefits a dance education can have on a young person’s physical development.  Dance education allows for self-expression and the ability to comprehend abstract ideas more easily.  It values creativity and problem solving.  Dance allows students to express and understand non-verbal communication.

According to the National Dance Education Organization’s Evidence: A Report on the Impact of Dance in the K-12 Setting, children participating in dance have advantages above and beyond those who do not.

  • Higher GPAs than non-dancers
  • Higher persistence than non-dancers
  • Builds self-confidence and imagination
  • Develops social skills and a sense of teamwork

Dance is not only an art form; it has proved to be an activity that aids young people physically, mentally, socially, and academically.

For more information about the NDEO’s report, visit their website.

Trip the light fantastic, dancers!

~Ms. Kerry

Dance Tips That Will Also Improve Your Life

Dance Tips That Will Improve Your Life
Throughout your dance career, you’ll hear similar tips from your teachers.  “To go up, you must first go down.”  “Remain grounded.”  “Hold your center.”

That advice leads to higher leaps, more solid turns, and better balance.  That same advice can be applied to your life outside of the studio too!  Take a look at this great post from the More Than Dancers blog.  It’s a terrific read!

Trip the light fantastic, dancers!

~Ms. Kerry

Legend Spotlight: Michael Kidd

Dancer Fred Astaire squatting while talking with choreographer Michael Kidd during filming of subway scene in the movie Bandwagon. (Photo by John Swope//Time Life Pictures/Getty Images)

(Photo by John Swope//Time Life Pictures/Getty Images)

Michael Kidd’s career as a film and stage choreographer, dancer, and actor spanned over 5 decades.  He staged some of the most famous Broadway and film musicals of the 40s and 50s, leading to the style which would later be called “integrated musicals.”  His work garnered him five Tony awards, and an honorary Academy Award in 1996 for advancing dance in film.

Kidd was born Milton Greenwald in New York City, the son of refugees from Czarist Russia.  At City College of New York, he studied chemical engineering from 1936-1937 but left after being awarded a scholarship to the School of American Ballet.  In 1942, he adopted the stage name of “Michael Kidd” to have a more American sounding name.  He worked with Eugene Loring and Jerome Robbins in his early career but in 1947 he left for Broadway and never worked in ballet again.Michael_Kidd_2

Kidd’s first Broadway choreography, Finian’s Rainbow, won him his Tony Award.  Other famous works include Guys and DollsBand WagonSeven Brides for Seven Brothers, Can-Can, On The Town, Hello, Dolly!, and many others.  He worked with many notable performers including Gwen Verdon, Julie Andrews, Gene Kelly, Roy Bolger, and Fred Astaire.

He was known for working his dancers hard as he was capable of doing all of the steps he required of them.  Julie Andrews recalled that when she would complain about doing another take, Kidd would say, ‘”I wasn’t trying to be mean.  I just knew that when you saw it on film, you wouldn’t be pleased.”  I always thought that was a nice way to say, ‘Once more.'”

J. Andrews quote

Michael Kidd died of cancer at the age of 92 at his home in Los Angeles, Ca., leaving behind his wife, three daughters, a son, and a lifetime of amazing contributions to dance.  To learn more about Michael Kidd, take a look at his biography here.

 

 

Step into Story Time with Studio Dance Centre

AmyHave you been looking for something to fill the empty spot that the short break from dance classes with Studio Dance Centre has left open? Want to beat the heat and meet new friends?  Are you looking for a fun and educational alternative to a Friday morning of TV with a bit of artistic flair?

Look no further than “Step into Story Time with Studio Dance Centre” at the Little Elm Library. Our special story time will feature a reading of Amy the Dancing Bear by Carly Simon and a free introductory dance class!  Join us on Friday, August 5 at 11 a.m.

Check out the Little Elm Library website for more details and to register for a free ticket.

Come join us at the Little Elm Library and join in the fun!  We look forward to seeing you there!

Trip the light fantastic, dancers!

~Ms. Kerry

Dance Costumes: More Than Just Tutus

Miriam Miller - New York City Ballet © Ken Browar/Deborah Ory

Miriam Miller – New York City Ballet
© Ken Browar/Deborah Ory

As a dancer, one of the most anticipated parts of the season is finding out what your concert costume will be!  There’s no time like the present to start building the anticipation and no better place to start than with some beautiful costumes!  Check out the New York City Dance Projects’ gorgeous photography of dancers here.  You can see amazing costumes and dancers photographed by Ken Browar and Deborah Ory.

Which photograph or costume is your favorite?  Tell us in the comments!

Trip the light fantastic, dancers!

~Ms. Kerry