At a training once, I heard the perfect analogy for how we want to serve our students’ mental health in dance. It went something like this: Imagine that every child has an invisible backpack, and this backpack contains all their worries and anxieties; all the weight they carry for their responsibilities at home and at […]
Posted on 08/11/2021 | Comments Off on The Invisible Backpack
A friend of mine recently reflected on a post she had seen on social media by speaker and researcher Brene Brown. The post was about how important it is to “cultivate rest and play” in our daily lives. This is something I have struggled with myself, as a formerly proud workaholic. What I’ve learned, after […]
Posted on 07/15/2021 | Comments Off on Cultivating Rest & Play
There’s something quite special about the way dance performances impact our students. It’s hard to describe, but we’ll try to put it in words! Dance is, at its core, a performing art. When our dancers practice their technique and skills in class, it […]
Posted on 04/05/2021 | Comments Off on A New Understanding of Performance
We are officially one year since the world turned upside down, when the unexpected became reality. We can’t help but remember where we were when things began to change … During Spring Break of 2020, we brought a group of seven dancers to New York City […]
Posted on 03/13/2021 | Comments Off on Then vs. Now
Did you have a hobby or sport or passion as a kid? Something that drew you in and compelled you to occupy those after-school hours? For many of our students, dance has become this thing: Given the opportunity, they would spend every day at the studio, […]
Posted on 02/14/2021 | Comments Off on Just Maybe …
We originally ran this blog post in 2019 and here at the start of 2021, it felt like the perfect sentiment to revisit! Here’s a fun fact for you: In dance, it is common class etiquette to applaud when groups take turns practicing combinations or when a […]
Posted on 01/07/2021 | Comments Off on Big Potential, Part II
It’s no surprise that anxiety is rampant among tweens and teens these days—there have been so many unpredictable and stressful moments in their lives. From the cancellation of important events last spring to the adjustments surrounding school, family, and their social lives, our children have been facing […]
Posted on 12/11/2020 | Comments Off on Supporting Our Anxious Students
You hear a lot these days about social-emotional development in children, especially how important it is for building empathy and meaningful relationships. Social-emotional skills equip our kids with the tools they need to manage their emotions, make friends, and connect to other people on a deeper […]
Posted on 11/05/2020 | Comments Off on How Dance is Shaping Social-Emotional Growth
At SDC, experience has shown us that dance training yields dividends far greater than jetés and arabesques: The benefits go far beyond the technique, shaping our students’ confidence, resilience, and social-emotional skills. So it’s no surprise that throughout this pandemic season, we have noticed an increase […]
Posted on 10/01/2020 | Comments Off on It’s About More Than Steps
With a month of classes already wrapped up this season, we’re kicking off September with a strong start! As I’ve watched our dancers return to the studio over the past four and a half weeks, I’ve noticed just how WELL they’ve adapted to our new “choreographed” […]
Posted on 09/03/2020 | Comments Off on Hello, September!