Practice Makes Perfect

Most likely, every week when a teacher is saying goodbye to their class, they also say, “don’t forget to practice!”  Yes, it’s crunch time.  Just a few classes left and it will be time to hit the stage and perform!  We would love for our students to all feel comfortable and have a great experience at their performances.  And knowing their dances is the best way to help accomplish that. In order to know their dances, they are hopefully practicing them at home!

Here are a few practice ideas:

·      Watch and review the recording of their class doing the dance.  Then do the dance with the recording to be reminded of steps.  Follow that up with doing the dance a few times without the recording to work on memorizing the dance.

·      Put on a show!  For younger dancers, this could be gathering up an audience of stuffed animals, siblings, neighbors or pets and showing them their dance.  Or go all out and encourage your dancers to design and make a recital program, tickets, set up seating etc.  What a great activity for a rainy day!

·      Videotape your dancer while they are doing their dance and view it along with them after.  Along with a lot of positive comments, help them to make some observations~  Are they smiling? Are they with the music?  Are their arms strong?  Are there steps that they are forgetting and they need to review?

·      Play your dancers CD in the car or let them listen to it when they are going to bed at night.  A big part of knowing their dance, is mentally knowing the order of the steps.  If they just follow along in class, they are not going to be as confident on stage.  Simply listening to the music and “thinking” about what is next is very beneficial.

·      Have them teach you a section of one of their dances.  Showing someone else how to do a step or two is a great confidence booster!

·      Start a practice calendar and reward your dancer with a special treat, movie night or outing with you when they reach their practice goal.

We would love to hear any other practicing ideas you might have!  Thank you for encouraging practice at home, it can make all the difference in how confident your dancer is once they hit the stage!  And a CONFIDENT dancer is our goal!!

Happy Dancing!  

Kathy

First Performance Jitters

First Performance Jitters

It is that time of year, when our littlest Woodbury Dance Center dancers (tots, Preschoolers and Kindergartners) have their first performance of the year!  We are so excited to share with you what they have been working on so far this season at our Holiday Viewing Parties.  For many of these dancers, this may be their first time in front of an audience.  And with that may come some hesitation.  

How can we all help them with any ‘stage fright’ they may experience? 

Here are a few tips:

•            Talk about the performance in the weeks leading up to the big show.  Explain that you and all of their dance friend’s families will be there and  everyone is excited to see them dance.

•           Talk about any stage fright jitters you may have experienced in the past.  Real life stories about your feelings and how you overcame them will help with their confidence. 

•            For dancers in Preschool and Kindergarten classes talk about what dances they will be performing for you.

·      Read a book!  Here are a few suggestions:

o   “Angelina on Stage” by Helen Craig

o   “The Berenstain Bears Get Stage Fright” by Stan Bernestain

o    “Celestine, Drama Queen” by Penny Ives

o   “Grin and Bear It” by Leo Landry (recommended for ages 5-9)

o   “The I’m NOT SCARED Book” by Todd Parr

o   “Mia and the Daisy Dance” by Robin Farley

o   “Pigmalion” by Glenda Leznoff

o   “Sasha’s First Stage Show” by Karuna Barla

•             On the day of the big performance, don’t disregard any scared feelings.  Explain to your dancer that even grown-ups are nervous sometimes.  Remind them that their teacher will be there with them and to just watch them and follow along.

•            Oh no, your dancer has decided that she/he will not participate during the show.  Don’t over react, it is pretty normal to have at least one dancer refuse to show off all that they have learned.  Let them watch, seeing their friends perform may help them to gain confidence and to eventually join in.

And CONFIDENCE is a key word….I have seen dancers leery all year about everything from entering the dance room, trying new steps and performing at the holiday show.  But come recital time, that same dancer is shining on stage.  It is all part of the learning process for them and we encourage them every ‘step’ of the way.

Happy Dancing!

~Kathy Mueller

   Co-owner, Dance Instructor at Woodbury Dance Center 

Live, Love, DANCE!!

Happy National DANCE Day!
So why do you dance?!  Here's a fun post written by Miss Mary about her dance journey growing up and how it impacted her life :)

Live, Love, Dance              By Mary Swenson

Maybe it's because my life is submersed in dance constantly, but anytime I meet a little girl between the ages of two to about seven, I usually end up asking, "are you in dance class"?  To me, dance is a given for little girls and I don't think I've ever met one who has said they weren't in dance or that they didn't want to give it a try.  Having been a dancer myself and now instructing girls of all ages, two to adults, I see what an incredible impact in can make.

When I was young, probably three to about seven, I took dance classes.  Then, my stubborn little self decided I didn't like the partner I had in a dance routine, so I wanted to quit.  How logical, right?  I'm sure I came up with a better excuse to tell my mom lol, but that's the only reason I can recall.  (Side note, I'm always wary of giving my dancers partners now!) ;)

Then my younger sister Emily came along and started dance and even became a competition dancer.  I so envied what she got to do.  I loved the costumes, the performing, the camaraderie, the fun.  I felt like an outsider peeking into a glamorous, elite world.  I thought that I would never be able to get back into dance and that those years off had left me without a chance to be a dancer.  Well finally, with some pushing from my parents, I got back into dance.  It's never to late to start (or re-start) a passion!  At this point I was probably in junior high, but caught back up and absolutely loved it.  I would practice constantly.  I would take home the material I learned and practice it over and over again.  I would do "across the floor" exercises in our basement, I worked on my ballet technique while on vacation, did conditioning exercises in our back yard, I was dancing all the time.  And it sure looks like much hasn't changed- still dancing all the time!

 Dance has truly changed me.  It gave me confidence and "star power" as a young woman.  It gave me a passion, a focus, a purpose.  It helped me develop athleticism, skills, and stage presence.  It allowed me to be a part of a team, to learn commitment, to gain friends, to experience what it feels like to be in the spotlight.  It kept me busy, kept me active, and kept me happy.

 To me, it's a no brainer how wonderful dance can be for someone.  I encourage you to check out dance classes for your little ballerina or the dancer inside your heart.  :)  www.woodburydance.com

Recital Tips for your Dancer!

Anyone else in shock that June is right around the corner and it’s time for Recital?!  We are excited for our students to hit the stage and show you the routines they have been working on.

A few tips to help make their experience a fun one:

Make a list of all costumes and any accessories.  Be sure to double check that you don’t forget anything for both dress rehearsal and recital.  Include your dance shoes on your list!  Many times, dance bags with shoes are left accidentally at home.

Remove any scuff marks from tap shoes with a general cleanser or Soft Scrub.

Having younger dancers dressed and in their costume when they arrive works well. 

Style hair so that it is pulled back away from face to prevent any distractions during their performance.

Make sure dancers use the rest room before they are dropped off the night of the show. 

Please have one parent or guardian drop off your dancer in their dressing room to avoid congestion in the dressing rooms.  Once your dancer is settled, head to the auditorium to enjoy the show.  Classroom helpers start line-ups before the show begins for many of the classes that dance near the beginning of the show.  The sooner the dancers are lined up and ready to go the less stressful it is for everyone!

And likewise, when the show has ended please have one parent or guardian pick up their dancer from the dressing room.  The large cafeteria area at the school is a great place for pictures with family and friends.

Be sure your dancer is well rested and has had a good meal before their performances.  We discourage messy snacks in the dressing rooms because we want to keep costumes looking great.  But crackers and water and okay to put in your dancers bag for their recital. 

Encourage your dancer to continue practicing right up to the day of their recital.  This will help them feel confident and help ease any nervousness they may experience.

We will have a Photo Opp back drop set up near the entrance of the school for all recitals.  Be sure to stop and snap a few pictures of your dancer before or after their show!  We’ll look for your photos tagged with #eatsleepdance and #WDC2013 on Instagram and Twitter.  Also feel free to share them on our Facebook page!

We are excited to see our dancers!!  See you at East Ridge!