Advice for dance parents

Thank You for Another GREAT Year of Dance!

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dancing at Prestige Dance Studio

With our Annual Recital just a week away, we thought this was the perfect opportunity to thank our studio families. This has been a wonderful year. It would not be possible without the support and energy of our families. Thank you for ALL you do to make Prestige Dance Studio an AMAZING place to dance.  

We are so proud of what we have been able to accomplish together this year. At Prestige Dance Studio, we are very passionate about encouraging confidence building, teamwork, and personal growth. Beyond creating talented dancers, we want our students to be good people both in and out of the dance studio. This mission would not be possible without the trust and support of our studio families.

Parents we would like to thank you for supporting your child’s love of dance. Thank for trusting our vision. Thank you for all the rides to the studio. Thank you for making sure your child has everything they need for class. Thank you for reading our emails! The list goes on and on! Most importantly, thank you for believing in your child’s dreams and our vision for the studio.

Every year we witness SO much growth in our students. From our three-year-olds just finishing their first year of dance to our seasoned performance team members; we are SO proud. Thank you, dancers, for your hard work, positive attitudes, and passion. You encourage and inspire us to become better teachers and leaders.

What better way to finish off a great year than with our Annual Recital? We cannot wait to see our dancers shine on stage June 3. It takes a great deal of coordination to put on a production of this size. Thanks in advance for your energy going into the performance. It would not be possible without your support.

We are so grateful for our Prestige Dance Studio family. We can’t wait to see our students on stage doing what they love!

 

 

We are Looking for Dancers to Join our 2018/2019 Performance Teams!

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Competitive Dance Team

 

Audition for one of our award-winning teams! Believe it or not, we are already starting to think about next season at Prestige Dance Studio. We are looking for confident, hard-working dancers to join our performance teams for the 2018/2019 season. 

At the June audition, we will be holding auditions for both of our performance teams, P.Co and P.Com. Interested families should plan on attending the parent meeting in May. In addition to covering requirements and expectations, there will be ample time for questions. We also highly recommend attending the clinics leading up to the audition. This will give you (and your child!) a sneak peek into what our performance teams are like.

Below, you can learn a little bit about each of our teams and start to think about which might be the best fit for your child.

P.Co is our competitive dance team. 

As a member of P.Co, dancers compete all styles of dance. They learn teamwork, responsibility, and commitment in an energetic and fun-filled atmosphere. P.Co dancers attend dance conventions, four regional competitions, and a national dance competition throughout their season.

Curious what being a part of a competitive dance team is like? Check out our studio vlog!

We documented our experience attending a regional dance competition. Dance competitions are a great opportunity for dancers to perform, push themselves outside of their comfort zones, and make SO many memories alongside their teammates.

P.Com is Prestige Dance Studio’s community expo team.

P.Com team members represent Prestige Dance Studio in the Cedar Rapids area. The dancers perform four to six times throughout the school year. They learn, rehearse, and perform jazz and hip-hop routines. Dancers learn discipline, teamwork, and showmanship.

P.Com members get a TON of performance experience and learn to be flexible (we perform in a variety of venues!). Our P.Com members get to experience the joy of sharing dance with the community first hand!

Both of Prestige Dance Studio’s performance teams offer students the opportunity to gain additional performance experience, be a part of a dedicated group of dancers, and work intensively alongside their teachers and the studio director. In addition to weekly dance technique classes, dancers attend weekly rehearsals. Students learn the value of hard work, are motivated to reach their full potential, and make lasting relationships with their teammates and teachers.

If you have a dancer at home that is looking for something beyond a weekly class, is itching to perform more, and anxious to grow as a dancer… one of our performance teams could be a GREAT fit. We may be just what you are looking for.

Good luck to all auditioning. We are looking forward to another great season!

 

Web Round Up: Dance Inspiration

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dance inspiration At Prestige Dance Studio, our dancer’s growth is SO important to us. We want to help all of our dancers reach their potential both in and out of the dance studio. Inside our dance classes and company rehearsals, we are doing so much more than just drilling skills and running dances! We are working on our dancers’ mindset, helping them to develop a work ethic they are proud of, and teaching resilience.

As we head into the last portion of our school year session of dance classes, these skills become even MORE important. Dance (and life!) are not always easy. We want our dancers to have the mental strength to push through the hard moments so they can arrive at the finish line strong. Recital and competitions are even MORE rewarding when you feel confident about all the work you have done to get there!

Below we have rounded up a few links worth checking out with your dancer. Get a little inspired to finish this year strong!

Nastia Liukin Talks About Hard Days at the Gym

You can imagine that Olympian Nastia Liukin has had some difficult days at the gym. We LOVE her mom’s strategy for dealing with hard days. Such great perspective!

Dance is Just as Important as Math

The author of this article outlines the huge impact dance can have on students. Dance teaches students how to collaborate, cooperate, and be more accepting of one another. We can get behind that!

Learning to Dance in a Year

Tenacity and hard work pay off! This young dancer works diligently over the course of the year to become a better hip-hop dancer. The video of her progress speaks for itself!

Feeling inspired? We hope so! We are so proud of the hard work our dancers have put in this season. Their growth is what encourages and motivates US to be the best we can be. Have another inspiring article or video we should see? Share it on our studio Facebook page. We love sharing a dance inspiration with our studio families!

Spring Back To Dance

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Spring Dance is so much fun, find the best ways to jump back into dance after break

Did you have a relaxing spring break? We hope you and your dancer got a chance to recharge because we have an exciting couple months coming up! Between competitions, community performances, and recital, spring dance is going to get FUN! Before things get crazy, this is the perfect time to check in with your dancer to make sure they are ready for it all.

To spring back to dance, you will want to take inventory or have a chat with your dancer about the following:

  • Do their dance clothes still fit? A change in season is the perfect time to try on dance clothes and shoes and make any purchases if necessary. At Prestige, we have a ton of styles to choose from along with shoes and tights. Make sure to take a peek at the dress code before buying any new dance apparel!
  • Are there any lingering injuries? If your dancer has been complaining of pain during the winter months and it still hasn’t improved, now would be the perfect time to get evaluated by a medical professional. Here is a great article talking about the distinction between pain and regular muscle soreness.
  • What is the plan for summer? We have an AMAZING line up for summer dance along with some super fun camps and intensives. If your dancer has been talking about trying a new style, summer is the perfect time! It is also a great time to try out a larger class load before the craziness of fall kicks in. You can read more about all we have to offer this summer in one of our blog posts!
  • How about the fall? We know it is barely spring but the fall will be here before you know it.  Our fall schedule and recommendations will be posted and emailed the week of March 26-30. Priority registration will start the first week in April. Now would be a great time to talk about the activities your child would like to try. It’s also a great time to talk about the amount of dance they would like to take on and if they are interested in auditioning for one of our performance teams.

We hope you enjoy the rest of your Spring Break and are just as excited as us to spring back to dance! We have some exciting things happening at the studio and can’t wait to see it all come to life!

Tips for Your BEST Performance

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Tips for your best performanceWith our performance team’s seasons in full swing and recital right around the corner, we are in performance mode here at Prestige Dance Studio! We LOVE technique class and the work we do in weekly rehearsals, but there is something SO special about watching that hard work come together when our dancers step on stage. Performances are an opportunity for dancers to not only show off their technique but to show their personality and get valuable experience growing as a performer.

Just like dance technique, becoming a stronger performer takes practice! Today we have rounded up several GREAT articles that give dancers practical tips as they prepare to take the stage. We encourage you to share these tips with your dancers! With a little preparation and a game plan, your dancer will feel confident and ready to do their best when they step on stage.

Prime Your Mind to Perform

This article gives a lot of suggestions for things your dancer can do to prepare their mind as they get ready to take the stage. Our favorite tip- mental reps! Encourage your dancer to visualize themselves performing their choreography perfectly. This is a GREAT habit to encourage dancers to do daily. The more they practice, the more effective this type of  “rehearsing” becomes!

7 Secrets of Super Performers

Are you ready to take your performances to another level and become a super performer? This article outlines what “super performers” do when they are on stage. We love the reminder that you are never alone on stage, even in a solo! You have to find a way to connect with the audience. In a group piece, this means also finding ways to connect with your fellow dancers. It is all about intentional focus and energy!

7 Steps to Becoming Your BEST Performer

This article has a lot of great, simple tips for dancers. One reminder that ALL dancers need to remember is to stay open to feedback and criticism as they head into performance season. There is ALWAYS room to improve as a performer. Becoming a stronger dancer and performer is a journey!

We LOVE watching our dancers shine on stage. Seeing their confidence and growth year after year is just one of the reasons we love what we do here at Prestige Dance Studio.

Hopefully, these helpful articles leave you feeling excited and inspired heading into our recital, our upcoming performances, and our competition season. What tips are you excited to share and implement with your dancer? Tell us in the comments or share on our studio Facebook page!

 

 

 

Countdown to Recital!

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dance recital at prestige dance studio

 

The countdown to our annual recital and Prestige Dance Studio is ON! We are so excited to see our dancers perform at our 5th Annual Recital. Our recital is an opportunity for our students to showcase their hard work and get valuable experience performing. We LOVE seeing their passion and joy as they take the stage.

It Takes a Village

Sunday, June 3rd Paramount Theatre

Over the next few months, parents will continue to get more details and information about the upcoming performance. Recital time requires a lot of coordination and organization from our parents, students, and staff. Today, we are giving you 3 practical tips to stay on top of recital season. It will be here before we know it!

  1. Write down important dates as soon as you receive them. Rather than sticking the recital packet in a drawer or saving our latest email, pull out all the important dates and write them somewhere where your whole family can see them. Large family calendars on the refrigerator are great for this!
  2. Read everything. We do our best to thoroughly explain everything that happens surrounding recital. Read the recital packet, all emails, and the information on our website. You may find that your questions are answered!
  3. If you do have questions, ask for clarification earlier rather then later. Please do not call us the night before dress rehearsal asking what color lipstick your daughter needs:) If you do have questions, it is best to get them answered well in advance of the performance. Asking in advance ensures that our staff can give your question the attention it deserves.

Below you will find the important dates leading up to our 5th Annual Recital, It Takes a Village. We hope our families at Prestige Dance Studio are as excited as we are. We greatly appreciate the dedication of our studio families and are looking forward to a wonderful performance!

Important Dates

Thursday, February 1 February Tuition Billed to Account on File

Monday, February 26- Sunday, March 4th Parent Observation Week

Thursday, March 1 March Tuition and Recital Fee Billed to Account on File

Thursday, March 1 Recital Packets Available for Pick-up in Studio Office

Monday, March 12- Sunday, March 18th Spring Break

Saturday, April 1st – May 1st Recital Tickets Available for Pick-up and Purchase

Saturday, April 1st – May 1st Host-Mom Seat Reservations

Sunday, May 6th -Saturday, May 12 In-studio Dress Rehearsal and Dance Pictures

Tuesday, May 15 Dress Rehearsal for 12pm Show at Paramount Theatre No Regular Tuesday Classes

Wednesday, May 16th Dress Rehearsal for 4pm Show at Paramount Theatre No regular Wednesday Classes

Sunday, May 27 Last Day of Regular Classes

Tuesday, May 29 and Wednesday, May 30 Makeup Classes for Classes Missed During Dress Rehearsals

Sunday, June 3 “It Takes a Village” Recital 2018 at Paramount Theatre

 

How To Keep Your Dancers Warm In Class

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Staying warm as a dancer is always a challenge in the winter ESPECIALLY in Cedar Rapids, IA! Learn how in this post!

 

 

Now that it is mid-January, most people feel the thrill of winter start to slowly wear off. We have seen the snow, we have done our fun winter activities and now it is just COLD! Dancers in the studio get tired of throwing on all those winter layers to and from class too. They may start to think… is it really THAT important to stay warm anyways?! We are here to report that YES! It is that important to stay layered and warm before and in between classes, even as the excitement of wearing that favorite Prestige hoodie wears off.

What is the big deal you ask?? This article from IDTA does an amazing job explaining the benefits of warming up. Dancers need to prepare their bodies for what they are asking during class. Muscles need heat to stretch and move to their max capacity. Because the temperatures drop in the winter, it is even MORE important to be intentional with a warm-up.

In all of our classes at Prestige, we include a warm-up at the beginning of class and it is for the very same reason listed above. We want to make sure that your dancers move safely no matter what the weather outside is like. So what can you do to help when it is cold outside?

  • Talk to your dancer about why it is important to warm up before class.
  • Bring your dancers a few minutes early to get a head start on warming up. While dancers catch up with their dance friends have them get moving with some light exercises. This is especially important while recovering from an injury (Ask your physical therapist for a pre-class warm-up).
  • After class, bundle up to go outside. This is always a challenge with young dancers because they are hot after class but the cool-down is equally important. By bringing the body temperature down gradually, dancers can reduce muscle spasms and cramps.

Although these tips are especially important in the winter, they should be used all year long! Staying warm in dance class is a huge part of injury prevention, which is SO valuable to all dancers. Make sure your dancer knows the importance of it and let us know if you have questions. We are here to help and guide your dancer through it! The best part? Spring will be here before you know it!

Let’s Make A Holiday Project!

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Project Ideas for the holidays in Cedar Rapids, IAThe cold weather combined with the holiday spirit is a perfect recipe for projects! From gingerbread houses to homemade ornaments,  kids LOVE getting creative. As a bonus, you will LOVE being able to keep and display memories year after year, it is a win-win! We thought we would get your creative juices flowing with some holiday project ideas. We love the idea of making projects a holiday tradition just like many of us bake cookies with our loved one every year.

  • Holiday Decor
    • Yarn Christmas Trees: These trees are super simple to make and odds are you can find the supplies somewhere in your house! This is the perfect craft for young children.
    • Holiday Wreaths: You are bound to find a wreath in this giant list of 31 DYI ideas! Our personal favorite is the ornament wreath but whatever you choose will be fabulous!
    • Outdoor Decor: Your kids are sure to flip when they see these items in your front lawn and they will have even more fun creating them with you!
  • Ornaments
    • Handprint ornaments: These always make our hearts melt when we pull them out year after year. We love these creative ideas to spice things up!
    • Love this list: There are some seriously sophisticated ideas in this list and we are LOVING it! Who doesn’t want to make something chic to go on the tree.
  • Gingerbread Everything
    • House Inspiration: These houses are pretty amazing! Grab some inspiration from a detail or try the whole house!
    • Cookies: This recipe is soft and tasty to eat! Cookies may be a great place to start for the younger decorator.
    • Shortcuts: Gingerbread anything can be really tricky! Get some shortcuts here. Our favorite? Using graham crackers against old milk cartons instead, no one will know, we promise! hehe!

What are some of the holiday crafts you do with your family? At Prestige, family and fun play a big part in our studio culture. We want to encourage you to have some fun with the ones you love this holiday break! And make sure to show us all your holiday projects, we LOVE seeing them!

Wrapping up 2017: Time to Reflect

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reflect as a dancer

 

As the end of the year approaches, it is a great time to reflect on the past year. At Prestige Dance Studio, we LOVE helping our dancers set goals, journal, and be more present in their training. Taking this “whole dancer” approach helps our dancers reach their goals both in and out of the dance studio!

One of the best parts of setting goals is taking time to celebrate all the milestones you reach along the way. Reaching goals is super motivating! If you never take time to celebrate- you may not realize all the progress you are making and get discouraged.

Below we have outlined several prompts for reflecting and celebrating. We encourage you to take a moment and go through these items with your dancer! They will feel super confident as they head into 2018 and motivated to set NEW goals for the upcoming year.

Prompts for reflecting:

What is something you are most proud of this year? Could be something big or small. Did your dancer perform for the first time this year? Add a new class? Make a new friend?

If you had to describe yourself in class, what three words would you use? If they have a hard time coming up with ideas, maybe ask them how they think their teachers or classmates would describe them. Is this consistent with how they would like to behave or be perceived in class?

What classmates bring out the best in you? It is a great thing when students start to realize that who they surround themselves with greatly affects their behavior and attitude. Do they dance better when they stand by a certain person? Who encourages them and supports them?

Which teacher brings out the best in you? Help your dancer to see how many people they have in the world that want to help them be their best and reach their goals!

What did a teacher say to you in class that really stuck with you all year? What compliments or feedback can your dancer come back to when they are feeling discouraged. It might be valuable to write this down!

What was the biggest problem you solved at the studio? Did they have to work alongside their classmates to resolve an issue? Was there a challenge their team faced during the season? Reflect on the solution and what it felt like to work together.

What little things at the studio brought you the most happiness? It is easy to remember the BIG things like recital and competitions, but what about all the small moments in class? Do they love ballet barre? Having their mom put their hair in a bun before class? Going across the floor in jazz? Help your dancer to find more joy in the day to day tasks surrounding going to dance and rehearsals.

What new skills did you learn or master this year? Have your dancer create a list of ALL the new things they learned. Dance is a lot of repetition- listing it all out can really help your dancer to realize how far they have some this year.

Hopefully, these questions get your dancer’s wheels turning. How fun would it be to document these answers and keep them throughout your dancer’s years at Prestige Dance Studio? What a gift to be able to read ALL of the reflections from years past!

We would love to hear what your dancer came up with. Share your dancer’s reflections in the comments or on our Facebook page. Hearing feedback like this from our dancers is the best testimonial we could ask for!

How To Share Your Love Of Dance With Friends

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Share dance with friends! Free trial classes for cedar rapids dancers! Our Prestige dancers are SERIOUSLY passionate and that is one of the things we love most about our dance family. For a lot of dancers, it may start to feel like you have a whole secret life at the studio that your non-dance friends know nothing about. We want that to change! Doing something you love is great but it is an even better feeling to be able to share it with the people who are closest to you. That’s why we wanted to give out some excellent ideas to help your children share their love of dance with friends.

  1. Have a dance-themed sleepover. Get out the old dance costumes, pull out the dusty disco ball, and get ready to boogie! Your dancer can make a special playlist with all their favorite songs and help you clear a “dance floor” in the living room.  Your children’s friends will have a BLAST dressing up and dancing the night away together. Oh and don’t forget to have snacks and refreshments ready because your little dancers will need to refuel frequently hehe!
  2. Make up a dance together. Instead of playing that video game, make up a dance instead! There will be COUNTLESS laughs and giggles coming from the dance room for hours, it’s a guarantee. They may even put on a show for the parents later if you are lucky!
  3. Watch a dance-themed movie or musical. This may give friends a little perspective into what your dancer goes through at the studio. I mean really, who doesn’t like a musical?!
  4. Invite them to a performance. Friends will get a front-row view into what it means to be a dancer. They will sit in awe watching the result of all the hard work your dancer put in. It also feels GREAT as a dancer to step into the auditorium knowing you have your “crew” there to support you!
  5. Invite them to try a class at Prestige. If your non-dance friend is interested in learning more, what a better way to show them what it’s like than having them TRY it! Of course, we recommend having them try a class that matches their ability level. That may not always be the same class that your dancer is currently enrolled in. Our trial classes are FREE and we are still accepting enrollment in most of our classes up until October 31st.

Have any other ideas to share the love of dance with friends? We would love to hear about them!

To share dance with your friends, click here for more information on our free trial classes . We can’t wait to get to know your friends!