Benefits of Young Children Dancing....

What a special week!! All of our special "Parent Informances" went off without a hitch!! Every single dancer gave their best performance and relished in their special moment in the spotlight when taking final bows and curtsies. Thanks to everyone in the Charlotte Mecklenburg region for your support of our theatre arts family. We have had an awesome year!!

As the weather heats up, we are looking ahead to summer. We have already started with our registrations and classes start next week June 6th. Check out some reasons to get your child in our award winning program!! Below are some of the benefits of young children involved in dance and the arts, taken from National Dance Education Organization (http://www.ndeo.org/).

-Children move naturally. They move to achieve mobility, they move to express a thought or feeling, and they move because it is joyful and feels wonderful.

• -Physical Development- Dance involves a greater range of motion, coordination, and strength than most other physical activities. Dance utilizes the entire body and is an excellent form of exercise for total body fitness. Young children are naturally active, but dance offers an avenue to expand movement possibilities and skills.
• -Emotional Maturity- Children enjoy the opportunity to express their emotions and become aware of themselves and others through creative movement. Movement within a class offers a structured outlet for physical release while gaining awareness and appreciation of oneself and others.
• Social Awareness- Children learn to communicate ideas to others through real and immediate mode of body movement. Children quickly learn to work in a group dynamic.
• Cognitive Development- Young children will create movement spontaneously when presented with movement ideas or problems that can be solved with a movement response. Movement provides the cognitive loop between the idea and the solutiion.

DANCE IS A POWERFUL ALLY FOR DEVELOPING MANY ATTRIBUTES OF A GROWING CHILD.


~ This post was submitted by Stephanie Wilson, Little People's Creative Workshop Charlotte/Mecklenburg Regional Director

Job Positions Available in NC Triangle!

Positions Open in NC Triangle....

We're giving a quick shout out---we are looking for a dynamic teacher for the NC Triangle area region for this summer!  We've had a great response with our classes and are in need of an instructor!  If you or someone you know would love to spend the summer working with young ones in dance---contact us ASAP.

Have a great Monday!

Parent Observations......

If you do not already offer this as part of your program---spring is a great time to offer a special Parent Observation Day for your classes that you teach to young children.  Many programs are opting to not have young preschoolers participate in a large spring recital--it is usually more of a negative experience for young ones.  Host a special Parent Presentation Day and let your students shine in their own area of strength---and allow the parents to see all that their child is learning in your program!  It's always a very entertaining day! :)

Be sure to explain to parents during each exercise what you are working on and trying to accomplish.  They will very much appreciate this---to many parents some exercises may just look like play.  Let them know that they have a purpose!

Have fun!

Successful, Creative Teaching...

Taken from Joanne Bath's studio notes:

Joanne Bath

THE P's OF SUCCESSFUL TEACHING:

Positive Instructor Involvement

Play

Posture for fun!

Practice things together

Positive environment

Praise

Participation

Peers

Play music

Persist

THE C's OF SUCCESSFUL TEACHING:

Cheer

Congratulate

Change

Conquer

Challenge

Contemplate

be Considerate

be Consistent

be Creative

be Calm

be Cognizant

be in Control

be Confident

Summer Learning.......

A butterfly waiting to leave its chrysalis!

Summer is quickly approaching---a wonderful time for young children to experience a new adventure.  Schedules slow down, parents are looking for activities for their children to participate---make sure you don't 'skip the summer'!  It's a great time to offer new types of classes and opportunities to those in your community.  Workshops, camps, classes, etc----now is the time to get organized and get the word out to the community.  We have parents to begin calling in February! to inquire about our summer plans.  Camps are a great alternative to parents that need child care for their young children in the summer--they may want to give them a break from their regular child care; and may not have as heavy a schedule as during the fall and winter months.  Keep the classes and offerings coming!

We Must All Work...

"Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe--a moment that never was before or never will be again. And what do we teach our children in school? We teach them that 2 and 2 are four and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are?

We should say to each of them: 'Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the world there is no other child exactly like you. In the millions of years that have passed, there has never been a child like you. And look at your body---what a wonder it is! Your legs, your arms, your cunning fingers, the way you move!

You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel? You must cherish one another.'

We must all work---to make this world worthy of its children."

- Pablo Casals

School Teachers See the Benefits of Dance in Students

A few comments from school teachers about the benefits of dance for children:

“Dance for children is much needed -- along with physical education, because it explores their potential in movement ... on any size, shape, or color of body.” “I get a lot of feedback from classroom teachers who say, ‘I can tell these children have been with you and had dance because they are more assertive — not aggressive, but more assertive in their thinking and being able to share their thoughts.’” “Dance is a good experience for children who have a hard time sitting down. Once they come to dance and burn off some of that energy, they can focus on more sequential, factual information.” “Boys do like to dance. I start them off using the word ‘movement.’ Some boys are beautiful at movement. They get to explore that. Girls widen their perspective. They see that it is not just one style — dance is about what you think, what you feel, what you see.”

Benefits of Dance in the Early Years.....

Physical Development 

• Moving safely, imaginatively and with confidence 

• Moving with bodily control, co-ordination, flexibility and balance 

• The development of spatial awareness 

• Dancing with props; developing manipulative skills 

• Experiencing a range of gross motor movements and fine motor movements 

• Keeping healthy - dance as part of a healthy lifestyle 

Creative Development 

• Communicating ideas, thoughts and feelings non-verbally through movement 

• Using the imagination to create ideas, characters and narratives 

• Making movement responses 

• Having an enjoyable, exciting and motivating time 

• Working individually, with a partner and as part of a group 

• Developing trust and co-operation 

• Selecting and using movement ideas independently and with others 

• Exploring feelings and views of self and others - including other cultures and beliefs 

• Accepting the moral code on which discipline and courtesy within the group is based 

• Interacting with a new social group 

Communication, Language and Literacy Development 

• The use of sounds, music, words, poems, rhymes, texts and stories as stimuli for, and 

   accompaniment to dance 

• The use of language to imagine and recreate roles and ideas in the dance 

• Interaction - negotiating plans and activities and developing conversational skills 

• Appreciation - talking about personal dance performance 

• Observation - talking about the dance performance of others 

• Developing a vocabulary of movement 

Needs of Little Ones.....

We have witnessed so very many dance classes over the many years of being in this industry.  You have the uninterested dance teachers that just want to 'get class over with'--and not the least bit interested in young children; treating their classes like some kind of sentence.  Then, you have the ones that think teaching 'Where is Thumpkin' and the 'Hokey Pokey' can actually count for dance instruction---they love the kids; but are teaching them zilch.  Then, there is the rigid, hard-core teacher that wants preschoolers to have perfect technique and stand at attention.  Then there is the misguided dance education majors that have been taught that preschoolers should be just fine and do nothing but walking and pausing for thirty minutes.  What a waste!

Young ones are capable and deserve so much more than this!  They crave eye contact, variety, challenges that are age appropriate, and passion for creativity!  Let's not waste this wonderful opportunity we have been given---to work with little ones.  We have a chance to make an investment for life!

Mind and Body Benefits of Dance for Children

ARTICLE 

Dance provides youth with mind and body benefits 

By Debra Strickland 

FamilyTalk Magazine, March/April Edition 2006 

  

Many different types of dance classes are available for children, from modern dance, 

ballet, tap and jazz to dance that celebrates unique ethnic and cultural traditions.  What’s 

the most important thing for parents to keep in mind when choosing a dance class?  It’s 

that research has proven that dance provides physical, developmental and artistic benefits 

to your child. 

Physical Benefits - Students build muscle strength while increasing flexibility.  Young 

dancers develop a sense of balance and improve agility and coordination.  Importantly, 

children also develop body awareness and learn correct posture. 

These benefits extend beyond a student’s involvement with dance, helping youth involved 

in other disciplines, such as sports and martial arts.  Studies have shown that physical 

activity helps children relieve stress and feel relaxed.  It also is a great way to help your 

child develop a positive lifelong attitude about staying active and healthy. 

Developmental Benefits - Dance classes are fun and a great way to meet new friends.  

Young dancers develop essential social skills through interaction with other students.  

Group choreography fosters teamwork, communication, trust and cooperation.  Dance 

also has been proven to nurture important life skills, such as discipline and focus.  

Dancers naturally display confidence, self-esteem and poise.  These skills are developed 

through participating in dance performances. 

Artistic Benefits – One of the greatest benefits of dance is that it sparks a child’s 

imagination and nurtures individual creativity in a unique way.  Dance classes share the 

joy of physical self-expression in a supportive and structured setting.  This can have a 

positive impact on children who have limited physical abilities, who act out or who have a 

difficult time sitting still.  Involving children in dance also teaches the basic elements of 

creative movement, such as time, space, rhythm and design. 

While people may not be as familiar with modern dance as with ballet or jazz, modern  

 dance in particular honors the creative spirit and celebrates the individual.  Modern dance 

does not simply conform to conventional movements, shapes and patterns.  Instead, it 

requires the young dancer to learn movement from the inside out, nurturing the body and 

focusing the mind.  This form of dance especially is welcoming to children of all shapes, 

sizes and genders. 

  

There is one final reason to get your child dancing.  Research proves there is a strong link 

between involvement in the arts and increased educational achievement.  In fact, one 

study showed that “students who participate in the arts are not only more likely to 

participate in a math and science fair, but also out-perform their peers on the SATs by 87 

points” (www.artsusa.org).  These educational benefits are gained by students regardless 

of their socioeconomic status.   

There’s sure to be a dance class that fits your child’s interests and your schedule, so why 

wait?  Enroll your child in a dance class.  The lessons she or he learns will last a lifetime. 

Debra Strickland is the executive director of Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers, southwest 

Michigan’s only professional modern dance company.  Debra holds a Master of Public 

Administration degree from Western Michigan University and has been passionate about 

working in the arts and women’s issues for nearly a decade. 

Teachers Need to Also Be Students

As dance teachers of little ones it can become easy to lose focus of the need to also be a student.  We need to be a student of life---and definitely remain a dance student ourselves.  It is important to nourish our own souls and dance passion with classes and performances that keep our enthusiasm and art polished, and enabling us to pass on new inspiration to our young students.

A soul left unnourished will soon wither.  If you are an instructor of young ones be sure to invest in yourself so you can keep investing in your students.  Enjoy!

Trends and Facts About Owning A Children's Dance Business

The market for providing children's services and products is huge.  The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics estimates that there are more than 73 million children under the age of 18 in the US.  Birth rates are up, and it is expected that children will number over 80 million by 2020---and make up 24% of the population.

Spending on children is also rising--with both parents and grandparents driving this trend.  This is great news for those that want to own their own business that caters to children!  Children exert a profound influence on household spending, with an estimated $500 billion spent on services for children.  American Demographics magazine reports that 4-12 year olds account for $40 billion in spending every year.

One of the most successful and popular with parents children's service is dance and theatre classes--preferably ones that come to their children instead of stationary facilities that parents must find the time to drop off and pick up their children.

There are many opportunities for individuals from varied backgrounds to be able to run their own business teaching children's dance.  In our industry we have former school teachers, athletes, event planners, IT professionals, marketers, corporate executives, etc.   Individuals that have experience as dancers/teachers and working in some capacity with children in their past; but had no idea that they could own a business doing something that they love.

The Obvious Benefits of Dance

We wanted to share this great article written by Sarah Wilkiamson:

"The Obvious Benefits of Dance School"

www.romancetracker.com/the-obvious-benefits-of-dance-school/

Here is an excerpt-----

"There are many benefits to your child when they attend dance school.  It not only enables them to realize creativity within them but gives them training for other areas in life.  Dance is a wonderful creative art that can enrich your child's life for many years to come."

Ms. Wilkiamson goes on to list several benefits such as:

Learning the art of creativity

Dance is a good exercise

Confidence

Dance leads to learning respect

Dance helps develop social skills

Dance helps with bonding

Be sure to click the link above to read the entire article.  All of us in the childrens dance industry see the many benefits before our eyes each day---it is a pleasure to invest in young lives with what we do!

Benefits of Children's Dance Classes.......

Children--boys and girls--who dance when they are young enjoy increased self-esteem, coordination, balance, poise, and many more wonderful benefits!  Whether a child continues to dance or becomes a professional dancer is not the goal---the many benefits of participating in dance are causing parents to seek dance programs of excellence in which to invest.  Read this great article that we found on the benefits children that dance enjoy:

http://www.essortment.com/all/childrendancec_rczk.htm

Giving Back to the Community

Since we know the great benefits of dance and theatre for young children it is important that we use our gifts and talents to give back to our communities in which we teach.  Our company is always on the lookout for organizations that work with young children that are at-risk or in no way able to register and pay for dance classes.  We do not want anyone to be left out---the arts are for everyone.  We teach complimentary classes at shelters, boys and girls clubs, low income daycares, homeless shelters, and many other venues where little ones happen to be.  Women's shelters are a wonderful place to bring dance---the moms enjoy it as much as their children; they usually join in on the fun!  Our communities do so much for us---this is a great way to give back and bless many families at the same time.

The Joy of Teaching Dance to Young Children........

"My love for dance started at a very early age.  I was excited every Saturday morning to get up, put on my leotard and get to dance class!  What made it such a wonderful experience for me were my amazing dance teachers.  As I grew older I used them as my role models and saw not only how much passion they had for dance, but for teaching as well.

I always thought I would end up teaching high school or older students in a studio, but once I started working with Little People's Creative Workshop I knew those thoughts were gone!  Ask anyone you know how they get greeted when they come to work.  I bet they don't say by twenty smiling and excited faces screaming your name--and these aren't even the children you teach!

Teaching "little people" brings out the best in a teacher, not only because they make you smile and greet you with hugs so powerful they almost knock you over; but because they are so eager to learn.  LPCW has an amazing curriculum that allows children to explore dance through themselves but yet in a very structured and fun atmosphere!

LPCW is so great for children because it allows them to go off into imaginary secret places while learning how to move their bodies properly throughout space.  At this young age children absorb everything and what makes LPCW so great is that we are able to offer the classes while the children are in school; so they are able to relate things that they are learning to dance and to the arts which most children do not have the opportunity to do!"

                           ~Liz Story, LPCW Regional Director and Instructor

Dance...No Greener Venture!

We all need to strive to work on our carbon footprint and take care of our environment.  Let's face it---teaching dance to young children is as green as it gets.  It is people investing in young people.  There are no 'unrecyclable' products we sell, or tons of paperwork and inventory.  The inventory?  Ourselves.   The product?  Our art, passion and love for little ones.  We do not even have to take up real estate!  Parents of young ones are becoming too time-starved to get their child to one more activity---they need teachers that come to where their child already spends their day.  (Filling this need eliminates the need of owning a place of business---you work from home and are mobile!)  Sharing a love and passion that you have with young children is the best recycling that anyone can do---don't you think?

Forward Thinking......

So many people let the past hold them back--they need to move forward in order to find success.  What is your current career situation?  Is it in the unstable world of corporate America--where you never know if you will have a job when you wake up?  Is it in the school systems---where positions in dance, theatre, and music are being cut right and left (or non-existent in the first place)?  Don't get stuck in a rut feeling that you have no choices.

Do a life assessment, decide to be a conqueror, don't be a complainer, learn new habits, choose to help others, consider moving in a new direction.  These short ideas are the beginning of a possible new life and career change for anyone that is ready to move on into a great opportunity!  If your heart love children and you would like the control and freedom that comes from owning your own business---move toward making that happen.  The most successful individuals are those that do what they love and love what they do.  Today's the day!

Flexible Working Options for Moms......

Many women these days come to a point in their lives that they must make a choice.  It doesn't involve heels vs. flats or whether to make a dinner at home or order takeout.  It is the much more important choice of whether to go to work or raise a family.

Many women would rather not have to make that choice---family should always be priority; but with the economic situation as it is, many moms must work in order to help with the family's budget needs.  

Our industry is such a blessing in this situation.  By teaching dance classes to young children moms are able to work a few hours a day and make a wonderful living---while working mostly from their home, and being home in the afternoons, evenings, and weekends.   Our dance teachers and administrators get to have both----a stay-at-home mom status as well as a paycheck and the flexibility of creating their own schedule around the needs of family.  

So, for those of us choosing this option---we can say good-bye to long work hours and corporate demands---as well as the uncertainty of job security that is so prevalent in the corporate world today.  We can fully embrace the joy of being there for our children and spouses while owning our business---one in which we love and have a passion.

A Great Note from a Parent.....

"My son attends the Wed. afternoon dance class.  The purpose of this E-mail is to probably tell you what you already know:  your program has terrific teachers!

I happened to pass the classroom a time or two last semester (prior to my son's enrollment) and it looked like everyone was having fun and the instructor was full of life.  I asked a parent of one of the students what they thought of the class and they said they loved it.  So I signed my son up for the semester.  I could not be happier with the class and your teacher's overall approach.  She not only teaches them how to be creative with their dance moves, but also allows them the freedom to make the setting as comfortable as possible for them.  My son is very apprehensive about new situations and new faces.  At the beginning he took more of an observer status.  Your instructor did not force him to participate in anything that he did not feel comfortable with; but by the same token she didn't forget that he was "participating" in his own way and would always be sure to call on him for his "turn" whether or not he actually waited in line.  Each week he participates more and more in class in the traditional sense.  He really loves dancing now and the interaction with the stories.  And of course the instructor's bubbly personality and the exuberance helps keep everyone interested and dancing.  I feel very fortunate that my son has been able to have such a positive experience with dance class and just wanted to let you know how much we love our teacher."

Dance is so very powerful for young ones---especially when instructed with the right heart!