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

Owning Your Own Business?????? Has It Been In the Back of Your Mind?

Whether you have always dreamed of being a business owner---or have never thought of it before; now is a great time.  Corporate American has burned out so many people and professionals are seeing the benefit of having control of their career and income.  There is no better investment that owning your own business---it is a great way to express your creativity and strengths, enjoy what you do, and not worry whether you will have a job tomorrow or not.  If you are someone that loves young children and desires to invest in their lives---it is a wonderful time to explore the opportunity of doing what you love as a career.

If you work with young children---we would love to hear from you!  Share your great stories with us and what you have learned by working with little ones in dance.  Quite often they teach us more than we teach them! :)

Seeing A Child's Creative Mind

As a dancer and performer since the age of three, I cannot think of a better way for young children to explore movement, enhance creativity and build self-confidence than through dance classes. I have taught many age groups and with many companies, but Little People’s Creative Workshop provides a completely rewarding experience. 

Dance and LPCW, is more than just another form of exercise for the children, it provides an exploration into the arts that all children should be exposed to.  Through LPCW, children are able to learn how to use their bodies as a form of expression and a possible outlet for creative thinking. Learning this at an early age can provide life long benefits for our students; such as better problem solving skills, more self confidence and of-course better coordination.

Personally, there are few things more rewarding than being able to see a child’s creative mind grow and see them move and explore on their own.  I enjoy seeing children approach the lessons in a completely different way than I expected them to and everyday is a surprise! I have grown as a dancer with LPCW because it caused me to look at movement from a child like perspective; giving me a new approach to dance.

I look forward to continue to share my love for dance with young children through Little People’s Creative Workshop.

~Jennifer Delfin, LPCW Northern Virginia Regional Director & Instructor

Invest in Yourself.......

With many stock investments pretty shaky these days--invest in something that will always bring a great return:  yourself!  If you have always wanted to start your own business and be your own boss--now is the perfect time.  Do some research and invest in a grand future for you and your present or future family.  What are you waiting for?  The market is ripe for more programs for young children in dance and theatre.

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 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

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.

Giving Back to the Community....

As dance instructors and artists it is very important to give back to our community.  We offer a service and completely rely on how community parents and students will respond to our classes for our livelihood.  It's imperative to give back to our areas in which we do business.  Teach complimentary classes at a shelter or any other facility in which young children will be.  Women's shelters are wonderful ---  it is such a blessing to these children that find themselves in the middle of so much uncertainly to have a creative outlet to express themselves, have fun, and EMOTE!  When we go into schools we always approach the directors to see if there is a child that could benefit from our dance program; but whose parents are in no way able to pay for such a service.  We discreetly give these children scholarships.  Dance is for everyone---we do our best to make sure no one is left out that wishes to have this great experience.  So often we hear of children's programs that think only of the bottom line and what is in it for them.  There is no success in that.  

Loving What You Do......

More and more people are realizing that job satisfaction and fulfillment are directly related to how successful a business is; as well as quality of life.  I have yet to meet a dance instructor of young children that does not love what they do.  It is a wonderful blessing to be able to be a part of an industry filled with individuals that are passionate about what they are doing and making such a big difference in lives.  Now THAT'S a true win-win situation!  It is certainly showing in the numbers, too.  Being a dance instructor fits into all of the TOP categories of successful businesses to be a part of for 2009:

children's services

home-based businesses

low-cost start-up businesses

Green businesses