The Benefits of Competition - Commitment

Making a commitment and sticking to it is a lesson that seems pretty easy to learn, but isn’t always so.  It can be a challenge—especially for young dancers—to navigate a big responsibility like that!  One of the most valuable life lessons our performing company dancers learn at Expressions Dance is following through on their commitments. 

From the start, joining the company team isn’t something a dancer does on a whim.  There are auditions to prepare for and schedules to align.  There are team policies to consider and extra expenses to budget.  In fact, at Expressions Dance, we understand that participation isn’t a choice made only by the dancer; it’s a family decision. 

We know that our company team requires an extensive commitment.  But we also know that the long-term benefits our dancers will experience from this commitment will far outweigh any temporary conflicts that may pop up during the season!  Below we outline the most important advantages to our performing company students when it comes to honing this essential skill:

Agreeing to a commitment teaches future-thinking

With a performing company agreement, dancers are looking ahead to an entire season and asking themselves, “Am I willing to give 100% effort all year to follow through on this commitment?”  Most pre-teens and teens make decisions based on how they feel right now, which is normal in adolescence.  Making a decision based on thinking ahead is a skill that needs sharpening.  Through their passion for dance and agreement to the company team, our dancers are learning how to consider the future in their choices.

Following through on a commitment sometimes requires sacrifices

Though it can be an uncomfortable lesson to learn, sometimes making a commitment to the team means that it overrides other opportunities like parties, travel, or school social events.  Our students may find themselves feeling tested by their team commitment—and that’s OK.  We understand that it will happen and have built our attendance policies with it in mind.  It’s not easy, but standing by their commitment teaches our dancers to act with integrity.

Abiding by a commitment shows reliability as a team member

As a team, our company students form close bonds and learn to depend on each other … sometimes emotionally and physically, depending on the choreography!  Becoming a reliable teammate shows each team member that they respect each other and value each person’s contributions to the group.  They share in this commitment together and learn to appreciate the effort everyone makes to achieve success.

We hope you’ll discuss with your Expressions Dance performing company dancer all the positive ways they are growing from following through on their commitments.  We’re grateful that they’ve chosen dance to be one of their top priorities!

The Summer Stride

Summer is just around the corner and here at Expressions Dance, we are putting the finishing touches on all our fantastic summer program offerings!  

With the current dance season winding down and the new season ramping up, you might have been wondering lately if summer dance classes are right for your child.  From our experience, every student has the potential to hit their “summer stride” … in other words, they all have the ability to keep their learning power going in the summer, without losing any momentum!

We believe there is a unique benefit for each and every student who dances with us in the summer, whether it’s during a weekly class, a dance camp, or an intensive workshop.  Read on to see which advantages might be in store for your child!

Making Progress

Because dance is built on muscle memory, summer study can help your child fine-tune their movement vocabulary and technique, allowing them to improve their skills, grow stronger, and be better prepared to take on new material.

Being Consistent

Young children do well with stability in their routine, so maintaining that normalcy with summer dance can give them (and you!) peace of mind, even as the rest of your summer plans may vary.

Getting Motivated

After the recital, we find that some students are eager to try a new dance style (usually something they were inspired by!) to see how they like it.  Summer is THE perfect time to test out those new interests, without a long commitment.

Gaining Confidence

Our summer programs, with their blend of both structure and fun, can give your child the boost they need to jump into fall classes feeling good about themselves.  There’s nothing quite like the personal development that can be built in the summer!

It’s part of our mission to ensure that your child is learning how to balance their hard work with time off, and the summer offers the best of both worlds.  We encourage all of our students to make time for rest and relaxation, and also make time to keep their bodies strong and minds engaged.  This balance is what the true summer stride is all about!

There’s something for everyone here this summer at Expressions Dance.  We’re happy to help you customize the right schedule for your family or make a special recommendation for your child … just ask! 

Red Carpet Recital Experience Details

Our students & families have earned a special ending to this year. YES, we will have a recital. It will not be our traditional recital experience, but if 2020 is teaching us anything, it is to turn life’s lemons into delicious LEMONADE! We’ve gotten creative and are determined to make this memorable for your family and to make sure that in the end of all this our kids come out better people.

This year we will be offering the opportunity for families to reimagine recital and the tumbling exhibition and to showcase the accomplishments of our students. We can’t wait for what is possibly going to be one of the most memorable events we have ever produced!

The Red Carpet Recital Experience is going to be magical! There are THREE things you need to do now: 

1. Sign up for a small group Dress Rehearsal time

2. Sign up for your Red Carpet Recital Experience with your teacher! (cast list is below)

3. Sign up for a Tumble Exhibition time (only for those tumblers signed up, cast list is below)

1. Sign up for a Dress Rehearsal time.

Between June 1-10th we’ll be holding small group practice time to prepare dancers for their big day! Our teachers will be there to run through your routines while following all CDC requirements for social distancing. Select one time slot for your routine that’s with your teacher. Find your name in the cast list below to see your routine name and teacher. More instructions on drop off/pick up procedures and what to wear will be sent out when it gets closer.

2. Sign up for your Red Carpet Recital time!  

Between June 17-20 dancers will join their teacher and entertain 5 VIP guests for their own special recital! Find your name in the cast list at the end of this email and click on your teacher's name to sign up for a time. We've also included a link to the folder with your practice videos. 

If you have more than one class with different teachers, you can choose to sign up for a slot with both of them, OR pick your favorite dance and sign up for that one... it’s totally up to you!

Stars classes that have a ballet and jazz dance will perform both in your time slot, or you can choose their favorite dance!

3. Tumbling Exhibition is separate from the Red Carpet times and will be held as originally scheduled on June 12-13. If you are signed up for this your name is listed below. Head HERE to sign up for a 1-on-1 Exhibition time with your teacher. You'll have time to practice your skills and stretch before heading into the spotlight to show off your skills to your guests! Not sure who your teacher is? Check the tumbling exhibition list at the bottom of this email to see your teacher and a video for skills to practice!

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What Red Carpet Recitals will look like:

• Each child gets to invite up to 5 VIP guests to this memorable experience. This is your chance to celebrate with them their moment in the spotlight they’ve worked hard for all year!

• Step 1: Arrival Experience – We’re rolling out the red carpet! Our star performer will be dropped off at the front of the building and greeted by our event host (one of the teachers all dressed up). They will welcome them in through the front door and escort them into room one.

• Step 2: Photo Experience – While practicing social distancing dancers will: Meet with our photographer to capture this memory that will last a lifetime! We will be providing individual picture downloads this year in the performance package as an alternative to class pictures for Red Carpet Recitals.

• Step 3: They will meet their teacher, review their choreography, and prepare for their big performance!

• Step 4: Stage Experience – Performers will enter room 2 and step onto the stage for their once in a lifetime recital experience. The audience (up to 5 guests of your choice) will join us as you SHINE BRIGHT on stage! Their teacher will be there with them to support them every step of the way. Parents will be able to take as many pictures and videos of their big performance as they’d like!

• Step 5: Celebration Experience – Following the stage performance, your child’s teacher will escort your small group to the celebration area where performers will receive their commemorative COVID Keepsake goodie bag, complete with a congratulatory rose and confetti! From there you’ll exit out the back and can continue celebrating by going to get ice cream or whatever you dream up on this special day.

There are no additional ticket fees for this event. Offering private red carpet experiences will allow us to give our students the chance to be celebrated with their loved ones AND THEIR TEACHERS and no one has to miss out! We considered doing this class by class, but then we would not be able to fit anyone to be the audience in the space and we decided this was the best plan for everyone.

Costumes: We will be hosting a curbside Pick-up the end of May where families will drive around, pop their trunk, and we’ll load in your costumes and recital shirts.  We’re still awaiting a few costumes that have had delayed ship dates thanks to COVID, so as soon as we’ve received them, we’ll send out the details!

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Recital Reimagined Timeline:

• May 11-29: We’ll continue with Zoom classes and recital prep

• May 25-29: Final Zoom Week ­– Class Celebrations

• End of May: Costume Curbside Pick Up, details to follow

• June 1-10: In-Person Small group rehearsals for Red Carpet Recital, sign up for a practice time with your teacher

• June 10-20: Red Carpet Recitals, pick your day and time, sign up to follow

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MORE TO LOVE:

Next week is “Hero Week” – dress like your favorite superhero for class: doctors, nurse, teacher, mom/dad, author, athlete, character, etc!

Pathways for Dancers Meetings- May 20th via Zoom: Learn about the programs and class options we have for your child's dance journey as they grow!

• Preschoolers @ 6:00pm | Meeting ID: 827-8473-0464 | Password: 339356

• 2nd Grade & Older @ 6:30pm | Meeting ID: 833-4242-4740 | Password: 883023

• Kindergarten & 1st Graders @ 7:30pm | Meeting ID: 834 0861 2259 | Password: 876260

Virtual At-Home Recitals: May 18, and May 26-29! Dress up in anything you want for this special final class celebration. We’ll send out a special virtual background for kids to turn on during their recital run through and snap a class photo! Check out this quick video to see how the last week of classes Virtual Recital Experience will work!

Why dance is ESSENTIAL for the well-being of children.

Dance has many benefits! We’ve listed a few of our favorites below in three categories: academic, emotional, and physical.

Intellectual and Academic Benefits:

1. Students who regularly participate in dance lessons typically tend to perform better academically than their nonparticipating peers. Students who have a background in dance tend to achieve significantly higher SAT scores and do better in math and science competitions. (Source FamilyTalk Magazine)

2. 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, problem, or intent and the outcome or solution. This teaches an infant, child and, ultimately, adult to function in and understand the world. The relationship of movement to intellectual development and education is an embryonic field of study that has only recently begun to be explored. (Source: NDEO [National Dance Education Organization])

3. Children-at-risk (those with lower socioeconomic statuses, less family stability, etc.) benefit from arts-rich experiences in that they earn higher grades, are more likely to graduate from high school and further their education, and become engaged learners and citizens. The arts make education more equitable for all, regardless of external circumstances. (Source: James Catterall, National Endowment for the Arts)

4. Eighth graders who had high levels of arts engagement from kindergarten through elementary school showed higher test scores in science and writing than did students who had lower levels of arts engagement over the same period. (Source: James Catterall, National Endowment for the Arts)

5. Students who had arts-rich experiences in high school were more likely than students without those experiences to complete a calculus course. Also, students who took arts courses in high school achieved a slightly higher grade-point average (GPA) in math than did other students. (Source: James Catterall, National Endowment for the Arts)

6. In two separate databases, students who had arts-rich experiences in high school showed higher overall GPAs than did students who lacked those experiences. High school students who earned few or no arts credits were five times more likely not to have graduated than students who earned many arts credits (Source: James Catterall, National Endowment for the Arts)

7. Both 8th-grade and high school students who had high levels of arts engagement were more likely to aspire to college than were students with less arts engagement. (Source: James Catterall, National Endowment for the Arts)

8. Arts-engaged high school students enrolled in competitive colleges—and in four-year colleges in general—at higher rates than did low arts-engaged students. (Source: James Catterall, National Endowment for the Arts)

9. Students who had intensive arts experiences in high school were three times more likely than students who lacked those experiences to earn a bachelor’s degree. They also were more likely to earn “mostly A’s” in college. (Source: James Catterall, National Endowment for the Arts)

10. Lastly, the study notes that students from arts-rich backgrounds were also more civically engaged than those with low-arts backgrounds. (Source: James Catterall, National Endowment for the Arts)

Social and Emotional Benefits:

1. Dance lessons can encourage children to foster a more positive attitude and explore their own self-expression. This can be particularly beneficial for children who are physically or mentally impaired or those who are attempting to deal with significant emotional problems. (Source: EduDance)

2. Dance lessons can help children improve their social and communication skills, learn how to work as part of a team, develop a greater sense of trust and cooperation and make new friends. If your child is shy, enrolling her in dance can encourage her to reach out to other children her age and help to reduce her anxiety about new people or places. Dance can also help to alleviate fears related to performing in front of an audience. (Source: FamilyTalk Magazine)

3. Dance promotes psychological health and maturity. Children enjoy the opportunity to express their emotions and become aware of themselves and others through creative movement. A pre-school child enters a dance class or classroom with a history of emotional experiences. Movement within a class offers a structured outlet for physical release while gaining awareness and appreciation of oneself and others. (Source: NDEO)

4. Dance fosters social encounter, interaction, and cooperation. Children learn to communicate ideas to others through the real and immediate mode of body movement. Children quickly learn to work within a group dynamic. As the ongoing and sometimes challenging process of cooperation evolves, children learn to understand themselves in relation to others. (Source: NDEO)

5. Dance yields small but consistent effects for improvement of well-being, mood, affect and body image. The authors of a meta-analysis of 23 studies on the effectiveness of dance movement therapy concluded that dancing should be encouraged as part of treatment for people with depression and anxiety.

Results suggest that Dance/Movement Therapy and dance are effective for increasing quality of life and decreasing clinical symptoms such as depression and anxiety. Positive effects were also found on the increase of subjective well-being, positive mood, affect, and body image. (Source: The Arts in Psychotherapy)

Physical Benefits:

1. Regular dance practice can increase your child's flexibility, range of motion, physical strength and stamina. The repetitive movements involved in dance can improve muscle tone, correct poor posture, increase balance and coordination and improve overall cardiovascular health. Dancing is an aerobic form of exercise. For children who are overweight, it can potentially help them to lose weight and improve their eating habits. (Source: Pro Dance Center)

2. Dance involves a greater range of motion, coordination, strength and endurance than most other physical activities. This is accomplished through movement patterns that teach coordination and kinesthetic memory. Dancing 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. (Source: NDEO)