Did you have a hobby or sport or passion as a kid? Something that drew you in and compelled you to occupy those after-school hours?

For many of our students, dance has become this thing: Given the opportunity, they would spend every day at the studio, not just in class but creating their own dances, teaching moves to their friends, trying out new ideas to their favorite songs. If we put out sleeping bags, they would probably take us up on nightly slumber parties. (Which yeah, no – we wouldn’t actually go for that!)

Because many of us teachers felt this way as kids, it’s so fun to see our students “bitten by the dance bug” – the way they just can’t contain themselves. I can personally remember, quite vividly, wishing I could skip school and take dance class all day. 🙂

Even if it makes you quite exasperated when your child is bouncing off the walls dancing or they are begging to add another class, remember this: Just maybe, these moments will fuel their confidence. Just maybe, dance will propel their focus, boosting their grades. Just maybe, that new friend in class will become their friend forever.

Just maybe, dance will be the thing that not only occupies their time, but sets them on a path to success – whatever their life goals may be.

We hope that will be true. And there’s only one way to find out … and that’s to dance!

– Ms. Julie

We originally ran this blog post in 2019 and here at the start of 2021, it felt like the perfect sentiment to revisit!

Here’s a fun fact for you: In dance, it is common class etiquette to applaud when groups take turns practicing combinations or when a student is asked to demonstrate.  We celebrate effort in this way, showing appreciation for being able to watch and learn from each other. At SDC, this classroom tradition of recognizing others is part of our classroom DNA.

Similarly, when a student achieves a goal—however big or small—we want to celebrate their success and encourage their classmates to do the same.  A dancer’s goal might have been to accomplish that clean double pirouette in jazz class or to finally earn their pointe shoes. Or it might have been acceptance to a particular summer intensive, or to be cast in a specific role in the school musical.

What we’ve noticed is that sometimes dancers feel as though their classmate’s success has taken away their own potential to succeed—and because of that, their confidence shrinks.  But when it comes to achievement, nothing could be further from the truth! Science actually tells us that more success happens when we encourage each other and celebrate those wins.

Shawn Achor, researcher and author of the book Big Potential, writes: 

“Simply celebrating a person or a team for their companionship, their strengths, their everyday contributions—no matter how small or seemingly insignificant—reinforces a more empowered self-image and helps them see a vivid image of themselves as someone who is worthy of happiness and success.”

This empowered self-image is what we’re all about at SDC.  We want dance to be the catalyst that propels our students forward in life, but it takes more than just the steps to make that happen.  Dance can serve this mission only when combined with an ecosystem of positive culture, resilient kids, supportive teachers, and accountability.

We want to help our students understand that lifting each other up is beneficial for everyone, not just the person who is in the spotlight at that moment.  Everyone’s potential rises when we choose to celebrate each other’s success! Through dance, and through each other’s wins, our students can see that each one of them has the power to achieve new goals.  

It’s affirming to see the scientific proof that being interconnected with each other, within our studio ecosystem, allows our students to thrive in dance and in life.  And we will continue to encourage this interconnectivity with the way our dancers complement each other’s strengths and work as a team during class. As Achor says in his book, pursuing greater potential and achieving success must not be a solo journey: “The conclusion of a decade of research is clear: It’s not faster alone; it’s better together.”

We couldn’t agree more, and we’re proud to raise up our dancers with this mindset!  Let’s hit the ground running this new year and do better together, even if when socially distant. 🙂

– Ms. Julie

It’s no surprise that anxiety is rampant among tweens and teens these days—there have been so many unpredictable and stressful moments in their lives. From the cancellation of important events last spring to the adjustments surrounding school, family, and their social lives, our children have been facing numerous challenges that none of us could have anticipated!

At SDC, we’ve noticed that some dancers readily express their anxiety in class, often seeking support from their friends and teachers. Others remain quiet, preferring to keep their emotions to themselves. While we would never assume to know a student’s health history, we can’t help but see that more dancers than ever, each in their own way, seem more preoccupied with their worries.

Our observations appear to be confirmed by evidence-based research: Prior to the pandemic, the National Institute of Mental Health noted that 38% of girls experienced an anxiety disorder in their teen years. Then, last summer, the American Psychological Association conducted a study that showed 43% of teens felt their stress level had increased because of the pandemic. Those two facts taken together can only mean one thing: The uptick in anxiety we see in our kids is very real.

We understand that as dance teachers, we’re not equipped to diagnose a child or provide therapy. But we also know that dance itself can be very therapeutic. By its very nature, dance is allowing our students to release their emotions into movement. It’s offering them a way to connect with their peers and their role models, even if it’s behind a mask or from a physical distance. Their dance training—even when produced differently than usual—gives them a safe space to project their feelings and affirms that they’re still being held to high standards.

With this in mind, at Studio Dance Centre, we are committed to supporting our students with dance classes that serve their whole health—mind and body. Our teachers are trained to sense when their students may need more than technique class; perhaps today is a day where the dancers need to center themselves by learning a new breathing technique, or tomorrow will be a day that everyone enjoys a much-needed laugh with a change in the class playlist (holiday tunes, anyone?). Seemingly small moments like these are actually big opportunities to help our students feel secure, grounded, and loved.

We recognize that our dancers’ well-being is more than meets the eye, and it’s vital that we pay attention to their mental health as well as their physical health. Connection is more than just showing up—it’s the bridge we build to lift our dancers up. And it’s how we help them exceed expectations, even during tough times. Our dancers are growing exponentially on this life journey during a pandemic, and we’re here to support them at each step!

– Ms. Julie

You hear a lot these days about social-emotional development in children, especially how important it is for building empathy and meaningful relationships. Social-emotional skills equip our kids with the tools they need to manage their emotions, make friends, and connect to other people on a deeper level. It’s a crucial foundation to their whole health—and a challenge in today’s world!

But it’s a challenge that can still be met, particularly here at SDC. A dancer’s learning environment plays a key role in this growth; it gives them an opportunity to build confidence in these skills while simultaneously building their physical skills. Their hearts, minds, and bodies are literally working together.

Here are just a few highlights of how we’re helping your children with their social-emotional building blocks:

Working together as a team. Although we now physically distanced teamwork is still a key part of the class experience. For example, with our younger dancers, we emphasize taking turns and cheering each other on. With our more experienced dancers, rhythmic timing and transitions depend heavily on cues from each other. All of our dancers are learning to respect their peers, and to appreciate everyone’s contribution to the energy in the room.

Using eye contact and hand gestures. With masks in place, eye contact has become an integral part of making social-emotional connections. Psychology tells us that we relate better and form more meaningful conversations when we make eye contact with others, and it’s as true in dance as it is anywhere else! Our “conversations” may be more movement-based, but our moments of eye contact are equally necessary. Hand gestures, too, support those connections—almost like having a secret dance class language! Whether they realize it or not, our dancers are building empathy through these small efforts.

Offering an outlet of creative expression. Managing emotions can be tough at any age, at any time, but for our kids during a pandemic, it can be extra difficult. Dance class has proven to be a beneficial place to channel stress, anxiety, or sadness—as well as joy and happiness! Instead of keeping their feelings bottled up, our dancers can express themselves through both technique and creative movement. Dance gives them a healthy way to let their emotions out, even—or especially—if they don’t feel like talking.

Social-emotional skills are an essential part of growing up, whether your child is four or fourteen. Dance has a way of helping all our dancers feel like they belong, and that they share a common bond with their peers. We’re proud that Studio Dance Centre can give them the chance to develop these skills in a safe, encouraging space.

– Ms. Julie