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Back To Dance

ARE YOU READY FOR THE SEASON AHEAD!

IF YOU’VE ALREADY FOUND YOUR CLASS WE WANT TO REMIND YOU 3 TIPS TO STAY ON POINTE! 

1. Find Your Focus
Embrace the fun, double-check those dance schedules and get ready to adjust to busier weeks spent ferrying dance-loving kiddos to and from classes.

2. Be Prepared
Double check your ‘what to wear list’ and make sure your dancer is prepared with all the right clothes, and hair for class! Showing up dressed appropriately for each class sets your child up for success.

3. Fuel up
If you’re heading straight to dance after school, pack your snacks in advance. Food is fuel, and the key to performing you’re best in class. A dancer full of nutrition is a happy dancer ready to take on a day/night full of classes.

IF YOU’RE STILL TRYING TO FIND A CLASS BEST SUITED FOR YOUR DANCER – LET US HELP YOU! 

Choosing a style for you dancer can seem daunting, but we hope we can help guide you in the direction that best suits your child. The style or discipline of dance your child should begin learning is ballet. If your child finds ballet colorless then starting with a class such as; jazz, hip hop or tap is perfect! Why ballet? Ballet creates the foundation and strength for movement. It teaches kids how to point their toes, and how use their arms guided with technique, develop flexibility, increase balance and strength which are key in all other types of dancing.

If your child is interested in learning hip hop, jazz or, tap? It is important that your dancer is interested in what they are learning. The more interest they hold the more motivated to improve. That being so if they love dancing to more upbeat music a hip hop or jazz class might be more beneficial for them to develop their love of dance first.
Here are some other styles of dance that we offer that you may be unfamiliar with.

WHAT IS CONTEMPORARY?
Contemporary dance is a style of expressive dance that combines elements of several dance genres including modern, jazz, lyrical, classical ballet and even hip-hop. Contemporary dancers strive to connect the mind and body through their movement.
BENEFITS: Expressive and emotional outlet, self confidence, body and spacial awareness, strength, endurance.

WHAT IS  MUSICAL THEATRE?
This fun class combines upbeat, stylized movement with proper technique. Jazz dance is based on ballet principles with each class consisting of a warm-up using isolated movements, across the floor progressions, and current choreography all set to age appropriate music. Emphasis and high focus will also be placed on musical interpretation, and learning performance skills such as connecting with the audience and telling a story through dance and facial expressions, along with character building.  We highly recommend this class for all young dancers especially those who love to perform wherever they go. 
BENEFITS: Self confidence, coordination, strength, flexibility, endurance.

WHAT IS POM PEP PREP?
Is a beginner pom class for 8-11 year old students that teaches sharp movements with poms, which blends jazz technique, turns, and leaps with strong arm positions. This exciting class will consist of cheer and dance team technique including pirouettes, toe touches, leaps, pom placement, safe stunts and more. Pom Pep Prep is not a cheer class, but rather a dance class that teaches dance combinations to integrate into pom squad routines.  Students will learn several sideline and pom routines through the season to help them prepare for a cheer and/or dance team future. These pre-choreographed routines will help prepare your child for future performances on the sidelines – or the end of the year recital! Complete with poms, bow, sparkles, and more – This class will be a fun and perfect fit for your aspiring dance team member or cheerleader!
BENEFITS: Team building, showmanship, precision, coordination, strength, endurance and self confidence

WHAT IS  HIP HOP (NINJAS)?
This class if for those high energy movers and shakers that are always ready to show-off their latest moves, and in the mood to hop + bop around with new tumbles + tricks. It combines the basics of hip hop (only age appropriate movement and music – we promise!) with basic acrobatic and tumbling skills. Dancers will perform a hip hop dance in the year-end-recital.
BENEFITS: Self confidence, coordination, strength, flexibility, endurance

No matter the style of dance you and your child choose we can assure they will have loads of fun, and learn lessons they will carry with them beyond the classroom.
We cannot wait to see you all in the studio again, and have another year full of dancing!

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July Blog Series: Summer Self-care Essentials, Pt. 1: MOVEMENT

We’re half-way through the summer, and even though school’s out, life certainly hasn’t slowed down. Packed with vacations, summer camps, parties, and outdoor activities, summertime can be one of the busiest, most active time of the year- and also, the hottest. These elements combined have a powerful effect on the body, which makes practicing self care during this season not only paramount, but also, potentially life-saving.

This is where our new July blog series steps in: Summer Self-Care Essentials. Each week, we highlight an area of health & wellness to inspire you to connect with your physical wellbeing and ultimately, ensure that your ideal “summer bod” is one that is balanced, nourished, and healthy.

But first, let’s take a look at how the hotter temperature during summer months can affect our bodies.

As humans, its built into our biological make-up to experience physical changes alongside seasonal ones. While winter time is the more severe season on average, summer offers its own set of challenges for our physiological climate to accommodate, including changes to the functionality of the heart, lungs, gastrointestinal and nervous systems. Due to the increase in temperature, studies suggest our bodies are more vulnerable to dehydration, heat stroke, decreased lung function, and, especially, an impaired mental state with summer months usually boasting more admissions to the ER for mental healthcare services than winter.

Keeping this in mind, let’s jump into this week’s first summer self-care essential: MOVEMENT.  
No matter the time of year, implementing a physical activity into one’s self-care routine empowers one to have awareness of and take responsibility for one’s physical wellbeing. Depending on the activity, integral functions of the body, such as the cardiovascular, nervous, and respiratory systems, are engaged, leading to benefits like stronger muscles, reduced stress, increased mobility, and the release of certain brain chemicals- like endorphins- which promote positive feelings and also combat depression.

 

Without further ado, let’s dive into some summer movement tips for your summer self-care routine:
  • Hydrate- Before, during, and after your workout, be sure to drink water! Its our number 1 tip for a reason. As mentioned above, when the environment warms up, it makes the body more vulnerable to heat related afflictions that can take a serious, sometimes fatal toll on our bodies. Among a number of benefits, water helps regulate body temperature, maintain blood pressure, protects joints during movement, prevents dehydration, and boosts energy to stave off lethargy.*More on water and it’s benefits in our next blog post, but keep reading along for more movement related tips below!*
  • Cool off- Consider indoor/outdoor activities that will not only help you break a sweat, but will also keep you cool. Below are a few of our favorites:
    Indoor activities: dance class, barre classes, yoga, pilates, gymnastics, strength training at a gym, stationary bike, treadmill, indoor rock climbing, racquet ball, basketball, at-home workout
    Outdoor activities: swimming, surfing, hiking, walking/running, jump-roping, soccer, baseball, softball, golfing, cycling, inline skating, skateboarding
  • Slow down- No need to stack your routine with long, high intensity workouts to achieve your summer fitness goals. The one thing you DO NOT want to do is overexert yourself.
    To start, try peppering your workout routine with shorter, lower intensity exercises to accommodate both the physiological and seasonal change (see above for ideas and inspiration). It’s usually recommended to commit to 20-30 mins, 3 x a week, and practice consistency in whatever activity you choose to do.
    Also, consider dedicating 5 -10 min of your routine specifically to cooling down after exercising; this helps with easing your body back into a regulated state by decreasing the heart rate, expanding your intake of oxygen, and enhancing relaxation.
Hope you enjoyed the first of our Summer Self-Care Essentials series! Stay tuned for next week’s post, and be sure you’re signed up to receive our newsletter, so you don’t miss a beat!

Before Recital Day

  • Double check your email for your personal instructions for the day

 It contains ALL the information you need, like what to bring, theatre + ticket info, drop-off/pick-up details, etc.

  • Set aside everything you need

Gather costumes, tights, shoes, accessories, make-up, and hair styling tools, etc and put them in a place you won’t forget them.  Don’t forget your vaccination cards & masks too. That way, it’s easy to find everything you need and there will (hopefully) be no last-minute rush the day of to look for something you forgot.

  • Rest up

As dancers, it’s imperative that our bodies + minds feel rested and ready to take the stage on recital day. Set aside extra wind down time the night before to give your body the chance to relax and regulate before all the excitement! Here are our favorite ways to wind down: reading, listening to relaxing music, journaling, and meditation (see our Mindful Blog Post series)

On Recital Day

  • Do a health screening

At this point, we all know the drill, but we want to reiterate that if you’re feeling unwell or have any symptoms of being sick on the day of the recital to please stay home. There will be many more recitals to come, and we look forward to sharing the stage again when it does.

  • Hydrate and eat a healthy meal before your showtime

Eating the right foods and drinking water plays an important role in your dancer’s overall recital experience. As dancers, we know the importance of taking care of our bodies, and that certain foods will help maintain our energy level, regulate our moods, and improve our performance when it’s time to dance on stage. Dancers should avoid sugary foods & drinks that contribute to energy crashes and mood swings, and instead opt for protein-rich, nutritious foods and drinks like, eggs, meat, nuts, and your favorite fruits & veggies.

  • Arrive early

Nothing takes the magic out of recital day like a late arrival and the stress of not knowing if you’re too late to participate. Save the theatre’s address in your phone, check the ETA early on the day of, and plan to leave extra time for yourself to account for traffic, parking, dropping off you dancer, checking into the theatre, picking up bouquets (if you ordered one), not to mention socializing and saying hi to all your dance friends & families!

  • Pack extras

After countless recitals, there are bound to be dancers and staff in need of extra: safety pins, bobby pins, hairspray, hair ties, deodorant (for our older dancers), underwear (for younger dancers), bandaids, hand sanitizer, and face masks. Sending you dancer with these extra items in their bag will set them up to handle whatever comes their way that day!

  • Enjoy the moment
The recital is our studio’s biggest celebration of the year, and we intend on making it as memorable as ever! However, that does not mean you need to be glued to your device or watch your dancer perform through your screen. While we LOVE seeing your personal photos and videos, rest assured, our professional photographers and videographers will be capturing all the magic moments in store, both on stage and off. All you need to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!

After last week’s blog post, 3 Ways to Encourage Mindfulness in Dance Class, we figured, the more mindful, the merrier!

Here are 3 MORE ways you can infuse your class with a dose of mindfulness:

Tense + Release Exercise – Have your students lie flat on their backs and close their eyes. Encourage them to notice their breath, bringing awareness to their present senses. Working up from the toes to the face muscles, guide your dancers through gently tightening different muscle groups for 5 seconds at a time and then slowly releasing after. Your dancers should feel more relaxed, centered, and prepared to take on whatever you have planned for class!
Belly Breathing– Among many benefits, breath-work has been proven to assist in regulating the nervous system, decreasing stress, and resetting one’s mental state. Our favorite way to incorporate it into class is by imagining our bellies as balloons. Have your dancers stand or sit in a comfortable position and close their eyes. Encourage them to sit tall and elongate their spine. Then have them imagine their bellies as a big balloons they’re slowly filling up with air. When their balloon is full, have them hold it for a moment, then slowly release and let the air all the way out.
Five Senses Safari– This is a fun one, especially for your younger classes! It activates the imagination and encourages awareness. When you feel like your class needs a reset, take them on a 1 minute safari. Set your timer and ask them connect with each of their senses. If you’re going to go on safari, you need to keep your awareness and stay present in the moment. As they silently walk around the room with you, set a calming scene for them to explore, being specific about the imaginary environment’s details. What are you seeing? What are you hearing? Do you smell anything? Can you feel anything? What snack did you pack for safari and how good does it taste? Because before you know it, the timer will be up and it’ll be time to head back to class with all the mindful tools we picked up from our adventure.

Pro-tip: We recommend setting extra time for yourself to transition out of your scene and get dancers back to class mode.

May is Mental Health Awareness month. To help encourage more advocation for mental health support within the dance community, give this article a save, repost, or share to any of your favorite platforms. Follow us on Instagram @reachforthebarresla for more dance tips, tricks, and tutu cute content 🫶