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5 Benefits of Taking Class Together!

Some of the BEST memories are made on a dance floor together! As we celebrate Bring Your Person to Class (BYPTC) at the studio soon, it got us reflecting on how special it is to share dance with loved ones- something our Mini & Me classes get to do every week! In this article, we aim to explore the ways dancing together, whether its in BYPTC week or a weekly Mini & Me class, benefit both the adult and the child.

Below, we share 5 benefits both you and your mini me will gain from taking class together:

  1. Bonding + Quality Time – Carving out special dance time together helps facilitate and support the adult + child connection. When you commit to following through on taking class together, you enforce the promise you made to share in something intentionally special for you two, increasing trust, strengthening your bond, and promoting consistency, which is essential to motor and mental development.
  2. Developing Mental and Motor Skills– Speaking of motor and mental development- dance class is an optimal approach to achieving and supporting healthy bodies. Studies show that both adults and children benefit from dance classes, and some benefits include increased brain function, memory retention, and strengthening muscles, among many others. Scroll through to see our post entitled, “5 Ways Children Benefit from Dance Classes“ for more!
  3. Socializing– Dancing together is a wonderful way to connect to the community and make new friends. Through sharing the experience of class together, your dancer will explore creating friendships for the first time, while you are able to connect with other adults on all things childcare, dance, and more! For many, the connections and friendships built in class can be lasting, positive relationships that extend beyond dance and widen the net of support for families, caregivers, and students.
  4. Expression– Dancing holds the power to unlock and release emotions in a healthy, mindful, and creative way. For both adults and children, who each deal with their own daily stressors and challenges, the act of coming together on the dance floor can empower both parties to explore their expression in a conducive way. The effects of this expression can have an overall positive impact on one’s own sense of happiness as well as the relationships and friendships within one’s own circle.
  5. Develop Independence– You’ve heard the expression: “Monkey see, monkey do”? The same is true for dancing together! While initially you may wonder how dancing with someone could result in increased independence, we’ve found that with the assistance of their adult in class, dancers are excited to watch, learn, and model moves and class expectations exhibited by their adult. Ultimately, this will encourage them to make similar choices in class on their own. Over time and with consistency, dancers will see a boost in their confidence and autonomy on the dance floor, allowing adults to be able to sit back more and let loose in their own way.

    Whether you come for BYPTC week or to one of our weekly Mini & Me classes, we’re thrilled to provide the opportunity for families to connect through dance here at Reach For The Barres! Hope to see you AND your dancer in the studio soon!

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Party Mode On!

You’re cordially invited to attend the parties of the Summer!

 

With imaginative, original themes, like Into the Fun-known and Minnie Mouse Dress Up House, each one of our newest Pirouette + Play Dance Parties celebrates the joy of movement, creativity, and fun!

Below, we share four more things we already love about Pirouette + Play Dance Parties:

  • P+P Parties combine the magic of dance class with the fun of camp in a festive two hour party!
  • P+P Parties have all the party essentials: games, crafts, and – of course – dancing!
  • P+P Parties provide an open, welcoming space for dancers to express themselves!
  • P+P Parties are the perfect place for nurturing new friends or making new memories with old ones!

RSVP for four P+P Parties by May 1st and receive an Early Bird Discount on ALL four parties. Plus, you’ll  receive one of our Party Punchcard with your purchase!

Boogie into as many of our Pirouette + Play Dance Parties as you can make it to and keep your tiny dancer moving & grooving all summer long! With so much fun in store, we can’t wait to get these parties started! For more details, view our party page HERE.

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5 Ways Children Benefit from Dance Classes

Thinking about dance lessons for your child?
Here are 5 benefits to enrolling them in classes:

  1. Dancing promotes physical health– Dancing is an active, fun way to educate your kids about their physical health. In a single class, dancers learn about their bodies, hone gross motor skills, strengthen muscles, increase stamina, decrease stress levels, and experience firsthand the benefits of committing to an active lifestyle.
  2. Dancing supports cognitive development– Studies have shown that introducing dance to children results in healthy brain function and development. With consistency, dance classes have the capacity to improve mental agility, focus, memory, musicality, and spatial reasoning.
  3. Dancing encourages self-expression– Through movement, dancers are free to express themselves and connect to their authenticity. Classes provide a safe space for dancers to release stored emotions, offering a constructive outlet for big feelings. Exploring movement in this way empowers dancers to intuitively connect to their own personal freedom, creativity, and sense of self.
  4. Dancing creates community– One small step onto the dance floor can result in one giant leap in a child’s social-emotional development. By learning how to share space, take turns, treat others with respect, and build trust through cooperation and communication, dancers nurture important social skills in class, which allows social anxieties to soften and friendships to flourish.
  5. Dancing instills important life skills– The lessons of dance are neither limited to a classroom environment nor simplified to synchronized steps. On the contrary, lessons learned in dance class directly equip children with essential life tools, such as perseverance, determination, cooperation, humility, trust, and belief in oneself.
All in all, dance is a fun and creative way for kids to learn a new skill, while enhancing the well-being of their minds, bodies, and hearts. Jumpstart your child’s growth by enrolling in dance classes today!

TAKE A PEEK AT OUR SUMMER OPTIONS, IF YOU’RE READY TO ENROLL NOW!

Thanksgiving Teacher Feature: Miss Beatriz

Miss Beatriz Says –

1.) Favorite tradition and/or part of Thanksgiving?

Having Sibsgiving with Malu, our best friend and her brother. Sadly, won’t happen this year, but it’s still my fave. =)

2.) Favorite and least favorite food on Thanksgiving?
  • Favorite food: Green bean casserole and stuffing!
  • Least favorite food: It’s a tie, Cranberry Sauce + Pumpkin Pie

3.) Who is someone you’re thankful for and why?
My family for always being there for me, my therapist for helping me through literally everything, and my awesome boss, who is the best leader

4.) Three things you’re grateful for daily?
  • Grateful for Cheerios
  • FaceTime
  • My job
Extra: Any funny/special stories from Thanksgiving’s past?
I don’t, but only because I started celebrating this holiday when I moved here from Brazil.