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SPREADING KINDNESS IN THE NEW YEAR 

A lot of the new year is focused on ways to improve ourselves, and what a better way to do just that than by spreading kindness. You never know how far you small acts can go for someone else! 

Below we will dive into 3 simple ways to spreed kindness this year❤️

 

LET SOMEONE KNOW YOU APPRECIATE THEM!

Words hold a lot of power. All it takes is a few simple words to lift someone’s day. Your friends and family know you love them, but hearing it more often will never be a bad thing. That goes for other people that you come across in your every day life as well. Whether it’s barista or your teacher at school let them know you appreciate the task they have done for you in that moment, or just in general. The 💪🏼 behind a “THANK YOU” is immense!

 

DO A FAVOR WITHOUT ASKING FOR ANYTHING IN RETURN 

Think of someone who goes above and beyond for you. Could be a parent or guardian. The teachers you see everyday or an older sibling. They do many things for you because they truly care. What could you do for them? Something that makes their day easier of course! You can make sure you room at home or work space as school is always clean. It could alleviate some of their everyday stressors, and give them one less thing to worry about. If you are the older sibling try helping out with your smallest family member once in a while. Any big or small task to make the day easier for the person you care about will go further than you may think. The 🔑 is NOT as for something in return for the favor you gave!

 

SMILE 

Look people in the eyes when you give them a grin. This is such a simple way to spread kindness, and it’s another freebie! Be generous with your smile and put feeling into it. Smile at cashiers, waiters and baristas, mail carriers, and other people you come in contact with. This easy gesture can brighten people’s day. ☀️

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It is almost the New Year which means it’s time to set some new goals for yourself for 2023!

Here are some habits for your dancer to incorporate into their new season of life and dance.

Roll Out!

Foam roller, marshmallow stick, or tennis ball. Give yourself ten minutes after class or rehearsal to break up the fascia in your body. Your muscles will thank you!

Say no to inflammation.

Dancers’ bodies are sensitive to inflammation, so it’s a good idea to incorporate some anti-inflammatory foods into your diet.

The chances are that some of these foods are already familiar to you: almonds, green tea, and blueberries, for example. You can find out more here.

(https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation)

Cross train

If you don’t already, cross-training can make a big difference in your dancing. Popular regimes for dancers include pilates, yoga and swimming. Check our some of our teacher tip videos for some guidance! 

Below are some technical goals for your dancers to set for themselves this New Year!

  1. Break your habit of hopping in your turns.
  2. Improve your balance.
  3. Jump smarter – knees over toes, deep plié.
  4. Get your hips square consistently.
  5. Improve your turnout, either flexibility-wise or in your dancing.

Here are some artistic goals that your dancer can look to strive for in the New Year! 

  1. Get more comfortable with improv.
  2. Make a habit of using your eyes, not looking at the floor.
  3. Improve your transitions to get that “graceful” look.
  4. Get better at showing different emotions through movement.
  5. Improve your musicality.

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HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY AS A DANCER

Dance is physically demanding on top of it being fun. Taking care of your body should be your number one priority. Without taking care of yourself dance becomes harder, and leaves more space for injury. Here are some ways to take care of your body throughout the day and dance season. 

HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE!💦

Water is a must-have when doing any and all physical activities. Dancers will need to drink water more frequently. Within one class a dancer can lose up 2 liters of water. YIKES! 

Fluids are especially important after class and rehearsal, but make sure to steer clear of carbonated drinks and fruit juice. Drinking tons of fluids is a simple and easy way to take care of your body as a dancer.

WARM UP YOUR BODY AND STAY WARM🌤

Every dance teacher will start your class with a warm up, and that is for a reason. A solid warm up helps your muscles become less stiff, and less prone to straining something. 

In addition, it’s also important to stay warm while you’re not dancing. If you decide to take a break and wait on the side, make sure to cover up so your body doesn’t get cold and do a quick warm-up before you go back on.

DON’T SKIP STRENGTH TRAINING 🚫

Dance itself is a strenuous physical activity, but keeping up with strength training will only help you improve as a dancer. 

In a previous blog we went in depths on the importance of strength training! 🔗

NURISH YOUR BODY! 🌯

Once again dance is an extremely physical activity, and you can’t run on zero! Making sure you eat enough is one side of it. On top eating enough the food you consume while dancing needs to be something that will give you energy, and is healthy. The food you eat before class is essential. When choosing what you are having make sure there is protein, carbohydrates, and/or healthy fats. Also you can NEVER go wrong with fruits and veggies on the side! 

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY👂

Neglect of a sickness or injury can end up bringing a dancers season to a halt. Don’t be afraid to see a doctor or physical therapist about recurring or frequent pain. Sitting out of a few rehearsals or taking a sick day is better than having a serious sickness or injury put you out for a long time. 

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Over the last couple of weeks we have gone through styles of dance offered here at the studio! This week we will briefing the history of dance from our blogs as well as other styles, and the order in which each style of dance came to the forefront of history. 

Ballet: Origin Years- 1400’s

Ballet is a formalized form of dance with it’s origins in the Italian Renaissance courts of 15th and 16th centuries. Ballet spread from Italy to France with the help of Catherine de’ Medici, where ballet developed even further under her aristocratic influence.

Bharatnatyam: Origin Years- 1500’s 

Bharatanatyam is one of the oldest and most popular forms of classical dance that originated in Tanjore district in Tamil Nadu in South India. The origin of this dance can be traced to the sage Bharata Muni’s Natyasastra.

Modern: Origin Years- 1800’s

Modern dance is a broad genre of western concert or theatrical dance, primarily arising out of Germany and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Modern dance is often considered to have emerged as a rejection of, or rebellion against classical ballet.

Waltz: Origin Years- 1830’s

This form was established in the 1830s by Joseph Lanner and the elder Johann Strauss, and from then the waltz was particularly associated with Vienna, although it was popular throughout Europe.

Jazz: Origin Years- 1900’s

Jazz dancing, and it’s steps and style, originated from the dancing of African Americans that were brought to America as slaves. Later it was brought from vernacular to theatrical.

Tap Dancing Origin Years- 1920’s 

Tap dancing has evolved considerably to become the art form we know today. Before there were tap shoes, dancers wore soft shoes, or clogs. Tap dancing originated as Juba, a kind of dance practiced by African Americans that were brought over to America. It melded with Irish dancing and continued to alter as it encountered the influence of jazz dance.

Salsa: Origin Years- 1930’s

Salsa represents a mix of Latin musical genres, but its primary component is Cuban dance music. The roots of salsa originated in Eastern Cuba and Afro-Cuban dance like Afro-Cuban rumba.

Contemporary: Origin Years- 1940’s

Although originally informed by and borrowing from classical, modern, and jazz styles, it has since come to incorporate elements from many styles of dance. Due to its technical similarities, it is often perceived to be closely related to modern dance, ballet, and other classical concert dance styles.

Hip Hop: Origin Years- 1970’s

Hip-hop dance refers to street dance styles primarily performed to hip-hop music or that have evolved as part of hip-hop culture. It includes a wide range of styles primarily breaking which was created in the 1970s and made popular by dance crews in the United States.

As we see dance comes in many forms!

Human beings have been expressing themselves through movement since the beginning of time. With that the earliest historical records showing the origins of dance are cave paintings in India dating to about 8000 BCE. As well as Egyptian tomb paintings can also be seen depicting dance in about 3300 BCE.

Dance and movement have always been a way of life.