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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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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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THANKSGIVING DANCE GAMES

TURKEY GAMES TO PLAY WITH YOUR DANCER AT HOME 

Game 1: In the style of Simon Says

Spread the players across the room.

Have them listen for “Gobble Gobble Turkey Says!” before doing any dance moves.

This is a great game to help keep your child’s understanding of the terminology over break while having some fun.

Here are some terminology suggestions:

Ballet Terms:
Plie
Tendu
Releve

Jazz Terms:
Chasse
Ball change
Kick

Or you can make it more Thanksgiving themed:
Hug a friend or Move like a Turkey

No matter what dance move you shout, be sure that “Gobble Gobble Turkey Says” to do the dance move!

Game 2: In the style of Mother May I
Line all the kids up in a straight line behind a jump rope. They must ask “Gobble Gobble Turkey May I” if they can do a dance move to advance forward.

EXAMPLE:
“Gobble Gobble Turkey may I do three hops forwards?”

Gobble Gobble Turkey says yes or no. If no they must give the dancer a better option:
“No you may not, but you may do 3 frog hops forwards!”

Before the dancer can do their dance move they must repeat “Gobble Gobble Turkey May I?”
If they don’t, they cannot do their dance move til the next round.
The person who makes it to Gobble Gobble Turkey first should win a prize!

 

    The style of hip-hop dance, like hip-hop itself, is sometimes a bit hard to define. Lots of styles have developed in and around the genre, and many people have very strong opinions on what is and isn’t a part of the style.

FUNDAMENTALS

As hip-hop developed as a musical form through natural variations made by new artists and DJs, a language arose with it. The fundamentals of hip-hop became the pillars of it’s migration as a distinct music form in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. These four recognized fundamentals–emceeing (rapping), deejaying (spinning), graffiti, and breakdancing–became the essential pillars of the genre.

FROM THE STREETS

One of the most recognizable components of hip hop it’s origin in black and Latin neighborhoods, particularly the Bronx, in New York City in the 1970s. The music and art found there was something spontaneous and generated by human interaction rather than codified rules and academic processes. “Street dances’” were just that, parties and groups of people developing moves together to the emerging beat-based music of the era.

IN THE CLASSROOM

Because it developed massive popularity outside of academic settings, hip-hop music and the style of dance soon saw a reaction from the music industry. More stylized forms of commercial dance, like jazz-funk, started appearing in music videos and television. These commercial styles helped propel hip-hop dance into the mainstream.

WHAT REALLY IS HIP HOP?

Hip Hop isn’t just just one unique style, like krumping, breaking, or popping and locking. It’s a mix of all of those styles and many more. It’s an approach to choreography that is in tune with the beats and grooves of the music without being limited by specific characteristics. Hip-hop is a world of moves and styles which have been built into the choreographer’s tool belt. It’s a celebration from the birth of street dancing all the way to full domination of hip-hop in commercial and artistic spaces everywhere. It’s a visual language of hip-hop culture. To put it simply, hip-hop dance is a world of movement and visual styles that are now forever associated with hip-hop music and can be used by any choreographer and dancer as a celebration.

FAMOUS HIP HOP DANCERS

Michael Jackson

He is highly regarded as the King of Pop, however, a lot of his dance moves find their origin in hip-hop dance. He married hip-hop dance styles with funk, soul and electric boogaloo to create a unique blend of pop, and hip-hop worthy dance. His style is revered worldwide for its uniqueness and fashion.

Les Twins

The Les Twins are identical brothers of French descent. They are recognized internationally for their new style hip-hop talents. They have won several hip-hop awards including the World of Dance in 2010. They’ve been highlighted on BET, Good Morning America, the Ellen DeGeneres Show and have worked with people like Beyoncé, Kanye West and Timberland.

Parris Goebel

Emmy Award winning Choreographer, Dancer, Singer, Director, and Actress. She is the founder and main choreographer of the Dance Studio “The Palace Dance Studio”, which has produced group ‘The Royal Family’. Which has won World Hip Hop Dance Championship three times in a row, becoming the first group in history to achieve it. She has worked with the likes of Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Jennifer Lopez, Ciara, and many more.