Thursday, December 2, 2010

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GODDARD SCHOOL-INDIAN TRAIL

Congratulations to Charlotte-Meck.'s School of the Month, The Goddard School in Indian Trail. They just added our program this fall and loving it. We feel so welcomed by the staff every week, even though we may have to take over their classroom. We had a great time this week getting into the spirit of the holiday's with our Reindeer Prances and Wooden Soldier Marches. The dancers at The Goddard School were so excited about their soldier red cheeks they kept them on to show their teachers after class. Oh, the excitement and magic of this time of year. How FUN!!

Tatiana loves the class and I love seeing her moves when she comes home! - Kiana B. Goddard School Parent

Monday, November 22, 2010

Things to be Thankful For!








How quickly the fall has seemed to breeze on by! Thanksgiving is fast approaching and it is such a beautiful time of year.

This month during classes we were in a Thanksgiving wonderland! We 'painted' what we're thankful for using large body movements, shared a Thanksgiving dinner together, and even danced in a reservation! While spending this month celebrating Thanksgiving the students helped me reflect on and realize all that we have to be thankful for! Here are a couple of examples from class:

"I'm thankful that my Mommy cooks dinner. Daddy only cooks Spaghetti-o's."

"I'm thankful that my sister has her own Buzz Lightyear." Me, "Why's that?" "Because now she doesn't try to put mine in dresses!"

"I'm thankful that I have slippers that keep my toes warm."

"I'm thankful for the Secret Dancing Place." Me, "Fantastic! Why?" "Because I like getting there on an ambulance. Mom never lets me ride in one!"

I learned we can be thankful for EVERYTHING in our lives. Not only friends and family, the arts, and happy memories ... but our favorite Buzz Lightyear toys and the fact that our Mom's cook! As long as it makes us happy, we better be thankful for it.

Happy Thanksgiving!


Monday, October 25, 2010

Balance, Flexibility, and Coordination


What an amazing month October has turned out to be! Our students have LOVED the classes and have had so much fun they haven't even noticed how their balance, flexibility, and coordination have improved! It's spectacular to see the growth of students, and their growth is abundantly clear in just a couple of the moves we learned this month. Let's take one student for example:

During our first lesson in October we learned how to stretch our arms and legs while balancing on our bottoms. We stretch out, say, "Hello!" and then crumple up into a ball saying, "Goodbye!" all while balancing on our bottoms. Needless to say this is pretty tough for young ones. It not only requires balance, flexibility, and coordination but the heavy use of their abdominal muscles. During our first class she rested on her arms, rolled onto her back, and continued to touch her feet to the ground for stability. We kept at it though! After a couple of weeks of practice, continued encouragement, and reminders of what our muscles should feel like while balancing she now is able to do the stretch beautifully while balancing, all while pointing her toes!! Isn't the picture above just beautiful! Fantastic job!!

It's great achievements like this that prove how important it is to keep on trying! Our students learn this important lesson during class and are able to transcribe it to their every day lives. Giving up is not an option. Not in dance class and definitely not during their school work. We teach not only balance, flexibility, and coordination but life skills that will continue to shine through in each of our students' lives!

I can't wait for November and all of the great times it will bring us!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Happy Fall!

Happy Fall from the Philly Region! Our classes are underway and it is so great to see all of our returning dancers and to meet all of our new dancers! There is nothing better than seeing returning students who are so excited to start class and who spread that enthusiasm to the new students joining us!

One of our favorite activities by far this month is our Hansel and Gretel story! Our little ones love "cleaning" our classroom and then going out and playing and dancing in the woods. We are noticing a lot of fun fall stuff in our journeys through the woods. One of our little boys noticed how all of the leaves were changing and falling all over the forest. He also told us to be very careful while we were dancing so we didn't slip on any of the leaves and fall down! We also are learning to be very, very sneaky and quiet as we tip-toe up to the candy house and munch on some of our favorite candies!

We are also finding out this month how important it is to warm up our muscles before we begin dancing. Our little ones are learning how to sit up "straighto greato" and follow along as we stretch out our muscles and warm up before we start dancing. We love riding our bicycles in the air and walking the tightrope with tiptoes!

Our students are all looking forward to Halloween and trick-or-treating at the end of the month. They have been "painting" pictures with their imaginations of their costumes and fun Halloween things like candy and carving pumpkins. We have also done our good-bye dance at the end of class with everyone dancing like their costumes have come to life! What a fun mix of princesses, fairies, super heroes, and animals! Our dancers really know how to use their imaginations and make creative dances to go along with whatever our theme is for the month!!

Happy Fall Everyone!!
-Ashley O'Neill

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Going Batty for the Fall!

Classes are underway in Northern Virginia and we are off to a great start! I always enjoy the beginning of a new session; getting to meet new friends and giving hugs to the returning students.

This a great time to start with the basics of dance- good placement, balance, and foot positions-and our dancers are doing a great job! Its so nice to see dancers on their carpet squares with perfect "straighto greato" backs and showing great body placement. I especially love when I am reminded to sit "straighto greato" by one of my students.

Even though we are working hard on establishing techniques, we are always enhancing our creative thinking. Our students love closing their eyes and using their bodies to paint beautiful pictures. Its great to see them really concentrate on painting to the music. They are also doing a great job, using their bodies to make shapes at "The Shape Shop". We are having fun with everything, but the most fun so far is the "Batty Bat Dance"; our dancers are having such a great time putting on their bat wings, flying like bats and of course doing bat hops! This is a great dance and a fun way to learn to count in threes. With dances like this, its no wonder we are going Batty for the fall!

We are looking forward to learning more dance moves and getting ready for the holidays!!

Happy Fall!
~Miss Jenn~

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Greetings from Central New York!

What a fantastic fall we're having here in New York! The leaves are all changing bright reds, oranges, and yellows ... just gorgeous! The new program is up and running with some absolutely wonderful students! I must say I already see the benefit of the program with a couple of the little ones and would love to share one story!

One of our little ones happens to be very shy. In the first class she did not want to participate at all. It was even hard to get a smile! Five weeks in and she's now participating, and I must say her technique is fantastic! Her school teachers have informed me that she has been dancing in her classroom between lessons and reaching out to more children since she started with LPCW. How amazing and rewarding!

We're so excited for October and the new centers that are signing on. We look forward to many more stories like this one!

Happy dancing! Happy fall!

Monday, October 11, 2010

Greenville, NC Happenings!

We've had a great start to the year!  Many new schools have been added and our schedules are filling up!  It has been great to see faces from last year; as well as all the new ones in class.  We are moving into our favorite time of year---the holidays are so much fun in class.  It's not too late to register---so feel free to give us a ring if your child wishes to join us.  We want to welcome our newest schools to the program this year--and we're so glad you have joined us!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Congratulations to Charlotte Montessori for being our featured school of the month. They have been with LPCW since we started in the Charlotte region. We really enjoy working with their faculty, parents, and most importantly children. They give high praises to our curriculum and presentation of our program. Thanks Charlotte Montessori for your continued support.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010



We have had a great start to our year here in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. It is so exciting meeting new faces and getting reacquainted with old ones. As part of our introduction to our classes we have everyone jump up and grab a smile when their name is called and sit back down in pretzel position. Because children are so excited about our classes, they are already wearing a smile before I even arrive. As I was leaving my first class last week, I began thinking. Did I start my day by reaching up and grabbing my smile? Something so simple, but very effective. Sometimes we have so many other things going on in our lives we forget to think about our many blessings and what makes us put on that happy face. I was also reminded of these blessings this past weekend as one of my LPCW students, who is also a close friend, lost everything to a house fire. Forunately they are safe. I will see her in the morning in class, and I hope reaching up to grab a smile will help make her day!! So as you start your day tomorrow, take a little of our LPCW curriculum with you. Think about what puts a smile on your face, and put it on as you leave for the day. We are sending you smiles and good wishes from Charlotte!

Ms. Stephanie

Thursday, August 12, 2010

New Region in New York!!!


We are so excited to announce the opening of our new region in the Central New York Area! What a wonderful area to be a part of---and with a wonderful Regional Director, Annie Latterell. Annie Latterell has trained in dance for 16 years in New York State. She graduated Cum Laude from SUNY Brockport with a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Arts for Children and Childhood Education earning teaching certifications in Elementary Education and Special Education. Annie has been a featured performer in three musicals in Elmira, N.Y., and won the award for Best Overall Performance at the Stars of Tomorrow dance competition. She co-managed an after school Drama Club for students at Southside Academy Charter School in Syracuse, N.Y. Annie loves the theatre arts and is so excited about bringing her special love of dance to young children here in Central NY. Welcome, Annie!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Spring is here!!

Normally, we are not THIS excited for warm weather, but SPRING IS HERE!! No more snow, gloves, winter colds or long sleeves!! We are so excited for Spring in Northern Virginia and Richmond and it really shows in our classes!

We are having a blast with our April lesson plan, we are learning so many new dance moves and concepts. One of the things we are learning is "pantomime"- doing movement or actions with-out using our voices-which is kind of tricky for some dancers to do. They are doing a great job "turning off their voices" and using their body to show an action.

We are also doing puddle-jumps this month, which is fun to watch because we challenge the dancers to get over the puddle anyway they would like, it so surprising to see what our dancers come up with when they are asked to create their own movement. My favorite are the dancers who try to tumble or cartwheel over the puddle. How creative!!

We are looking forward to more spring weather and showing off our new moves next month at parent observation. (May 24-28th) We hope to see everyone there!

Happy Spring!

Jennifer Delfin, Northern Virginia

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

March Madness!

Whoa! We've had a very interesting month in Northern Virginia and Richmond!

We are still recovering from missing almost two weeks of classes due to the blizzard, so this month we are doing both March dances and mixing in some February cirriculum too. Classes are getting to do Shamrock leaps, the Hand Jive and our new favorite "The Any Way You Feel Dance." This dance asks students to listen to different music selections and dance anyway the music make you feel, (happy, sad, angry, silly etc.) and our dancers really know how to express themselves!! My favorite is when the music sounds angry, and the dancers get to stomp around, cross thier arms and show their best angry face.

This month has been a little hectic with make-up classes, but we are enjoying extra classes and seeing our dancers more than once a week. Thank you for your patience as we make-up classes this month.

Spring is almost here!

~Jennifer Delfin, Northern Virginia~

Monday, February 15, 2010

Valentine's Day!

February is a fantastic month in our classes! All of the dancers are enjoying learning a bunch of new curriculum and are doing an amazing job :) I hope over the weekend maybe some of your valentine's showed you our "heart arms" and "heart hops". The hand jive, which many us older ones know from the musical Grease, is a lot to remember for our little ones but they are doing a great job with and I know by the end of February they will be able to do it faster than all of us older ones!! We are really moving throughout the space in the month of February and our dancers are doing a wonderful job using their bodies is many different aspects of dance such as the tempo dance.

Parent Observations went fabulously in the Philly area and the dancers can't wait for the next "Informance" in May!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Parent Observation are under way!!

Parent Observations are under way at LPCW! Our students have really been looking forward to this all month and they are finally here! We hope everyone will be able to see what we have been working on since September. Also, we want to hear your feedback, so in your child's tution envelope will be a survey. Please fill it and return to the LPCW bag in your center.

So far, the informances have been a great success. Its always so interetsing to see how different children react to the new experience of performing in front of an audience. Some of our normally outgoing children become timid, quieter students seem to find their inner performer or some students don't seem to notice the audience at all-any and all of this reactions are completely normal.

So far, my favorite informance moment would have to be when one of my dancers decided not only to particpate in class, but to also show her brother in the audience how to dance also. So as I'm teaching I can hear her in her perfect "Miss Jenn voice" repeating all the instructions to her brother! It was so awesome. Who knows, we might have a new LPCW instructor in a few years!!

We hope you enjoy this weeks performances! We look forward to hearing your feedback!

Happy Winter!

Jennifer Delfin, Northern Virginia