"I Feel Like I'm Flying When I Dance"

"Hey Miss Annie! I feel like I'm flying when I dance!"

These are the beautiful words that ended our school year curriculum a couple of weeks ago, and they've stayed with me since. They came from a student who continues to inspire me and who is able to make you feel instantly better just because she's there.

I feel like I'm flying when I dance ... how true this is! Through the arts we are able to escape our every day lives and go into a special magical place where anything is possible. Watching students during class you believe anything IS possible. You can see them flying like a kite, becoming a terrible dragon, and even leaping over an entire river. Dance helps us tap into our creative thinking and therefore become whatever and whomever we like. Watching the children's learning/thinking/moving process in an LPCW is magical, and the glorious words from one of our students prove that ... I feel like I'm flying when I dance.

Lets all learn to fly with our children. Summer classes start this week and it's not too late to join the experience!

Young Child's Creativity....

The movie Monsters, Inc actually came from a 30 year-old man's drawings that he did when he was 3!  Don't discount your young child's early creative endeavors----they could lead to big things! And always be sure to encourage them--we were all meant to be creative.

Successful Creative Parenting.....

Taken from Joanne Bath's studio notes:

Joanne Bath

THE P's OF SUCCESSFUL PARENTING:

Positive Parental Involvement
Play
Posture for fun!
Practice things together
Positive environment
Praise
Participation
Peers
Play music
Persist



THE C's OF SUCCESSFUL PARENTING:

Cheer
Congratulate
Change
Conquer
Challenge
Contemplate
be Considerate
be Consistent
be Creative
be Calm
be Cognizant
be in Control
be Confident

Ballet in Cinema!!! Not to miss!

Be sure to check out www.balletincinema.com!  This is a great opportunity to see professional performances at wonderful prices! See if there is a cinema in your area that will be showing one soon.  These are not old performances--they are shown in the theatres sometimes within hours of the stage performance!

Many of these are even shown LIVE!!!  Your children will love them!

Marching into Spring

It's getting closer and closer to spring and up here in Central New York the snow is beginning to melt (hope I didn't jinx it!) but our love for the arts is growing and growing! It has been so wonderful to watch the students growth through the arts. This month while posting pictures for parents who have students in class I decided to take a look back at pictures from their first class in September ... My goodness! What growth and development! In the beginning "parallel first" was a new concept that took quite a bit of effort to execute correctly. Now, when we stand up on our carpets the student's feet magically know where to be! Terms like "Tendu" and "Echappe" are now part of the children's vocabulary. These classical ballet terms may not be a part of our children's every day use, but soon as they step into class they know exactly what it is, how do do it, and how to pronounce it! Their ability to grow and learn is just amazing and usually it passes us right by. How wonderful it was to go back, critically look at, and appreciate just how much our children learn, and want to learn each day. I'm so thankful for the role that the arts play in this magical development!

Investing in Your Children with Live Performances....

If you are a parent of a little one we cannot understate the importance of taking your child to performances that are geared to their age.  Sure, going to the movie theater is a treat----but it is a wonderful experience for a young child to attend a live theatre performance that is geared to their age.  In most areas there are children's theatre groups---and colleges and universities usually host a Family Fare type of season of performances for young ones.   Take a second to check into it today for your area.  You and your family will have so much fun! 

Benefits of Children's Dance Classes.......

Children---boys and girls---who participate in dance when they are young enjoy many benefits.  A few are increased self-esteem, coordination, balance, poise, and many others.  Parents are beginning to see the importance of enrolling their children in dance and theatre classes; and seeing the investment that doing so creates.  Take a moment to read this short article about some of the benefits of dance for children:

http://www.essortment.com/all/childrendancec_rczk.htm