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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

LPCW-Northern Virginia

Classes are well under way in the Northern Virginia and Richmond areas! We are so excited about the fall session. We even have some dancers in their dance clothes the on "non-dance" days, because they want to be ready when we come!

Our new teachers, Miss Katie and Miss Adelle, are having so much fun getting to know their students. They are doing an excellent job and we are getting great feedback from directors, teachers and parents about their classes. They are eager to meet parents, so please do not hesitate to say hello if you see them in your centers.

Also, we are very excited to announce that we are adding birthday parties to our list of services in the Northern Virginia area. If you are interested in having one of our teachers come and host a birthday party for your child, please contact our office- (703) 830-4008. Look for more information at your child's center--Coming soon.

Happy Fall!