Who's Pinning What From Your Blog

For all my blog-writing friends, did you know you could see what others are pinning from your blog?

I just found this out from reading this article (which is worth a read if you're a blogger).  If you go to
pinterest.com/source/YOURDOMAINHERE.com you can see what people have pinned from your blog, break down the most repinned or most recent.

For example, I would go to pinterest.com/source/thedancebuzz.blogspot.com to see my stats.

Find out what your  most Repinned images or posts are

I thought it was pretty cool and wanted to share!

Do you use Pinterest?  Do you have any other cool blog hacks?  Comment!

Most Popular Posts of 2012

Jump for joy - here are the most-read posts from 2012!

Pinspiration  

Do you find Pinterest as addicting as I do?  Here are the most popular "Pinspiration" posts from this year:

   

Athletic Dancers, April Pinspiration:  Leaps & Jumps, Performance Pinspiration

Music

How to Find Clean Hip Hop Music for Kids 

I guess my teachers aren't the only ones struggling to find clean hip hop music!

How to Get a Clean Music Edit Using GarageBand
My second video tutorial on music editing shows how to do a simple edit using Garageband.

Business

Most popular posts for Studio Owners:

Can we please take a short break
from winter and have summer for a week?

Everything Else

How to Take Dance Photos on the Beach
Some shots from my summer vacation and a tutorial on how to take photos on the beach proved to be on the of the most popular posts this year.

Rock Star Camp
5 days of dancing, crafts and game ideas!


Can't wait to see where 2013 takes us - what would you like to see more of?  Leave a comment!

Top Blog Contest 2013 - Vote for me!

It's that time of year again... the Top Dance Blog contest put on by Nichelle over at Dance Advantage!

I love this contest because I get to find a ton of new dance blogs to follow - I can't wait to see who enters this year!

Last year, I was honored to be selected as "Editor's Choice", which made me all blushy and dance around my house to the surprise of my husband (who, by the way, still refers to all of you as my "imaginary friends").

In any event, I'm throwing my hat into the "Teacher Talk" category since my most frequent posts are the music playlists for teachers and dancers!

Vote for me by leaving a comment on this post!

Will you vote for me?  

To vote, all you need to do is leave a comment below on this post.

Leave a comment on what you like best about The Dance Buzz, what you'd like to see more of, or you can just say hi!

Either way, I love hearing from my readers (all, what, 6 of you...??) and would love a comment below.

Thank you and happy 2013... now I'm off to vote for some of my favorite dance blogs! :D

Happy New Year 2013!

Happy 2013!   I hope everyone had a great break!

Over Christmas break, my husband and I moved into our new house.. and have been living without internet (or cable or phone) for the past two weeks... #darkages

While it was nice to have some time to focus on other things without the distraction of screens, our internet-less world was starting to drive us nuts!  I felt like I was back in school, going to the library to use the wifi...

Anyway - the start of the New Year is always a great time to look back at last year, look forward to the new year and set some goals.  Last year, I shared my favorite way to set goals for my business and blog.  The biggest problem is that we don't always keep those resolutions or even think about them after we make them in January.

Did you set goals for 2013?  

It turns out writing them down might be the first step to achieving them!  Check out this infographic from onlineeducation.net about setting goals (click to make bigger) and keeping them:

 

Did you have a nice break?  Did you get the plague like all of my students (and I) did?

Do you make New Year's Resolutions?  How do you keep them?  Tell me in the comments!

Dance Etiquette & Advice

Kind of loving this post at These Are The Lives We Lead about dance etiquette.  My favorite parts:

Love dance!

• "NEVER mark. Why pay for a class and mark until you get into groups? Groups occur for MAYBE 10 minutes. Most of which you’ll spend trying to figure out the parts you’ve been marking."

• "Touching your toes and sitting in a grande plie 2nd for a minute does not a sufficient warm up make."

• "Be hungry to know everyTHING about your art; ESPECIALLY its history. you would not be here without those that came before you."

• "If you don’t make the youtube video, don’t get the job, or don’t get called out for the “special” group; it doesn’t mean you stop coming to class. In fact, the very opposite. You KEEP SHOWING UP. perseverance and SHOWING UP is often how a job is booked."

• ".. know that dance does not come over night.  Or over months.  Or even years.  It happens throughout a LIFETIME process that is to be adored despite struggle.  Love every second of it for genuine reason and you will probably find yourself doing all this naturally."

I wish all of my students read and understood this.  Good advice for getting the most out of your classes!

200 Posts: Thank You!

DB is Editor's Choice!

Editor's Choice, baby!

Who me?
Yay!  The Dance Buzz was chosen by Nichelle at Dance Advantage as "Editor's Choice" for the Top Blogs of 2011.  Thank you, Nichelle - I was completely surprised and humbled to be chosen!  I hope to keep bringing good stuff to my readers in 2012.

Check out what Nichelle wrote:

"In the end, I went with a blog that I feel has consistently shown a clear focus, delivering material that is valuable to its readers in a fun but thoughtful way. I’ve enjoyed watching this blog develop and wish for its longevity."

Awww shucks :)

Be sure to check out all the dance blogs that entered the contest - there are some really great ones in there to add you to your blog roll.

Yay!  Thanks again!

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!  The Dance Buzz and hubby traveled to Western New York for the holiday to visit Mr. Dance Buzz's family.

I can't believe how quickly the end of 2011 is rapidly approaching... I spent the day at the studio preparing recital costume orders, gathering up lost and found items to donate and rehearsing some of our performance team kids who came in over break.  Trying to tie up some loose ends before we begin the start of our busy season filled with competitions and recital preparations.


TOP DANCE BLOGS 2011
Thank you for everyone who commented on our 2011 entry into Top Dance Blogs - we didn't make the finals for Top 20.. but go on over to Dance Advantage to vote for the blogs who did!  I'm excited to find some new blogs to add to my blog reader.

If you want my advice (and why wouldn't you?), The Dance Buzz's favorite blogs on the list are Maria's Movers and Adult Beginner.  If you don't know who to vote for, I recommend one of these blogs!  But don't take my word for it, check 'em out!

SURPRISE COMING SOON... GET READY!
I have somewhat of a surprise for other bloggers to be revealed this week that I hope will inspire some dance bloggers to participate!  Sorry, can't tell you now... you'll have to check back later this week.

Think of it as a virtual Christmas / New Year's present to you from me :)

2011 Top Dance Blog - Please Vote!

It's that time of year again... the 2011 Top Dance Blogs Contest - held by Nichelle over at Dance Advantage!

Last year, I threw our hat in the ring more as an experiment to see if anyone was actually reading this blog - and I was pleasantly surprised by the number of responses! Ok, so it was only five comments, but five people is way more than I ever expected.

So let's see if we can beat that number this year--it's up to you!

If you enjoy reading this blog, VOTE for The Dance Buzz by leaving a comment below on this post. 

I am entering under Teacher Talk category since most of my posts are about teaching or would be useful for dance teachers (I hope).  I have a feeling this will be a tough category this year, but I am happy to just enter.  Thanks Nichelle for hosting this contest again! :)

Thank you for your support!  Comments are open until December 20.

~Cait

Top Dance Blogs of 2010 - We need your vote!

Hello all!  Exciting news!
I'm throwing The Dance Buzz into the ring of contenders for the Dance Advantage's Top Blogs of 2010 contest.  We are entering the "Dance Education/Training" category.

To vote for The Dance Buzz, you simply have to comment on this post.  Couldn't get simpler.  The blogs with the most comments get named Top Blog. 


Since this blog is so new, I am not really expecting to win (would love to, but let's be realistic), so this is more an experiment to say... "Hey!  Is anybody out there?"

So dear reader, if you exist and enjoy the Dance Buzz blog or our tweets, give us a shout out and a vote and if you'd like, a comment about the blog.

Commenting is open until December 22.

Blog Soul Searching

Hi all!
Nichelle's Blog Contest really got me thinking. She's asking people to enter their blogs to win "Top Dance Blog" and in order to do that, you have to put your blog into a category.

I realized that when I started this blog three months ago, I naively would have said my category was "Dance". I didn't realize the vast number of dance blogs out there that fill every niche and corner. I took some time to reevaluate where I want to go with this blog and narrow my perspective.

Looking back at posts, my most successful ones were aimed toward dance teachers and studio owners (iTunes post, playlists, new season wisdom) which is not surprising, considering I am both of those. Starting now, I am going to aim more of my posts towards dance teachers and studio owners.

So dear readers, if you are out there, consider this a New Year's Resolution of some sort--my goal for 2011 is to find my blogging niche and fill it! I hope you'll come with me and enjoy the journey!

Pump Up Your Blogroll!

Pump up the volume!
Pump up the volume!
Pump up the..oh - sorry, I got a little carried away there.

Looking to round-out your blogroll or RSS feeder? Here are a few dance blogs with some interesting perspectives. Happy reading!

DancePulse.org - Meg is a Seattle dance specialist working with elementary students in a public school. Her blog offers a unique perspective into working in an education system with dance.

Dave Tries Ballet - Just what the title says... Dave is a guy trying ballet for the first time.

Infinite Body - A blog on arts and culture by Eva Yaa Asantewaa. She also publishes a podcast called Body and Soul.

Dance Pulp - Check out the rest of the site too for interviews and an inside look into the professional dance world.

Follow Anyday on Twitter: Tap Dance!

If you don't use Twitter, you don't know what you're missing! Twitter can be an overwhelming onslaught of mini-messages, but it can also be very useful to a dancer looking for audition updates or an inside look at being a professional dancer.

Here are a few of our favorite tap dance Twitter-ers :)

@ChicagoTap - Bio: Building community with rhythm

@TapDancingNews - Tap news and resources - maintained by TerranceTaps (author of Tap Dance Man site) & Fee Peper

@TheTapFloor - Tons of tap videos posted almost daily, although it is mostly the same tappers everytime. Bio: If you love tap dance, follow me!

@TapDanceChor - Bio: TDC.com is a premier dance resource for tap routines & information; featuring the personal collection of original works by noted tap choreographer, Joan Gerrard

@Boogie2TheMusic - Tap dancer posting tap dance links!

@TapDanceMadeEasy - Bio: Eli Newsom, Owner/Instructor. I'm here to help to spread the joy of tap dance around the world.

And of course, you can find all of our buzz on our Twitter page: www.twitter.com/thedancebuzz

Follow Friday on Twitter: Bloggers & Dance Magazines

If you don't use Twitter, you don't know what you're missing! Twitter can be an overwhelming onslaught of mini-messages, but it can also be very useful to a dancer looking for audition updates or an inside look at being a professional dancer.

Here are a few of our favorite dance Twitter-ers :)

@DanceTWorkshop - DanceTheaterWorkshop - Bio: DTW maintains an uncompromising mission to identify, present, & support independent contemporary artists & companies to advance dance & live performance.
Our favorite recent tweet:

DanceTWorkshop: Line the dance floor with bubblewrap. #UnsolicitedDanceAdvice

@KinerEnterprises - Love this blog too! Bio: Kiner Enterprises Inc. provides dance studios & dance companies with social media marketing training and coaching,and dance teacher staffing consulting.

@Sheri_Is - Another dance blogger - good stuff! Bio: Semi-Retired Ballet dancer, choreographer, p/t ballet/ballroom instructor. Also an animal lover, interested in psychology, inspiration.

@danceMarketing - His tweets are funny and informative Bio: Hey, I LOVE dance. I also love marketing. I specialize in helping dance teachers & dance studios get more students. Get paid for dance!

And of course, you can find all of our buzz on our Twitter page: www.twitter.com/thedancebuzz

Follow Friday on Twitter: Bloggers & Dance Magazines

If you don't use Twitter, you don't know what you're missing! Twitter can be an overwhelming onslaught of mini-messages, but it can also be very useful to a dancer looking for audition updates or an inside look at being a professional dancer.

Here are a few of our favorite dance Twitter-ers :)

@Dance_SpiritMag - the popular dance magazine Dance Spirit's tweets are usually interactive by posting questions for other Twitter users to answer

@EliteDance - Bio: Promoting ballet and dance related digital media with lots of random weirdness mixed in.

@danceadvantage - Bio: Dance writer/blogger, instructor, giving students, teachers & parents an edge in dance education.

@BalletForMen - the accompanying Twitter site to the blog, Ballet For Men

And of course, you can find all of our buzz on our Twitter page: www.twitter.com/thedancebuzz

Resources for Male Dancers

If you Google 'resources for male dancers' or 'my son dances', you'll get a lot of mother/son wedding suggestions or some suggestions more fitting for the bachelorette party! Here are a few links to some great resources for male dancers, parents of male dancers or studio owners who want to attract more male dancers!

Boys & Ballet - A collection of news stories about boys and ballet. The great part is that the author's pre-teen sons choose which articles are featured. There is also a "library" section information on training, physiology, nutrition, schools, helpful hints on drawing more boys to your school, and interviews with dancers.

MySonCanDance.net - Another mom's blog about her and her son's struggles and triumphs with the world of dance. Many great interviews and suggestions shared.

DanceAdvantage - This site has a TON of useful information for all dancers, but there are a lot of good articles on male dancers (see here, here, oh and here!)

Forum for Parents of Male Dancers - A great forum to post questions and respond or just browse for more information.

Dance Dot Net Forum for Guys - Another forum for guys only!

On The Blogs: Choosing a Pre-School Program

Choosing a Dance Program for your Pre-School Boy

Just read this insightful article by Nichelle Strzepek on MySonCanDance blog. If you're a parent looking for a dance program for your son, give this one a read. If you're a studio owner wondering why you don't have many boys, check this article to see what red flags your studio that could be sending to parents with boys. For example:

"2. A school without pink walls

A studio’s pink walls equivalent might be princess themes or anything that unnecessarily genderizes dance. Pink is a fine color and for the moment, pink is actually among my son’s favorite colors. However, a school that is “painting their walls pink” is either hoping to appeal to only one demographic or it has never really crossed their mind that a boy might enter the establishment as a student. Either way, it is reason enough for me to look elsewhere.

It may seem like a small thing but, for boys and young men, no pink walls can make all the difference. It is about feeling welcome and comfortable in an environment."

There is also some good advice that is useful to any parent looking for a dance studio for their child:

"Look for a school whose older dancers move in a coordinated, pleasing fashion."

Looking at a studio's advanced dancers is very often a good indicator of how serious a school is or what their focus is on.

Either way, good article - read on!
http://mysoncandance.net/2010/07/27/choosing-a-dance-program-for-my-preschool-aged-son/