Preparing The Studio For A New Season

My studio's dance season opens Friday and these last few weeks have been a whirlwind of projects, phone calls, paperwork and a bit of end-of-summer procrastination.  

This year will be my fifth season as studio director and I am excited to challenge myself this year with being more creative and at the same time more organized.

So here's a glimpse at the last few weeks of studio life.  I had planned to share some of these projects as I was doing, but in reality, they will be shared in a future post... once students and classes settle down into their routines!

Wishing you all the best on your new dance season!

Cait

Cleaning floors... 

...messy rooms

Arts & Crafts...

This is Why Dance Matters

What Is This A Picture Of?
I posed the question "why does dance matter to you?" to the followers of my other dance twitter account, @dancequote, and this is a visual representation of their responses.  

What Is Why Dance Matters?
It is a movement to spread the word on why dance is a valuable artform and who it matters to.  Join the movement here: whydancematters.org

Read more about the un-scientific manner on how I created this after the jump.

Dance Photos On The Beach - Tips & Blog Challenge

July's Blog Challenge was to dance "outside and share a picture of it".  Here is my contribution to this month's challenge!  





Hubby and I went to Maine for a few days and one of the days we got up before the sun to go down to the beach and take photos of the sunrise (and dancing!).

The beach at 4:55am.  ::yawn::

If you've never seen the sunrise at the beach, I so highly recommend it!  This was our first time and neither of us are "morning people", but it was still so worth it.  (And we went back to our hotel and took a nap after, so it didn't cut into our sleep.. haha).

Flying with the seagull.  

More photos and tips for taking beach sunrise (or sunset) photos after the jump!

July Blog Challenge: Dance Outside The Box!

Feel free to grab this badge for your blog!

Are you ready?  It's time for July's Dance Blog Challenge!  This month, our challenge is a simple and fun photo challenge:  

Dance outside and share a photo or video of it!

What To Do:  
1) Grab a camera and head outdoors.  You might want a friend or at least a self-timer.
2) Dance!
3) Blog about your photo & leave a comment below or post it to the Facebook wall

I'll be sharing my photos for the challenge later in the month and I look forward to seeing lots of fun photos!

Ready... Set... Go!

Updated 7/14/12 with this month's participants:
Dancing In Virginia from Rince Go Bragh
Leaping on the beach from yours truly

I Survived Recital Weekend!

Recital weekend was this past weekend for my studio and it was exciting, exhausting and most importantly is OVER!  I can now join the "Done" Club for Studio Owners who are done with their show!  Hooray!

We crammed five shows into three days and it was great, but I'm glad to be done.  Here's a peek into the weekend, and my entry for May's "Performance Pic" Challenge.

This year we rented a local school for our shows.  The auditorium holds about 1000 people.  We got in around 2pm on Friday to set-up the stage and theater for the 6pm show.

I let the students sit in the auditorium - I feel like they enjoy watching the show.  I have alumni students who volunteer as aisle monitors.  They are responsible for two to three classes and oversee them in their seats and making sure they are brought backstage on time.  The teachers also patrol the seats, and help with their rowdiest classes.

Pre-show chaos!

Share Those Performance Pics!

That's a lot of people out there...

With recital season for many North American dance studios upon us, don't forget to participate in May's Dance Blog Challenge:  Performance Pics!

My studio's recital is this weekend, so I will have a post for you sometime next month, but in the mean time, you can check out the two irish step dancing bloggers who have shared some recital photos with us:

Rince Go Bragh

On my Toes

Check 'em out!  And then share your favorite photos with us!

No blog?  That's ok - leave a link in the comments to your favorite performance picture.

Studio Talk: It's Picture Week

This past week was Picture Week at our studio.  We have too many students to hold just one day for pictures, so we take class pictures during everyone's class time for one week.


Got all stocked up on safety pins, bobby pins and hair spray in case anyone forgot to do their hair or fix their costumes (there's always a few!).




Our photographer sets up his backdrop and equipment in our biggest studio.  We take a group photo that will be hung up in our studio and then anyone who wants to do an individual photo also gets their photo taken.  We also do sibling photos and smaller groups if the parents request it.



Pros to having a photo week v. photo day - It is more convenient to the families and we have better attendance for the group photos.  Not having it on a weekend is one less weekend in April/May to fight against graduations, proms, concerts, Mother's Day, etc.

Cons - For many of our classes, this means that we lose a class to picture day.  With some of the smaller classes and baby classes who don't do much moving around with their dances, we can practice in the space leftover in the studio.  Larger classes aren't able to practice on picture day, so they just get their class picture, any individuals and go home.  Being so close to the recital is tough to lose a class.

Performance Pinspiration

In honor of May's Blog Challenge, Performance Pics, I scavenged Pinterest for some great pictures that made me think of those exciting minutes leading up to a great performance!

Check out these photos and follow me on Pinterest while you're at it!

Hair and make-up first...

Source: Pinterest

Russian State Ballet - Photo by: Helen Maybanks Photography

Warm-up before the show

Russian State Ballet - Photo by: Helen Maybanks Photography

Peeking to see if your special audience member arrived yet:

Azra Šahinović Photography

Photo by Natalie Frigo

The busy dressing room, everyone rushing to make sure everything is perfect.

Source: Tumblr

Finding your way backstage, calming your nerves and getting ready for the show to start. 

Source: Pinterest

One more run-through before going on stage...

Source: Tumblr

Waiting for the cue..

Source: Tumblr

 Follow The Dance Buzz on Pinterest for more awesome dance photos!

Do you have a pre-performance ritual or a favorite part of the performance?  Share below in the comments!

May Blog Challenge: Performance Pics

Many of us are getting ready for their recitals or spring performances this time of year.  The weeks leading up to the big performance are exciting and stressful, but are worth it in the end.  For studio owners and teachers, you may be wishing it was over sooner -- check out our mantras for surviving recital season.

To keep things stress-free, this month's challenge is easy peasy... it's a photo challenge! Share a picture that relates to a dance performance--it can be part of the preparation, dress rehearsal, backstage, final performance... it's up to you!

Share one, three or a hundred photos!

Blog Participants
Irish Dance Recital Pics from Rince Go Bragh
Performance Pinspiration (TDB)
Irish Dance Recital from Moira

Post a your dance photo(s) on your blog, and then come back here and leave a comment with a link to your post so we can all share!

Don't have a blog? You can still participate!  Just leave a comment below with a link to your picture, or post your picture on our Facebook wall.

Click here to see past blog challenges.

April Pinspiration: Leaps & Jumps

If you're not on Pinterest - don't join, it's too addicting! If you are - add me to see all the lovely dance things I find around the web.

This week I was looking for some inspiration in the way of leaps and jumps and I found some lovely unique leaps I'd like to share so you can feel all warm and fuzzy inside too.

Now if only I could get my students to look like this...

"Rachel P."  By Eduardoizq 

Boys represent!  Look at that height... (Unknown photo source)

Gorgeous - Photo via Pointe Magazine's Pinterest

Top photo - rehearsal | Bottom photo - performance - Photo by: Gene Schiavone

Fierce!  Photo By: Peddecord Photo

 

Photo By: Richard Calmes

Epic C-Jump - Unknown Source

YES.   (Unknown Source)

Hopefully your day just got a little bit better by looking at these lovely leaps!  I know mine did :)

Happy Wednesday!

March Blog Challenge: Where Do You Dance?

Right click + save as to grab this for
your blog!

This month's challenge is a PHOTO / VIDEO challenge:

Where do YOU dance? 

Share a picture or video tour of where you dance on your blog and then come back here and leave a comment with a link to your post so we can all share!

Click here to see past blog challenges.

Blog Challenge: Day In The Life

For those who work in the arts, every day can be so different from the next, but that's part of what I love about my job and what makes it so much fun.  It keeps me on my toes! (pun intended... groan.)

Here's one of my more 'typical' days:

7am - Wake up.  Contemplate exercising or yoga before I shower, but not today.. the blankets and snooze button are calling my name.  Shower, eat breakfast, remember that I am going to take pictures for "Day In The Life" post today!

9:30am - Drive to the studio - weather's looking a bit icy.. better keep an eye on it.

10:00 am - Admin time.  Pretend to be Beyonce much to the chagrin of my office manager... "I'm all up in these costumes like my job... admin time".  Follow up on some back-ordered costumes and work on handouts.  Dance party in the office to the hold music (hey Weissmans, at least you have some good tunes!).


11:00am - UPS delivery - hooray!  The first of our recital costumes have arrived!  Unpack, sort and label costumes.

The Dance Things I Love...

In no particular order, the dance things I love:

 When my littles rush into class because they can't wait one more second to start dancing

Opening up the first costume shipping box of the season

The hush of the audience as the lights go down in the theater

Celebrating the small accomplishments

Warm-up camaraderie before a performance

Turns in tap shoes (picture is Ruby Keeler)

Combinations with pirouettes on the right side

Taking a master class and being a student again

By the end of the year, how each class feels like its own little family

The buzz backstage at a performance

Frappes

Clean mirrors

The moment before you step on stage from the wings

Perfectly worn-in shoes

Getting lost in the movement

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This is my take on Dance Advantage's February "Circle Time" post.  

Share your favorite dance things below in the comments!