February 2012 Blog Challenge Update!

February's Blog Challenge, A Day In The Life, was a little more intensive than January's photo challenge, but that's what makes it fun.  Check out our participants so far:

• Cydny's Day In The Life (Releve Your Life)
• The Dance Buzz: A Day In The Life

So what are you waiting for?   Add your blog to the list and share what your life is like!  And remember, you can post any time (not just February).

Share your dance life with us!

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!

I'm Feelin' Lucky...

Yippee!!

I'm super-excited because I was one of the three winners to get a Ballet Bundle from Dance Teacher Press via Nichelle's February LOVE Our Readers Give-A-Way.  I can't wait to get it and I'll post a review for any of you who are interested in hearing more about it!

I'll be receiving Ballet Step By Step, The Ballet Combination Book and Ballet Words of the Week terminology booklet.  I know my ballet classes will benefit from these new materials.  I plan to share them at my studio with my other teachers as well, so they will be put to good use!


Don't feel left out - there's still some goodies left for you to get your hands on... get on over to Dance Advantage to enter!  The last give-a-way closes at midnight on Thursday, February 23.

And thank you to Nichelle, Dance Advantage and her sponsors for being so generous - we LOVE you too!

How To Do A Simple Fade Using GarageBand

The Dance Buzz debuts its first video!



If you've ever needed to fade a song to fit a time limit or your choreography, the OS X program GarageBand has some great features that make it really easy to do.

GarageBand's was made for recording music or making podcasts, but we are going to use it to end a song early and fade it out.  This is one of the easiest and simplest edits to do.

For those who want technical nitty gritty:  I'm using GarageBand '11 (version 6.0.4) on my MacBook Pro, which is running OS X Lion.

Give me a shoutout in the comments if you found this video helpful or informative - I'd like to do a series of videos showing more complicated edits.  Would you be interested in that?

Video transcript and more tips (not included in the video) after the jump:

Valentine's Love Playlist Round-Up & Sponsor Shout-Out!

I hope you've enjoyed our little series of playlists featuring songs about love!

Here are the links to each one in case you missed them:

• Children and 'Tweens'
• Jazz, Hip Hop and Ballet
• Tap
• Lyrical and Contemporary

Have a Happy Valentine's Day and now a few deals and coupons from our sponsors...

• APY Yoga System: $10 off with code: TAKE10

• Save 20% of Gaiam Yoga and Gaiam Fitness!

• Shop the celebrity styles at Manhattanite at get 15% OFF! Enter code: NYC15 at checkout.

• Barnes & Noble:   50% Off Hundreds of Kids DVDs!

Love Playlists for Jazz & Hip Hop

And we have come upon our last Valentine's playlist!  Click here for previous weeks (tap, children, lyrical).

This week's playlist is everything else I found that didn't fit under certain heading - mostly for jazz or hip hop, with a little classical ballet mixed in at the end!

I hope you've enjoyed this little series... have a great Valentine's Day!



Using a blog reader or can't see the playlist app?  Click read more for the full playlists and suggested uses.

February Pinspiration: Dance EVERYWHERE

This month's Pinspiration is all about dancing everywhere... except the studio!  I wish this would happen more often in real life.

Keep up with The Dance Buzz on Pinterest for more dance inspiration.

Paul Taylor Dance Company; Photographer: Jordan Matter Source: Acts of Flight

Paul Taylor Dance Company; Photographer: Jordan Matter Source: Acts of Flight

SOBuzz: Family & Friends Discount Dilemma

Just watched a great video from Marie Forleo discussing the "friends and family discount" that could easily apply to any dance studio owner.

When you own your own business, your friends and family often want to support you, but sometimes they are looking for a discount in return.  The message of the video below is whatever you choose, be clear and upfront about your policy.

If you can't afford to give discounts because you're just starting up or because you simply value your time, say so (in a polite way of course) and give them the opportunity to choose another dance studio.

Marie offers a script (around 2:14 in the video) to say to your family and friends when you don't have a discount and I've adapted it so it works for dance teachers and studio owners.

"I'm so excited Susie wants to take dance.  Know that I'd never expect you to choose my dance studio because of our relationship.  Before she registers, make sure that our studio is the right fit for you because I don't offer a friends and family discount.  If you want to move ahead, here are the tuition rates and available classes."

This gives them an 'out' if they were only looking for a handout and let's you be clear in advance without all the uncomfortableness that would come if you let them know this AFTER she signed up for classes.

What's your policy for friends and family?  Share in the comments!

Love Playlist for Tap Class

Until Valentine's Day, I'll be doing a different "Love" themed playlist every Monday.

Check out the other playlists

 This week's playlist is geared towards tap dancers.

Enjoy!



Using a blog reader or can't see the playlist app?  Full playlist after the jump

February Blog Challenge: A Day In The Life

It's that time again... time for another Dance Blog Challenge!  If you want to read more about why I'm doing this, read this post. Then come back and join the fun!

This month's blog challenge is "Day In The Life" post.  Take one of your busiest dance days, bring your camera (or camera phone) and take lots of pictures from the moment you wake up until you return to bed.  Or if you're an overachiever, make a video!  

This month's challenge is a bit more involved than last month's, but that's what makes it fun.  I will try to vary the 'involvement' of each post so if you're not feeling quite up to the challenge this month, do an easier one like January's photo challenge or wait to see what March brings.

Post your photos or video (with or without narration... its up to you) on your blog and leave a comment with the link here!

PARTICIPANTS (UPDATED 2/26/12)

• Cydney's Day In The Life (Releve Your Life)
• The Dance Buzz: A Day In The Life

I can't wait to see what everyone's studios and dance lives look like!  And if you're not actively taking or teaching classes, you can participate too... I want to see what you do in your job or school everyday.  And snap a quick picture of an arabesque in the hallway while you're at it... the point is to have fun!

Just make sure if you do take pictures of other people that they are ok with you putting their lovely faces on the internet.  Or use photo editing software crop or blur their faces :)

Think your life is boring or need ideas of what to document?  Keep reading after the jump for ideas.