Tempo-Changing App!

Just read Morris Partee's post over at Dance Advantage on this awesome new app for changing the tempo of your music:  Tempo Magic Pro

This app allows you to adjust your song tempos on your iPhone or iPod touch.  As a tap teacher, I am so excited about using this app in class!  Our sound system currently has tempo-changing CD players, so I used to burn my music to a CD and then use the CD player to playback with different tempos.  I am hoping this app will change my life.. hah!  I am teaching this week at our summer camp intensive, so I will report back with results.

...off to go play with my iPhone now!

If you're also an iPhone addict, you might also like to check out this post on two free iPhone apps that I use as a dance teacher.

Theme Playlist: "Circus"

Fill your show with death-defying dances inspired by the big top!  This post was inspired by the SYTYCD routine by Tyce Diorio "The Circus Sets Up" (music from Water for Elephants soundtrack)



Welcome To The Big Top!
Charmed I'm Sure - Circus Contraption - very dark and scary - definitely for mature dancers
At The Circus - Dance A Story - Richard Maddock 
Happy Boys and Happy Girls - Aqua - a cute young jazz or hip hop
Glitter In The Air - Pink - slower lyrical song

Animals & Performers
Animal Crackers - my favorite version is Joanie Bartels
Talk To The Animals - The Broadway Kids Buy From Amazon

Lion Tamer - Sylvia - Prelude: The Huntress
Ponies - any sort of prancing ballet music

Treats Under The Big Top
Popcorn - Crazy Frog
Cotton Candy - Melany - great for Kindegarten age
Circus - Britney Spears

Clowning Around
Make 'Em Laugh
Send In The Clowns
Tears of a Clown
Rodeo Clowns - Jack Johnson - a nice soft-shoe style tap song

Death-Defying Feats!
Tightrope - Janelle Monae - upbeat jazz or tap
Tightrope or Acrobats - Into The Spin - Dessa - the strings remind me of a tightrope
Acrobats - Tea Party - Kerli - great jazz or acro number
Sword Swallowers - Steel Dreams - Cirque du Soleil

Marketing for New Season

I can't believe that our studio's opening day is less than four weeks away!  Our last summer intensive starts this Monday and then we have a break before starting up in September.

This is a list of what I do to market my studio, including the failed ad attempts - hopefully it will help someone!

FREE - The best advertising is free in my opinion!

• Internet Presence:  Make sure your studio shows up when you search "dance near ZIP CODE" on Google! Update or add your studio to Google Places, Bing, Yahoo, etc.  Check out this post for a way to see if your business is visible.
• Facebook:  If you don't have a Facebook page yet, get one!  Post on your studio's facebook wall at least once a week if not multiple times.  For extra credit, mix up your posts between photos, videos and regular "Classes start soon - not too late to register!"
• Twitter:  If you have a large Twitter following, that may be the way to go.
• Email:  Keep an email list of everyone who has ever asked for information for classes.  Send email blasts once a month or so.
• Demo Classes: Offer free demonstration classes and see if you can get them listed in local community calendars or websites.

Continued after the jump...

2011 Song Selections

Just wanted to jot down my song list from this past year for posterity!  (Or so I can look it up at a later time when I can't remember what that song was I used way back when...)

All links open in iTunes, unless otherwise noted

• Ruby Blue - Roisin Murphy: Large group jazz, ages 14-18
• Firework (cover) - Sunny Choi: Small group ballet, ages 13-15 (YouTube link)
• Crabbuckit - K-OS / Tightrope - Janelle Monae: Large group tap, age 14-17
• Who's To Say - Vanessa Carlton: Large group lyrical, age 12-14
• Live It Up - Group 1 Crew: Large group jazz, ages 11-13
• Honky Tonk Badonkadonk - Trace Adkins: Large group tap, ages 11-13, dressed up as old people...it's better if you don't ask
• Sister Kate - The Ditty Bops:  Small group tap, ages 10-12
• Boogie Shoes - KC & The Sunshine Band:  Small group jazz, ages 8-10, with red sequin sneakers of course!
• Waka Waka - Shakira:  Large group modern, ages 6-9
• Ma Belle Evangeline - Princess & Frog: Large group ballet, ages 6-8
• Happy Feet - Joanie Bartels: Small group tap, ages 6-7
• Funkytown - The Chipmunks:  Large group jazz, ages 6-7
• Trickle Trickle - The Manhattan Transfer:  Large group tap, ages 6-7
• Animal Crackers In My Soup - Shirley Temple: Small group tap, ages 4-5
• Gravity - Sara Bareilles: Contemporary solo, age 18
• Bubbly - Colbie Caillat: Tap solo, age 17
• Stuck Like Glue - Sugarland: Tap solo, age 16
• I Want You Back - Colbie Caillat: Tap solo, age 15 (YouTube link)

And my favorite dance for the year:

• Oh What a Beautiful Morning / Flight of the Bumble Bee / Imma Be / Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows : Had two really small classes, so I combined them and the 4 & 5 year olds were flowers and danced to Oh What a Beautiful Morning.  Then the 6 & 7 year olds came in to Flight of the Bumblebee and then danced to the chorus of "Imma Bee". Then they all danced together to Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows. 

Just Married...

Please excuse the brief hiatus... I was off tying the knot!

Now it is "back to reality"... dance school opens in four weeks - look for many new posts for fall!