Circle Up: Setting Goals

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Time to circle up! 12 bloggers have gathered in our circle to share their posts on setting goals. Learn new strategies, try the tips, and check in with your own goal-setting methods and resolve. A perfect time to re-focus your energy on meeting objectives, both big and small.

5 Tools That Streamline Your Dance Studio’s Office Management

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Would you like to manage your office remotely, improve intercommunication, and more easily process tuition, gather feedback, and market your dance studio? If so, give these 5 tools (many of them free) a try.

Creative Process: 10 Ideas for Moving Beyond the Steps

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The ways movement is inspired, how it is developed, edited, and finally presented is a process. Concert dance is all about the intent and the journey, which lead to the product. If this idea is new to you, here is a ten-step list of how to engage in a process from K-12 teacher, Heather Vaughan-Southard.

If Silence Is Golden, My Studio Lobby Is Violet

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Tired of the noise coming from your dance studio lobby or viewing area disrupting your classes? You’re not alone! Ranging from traditional to creative, here are suggestions for keeping parents, students, siblings – did I say parents? – occupied or motivated to stay quiet. Try them out and see what works for you.

Does Your Devil Wear Dancewear? Dealing With A Rude Coworker

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Like Anne Hathaway’s character in The Devil Wears Prada, you may occasionally find yourself working with an Emily: someone rude, intimidating, undermining, or downright mean. Learn how to stand up for yourself and be worthy of the respect you want and deserve. And if it’s time to address the issue with your employer, discover how to make your approach like the professional you are.

How To Help Your Students Conquer First Day Jitters

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Everyone is nervous on the first day of a new class but it can be especially hard for young dancers. This article is packed with great tips for teachers as Stacey Pepper Schwartz shares her methods for easing the anxieties of the children in her classes as well as how she addresses a crying, timid, or non-participating child.

The Successful SI: Class Placement and Coping With Problems

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Summers away from home can be stressful. In a second installment on surviving summer intensives, Alison offers advice for dealing with complications like dance divas and messy roommates, and how to handle yourself professionally and with grace when receiving placement in a class level.

Got Props? 4 Ways to Get Organized at Your Dance Studio

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Cluttered studio? Suzanne Gerety offers tips on how to maximize the space you have, increase efficiency, and ultimately save money at your studio. This will help you tackle that problem of digging and searching in the abyss for those sparkly star wands or parasols you know you bought a couple of years back when it comes time to plan your camps or set a piece of choreography with props.

Give The Gift Of Dance In Your Community

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Before your big performance day (and after), add some informal performances to your schedule. Not only is it good practice and experience for your students, it’s great advertising, and most importantly, a wonderful gift to the community. Stacey suggests ways to encourage parent involvement and how to make the most of your outreach come recital time.

How-to: Ballet Eye Makeup Made Easy

Expressive Ballet Eyes Made Easy

ballet dancer’s makeup should accentuate and enhance the NATURAL three dimensional shape of the eye. This allows the audience to follow the ballerina’s gaze. As her eyes and head follow through each position of her dance the audience needs to know if her eyes are open, closed, looking in a certain direction or at a specific character.

The Busy Mom/Dancepreneur’s Secret to Success

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Once I found ONE central place to write everything (I mean everything) down, life got more organized. When I’m on the run, which is often, I will use the voice memo feature on my cell phone.

16 Audition Basics and Pointers For Keeping A Positive Perspective

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Expecting a certain outcome puts your mind in a place and time other than the audition and you’ll need to have your head in the present tense to do well. Clear your mind and dance because you love dancing, not because of the pot of gold that may or may not be at the end of this rainbow.