Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

With the holiday season approaching, you can't really think of dance without thinking of, The Nutcracker.  The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, music by Tchaikovsky, is one of the most beloved by young dancers.  Here is a great new variation on a classic piece.  We're sure your dancer will enjoy dancing around to this brilliant piece of music.

New: Drop Off Creative Arts Program for 3-5 Year Olds!

Dance Arts is excited to tell you about a new program we will be offering, beginning in January 2012!  Our new program is a Creative Arts Drop Off Program.  Each uniquely designed class includes instruction in dance, drama, music and art.  The 2.5 hour program consists of a 45 minute dance class, paired with 30 minutes of drama, music and art instruction.  This is a great way to get in several extra curricular activities in one convenient place, for an affordable price.  Best of all, you get to run errands, or get things done at home while your child is having fun! 

For currently enrolled Dance Arts students the 2.5 hour program is only $75.00/month.  If your child is not enrolled in classes, the program is $100.00/month. 

Beginning in January, the Creative Arts Drop Off Program will be offered on Tuesdays from 9:45 am to 12:15 pm.  The program is for ages 3-5, and children must be potty trained.  We will additionally provide a light snack during the class. 

First month’s tuition is due to reserve your space.  Space is very limited, so be sure to save your space soon!  You can contact us through phone, email or in person to save your space.  Feel free to share this information on your Facebook page to help us get word out about this amazing new program!

Walking Like a Dancer

One of the key elements to dancing is correct alignment.  When you see people who have danced for many years, you notice there is something different about the way they stand.  They keep their spine nice and long, their chin is lifted, their shoulders are rolled back.  Their posture looks strong and confident. 

It is important for us to teach correct posture and alignment from a young age to avoid forming bad habits.  Our modern life has us sitting much of the time, and slumping is at an all time high.  Good posture helps bring about a healthy spine, as well as a healthy attitude.  As many of you already know, bad posture and back problems that may develop are never fun. 

Here is a trick used in class at Dance Arts, to help young students develop the balance and grace when walking, of a dancer. 

Stand across the room from your child and place a small stuffed animal on your head. 

Walk across the room very slowly, trying to keep the stuffed animal balanced on your head. 

When you get to your child give them the stuffed animal and return to the other side of the room. 

Now it is your child's turn to walk the stuffed animal over to you.

The students had a great time with this activity.  We hope you enjoy it at home!

Support Northwest Harvest & Fusion this Saturday!

Warming up backstage!

Looking for a great family event to go to this weekend?  Look no further!  Dance Arts performing team, FUSION, will be performing at Rock Creek Elementary this Saturday, December 3rd at 6pm.  This is a benefit to raise food for Northwest Harvest.  Your admission?  Simply bring a canned food donation, and watch FUSION perform!

This is a great way to support the girls dancing and prepare them for competitions by providing an opportunity for them to perform in front of a crowd.  Both dancers and non dancers enjoy watching their friends perform, and young children (especially those that dance) are sure to be excited to watch the "big girls" dance! 

So bring your canned food donation to Rock Creek Elementary, this Saturday, December 3rd.  Show starts at 6pm! 

Rock Creek is located at:
25700 Maple Valley Black Diamond Road Southeast
Maple Valley, WA

We'll see you there!

Gene Kelly: Singing in the Rain

Rainy weather have you down?  Dancing is sure to elevate any mood.  Watching Gene Kelly is sure to put a smile on your face!  This classic dance video is a slice of famous American dance choreography, and shows that rain doesn't have to make us feel blue if we don't want it to.  Find your own way to "sing in the rain."  We hope this video inspires you!

Poker, Bunco and Silent Auction this Saturday!

Fusion, Dance Arts' talented dance team, will be holding an amazing event this Saturday, Novemeber 19th at Fairwood Country Club.  The event will include Texas Hold'em Poker, a Bunco Tournament, as well as a Silent Auction.  All proceeds go to benefit Fusion Dance Team Boosters. 

The buy in for poker and bunco is $60.00, limited rebuys, $25 for non-players.  There will be cash prizes for the final table!


Mark your calendars for this Saturday, November 19th, 2011 at Fairwood Country Club:
17070 140th Ave SE, Renton, WA 98058

Doors will open at 5:30pm, with dinner served at 6pm.  Dinner is included in the cost of admission.  The tournament starts at 7:00pm.  We hope to see you there, it should be a fabulous event!

Come Watch Miss April Dance in Skeletons

Miss April performs in Skeletons.

We are so fortunate to live in the Pacific Northwest where the dance community and appreciate of the arts is strong.  One of our own instructors, Miss April, will be preforming in Seattle on Friday December 16th.  Tickets are already on sale through Brown Paper Tickets.

Miss April will be performing in Skeletons at Velocity Dance Center.

"Artistic Director, Joseph Schanbeck and AEON Contemporary Dance present an evening of new works. Skeletons is inspired by the idea of a person evolving from bare bones into someone that thinks, feels and has complicated emotions. Skeletons will take you on a journey that spans the entire dance spectrum, from sparse to elaborate."

Come support the arts and watch Miss April perform!  We hope to see you there!

What is Creative Dance?

What is Creative Dance?  And how does it differ from other dance forms?  Most people know what to expect with entering a ballet classroom.  The students dress uniformly, their hair done up in a bun.  Time is devoted to learning specific skills at the barre, and turning, jumps and leaps, as well as slow movements are taught with great specificity.  A jazz class has uptempo music, the students shake their body, learn jazz hands, kicks, turns and more.  Likewise even a non tapper knows what to expect in a tap class, where the students feet will learn to move like percussion instruments.  Yet the open ended world of Creative Dance, may leave you wondering what exactly it is? 

Creative Dance can be as broad as the term itself.  At Dance Arts, we have specific ways we teach our Creative Dance program, so that it is age and brain compatible with your young preschooler.  Preschoolers often can get discouraged if forced into the regimented dance form too young.  Here are just a few examples of how we gear our program to your little one:

Each week students sing a welcome song, then say their name as they practice being comfortable in a group.

Singing the Welcome Song!

Next the students perform a Brain Dance.  The Brain Dance moves students through all the developmental patterns in the order a baby goes through them.  Breath, tactile, core/distal, head/tail, upper/lower, body side, cross lateral, vestibular and eye tracking.

Students work on cross lateral movements, these movements help get the left and right hemisphere's of the brain communicating, which helps boost brain power more than any of the other movements.

Practicing Head/Tail connection.

Working on eye tracking by following their thumbs.  This is an important skill for reading and for being able to see numbers aligned in columns. 

 Another important part of our creative dance class is the obstacle course.  The obstacle course changes every month.  The students move around the room clockwise, practicing various skills at a rapid pace.  They grow skills by getting tons of repetition.

Crawling through the tunnel in the obstacle course.

Practicing tip toes around cones in the obstacle course. 

These are just a few of the highlights for our creative dance class.  If you or a friend has a little one between the ages of 3 to 5, be sure to give us a call for your free trial class! 

Spooky Moves You Can Do at Home!

Learning toe touches on top of the ghost!

If you've got a little one at home, you have probably already answered the question, "When is it going to be Halloween?" Finally, Halloween is here!

Miss Paige teaches Creative Movement at Dance Arts.  She thought up this great way to incorporate movement and imagination into the holiday.  All you need is some rolls of toilet paper, a permanent marker, and a little kid with lots of energy!

You (or your child) can draw little ghost faces onto the rolls of toilet paper.  Stack them up in the hallway, and you have a great game of ghost bowling!  This is a perfect activity you can do prior to trick or treating as a way of keeping your little one busy as you prepare for going out. 

Draw faces on toilet paper rolls, and line them up for ghost bowling!

Grade School kids enjoy ghost bowling too!

Want to get your kiddos energy out after they've eaten too much candy?  Try spacing out a few of the ghosts for your child to run and leap over.  This is a great way to build their skills while having fun with the Halloween theme for even a few days after the big event! 

Every week in Miss Paige's Creative Movement class we do an obstacle course.  You can incorporate these fun little ghosts anyway you like into your own obstacle course at home.  Turn on some Halloween Tunes like Monster Mash, or Purple People Eater,  and your set!

We also have a great way to incorporate those little spider rings you get on Halloween.  It will help your child with their ballet arm movements and is appropriate for a 3-12 year old.  So if you get any plastic spider rings on Halloween, make sure to save them.  We'll show you soon what you can do with them in a future blog!

What are Green Smoothies?

A few years back Miss Annette, director of Dance Arts, discovered green smoothies.  She has found that they are an easy way to start her day, give her lots of energy and help protect her immune system from the various cold/flu viruses she comes into contact with throughout the year.

Many people are discovering green smoothies as a great way to get their daily serving of fruits and vegetables, in a way that is quick and easy.  A green smoothie is simply a smoothie with greens, i.e. spinach, chard, kale, romaine, etc.  Whatever green you can think of, can be put into a green smoothie.

For beginners it is best to start with a spinach based green smoothie.  Spinach is hidden so well that you can't even taste it in the smoothie.  Want to give a green smoothie a try?  Try Miss Annette's favorite green smoothie recipe!

What you'll need:
Spinach
A pear, apple or banana
Blueberries or other berries
1 cup of water
a high powered blender: a Vita-Mix or a Blendtec work the best (Costco often has specials for these)
(If you don't have a blender you can process the greens and water in a food processor like a Cuisinart first and then add them to your regular blender)
* you can also sweeten if you like

How to make your green smoothie:
First blend the greens and water
Then add in either a pear, apple or banana and blend
Add as many berries as you desire and blend until it has reached a smoothie consistency

For information on green smoothies, check out the green smoothie girl's blog! 

Used Leotard Program

Dance Arts has a wonderful program for you to buy/sell used leotards.  The process is simple.  If you have a used leotard, just simply put it in a large Ziploc bag.  Inside the bag put an envelope with a self addressed stamped envelope.  Also be sure to write on the bag and inside the bag, the price you are asking for the item.  Generally people price their items between $4 and $10 dollars.  $4 for basic leotards, $5 for dance bags and $6-10 for fancier leos and unitards. 

If you would like to purchase a used leotard, or just see what we have, you can stop in our main office at anytime.  Our office staff can direct you on wear to look. 

If you are interested, please take a little time to gather your used dance items, price them and enclose a self addressed stamped envelope.  Then just bring them by the main office.  I am sure the next little dancer that gets your used dance wear will greatly appreciate it!

Feeding a Dancer

Spaghetti provides excellent fuel for dancers!

Dance is the only art form that is also a sport.  Dancers use their bodies to express themselves, and those bodies require the proper fuel.  Without the right foods, nutrients and hydration, a dancer can feel extremely fatigued.  They may also not have the energy required to condition their muscles to lift higher, bend more deeply, and all around learn new dance technique with the body's optimal potential. 

On days when your child dances, it is important to keep in mind that they should have a high carbohydrate meal prior to their dance class (for lunch or early dinner).  The carbohydrates need to be complex, rather than simple.  For example, whole grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice, and other grains are great choices.  A plate of spaghetti is a practical example of a high carbohydrate meal, loaded with other great vitamins and vegetables in the sauce.  You can also up the nutrition content of the sauce by pureeing various vegetables (kale, chard, eggplant, zucchini and more) and hiding them in the sauce for picky eaters.  Additionally it is important that a dancer be well hydrated before class, but especially after class to replenish the fluids the body loses while moving. 

Dancers train much the same way that athletes do, they push their body to its limits to build muscle and strength required of the art form.  By helping your child to balance their love of dance, with proper nutrition, you are ensuring that their body stays healthy for class.  They will be less prone to injury and more likely to feel successful about their dancing, if their body is properly working with them.

If you would like to learn more about fueling your dancer's body, more detailed information can be found at the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science.  

Learn "Thriller" Choreography

As Halloween approaches in the dance community, we often look to Michael Jackson's music video, Thriller, as classic American dance choreography.  We found this great video where you can now learn the moves from his music video. 

The Thriller video is far too scary for little ones, so we won't post here.  But if you'd like to view it and dance along, we've provided the link for you here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOnqjkJTMaA

Upcycling Old Dance Costumes into new Halloween Costumes!

With Halloween right around the corner, you've probably already started thinking about your child's Halloween costume.  Costumes can be spendy, and are usually only worn once or twice for the holiday.  Using an old dance costume and coming up with a new way to wear it can save you both time and money.

An old costume made new!

Lily wore this green dance costume two years ago at Dance Arts.  This year for Halloween she has upcycled her old costume into a fancy bunny costume.  She paired it with white tights and a white shirt (which she already had), and added a pair of bunny ears.  For a cotton tail they took a white sock, put it in a ball and pinned it on to the back of this costume.  Now this little bunny can bounce around the neighborhood trick or treating.

There are countless ways you can upcycle costumes.  Easy characters to use an old tutu for include fairy's, angels, butterfly's, insects and (of course) ballerinas.  Here is a great blog article about how to turn old dance costumes into new Halloween costumes. 

We hope this will  inspire you to come up with a new way to use those old costumes!

Who was Gregory Hines?

Gregory Hines did it all.  Actor, choreographer, singer, comedian, and dancer!  Gregory Hines was a tap dancer, who grew up dancing with his brother.  His career took off and he received several awards and nominations for his artistic talents.

Those who were lucky enough to watch Hines tap dance in concert, were in awe of the one man show.  He would tap dance on an amplified board, creating beats like a drummer in the band.  The other musicians would play call and response to his tap shoes.  At one point in the show, Hines would ask the audience, "Did you bring your tap shoes tonight?"  And the audience would wildly start clicking their tap shoes.  Everyone who brought their tap shoes was invited up on stage with Hines.  He would then pick out random people in the crowd and say, "Express yourself!"  The dancer would get a chance to dance via improvisation on stage.  It was a sight to see, and one that made the large auditorium feel small and connected.  

While he died of liver cancer at the young age of 57,  his legend will live on.  Here are a few videos for your enjoyment.  There are so many more if you like what you see.  Simply search for Gregory Hines on You Tube. 

Hines dancing with Steve Martin: 

Dancing in the film, White Nights:

Another great video of him dancing in the early 80s:

how to make a ballet bun

Oh the ballet bun!  Most parents have a love/hate relationship with this hairstyle.  So many little kids will just not hold still while we try to execute a hairstyle we may have never worn ourselves.  The payoff is when the bun is completed.  It does look cute, and keeps the hair pulled away from the face so that the dancer can move and spin without getting hit in the face by flying hair!

So just how do you do a ballet bun?  There are surprisingly a few different options and products out there to make your buns a breeze. 

Here is a simple ballet bun from Princess Hairstyles. This website has a ton of great video tutorials for other hair styles for girls that you may be interested in. 

Another, more traditional version of a classic ballet bun can be viewed here:

If both of these options are too difficult or time consuming, there are two great options to check out.  The first is a fake bun hair piece.  This is simple and especially great for girls with short hair.  The second is a bun wrap, which holds a messy bun in place with a few bobby pins. 

Whatever option you choose is perfectly fine.  Of course, not all of our classes require a bun, but it is quite helpful for dancers to have their hair out of their face while dancing.  We hope these quick tutorials help assist you and make the ballet bun process a bit more doable! 

Come Support Dance Arts Yard/Bake Sale This Saturday (9/24)!

This weekend is supposed to be hot and sunny, the perfect weather for yard sales!  The families of FUSION, Dance Arts premier competition team, will be hosting its first annual yard/bake sale, this Saturday, September 24th.  

There will be tons of items from several different families, all in one easy location.  Located in the center of Maple Valley, the yard sale will be held in the gravel parking lot across from the DaVine/Tahoma Athletic Club.  If you don't know where that is, just head to the QFC in Maple Valley.  The Tahoma Athletic club is right up the hill from QFC.  

This is a great opportunity to support local families, as well as find great deals for yourself and your children!  

So mark your calendar, this Saturday, September 24th from 8 AM - 5 PM.  See you there!

Watch FUSION in Action!

Check out FUSION, Dance Art's competition team, dancing here at the Tahoma Invitational!

Back to School Dance Wear Available at Dance Arts

Bloch and Capezio Leotards!

Did you know that Dance Arts sells the dance wear you need for your class?  Let's face it, ordering online can be difficult when it comes to sizing dance shoes, and most of the online dance stores make you pay for shipping when you want to return merchandise as well.  To make it easier on you, Dance Arts now offers, The Dance Shop, for your classroom needs.  We have leotards, dance shorts, dance pants, tights, ballet, tap and jazz shoes, as well as an assortment of Footundeez, the latest trend in dance wear. 

Ballet, Tap & Jazz Shoes Available

The Dance Shop is located in the main office, directly behind our lobby area.  Our office staff is trained to help you try on shoes, and fit you for the right size.  Sizing dance shoes can be tricky.  Ballet and jazz shoes do stretch a little bit.  However with children's feet constantly growing when they are young, it can be more economical to purchase shoes that fit, but still have a tiny bit of room to grow into throughout the year. 

Footundeez, the latest trend now available!

Even if you are already set for Fall, you can still feel free to stop in and take a peek at what we offer.  The Dance Shop at Dance Arts looks forward to helping you meet your dance wear needs!

Cooking with Quinoa

With so many after school activities, it can often seem a bit daunting to find healthy foods to put on the table.  Sometimes cooking from scratch can take up more time than our busy lives have time for.  Quinoa is a grain like seed, known for it's high fiber as well as high protein.  Unlike rice, wheat and other grains, quinoa is a complete protein (meat, eggs, and dairy all are complete proteins as well).  Quinoa cooks the same way you cook rice, and is now readily available.  You can find organic quinoa at Costco, or at any regular grocery store that you visit. 

One of the simplest ways to incorporate quinoa into you and your child's diet, is a nice stir fry.  Simply cook the quinoa according to the package directions, steam or saute any veggies you have available (this is a great way to use up any produce that is about to go bad).  Veggies that taste great in a stir fry include carrots, broccoli, corn, celery, onion, bok choy, cabbage, chard, and much, much, more.  If you're in a hurry, Costco and other grocery stores carry prepackaged stir fry vegetable mixes.  Simply saute, and put over a bed of quinoa.  You can also add chicken, beef or stir in egg if your family prefers meat, or leave it without meat for a great vegetarian option.

Quinoa does take a little adjusting to the pallet.  When cooking at first, it tastes much better if you add a bullion cube to the water, or cook the quinoa in chicken or vegetable broth. 

We hope you find this nutrition tip useful!  For my ideas on how to cook with quinoa, check out this link!

The Meyers Family is Ready to Dance!

Anna Lee & Shelby Meyers

The Meyers family is a returning family to Dance Arts.  Last year was Anna Lee's first year at the school.  This year, her younger sister, Shelby, will be dancing as well!

"I like to dance because it just feels good and I like to be in the fancy costumes at the end, and because it's just fun," Anna Lee says about why she likes to dance.  Anna Lee danced in Miss Elizabeth's class last year at Dance Arts. 

Laura, Anna Lee's mom, said, "the structure and discipline of Miss Elizabeth's class was challenging for Anna Lee, but it was a challenge I wanted for her. [Anna Lee] is a button pusher, and once she figured out Miss Elizabeth didn't have any buttons, I think she ended up doing really well as she matured throughout the year."  She added how, "once Elizabeth figured Anna Lee out, and how to separate her from her friends, Anna Lee turned a corner of wanting to please her from week to week, and actually began working on her performance. I could see her proud of herself at the end of the practice and that is wonderful to see as a Mom."

Anna Lee with friends Myra and Avery.

The recital was a highlight for the Meyers family.  Anna Lee recalls, "the recital is like so fun because you get to watch all of the other girls in their fancy costumes. And, you get to be with all of the teachers, and their helpers." 
 

Anna Lee also enjoyed being able to, "show our parents what we learned," in class.  And of course, "[liked] that [her] friends Avery and Myra were in [class]." 

The Meyers sisters in princess costumes.

Last year Anna Lee's younger sister, Shelby "wanted to run and play in her costume instead of learn," Laura explains.  However, when "she saw the little girls at Anna Lee's recital, [she] decided she wanted to do that next year."  

Anna Lee thinks her little sister "will like learning stuff from Miss Paige, like the cat jump that tries to chase the mouse or learning to plie, or bouncing or doing sparklers or learning the positions."

The Meyer's sisters also love to dance at home.  "I love to dance ballet to the Vienna Boys Choir while I try to teach Shelby," Anna Lee says. 

Avery and Anna Lee in Miss Elizabeth's class!

While dancing at home is a ton of fun, Laura still sees the value of the classes at Dance Arts.  " I am hoping that my girls will learn self discipline, teamwork and the fundamentals of ballet. I want them to have a strict but, nurturing classroom where week after week, they want to come back for the fun!"



We are looking forward to another great year of dancing with the Meyers family, our other returning families, and new families as well.  A big thank you to the Meyer's family for sharing your dance experience with us!

Classes Begin Monday, September 12th!

 Are you ready to dance?

Once again summer has flown by, and back to school time is too quickly approaching!  

Dance Arts is excited for another fun school year of dancing and making new friends!

We will be using this blog to tell you about new classes and opportunities as they come up.  We will also track the competition and performance teams journey over the year, with photos and blog posts.  In addition, we will tell you about what goes on in class, from some of the precious moments that happen in our preschool classes, to a student's first pirouette in a grade school class.

It's going to be another amazing year!  We look forward to dancing with you soon!