September means that school is in full swing. Parents and students both know the juggling act required to keep up with school assignments, extracurricular activities, and household responsibilities. The responsibilities and time commitments of both can seem overwhelming, but with careful planning and dedication, it’s entirely possible to thrive in both realms.

Creating a Danceable Schedule

1. Prioritize and Plan
   • Time management is key. Use tools like planners or digital calendars to map out your schedule, including classes, rehearsals, study sessions, and personal time. If you’re a parent of more than one active child, choosing sports or activities with opposite seasons could help you manage your time.  Sit down with your child and map out their school schedule, creating a routine will eliminate some of the stress of the busy school year. 
2. Communication is Key
   • Keep open lines of communication with your teachers, parents, children and dance instructors. Inform your parents and instructors about your commitments on both fronts and discuss potential conflicts. Most educators and instructors are understanding and may offer solutions or accommodations to help you manage your responsibilities. Create a safe space for yourself or your child so they can discuss any challenges they might be facing.
3. Set Realistic Goals
   • While it’s essential to aim high, set achievable goals for both school and dance. Establishing realistic expectations prevents burnout and ensures you can excel without compromising your health or performance.
4. Learn to Delegate
   • Recognize that you don’t have to do everything alone. Delegate tasks when possible, whether it’s partnering with classmates for group projects or seeking support from fellow dancers. Consider carpooling from school or home to dance. Collaboration can alleviate stress and foster a sense of togetherness.

Preserving Your Passion: Self-Care and Motivation

1. Self-Care Is Essential
   • Balancing school and dance requires mental and physical well-being. Prioritize sleep, nutrition, and regular exercise. Engage in activities you enjoy outside of academics and dance to recharge and prevent burnout. If you feel sick, stay home! School and dance will be there when you feel better.
2. Find Motivation in Synergy
   • Rather than viewing school and dance as separate entities, discover ways they can complement each other. Use dance as an outlet to relieve academic stress or draw inspiration from your studies to enhance your artistic expression.
3. Celebrate Small Wins
   • Acknowledge and celebrate achievements, whether they’re academic milestones or dance accomplishments. Regularly acknowledging progress can boost confidence and keep the dancer motivated to excel in both areas. A win is a win.

Embracing Flexibility and Adaptability

1. Be Prepared for Changes
   • Life is unpredictable, and unexpected challenges may arise. Develop the ability to adapt and adjust your plans when necessary. A flexible mindset will help you navigate obstacles without derailing your progress.
2. Learn to Say No
   • While it’s important to seize opportunities, overcommitting can lead to burnout. Politely decline additional responsibilities when your plate is already full to maintain a healthy balance between school and dance. Putting your child into too many activities at one can cause them to dislike dance or the other activities they’re involved in. Make sure to listen to your child and their boundaries.
3. Periodic Evaluation
   • Regularly assess your schedule and commitments. Are there areas where you can optimize your time? Are your goals still aligned with your passions? Adjustments may be needed over time to ensure you’re on the right track.

A Healthy Blend

Managing school commitments and dance might seem like a complex puzzle, but it’s entirely possible with the right approach. By fostering effective time management, open communication, and a growth mindset, you’ll achieve a blend of academic success and artistic fulfillment. Remember, you’re not alone on this journey – embrace the balancing act and talk to those around you.

To all the dance-loving parents out there, cheers to helping your child shine both in the classroom and on the dance floor!

So why Nan’s school of dance?

At Nan’s School of Dance, our goal is to provide top-quality instruction at a competitive price. We encourage our students to reach technical proficiency in their favorite dance form and build self-discipline, poise, and self-esteem. We offer instruction in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Acro, and Pre-Dance, at all levels. 

We love having new members in our dance classes and will help get your child acclimated to our dance school to make them feel right at home. When your child attends Nan’s School of Dance, they will become a part of our dance family and share in our love for dance!

Don’t forget to register!

From ballet to hip hop, we offer dance classes for ALL ages and skill levels in a variety of styles. We place students in classes that will challenge them while offering a fun atmosphere for learning and growth. We also offer Mommy & Me classes, (18 months – 2.5 years). Register online or give us a call at 919-803-6044 to hold your spot!

*Feel free to follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Want to Read More About Dance?

Take a look at some of our other articles about dance.

• The Importance Of SMART Goal Setting For Dancers
• How The Dance Studio Affects The Classroom

So you want to be a dancer? You’ve signed up for classes and that’s a great start. But how can you get the most out of your dance classes and excel along your dancing journey? At Nan’s School of Dance, we have witnessed our dancers have great success when it comes to dance. But their success doesn’t just happen over night. Here are some excellent tips on how to get the most out of your dance lessons.

Be Early

This may seem silly, but arriving to dance lessons early can really help. Being early, gives you time to put away your things, say hello to friends, and warm up. By the time dance class actually starts you will be ready to go and prepared to fully absorb the teacher’s demonstrations and instructions.

Plan Ahead

You may see this and think, “What do I possibly need to plan ahead for? I know when dance class is and how to get there.” Well, schedules can be hectic! Balancing school, dance, and family obligations can be challenging. It can be helpful to have a planner to better schedule your time around dance lessons. You can also plan to bring a snack to have before and after class. If you have a big test that week, make plans to study each night so you won’t be stressed. Giving yourself enough time to enjoy your dance lessons with a clear head will help you learn!

Find a Buddy

Dance class is a perfect place to make friends. Find a buddy in class that you can talk to. If you want to work on a routine or a step, it might be fun to reach out to them outside of class and practice together. That extra practice could really pay off! In addition, having a buddy is great because you can motivate each other if you are having difficulties.

Communicate With Your Instructor

Your teacher is always here to help. Our instructors are always willing to help and answer any questions you may have. Never hesitate to speak up and ask if you need help or clarification on a step, that is exactly what we are here for!

Self-Assess

Don’t just look to your instructor for critique or praise. Do not underestimate your “eye.”

• Use the mirror to watch yourself
• Practice at home and record the routine
• Get feedback from your friends or family.

Don’t be scared to pat yourself on the back when you catch yourself doing an awesome job!

Want to Read More About Dance?

Take a look at some of our other articles about dance.

• Good Dance Etiquette
• How To Become a Better Dancer

So why Nan’s school of dance?

At Nan’s School of Dance, our goal is to provide top-quality instruction at a competitive price. We encourage our students to reach technical proficiency in their favorite dance form and build self-discipline, poise, and self-esteem. We offer instruction in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Acro, and Pre-Dance, at all levels.

We love having new members in our dance classes and will help get your child acclimated to our dance school to make them feel right at home. When your child attends Nan’s School of Dance, they will become a part of our dance family and share in our love for dance!

Don’t forget to register!

From ballet to hip hop, we offer dance classes for ALL ages and skill levels in a variety of styles. We place students in classes that will challenge them while offering a fun atmosphere for learning and growth. We also offer Mommy & Me classes, (18 months – 2.5 years). Register online or give us a call at 919-803-6044 to hold your spot!

*Feel free to follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

If you are a dancer or if you have a dancer in your home…then you have heard of an eight count! What if we were to tell you that there are even more math concepts (other than counting) that can be learned through dance? Would you be surprised to hear that there is a ton of math in dance? Well, our experts at Nan’s Dance are here to tell you that your child will find math in movement!

Geometry

A dancer uses their body to create various angles, lines and shapes to contribute to the effect of the dance. Lines, angles, and shapes are the very foundation of geometry. So when your child is learning a dance routine they are also using geometry.

• Angles: Dancers need to focus on the angles they form with their bodies to create the right shape during a dance. In ballet, dancers observe the angle of the body, legs, and arms in positions such as holding a leg in the air at a 90-degree angle.
• Lines: Dancers create lines with their body during their dance routine. Dancers also have to use lines during choreography. They may have to create two parallel lines or two perpendicular lines.
• Shapes: In all different types of dances, the dancer is making shapes with their body. A group of dancers working together can also create shapes such as triangles, rectangles, squares, circles, etc.

Time

In a choreographed dance routine, timing is everything! In dance, time is the relationship between one movement to the next.

• Duration: the length of time the movement lasts
• Phases: longer sequences of movement
• Pulse: accented beat or heartbeat of the rhythm
• Tempo: steady beat, fast or slow (the speed of the movement)
• Rhythm: a pattern of beats

Patterns

Patterns are an essential part of dance. The rhythms in music are patterns. Dancers time their movements to the beats in the music. Dancers also use patterns in their formations. The choreography in the dance can have patterns like AB and ABA.

Physics

Hearing the words physics and dance together might seem a little far-fetched, or crazy. But think about the energy, force, and speed that is used during dance.

• Energy and Force: the use of more or less energy while moving. Imagine two ballet dancers dancing together and about to do a lift. Both dancers need to be aware of how much energy and force they need to make that lift work.
• Speed: Dancers use speed in all of their dance routines. Dancers will need to calculate how fast or slow they need to move through the routine to get from one place to another on the stage.

Math is in Movement

As you can see, math is an integral part of dance and dance choreography. So if your dancer is struggling with a concept in their math class at school, see if you can relate it back to dance. Your dancer may have a better understanding of the concepts if they can relate to it. In addition, on behalf of all us artists who did not enjoy math in high school, and rolled our eyes at the teacher when they told us how important it is, we’re sorry, and you were right!

Want to Read More About Dance?

Take a look at some of our other articles about dance.

• How the Dance Studio Affects the Classroom 
• Five Ways Your Child Will Grow Through Dance

So why Nan’s school of dance?

We offer instruction in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Acro, and Pre-Dance, at all levels. We love having new members in our dance classes. We will help get your child acclimated to our dance school and make them feel right at home. When your child attends Nan’s School of Dance, they will become a part of our dance family and share in our love for dance!

Don’t forget to register!

From ballet to hip hop, we offer dance classes for ALL ages and skill levels in a variety of styles. We place students in classes that will challenge them while offering a fun atmosphere for learning and growth. We also offer Mommy & Me classes, (18 months – 2.5 years). Register online or give us a call at 919-803-6044 to hold your spot!