It's Time to Celebrate our Spectacular Students

Wow, our 2019-2020 Dance Season has sure been one we will NEVER forget. A few months ago, we never imagined that we would be running a virtual dance studio, but here we are! As we close out the season, it’s time to celebrate our spectacular students the best way we know how: a performance!

When COVID-19 closures began, we said from the start that we were committed to making a performance opportunity happen. That commitment has remained rock solid, and we are SO excited to get our recital plans rolling! We know it’s going to be fantastic. 

As I’m sure you could imagine, going back to the drawing board and reimagining our end-of-year festivities was not an easy task. We share the disappointment with our families around not making it to the theater, but we are excited to make the best out of a tough situation! 

We are SO thrilled to share how we are celebrating our students this year:

In-Class Virtual Recital (June 20th-26th)

Our first Recital Opportunity is happening NEXT week, in-class on Zoom, at NO extra cost to you! We’ve loved getting the chance to continue teaching our amazing students virtually and can’t wait to see the screen sparkle with their costumes! We ask that students arrive to class in costume with proper shoes and tights. Hair and makeup is recommended to add a little glitz and glam! 

If you are looking for ways to make this day EXTRA special, we’ve got your covered with a few ideas! 

• Creating a DIY backdrop at home can make your child feel like ALL eyes are on them! We found this great youtube tutorial for a paper backdrop, but there are TONS of other youtube tutorials to check out!

• Recording the performance and hosting a family watch party to view the recital video

• A pre-performance photoshoot

• Surprising your child with flowers after their performance

• Sharing a celebratory meal with your child

Red Carpet Experience (June 26th, 27th, & 30th)

This year, we are offering our first-ever Red Carpet experience! Complete with professional recital photos, a private in-studio performance with 4 guests, a t-shirt, and awards, we know this option is going to make our students BURST with excitement. We can’t wait! 

After all the changes and chaos of this year, we are feeling extra elated about creating a celebratory experience for our students. Tough times make sweet victories even sweeter! We’d like to extend our deepest gratitude to our Positions parents for your continued support and flexibility. Recital 2020 is going to be SPECTACULAR!

Seeing the Silver Lining: Top 4 Takeaways of Online Dance Classes

Month number 2 of quarantine is almost complete and let’s be real… staying positive is not an easy task. If you let your mind start to wander too far, heading into worry-land happens pretty quickly. We get it and we’re here to offer support wherever we can. 

There is one positive thing that we all agree on at Positions: seeing your kids on zoom every week makes all of the madness disappear for a few hours. Not only do we love seeing their faces, but we’ve also been having tons of magical moments in class. While our online classes could never take the place of being in the studio, they are SO valuable during this time. 

Between our free and paid facebook groups, our LIVE classes on Zoom, and other fun initiatives on our public facebook page, we’ve completely dedicated ourselves to moving our programs online. As we witness our students learning in new ways and smiles flying left and right, we’ve been seeing the silver lining more and more. 

Check out the Top 4 Take-Aways of Online Dance Classes:

1. A Slice of Normalcy

Any sense of stability that your child was used to has probably shifted during this time. Schedules, schooling, social interaction, end of the year festivities… you name it, it’s probably been changed or non-existent. Which is why we LOVE providing our weekly classes. 

Your child sees their regular teacher just like normal. Your child can depend on the same class every week just like normal. Your child practices their recital dance just like normal. Your child reviews the same skills they were learning before quarantine just like normal. We hope this has lowered the levels of crazy at your house, even if it’s just for an hour each week! 

2. Staying Connected

One of the best feelings is when we unmute a child on zoom and they start exploding with stories and questions! We love watching as they finally let it all out. When we are all dancing together on the screen, everyone is reminded of the community we built at the studio earlier in the year. The kids feel like they belong again. We know they miss their friends and teachers, so we love giving them a chance to connect each week. 

3. Individual Attention

Besides dance class, when was the last time your child heard someone outside of their family say their name? It’s probably been a while. When we give our students corrections via zoom, we watch as their faces light up and they stand a little taller each time. It’s seriously magical!!

We recently read this article by the Institute for Family Studies that outlines 4 things that children need right now. Number one on their list is to feel heard. While our kids are muted, it may be difficult to accomplish this on Zoom. BUT, we do make them feel SEEN, which we would argue is EVEN better. It’s a good feeling to know that others are noticing you, seeing you, and investing in your success. 

4. A Creative Outlet

Even though your little ones might not understand the full capacity of the current situation, I think we all know they are feeling effects. When a child’s world gets turned upside down, it’s important to have a creative outlet. Just like our in-person classes, our virtual classes allow dancers to let go, forget about all the confusion, and dance it out! That has never been more important than right now! 

We hope this list gave you a glimpse into the warm and fuzzies that we feel during every Zoom class we teach. Their smiles are what remind us to stay positive during this time. 

While we know you might not get a “thank you” from your child after each Zoom class, trust us when we say that they are grateful. And from the bottom of OUR hearts, thank you. Thank you for your continued support during COVID-19. Thank you for supporting your child’s passions. Thank you for your flexibility and positivity. Our dance families are simply the best. 

COVID-19 Resources for Dance Families

Oof! Whatever you are stressed about right now…. just know, you are NOT alone. Between finances, health, and childcare, it’s just a lot. These are REAL issues, REAL concerns, and we are with you. We want to help. From our stuck-at-home family to yours, we are here to offer some positivity during this trying time. 

Even though it may seem harder than ever before, now is the MOST important time to make sure our students KEEP dancing. Why? Endorphins, of course! We can probably all agree that we need a few extra of those right now! 

Our Positions Staff has been hard at work this past month taking our dance classes TOTALLY virtual! If you haven’t yet hopped on zoom with us or joined our Facebook groups, don’t worry! We are still wrapping our heads around all this too! It’s not too late to join us. 

On top of what WE’VE put together for our current Positions families, we have been totally thrilled by the number of people and companies who have banded together to help. From live online classes to at-home workouts, we’ve compiled a list of amazing resources for our dance families! We also threw in some general resources for our parents who are suddenly expected to be teachers AND parents!

Check out these awesome resources for dancers and parents during COVID-19:

Exclusively for Positions Families:

• FREE Facebook Group for Current Positions Families - Contests, recital videos, and fun activities are posted weekly! Stay moving and connected in our Positions-only group!

• LIVE Classes on Zoom - Access your child’s Zoom Link via the Parent Portal. If you are new to zoom, this tutorial will help you get oriented. View the zoom class schedule on our website and we will see you on the virtual dance floor!

• Paid Adult Fitness Subscription Group - For $25, you can gain access to all of our at-home workout videos. At Positions, we don’t let quarantine stop us from reaching our health and fitness goals! Join us today! 

• Kids Yoga on Facebook Live - Are things a little crazy at home? We’ve got you! Join Miss Kelly for some relaxing Kid’s Yoga. Follow Positions Dance Studio on Facebook so you don’t miss a class! 

Dance Training:

Bored at home? Can’t get enough dance? On TOP of your Virtual Classes at Positions, we’ve found some extra classes that will help you stay moving! These classes won’t be taught by your Positions Faculty, and they won’t help you learn your recital dance, but they are great class supplements to take advantage of!

• Ballet Class with the Pros - A list of professional Ballet dancers that are offering virtual classes via Instagram/Facebook Live.

• CLI Studios - The industry’s leading online class outlet is graciously offering FREE classes during this time with your favorite choreographers. Visit the website for a complete schedule and get moving!

• DANCIO - Take class with the stars of dance from the comfort of your own home. They are offering a free 2-week trial.

• GAGA classes - Donation based Gaga classes through Zoom multiple times a day!

• STEEZY - Explore different urban dance styles like house, breaking, and popping. Free 7-day trial!

• Sugarfoot Therapy - Injury prevention workouts for dancers designed by a physical therapist.

Staying Active:

• BOKS - Free online fitness program for kids.

• CorePower Yoga On Demand - Parents this is for you! CorePower has released their online classes for free.

• Cosmic Kids Yoga - Yoga, mindfulness and relaxation designed specially for kids aged 3+

• GoNoodle - Keep your tiny dancer moving with these fun, free dance videos for the whole family!

• LES MILLS On Demand - Another great resource for parents to experience over 800+ workouts from home. They’re offering free trials!

Exploring Art:

• BroadwayHD - You can experience the magic of Broadway from home! They offer a 7-day free trial!

• Google Arts & Culture - Google has partnered with over 500 museums and galleries around the world!

• Met Opera - Every evening enjoy a FREE night at the opera from your couch! 

Virtual Learning:

• ABC Mouse - Reading, math, science, and art for ages 2-8.

• Kahn Academy - Free online learning and lesson plans for kids of ALL ages.

• LUNCH DOODLES with Mo Willems - Mo welcomes you into his studio at home and guides you through drawing activities using one of his favorite characters as inspiration!

• Raddish Kids - Healthy meal prep activities for families

• Scholastic Learn at Home - Day-by-day projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing.

• Wild, FREE & Crafty - Free art lessons for kids and adults.

Stay informed:

• Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Stay updated and informed! The CDC recommends also following your local and state health agencies for additional information.

Whether you’re homeschooling kids, trying to work from home, or doing your best to keep your dancer active, we hope that you find these links helpful!

From all of us here at Positions Dance Studio, we are sending you warm and healthy thoughts. Together we will make it through this time, and we can’t wait to see you all back at the studio. Happy living room dancing to all of our students!