Why We LOVE Our Prestige Dance Families!

Why we love our Prestige Dance Studio families! WE have the best dance studio environment in Cedar Rapids!

Teaching dance comes with many perks. Doing what you love, seeing growth within your students, challenging your own creativity, getting exercise while you work, the list goes on and on. But one out of the giant list of perks stands out FAR beyond any other. It is having the privilege to get to know so many dancers and families. We thought February was the PERFECT time to tell you why we love our Prestige Dance families so much!

Our dance families are kind and supportive of one another. Time and time again, we witness first-hand our dance families helping each other. Whether it is giving a dance friend a ride home, helping a dancer do their makeup at a competition or listening to a dance parent talk about their long week, you are there to support each other. It is beyond inspiring to watch and learn from your kind gestures week after week. We know that your kindness is not only inspiring us but also your dancers!

We also know and love that our dance families make dance a priority. We appreciate it so much that our dancers and their families come to class excited and ready to learn week after week. It takes a lot of sacrifices for parents to allow their children to follow their passion and we want to thank you. Although your dancers may not always say it, we know they love that too.

Finally, we could not end this post without acknowledging how much FUN our dance families are! We love that we get to spend time with you all. Each time we have a Prestige Dance Studio event, we leave feeling energized and excited all because of the positivity you bring. We could not be happier teaching dance we are SO lucky to share our passion with some AMAZING dance families. Thank you for all you do for your dancers and for just for being you!

Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us here at Prestige Dance Studio!

 

Countdown to Recital!

dance recital at prestige dance studio

 

The countdown to our annual recital and Prestige Dance Studio is ON! We are so excited to see our dancers perform at our 5th Annual Recital. Our recital is an opportunity for our students to showcase their hard work and get valuable experience performing. We LOVE seeing their passion and joy as they take the stage.

It Takes a Village

Sunday, June 3rd Paramount Theatre

Over the next few months, parents will continue to get more details and information about the upcoming performance. Recital time requires a lot of coordination and organization from our parents, students, and staff. Today, we are giving you 3 practical tips to stay on top of recital season. It will be here before we know it!

  1. Write down important dates as soon as you receive them. Rather than sticking the recital packet in a drawer or saving our latest email, pull out all the important dates and write them somewhere where your whole family can see them. Large family calendars on the refrigerator are great for this!
  2. Read everything. We do our best to thoroughly explain everything that happens surrounding recital. Read the recital packet, all emails, and the information on our website. You may find that your questions are answered!
  3. If you do have questions, ask for clarification earlier rather then later. Please do not call us the night before dress rehearsal asking what color lipstick your daughter needs:) If you do have questions, it is best to get them answered well in advance of the performance. Asking in advance ensures that our staff can give your question the attention it deserves.

Below you will find the important dates leading up to our 5th Annual Recital, It Takes a Village. We hope our families at Prestige Dance Studio are as excited as we are. We greatly appreciate the dedication of our studio families and are looking forward to a wonderful performance!

Important Dates

Thursday, February 1 February Tuition Billed to Account on File

Monday, February 26- Sunday, March 4th Parent Observation Week

Thursday, March 1 March Tuition and Recital Fee Billed to Account on File

Thursday, March 1 Recital Packets Available for Pick-up in Studio Office

Monday, March 12- Sunday, March 18th Spring Break

Saturday, April 1st – May 1st Recital Tickets Available for Pick-up and Purchase

Saturday, April 1st – May 1st Host-Mom Seat Reservations

Sunday, May 6th -Saturday, May 12 In-studio Dress Rehearsal and Dance Pictures

Tuesday, May 15 Dress Rehearsal for 12pm Show at Paramount Theatre No Regular Tuesday Classes

Wednesday, May 16th Dress Rehearsal for 4pm Show at Paramount Theatre No regular Wednesday Classes

Sunday, May 27 Last Day of Regular Classes

Tuesday, May 29 and Wednesday, May 30 Makeup Classes for Classes Missed During Dress Rehearsals

Sunday, June 3 “It Takes a Village” Recital 2018 at Paramount Theatre

 

Meet Miss Jess

In 2013, Jess founded Prestige Dance Studio to share her passion of dance in a safe, technically sound and creative environment with the Corridor. Jess has been honored with choreography and most entertaining awards at competitions throughout the nation. Backed by Jess’s love of the performing arts and her 12 years of professional instruction experience, Prestige Dance Studio offers fresh and innovative styles that are unparalleled in the Cedar Rapids area.

Although many of the students at Prestige have gotten to know Miss Jess in class and in the hallways, we thought it was a good time to dive a little deeper! Her passion for dance education is unparalleled in the Cedar Rapids area and she is beyond proud of all that her dancers have accomplished in the last few years.

Find out much more about Miss Jess below and the next time you see her at the studio feel free to stop and say hello!

Meet the owner of Prestige Dance Studio in Cedar Rapids, IA

 

 

How To Keep Your Dancers Warm In Class

Staying warm as a dancer is always a challenge in the winter ESPECIALLY in Cedar Rapids, IA! Learn how in this post!

 

 

Now that it is mid-January, most people feel the thrill of winter start to slowly wear off. We have seen the snow, we have done our fun winter activities and now it is just COLD! Dancers in the studio get tired of throwing on all those winter layers to and from class too. They may start to think… is it really THAT important to stay warm anyways?! We are here to report that YES! It is that important to stay layered and warm before and in between classes, even as the excitement of wearing that favorite Prestige hoodie wears off.

What is the big deal you ask?? This article from IDTA does an amazing job explaining the benefits of warming up. Dancers need to prepare their bodies for what they are asking during class. Muscles need heat to stretch and move to their max capacity. Because the temperatures drop in the winter, it is even MORE important to be intentional with a warm-up.

In all of our classes at Prestige, we include a warm-up at the beginning of class and it is for the very same reason listed above. We want to make sure that your dancers move safely no matter what the weather outside is like. So what can you do to help when it is cold outside?

  • Talk to your dancer about why it is important to warm up before class.
  • Bring your dancers a few minutes early to get a head start on warming up. While dancers catch up with their dance friends have them get moving with some light exercises. This is especially important while recovering from an injury (Ask your physical therapist for a pre-class warm-up).
  • After class, bundle up to go outside. This is always a challenge with young dancers because they are hot after class but the cool-down is equally important. By bringing the body temperature down gradually, dancers can reduce muscle spasms and cramps.

Although these tips are especially important in the winter, they should be used all year long! Staying warm in dance class is a huge part of injury prevention, which is SO valuable to all dancers. Make sure your dancer knows the importance of it and let us know if you have questions. We are here to help and guide your dancer through it! The best part? Spring will be here before you know it!

Let’s Make A Holiday Project!

Project Ideas for the holidays in Cedar Rapids, IAThe cold weather combined with the holiday spirit is a perfect recipe for projects! From gingerbread houses to homemade ornaments,  kids LOVE getting creative. As a bonus, you will LOVE being able to keep and display memories year after year, it is a win-win! We thought we would get your creative juices flowing with some holiday project ideas. We love the idea of making projects a holiday tradition just like many of us bake cookies with our loved one every year.

  • Holiday Decor
    • Yarn Christmas Trees: These trees are super simple to make and odds are you can find the supplies somewhere in your house! This is the perfect craft for young children.
    • Holiday Wreaths: You are bound to find a wreath in this giant list of 31 DYI ideas! Our personal favorite is the ornament wreath but whatever you choose will be fabulous!
    • Outdoor Decor: Your kids are sure to flip when they see these items in your front lawn and they will have even more fun creating them with you!
  • Ornaments
    • Handprint ornaments: These always make our hearts melt when we pull them out year after year. We love these creative ideas to spice things up!
    • Love this list: There are some seriously sophisticated ideas in this list and we are LOVING it! Who doesn’t want to make something chic to go on the tree.
  • Gingerbread Everything
    • House Inspiration: These houses are pretty amazing! Grab some inspiration from a detail or try the whole house!
    • Cookies: This recipe is soft and tasty to eat! Cookies may be a great place to start for the younger decorator.
    • Shortcuts: Gingerbread anything can be really tricky! Get some shortcuts here. Our favorite? Using graham crackers against old milk cartons instead, no one will know, we promise! hehe!

What are some of the holiday crafts you do with your family? At Prestige, family and fun play a big part in our studio culture. We want to encourage you to have some fun with the ones you love this holiday break! And make sure to show us all your holiday projects, we LOVE seeing them!

Wrapping up 2017: Time to Reflect

reflect as a dancer

 

As the end of the year approaches, it is a great time to reflect on the past year. At Prestige Dance Studio, we LOVE helping our dancers set goals, journal, and be more present in their training. Taking this “whole dancer” approach helps our dancers reach their goals both in and out of the dance studio!

One of the best parts of setting goals is taking time to celebrate all the milestones you reach along the way. Reaching goals is super motivating! If you never take time to celebrate- you may not realize all the progress you are making and get discouraged.

Below we have outlined several prompts for reflecting and celebrating. We encourage you to take a moment and go through these items with your dancer! They will feel super confident as they head into 2018 and motivated to set NEW goals for the upcoming year.

Prompts for reflecting:

What is something you are most proud of this year? Could be something big or small. Did your dancer perform for the first time this year? Add a new class? Make a new friend?

If you had to describe yourself in class, what three words would you use? If they have a hard time coming up with ideas, maybe ask them how they think their teachers or classmates would describe them. Is this consistent with how they would like to behave or be perceived in class?

What classmates bring out the best in you? It is a great thing when students start to realize that who they surround themselves with greatly affects their behavior and attitude. Do they dance better when they stand by a certain person? Who encourages them and supports them?

Which teacher brings out the best in you? Help your dancer to see how many people they have in the world that want to help them be their best and reach their goals!

What did a teacher say to you in class that really stuck with you all year? What compliments or feedback can your dancer come back to when they are feeling discouraged. It might be valuable to write this down!

What was the biggest problem you solved at the studio? Did they have to work alongside their classmates to resolve an issue? Was there a challenge their team faced during the season? Reflect on the solution and what it felt like to work together.

What little things at the studio brought you the most happiness? It is easy to remember the BIG things like recital and competitions, but what about all the small moments in class? Do they love ballet barre? Having their mom put their hair in a bun before class? Going across the floor in jazz? Help your dancer to find more joy in the day to day tasks surrounding going to dance and rehearsals.

What new skills did you learn or master this year? Have your dancer create a list of ALL the new things they learned. Dance is a lot of repetition- listing it all out can really help your dancer to realize how far they have some this year.

Hopefully, these questions get your dancer’s wheels turning. How fun would it be to document these answers and keep them throughout your dancer’s years at Prestige Dance Studio? What a gift to be able to read ALL of the reflections from years past!

We would love to hear what your dancer came up with. Share your dancer’s reflections in the comments or on our Facebook page. Hearing feedback like this from our dancers is the best testimonial we could ask for!

Best Of The Web: Gift Guide

Perfect list of gifts for this christmas. Dancers will love these options in Cedar Rapids IA

 

 

 

 

Ready or not, the holidays are quickly approaching! Our families here at Prestige are busy shopping, attending special performances, baking cookies, and doing all the other great activities this time of year brings. Have you completed your holiday shopping yet? Do you have anyone on your list that you are completely clueless as to what to get them?? You can take a good sigh of relief because we have put together our best of the web: gift guide edition! We are sure that you will get re-inspired and find some great ideas, no matter who you are shopping for!

For The Dancer:

Last year, we put together the ULTIMATE gift guide for dancers. There are some amazing ideas that your dancer is SURE to love! We also found another great list from Dance Advantage. We would LOVE to get our hands on the Ballerina Cookbook listed in their post! Also, don’t forget that you don’t have to go very far for your dancer. We have so many great stocking stuffer and dancewear options right here at Prestige!

For The Creative:

If your loved one likes to explore art, DIY projects, and crafts, they will love anything from One Handcrafted Life’s creative gift list. For younger crafters, Martha Stewart has some GREAT ideas! Just reading these makes us want to start a new project!

For The Athlete Or Sports Fanatic:

Staying active is a very popular goal for the upcoming New Years Eve. Give your loved one a leg up by giving them something on this list from Very Well. They have some great message and stretching gifts that your dancer might enjoy as well! If sports are more their thing, try checking out this list from CNN. We mean, who wouldn’t want an NFL ugly sweater? hehe!

For The Professional:

If your gift recipient is hoping to push themselves and grow in their professional life this year, choose any of the books listed here on Inc! We are feeling inspired already, have you read any on their list??

For The Stressed

We mean stressed in the BEST way possible of course! For anyone who needs a little rest, relaxation, and calmness, there is nothing better than using a gift to help bring them there! This list from Out Of Stress made us feel more relaxed by just READING it hehe!

Has inspiration struck yet?? We hope so! What gift are you the MOST excited to give this year?? Tell us below, we would love to include it in our web round-up next year! At Prestige, we hope you enjoy this holiday season to the fullest and savor every moment of picking out the PERFECT gifts for your loved ones.

 

 

How To Avoid Burnout

Great advice for dancers in Cedar Rapids, IA on how to avoid burnoutLike young athletes, dancers have to be aware of and take steps to avoid burnout. The dance season is very long compared to other activities. We run from August to June and only take a short break before we jump right back into things for the summer session. It’s basically a year-long activity that is extremely demanding on the mind and body. As many of our Prestige dancers know, some of our dancers are in the studio for hours and hours every single week. We are approaching the mid-year mark and want to help our dancers avoid the dreaded burnout this year. Although we can’t control when burnout may strike, we can take steps to reduce the risk.

  1. Stay focused on goals. When you are tired, sore, and overwhelmed it is easy to forget why you are doing all of this in the first place. Try writing down one main goal and keep it somewhere visible.  By seeing your goal daily on a post-it note on your mirror, in a journal by your bed, on your school planner, etc. you will be more likely to remember the WHY. This will help push you through the more difficult times.
  2. Get feedback from teachers. Sometimes burnout can come from being frustrated. “Why didn’t I get the solo?” “Why is my teacher so hard on me?” “Why can’t I nail my turns?” Sometimes, dance is HARD. Like, really hard! We don’t always leave class doing things perfectly and that can make a dancer want to give up! By checking in with teachers on what can be done differently in class, you get answers. You won’t waste time on negative self-talk and you won’t get to that place of wanting to give up.
  3. Rest. Rest is SO important for dancers. Like we mentioned earlier, dance is demanding on the mind and body. If you start feeling overwhelmed or more stressed out than normal, make an effort to go to bed early (instead of going on your social media hehe!). When you have time off during your busy season, take that time off to rest instead of filling the space with other activities. We promise you will feel refreshed and ready to get back to work!
  4. Talk to your parents and dance teachers. If you start feeling overwhelmed or run down, don’t be afraid to say something to your parents and teachers. Your parents want you to stay healthy and positive and your teachers want that too. We can all work together to figure out a plan to get you back on track.

So what do you think? Can you make it through this year without reaching the point of burnout? By following these steps we are confident you will! We are also super confident that you will do AMAZING things this year,  we are already off to a great start!

 

 

Meet our 2017/2018 Performance Teams

performance teams at prestige dance studioPrestige Dance studio is home to two performance teams, P.Co and P.Com. Our performance teams at Prestige Dance Studio allow dancers to perform frequently, dive deeper into their technique and choreography, and make meaningful relationships with their peers and teachers. Year after year, we are blown away by our students’ growth throughout the season!

We work very hard to cultivate a team mentality at Prestige Dance Studio. Our performance team members learn how to support, motivate, trust, and respect their teammates through weekly classes and rehearsals. An invaluable skill for their success both in and out of the dance studio!

P.Co

P.Co is our all-genre competition team. Dancers attend four regional competition, a national competition, and dance conventions during their season. P.Co members learn responsibility and commitment in a fun-filled, energetic environment. Our P.Co members are extremely motivated to continue learning and growing as dancers. The energy among this group of dancers is contagious!

We are thrilled to formally introduce our 2017/2018 P.Co team members. All of our dancers’ bios and photos are featured on our company page. We have a GREAT group of dancers and cannot wait to see what this season holds in store!

 

P.Com

P.Com is Prestige Dance Studio’s community expo team. Dancers perform four to six times per year throughout the community with both jazz and hip-hop routines. P.Com members get to experience the joy of spreading dance to new audiences as they represent Prestige Dance Studio throughout the Cedar Rapids area.

These dancers learn how to be flexible and think on their feet! They improve both technically and as performers throughout the season. We are very proud of the excitement this group of dancers brings to classes, rehearsals, and performances. Spend a little time getting to know our 2017/2018 P.Com members!

Interested in seeing our P.Com performance team in action? Save the date for two upcoming performances!

Sunday, November 26 Rampage Game

Saturday, January 6th Kirkwood Basketball Game

Black Friday Dance Apparel Sale!

Dance Apparel Sale for Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Who is ready for some serious holiday shopping?! At Prestige, we could not be more excited for the holidays and of course shopping is part of that! We know that Black Friday is one of the biggest times to steal some amazing deals. It also is a busy day/weekend! Here at Prestige, we wanted to give you a chance to maximize your break by spending time with family and friends. We also know that your dancer would be THRILLED with some Prestige dance apparel for the holidays. So, we decided to give you some amazing Black Friday discounts a bit early. That way you get the best of both worlds!

Our dance apparel is the perfect holiday gift or stocking stuffer. Not only will your dancer love feeling even more apart of the Prestige dance family but they will also get a TON of use out of it! We know many of our dancers pretty much live in our hooded sweatshirts hehe. All of our products are top of the line quality and will move with your dancer, not against them.

Spend $50, Get $10 Off

Spend $100, Get $25 Off

Spend $150, Get $50 Off

*Only valid for in-stock items. Dance shoes and gk tumbling leotards not included in the sale*

We have dance shorts, leotards, bra tops, sweatshirts, spirit socks, long-sleeved shirts, and sweatpants (dance shoes and gk tumbling leotards are not included in sale) available for purchase in a variety of different sizes. Your dancer is sure to love our apparel and what better time to pick it up than during a Black Friday Sale! Pop by during the times listed below and grab your gifts before they are gone because this sale is only for in-stock merchandise.

Tuesday, November 14th from 4:30pm-7:00pm

Thursday, November 16th from 4:30pm-7:00pm

Click on the slideshow below to check out the amazing product options, we can’t wait to see what you choose!

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