About Prestige Dance Studio

4 Takeaways as We Close Out Our 2019-20 Season

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dance in Cedar Rapids

Wow, just WOW! This week we hosted our first ever at-home recital week and we were SO thrilled at the results. To watch this challenging year end on such a positive note was incredibly heart-warming. We couldn’t help but share the Prestige Pride we are feeling! 

This season of dance in Cedar Rapids has been full of ups and downs. When we started preparing for time away from the studio, we had no idea what was ahead. As many of you may have experienced, there were bouts of positivity, bouts of not-so-great, and a whole lot of uncertainty! BUT, as we close out the season, a few things have been made SUPER clear! 🙂

Check out these 4 Takeaways as We Close Out Our 2019-2020 Season: 

1. We Have the Best Dance Parents

The spotlight may have been on the kids this past week, but we know that NONE of this would have been possible without our incredible dance parents. Zoom classes? Forget about it. Costume pick-up? Nope. At-home recital? Our parents are rockstars!

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you Prestige Parents. Thank you for supporting your dancer through a tricky time. Thank you for your unwavering support of Prestige Dance Studio. It means the world, especially right now! 

2. We Have the Most Dedicated Students

Even though we hopped on Zoom each day with smiling faces and pointed toes, we know that all these changes haven’t been easy on our students. Learning dance through a screen and staying energized without in-person connection is a difficult task. But our dancers didn’t let ANYTHING stop them!

3. The Show Must Always Go On

We’ve loved getting the chance to teach one of the most important life lessons to our students: how to be resilient during tough times. After years of telling our kids to keep dancing on stage even if a shoe falls off or the music stops, it gives us great pride to be able to practice what we preach in real-time! 

We hope that our Prestige Families have been able to embrace this mantra as we all tackle this unpredictable new normal together. Yes, the kids have shown us how adaptable they can be. But our parents’ grit and determination as they’ve continued providing amazing opportunities for their families have completely blown us away! 

4. Dance Brings People Together

When we reflect upon the last couple of months, sometimes it is just unbelievable to think about what our community has done to stay connected! We were forced to separate ourselves (literally and figuratively) and yet we still managed to come together to dance, learn, and perform. 

For our instructors and staff, there was no question in our minds that we had to continue teaching and providing our kids with a creative outlet. For so many of our families, dance in Cedar Rapids was not something they’d give up easily. We can’t deny it, dance brings people together through thick and thin!

We hope that reading this list has made you feel a bit of the love we’ve been feeling as we close out our AMAZING year of dance in Cedar Rapids. We love our community and are so thankful for the families that call Prestige home.

Congrats to ALL our Prestige Dancers for an amazing season and a SPECTACULAR at-home recital week! Be sure to follow us on Facebook to view some adorable photos from our end-of-year virtual events!

Not ready for dance to end? Us either! We are back on for our fabulous summer camps and intensives. Between technique and skill-based intensives to themed camps for little ones, we’ve got something for every dancer! Head to our website to get registered today!

Dancing on the Bright Side

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online dance classes

As we head into month number two of this challenging and unprecedented time, it’s easy to focus on the scary thoughts. It’s easy to get bogged down by the many things that aren’t happening. It’s easy to wish this all away, and trust us, we’ve been there!

However, our Prestige team takes great pride in being a positive force for our dance families and our community. Even in the most difficult of times, we always find a way to look on the bright side. Or shall we say, DANCE on the bright side? 😉

Between live virtual classes, digital storytime, and recorded videos, we’ve been busy over here making sure our dancers keep at it! As we put together these online dance classes, we couldn’t help but notice the incredible positives of our new learning structure. It’s been shocking to see how such great things can come out of a seemingly awful situation!

Check out these 4 Benefits of Online Dance Classes:

1. Discipline

Ask any dancer and they will tell you that us teachers are not always big on words. At the studio, we are constantly offering hands-on corrections to show a dancers’ bodies how to execute skills. On Zoom, it’s a bit of a different story!

Our teachers are still seeing their dancers and offering up verbal corrections, but we can’t do it FOR them anymore. It’s up to the dancers to take our feedback and make it happen for themselves. Challenging? Yes. Something that EVERY dancer must learn how to do? ABSOLUTELY! 

We are thankful that this challenging time has forced us to focus on teaching our dancers how to be disciplined and make progress happen on their own. 

2. Spatial Awareness

When you dance in the same place each week, it’s no surprise that you get used to it. Your brain starts to memorize landmarks in the room to help you remember your dance. 

For example, a student might know that they start their routine by the blue wall. But do they know that the blue wall is stage right? Do they know how to take that SAME spacing and orient themselves in ANY other dancing space? Like….a huge recital stage? As you can see, being able to orient yourself in different places is an essential skill for dancers!

It’s a skill that doesn’t come easy for young ones, which is why we always have dress rehearsal. We are considering these zoom classes as rehearsals FOR our dress rehearsal! It may be a little early, but our students are learning how to orient themselves and take their routines into a brand new place! 

3. Self-Reliance

Even though we preach all year long that our dancers should practice at home and not rely on other students to know their dance, we know that doesn’t always happen! In a studio with 10 other kids and a giant mirror in front of you, it can sometimes be easy to slide by without memorizing the dance until the last month before recital. During online dance classes … think again! YOU have to REALLY know that dance! 

4. Adaptability

We saved this for last because it’s definitely our favorite. The popular saying, “the show must go on” is ringing true now more than ever. And in the dance world, every young dancer has to be ready for ANYTHING! 

A hair-piece falls off on stage, you forget your routine in front of a huge crowd, or the music stops in the middle of the dance? You KEEP DANCING! A pandemic hits the entire world and stops us from coming to class? You KEEP DANCING! 

If you love to dance, nothing will stop you. And we absolutely LOVE that our students are learning this important lesson during this difficult time. 

Amazing right? Once we took a second to think about all this, we knew we had to share with our dance families. A shift in perspective can make such a difference, especially right now when the bad news seems to keep on coming!

Are you a current Prestige family? Be sure to check out our Virtual Class Schedule to find your Zoom Link! 

We know one thing for sure, no matter how long this lasts, we will continue to stay positive. More importantly, we will continue to DANCE on the bright side with you all.

 

Compete with Prestige: A Day in the Life

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competition dance team

Picture this: a hundred sparkly costumes, a giant lit-up stage, and a set of judges watching your every move. Kind of a big deal, right? That’s what competition day looks like for our 45 competition dancers at Prestige. We know that if you aren’t there yourself, it may be a little difficult to understand what all the hype is about. So today on the blog, we are giving you an inside look at our competition dance team in Cedar Rapids. 

At Prestige Dance Studio, on top of our weekly recreational classes, we offer multiple performance team programs. 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.Co is Prestige Dance Studio’s all-genre competition team. These dancers attend dance conventions, four regional competitions, and a national dance competition.

Today we are shining the spotlight on our P.Co teams, not only because our competition season is in full swing, but also because we are so proud of their accomplishments so far! So what exactly happens at a dance competition? It’s not exactly your typical sporting event. 

1. A Dedicated Rehearsal Schedule

In addition to weekly technique classes where they practice their dance skills, our competitive dancers attend weekly rehearsals. Learning cutting edge new choreography, these teams are committed to making their routines look clean, impressive, and perfectly in sync. They are responsible for remembering their multiple routines for different dance styles, making detailed changes to their movement, and cooperating with their teammates. 

2. Glitz and Glam!

A dance competition is basically a SEA of sparkles, and it’s not JUST because we love to shine! When dancing under the big stage lights, moving rhinestones create a pretty magical effect. Thick stage makeup is needed so that the dancers’ facial expressions can be seen under the lights as well. 

Hair, make-up, and our beautiful rhinestoned costumes must all be completed with precision, as each dancer must look exactly the same. This uniformity reduces distractions and point deductions. We love watching as our students learn responsibility at competitions. If a dancer forgets a costume accessory or their hair falls out on stage, it reminds them ALL to triple check before stepping on stage. 

3. Taking the Stage

After hair, make-up, and costumes are set, our dancers head to the warm-up zone. We require our teams to stretch and do a brief run-through of their dance before heading backstage. This reduces injuries and mind-blanks on stage!

Once the music starts, it is 2.5 minutes of amazing! Watching our dancers hit their routines while judges are scoring their every move is incredible! A spark usually lights up inside of them. They are taught to dance BIG and BOLD, which is almost impossible NOT to do when your dances are well prepared and you look like a rockstar!

4. Trophy Time

After teams from all over the region compete, everyone gathers on stage to hear the results. Each dance receives an award (silver, gold, platinum) and then the dances are ranked by overall score. 

We teach our P.Co dancers to practice good sportsmanship, win OR lose. We celebrate our victories AND clap for other teams when they win big. Awards teach our dancers how to strive for excellence. Hard work pays off.

Our 2020 Competition Season is already in full swing! A month ago we debuted our competition routines at Showbiz National Talent Competition in Davenport, Iowa! We recently headed to St. Charles, Missouri for our second competition. 

We are SO proud of our dancers’ performance at both events and we are hungry for more stage time in the coming months! Check out some of our amazing results from Showbiz! 

competition dance team

competition dance team

Be sure to follow along on our studio Facebook page to stay up to date on competition results from the rest of our season! Good luck to all of our P.Co dancers. We can’t wait to watch you shine!

Take a Look at Our Picture-Perfect Performance Teams

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performance dance teams

Hey Prestige families, with the holidays coming to a close, we are ALREADY thinking about 2020 over here. With the new decade just around the corner, we think we are most excited about seeing our Prestige Performance Dance Teams perform their BRAND NEW dances. January means competition and performance season is officially in full swing!

So today on the blog, we are ringing in the new year by sharing a little more about these hard-working and dedicated teams. They are going to ROCK their performances in 2020. Be sure to scroll down for links to our fabulous team photo galleries, where you can see each young dancer in action.

P.Co

P.Co is Prestige Dance Studio’s all-genre competition team. The P.Co dancers attend four regional dance competitions as well as one national competition. At these fast-paced and glamour-filled competitions, our dancers perform their routines for judges and compete against other studios for prizes and trophies.

Competing in all styles of dance, P.Co is a group of well-rounded dancers who can adapt to many different styles and techniques. As they perfect their routines week after week, they learn teamwork, responsibility, and commitment. In addition to the competitions, they attend dance conventions where they learn from world-renowned teachers alongside students from all over the nation.

P.Com

We know the fast-paced competition atmosphere isn’t for everyone, and performing is about SO much more than just winning trophies. That’s why we created P.Com, our studio’s community expo team. Dancers perform four to six times per year throughout the community with both jazz and hip hop routines. 

Discipline, teamwork, and showmanship are all values that we strive to teach our P.Com dancers. We focus on the joy of performance and the amazing feeling you get when you share your love of dance with an audience. This team proudly represents Prestige Dance Studio within the Cedar Rapids area, and they know that means putting their best foot forward always. 

Our performance dance teams are pretty great if we do say so ourselves! That’s why we have a tradition at Prestige of creating glowing photo galleries of our dancers that we feature on our very own website. They look just like professional dance companies! 

Performance Team Gallery Links
P.Co Gallery
P.Com Gallery

We love displaying our teams on our website. We are proud of the work they do and what they bring to our community. Stay tuned for upcoming dates to catch these dancers live at competitions and community events. 2020 will be our best year yet! Happy New Year Prestige Families! 

Woo-Wee! Baby and Me!

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toddler activities in Cedar Rapids

Do you have an adventurous toddler at home that wants to explore everything in sight? How about one who loves to play pretend? What about a shy toddler who is itching to break out of their shell and conquer their fears? Bring them over to our Baby and Me class, one of the best toddler activities in Cedar Rapids!  

Our Baby and Me classes are a fun-filled learning time for children 12-36 months. At that age, we know they are still SO young, which is why many families don’t think to sign them up for any activities just yet. But we are here to tell you about the MANY benefits of signing your baby up for a dance class!

Top 4 Benefits of Baby and Me dance classes at Prestige Dance Studio:

1. Improved Motor Skills

Toddlers all move through the stages of child development at different rates. In our Baby and Me classes, our students get the chance to leap, twirl, tiptoe, and crawl through obstacle courses. From balance beams to colorful tunnels, your child will feel like they are on a playground! Little do they know, they are working on motor skills that will speed up their development and enhance their coordination later in life.

2. Socialization

Many toddlers don’t get the chance to socialize with other kids their age. Our Baby and Me classes give students the chance to meet other kids and learn how to operate in a classroom setting. Sharing, turn-taking, and being kind are all concepts that we use during Baby and Me classes. Practicing these behavior standards at our studio will likely make their transition to pre-school and elementary school much smoother! 

3. Dancer-Parent Bonding Time!

As a parent myself, I can attest to how fast those toddler years come and go. Your child is only a baby for so long, and once they grow up, you can’t get those precious years back! Our Baby and Me classes are packed with pretend-play and games that are sure to bring TONS of precious smiles. The special bonding moments we see in class each week are priceless! Spend some quality time with your toddler before they are old enough to want to do things WITHOUT you! Oh no! 😉

4. Confidence Building

Seriously though, the transformations we witness in our toddler classes are kind of crazy! The first week of class, many toddlers are paralyzed with shyness, clinging to mom/dad, or even nervous to enter the room. It’s normal for a little one who is just getting acquainted to a new environment! But by the end of our Baby and Me classes, our toddlers are leaping through the air, diving onto our obstacle courses, and dancing for joy as soon as they hear music. We watch them go from nervous nellies to brave young movers who are willing to try new things. 

As a dance studio offering classes for all ages, we are proud to offer toddler activities in Cedar Rapids that are not only fun, but also educational for children. Our Baby and Me classes are packed with tools that will help your child grow and develop as people.

Ready to join the fun? Our Baby and Me classes take place at our Cedar Rapids location on Wednesdays at 9:30am and 5:30pm. We are still accepting enrollment and we would love to meet your tiny dancer! Head over to our website to register online today! 

Prestige Dance Studio Makes Headlines: Forty Under 40

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young business owner

Prestige Dance families, we are proud to present some news! Our very own Miss Jess, artistic director and owner of PDS, has been recently recognized by the Corridor Business Journal. WE know that special things happen at Prestige every day, but it always feels wonderful to be reminded by others! It’s time to share the love with all of our dance families.

Each year, CBJ hosts a Forty Under 40 awards program which recognizes young leaders. These 40 fierce entrepreneurs are selected for their business success and the contributions they’ve made to the community. And guess what?! Miss Jess was one of them!

At the young age of 32, Miss Jess is in her 6th year as a young business owner and holds over 30 years of experience in the dance world. When asked by CBJ what she would do with 1 million dollars, she responded, “I have an incredible staff who love my business, our students and their families endlessly, and what extra I had to give, I would give to them.” 

Miss Jess takes pride in her business because it creates a safe space in the corridor for kids and adults to express themselves through movement. She wants Prestige Dance studio to grow over the years because its welcoming environment is a positive force within the community. 

To read more of Jess’s CBJ interview, check out her feature page here! Her answers are a great reminder of how far you can get with hard-work and supportive people in your life. We hope this news makes you proud to be a part of the Prestige family! Keep dancing 🙂

Ready to Join the Prestige Family?

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Open House event

We are busy gearing up for another GREAT year of dance here at Prestige Dance Studio. Registration is open (and filling quick!) for the 2019/ 2020 school year session of dance classes. Even though it is only June, NOW is the time we encourage families to think about their plans for next year and reserve their child’s spot in a class.

Today, we wanted to break down our simple registration process. We do our best to keep things easy for families! Read on to learn how your family can spend the 2019/2020 school year at Prestige Dance Studio. We’d love to have you join us!

How to register for a dance class at Prestige Dance Studio:

  1. Review the dance class schedule. Read through the schedule and get a feel for the types of classes we offer. If you need a little bit more information about our classes, be sure to read through our class descriptions. Start talking to your child about which class (or classes!) they might be interested in. Looking through our gallery is a great way to give your child a visual of the different dance styles!
  2. Attend an Open House Event. We have several open house events planned over the summer. Attending an Open House event is a great way to see the studio, meet some of our teachers, and get a feel for our program. If you are ready to register, one of our helpful staff members can handle your registration in person. This is a great opportunity to get your questions answered and make sure your child has everything they need for class! Upcoming Open House Dates: June 25, July 24, and August 5
  3. Schedule a Trial Week. Need a little bit more help choosing a class? We understand! A trial class can be a great way to make sure your child LOVES dance and make sure our studio is a good fit for your family. We offer one week unlimited dance for $10 to families mid-June through November. Try a class (or several!) before committing. Sign up for your trial week HERE. One of our staff members will be in touch to help you find the best classes for your child!
  4. Time to enroll! Once you have chosen the best class for you child and picked a time that works for your family, it’s time to enroll! Registration is simple via our parent portal. You will be prompted to create an account if you are a new family to Prestige Dance Studio. If you run into trouble, we are happy to help!

After you enroll, it’s time to get excited! We LOVE welcoming families to Prestige Dance Studio. When you enroll in a dance class at Prestige, you are getting SO much more than just dance classes. We take pride in our commitment to not only creating beautiful dancers, but to shaping future leaders and strong people!

We hope to see YOUR family at one of our upcoming open house events. The future is VERY exciting here at Prestige Dance Studio and we’d love to have your family be a part of our journey.

Sharing our “Why”

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Values at Prestige Dance Studio

It is an exciting time at Prestige Dance Studio! We are less than ONE week away from our Spring Recital. This is hands down our favorite time of the year. Seeing our students shine on stage and share their love of dance with their family and friends is SO rewarding.

We know that recital week requires a lot of energy and time from our dance families. We greatly appreciate ALL our families do to make our recital a success. In the midst of this busy week, we thought this was the perfect time to share a little behind the scenes. Today we are sharing  WHY we do what we do here at the studio. Read on to learn more about our studio values at Prestige Dance Studio!

“My goal, for every dancer that we see at the studio, is to provide them with amazing dance lessons. MORE importantly, we will teach them accountability. We will teach them commitment. We will help them identify which things are in their control.” -Jess Novotny

Accountability, commitment, and resilience are skills that will not only lead to success in the dance studio, but success in life! As we develop new class offerings, programs, and get ready for our spring recital, this goal is ALWAYS a part of the discussion.

Dancers have lots of opportunities to strengthen their resiliency throughout their dance journey at the studio. When dancers face challenges, studio owner Jess Novotny encourages students to think about what is in their control and what isn’t. Knowing what you can change and and what you can let go of is a powerful skill for our dancers to have in their tool belt! Life will always have struggles and hurdles. Our goal is that our dancers learn to take those struggles in stride and have strategies on hand for facing them head on!

We want to build strong kids that understand the value of hard work and go on to become successful adults. Of course, we hope along the way they become incredible, passionate dancers, but when we really break it down our number one priority is helping kids in the long run become good little people!

We could not be MORE proud of our dancers at the studio. It is a privilege to be a part of their journey and play a role in shaping their future. Thank to to ALL our dance families for trusting our vision and supporting everything we do. We are looking forward to an incredible 2019 Spring Recital and can’t wait to celebrate ALL our dancers have accomplished this school year!

 

 

Get Your Shine On & Audition for our Performance Teams

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Competitive Dance Team

One of the MOST rewarding parts of dance studio life is watching our kids learn to shine. We love watching our kids grow into captivating powerhouses that can command an audience. We see them make baby steps each week in class within our studio walls, but the here is so much value in giving our kids performance opportunities, which is why we have Performance Teams at Prestige!

Our studio is home to two different teams: our P.Co team and our P.Com team. Is your dancer loving dance and wanting more than just a weekly class? Are they itching to perform more than just once a year at recital? Both of these teams are a great way to give your dancer MORE opportunities to get their shine on this upcoming school year. Not sure which team is the right fit for your dancer? Let’s break down what each team is all about.

P.Co

Dancers on our P.Co team hit the stage at four regional dance competitions, one national competition, and attend dance conventions. Competing in all dance styles, P.Co dancers learn teamwork, responsibility, and sportsmanship.

This competitive dance team is perfect for dancers who are excited and energized by the idea of competing against talented dancers from other studios. It requires hard-work and a year long commitment to their team as they prepare for the exciting and fun-filled competition season.

P.Com

This team is Prestige Dance Studio’s community expo team. Performing 4-6 times per year in the Cedar Rapids area, these dancers learn hip hop and jazz routines and spread their love of dance throughout the community. This team is for our dancers who are itching to perform. Dancers learn discipline, teamwork, and showmanship. 

Do these teams sound like something that would get your dancer eager to hit the stage? We have three important dates for you to get the ball rolling! If your dancer is interested in joining one of performance teams for the 2019/2020 season, mark your calendar!

Good luck to all auditioning. We are looking forward to another amazing season and getting to know another talented group of inspiring dancers! 

Company/Community Parent Information Meeting – April 29th from 7:45-8:15pm

Don’t miss out on our Company/Community Parent Information Meeting! Get all your questions answered and make sure you are in the know about all things performance team related before audition day.

Performance Team Audition Prep Clinic – May 10th

Ease the nerves and come get a step up on what you need to know for 2019-2020 Company/Community auditions! We will be working on technique, flexibility, turns, leaps, and choreography. Clinic times are divided by age group:

Ages 4-6 4:15-5:15pm
Ages 7-9 5:15-6:30pm
Ages 10-12 6:30-7:45pm
Ages 13+ 7:45-9:00pm
$15 per dancer

Audition Day! – June 10th

Come tryout for a chance to join our team! All are welcome in our supportive audition environment! The transformations we see our team dancers make every single year and the relationships that form are inspiring! There is something about performing, it really brings out a kid’s inner superstar. Come join the fun!

Ages 4-6 4:15-5:00pm
Ages 7-9 5:00-6:00pm
Ages 10-12 6:00-7:15pm
Ages 13+ 7:15-8:30pm

5 Reasons Why Dance is One of the Best Activities for Kids! Dance Makes You Smarter, Healthier, and More Confident!

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best activities for kids

As a parent, we know there are TONS of activities for your kids to do. Of course, we are a little biased, but we truly feel that dance is one of the best gifts a parent can give their child. All of our staff members here at Prestige hold dance near and dear to their hearts. There is SO much value in dance that goes far beyond just learning the steps. Here are 5 reasons why dance is one of the best activities for kids!

1. Dance improves memory retention.

In our classes, our students are constantly learning sequences: warm-up sequences, across the floor sequences, and whole 3 minute dances. Our teachers help them with a technique called “chunking,” or grouping pieces of information together to make memorization easier. This is an essential technique that our dancers can take with them to school as they are studying for an exam. While a lot of other activities for kids involve physical activity, memorization skills are what makes dance all the more valuable.

2. Dance helps kids stay healthy.

It’s no surprise that our classes are a work-out! We challenge our dancers every day to push their bodies and challenge themselves physically. Dance requires strength; it takes muscle to hold your leg in the air while turning! Dance requires flexibility, which makes our students’ muscles and joints healthier as they move through stages of development. And cardiovascular health is a must-have in order to get through a 3-minute dance on stage. Our classes help kids stay healthy, and we love seeing them get up and MOVE!

3. Dancers learn incredible coordination and are pros at multitasking!

Ask any dancer and they will tell you that we are CONSTANTLY thinking about at least 6 things at once. One pirouette requires about 10 different actions that must all be completed in half a second. We are often reminding our students to point their toes, straighten their knees, bring their shoulders down and back, use their plie, strengthen their arms, chin up… the list goes on! When kids have the ability to think about many different things at once, their brains are better equipped to accomplish complex tasks and handle the stressors of everyday life.

4. Dance cultivates multiple styles of learning.

At school, education is often tailored to auditory learners or those who can hear words and turn those words into knowledge. But the fact is, that is NOT how every kid learns. In dance class, kids must use visual learning techniques to watch their teacher and translate movement into their own bodies. It also gives them a chance to explore their creativity. Dance works a child’s brain in ways that they don’t always have the opportunity to explore at school. Don’t believe us? Check out this article on why dance is just as important as math!

5. Dancers learn to be confident in their own skin.

This one is SO important for kids as they move through different stages of development. Perfecting a routine and performing for an audience makes kids step out of their comfort zone and show people what they can do. We really see students come out of their shell during performance season. Even in class, we watch our students become comfortable with their bodies as they realize all of the beautiful things they can accomplish. Dance (and teaching dance!) is SO rewarding.

Dance is FUN, and we know that holds value in and of itself. But parents, don’t worry. Behind all that fun is a whole set of valuable skills that are making your kid smarter, healthier, and more confident. Trust us, we see the wheels turning every single day.

We are still accepting enrollment in some classes if your child is looking for MORE dance! Check out our Cedar Rapids Schedule and our Marion Schedule. Just contact the studio to learn more! Happy dancing!