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Prestige 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

As many of you know, the Alzheimer’s Association and the Walk to End Alzheimer’s is very near and dear to our hearts here at Prestige Dance Studio. Miss Jess’s mother, Duanne, battled Alzheimer’s for 10 years before passing away this past February. Duanne was extremely loved by her family and A HUGE supporter of Miss Jess and her dance career.

We have connected with the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s to show our support to Miss Jess’s family, honor the memory of her incredible mother, and to give back to our community. The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. The event is held in over 600 locations across the country, including Cedar Rapids.

Each year, Prestige Dance Studio organizes a team called “Dancers for Dude.” Together as a studio, we raise money for the cause and participate in the walk. Along with enjoying the event, we are looking forward to special performances by our Company and Community teams. For the past several years, Dancers for Dude was the largest team in Eastern Iowa.

We hope you will help us in achieving that again this year and appreciate your continued support and acknowledgment of a cause that is so special to us at PDS. Please contact us if you need any further information. It is free to join our team and we would love to have you join us!

Event Details:

When? Saturday, September 30^th

Where? McGrath Amphitheatre, 475 First St SW Cedar Rapids, IA 52401

What Time? Registration Opens at 8:30am, Opening Ceremony at 9:30am, Walk begins immediately after ceremony

How long is the walk? The walk has a 2 mile route going through down town Cedar Rapids and the Cedar Valley Trail. There is a shorter, 1 mile route available for those who would like to walk a shorter distance.

How do I sign up? Register Here

How can I donate? Donate Here

We want to be the biggest team in Cedar Rapids again this year and we can’t do it without you!

Thank you for all your support,

Prestige Dance Studio

 

 

 

While we don’t like to dwell on it, eventually our students at Prestige Dance Studio are going to graduate from high school. They will have to navigate college, careers, and figuring out the role dance will play in their lives. We want our dancers to be aware of all the career options available for dancers. Even if they decide not to pursue dance professionally, there are MANY ways to incorporate dance into your life after you leave Prestige!

A few ideas to get your wheels turning:

1. Professional Dancer– Perhaps the most obvious option, also the most difficult! Requires setting specific goals and lots of tenacity! In the path to landing a professional job, dancers will be required to continue to take dance classes, audition, and find ways to support themselves financially throughout the process.
2. Dance Teacher– Spreading dance throughout the community and sharing it with students is an extremely rewarding path. Consider seeking out a dance teacher mentor or taking early education classes. Job opportunities can be found at private studios, public schools, and colleges.
3. Dance Studio Owner– Combine dance, business, and education! Be prepared to wear lots of hats! Shape exactly the type of environment that you desire for your students.
4. Choreographer– Work with dancers, dance studios, companies, or teams to create dance pieces. It may require a little time to build a portfolio. Most choreographers have a background as dance performers and teachers.
5. Company Director– Start your own dance company! Similar to running a dance studio, this career path will require a mix of business skills and dance knowledge.  You will also need to raise money for your company and be confident managing a group of people. There are dance companies of ALL sizes and with a wide range of annual budgets.

Less obvious options:

1. Arts Administrator– Dance organizations and companies need a team of professionals to keep everything running smoothly.
2. Physical Therapist- Work specifically with dancers or athletes. Many major dance companies have a physical therapist on staff!
3. Marketing Expert– Marketing is a broad term that includes graphic design, public relations, branding, web design, and anything else that helps to communicate a message.  All dance companies, organizations, and studios need marketing!
4. Photographer or Videographer– It may be possible to build a career solely focusing on working with dancers or dance companies. Capture moments on stage or in the studio!
5. Yoga or Pilates Instructor– Dancers need to cross train! Being a certified teacher is also a great career path for dancers pursuing a professional dance career. The hours can be complimentary.
6. Lighting Designer– Lighting is so crucial to the final product. Help design lighting that showcases dancers and highlights choreography.
7. Massage Therapist– Again, many professional dance companies have a massage therapist on staff.
8. Costume Designer– Help dancers to look their best on stage and work with choreographers to create their vision.

Anything sound enticing? We recently came across this article from Dance Magazine. It’s worth a read! More than offering career ideas, it provides confirmation that the skills our students are learning in the dance studio will be extremely valuable as they enter the workforce both in and outside of the dance world. More and more, employers are requiring creativity, resiliency, and strong communication skills. A dance class is the perfect setting to gain experience in these areas. Dancers are forced to find creative solutions, deal with setbacks, and work with their peers daily!

We encourage all of our high school students (and their families!) to start thinking about what happens after their years at Prestige Dance Studio.  We hope that dance and their years at Prestige help to set them up for success in whatever path they take!

 

When you have spent your whole life dancing you pick up a trick or two! Today we are sharing a few simple dance hacks that should make you life as a dancer (or dance parent!) just a little bit easier. Did we miss something? Have something to add? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!

Get a dance bag.

This is probably obvious to older students- but if you have a little one that takes just once a week, they also need a small bag. Get in the habit of ALWAYS returning their shoes to the bag after class and find a safe spot in your home for the bag to live. Getting out of the house with little ones is hard enough- don’t add “find the ballet shoes” to your list of tasks.

Big bobby pins!

Moving on to our older dancers. Have you seen the packs of big bobby pins? Get them! You will be able to put your hair up in a bun with 5-6 pins vs 30+ of the smaller ones. Bonus- less bobby pins for your parents to find ALL over the house:) Some dancers also have success with hair pins. Play around with what tools work best and you may be able to save yourself some serious time.

Get a laundry bag.

Are smelly shoes an issue? Pick up a small mesh laundry bag that you can hang outside of your dance bag. At the end of the night put your just worn shoes in the mesh bag and let them sit out overnight. We can’t promise this will fix everything.. but you will be a few steps ahead in the smell department if you do this rather then toss a damp pair of shoes in your bag.

Clear nail polish for runs in tights.

Clear nail polish is great to have on hand for performances, competitions, and even class. If you catch a run or hole early you may be able to make it through the remainder of the day without your tights being completely destroyed. Just paint over the edge of the hole or run, and allow a few minutes for it to dry.

Use dental floss to sew your shoes.

My first pointe teacher had us sew our point shoes with white, unwaxed (unless you want minty pointe shoes) dental floss and I have never gone back. I’ve used it to sew shoes and repair costumes in a pinch. Floss is more durable than string, and it is easy to thread your needle.

Toiletry bag.

It never hurts to be prepared! Put together a small bag of extra toiletries and dancer supplies. Keep this bag in your dance bag- and be sure to throw it in before performances. What to keep in your bag: travel hairspray, small brush, hair ties and bobby pins, safety pins, floss and needle, deodorant, face wipes, clear nail polish, band-aids, chapstick, energy bar, and hand sanitizer.   You’ll be ready for anything!

Prestige Dance Studio’s performance teams offer students the opportunity to gain additional performance experience, be a part of a dedicated group of dancers, and work intensively alongside their teachers and the studio director. We have three separate performance teams and several different age divisions. P.Co. is our competitive team. These dancers attend conventions and compete at the regional and national level. P.Com. is our community team. They perform all around the Cedar Rapids area with the goal of spreading dance through our community. P.Crew is our hip hop only team that performs around the community and competes.

In addition to weekly dance technique classes, dancers attend weekly rehearsals. Students learn the value of hard work, are motivated to reach their full potential, and make lasting relationships with their teammates and teachers. Our teams offer dancers the opportunity to really push themselves and get extra experience performing. We are impressed year after year by the huge strides our performance team members make.

We don’t only push our dancers to improve- we try to instill in them the work ethic and motivation required to push themselves!

Have you meet our 2016/2017 performance team members? View our galleries and read more about our amazing dancers.

P.Co. Dancers

P.Com. Dancers

P.Crew Dancers

Our 2016/2017 season is already off to a great start. We’ve attended the Platinum Convention, the Stack the Stands Competition, the Hiawatha Fall Fest, the Alzheimers Walk.. and have much more planned this season! We try to pick events that not only give our students additional performance opportunities but also remind them of the role they play within our community. Community service is HUGE at Prestige Dance Studio. Giving back is a very important aspect of being a dancer on one of our performance teams. We try to pass on these values to our students and make sure they understand the impact they can make both in and outside of the dance studio!

Want an inside peek? We’ve created a couple of vlogs that go behind the scenes!! See what it is REALLY like to be on one of our performance teams. Go with us to competition and tag along as we attend a convention. View vlog #1 here. View vlog #2 here.

Interested in auditioning? Auditions are held annually in June. Please contact the studio with any questions and be sure to check back for additional details about auditions. We are always looking for dedicated dancers to join us!

Today we have rounded up dance links from around the web. We live in a GREAT time to be a dancer. Between youtube, websites, blogs, facebook… dance information and inspiration has never been more assessable. Enjoy our round-up! Have a video or article we need to see? Share it on our facebook page or in the comments!

A letter to my dance students. Great reminders as we really get into the bulk of the school year. We all know that dance is a lot of work. It requires SO much energy from students, their families, and teachers. All the hard work pays off in the form of SO MANY gifts both in and out of the classroom. Please share with your teen and pre-teen dancers. At Prestige Dance Studio, we want the best for our students and work each week towards helping them reach their goals. We hope our students (and their families!) know how much we want them to succeed.

Alex Wong doing his version of burpees. Miss Jess originally shared this video, but it’s worth taking another look! Do you remember Alex Wong from SYTYCD? He is a former professional ballet dancer who competed on the show and has gone on to do MANY things in dance, from commercial work to Broadway. Well… this is Alex at the gym. Perhaps something to incorporate into next week’s ballet classes? #goals

The world needs more dance. A beautiful story about ballet classes being offered in the slums of Nairobi. Inspirational and a great reminder of how fortunate we are to have the resources we do. The teacher featured is doing amazing things within his community! Dance is truly a universal language.

Anyone need a new fall dance wardrobe? We are LOVING the colors and fit of this line. Unfortunately, it looks like they only carry adult sizes. Fingers crossed they expand into youth sizes! Really creative leotards. A good one to bookmark for Christmas:)

Takeaways from competitions. A panel weighs in on the biggest takeaways from dance competitions. These former competitive dancers have gone on to dance professionally, work with college dance programs, and have careers in related fields. We loved hearing about their transitions and how competing prepared them for their future.

Thriller. In honor of Halloween approaching we HAD to share this classic video. Has your dancer seen it? A crucial part of their dance education! Share it please:)