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Prestige Dance Studio In The News!

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cedar rapids dance classes, marion dance classes, dance studio, preschool dance classes, competition team

Have you seen the news lately? We are proud to say that Prestige Dance Studio has been in the news quite a bit this last month! There are so many great things happening at our studio and the Cedar Rapids and Marion communities are taking notice. In case you missed these exciting features, we have done a quick round-up for you. We love being able to share our passion with new families!

Market After Dark returns this Saturday in Cedar Rapids– The Gazette

This article was all about getting Cedar Rapids pumped up for Market After Dark. The “lighted ballerinas” mentioned in the article are our Prestige dancers! This was such a cool performance for our dancers that we have done it 2 years in a row. Our performance was a huge success, we had so much fun and are so proud of our dancers. You can watch the performance below. Be prepared to be amazed!

Prestige Dance Studio Debuts Marion Venue– The Gazette

This article by The Gazette celebrates the opening of our Marion location and Miss Jess’s success as a business owner. During our 5 years serving the Cedar Rapids community, Prestige has thrived and we are so proud of all Miss Jess has accomplished. We love getting a glimpse of what it’s like to own a dance studio. This article is inspiring for anyone who has dreams of opening their own business. Way to go Miss Jess!

Cedar Rapids Mom Blog Facebook Live Feature

Miss Jess spent some time with the Cedar Rapids Mom Blog a couple weeks ago. During this LIVE recorded video, you will learn what sets Prestige apart from other dance studios in the area. You will also get a tour of our Cedar Rapids location and see some of our dancers rehearsing. It is a GREAT way to see what Prestige is all about. Check it out below!

https://www.facebook.com/cedarrapidsmomsblog/videos/450997425419875/

We are so happy to be in the news this month and share our passion with our community. Thank you to The Gazette and to the Cedar Rapids Moms Blog for featuring us, we had so much fun spending time with you both.

Interested in learning more about Prestige Dance Studio? We are still accepting enrollment in classes with spots available. View our Cedar Rapids Schedule and Marion Schedule and register today!

How To Share Your Love Of Dance With Friends

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Share dance with friends! Free trial classes for cedar rapids dancers! Our Prestige dancers are SERIOUSLY passionate and that is one of the things we love most about our dance family. For a lot of dancers, it may start to feel like you have a whole secret life at the studio that your non-dance friends know nothing about. We want that to change! Doing something you love is great but it is an even better feeling to be able to share it with the people who are closest to you. That’s why we wanted to give out some excellent ideas to help your children share their love of dance with friends.

  1. Have a dance-themed sleepover. Get out the old dance costumes, pull out the dusty disco ball, and get ready to boogie! Your dancer can make a special playlist with all their favorite songs and help you clear a “dance floor” in the living room.  Your children’s friends will have a BLAST dressing up and dancing the night away together. Oh and don’t forget to have snacks and refreshments ready because your little dancers will need to refuel frequently hehe!
  2. Make up a dance together. Instead of playing that video game, make up a dance instead! There will be COUNTLESS laughs and giggles coming from the dance room for hours, it’s a guarantee. They may even put on a show for the parents later if you are lucky!
  3. Watch a dance-themed movie or musical. This may give friends a little perspective into what your dancer goes through at the studio. I mean really, who doesn’t like a musical?!
  4. Invite them to a performance. Friends will get a front-row view into what it means to be a dancer. They will sit in awe watching the result of all the hard work your dancer put in. It also feels GREAT as a dancer to step into the auditorium knowing you have your “crew” there to support you!
  5. Invite them to try a class at Prestige. If your non-dance friend is interested in learning more, what a better way to show them what it’s like than having them TRY it! Of course, we recommend having them try a class that matches their ability level. That may not always be the same class that your dancer is currently enrolled in. Our trial classes are FREE and we are still accepting enrollment in most of our classes up until October 31st.

Have any other ideas to share the love of dance with friends? We would love to hear about them!

To share dance with your friends, click here for more information on our free trial classes . We can’t wait to get to know your friends! 

Is Your Dancer Ready For Fall?

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A few extra steps to make sure your dancer is ready for the fall season

You have picked out your dancers classes and have registered for fall classes, you are all set right?! Yes! We could NOT be more excited to get in the studio but there are some extra bonus steps you can take to help your dancer prepare for class. These are in no way required and will not make or break your dancers season so sift through the list and take on what you can handle.

  • The outfit. Check out your dancer’s current dance wardrobe. Does everything still fit? Find any holes? Have all the right shoes? Noticing that your dancer doesn’t have the right “uniform” ON the first day of dance class is the worst! Do your stress levels a favor and take an inventory now. Also, have your dancer try everything on. Before purchasing anything new, make sure to check out our dress code. There are some changes to look for in the 2017/2018 season.
  • Water Bottle. This is one of our FAVORITE things to shop for every year. We love starting off a new dance year with a fresh new water bottle. Help reduce waste and keep your dancer hydrated at the same time. Check out your local Target for some great options.
  • Dance Journal. As rehearsal directors, we LOVE to see dancers using a dance journal! All you need is a basic journal or notebook designated for dance. It is a great place for dancers to keep track of goals, class notes, and new choreography. It can be really tough remembering all that goes on in class week to week. Using a dance journal will ensure your dancer is ready for what is next.
  • A First Dance Class Of The Year Photo. OK, we know. This one is a little cheesy BUT just like the first day of school each year, it can be SO MUCH FUN to look back and see your dancer grow each and every year. It can be the perfect opportunity to get the younger students excited and although you may get an eye roll or two from your older dancers, they will be so glad you did it years from now.

Now that you have the extra bonus steps to get ready for fall, we can officially get excited! We cannot wait to see all that your dancer accomplishes this year in class. Still need to register? You can do so online or contact the studio for more information.

Is Your Child Ready For More?

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Knowing to add another dance class is tough! The article will walk you through the decision for those dance studio parents.

Knowing when your child is ready for more can be a tough decision. Juggling activities with school and family time is a struggle with every family and each and every one has different needs. Some kids are able to do it all without breaking a sweat and others have a more difficult time balancing all that is going on. As a parent, you know your dancer best. You know when they get overwhelmed or bored and you know how to calm them down and challenge them. Nevertheless, deciding to put more on your dancer’s plate is not going to feel totally great until you give it a try and see the results. Luckily there are a few things you can do to make the transition a little bit easier for everyone.

Does your child constantly bug you to add another dance class? If yes, it seems they are hooked on dance and are loving every minute of class. Asking for more is often the first sign that your child may be ready to take another class at the studio. Once they start asking, it is important to evaluate how they are handling their current load. Do they spend enough time on homework? Are you happy with their grades? Do they often get overwhelmed? Are they getting enough sleep? If in any of these areas, things are not going so well, it may be a good idea to delay things a bit. When breaking the news to your dancer, talk about an action plan. What can they work on to add another class? This may help them understand your expectations and give you the opportunity to sit down and talk about how you can accomplish it together.

If everything is going ok with your dancer’s current work load, go ahead and give it a try! Before you start the newly added class, it is a great idea to talk to your dancers about a plan. When and where are they going to do homework, eat dinner, sleep, relax, etc. The more you can talk through a strategy that works for both you and your dancer, the better chance they will handle the transition positively.

If you are unsure about adding another class, please feel free to talk to us! We can give you a little perspective on what we see in class from your dancer and help you weigh the perks and drawbacks of adding more to your dancer’s plate. Adding more can be a challenging decision to make for parents. At the end of the day, I’m sure all you want is your dancer’s happiness. Luckily, that is what we want for your dancer too! We make sure to support ALL of our dancers, whether they are taking 1 class or many. We recognize that not every dancer is the same and we think that is one of the things that makes our Prestige Dance Studio family so great!

Still need to register for Fall?? Check out our schedule and register today!

How To Be A Star Student

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Great advice on how to be star dancer in class.

By now, most of us have mastered the in’s and out’s of how to be a star student in school. Students should do their homework, study for tests, follow directions, etc. Even if school isn’t your child’s “thing,” if they follow those simple rules they will do just fine. Luckily, dance class is very similar. It doesn’t take much to be a star student in dance class. The best part is that it has nothing to do with your dancer’s abilities, it’s all about the attitude! We encourage you to talk with your dancer about this list, either now or at the start of a new session. Although some things may seem obvious to you, it may not be to your dancer.

  • Practice at home. This could mean stretching while watching TV, going over new choreography before bed or having an all out dance class in the basement. At Prestige, we don’t expect our dancers to practice all day and night but if they are really wanting to nail a new step or learn new choreography, they may have to do a little “homework” from time to time.
  • Practice corrections. When a teacher gives a correction the most typical response is to say “OK” and that is great! To take things one step further, we love when dancers start practicing that correction right away. Dance takes practice and to just visualize the correction doesn’t always work. To physically apply the correction will help make sure that the correction sticks.
  • Work hard. This may seem like a no-brainer but sometimes working hard takes an extra little push. The kids that aren’t afraid to sweat, shake, and be tired are the ones to get the most out of class.
  • Have a good attitude. What does that mean? To stay positive, to be nice to classmates, and to be excited to be there.

That wasn’t so bad, was it? As you can see, it doesn’t take much to be a star student in dance class. In fact, all of our students at Prestige are star students in our book! We are so lucky to have such a great group of dancers!

We can’t wait to see them all in classes this fall. Still need to register?? Check out the schedule here!

An Introduction To Dance Class Etiquette

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Dance Class Etiquette for dance studios. Perfect for new dance parents!

With our summer session well under way, we are busy in the classroom learning new skills and having a blast! Our Fall Session is approaching quickly and with it comes a handful of new dancers. In our latest post, we gave you a few hints on how to make your child’s first dance class a success. This week we thought it would be helpful to get an introduction to dance class etiquette.

Before your dancer’s first class every year, it is a great idea to talk about the classroom customs and rules. Not only will it make for a more pleasant experience for YOUR dancer, it enhances the experience for the OTHER dancers in class as well. Each teacher may have specific rules depending on the kind of dance class and the age of the dancers. However, you can assume the following class etiquette guidelines will be expected in any dance class.

  • Respect yourself, your dance friends, and your teacher. This one is SO important! We talk about it even with our littlest dancers. In our classes at Prestige, we want to respect ourselves by trying our hardest and working toward our goals. We respect our dance friends by being kind, keeping our hands to ourselves, and waiting our turn. Finally, we respect our teacher by listening, following directions, and being kind.
  • Go to the bathroom, get a drink of water, and blow your nose before class starts. Asking to do one of these things in the middle of class is not the worst thing in the world and sometimes it cannot be avoided (especially with little ones). But it can be a distraction and often starts a waterfall of kids leaving the classroom. Try your best to keep these requests at bay by asking your dancer to take care of it before class starts.
  • Keep the chatting to a minimum. We totally understand that dance class is FUN and is a reason to see all your best dance friends. Whispers during short breaks are OK but make sure your dancer knows that it is not OK to talk when the teacher is talking and that most conversations should wait until after class.

That isn’t so bad right!? Our top priority is to make sure that your dancer has an amazing time in whatever class they take. These etiquette rules help make that happen and keep the focus on what is important- DANCE!

New Stretch & Strength Class at Prestige Dance Studio

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New Class at Prestige Dance Studio

Lets’ talk about cross-training for dancers! We are super excited to be offering a Stretch & Strength class to our dancers Monday evenings with Miss Alyssa at Prestige Dance Studio this Fall. Anyone curious? Interested in giving it a try but unsure if it will make a difference in your technique? Spoiler alert.. it will 🙂 Today we are going to break down what exactly cross-training is, why it is important, and also give you a few ideas for working in some conditioning at home.

Cross-training is training outside of your main activity that improves overall fitness. So for dancers, it would be swimming, pilates, yoga, running, lifting weights, or any activity that is NOT dancing. The goal is finding ways to build strength and increase flexibility in muscles that are not always targeted in a dance class. Dance classes tend to target the same muscles over and over again- which puts dancers at risk for overuse injuries and muscular imbalances. Training outside of dance can help to correct those imbalances and help dancers continue to make strides in their technique working their bodies in a new way. Listen to an expert weigh in!

Most dancers would agree that the way to get better at a certain skill is to repeat that skill a million times. While this is true; cross training can help dancers reach their goals faster and reduce dancers risk for an injury. Lets’ break down a grand jete (a leap). A dancer can practice her leaps every week faithfully but if she has weak glutes or is lacking the dynamic flexibility she needs for a perfect “split”, it’s going to be awhile before she starts to see any improvements. Now lets’ pretend that this dancer starts attending Stretch & Strength class with Miss Alyssa. She starts doing lunges and squats to work on her lower body strength. She also works on some squat jumps so she can practice engaging her glutes when she jumps. They do leg swings and spend additional time stretching. Not to mention the additional abdominal work! Any guesses as to how her leaps are going to look after a few months? My bet is that she is going to see big improvements.

Cross-training should be a part of your routine. Think about what you need as a dancer. What feedback do you get from your teachers? Do you need more flexibility, more strength, or more stamina? Pick an activity outside of dance that can support your goals. Cross-training can help you to make huge strides in your technique, avoid injury, and be a great stress reliever! Ready to get started? Miss Alyssa would love to see you in class. Contact the studio to set up your trial! Here are a few links to workouts that can be done at home. Happy cross-training dancers!

Beginners Pilates 20 Minute Workout

Quick Yoga Workout

Cardio and Strength Building Workout