toddlers - Prestige Dance Studio

Woo-Wee! Baby and Me!

November 27, 2019 by Prestige Dance Studio

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!

How To Share Your Love Of Dance With Friends

October 23, 2017 by Prestige Dance Studio

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.

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!
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!
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?!
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!
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!

An Introduction To Dance Class Etiquette

June 29, 2017 by Prestige Dance Studio

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!

Is your Child Ready for a Dance or Tumbling Class?

March 27, 2017March 23, 2017 by Prestige Dance Studio

Spring is a BUSY time at Prestige Dance Studio. Dancers are in the midst of their competition season, we are prepping for our annual recital, and (believe it or not!) we are already thinking ahead to summer and fall 2017! If you have a little one, you may be thinking about signing them up for their FIRST dance or tumbling class. Which is super exciting!!! We have several options during the school year for our little ones. Below we’ve included our current offerings for students under six and some helpful suggestions for figuring out exactly HOW you know your child is ready for a formal class.

Baby and Me: This parent and tot class is the perfect introduction to dance and tumbling for students 6 months- 36 months. Parents will help their dancer to gain confidence, use their imagination, and gain coordination. A great opportunity to bond with your baby and meet other families!

Is your dancer ready? Do they love music and movement? Do you think they would benefit from being around other children? Would you like to get some fresh ideas for ways you can interact and play with your little one? Then YES!!! This class is a perfect match for students that love to move but aren’t quite ready for an independent class (without a parent).

Tippy Toes: Tippy Toes 1-4 is our progressive combined ballet and tap technique class for kids ages 2-6. Classes are separated by age and focus on introducing and building coordination, strength and motor skills without the accompaniment of a parent. Students will build a foundation for continued ballet and tap instruction while interacting with other dancers their age in a focused environment.

Teenie Tumble: Introductory tumbling skills are taught in this class to young dancers ages 3-6. This class focuses on the coordination and strength used when tumbling.

Hippity Hop: This 30-minute class is an upbeat introduction to hip hop for our 3-6-year-olds. This high energy class will focus on coordination, strength and learning combinations to current and age-appropriate music. Hippity Hop will encourage students to step outside of the box by bringing their own individual style and personality to the movements.

Is your dancer ready? Our Tippy Toes, Teenie Tumble, and Hippity Hop are all independent classes, which means parents are not in the classroom. Think about how your child does away from you. Can they handle 30-60 minutes away? How quickly do they adjust to new situations? We do NOT expect any two or three-year-old to be perfect:) But, within a few weeks of starting a new class, they should be able to walk into the studio independently without tears. Another thing to consider is your child’s ability to follow simple instructions. We expect our youngest dancers to be able to sit when asked, make a circle with their friends, and generally stay with their classmates. Again, this can be a work in progress- but within a few weeks, they should have a good feel of the expectations.

Your child’s first dance class should be exciting! By doing a quick check-in to make sure they are ready, you are setting them up for an AWESOME experience. We do offer FREE trials at Prestige Dance Studio and would encourage all parents of students ages 1-6 to take advantage. Trials can be a great way to test the waters a bit, let your child SEE and experience the studio, and make sure it is a good match. Keeps things positive, and be patient:) We can’t tell you how many times we have seen a timid, shy child walk in the door and leave after their class with a smile ear to ear. That new found confidence and joy is priceless. We look forward to seeing your child in class!

PS. We also have several exciting summer camps for this age group- be sure to check out our offerings!