DON'T BE AFRAID TO MOVE!

I don't have too many rules in my dance studio. The first rule is "Don't touch or lick the mirrors" (hey, sometimes it pays to be explicit with littles!) The second rule I have is "Never say you can't do something". This rule ties into the one I feel is most important... "Don't be afraid to move!"

One might think everyone in a dance studio is comfortable with movement. Consider yourself. You might be a great chef in the kitchen and feel totally comfortable stirring, measuring, with both hands doing different things. But you might be terrible at changing a tire, or not know how! You sit there and look at the tools, having no idea where to start.

Kids and adults have to find their groove in the studio. For some, the world is their stage and they light up when they hit the floor! Some just need a little coaxing, and others might take a while to feel at ease. Everyone's body and mindset are different.

The rule is in place because I don't want any of my dancers to feel that they look silly/dumb/weird when they dance, nor do I want them to compare themself to someone else in the class. I purposefully act like a goofball at times to make sure the students feel comfortable doing the same! We also want our movements to be bigger than we think they need to be, so that everyone sitting in the audience can tell what we are doing.

As youth and adult students become more comfortable in their studio home, their movements become more free, confident, and they can really tell a story or share how they feel, without using a word.