The DDA way

A student once told me, “I have to remember 500 things all at once to not look like a floppy fish while dancing, Ms. Geneva!” I responded, “It sure seems like it, right?! But don’t worry, soon you won’t have to think as much about all those things and friends at school will ask you if you are a dancer just because of the way you sit and stand!” Control, grace, holding balances, turning, landing from jumps, extensions, and looking elegant all comes from having beautiful posture that works individually for your body as a dancer. I say ‘individually’ because some students have medical issues with their spine, abdominals, and collar bone, etc. so teachers have to gauge what works best for each student. Pulling the belly button towards the spine, engaging the abdominals, lifting up out of the lower back, pulling the shoulder blades down, lifting up the back of the neck while keeping the neck long and high, is just the start of everything to think about! Once your body gets used to having go...

By: Katie Behrens Health Coach and Sports Nutrition Expert, DDA Instructor Certified By: The American Council On Exercise Let’s set the scene. It is the Friday night before competition. All of the costumes are packed and labeled, early morning alarms are set to get up to do hair and makeup. The last thing to do is create the fuel your dancer will need throughout the day so they can stay at their peak performance. Dancers bodies are like a fine tuned machine. I actually like to compare them to a race car. You cannot show up to the Indy 500 with a Porsche, put 87 grade octane gasoline in the tank and expect to win the race. Dancers must put high-grade fuel into their bodies to be able to perform their best. Let’s talk about what types of foods fuel an athlete like a dancer. Carbohydrates are what our bodies first look for when they look for energy. Some of my favorite portable carbohydrate snacks for quick energy absorption are: ● Grapes ● Apples ● Carrots ● Bananas ● Strawberries ● D...

Preparing for Competition Season & All It’s Benefits By Miss Janelle When I was younger I always used to tell people I loved competition dance because of the time I spent with my dance family & that feeling when you walk off stage knowing you performed the absolute best. You could feel the energy and passion with your teammates and I always thought that was the greatest thing. As I have grown older, I realize all the things you receive being a competitive dancer. Competition weekends teach you so much, most of the time when you are not on stage. Waking up at 5:00a to support teammates, helping someone during a quick change, getting back on stage after a big mistake, cheering for every routine even when you don’t get the results you hoped for; all these small moments make big impacts in the type of people we become. You learn to push through the pain, exhaustion, or embarrassment, to support every dancer for being brave enough to share their talent, and that it’s not all ...

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, and do more, and become more...you are a leader." I have had this thought at the end of every night since the new session began...these Student Ambassadors are amazing. Like incredibly amazing. We decided to expand on the responsibilities of our Ambassadors this season, after I heard some great ideas from other studio owners I network with. Every day we have Ambassadors on duty at various times; at our training last month many signed up for a one hour slot on the same day each week for one month. For example, Ella V. is responsible for Thursdays in September from 5-6pm (something like that, I don't have the schedule in front of me!) This teaches them consistency, responsibility, and dedication just like a "real" job would. They have a manual, they (not their parents) need to contact me when they will be gone or have questions, they sign in each day...and they receive a "DreamBucks" pa...

Benefits Beyond Ballet: Why you should enroll in Pre-Pointe and Floor Barre by Ms Geneva & Miss JacLyn This Fall, we offer Floor Barre and Pre-Pointe back to back on TWO different days. Choose both classes or one! Pick a day that works for you and experience the difference.  Enroll on www.dreamsdance.com, or do a FREE trial class for both. Mondays 7:45-8:45pm or Tuesdays 7:00-8:15pm. Open to level 4 and up dancers   Floor barre helps with all forms of dance as it lets you become aware of your body through a total body work out by increasing strength, flexibility, and posture. Lying down on your back, side, stomach and being in a seated position through the exercises allows for total stabilization to focus on specific muscle groups just like Pilates! It also helps you correct bad habits and allows you to learn how to lengthen your body to its fullest extent all the way through your pointed toes.  Class often starts with abdominal exerc...

. ..keep dreaming or act on it. I chose to act on it. Lately I have been thinking alot about that first year. And for the last few years, I have had a blog on my "to-do" list - so it's perfect timing to combine the two. I love helping others realize their dream IS attainable. People often ask me how I did it and how they can start their own business....and I wish nothing more than for people to go after their dream too.  Because it is possible. That is...with patience, persistence, and consistency. Those are the three key words you must remember. You have to be willing to put in the work. You must be patient, persistent, and consistent. Although I always dreamt of having a dance studio, my true "a-ha moment" was in March 2012 sitting in a dog park (don't worry, my dog was with me!) The day before I had run into a former students mom and as we chatted about how the past year of my "retirement" from teaching had made me realize where my passion w...