Dance Online. What will the New Year bring?

In just the past 5 years alone the Internet has impacted our profession like nothing before. There are so many cool sites now providing resources for teachers and students alike. And don't get me started on Youtube what a site for sharing dances and inspiring young dancers the world over!



Someone told me in 2005 when I was starting my Releve' dance poster business that dance teachers we not online yet, they were slow adopters. Well, that may have been the case in 2005, but it's all changed now. I'm hoping that all dance teachers now have access to the web and are using it to build their business and communicate with their clients. If you don't have a site yet, there are many places to go. I did a very simple site for my studio using http://www.vistaprint.com/, give it a try.



I've encountered a few sites I thought I'd share with you...

Dance Advantage http://danceadvantage.net/

Dance Advantage Interactive Companion Network http://danceadvantage.ning.com/

http://www.zazzle.com/ - you can build a shop and have logoed items to sell to your dancers.

http://www.gendance.com/ - for the hip dance crowd





http://www.dancemedia.com/





http://www.danceteacherweb.com/- a paid subscription site, but worth the price.





http://www.danceartfx.com/- t-shirts,tickets and more for your shows.







There are thousands of other sites, if you have one you like post it in the comments and share it!

Creating "Priceless" Moments That's Your Job

Visitors filled our studios this week for our first "Visitors Day" of the season. It is always fun and exhausting. For the teacher it's like being on stage for the entire night of teaching. And for the student it's also full of joy and trepidation.

This year with Christmas so close to our special day I created a little number to "Santa Baby" a fun classic tune. The kids wore Santa hats and looked so cute. But the best part was getting the parents to follow along and dance beside their student. It is so cool to see that little girl look up at her Dad with a giggle and have Dad smile right back, the moment is one they will cherish forever. As I watched special moment after special moment unveil itself each night I thought to myself ... "that's how to keep customers" -- give them moments they couldn't possibly pay for anywhere else. Dance classes then become priceless. (And thankfully, "For everything else there's MasterCard.") As the economy changes I'm going to work hard to create more priceless moments for my parents, I suggest you think about how priceless your program is to your parents too.

Happy Holidays.

Must haves -- hand sanitizer, chiropractor, massages

I'm attributing this blog post to the fact that I just recovered from a 48 hour bout with the flu along with the rest of my household. It certainly didn't make for a pretty weekend. Thankfully I didn't have to miss any classes, but it did help me learn to appeciate my general good health. Have you all supplied your waiting rooms and studios with klennex tissues and hand sanitizer?, if not run to the store now. (Flu season is here and no I didn't get a shot, thank you for asking.)

I'm not even 40 yet (just to set the record straight), but dance takes a toll on your body even at an early age. I've come to love my chiropractor and "extreme" massage therapist for all the work they do to keep me doing what I love. Now, this "cocktail team" I have to keep me in alignment is a rare gift. Over the years I've had other chiropractors and various "fu-fu" massages, so I know the difference and appreciate what I have available to me. I'm very grateful for their knowledge and abilities and the fact they work as a team on me even from different practices.

As a teacher I may know the kinetics of movement and other muscle structures, as I'm sure you do too, but it's a whole new ball game when it comes to taking out the knots and stress from these areas caused by the odd things we do to our body in dance.

Professional dancers I'm sure would tell you they too love their chiropractors and massage therapists. So, treat yourself like the professional dancer you are! Don't discredit teaching dance as less important than dancing professionally. It takes a toll on your joints and muscles in many of the same ways and often for more years.

I would encourage all of you to make sure you have a strong team of natural healers to keep your body working for you. Try to avoid taking lots of pain meds. Instead, get monthly adjustments and massages. It will help you be a better dance teacher, reduce stress and keep you healthy for longer. I'm sure I could find some fancy source or something to link to here if I went to find it, but for now you'll have to take my word for it.

And if your relatives are looking for a great gift idea tell them you could use a good, deep tissue massage. No fu-fu massages for you either Sister!

Enjoy. And remember to Breathe.