Holidays are here - give yourself a break and your staff too!

Hopefully, you have set some time aside in your calendar for the holidays. Perhaps you just finished your holiday performances or are just gearing up for the spring show. Either way, as dance teachers it's really tempting to move your "to do list" into that small class break timeframe.

I want to encourage all dance teachers to take a break! Even it it's just a day or two. Take a real break. Don't do paperwork, don't choreograph routines, don't run errands, don't order costumes. Just stop.

Stop and listen to your heart. Stop and spend time with family. Stop and do something fun for yourself. Heck, just sit on the couch and watch the fireplace flames dance if you can. Relax and disolve your thoughts of work. It will be hard to sit still at first, as teachers we are used to going a million miles a minute in two different directions.

Taking a break, even a brief one, will help you be more efficient later. So schedule a break, set the day - time for it, write it on the calendar, program it in your phone. Tell people you have the day off.

Whatever it takes do it and protect it.

Consider it a gift to yourself. The gift of time. Enjoy!

P.S. This is easier than it sounds. I dare you to try it :)

Smile! Special moments for Mom

It's recital season - personally my favorite time of the year. Last week was picture week, so all the students and Mom's (and a few brave Dad's) arrived at the studio bursting with excitement, flashing their sequins and trying to make sense of the chaos.

The recital at our school is the icing on the cake. This year at picture night I was able to observe a little more than usual with my staff fully functioning and able to pose their own students and classes. I watched as Mom's and daughters cooperated, got frustrated, got happy and shared unique moments together. Recital time is like playing "Barbie" all over again for the Mom's. You get to tease hair, put on makeup and try your best to put clothes on "your doll". It's fun!

Since I had a few extra moments and cameras were out in force capturing the behind the scenes drama and groups of smiling friends, I took the opportunity to say..."Let me take a picture of you and your daughter" -- Mom's never get to be photographed, they are always the ones taking all the pictures-- they gladly handed over their camera or cell phones for a quick picture.

It was fun for me to connect with my customers by giving them a free gift - a photo of them together, happy and sharing a moment in Dance.

Enjoy your recital day Dance Mom's across the nation! Have fun playing Barbie with your little girls.

If you need a gift idea for your dance teacher or studio, consider giving them Releve' dance posters. They are a unique and useful gift that will help all the students and teachers alike.

Releve' Posters now at DanceStudioOwner.com

If you haven't had a chance to visit and join DanceStudioOwner.com you are missing out! This is a valuable site full of resources for dance teachers of all experience levels. I've had the pleasure of working with DSO creator Suzanne Blake Gerety and she is now retailing Releve' Dance Posters on the site. I'm a member of her site as the owner of my own school and use her resources weekly.

As you may recall, I created Releve' Dance Posters back in 2005 and have had a lot of success over the past 5 years. I think 2010 is going to be a great year with the addition of Dance Studio Owner.com as a distributor and key partner. If you need to change up your studio Releve' dance posters can give you an immediate face lift!

Suzanne has energy and passion for dance that rivals all! I'm pleased to know her and you will be too. Seriously, you need to add visiting this site to your "to do" list today. (I call it my "ta da" list but that's for another post). It will save you time and money down the road, help you deal with staff issues, and make your recials easier too.

So visit Dance Studio Owner.com today and check out the shop to find my Releve' posters!