4 Signs That Your Child is READY To Hit the Recital Stage!

Did you hear?! A celebration is in order! This year, our Positions Dance Studio recital theme is Celebrate Good Times. If you’ve recently visited the recital page on our website, you’ve probably marked your calendars for the big day on July 3rd! We thank you for your patience as we continue to confirm all the details.

Have you ever met a child that is a natural-born entertainer?! You know, the ones that take every opportunity to get all eyes on them! Many of our students are similar, and it’s rewarding to see them find their home on stage. What’s even MORE rewarding is seeing our shy students move out of their comfort zones and into the spotlight!

So how do you know if your child is ready for their big moment on stage? Throughout the end of the school year, you’ll notice the excitement start to build! It’s the most adorable thing and we absolutely LOVE sharing the hype with our students! 

4 Signs That Your Child Is Ready to Hit the Recital Stage:

1. They CAN’T Stop Peeking at Their Costume

Over the past couple of months, we’ve been sending our dazzling recital costumes home with students. Check out some of our beautiful costumes on our Facebook Page! 

Costume day can be pretty magical for our students, but what’s even MORE magical is the day they finally get to dress up and head on stage. We tell our students not to wear their costumes around the house to keep them looking fresh. But if you catch your little one peeking and begging to put it on, they are just itching to perform! 

P.S. Click here to check out some more costume care tips in our last blog post!

2. They Love Practicing Their Routine At Home

Are you seeing your child’s stellar moves every time you turn around?! For our older dancers, are their tik tok favorites being replaced by their recital moves? It’s official, they’ve fallen in love with their recital dance! 

Need the zoom links to follow along with their recital video? Email us! 

3. They Ask to Listen to Their Recital Song Over and OVER

Have you downloaded your child’s recital song on your devices? If your child can’t get enough and knows ALL the words, that’s when you know that they can’t wait to perform their routine. Pro tip: grab them a pair of headphones so the sound of their music doesn’t make you crazy before recital! 

4. They Can Perform Their Entire Routine For You With No Help!

The tell-tale sign of a performer who is stage-ready is being able to get through their whole routine without the help from teachers, videos, or classmates. That’s when you can be sure that they really know their routine. 

We strongly encourage all of our dancers to do mock performances at home. It’s one of the BEST ways to combat stage fright and engrain those dance moves into their muscle memory. Make it fun by creating pretend tickets, entering your living room theatre, and turning those stage lights on and off with the music! 

So… is YOUR dancer ready to hit the stage?! If you checked off any of those tell-tale signs, Recital 2021 will be a total hit in your house! We can’t wait!

If you’re loving these at-home recital prep tips, be sure to follow us on Facebook! Over the next couple of months, we’ll be busy posting our Recital Tip Series that is dedicated to helping parents out during recital week! 

We are SO excited to celebrate our students on the dance floor at Recital 2021! Continue checking our website for updates, as we’ll be updating our recital page with important details in the coming months. Happy at-home practicing!

6 Ways to Celebrate The Holiday Season With Dance

The holidays create such a special spirit among our young dancers and each year we LOVE being a part of their joy. While it’s a tough year for all of us, we are determined to make the most of it and create some holiday magic for our kiddos!

That’s why we’re dedicating this month’s blog post to celebrating the holiday season with DANCE! Dancers create special memories around the holidays. Between hanging a ballerina ornament, seeing the nutcracker, or doing a rockette-inspired kickline at the family party, we all have our own traditions! 

Looking for some extra holiday magic for your dancer this year? Ready to bring dance into your family’s holiday traditions? Check out these 6 Ways to Celebrate the Holiday Season with DANCE!

1. Shop ‘till you drop at our Dancewear Store!

It wouldn’t be the holidays if there weren’t special gifts waiting to be opened! Good thing we’ve got everything your dancer wants and needs right here at our Dance Store. We carry dance class staples, Positions logowear, small stocking stuffers and more! Check it out and hurry to our store today!  

2. Watch our Positions Dancers in their virtual performance of the Nutcracker. 

The Nutcracker is a part of every young dancer’s holiday wonderland! We share this classic tradition every year with our students. This year, our performance went virtual, live on our Positions facebook page. You can watch a playback of the performance HERE and be sure to like us on facebook to see more of our lovely dancers! 

3. Grab a kid’s ballet book for bedtime or join us for a virtual reading!

Storytime can be SO magical for kids! We recently did a virtual reading of Misty Copeland’s new picture book, Bunheads on our Facebook page. It’s our newest book that we carry in our store, so if you LOVE the story as much as we do, grab it as a gift.

Join us on Tuesday, December 22nd for a virtual reading of The Nutcracker! Just days away from Christmas eve, we can’t wait to share the excitement with our dancers!

4. Take advantage of our December Gift Card Special and give the gift of dance this year!

Have you heard about our awesome promotion?! From now through 12/24 when you purchase a gift card valued at $50.00 or more, you get an additional $15.00 gift card for you to keep OR gift! Positions gift cards can be used on class tuition OR in our store. Gifting a child with a new dance class can be the perfect gift for little ones who just can’t get enough dance!

5. Host a virtual watch party of a dance movie on Netflix.

There are dance movies GALORE on all the streaming services nowadays. One of our favorite holiday dance classics is White Christmas which is available on Netflix! This year, we are SO excited to watch Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, a documentary of Debbie Allen’s groundbreaking production! Debbie Allen is a dance legend.

Did you know you can host a virtual watch party on Netflix? Check out this informational page. Viewers can chat virtually while watching at the same time. This would be great for family and dance friends to watch together, but from afar this year! 

6. Get crafty with some holiday ballerina decorations!

For those of us that enjoy a craft day with the kiddos, dancers love using their creative side! Check out these adorable ballerina crafts with snowflake tutus.

We hope this list helps you and your little dancers get into the holiday spirit! Pick one thing and roll with it… we promise it will create a treasured memory for your dancer.

From all of us here at Positions Dance Studio, Happy Holidays! We hope that amidst this difficult year, you can all find time to feel joyful with loved ones near and far. We are forever thankful for you, and we love seeing the holiday magic around our studio each year!

Position Yourself at Positions: 4 Things That Make Us Unique

As parents who want the best for your kids, we know you have a lot of options to choose from! There are tons of dance studios and extracurricular activities that all offer different programs, many of which intrigue your children and make them light up with excitement!

So how do you choose? We know it can be overwhelming. Today on the blog we are sharing the 4 reasons that Positions Dance Studio is a step above the rest! Read on to find out what makes Positions the best dance studio in Babylon!

1. Dance Abilities

This one is by far one of our most treasured parts of the studio! At Positions, we believe dance is for EVERYONE! Which is why we love offering our Dance Abilities class every fall. This class is specifically tailored for students ages 7-adult with Down Syndrome, Autism and other developmental disabilities. 

At Dance Abilities, we LOVE seeing students gain confidence through dance. We see physical, mental, and emotional growth each week as coordination improves and our students make new friends with other dancers. Head over to our website to learn more about this class that we hold near and dear to heart. Dance has the power to bring people together, and Positions Dance Studio makes that happen. 

2. Community Connection

Positions Dance Studio takes great pride in staying connected with our community. We love Babylon village and the people that make it so special… ESPECIALLY all of our dance families. From community yoga classes, Babylon Block Parties, and giving back to the Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition in February, PDS wants everyone in Babylon to feel welcome at our studio. Sharing dance with our community is something we value that sets our studio apart from the rest! 

3. Unique, Year-Round Performance Opportunities

We couldn’t leave our Spring Musical/Ballet and December Nutcracker off this list! Each Spring, our Broadway Bound students put together a fabulous musical while our Ballet Enrichment students perform in a stunning ballet. We put these two productions together to create one day of phenomenal performances. In addition, we are excited to begin working on our Nutcracker production that will be happening this December! Many of our staff members at Positions treasure these special performances and WISH we had the same opportunities while growing up as a young dancer. 

Putting on a large production requires TONS of hard-work and dedication from the dancers. It teaches kids important life lessons (check out our past blog post about the 5 benefits of performing) and creates memories that kids will cherish for a lifetime. We have big things happening each year at PDS, and we will never stop offering performance opportunities to our young dancers! 

4. Performance Team

In addition to our weekly dance classes, Positions Dance Studio is home to 4 fabulous performance teams. By audition only, dancers are separated by age and ability, rehearsing each week and learning fun, new choreography. After perfecting these dances, our kids get the opportunity to travel and perform in the community. This past year, our performance team performed at Disney as well as half-time shows for sporting events. We LOVE watching our kids hit the stage! 

Writing this blog gave us ALL the feels… we can’t hide it! We LOVE our studio and what it brings to our dance families. Bringing these unique opportunities to kids in Babylon brings us SO much joy. It is why we do what we do! 

Want to learn more about we offer? Check out our website or send us a message! We would love to meet your family and welcome you to OUR Positions family! 

5 Benefits of Performing

Positions families! We are SO close! Recital is coming right up and we really think that this could be the best dance recital in Babylon yet! Our dances are starting to look fabulous and the students are beginning to feel the pre-show excitement. We can’t wait!

Aside from all the excitement, we also get a little sentimental around recital time. Our staff at Positions Dance Studio all treasure the memories of their dance recitals growing up. It is SUCH a special time for kids and families. We really value our Spring recital because it gives our students the chance to perform. Performing has SO many benefits for children, so today on the blog we wanted to share our 5 favorites!

Benefits of Performing:

1. Self-Confidence

Once you get on stage, the lights are shining, the music is playing, and the audience is watching. There is NO hiding. Performing is a great tool for teaching kids how to step out of their comfort zone and be confident in themselves.

At our dance recital, we see sparks light up in our kids every year. If they have insecurities, they are forced to leave them behind on recital day in order to shine on stage. Knowing your loved ones are in the audience cheering you on is a great feeling. And strutting off-stage after nailing a 3-minute dance routine is an even greater feeling. Performing builds our kids up and teaches them that they are capable of incredible things.

2. Goal-Setting

We love recital because it gives our kids something big to work towards all year. Everything we teach in class becomes a whole lot more meaningful to them when it means they will look AWESOME on stage. We work on setting goals throughout the school year in class and we love seeing them reach those goals on-stage.

3. Overcoming Fears

Performing teaches kids that they can do anything in life, even when it seems scary. It’s no secret that performing in front of a theater of people can be a little intimidating! All eyes are on YOU, which can stir up nerves and anxiety in many kids. We absolutely LOVE giving pep-talks backstage to nervous dancers before they step out. It is amazing to watch as they work through those emotions and get on stage despite their fears. Performing teaches them to let go, trust themselves, and just GO for it!

4. Teamwork

At Positions Dance Studio, we emphasize the importance of working together when performing and perfecting dance routines. We tell our students that the goal is to look like ONE dancer on stage by dancing perfectly in sync with one another. We use counts, music cues, and breath to help our kids stay together and work as a team. Teamwork is an essential part of life! Performing is a valuable tool for teaching kids to step outside of themselves and into something bigger.

5. Sharing Joy

This one is probably our favorite! Performing (and dance in general!) is FUN! It often lights up joyful feeling in kids. We tell our students that the stage is their chance to share their love of dance with others. When a kid learns that they have the power to entertain an audience or put a smile on someone’s face with their dancing, recital becomes so special. It is important for kids to learn that what they give to the world matters.

Putting together this list has made us even more hyped for the big day. Recital is so much more than just another day at the studio, and we hope this list helps our families see how special it is. Performing is fun, but what our kids gain from it is just priceless!

Tickets for this amazing show are available online now! We can’t wait to see all of our dance families in the audience cheering the dancers on. Be sure to check out our recital page to stay on top of important dates and info! See you at the theater!

Recital Traditions: Etiquette and What to Expect

We know it's hard to believe, but our annual dance recital is right around the corner! As we finish and perfect all of our dances, the excitement definitely begins to buzz around the studio. We can’t wait to see all of our kids’ hard work come to life on June 22nd. Performing is a special time for dancers and their families, so today we want to talk about 5 performance traditions.

From theater etiquette to fun show-time rituals, we’ve got you covered on what to expect for the big day!

Etiquette Tips:

1. Give your dancers a round of applause at the end AND during impressive moments!

Most of us know that it’s tradition to give the performers a round of applause at the end of a dance. And take it from us dancers, the LOUDER the better! One of the most rewarding parts of recital weekend is hearing our younger dancers say, “did you hear how loud they clapped for us?!” as they rush off the stage for the first time.

Another great way to show your support is to applaud during impressive moments that you know your dancer has worked hard to achieve. Feel free to clap for long turn sequences, big jumps/lifts, or fabulous solos. It will send their dancing hearts through the roof, we promise!

2. Don’t enter the stage from the theater house. It’s bad theater etiquette!

We don’t blame you if you didn’t know about this one! It’s kind of an unspoken theater rule! We like to keep the theater house (the section with the seats) completely separate from all the backstage buzz. If your dancer has to get backstage, walk around to the backstage entrance. When you're in the house, the stage is off limits!  

3. A beautiful ballet bun and glowing makeup is a recital must-have!

Your dancer will definitely feel the excitement as you take the morning to the get their glitz and glam on. For parents who feel a little lost when it comes to ballet buns (we understand, it is difficult!), here’s an online tutorial to get you started. Be sure to use hairspray for a sleek look that will stay put for the entire performance.

4. No flash photography at the theater.

This one is important not only to keep our audience members free of distractions but also for the safety of our dancers. Believe it or not, when the dancers step on stage they can see almost NOTHING in the house. So when a camera flashes, it can really shock a dancer’s eyes and ruin their focus. We know you want to capture the big moments, but we encourage you to put the cameras down! There is nothing like a live performance from your child! Also, don’t forget you have the option of purchasing a professional DVD keepsake. Lean back and enjoy the show knowing that you can revisit the memories later!

5. Flowers are the classic post-show gift to make your dancer feel loved and supported!

Ask any dancer, there is nothing better than adoring all your beautiful flowers after a big performance. It’s a performance tradition and it gets those warm and fuzzies going! We will have flowers available for purchase in our lobby for your convenience!

6. Don’t forget to say “Break a Leg!”

It’s tradition… dancers DON’T say “good luck.” Hearing these words of support before the big day is a great way to get the excitement brewing. We love making our students feel like they are a part of a dance community with special rituals and long-lasting memories.

Now that you’re officially “in the know” about all of our dancer traditions, it’s time to get ready for the big day! Be sure to read up on all the recital details, dates, and times. Our Photo Days will be happening at the studio on June 5th & 8th. And don’t forget about our Mandatory Dress Rehearsal on June 20th.

We are SO excited to see our dancers on stage.  Tickets are available online now! Our dancers have been working so hard, and we know your support will mean the world to them. See you there!

How To AMAZE Your Dancer At This Year's Recital

Recital week is almost here at Positions Dance Studio! We could not be more excited to see all the hard work come to life and I’m sure you and your dancers feel the same. They have put in countless hours at the studio and you have supported them every step of the way. It is time to celebrate right?! With all the fun and excitement comes something else not so pleasant, STRESS. Yes, recital week is stressful for everyone (for us too!). There are costumes and accessories to pack, special hair and makeup to master, a handful of different check-in times to keep track of, and much much more. It is a lot to handle for the seasoned dance parent not to mention for those first timers out there! We want to make sure we are doing all we can to make your week as easy as it can be for you and your dancer. Let’s face it, if you are stressed out, your dancer will be stressed out too. And that is not fun for anyone. So we thought we would give you a few ways you can feel less of that awful stress and more of the fun and excitement. Following these tips will ensure that you can AMAZE your dancer at this year’s recital!  

• Read EVERYTHING. Twice. Make sure you are really going through all the emails and handouts you receive from the studio. They contain information like check-in times, order deadlines, day-of instructions, etc. Take the time to really process the information and write reminders in your calendar.

• Take Inventory Now. Do you have all the right shoes? New tights in the correct color? All hair and makeup supplies? Have you double checked all costumes and their accessories? Figuring out you are missing something last minute could be the worst feeling ever! You will feel much better knowing you have a few days to run to the store rather than just a few hours.

• Make a recital day PLAN with your dancer. Everyone will feel much better after you talk through logistics and expectations. Talk with your dancer about when you will start getting ready, who will be helping with quick changes, when will they eat, and when and where you will meet them after the performance. You will rest assured knowing they know what to do and they will feel more prepared in handling the day without you.

• Be positive, have fun, and enjoy every second! Recital is only once a year and trust us, it goes FAST! Be proud of your dancer no matter what happens on stage. It takes a lot of guts to get on stage and your dancer wants no more than to do the best they can do. Don’t be shy in telling them how you feel after their performance. Performing after all the preparation should feel amazing and as their parents, you get to share that feeling with them. They deserve that shining moment and so do you. Make sure you take a moment or two to look around and feel the joy with your dancer.

We want nothing more than for you and your dancer to enjoy this moment because it is the BEST part of being a performer (and a proud parent too) and like we mentioned, it will go fast! Take the stress out of the week and you will be able to truly savor each precious moment.

Have any questions about recital week? Check out this FAQ page we have and call or email the studio with anything you don’t see mentioned.