Winter Blas

Winter Blas
Winter blas can strike any time between December and whenever spring finally gets here. It is Spring already and we have a snow forecast for today.  In the states where it gets cold and snows it is usually the worst but Southern states can have them full force also.
When they hit your dancers be sure you are prepared. Do something to shake up the class. In the really younger classes you might have crazy hair day, weird tights day, pajama day or make up day. You can have a ‘dance with your friend day’ where the students bring their friends and the friends dance in the class with the regular students (be sure you have something that day that the non- dancers can do plus, offer free tights, free ballet shoes or free registration if they sign up for classes). I love to use the 'stories to dance'. You can always make up some or order some to have for these special occasions. The little kids love Toy Store and Deep Sea Diving and the older ballet dancers (ages 6-8) love Magic Carpet Ride and Dancing Princesses and the tappers love Candy Land. You might get the Wedding Dance and make some brides' bouquets or bridesmaids' flowers. You can do some steps that you have been working on to this music with the dancers holding the flowers. You might let a different students lead each barre exercise, or let them wear hats for the lesson. Take pictures! You must do SOMETHING to keep them interested during this time or they will drop out or you will start to get those phone calls: “she just doesn’t want to come, she says she doesn’t like it any more, she says her friends are better than she is” etc…… Nip all this in the bud by creating excitement at the studio during the winter bla months. I used to take my Great Pyrenees with me to the studio in Colorado and he just sat in the very back and watched or slept. I would let the dancers say goodbye to him and let them hug him goodbye if they wanted too. Another studio in Colorado Springs had a resident cat that lived in the studio. He just stayed there all the time and the dancers could pet him and visit him when they were there.
Another thing you can do is get out your scrap book. I hope you are keeping a scrap book of pictures you take in class, at the shows, recitals and any other place where your dancers are. It is fun to look back and see the kids at a younger age. You can't do this on your cell phone, you have to take the picture and then print it! The dancers get a kick out of seeing themselves a year younger or even years younger. It only takes 5 minutes in the middle of class to do this then put it away. You don’t want to do it at the end of class because the moms are listening outside the door and won’t hear any music and then you will have to explain what you were doing.
Let me know what you do to pep things up in the winter.
And remember: There’s no crying in dancing school.

.