Everything we do at MJDS is driven by our core values. Above all, we strive to empower our students and families to feel loved and welcomed into our space.
We are passionate about caring for the whole self during a student’s journey with us and focus on building a positive self-image.
We know that this year has forced us as a studio to be innovative in the way we deliver our lessons and has brought great change for everyone. New lifestyles have been shaped from the social restrictions of the Corona Virus. It is during this time that we have decided to write about the year that has been with the introduction of our website blog. The purpose of our blog is to support families in understanding what we do and why we do it. We would like to have students, their family members and our team of staff contributing to and sharing their stories via this forum.
With our Virtual Showcase this weekend, I would like to raise the topic of performance anxiety that is often experienced by dancers when preparing their minds and bodies before they take to the stage/ studio floor. In addition, this Showcase is going to be a first-time experience for students, families, teachers included. We aim to teach our students to be able to manage their emotional response in a healthy and adaptive way, recognising that they do not always have the language to express how they are feeling.
Here are a few tips to help your dancer:
- Let them know that butterflies are a common feeling when doing something new
- Start a fun ritual together that can help ease tension with laughter such as blowing bubbles and deep breathing
- Shift the focus to teamwork
- Talk about your own experience
- Suggest taking a step back and thinking about what it will be like once the performance has happened.
- Give reassurance by remaining calm yourself – remind them that dance is a form or expression and that there is no “wrong way”
We’re truly going to have an amazing Virtual Showcase!
Yours in Dance,
Miss Niki
