The Dance Buzz

NMM: Perpetuum Mobile - Penguin Cafe Orchestra

2013-02-18T19:31:00.000-05:00

Today's New Music Monday is a song that just makes you want to create something: Perpetuum Mobile by Penguin Cafe Orchestra (link opens in iTunes).

I've been using this one in my modern classes during improv and I think it helps set a creative atmosphere in class. Plus its just fun to listen to! Enjoy :)

Grab it on iTunes:

As a side note, this song was used in the claymation film "Mary and Max", which if you're in the mood for a moving animated movie - watch this (its on Netflix). Just keep the tissues nearby and don't say I didn't warn you.

Valentine's Studio Craft

2013-02-12T22:31:00.002-05:00

Here is a quick and easy craft you can do in your classroom or studio: Make a wall of hearts!

We started ours last week - I left out heart-shaped red, pink and white paper and a bowl of crayons next to a sign that says "Why Do You Love Dance?"

"I like dancing because it is fun"

Dancers (and brothers, sisters, moms and dads) have been writing and drawing why they love dance all week.

Even the Big Girls got in on the action!

And a note from a "Dance Daddy":

It says "I like to watch my girls grow with dance".

The Heart Wall has been a nice addition to our waiting room - everyone has enjoyed reading the responses. I think I'll leave it up for the rest of the month!

If you can't wait until next year to try this, you could do this any time of the year - or go with the next holiday... clovers for March: "I'm Lucky To Dance Because..." or Spring umbrellas... be creative!

More Valentine's Day dance ideas:

Love playlists for Jazz & Hip Hop, Tap, Children & Tweens
Dancing with X's & O's from Maria's Movers
Valentine's Day Ideas for your studio from Dance Advantage

Coach's Eye - App For Teachers!

2013-02-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

I came across this great app that I just started using for cleaning dances and am loving it!

It's called "Coach's Eye" (link opens in iTunes) and it works on iPhones, iPads and iPods. It $4.99, but its a worthy investment of five bucks - let's face it, I've spend more on coffee in one day (not sure if I like what that says about my caffeine addiction).

This app allows you to record a dance, play it back for your students (in regular or slow motion) and even draw on the video like a football coach or the play-by-play guys on TV do.

You can also record yourself critiquing the video and then share it or send it to your students.

I am trying it out this week and will let you know what I think!

Grab Coach's Eye:

Looking for more advice on cleaning dances? Check out this post.

Looking for more apps to make your life easier? Here are a few posts you might like.

Tell me: Do you use your iPhone or iPad in class? What do you use it for?

NMM: DJ Earworm - Shine Brighter 2012

2013-02-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Don't miss this year's remix by DJ Earworm - he combined 25 of 2012's pop hits to create one song... and the kicker is that it actually sounds pretty awesome! The kids seem to like this one a lot. My pre-teens ask me to play it each week, and the first week it took them a while to actually focus on the steps in warm-up because they were trying to figure out what this song was!

As of this post, I believe you can still download the song on SoundCloud.

If you love mash-ups like this song, check out more mash-ups here.

Ballet Mime

2013-02-01T21:28:00.004-05:00

Crossed arms mean love - but be careful -
make those hands into fists and you may
be saying something completely different!

My students and I had a conversation about ballet miming this week: Did you know dancers are storytellers as well as actors and actresses too?

Ballerinas and ballet dancers even have their own special hand gestures to tell stories - sort of like ballet sign language!

You may already know some common gestures:
- Both hands to the heart for "love"
- Hand cupped by ear for "hear"
- Bowing or curtseying to show loyalty
- Strong motions with fists to show anger

There are some others you might not be as familiar with:
- Tapping the forehead twice for "princess" and three times for "king" or "queen"
- Crossed hands with fists for "death"
- And "dance" is said by circling your arms overhead in 5th position

Here are some links for more ballet mime:

Ballet Mime Vocab by The Ballet Bag

Mime Meanings in Ballet by iSport

Learn the conversation between the Swan Queen and the prince from Swan Lake with this fun video from The Royal Ballet:

NMM: The Lucky Ones - Kerli

2013-01-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

I am currently loving this song by Kerli "The Lucky Ones". I've been using it for tap and jazz warm-ups this week and its got a great beat (and no bad words!).

Grab it on iTunes:

January Challenge: What's In Your Bag?

2013-01-22T10:44:00.001-05:00

Did anyone ever have any of the bags above? (The first one is a vintage bag from Etsy)

A dance bag is a dancer and dance teacher's most valuable possession. Back when we used to use CDs instead of iPods, my bag weighed 50 lbs from the giant CD case I lugged around... now it still is pretty hefty, because I filled the empty space with water bottles and props. #notthesharpestpointeinthebag

January's Blog Challenge Mission:

So for the first Blog Challenge of the new year, I want to know:

What's in your dance bag?

Grab this snazzy badge for your post
if you'd like to be-dazzle your blog!

How to Participate:

If you have a blog:
1) Take a picture, make a video, write a post or find one that fits the theme (it doesn't have to be a new post if you've already written something that answers the question).

2) Then make sure you leave a comment below with a link to your post so we can all read it!

Don't have a blog?
No problem! Participate by leaving a comment below, tweeting @thedancebuzz or posting to our Facebook wall a picture of your dance bag, or comment with your favorite item in your dance bag.

I'm getting my post ready to go and am looking forward to taking a peek inside of everyone's bag! :)

Most Popular Posts of 2012

2013-01-21T10:35:00.000-05:00

Jump for joy - here are the most-read posts from 2012!

Pinspiration

Do you find Pinterest as addicting as I do? Here are the most popular "Pinspiration" posts from this year:

Athletic Dancers, April Pinspiration: Leaps & Jumps, Performance Pinspiration

Music

How to Find Clean Hip Hop Music for Kids

I guess my teachers aren't the only ones struggling to find clean hip hop music!

How to Get a Clean Music Edit Using GarageBand
My second video tutorial on music editing shows how to do a simple edit using Garageband.

Business

Everything Else

How to Take Dance Photos on the Beach
Some shots from my summer vacation and a tutorial on how to take photos on the beach proved to be on the of the most popular posts this year.

Rock Star Camp
5 days of dancing, crafts and game ideas!

Can't wait to see where 2013 takes us - what would you like to see more of? Leave a comment!

The VitaVibe Ballet Barre - A Review

2013-01-16T11:57:00.000-05:00

Enjoy this post? Vote for me for Top Blog Contest! How? Leave a comment on this post.

--------

...a.k.a. "The Search For Portable Ballet Barres, Part 3"

It has been a while since I posted about my search for portable ballet barres (here's Part 1 and Part 2), so I thought I'd do an update.

Full Disclosure: I am not being compensated by VitaVibe or Ballet Barre Store. I just purchased the barres for my studio and am sharing my experience in hopes that it helps others!

Since my original purchase in January 2011, I have purchased a second barre from the Ballet Barre Store, so we have one barre at each location in current use.

Both barres arrived fairly quickly (about a week or two) and were very easy to assemble. The first one, my husband helped with and the second one I put together all by myself.

Side note-that-should-be-common-sense-but-I-didn't-think-about: An 8-foot barre will come in a box that is.. wait for it.. 8 feet long. Make sure if you need to move it in your vehicle that it will fit. It was a close one in my little car!

Both times I purchased the "BD96" - an 8-foot double barre from their "Prodigy Series". I chose these over their heavier-weight line because we have wall barres and don't use our portable barres that often. The cost of the Prodigy series is also half that of the Professional series.

The connectors make it easy to adjust the height of the
barres as necessary

Each barre is lightweight, easy to move around and very easy to keep clean. I can't attest to the "antimicrobial properties" of the aluminum coating, but the barres are very smooth to the touch and we wipe them down with Clorox wipes after use.

With the 8-foot barre, we can fit a maximum of two teen students on a side, but its much more comfortable with just one, especially if they're using the barre for a leg stretch. With the littles, three fit comfortably (two on one side and one on the other).

Pros

Lightweight aluminum means they are easy to transport to the middle of the floor or to another room as necessary - my students no longer complain about moving the barres!
Easy to assemble and adjust as needed - and the Ballet Barre Store sells parts a la carte if anything were to break or you wanted to make your single barre into a double.
Has stayed much cleaner than the wood barres. It doesn't get that "grubby" feeling... and no more splinters!

This is the bottom part of the barre, where you can see the only visible scratches.
They are from little tappers experimenting with how tap shoes sound on an aluminum barre!

The feet of the barre are covered in rubber, which means no more scratched marley - yay!

The company gives a 10 year warranty on all of their barres.

Oooh, shiny!

Cons

The only downside to these aluminum barres is that the barre is sometimes too lightweight and feels like it could be pushed over.

While this forces the students to be more conscientious about not leaning or relying too much on the barre, it makes me a bit nervous that they if they ever actually do lose their balance, a big grab might knock the barre over.

So far it has not happened, but it just doesn't have the sturdy feeling that our older (and much heavier) wooden or metal barres do. Heck, the ones we used in college were made of some sort of heavy piping that took 2 - 3 of us to even get it to budge!

Would I Buy Again?

Yes - overall, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. However, next time I might be tempted to try the Professional series, which is made out of a bit thicker aluminum, which might add enough heft to counteract how light they are to move.

NMM: New Year

2013-01-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Enjoy this post? Vote for me for Top Blog Contest! How? Go here and leave a comment on this post.

It's hard to find a picture of new beginnings in January,
but here is a "snow egg" in a nest that's in front of our house.

--------
With it being January, I wanted to make a playlist of songs about beginnings, fresh starts and the future.

Enjoy! (All of the links below open to iTunes)

I'm Beginning To See The Light - Maynard Ferguson - an instrumental jazzy tune with a big band feel, that would be nice for a classic jazz or adult tap class. There's another great version by Michael Buble too!

At the Beginning - Anastasia (Music from the Motion Picture) - classic Disney love song - could work for a lyrical dance.

Starting Now - Ingrid Michaelson - I've used this quick-tempo song for combinations in modern, jazz and contemporary class. It starts out sounding acoustic and then builds to a full band, which is nice for a dynamic change.

Where Do I Even Start? - Morgan Taylor Reid - This song was used on Grey's Anatomy, so you know it's dramatic! I am a sucker for songs with piano harmony sections, so I liked this one right away. I would use it in lyrical or contemporary class or possibly for a lyrical ballet piece.

New Age - Marlon Roudette - Another nice lyrical / contemporary song.

Intro - xx - One of my teachers used this song last year for a jazz / contemporary piece. I could see it working for a modern dance as well. Has a great creepy beginning and then changes into an intense and building melody.

Wanna Be Starting Something - Michael Jackson - Doesn't need explanation :) There is also a newer version featuring Akon, but you gotta love classic Michael.

This is what my front yard looks like in January...
snow and ice!

New Soul - Yael Naïm - Ever since it was featured on that iTunes commercial, I hesitate to use it in class, but it would be such a fun song for a young modern class or for a solo.

Brand New - Emilie Mover - She has such a fun voice - this is a nice uplifting song with a country or bluegrass feel.

What other songs make you think of new beginnings and the New Year? Leave a comment!

Top Blog Contest 2013 - Vote for me!

2013-01-09T18:55:00.004-05:00

It's that time of year again... the Top Dance Blog contest put on by Nichelle over at Dance Advantage!

I love this contest because I get to find a ton of new dance blogs to follow - I can't wait to see who enters this year!

Last year, I was honored to be selected as "Editor's Choice", which made me all blushy and dance around my house to the surprise of my husband (who, by the way, still refers to all of you as my "imaginary friends").

In any event, I'm throwing my hat into the "Teacher Talk" category since my most frequent posts are the music playlists for teachers and dancers!

Vote for me by leaving a comment on this post!

Will you vote for me?

To vote, all you need to do is leave a comment below on this post.

Leave a comment on what you like best about The Dance Buzz, what you'd like to see more of, or you can just say hi!

Either way, I love hearing from my readers (all, what, 6 of you...??) and would love a comment below.

Thank you and happy 2013... now I'm off to vote for some of my favorite dance blogs! :D

Happy New Year 2013!

2013-01-08T12:38:00.000-05:00

Happy 2013! I hope everyone had a great break!

Over Christmas break, my husband and I moved into our new house.. and have been living without internet (or cable or phone) for the past two weeks... #darkages

While it was nice to have some time to focus on other things without the distraction of screens, our internet-less world was starting to drive us nuts! I felt like I was back in school, going to the library to use the wifi...

Anyway - the start of the New Year is always a great time to look back at last year, look forward to the new year and set some goals. Last year, I shared my favorite way to set goals for my business and blog. The biggest problem is that we don't always keep those resolutions or even think about them after we make them in January.

Did you set goals for 2013?

It turns out writing them down might be the first step to achieving them! Check out this infographic from onlineeducation.net about setting goals (click to make bigger) and keeping them:

Did you have a nice break? Did you get the plague like all of my students (and I) did?

Do you make New Year's Resolutions? How do you keep them? Tell me in the comments!

Our Elf: Izzy!

2012-12-13T11:05:00.000-05:00

When I read Maria's post asking her readers about their elves, I knew I had to share!

Our studio Elf on the Shelf, Izzy, has made a lot of friends at dance school!

First we got an official letter from Santa telling us why our elf was so special:

Like the Santa stationary? I got it from here

Then Izzy lit up our dance studio with some lights, which put everyone in a festive mood!

Izzy showed off her split skills at the Split Wall.

She even signed her name!

And then got into the sticker supply....

Christmas colors of course...

And made herself a tutu out of tulle...

Izzy, I don't think that's what the measuring tapes are meant for!

I guess she decided the kids were behaving and decided to watch the parents in the waiting room instead... :)

I don't know what she'll do next!

I enjoy sharing Izzy's adventures on our studio Facebook page and Instagram so everyone can see what she's been up to!

Do you have an Elf at your school or home? Is he or she mischievous or well-behaved? Share in the comments!

Holiday Playlist Update

2012-12-10T23:44:00.004-05:00

Our 'happy elf' at the studio!

Does your holiday playlist need some updating?

Here are a few songs that you can add into the usual rotation to spice things up a bit this year (links open in iTunes):

Jazzy Tunes

The Happy Elf - Harry Connick Jr.

Cool Yule - Louis Armstrong

I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm - Frank Sinatra

(Everybody's Waitin' For) The Man With the Bag - Kay Starr

A Little More Mellow

The Christmas Waltz - She & Him

Christmas Lights - Coldplay

Snowfall - Ingrid Michaelson

Somewhere In My Memory - Home Alone Soundtrack (I actually recommend the entire Home Alone Soundtrack by John Williams for some fun music that has a Christmas-y feel to it - I especially love the track "Holiday Flight"")

And a few more...

Hurry Home - The Good Lovelies

Bring Me Love - Marie Digby

Last Christmas - Taylor Swift

March of the Toys - Classical For The New Age

From 2011: Holiday Music Round-up
From 2010: NMM: Holiday Music

Freeze Dance Fun

2012-11-30T15:24:00.002-05:00

The cold weather makes my classes
excited to play "Freeze Dance"!

"Freeze Dance" is the first activity requested whenever we have a special day in class. My students know Freeze Dance as dance around the room and freeze when the music stops.

This past week in my beginning modern/creative movement class, we used our creative minds to come up with some new variations on Freeze Dance to try in class.

Here are some of the ways that we manipulated the game to be our own - hopefully some are new to you or inspire other new variations!

Shape Freeze

We've been using this version in our exploration of shape-making.

While the music is on, the teacher names a shape (circular, square, triangle) and the student must make that shape with a body part when the music stops.

Position Freeze

Similar to the Shape variation described above, but dancers must freeze in the position given - this was fun in ballet and jazz class. Positions to try: 1st, 2nd and 3rd position, retire, arabesque, tendu, plie, lunge, etc.

This might also be fun to try with a class who is learning room positions and stage directions ("Freeze en face" or "Freeze facing upstage" or "point to corner 2").

'Dance Like This' Freeze

The teacher (or student leader) tells the class how to move during the dance part ("Everyone skip"). After each freeze, the type of dancing changes. You can also give speed directives, such as "chasse really slowly" or "bouree quickly".

We like to play this in tap class for practice on our traveling steps: running flaps, flap ball changes, shuffle hop steps, toe heels, etc.

Changing Music

Also know as the iPod Shuffle...! After each freeze, change the song and dancers must move to the new song.

Now these dancers are REALLY frozen!

In creative movement, we played this after a few weeks of learning the concept of listening to the music and interpreting it in our bodies. It really helped their improvisation skills.

You could also use this in tap or jazz class to work on rhythm and finding the beat in each new song.

Partner Freeze

Dancers must freeze with a partner when the music stops.

You can give conditions such as "freeze connected to another person", or "Freeze in a group of three".

I like to mix this one into the other types - "freeze in a round shape with another person", etc.

Beat the "I'm Out" Blues

For my younger classes we don't "get out" in any of the above games - we just play for the fun of it. For my older students, they really like the games when there is a chance to be eliminated, so we play that way.

Sometimes my classes age 6-8 request to play the "out" version, but some students get very upset from being "out" whenever we play a game like this.

I like to soften the blow by letting them come over to the music player and telling me when to freeze the music next. Or if they are a particularly enthusiastic class, they can also come up with some new ways to freeze.

What is your favorite movement or dance game to play in class? Share in the comments!

November Blog Challenge: 10 Things You Are Grateful For

2012-11-20T14:51:00.000-05:00

New blog challenge badge for your blog!

Just in time for Thanksgiving, here is November's Blog Challenge. Talking or writing about things you are grateful for can make you happy, more optimistic and less stressed (I can back that up).

I was inspired by this post by Marie Forleo, who is my business idol / inspiration / mentor! In this post, Marie talks about gratitude and the positive aftereffects (if you have a chance, check out her video - its worth a watch). Also check out this article by the NY Times about the positive effects of keeping a gratitude journal.

November's Blog Challenge Mission:

Write a list of ten things you are grateful for.

Then let the happy feelings wash over you :)

How to Participate:

If you have a blog:
1) write a post sharing your ten things, then share or link to your fall post (it doesn't have to be a new post if you've already written something that fits with the theme).

2) Then make sure you leave a comment with a link to you post so we can all read it!

Don't have a blog?
No problem! You can participate by leaving a comment below, tweeting @thedancebuzz or posting to our Facebook wall your list of ten things!

I'm getting my post ready to go and am looking forward to reading all of your thankful things :)

NMM: Where Is My Mind (Pixies Cover) by Maxence Cyrin

2012-11-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Just discovered this haunting piano cover of the Pixies tune "Where Is My Mind" by Maxence Cyrin.

And bonus: at 2 minutes 47 seconds... you don't even have to cut it!

Grab it on iTunes

Enjoy!

NMM: Contemporary Song & Video Playlist

2012-11-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

A few new songs that I've been loving in class and some videos to go along with them:

"Great" - Tony Robbins - free download here - this is the song from the Purina dog commercial that might have made you cry. I think it would make a nice contemporary dance:

Try - P!nk - I didn't know she was such an awesome dancer - check out the video:

And my final song / video combo is: Capital Cities - Safe And Sound - you could use this techno song for warm-ups in jazz or tap, but I just love this fan-made video. Its a mash-up of historical dance moves juxtaposed with war images. I dig the old dance moves against the song:

October Blog Challenge: Fall Class Ideas

2012-10-25T12:45:00.000-04:00

Happy Fall!

For me, fall means changing leaves, shorter days and Halloween!

Grab this baby for your blog!

What does fall mean to you and your dance classes?

October's Blog Challenge Mission:

Last month's challenge was to share an inspiring video.

For October, your mission is to share an idea for a fall dance class.

It can be about leaves, pumpkins, Halloween, apples - your choice! If you're a student, tell us how or if your studio has any fall traditions that you enjoy. If you're a teacher - how do you incorporate the changing season into your classes?

How to Participate:

1) If you have a blog, share or link to your fall post (it doesn't have to be a new post, since I'm a little late in getting the challenge up this month).

2) Then make sure you leave a comment with a link to you post so we can all read it!

Don't have a blog? No problem! You can participate by leaving a comment below, tweeting @thedancebuzz or posting to our Facebook wall with your Fall dance class idea!

Can't wait to see all the good fall traditions :)

Dance Deals: Wooden Nutcracker Ornament

2012-10-21T13:47:00.001-04:00

Spotted this deal and wanted to share (full disclosure: I'm not getting paid for this, just sharing the good deal!):

Cute little wooden Nutcrackers!

DollarTree - Nutcracker Ornaments, 2 for $1

You have to buy a case of 48 units (so 96 ornaments), but if anyone has lots of little ones, might make a good gift for a good price!

They are 5" tall, which is a pretty decent size.

---

In other news, yuck, I can't believe I posted about Christmas ornaments in October. Shame on me!

Eric Hutchinson - The Basement

2012-10-19T21:21:00.002-04:00

Obsessed with this song and there's a pretty great video that goes with it.

Happy Weekend!

Grab it on iTunes: The Basement by Eric Hutchinson

Pumpkin Creative Movement

2012-10-12T15:26:00.000-04:00

I read Maria's great pumpkin patch creative movement idea and was inspired to try it in my classes this past week! And check out this post at Maria's Movers for even more ideas.

I teach two ages of creative movement - 4's & 5's and an older group of pre-modern students (ages 8-11). Both loved the new activity!

The 4's & 5's

Growing Pumpkins

First we had a quick discussion about pumpkins:

What shape and color are they?
Where do they come from?
How they grow?
Can we eat them?
What's inside a pumpkin?

We planted ourselves in the room and grew very, very slowly. My assistants pretended to be farmers and people going pumpkin-picking and they inspected each pumpkin.

Our pumpkins rolled around the room for a bit and then we started over. This time, the pumpkins were painted with happy, silly or scary faces. They had fun making faces while they were pumpkins.

Pumpkin-Picking

Next we changed roles and went pumpkin picking. My studio is in a suburban area surrounded by farms, so many of the students were familiar with the idea of pumpkin picking. Our movements:

Tip toe through the rows
Jumping over pumpkins
We picked out our favorite pumpkins and brought them to the middle of the room to make a pumpkin pile
We repeated to find the heaviest, the tiniest, the fattest and the roundest pumpkins and carried, lifted, rolled, and pushed them into our pile

I also asked them what else they might see in a pumpkin patch and we saw:

Crows that flew, perched and caw'ed
Grass and corn that stood tall and waved in the wind
Creepy crawly bugs and worms
Scarecrows that stood very still and had stiff arms and legs
A hayride that we all got on together and rode around the room to finish our exercise!

Ages 8-11: Beginning Modern / Creative Movement

I used these exercises as a warm-up. It was a nice change for them and they seemed to enjoy it:

Growing Pumpkins

Surprisingly enough, we started the same way, but with less instruction.

Slow growing from a seed to long twisty and stretch vines that covered the floor (focus on moving slowly and stretching our bodies)
Growing big leaves and even a few flowers (continue stretching)
Growing a pumpkin (making a round shape)
Rolling around as a pumpkin1
Being carved to have a funny, silly, happy or scary face (some used just their faces, others used their whole body)
Being left out on the porch too long and rotting!

1 We have been learning rolls where we hold our ankles in the butterfly position (my modern instructor at college called these "UFO's"... not sure of the 'correct term').

Pumpkin-Picking

I tried to incorporate our modern dance vocabulary into our movements:

1) Prancing: We didn't want to get our shoes muddy, so we pranced through the rows (and hopped over pumpkins in our path).

2) Triplets: We put boots on and squished the mud with our up-up-squish (down).

We chose pumpkins and explored how it was like to move with our pumpkins (we are currently exploring weighted-movement, so this fit in perfectly).

We repeated this a few times with various sizes, various ways to carry our pumpkins and then we found the Biggest Pumpkin Ever and tried to move it but it wouldn't budge.

Pumpkin Carving

We decided to carve the Biggest Pumpkin Ever right there! We cut the top off and climbed inside (it truly was a big pumpkin!). Other movement ideas:

Scooping out the seeds and "gross stuff", as my students put it
We had a little food fight by throwing the seed chunks as each other
We scraped around the inside, which was great spiraling movement
Climbing back out, we carved a large face in our pumpkin
Climbing back in, we pushed hard on the face parts to "pop" them out
Lighting a candle or light inside the pumpkin

Want even more pumpkin dance ideas? Check out Maria's latest post with three more pumpkin movement ideas.

Have you done any fall-inspired activites with your classes?

Share in the comments!

SOBuzz: Employee or Independent Contractor?

2012-10-02T23:22:00.001-04:00

If you're a Studio Owner (SO) or a teacher, there comes a time when you must decide: are you an employee or an independent contractor?

In most cases of studio owners I've encountered, your teachers are considered employees, not independent contractors.

However, the business of dance studios is a very diverse group when it comes to schedules and employee structures. One studio could be run like a fitness club with changing instructors and schedules, another could run year-round. Between these extremes exist a multitude of other possibilities.

And the consequence of choosing incorrectly can be costly. If you pay your employee as an independent contractor when they should be an employee, you and your teacher could owe back taxes and employment taxes, complete with interest and penalties!

Quick aside: The rules I will be discussing will apply to the United States. If you're outside the U.S., consult with an accountant or lawyer for the laws governing your business.

Employee or Independent Contractor?

It all comes down to how much control the SO has over the employee.

Read more »

NMM: September Contemporary Playlist

2012-09-27T10:38:00.001-04:00

It been a while since I've done a New Music Monday post, so I thought I'd share my updated music from my contemporary classes.

I'm teaching a beginning contemporary class this year of ages 10-14, instead of just my usual 15 and up class, so it has been a challenge to find some music that is relatable to a 10-year old. In fact, when I tried playing the slower, lyrical-type music for the younger class, they asked if I had any faster or "fun" music.

So far (third week in), I have found a balance of "fun" and "serious" music keeps everyone happy - we are working on emotions in combinations, but then we keep it more upbeat during technique portions. What do you find works best for this age group?

Songs For Contemporary Combinations

All links open in iTunes

A Thousand Years - Christina Perri - used this song in both classes
Youth - Daughter - my younger class said this was too boring... haha! Teens loved it.
Us - Regina Spektor - used this in my younger class
Love The Way You Lie - Ariana Grande - younger class
On The Nature Of Daylight - Max Richter - teen class

Songs For Contemporary Class - warm-up, across the floor

Two Dots (Nic Fanciulli Remix) - Lucine - great steady beat for grande battements, chaines, etc
Dance My Pain Away - Wye Oak - use for warm ups
Too Close - Alex Clare - I just love this song right now!
Up Up Up - The Givers - used in my younger classes for warm-up (I also use it in my modern classes) - it is a happy song!
Home - Phillip Phillips - the Olympic USA Women's gymnastics unofficial theme song
Collide (feat. Avicii) - Leona Lewis - another nice strong beat for across the floor
Into the Wild (Live) - LP - I am obsessed with this song right now, I use it for warm-ups or cool down in my teen class

Currently Loving: New Capris

2012-09-21T14:39:00.001-04:00

I was recently doing some shopping for fall clothes (online, of course, because who has time to go to the store anymore?!) and I grabbed two pairs of these babies from Forever21.

I use Forever21 for cheap tank tops and basic T-shirts to teach in and to layer under other shirts / over leotards, basically anything under $5 because I know its not great quality, but I'll get some good wear out of it and I like options. I had a gift card to use and they had a sale so I added something over my usual $5 limit: the Contrast Ruched Athletic Capris (colors too!).

Just got them in the mail today and I LOVE them!

I was expecting the usual cheap cotton fabric, but they're actually quite nice being spandex, nylon and polyester. They fit like leggings rather than capris, but I like that there is color on the bottom. They ran me $15.60 each - I think they're now $17.80, but that's not too bad considering I will probably wear them every week or so.

They will be a cute update to my usual BLACK on BLACK teaching uniform.

What do you wear to teach in (or take class)? Score any new stuff for the new teaching season?