if princesses took class at tiny dancers

At Tiny Dancers, we love our princesses! Cinderella, Snow White, Jasmine– you can dress up as them all. But what if the princesses joined a Tiny Dancers dance class? What style would they choose?

I think Cinderella would choose ballet.

While you can do ballet barefoot, having a good pair of slippers is a great place to start! Who is the princess with the best slippers around? Why, Cinderella of course! Cinderella also has a Fairy Godmother on her side and could probably wish for a great studio space and a pianist to accompany the class.

Ariel would love tap dancing.

Ariel grew up as a mermaid, so she’s a princess who really appreciates having feet. I think she would choose a dance style that highlights that body part the most: tap dancing! Since tap dancing is making music with your feet, she can still be her musical self when the sea witch takes her singing voice.

Tiana would choose musical theater.

Tiana would be so good at dancing, singing and acting her way through one of our broadway classes. Her jazz roots would shine during technique time and of course her voice would ring out on the recital stage. My guess is that she would act like a frog when we play charades!

Belle would break out the hip hop.

Belle would totally go “beast mode” in a hip hop class. She would read up on the rich history of hip hop and have plenty of time to practice in Beast’s Castle. All the castle objects could give her some pop and lock tips and she would be windmilling in no time!

Elsa wouldn’t care what the style is as long as we play freeze dance!

Elsa wouldn’t be picky. She just loves a good warm up! Her favorite would be freeze dance and she would be tough to beat!

While it’s fun to imagine the princesses taking our classes, it’s even more fun to dress up and dance like them. Luckily, at Tiny Dancers, that’s what we’re all about!

birthdays at tiny dancers

Here at Tiny Dancers we know birthdays are a BIG deal. You may have noticed a list that hangs in the lobby showcasing all the students with birthdays each month. Or maybe your child was gifted a special birthday crown during class on their birthday week. It’s not every day you turn 3, after all! Did you know we love celebrating birthdays so much that we offer Tiny Dancers birthday parties at the studio?! But what goes down at one of our dance-tastic parties? Read on to find out!

Tiny Dancers birthday parties, much like our classes, are full of sparkles, fun, and of course dancing! Guests will enter the studio to find their very own handmade tutu (to take home) or a cape if tulle isn’t their thing. Right off the bat any guests who have never danced before will instantly feel welcomed into the dance world. We even have ballet shoes to borrow to make everyone feel like the true dancer they are!

Parents get to enjoy some adult time in the lobby while watching their little ones dancing away in the studio. As with class, we kick it off with curtsies and bows, sparkles, and then some fun, easy-to-follow warm-ups. If the birthday girl or boy really loves ballet, we can cater the party to include more ballet or we can play more games if they just want to wiggle and giggle. Also, we are happy to offer a party in a different style, such as tap or hip hop, if that’s what the birthday dancer likes. All dance styles are celebrated here at Tiny Dancers!

After 50 minutes of moving and grooving, we take a break to make a craft (my second favorite thing to do besides dance!). Then we read a story–picked out in advance by the birthday dancer–dance it out, and then it’s time for cake! Our parties have all the fun of our classes plus some extra excitement thrown in to make it really special.

The birthday dancer and their guests will leave with huge smiles, outfitted in tutus or capes, tiaras and craft, along with some new moves and memories to last a lifetime!

If this sounds right up your alley, please reach out to your studio manager about booking a birthday with us… we would LOVE to party with you! Well that’s all for now, stay tuned for more ballerina blog posts and special shout out to all dancers with birthdays this month!

pets of tiny dancers

Meet The Teachers...And Their Pets!

It’s September and another exciting dance year is upon us. Welcome ballerinas, tappers, b boys and b girls! We wanted to introduce you to some of your Tiny Dancers teachers… through their pets! Warning: cuteness overload may occur. 

Miss Lori- “Hey Jude was my studio dog. She used to walk with us when we danced. She especially liked to join in on the Copasetics Cole Stroll dance. Her niece, Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds came when Jude was missing studio life.”

Jude and Lucy

Miss Emily- “Here is Lila and Loki relaxing after a dancing session with me and my daughter. They love to jump around with us when music is on.”

Lila and Loki

Miss Jenna- “Eleanor has been my rascally little companion since April. We love hiking, looking at pretty gardens, and dancing in the kitchen.”

Eleanor

Miss Jennifer- “This is Balou, our family dog. He is named after the bear in The Jungle Book.”

Balou

Miss Natalia- “This is Freckles. He rescued us in December 2020. He’s a very friendly, cuddly, sometimes needy cat. He loves to sit by an open window to bird watch, take several naps a day and play at night time.”

Freckles

Miss Donna- “Since 2010, Laverne has been our director of security. As the senior pet on staff, she enjoys leisurely mornings reading the paper before she starts her day.”

Laverne

Miss Karly- “Titan (7) and Cobalt (1) have been stuck at the hip since we rescued Cobalt in November 2020. They love morning snuggles, eating ice cubes and seeing who has the bigger mouth. Some of you may recognize Titan from his cameo appearances in the Tiny Dancers craft videos!”

Titan and Cobalt

Miss Amelia- “Here is Percy and Snickerdoodle! They are best friends and love to sit together with me and my roommates. Percy is a couple months old guinea pig, and Snickerdoodle is the 9 year old gentleman.”

Percy and Snickerdoodle

We hope you’ve enjoyed this parade of adorableness as well as your first week of dance class. All the teachers here at Tiny Dancers are looking forward to bringing the joy of dance to you this year!

summer crafts for dancers

Top 5 Karly’s Craft Corners

Summer Camp Season at Tiny Dancers is once again upon us! Our Summer camps: for ages 3-5, 4-6, and 6-9, are full of dancing, crafting and creativity. But the creativity and crafting doesn’t have to stop at the end of camp. Here are some of my favorite crafts that I enjoyed making from everyday materials found around the house on a little project I like to call… Karly’s Craft Corner.

Favorite Craft #5: Part Time Mermaid

I love a craft that doubles as a fun activity after you’re done. The pirate ship racers were a blast to play with and making the seahorse was very meditative. If you don’t have water guns you can also use a hose! This craft activity is perfect for a hot summer day. 

Video Fun Fact: The guy you see playing with the pirate ship racer is the cameraman for my videos and also my boyfriend!

Favorite Craft #4: Brontorina

This craft video made the list because it features a craft you can wear and a craft you can play with! Dress up and imagination games were two of my favorite things when I was little and I love that my job allows me to tap into that side of myself. Brontorina is also a great story with a wonderful message and a must-read for all ballerinas! 

Video Fun Fact: This video was my first foray into more dynamic video editing. I had way too much fun doing the dance studio “decorating” scene.

Favorite Craft #3: The Little Red Hen

This video is one of my favorites because it has the most epic introduction scene of all the craft videos. The sweeping camera entrance... the music... if you squint it’s like you’re watching a PBS show (Right?!)! The clucking chicken craft is also the only one that doubles as a science experiment.

Video Fun Fact: To get the camera to move so swiftly, the cameraman was riding an electric unicycle!

Favorite Craft #2: Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet

This craft video made the list because it involves two things near and dear to my heart, fashion and circus arts! I graduated from college with a degree in fashion design so anytime I get to create costumes I am happy. Luckily, here at Tiny Dancers, there is a lot of dress up! I also share my bubble recipe with you, which allows you to blow bubbles with your hands. I learned this trick from a professional bubble fairy who performs locally.

Video Fun Fact: I made the headpiece I am wearing in the first scene out of clear plastic Christmas ornaments. 

Favorite Craft #1: A Very Spooky Craft Corner

This was an easy choice for first place because Halloween is my FAVORITE holiday! I had so much fun making this video and getting to use spooky music. I also got to share one of my other passions, fire performing with you for the first time. 

Video Fun Fact: I have been spinning fire professionally for 6 years and have performed at D.C. and Baltimore city wide events, The Smithsonian, and Makoff’s Haunted Forest (just to name a few).

Well that’s it for my countdown. I can’t wait to see the crafts you make! This craft series was so much fun to work on during quarantine and the feedback I’ve gotten has made me feel the love. Thank you to everyone who has watched these videos, I hope they bring you as much joy to watch as they did for me to make! 

 

dance class spotlight

Wiggletoes

Tiny Dancers’ exclusive program for toddlers ages 2-3

Spring recital ‘Sweetheart Dance’

Hello dancers, Miss Karly here — to unravel the mysteries of another one of the specialty classes taught at Tiny Dancers … Wiggletoes! Ah yes, Wiggletoes, that age 2-3 dance class that has launched thousands of dance dreams and plenty of parents’ step counts (if you keep track of that sort of thing). But what exactly happens in a class with toddlers? Read on to find out!

First things first, who should be in a Wiggletoes class? Children have to be at least 2 years old to join Wiggletoes. We think two is the perfect age for children to begin learning from someone who isn’t their parent and develop social skills with other children their age. While there is a minimum age requirement, there is no maximum age cap and children can stay in the class as long as they need to. Some children may “graduate” from the class at age four, and that is totally fine. 

Wait, I’m forgetting someone… you! Yes, Wiggletoes is a parent participatory class. Because this is most likely the children’s first class and first time learning from someone who isn’t their parent, we need you there to help make the transition as smooth as possible. Also, your children look up to you and want to copy your behavior, so if you are dancing, they will most likely dance too! We know that sometimes family comes to visit and they want to see the fun, so we welcome grandma, grandpa, aunts and uncles should they want to participate with your child (one adult per class please).

You may be wondering what other things you can do to make your two-year-old as comfortable as possible at their first dance lesson. Here are a few of my best tips:

Dress the part! Girls should wear a leotard, tights and pink ballet slippers and boys should wear a white t-shirt, black dance pants and black ballet slippers. You can buy the leotard, tights and ballet slippers at the studio, which brings me to my next tip…

Don’t stress! If you forget something, it’s not a big deal!  We are here to make dance and your experience fun.

My last tip is to come 15 minutes early to class so if you have any questions, need to use the bathroom, or want to check out our merchandise, you can. The teacher may be teaching another class and not be available to help if you arrive earlier than 15 minutes before your class, so I would aim for that window!

The most frequent question we get about Wiggletoes is how to know when to move on. Your child is ready for the Tiny Dancers Age 3 class when they can listen to another instructor without you in the room for 45 minutes. If you are not sure if your child is ready, you can work with your Wiggletoes teacher to begin transitioning your dancer to being by themselves all class; just have a talk with your instructor. 

I hope this blog has answered some of your questions about our Wiggletoes classes! If you have any lingering questions, please feel free to email or call your studio manager. For a schedule of our classes, go to https://www.tinydancers.com. Thank you!

Bring the Tiny Dancers Magic to Virtual Class

Whether you’ve taken a Tiny Dancers’ virtual class all session or just dropped in for a make-up, you know that virtual class just isn’t quite the same as being in the studio. So I have gathered these tips to make virtual dance class more like our in studio class with that extra touch of magic!

Let’s kick it off just like we do in class… with sparkles! At Tiny Dancers we always start class with glitter. Even with virtual classes I love giving pretend glitter through the screen to my students. They can apply their own homemade glitter at curtsy time with this homemade glitter recipe: 1 Repurposed Jar/Container for Glitter + Any Color Craft Glitter or Makeup Glitter + Aloe Vera Gel. Fill the container with as many sparkles as you want ( I usually put enough to cover the bottom of the container) and fill the rest of the container with aloe gel. Mix with a popsicle stick, wooden skewer, chopstick or by putting an air tight lid on the container and shaking it. Use your finger to dab on homemade sparkles! 

Our ballet classes as young as 2 years old use the ballet barre every class. If you want to splurge and really give your dancer that in-studio feel, have your dancer use a barre instead of a chair for their virtual lesson. If you prefer buying a barre, a less expensive one can be found on Amazon for $5. If you prefer the DIY method it will take a trip to Home Depot and cost less than $30 for materials. Here are 10 steps (from teacher Sarah-Marie Belcastro) on how to build your barre!

Tiny Dancers really knows how to bring the magic at story and dress-up time! While virtual classes age 2-5 read and dance out a weekly story, there is no way of getting everyone at home a coordinating costume. We encourage our dancers to bring their creativity and costume trunk out for virtual class! Let your dancer put on a special tutu, old recital costume, or princess dress while the story is being read. As long as they can move freely and are able to leap and jump without tripping they are good to go! If you crave even more creativity (who doesn’t??) you can make a new costume or costume accessory every week with this super cool no-sew costume puzzle. 

 At the end of class I like to give a virtual stamp (ok sometimes, it’s a full-on stamp attack) for a job well done. Recently one of my students gave ME a stamp and it made my day! Let your dancer get a real stamp after virtual class for that in studio class feel. You can get inexpensive, non-toxic self-inking stamps for kids here. Stamps a bit too messy for you? Stickers are a great end of class reward as well!

Every child deserves the most fun and engaging dance experience they can get so we are constantly thinking of new ways to make classes fun. We hope you enjoyed these tips and we hope they make virtual classes even more magical for your dancer! 

be a friend

Be a Friend, Bring a Friend — Dos and Don'ts

Baffled by BAF BAF month at Tiny Dancers? Never fear, your handy guide to Be a Friend, Bring a Friend month is here! What is BAF BAF month, you ask? For the entire month of October you are welcome to invite a special friend to join you in dance class for free. It's a pretty simple process, but we have some dos and don'ts, so please check out the list below while you decide on a friend to invite!

Do- Call in advance to let the studio know you will be bringing a friend.

Don't- Bring a friend to a class that is full (a full class has 10 children in it for ages 3 and up, and 7 children for Wiggletoes classes). If you do not know if your class is full, please ask your teacher, look on our website or app, or call/email the studio.

Do- Have your BAF BAF invitation form filled out with your friend's information so the teacher knows their name to welcome him or her to the studio!

Don't- Bring a friend that is too young for the class. We stress the importance of appropriate lesson plans for each age level, and we wouldn't want a child becoming overwhelmed because a class is too difficult or they have not reached the level of social maturity to feel comfortable.

Do- Invite family or friends from school even if they don't have the proper dance shoes! We have plenty of shoes to borrow and stretchy clothes that allow for movement can be worn in place of a leotard and tights.

And finally.... don't worry about gender—boys and girls are all welcome at our studio. Dance is for everybody, and everyone who wants to learn is welcome here!

I hope this cleared up any questions you might have about this exciting month-long event. If you think of anything else, please feel free to reach out to your studio manager. We can't wait to meet some new friends!

summer camp survival guide

It's summer camp season at Tiny Dancers! We hope this survival guide for dancers new to our summer camp program—and veteran campers—will provide some tips to make camp a breeze. You may look at this post and think, is my child going to summer camp or training for a marathon? The answer is YES! Our camps are 3 hours long and full of dancing, crafting, snacking, reading, and dress-up. That is quite a lot for children who are not school-age yet. The tips below will help your dancer get the most out of our camp and possibly their nap later that afternoon!

First things first... a good night's rest. This is easier said than done, I know. Try to make it easy on yourself by not scheduling a camp the morning after your 16-hour flight back from your family vacation.

Next thing: Fueling up for the day with a hearty breakfast. Try to avoid things that are overly sugary, and instead go for protein-rich foods that will keep them going until snack time. You can check out my blog post on snacks for kids-on-the-go in Karly's Corner.

For camp: Pack a filling and fueling snack. Once that breakfast wears off, the teachers notice a significant difference in campers' ability to listen and stay focused. Eating a well-rounded snack helps bring that attention back.

Arrival: All you need is 10-15 minutes before camp starts to have time to settle in and meet the teachers. Getting settled is an important step for children who feel anxiety when their parents aren't in the room. It helps tremendously in making them feel comfortable and safe.

Checklist:

Proper Dance Shoes

Ballet Camp= Ballet Shoes

Hip Hop Camp= Sneakers

Tap Camp= Tap Shoes

Musical Theater/Tiny Broadway Camp= Jazz Shoes

Try it Out Camp= All the shoes!

*Everything but sneakers are available to borrow.

Snack

Medications

Change of clothes for campers who just finished potty training.

Shoes to wear to and from the studio; dance shoes should never be worn outside.

Proper Dance Attire

Ballet= Leotard and tights (tutu or skirt optional)

Hip Hop/Tap= Comfortable stretchy clothes you would wear to the gym or yoga

Tiny Broadway/Musical Theater= Black jazz pants or leggings and a leotard

---

Finally, please be here promptly when your child's camp ends to take pictures of them in their costumes. Showing you their costumes and dance moves can be the highlight of their day!

Well, that's about all the tips I have this summer! Stay cool and keep on dancin'!

Dance Class Spotlight: Tiny Broadway

At Tiny Dancers, of course we love ballet. We believe it builds a strong foundation for a any dancer (not to mention soccer and football players) but we also love other styles of dance! Once children turn 4 they are eligible for our Tiny Tap, Tiny Hip Hop, and finally Tiny Broadway classes. A lot of people know tap and hip hop but what exactly happens during a Broadway class? Read on to find out!

Warm Ups

Just like a Tiny Dancer's ballet class, Tiny Broadway students will dance along to age appropriate songs that inspire movement. Unlike our other styles of dance, we also sing along to warm up our vocal chords.

Dancing

Tiny Broadway is divided into three sections, the first section is dance! Students will learn Broadway style jazz moves such as jazz squares, grapevine, and drag step. They will learn different ways to travel across the floor and age appropriate jazz technique in the center.

Singing

Next we sing! We will begin by warming up our vocal chords with silly exercises. Students will learn a song or two from a different Broadway Musical every month. Occasionally students will sing solos for each other to practice getting up in front of an audience and to learn how to be respectful to people performing.

Acting

The final, and possibly most fun, section is acting. Students will play various acting games, act out short scenes from well known musicals and children books, and learn how to use props and costumes to tell a story. They will also learn proper theater terminology such as stage directions.

As you can see this is a lot to do in 45 min! The fast paced, always changing atmosphere is great for kids who might find ballet too slow, or who simply need to sing out loud every now and then!

I hope you have found this spotlight helpful! Please contact your studio manager if you have any questions or would like additional information.

Your Guide to Halloween Week at Tiny Dancers

At Tiny Dancers, we LOVE playing dress up, so naturally Halloween Week is a week we look forward to! Costumes are strongly encouraged, but never required, so if your child doesn't want to participate that's O.K. Have more questions? Need some tips? This blog is here to help!

Is there any kind of costume my dancer shouldn't wear?

Yes, any sort of costume that limits movement (for example: mermaid tails) should not be worn. I like to recommend the 'leap test' where you try various leaps and jumps in the costume before coming to class.

Does my dancer still need to wear the appropriate dance shoe for their class?

Yes, appropriate footwear is important for a dancer to have no matter the occasion. Your dancer should always be wearing his or her dance shoes to class. Please save any costume footwear for trick-or-treating.

My child's Halloween class is tomorrow and we don't have a costume. What should I do?

Turning your child's normal dance outfit into a costume fit for Halloween Week can be as simple as adding cat ears, a royal crown, a super hero cape or butterfly wings. You can run over to a nearby Dollar Tree for sparkly wings fit for a fairy princess or, if you're feeling crafty, you can try to DIY with one of these tutorials.

T-Shirt Super Hero Cape: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEPQPGr2tQQ

Garbage Bag Butterfly Wings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXMXR_32eiQ

Oh no! TODAY is my child's Halloween class and I totally forgot. What should I do?

Never fear! Tiny Dancers has you covered; just tell your teacher and they can grab one of the many costumes or accessories we have for just this situation. If your child is adamant that they get to wear their own costume, it is O.K. for them to wear it the following week.

Should I bring treats to class?

We will have plenty of tricks and treats of our own to share that week but if you do bring something, please make sure to bring enough for every child and avoid peanut products. On November 1st we will be collecting any leftover Halloween candy and donating it to service members and their families. Please be on the lookout for donation boxes at your studio the first few weeks in November.

That about does it! If you think of something we haven't covered, please call your studio manager. We look forward to a week full of Halloween dress-up fun!

a need to read

Best Books for Young Dancers

Ages 1-4

Miss Karly says: 'Flora and the Flamingo' by Molly Idle is a great book to read to your future ballerina-in-training. It is a wordless flip-style picture book that follows a girl and her flamingo as they dance their way around the page. Since there aren't any words, you can make up a different story every time or simply put on music and let the pictures dance.

Ages 4-8

Miss Krissie says: 'Belinda the Ballerina' by Amy Young is one of my favorite story books about ballet. Belinda is a beautiful dancer, but she has two big problems... her left foot and her right foot. Her feet are so large that when she tries to audition for the Metropolitan Ballet, the judges make fun of her giant feet and won't even watch her dance! Belinda gives up dancing and gets a job as a waitress. She is an excellent waitress but she misses dancing terribly. One night a band comes to the restaurant and Belinda just can't keep from dancing. She twirls and soars through the restaurant. Everyone is so enchanted by her dancing that they tell the maestro of the Metropolitan Ballet! The Maestro is so charmed by her dancing, Belinda lands back on stage where she belongs. This story is for anyone (everyone) who thinks their body is less than perfect and finds themselves questioning their dream because of it. Belinda’s passion shines through in the mood-evoking illustrations and I love the message of pursuing your dreams, no matter what! You will be delighted with 'Belinda the Ballerina' and even more delighted to find 3 more books in the series.

Miss Donna says: I love a little book called 'I Wear My Tutu Everywhere!" by Wendy Cheyette Lewinson. The main character, Tilly, wears her new tutu everywhere she goes--even to the pool! But one day her tutu rips and she has to get through the day without it. She discovers how much easier it is to ride her bike, go to a birthday party and even go to bed in the proper clothes. And you know what? She can still be a ballerina and wear her tutu--to ballet class.

Miss Josie says: 'The Silver Slippers' by Elizabeth Koda-Callen tells the story of a clumsy ballerina who can't get her balance in dance class until her mother gifts her with a necklace: a pair of tiny silver ballet slippers dangling from a silver chain that helps give her confidence. The best part of the book is it comes with the necklace for your ballerina to wear!

Ages 8-14

Miss Olivia says: One recommendation I have is actually a graphic novel, "To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel" by Siena Cherson Siegel. This autobiography follows the life of a ballerina on her journey from classroom to stage. It depicts her passion and love of dance with bright and colorful illustrations.

FOR THE BOYS

Miss Jenna says: I like 'Max' by Rachel Isadora. It is about a boy who plays baseball, and he finds himself enjoying a ballet class with his sister one day after dropping her off. It's a really cute story and I like that it has a boy doing (and loving) ballet. With so many books about ballerinas, this is a great story that our boy dancers can relate to.

recital costumes for halloween

Turn your extra recital costume into a Halloween costume: Crafts for the non-crafty Parent

During Halloween week at Tiny Dancers, students are invited to wear movement-friendly costumes to dance class. While we love a good mermaid, leave your restrictive fins at home! Here are some craft ideas that turn last year's recital costume into a perfect Halloween class look while allowing you to spend some quality creative time with your children. And don't worry--these tutorials won't leave you spooked!

Princess Pointed Toes

It turns out that recital costumes and princess dresses have a lot in common! They both have that certain sparkly something that makes a kid feel royal. To turn your recital costume into a princess (or prince) look, just add a crown! You can learn how to make an easy yet elegant lace crown here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANMMAuZQ6jo

Three Cheers for Animal Ears!

It doesn't matter what the color or silhouette of your recital costume is, the only thing your child needs to be their favorite animal is the ears! Bonus points if you paint on some whiskers and a nose. Here is a kid friendly tutorial on cat ears that your child can help decorate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mFX0clEkQU

Fairies Forever

I always see extra big smiles in class when I break out the fairy wings from the dress-up box, so why not flutter around Halloween class as this fairy tale favorite? You can get in the Halloween spirit with your child early by decorating these $1 fairy wings together with hot glue and flowers, gems, leaves, pom poms, ribbons, etc.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a Dancer!

With comic book heroes gaining popularity among kids in the box office, I wanted to include a no-sew cape that can be created using an old t-shirt. Any recital costume is only a cape away from being a super hero! Check out the simple tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEPQPGr2tQQ

Happy Halloween!