Top 3 Things You Should Be Doing For Your Business During COVID

I don’t know a dance teacher or studio owner right now who has less to do than they did before the COVID crisis.

Most of us are not only teaching online classes (God I miss the days of being able to mark exercises), but spending hours prepping those classes, possibly also pre-recording classes, communicating to about those classes with emails and social media posts, planning extra activities to keep families engaged, and also coordinating with our staff, and attempting to keep up to date on all the ever changing rules and guidelines on COVID-19.

It’s exhausting.

So today’s post is not designed to add more to your plate, or stress you out by adding more to your to-do list. But I am offering 3 tips for what I believe to be vital habits every teacher and studio owner should get into in order to keep this crazy hamster wheel of COVID sustainable. Let’s dive in.

1. Get Quiet

Consider pausing from all the to-dos to get quiet and meditate. Ok, I can feel some of you just rolled your eyes at me from across your screen. You might be thinking,

• ‘I don’t have time to meditate!’

• ‘I’ve tried it before, it didn’t work.’

• ‘Isn’t meditation for woo woo hippies?’

I’ll answer your protests honestly:

• check your priorities

• meditation doesn’t have to be sitting in silence - try a walking meditation, or listening to affirmations as you cook or clean, or even get ready for bed

• if by ‘woo woo hippies’ you mean folks who are calmer, more productive, and happier (research and science show this)

Do you really not have time to make your entire day feel better, less stressful, and more open? Do you really not have 10 extra minutes each day? 10 minutes that you don’t scroll on your phone, watch Netflix, or hit the snooze button? If you’re serious about being present for your business, calm in your communications with staff, parents and dancers, and just freaking want to feel better, then you need to make sitting quietly with your breath a priority.

Tried it before and it didn’t work? Try again. Try a different app, or a different teacher. My favorite app to meditate is Headspace. I also love Gabby Bernstein and Kris Carr. It doesn’t have to be fancy, expensive, or a big deal, but you do have to try, and try consistently. You, and your business will be better for it.

And it might indeed feel woo, but so what? It might also feel great, and isn’t feeling good a better feeling than caring about what other people might think, or worrying that you’re becoming a hippie?

2. Get Grateful

Starting a gratitude practice right now might feel ironic and strange, but really, it’s the perfect time. Digging up gems of gratitude during challenging times helps to hardwire us to be resilient, happier people. And I’m guessing most of us could do with feeling a bit happier.

It’s true that times are dark, but there is still so much light to be found, and so much good we can lean into. Practicing gratitude instantly lifts your mood, and allows more good things to find their way to you. While your business might be struggling, there are sill things to be grateful for, and when you name them and claim them, you set a vibe for your studio that parents, staff, and students will appreciate, and want to emulate.

3. Get Dreaming

When things get turned upside down it can be valuable to take in the different perspective it offers. During this crazy time have you noticed that you really love doing story time with your littles? Or maybe that you really loathe teaching teens? Let these observations be opportunities to get dreaming about the things you want more of in your life, and the things that you're ready to let go of.

It’s ok to keep dreaming right now. The world needs dreams. When the dust from all this settles, you might just see a gleaming diamond of a dream that’s ripe for the picking.

I hope you found these ideas uplifting and inspiring! To stay connected I’d love to see you over on Instagram. Keep breathing and dreaming my friend. You can do this! We can do hard things!

DO YOUR DANCERS NEED A WELLNESS WORKSHOP?​​​​​​​​​🤔 Here’s 3 questions to ask yourself to find the answer: 1️⃣ Are my students unmotivated, and am I tired of trying to “pump them up”? 2️⃣ Have I had to convince students recently not to quit? 3️⃣ Am I worried about what dancers are picking up about dieting, body image and perfectionism? 🤨 If you answered yes to any of those, then I strongly suggest booking a wellness workshop! Chose a workshop on ✨Building Better Body Image ✨Positive Performance Rituals ✨Growth Mindset for Dancers 💕 And I’ll give you need to help your dance students befriend their bodies, calm their inner critics, and bring out their very best. 💪 Drop a 🙌 in the comments for more info and I’ll reach out! 😘

ADORABLY ARGUMENTATIVE… 🤭 That’s me. Hi! If you’re new here, let me introduce myself by listing the things I’m usually arguing about: ❌ Mental health needing to come first for dancers. Redefining what a “dancer’s body” is and looks like. Dismantling hierarchies in dance. Prioritizing rest and recovery for dancers. Un-inclusive dance classroom practices. The necessity of updating dance dress codes. 💯 Anything else you want me to sound off about? Let me know in the comments! 😘

CAPTION THIS… 👀 Found the book BIG by @vashtiharrison last weekend and love it so much I wanted to share it here and start a conversation about how we speak, respond, and treat dancers outside the “typical” ballerina body image. 💕 Swipe through and tell me in the comments what this makes you feel, and think of. 😘

HOW WILL YOU HANDLE IT?​​​​​​​​​🤔 When there’s diet talk at the studio? When you hear dancers call themselves, or others, fat, ugly, or gross? When you can tell dancers feel uncomfortable in their uniforms or costumes? When staff, social media, or parents talk about losing weight, summer bodies, or being sexy, marketable, or desirable for auditions, competitions, or choreographers? 💔 If we do nothing, our dancers see and feel that. If we do something, our dancers see and feel that too. Let’s make the next generation proud of how we stood up and changed things for them. 😘

HOW TO “STAY IN SHAPE” THIS SUMMER… 💪 It’s amazing what time off and rest can do for the shape of your body and mind. I know dancers, and teachers can get all jazzed up and even worried about “staying in shape” over the summer months, so I’m here to remind you… 💕 Taking time off, and away from dance is valuable, and even necessary. When we give ourselves the proper rest, space, and time, we can recover quicker and be even more ready and enthusiastic to get back to things than we would if we limited our R&R. 😌 Let up on the gas pedal. We’re not meant to go 60mph all year long, or bloom 24/7/365. Take your cues from nature, and make some time for nothing this summer. I promise you won’t regret it. 😘

DOUBT THE DEFAULT...​​​​​​​​​🤔 The default for most dance studios is to punish dancers when they don't adhere to dress code, but I'm here to offer a different perspective, and offer a solution that actually works, rather than making dancers feel more angry about what you're asking them to wear. 👕 When dancers ditch their dress codes, 9 times out of 10 it's NOT because they're trying to be disrespectful, but because they don't feel comfortable. 😥 Maybe they had a growth spurt. Maybe an item of clothing is itchy, or pulls, or restricts them. Maybe a friend or classmate said something about how they look that hurt. Dancers not wanting to stick to dress code isn't a personal attack on the teacher, it's an attack on feeling uncomfortable in what they're wearing. 😳 So pushing your dress code harder and punishing dancers is only going to create more pushback, more resentment, and more drama. 💯 What will help is opening up a conversation about dress codes that honor what both teachers AND dancers need. Yes, teachers need to see lines and ensure correct placement, and yes, dancers need to feel comfortable and safe in their bodies, and what's on their bodies. 🔥 Contrary to what the default practice says, there's room here for everyone to win. 😘

MESSAGES FROM BABY ME...​​​​​​​​​🥰 Being on the Making The Impact Podcast recently got me thinking about things I know now that I needed to hear as a young dancer. 👯‍♀️ #1 Let's focus on what your body can do more than what it looks like. #2 We take working seriously, but not ourselves. #3 I'm proud of you, and I believe you can do whatever you want. #4 Taking a break doesn't make you a bad dancer. #5 The world needs your unique dancing. 🙌 I'm taking these lessons, and all my experience with body image resilience, growth mindset, and mindfulness out into the world this summer with virtual Wellness Workshops for Dancers! 🪩 Drop a 👏 in the comments if you'd like more info! 😘 #summerdance #summerdanceintensive #summerdanceworkshop #bodypositive #dancementalhealth #holisticdance #bodypositiveballet #dancetraining #dancementor #balletbodiesunite #balletforall #dancerwellness #dancermindset #danceeducation #danceeducators #dancestudios #differentdrummerdance #danceteacher #dancestudiotips #danceteachertips #danceteachers #dancerprobs #danceteachersofinstagram #danceteachertraining #danceschool

THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT...⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🤝⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Friendly mid-week reminder that these sweet moments are what it's all about.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🥰⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Your work is important. You're making a difference. You're positively impacting young peoples' lives.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It's not always easy, but it's most definitely worth it.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 😘

FIXES FOR DISCOURAGED DANCERS! ✅ I've never met a dance student who didn't need help with their mindset. In an industry that promotes and profits off perfectionism, it's inevitable that dance students will be self critical, and have seasons in their training where they're discouraged and in a rut. 😔 That's why developing a growth mindset, and having growth mindset tools is so important! 🧠 This summer I'm offering Growth Mindset Wellness Workshops for dance students, and I'd love to bring this work to your studio and help your dancers! 💃🏻 If your students get discouraged easily, you often hear them say, "I can't", or they're always putting themselves down, those are signs they need this work. Swipe through for more info, and drop a 🙌 in the comments if you'd like more info on booking a workshop! 😘

CORONATION DAY, BY DANCERS... 👑 I couldn't help myself guys. These were just screaming to be put into memes. 🤣 Which one is your favorite? Tell me in the comments! 😘