Audio Transcript
Hey everybody. It’s Ruth.
I’m here at your Silver Creek Clogging Dance and Movement Center in Silverton, Oregon. It’s the home of Dance Classes that Make Kids HappyTM.
This is what’s happening the week of February 22nd.
This week we are focusing most of our update on our foundational studio value, joy. But first I want to let you know what’s on the calendar.
So upcoming on our studio calendar, we have next Friday March 5th: first Friday open studio. more information about that coming soon.
Then the week of March 22nd is off. We have spring break that week and so we will be off for all classes in the studio. And for some of you, you may have a makeup class coming to be scheduled and we’ll look at options for scheduling those maybe during spring break. But more to come on that very soon.
The first Fridays in April, May and June, of course the first Fridays of every month, we have open studio. We are just waiting to give you updates on what’s happening for those first Fridays, as we hear more about reopening guidelines and what we might be able to do. So, just stay tuned for all of the info/updates on our first Friday open studios.
Also, please keep on your calendars some very important dates in May. May 14th and 15th, that is our Nationals competition in Salt Lake City and all of our competitors should plan now to participate in Nationals.
Also, May 29th, that’s a Saturday, it’s the last Saturday in May. We will be holding our all studio summer kickoff dress rehearsal and recital at the Historic Grand in Salem.
So, please for sure keep those dates on your calendar. Those are very important.
Now I want to talk about our studio value. So, last late last year we introduced our five studio values, with a short introduction to each and we promised to delve a little bit more into each studio value in the future. So that’s what we’re going to do here.
Our first studio value, it’s our foundational studio value, is joy.
And I’m just going to read you my blog article on joy.
THE FOUNDATION OF DANCE
Each dancer is unique.
Some are master technicians.
Some are born performers.
Some are excited about dancing with their friends.
Some are a bit shy.
Some are happy when they sweat with the music.
Some are eager to hear their feet making rhythmic sounds.
But, throughout my years of dancing and teaching, I’ve found there is one thing all lasting dancers have in common.
It’s something that grabs hold of them the very first moment they begin their clogging journey and doesn’t let go.
From the moment they put on their clogging shoes.
From the moment they hear the jingle of their taps.
From the moment they start clomping on the dance floor in their clinky shoes.
From the moment they learn to make wonderful rhythms with their feet.
I see it radiate from every part of them.
I see it in the smile on their face.
I see it in the sparkle in their eye.
I see it in the energy of their movements.
I hear it in the tone of their voice.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a youth student or an adult student.
When I see it in them, it’s truly magical.
What is it that I see?
I see joy.
Joy is so important to a dancer’s long-lasting journey, that it’s in everything our students do at Silver Creek Clogging.
Joy is in learning a new skill or technique.
Joy is in working hard to earn a pass-off button.
Joy is in the exhilaration of a performance.
Joy is in finding out the song for the next routine.
Joy is in friendships with teammates.
Joy is in the rhythms and movements.
Joy is in getting lost inside of yourself when you dance.
The joy starts with a spark and, for the lasting dancer, it continues to grow into the knowledge that when they are dancing they are comfortable, happy, and confident; and they are fully and completely themselves.
And that – is when they truly shine with joy; when they are fully and completely themselves.
Maryanne Williamson wrote, “We are all meant to shine. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”
At Silver Creek Clogging, we believe…
…the deep-down joy you feel when you are on the dance floor is the heart of it all.
And that is our foundational studio value. Joy so important.
And with that I wish you, Happy Dancing!