First up, our Performing Company! A few weeks ago they all got together at Liberty Dance Center and Miss Deanna (with the help of her husband) threw such a fun team bonding/season kick off party for the team. Getting to see our students get to know each other and enjoy each other’s company outside the dance studios is so special. They ate, played TONS of fun games outside and of course…danced! And then on Labor Day, they got to do their first performance of the season. They entertained the crowd at the Lake Country DockHounds professional baseball game. They did awesome as always!

You may have seen our next new addition to the Liberty Dance Center grounds…a new, custom made Little Free Library! If you danced with us at our original location, you may remember that we had one there (my mom’s!). We believe that “leaders are readers” and so being able to have books for our students and their families is such a great treat. This very special Little Free Library was the creation of 3 of our students, Ania, Natalie and Nora (along with Ania’s sister). They designed it, built it and installed it. It’s definitely getting used…and that makes us so happy.

Lastly, ice cream!! Last week our friends at Sweet Abilities came everyday with their ice cream truck. What a sweet treat during that very HOT week. We saw so many families enjoying the delicious treats. We love Sweet Abilities’ mission:  Provide meaningful, community-based job opportunities and work experiences for individuals with diverse abilities. Thank you, thank you Kristen and the Sweet Abilities team! Hopefully, this is a new tradition!

We have more community events coming up throughout the year. These big examples are wonderful, but we do also notice the small ones that happen daily in our studio walls. That’s one of the things that makes us so proud. We LOVE our community at Liberty Dance Center. Thank you to all of you for making it so special!

~Miss Kate Moody

The post A Season of Connection, Giving Back & Community appeared first on Liberty Dance Center.

The start of a new season of dance brings so many emotions. For lots, it’s excitement! To see their beloved dance friends again, see their favorite dance teachers and all the exciting things that they know a dance season brings.

For others, they feel more nervous. New things, situations and environments can be scary. But one of my all time favorite quotes is “do one thing everyday that scares you.”

At Liberty Dance Center, we understand these feelings and sometimes feel them ourselves! We take deep pride in being aware of our students and how they approach the new season and do our best to meet them where they are at. A good push out of your comfort zone, when done out of love, can me a magical thing! It’s so fun for us to see how each student grows as both a dancer and a person throughout the season. When we are watching their recital performance from side stage, we beam with pride knowing that some of the dancers really had a hard time at the start of the season. And to see what they have overcome, either physical dance moves or confidence wise is truly inspiring. There are many a tear shed from the side of the stage…all good of course!

So dancers, I encourage you to set a goal for yourself that’s a bit out of reach. Maybe that’s trying a new style. Maybe it’s getting yourself up to the front of the line for across the floor. Maybe that’s meeting a new friend.

Parents, I encourage you to be there for your child through the positive, happy, “I love to dance” days. But more importantly, through those days (because we all have them) where your dancer “doesn’t feel like it” or “they’re bored in class”. Remind them that sometimes you have to go back to basics to grow. Like pulling the arrow back before releasing! And something I heard an Olympic athlete say her parents’ rule was…”you can quit, but never on a bad day.”

I know this season is going to be full of way more good days, than bad days. But pushing ourselves to try new things and keep going when things are hard…that’s the magic! Let’s make this season, #19 for Liberty Dance Center, the best one yet. We’re here for you every dance step of the way!

~Miss Kate Moody

The post Back at it and new beginnings! appeared first on Liberty Dance Center.

This past weekend our competition team dancers did just that. They had their annual in-studio intensive with Epic Dance, Inc. at Liberty Dance Center. They took a total of 4 challenging classes each day of the weekend. They learned new combos, got new feedback from new teachers and learned new skills.

Was it hard? For sure! But as the teachers from Epic Dance Inc. (and we do at LDC) told them…that’s when you grow! We always hope our dancers take away at least one new nugget to improve as both dancers and as people.

It also provided some great team bonding both during class and during snack breaks and a pizza party!

But you don’t have to attend a dance intensive to get out of your comfort zone. Here are a few other ways to do so:

• Stand in a different spot in class
• Take a new style of dance, maybe one that sort of scares you
• Volunteer to lead the line across the floor or go in group one.
• Ask a question to the teacher if you don’t normally do so
• Meet a new friend by simply saying hello!

Not a dancer and want to get out of your comfort zone? Here are a few of my favorite ways to do so:

• Travel! It doesn’t need to be anywhere far and exotic (although that is always great!). Simply visit a new town on the weekend or go to a new coffee shop.
• Read a style of book you don’t normally read. Non fiction, historical fiction, romance, suspense…so many great ones out there!
• Sign up for something that scares you! My favorite is a run/walk. There are SO many out there and the culture at races is so awesome. I signed up for my first half marathon after only running 3 miles. It scared me, but signing up “forced” me to do something I wasn’t sure I could.
• Take a class. That could be our adult dance class (mamas, I am talking to you!). And online course or an art class.

Whatever you do, do something once a month that pushes you out of your comfort zone. Then at the end of the year, look back and see how far you’ve come!!

~Miss Kate

The post Getting Outside Your Comfort Zone appeared first on Liberty Dance Center.

It’s so fun to see the amazingly talented athletes give it their all in the sport of choice. You can tell they have put the work in. They’ve made so many sacrifices to follow their dreams, as have the parents and families, many of whom are there in the audience supporting these talented athletes. It truly does take a village to accomplish making it to the Olympics.

The Olympic Spirit

But what I find even more exciting and heartwarming to watch is what happens off the mat/track/pool. I love seeing the interactions the athletes have with their teammates AND with their competitors from other countries.

Yes, they are all going for the same goal…winning an Olympic gold medal. However, only 1 person in each event can win that. Many more athletes won’t. But seeing them support each other with high fives, hugs, smiles is just so great to see.

Most notably, the now famous photo of our 2 US gymnasts, Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles bowing down to the gold medal winner Rebeca Andrade from Brazil. THAT is what we need to see more of in the world on the daily basis.

The Importance of Sportsmanship at Liberty Dance Center

We try to teach and model that type of sportsmanship at Liberty Dance Center. Our LDC teaching team is an amazing example and we hope the students (and parents) see that. We genuinely support each other. You will often overhear during show week comments such as, “wow that was a really cool move,” “I love this song, you always find such unique music,” “I love the staging you use, so creative.”

At Liberty Dance Center we do have a competition team and they are really talented! Each season they attend 4 competitions and earn many special judges awards as well as overall high scores.

While we display their trophies the week after, only one stays out at the front desk always. The sportsmanship award. We have won it twice in the past 5 or so years and I always tell the little dancers that stop at the front desk with stars in their eyes that THAT is the trophy we are most proud of, and honestly always will be.

Our dancers (and teachers) earned that by being the people that show support and respect to each other, to other studios, to the backstage staff and their teachers and families. It may not be an official Olympic gold but it’s just as important to us.

How can you show sportsmanship in your daily life?

Imagine if we all did just a little bit more each day…the world would be an even more beautiful place.

The post Embracing the Olympic Spirit: Why Sportsmanship Matters Most appeared first on Liberty Dance Center.

At Liberty Dance Center we feel it’s so important and crucial to step out of our comfort zone, as that is where the real growth happens. Is it hard? Yes. Is it scary? Absolutely. Is it worth it? 100%.

Growth Zone

While we often talk about our comfort zones, there is also a zone called the Growth Zone.

“The growth zone is an area of personal and professional development that lies beyond the comfort zone. It is a space where individuals actively seek out challenges, embrace discomfort, and continuously push their limits to learn, grow, and achieve new levels of success.”

We hope we inspire our dancers at Liberty Dance Center to continue to take a step into their growth zone. It’s so fun and rewarding to know where our dancers started their dance (and life) journeys and see where they go with it. And as we always say, dance training is life training and what the dancers will learn from stepping out of their comfort zones into their growth zones in dance, will transfer over to their life too.

So what ways can YOU push yourself to seek out challenges, embrace discomfort and push your limits? Comment below and let us know!

The post Dance Into the Growth Zone: Try Something New appeared first on Liberty Dance Center.

Cheer From The Sidelines

Have you ever noticed that cheering someone on, giving someone a compliment or even just sharing a smile with someone else not only puts a pep in their step, but it does to you as well?! Sometimes it may feel awkward or make you nervous to do so, but with practice it becomes more comfortable and it actually becomes a part of your daily life.

This month we have a few opportunities to practice cheering each other on from the sidelines. Classes will be coming together to show and tell and encourage each other to perform their best and keep working hard on their recital dances.

This weekend and next weekend our competition team and performing company will be competing at local competitions. They will not only be cheering on their own teammates, but also other dancers and studios.

At the end of the month, our Rose Glen students will be performing for the classmates at their annual Chicken BBQ.

So we challenge you to find ways you can cheer from the sidelines in your life. We promise, it will not only make the person you are cheering for have a better day, but it will make your day better too!

The post Cheer From The Sidelines appeared first on Liberty Dance Center.

Dance competitions are wonderful in that they provide a chance to see other dancers perform and get exposed to and inspired by new moves and artistry. They also provide a way to get feedback from professional dancers, outside of the teachers they work with weekly.

Sometimes the dancers hear a correction or idea that their Liberty Dance Center teacher has told them 100x before but hearing it in a new way, from a new voice can make all the difference. And at the end of the day, progress is what we are working towards and this is a great way to do so!

Good Sportsmanship

But as much as we stress the importance of strong technique and artistry when they compete, we also really strive to relay the message of good sportsmanship. What does that look like at a dance competition?

Well, it can be as simple as telling a dancer from another studio that you think their costume is really cool. Or that their dance was really beautiful. It’s about learning to handle disappointments with grace. Dance is an art form and you may have performed your absolute best and not scored the way you think you should have.

So when your number gets called and it’s not what you expected to receive, do you pout and have a disgruntled look on your face? Or do you smile and say thank you (and work a bit harder when you get back in the classroom)? It’s about leaving the dressing room as clean, if not cleaner than it was when we arrived. It’s also about treating your teammates, parents, teachers and venue staff with respect.

More Than Just Great Dancing

Our dancers earned MANY special judges awards and overall placements this weekend. They truly rocked the dancing aspect of it. But what a wonderful surprise it was when Liberty Dance Center was named the Sportsmanship award winner out of all the studios that competed this weekend.

Our dancers were noticed not only for their amazing dancing but also for their behavior when they were not on the stage dancing. We talk a lot about this inside the walls of Liberty Dance Center and how we always take the high road, even when it’s hard to do so. So for these dancers to get recognized by a big competition, is so special to us all. And while we were genuinely shocked when we heard our name called, we also weren’t…because we know our dancers (and teachers) at Liberty Dance Center are about More Than Just Great Dancing. Well done team!!

“We don’t teach kids to make great dancers. We teach dance to make great kids.” ~ Misty Lown

PS. We feel very blessed that our dancers are BOTH great dancers AND great kids.

~Miss Kate

The post The Winning Moves of Good Sportsmanship appeared first on Liberty Dance Center.

The Art of Collaboration at Liberty Dance Center

Many people are afraid to collaborate as they view others as competition. What I believe is that when we work together we actually all succeed. And usually more so than if we didn’t work together.

So what are ways we can collaborate at Liberty Dance Center?

Teachers

Let’s start with the teachers! We collaborate all the time. It’s one of the things that I believe makes our team so strong. We work together (even though we aren’t always physically together) to share music, choreography, lesson plan ideas. We help each other when someone isn’t sure how to handle a behavior situation in class. We sometimes even co-teach or co-choreograph! Not only does that help make the class or dance strong, but it’s really fun!

Students

How can our students collaborate? Well, let’s start with one of our favorite events we do each year at Liberty Dance Center….student choreography weeks! That is one of the main reasons for this event. While yes, we love seeing what cool dance moves they come up with.

But we REALLY love seeing how the small “teams” work together. They have to learn to collaborate to create something beautiful. And the teams that do collaborate well tend to have the most fun, create the strongest/most creative dances and walk away feeling more pride and confidence from the experience.

Collaboration Outside of the Classroom

We also encourage our students (and families) to collaborate outside of the classroom. How so? Well, our competition soloists are encouraged to come in and use an empty studio to rehearse their solos. And it’s so beneficial to partner up or gather a small group to perform for and get and give feedback with.

Our families are often collaborating by means of carpooling, bringing food to a group of dancers and helping with shoe changes, etc.

So we see collaboration all the time at Liberty Dance Center and that makes us really proud! Let’s keep it up and see how many other ways we can collaborate. Collaboration over competition benefits us all!

~Miss Kate

The post The Art Of Collaboration appeared first on Liberty Dance Center.

Last weekend was our recital weekend. A grand finale for our 15th season of dancing together.

I hope all of our dancers and families are still feeling the excitement from this weekend. Recital may seem like a one day event, but the planning started last summer and involved thousands of behind the scenes decisions and ideas.

But the best part of it is that we get to create a magical experience for our dancers and their families. It’s truly a culmination of a year of hard work for ALL involved. The dancers. The LDC team. The families. It’s seriously a group effort and for that we are grateful.

I’ve always said that 99% of our students probably won’t dance after high school, IF they even make it that far. But what they learn and gain from their time dancing WILL last them a lifetime. Following their passion. Taking a chance. Gaining confidence and friendships. Overcoming challenges. That is why we dance.

Whether you dance with us for 15 years or one summer. Whether you take one 30 minute class a week or spend more time at the studio than your own home. You all matter. You are all important. And we hope you all know that and feel that when you walk through our doors at LDC and did this weekend.

During our pre recital staff meeting I told the LDC team to “make this weekend magical”. I can say, I sure felt it was and based on the sweet emails and messages I have read and seen, it looks like many of you did as well.

From the “babies” to the seniors. The boys to our adults. And everyone in between, well done this weekend! Rest up, reflect on how far you’ve come and get ready…as next season is Miss Deanna’s 15th anniversary at LDC, so you know it’s going to be a fun one!

~Miss Kate

The post Good Things Take Time – A Magical Experience appeared first on Liberty Dance Center.

But we also always preach to our team members that while winning the special awards feels great (and trust me, it does!), the memories you make both in the classroom leading up to the competition, backstage and hanging out in the dressing room are the core memories that will last a lifetime.

This past weekend we got the chance to experience BOTH. Our competition dancers (43 in total), along with our Performing Company and many of the Liberty Dance Center teaching team were in Greendale at a competition. This was our 3rd of the season (1 more to go in a few weeks) and it’s so fun to watch both the dancers AND the dances themselves grow.

Teamwork makes the dream work

I, personally, was there a total of 35 hours over the course of 2.5 days and got to spend a LOT of time hanging out. To watch the dancers help each other out with hair and makeup brought me such joy.

To see some of our older Performing Company dancers get up SUPER early (like 5 am early) to come support the younger dancers, made me beam with pride. Those are the moments that they will truly remember years down the road.

That said, it is really fun to win!! And we had quite a bit of that this past weekend. From soloists and duo/trios and group dances earning overall placement awards…it was so fun. Their hard work did not go unnoticed. But the most special part of the weekend was watching our competition team earn 3rd overall highest score of the ENTIRE weekend…we’re talking out of HUNDREDS of other dances. It was such a proud moment to witness.

The dancers, Miss Baylee who created and choreographed the winning dance “Queen” and all the other Liberty Dance Center teachers who share their passion and expertise each class…it definitely takes teamwork to make the dream work.

But the moment that stood out the most, was watching the entire team walking to the front of the stage, in their Liberty Dance Center gear, with their Queen music playing in the background. One of our seniors, Jessica M, got a chance to speak to the director, with tears in her eyes, and what she said is what means more than ANY award we could win.

“This is my second family. I love them so much. I’m so glad to be up here with them.”

From hearing the dancers proudly shout that they dance at Liberty Dance Center. To playing silly card games, singing songs and making TikToks in the dressing room. Those memories will last a lifetime and mean more than any medal we could win. (We are pretty proud of the ones we did win though!).

~Miss Kate

The post Memories Over Medals appeared first on Liberty Dance Center.