Third Time Lucky!

So we are hopefully at the end of the Covid related lock downs and getting back to our busy lives. A good and bad thing I know you'll all agree!

I spoke to the children on the last couple of zooms and asked them to find some positives about the experience. I rather think that if we can look back and know that in all the darkness and fearfulness there were things to be looked fondly upon it will be a good thing!

I know I have found the 'extra' time I gained from loosing so many hours of teaching as a valuable resource to study and add to my teaching skills repertoire. I managed to get onto so many fantastic webinars and lectures and I really feel that I couldn't have got so much done if the world hadn't slowed down.

Teaching on zoom has taught me so much about resilience and teaching skills and about how adaptable I am, let alone how incredible the children were.

It inspired me to create our Star Awards system - free for the children to take part and suitable for all.

So... Here is a whole bunch of reasons why zoom wasn't all bad!

Because it’s easy to set up a dance space at home instead of driving! Mia - 9

I can see myself on the camera so I can use it to correct myself. Erin - 14

I can join in classes that aren’t near to my house. Vayana - 8

We have our own space. Thedara - 10

We can still do what we want even though there was a pandemic. Zoe - 9

We can do scavenger hunts and play games and things on zoom. Mairead - 10

Your friends can watch you do your dancing. Izzy H - 9

I always forgot my water bottle but dancing at home I never did! Eva - 7

You aren’t polluting because we aren’t going in the car to dance! Aggie - 9

You get to see your friends on the screen when we spotlight - you get to really watch them. Keyara - 7

I liked to use the share screen then its accessible for all - Miss Gem

To be able to turn our cameras off if we don't want to be seen if we want to work on something. Also that we can just join and not have to travel or prepare too much! Alana - 12

I like the special effects on zoom! Naomi - 12

I am able to go quickly get my ballet shoes or socks or a mat if I forget them but at the dance place I can’t. I liked going into breakout rooms with others. I could also dance with my cats! Alice H - 13

I can do the touch up on my appearance —Ruby J - 15

You don't have to rush home from school to get ready. Emily S - 13

I like not having to travel and getting stuck in traffic. Lena - 11

You didn’t have to travel to get there.

You don’t have to be standing up all the time.

Billionaire boy workshop was amazing.

Enjoyed all the games we did like the annotating ones.

Loved Elsa coming.

Eating my apple during class when talking about polkas and listening to music.

The B family - 11, 9 and 5

As you can tell there are a whole bunch of different reasons, from logistics to just general high jinks and merriment.

I truly hope we don't end up in this situation again, but I also know that if we do, we've got this!

Dancer Stories - Vayana

Hi, my name is Vayana and I am 8 years old.

I met Mrs Chrissy when I was just 2 years old and I started my first ballet class.

I loved every class and not long after Mrs Chrissy helped me pick my first tutu.

I enjoyed my first performance on stage very much. I was so excited!

We moved away and I started dancing at another school. Mrs Chrissy came in as a guest teacher to my new school and I joined her tap class.

I loved having classes with her again! They were so fun and motivating.

When lockdown started, I was able to join SDA online.

Mrs Chrissy helped me a lot when I was nervous about not being able to dance as usual. She helped me believe that anything is possible when you work hard.

Now, I enjoy our weekly catch up and learning new things every week. I look forward to many more classes with her.

Vayana's mum Marieta has this to say;

Chrissy is a wonderful teacher and my daughter has been very lucky to have her.

She is always positive and motivates my child.

In times when she was doubting herself, Chrissy was always there with a kind smile and wise words.

She's very supportive to me as a parent too - always helpful and reliable.

I'm especially grateful for keeping my daughter's spirits high through lockdown and to help her improve online with every lesson.

Dancer stories - Erin!

Hi, my name is Erin and I’m one of the head girl team with SDA.

I started dancing with Chrissy when I was 5 years old and am turning 15 this year so it will have been 10 years!

I love being at SDA because everyone is welcoming and loving and we’re all a big family. Most of the girls I dance with have been on my dance journey for the whole ten years but recently I’ve met new year people in new classes and I love it!

I began helping out with the younger girls just under a year ago and it’s so much fun! I love watching them all grow and getting excited when they learn new things. At first I was a bit nervous helping out because I didn’t think anyone knew who I was but we’ve all gotten to know each other and I really enjoy having little chats with them each week and hearing about new things they’ve been doing!

Chrissy has helped me with so much in dance but also just in life - especially with confidence. I first joined another dance school when I was 3 and when they told me that my mum couldn’t come into the lesson with me, I got really upset and didn’t enjoy the lesson at all and refused to go back. However two years later I started dancing with Chrissy and my younger sister who was 2 or 3 at the time wasn’t going to join but actually started dancing a few weeks before me because I was too scared to do it on my own.

I think one of the main things that helped grow my confidence was when we did the show Sleeping Beauty and Chrissy told me she’d like me to be one of the Sleeping Beautys.

I don’t think before then I’d ever considered myself good enough to be a main role but the fact that Chrissy believed in me and thought that I could do it really boosted my confidence!

In the past year or so I’ve taken classes, workshops, done auditions, competitions... literally anything I could do that would help me improve.

Even when I get older, I still plan to stay with SDA for as long as I can because there’s nowhere else that you’ll get that kind of encouraging, loving feel when you go to a class.

In my future I’d love to do something like be in a company and perform on a big stage in a big production! I love the thrill of performing on a stage and I can’t wait to do more after such a long time of no performances.

I also really enjoy teaching too and I’d love to be able to maybe teach some of my own choreography to other dancers sometime when I’m older and more advanced.