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Celebrate
National Dance Week In Your Studio!
National
Dance Week, spearheaded by the United Dance Merchants of
America, is a specific time where those of us in the dance
industry are encouraged to “spread the word” in their
communities about the benefits that dance brings to our
society, and to each individual. For the serious dancer,
their passion for the arts is intensely focused on study,
practice, and, ultimately, a successful career. But for
“everybody else,” the interest in dance may not be focused on
career, but it has so much to offer.
Dance
builds confidence. Dance builds self esteem. Dance builds an
appreciation for what you can accomplish, whether it’s
mastering a time-step, or achieving professional status.
Dance instills a sense of discipline, and a respect for those
who work so hard to reach their goals. Dance is great
exercise, and develops a sense of team and camaraderie between
fellow dancers. And dance gives kids a safe, wholesome,
productive opportunity to develop a possible hidden passion.
Appreciation and respect for the art can be developed at any
age, and at any level of involvement. From the competitive
student on her way to a lifelong vocation, to the adult who
attends his first professional performance. The question for
dance teachers and school owners now becomes, “How can I help
spread the word?”
There are
many ways – big and small – that you can participate in
National Dance Week, to help celebrate dance in your
community. We hope that the suggestions listed below will help
to give you ideas, and we encourage each and every one of you
to take advantage of the opportunity NDW provides you and your
studio. The key mission is to expose those people to the
benefits of dance who might not otherwise be involved. And
it’s great PR for you as well. National Dance Week is April
21 – 30, 2006.
What can I do?
·
Have a “bring a friend” week at your school. Each student can
bring a friend to class to either watch or participate.
·
Host a “dance-a-thon” event. Raise money for a charity, or for
your competition team, or just have a fun event. Encourage
students to bring their friends who don’t already dance.
·
Work with your local library or bookstore to do a dance book
display during the week. Offer “props” to help make their
display interesting, perhaps a pair of tap or pointe shoes or
a program from your last recital or performance.
·
Offer to do a series of story times at local elementary
schools, the library, or a book store, where your school’s
teachers, parents, or older students read fun dance-themed
books to groups of children. One parent we know read several
children’s dance books to groups of kindergartners, then
donated the books to the classroom.
· Do
a dance demonstration at the local shopping mall on a busy
Saturday afternoon. And don’t hesitate to have a sign that
says, “ABC Dance Studio celebrates National Dance Week April
21-30!”
·
Help organize a poster contest at your local elementary
schools. During NDW, children can create their own individual
dance poster drawings, and perhaps the top winners can be
posted in your student window, or at the local library, or
published in the local paper.
·
Work with the local hospital to give out certificates or
little dance gifts to all babies born during NDW.
·
For older audiences, again at a local library, high school, or
at club gatherings, offer to do a talk on the history of your
favorite type of dance, or on some of the more famous dancers.
·
Work with your local newspaper to do an editorial series
during NDW about famous dancers, or perhaps people from your
community that have gone on to professional dance careers,
whether they’re famous or not.
·
Encourage local video stores and your local libraries to
highlight dance-related videos and movies during NDW.
·
Approach your local dance retailers to play up NDW in their
window displays and in their stores. Perhaps your studio could
offer a coupon for $5 off fall registration (or a free tshirt
or decal) that the store can include with every purchase made
during NDW.
·
Suggest non-dance retailers to use a dance theme in their
window displays during NDW.
Make the most of whatever you do
Whatever
you decide to do, make sure you take full advantage of what
this opportunity presents for your school.
·
Send press releases to local media well in advance, then
follow up by email, fax, or phone just prior to the event. You
never know what might peak the interest of an editor or
producer, so give them the opportunity to feature your event.
Be sure to include local TV stations, newspapers, social
organizations and PTAs, libraries, bookstores, and elementary
schools on your list.
· If
you’re interested in NDW giveaways or selling NDW merchandise,
be sure to visit
www.nationaldanceweek.org
or call 1-877-YES4NDW.
·
Announce any special events on your website, and print up
handouts to give to all of your students and parents
announcing what’s going on.
·
Plan ahead as much as possible. The more planning time you
have, the less rushed you can be at the end, and the more
publicity and marketing you can do.
·
Visit
www.nationaldanceweek.org
for ideas of what others have done, to see what might work in
your community. Also check out the Pen Pal Program, and the
national poster, essay, and photograph contests.
Be sure
that whatever you’re doing, it’s involving the non-dance
public. You know you can generate enthusiasm within your own
school family, but the key is to bring “outsiders” into the
excitement.
Have fun
with National Dance Week and people will have fun with you.
“Dance is good for the mind, body, and soul” says the
literature. And who knows that better than you? So spread the
word.
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