 Confession: I’m a podcast addict. I hate having ‘dead time’ when I’m driving, getting ready to go somewhere, walking around and podcasts are the way I choose to fill that time.
I was listening to one today about habits and while this was information I already knew, it was presented in a different way and now I’m sharing it with you. We all know to set goals and many of us do this regularly. All of our Beginner II & higher classes have made fall goals for the first quarter of our dance year and they’re awesome! But why will some of us achieve these goals (or any goal) and why will some of us fall short? A quote from the podcast was, “you don’t rise to your goals, you fall to your systems.” If you don’t have the right processes in place you won’t achieve the goal - makes sense, we know this - but I loved the way it was presented. As it went on to talking about habits (ie the processes you want to implement to achieve your goals), it got me thinking about how our dancers can work on their everyday habits relevant to their own goals. A common one was practicing more (4x/week, 2x/week, etc). We ultimately succumb to our ‘bad’ habits of not making time because we just never start. Instead of worrying about what to practice, whether to do it before dinner or after dinner, if you have the right bandaid to cover your blister, or leaving your notebook at the studio - just start. Just start by putting your shoes on. Maybe that’s all you accomplish for everyday that week. The starting point feels good and eventually evolves. You get used to starting, figuring out what you need, and get into a routine. THEN once that’s easy you can dive deeper and start working on what you practice, how you practice, when to practice, how long to practice, and so on. Dancers - think about the fall goal you set for yourself. Now think of 3-5 ways you can help yourself achieve this by taking small but consistent action everyday. For the practice example, maybe you’re going to bring your dance bag to your practice space right when you get home from class so everything you need is already there. You might put your practice clothes in the practice area so you don’t have to go upstairs hunting for clothes to change into after school. And finally, you’ll commit to getting off the bus and putting your dance shoes on right away - even if it’s just for 5 minutes.
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 The fall competition season is well underway and it’s a roller coaster of emotions for our intermediate and advanced dancers as they inch closer and closer towards the biggest competition of their season, the Regional Oireachtas. While we do everything we can to prepare both in class and at home, not every feis is smooth sailing or rewards each dancer for their hard work. It’s easy to love dancing and competing when you’re rewarded for your efforts - but what about when dance doesn’t always love you back? You might be doing all the right things - taking in your corrections at class, practicing at home, getting enough sleep, fueling your body for success and still come home empty handed or disappointed with the results you received. You might wonder, what am I doing wrong? Why are my friends being rewarded and not me? It’s a painful reality but one that exists. I’m here to tell you it’s normal - necessary, even - for truly appreciating what it takes to go after something you want. If you worked hard and were rewarded every time, you’d leave feeling happy but you also might not work as hard next time. When you have to really fight for what you want, you appreciate it so much more when it finally happens and you’re ready for the next challenge. I recently asked a group of students, “what do you think would happen if you won all the time?” and the responses were very insightful:
 One of our most frequently asked questions by parents at the beginning stages of the dance journey is:  How can I tell if my dancer enjoys this? OR How can I tell if this is right for my child? Of course every child is different but we have some common threads and patterns that have emerged over the years to help guide you. 1. Some children will happily show you EVERYTHING they did in class that day. Others won't, and it's a common misconception that the shy variety of dancers aren't enjoying class. Dancers that are reluctant to share what they've learned are often very protective of their new skills and have early signs of perfectionism that you may not have seen before. 2. Little by little you may notice your dancer skipping, jumping, and hopping from place to place more than they are walking. While it's not formal practice or dancing, their more expressive movement is a CLASSIC sign that they are taking in everything from classes and learning to move like a dancer. Soon you won't be able to go anywhere without them dancing along next to you. 3. You may hear that your child is teaching their friends and classmates at school or other activities how to dance. It is quite common for new dancers to feel more comfortable sharing their dancing with their peers than their parents, though the more outgoing personality will share with just about everyone! Teaching others what they are learning in class shows a very deep understanding and enjoyment for dance and is a huge step towards a loving relationship with learning more! You can support your dancer's journey into dance by not forcing them to show or tell you more than they are comfortable. Each dancer takes a unique path through the early stages of dancing and there is no 'right' or 'wrong' one. Ultimately, your dancer leading their journey with you in the supporting role will result in the best outcome.
 We’re just giddy with excitement over our new dance year starting! We know you might be concentrating on getting your kids back to school and aren’t ready to complicate things by adding new activities, but you still have time to join us this year! Our classes for new students begin September 8 - 13 and you can schedule a complimentary trial class before you commit to more classes.
We know just how much Irish dance can add to your child’s life, but we’ve narrowed it down to our top 10 to share with you! For more details, like our Facebook page and follow along as we go in depth about each of our top ten and countdown to our September 10th launch!
"[I appreciate] Courtney's structured, patient, and kind approach. She has her finger on the pulse of her students, knowing what they need and when, and I believe she had a lot to do with [my daughter's] growth this year."  We’ve just come off of a grand total of 145 hours of camps for both new students and our returning dancers. It’s a humbling juxtaposition of dancers who are falling in love with Irish dance for the first time and those who love the sport and are chasing every aspect of it with everything they have.
Dancers ages 2 through almost 30 worked to develop their repertoire, technique, and joy for dance over the last four weeks. Each with different goals - some just finding their feet and others chasing big dreams - they came to the studio each day with open minds, purpose, and their unique personality that reminded me why we take an individual approach for each dancer. We have standards and expectations that set a framework of mutual respect between teacher & student, commitment to the process from both sides, and the support of classmates and teammates while pursuing individual goals at the right pace for each dancer. I’ve always held the belief that two dancers that appear very much the same on paper will end up with two very different journeys on two very different timelines. Some journeys require more patience, more sacrifice, more sensitivity, or more reassurance from either parent, student, or teacher. It’s like we’re all walking through the same park but taking different paths and some will arrive on the other side later than others - and that’s okay. Our goals at Scoil Rince Luimni are to first and foremost develop a love for Irish dancing - all of it, some of it, or simply an appreciation for movement, fitness, or expression. Next we aim to expose dancers to different routes of exploring dance outside the studio walls - performing, competing, exams - whether they try one, all, or a combination of the three. Some dancers will respond well to all avenues while others will have one or two that really speak to them. Finally, we support the whole dancer as they walk their chosen path(s). We make sure they are supported in just about every way - mind, body, and soul by bringing in outside experts where appropriate, continuing to innovate and adapt to new research and technology, and checking in with the dancer often on their approach, goals, and expectations. Every dancer’s journey is met with challenges along the way - scheduling conflicts, choosing their primary activity, injuries, slumps in motivation and results, etc. While the road isn’t always smoothly paved, we like to help guide parents and dancers through the detours with our expertise and dancer-centric approach.  In many families, Monday morning (or even Sunday night) through Friday afternoon feeling running the gauntlet - school, work, activities, homework, projects, meetings, CCD, scouts, the list just never seems to end. You might not even have a free night, but on the rare occasion you do it might be your only chance to have a family dinner or have time to slow down. We totally get it, and in our effort to make Irish dance classes as accessible as possible we hold classes on Saturdays in addition to our weekday schedule! Designed for first and second year students, our pre-beginner and beginner classes on Saturday mornings are perfect for busy families. Whether sports are on the calendar in your house or not, there’s something about Saturday morning that just has more ease to it. Our Saturday classes are open and ready for new student enrollment! Irish dance classes are very active - even for those who aren’t into sports (psst, I never was!) - while also being extremely social and engaging. We have dancers from all over Connecticut so there are so many new friends waiting for your young dancer to meet. We have fun at every class while learning strong basics and encouraging a love of dance. Children ages 3-5 are able to join our pre-beginner program from 9:30-10:00am each Saturday while children ages 6+ can join our beginner program from 10:00-11:00am. We have weekday offerings for both programs but they are filling fast! You can register on our website, https://www.irishdancect.com/register.html  Exciting news out of our class of 2018! Among our Scoil Rince Luimni dancers, two have been named their class valedictorian for 2018. We congratulate Lillian Bluestein, St James School Class of 2018, and Tara Lynch, Cheshire Academy Class of 2018, on their outstanding achievement in their respective schools. Both Lilly and Tara exemplify how Irish dancing and academic achievement go hand in hand. As dancers progress, their time in the studio increases and coupled with getting older, dancers quickly have to learn how to manage their time in order to stay on track in school and with their dancing aspirations. We tend to see dancers figure out how to manage their time rather than curtail their dance career, a trend that is seen not only within our school but the greater Irish dancing community as well. Over the last few years we've seen the oldest competitive age bracket expand and split to manage the higher number of dancers pursuing their competitive goals after college graduation, joining the workforce, and beyond. As dancers learn how to manage their time, they also learn to prioritize what is really important to them. It's no surprise that both Lilly and Tara find time to fit in community and family time as well as other commitments - Lilly is involved in her church and Tara is a soccer player. Other dancers within our school are involved in school clubs and sports which gives each dancer 3-5 priorities that come before screen time, trivial activities, or getting into trouble ;) Irish dancing is a disciplined and fairly regimented sport so this continues to feed the goal-focused, work-first, and continuously striving mindset that brings achievement in both academics and dancing. We teach goal setting and maintaining a positive mindset in ways that go beyond dancing and can be practiced in real life. We are sure Lilly and Tara will continue to do great things both in and out of the studio! Lilly will continue her studies at Northwest Catholic High School in the fall and Tara has been accepted to Ithaca College for communications.  It’s recital time! At Scoil Rince Luimni, we call our recital our annual Showcase. It started as a dinner dance and has evolved into a more traditional recital as our student body has grown. To keep true to our earlier days, we have two great receptions available before and after the show for families to connect, friendships to flourish, and keep a more relaxed and family friendly atmosphere.
The spring and early summer is always jam packed with activities, recitals, concerts, field days, graduations, communions, and everything from the academic year coming to a close. Especially if you’re a first timer to our Showcase, you may wonder how your dancer will cope with it all. The truth is - we really don’t know! You know your child inside and out but until they’re on stage for the first time, anything could happen. In our classes we approach the Showcase with a pretty low-key attitude. True to our dinner dance roots, we speak to students about the Showcase as a way to share their new skills and joy for dance with their favorite family and friends. Instead of playing up the role of the audience, which can be an overwhelming and frightening thought for a young dancer, we make the role of the dancer shine. We talk about doing our very best and showing our best skills. We practice looking straight ahead and focusing on our technique so there’s no difference whether your dancer’s teacher is watching or a room full of hundreds. When the realization of the audience does come up, we talk about how it’s a friendly audience. It’s a room full of supportive moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, and siblings that are there to cheer everyone on. It’s an audience that understands it’s okay if you make a mistake and understands this is a learning experience. The audience appreciates great dancing but also doesn’t expect a class of beginners to be professional dancers. Often our dancers expectations of themselves is exponentially higher than the expectations of their parents or teacher. Your dancer might show you nothing at home and then go out and nail it on stage. Your dancer might practice 24/7 and be the top of their class but go on stage and freeze. Your dancer might go out and do the hokey pokey despite knowing their reel inside and out. We don’t know and there’s only so much worrying we can do about it. As a parent, we encourage you to celebrate your child getting to the stage. Every year we have parents who swear their child is too anxious or too shy to get on stage - and then they do it. We often underestimate how much celebration this calls for and how amazing your dancer will feel afterwards. Conversely, if your dancer gets on stage and freezes or decides to freestyle - don’t assume they’re not cut out for dance or that they didn’t soak up any knowledge this year. Performing on stage is no easy feat and takes practice over time. You might consider doing some more casual performances throughout the year to help build your dancer’s confidence and give them experience. Remember, this is just the beginning of the road. Many dancers will leave the Showcase feeling inspired by seeing all of the older and more experienced dancers perform. For some, this will be their first glimpse at what all those weekly lessons add up to over the years. Many will leave wanting to dance like this dancer or that dancer, or be able to do this trick or that trick. This is something to be celebrated too - seeing your dancer get excited, passionate, and more deeply interested in Irish dance as a whole. If your dancer is of the quieter, more reserved variety, they might not express this excitement aloud. Instead you may find them drawing or writing about dancers they saw in the Showcase or you may glimpses of them ‘practicing’ the hard shoe or championship numbers. We are so excited for you to join us next Saturday! Our show begins at 5:30pm on May 19th at East Catholic High School in Manchester. Tickets are available through 5/12 online or for $25 cash at the door.  Today, Wednesday February 7, is Girls and Women and Sports Day. Most of our audience is in full acknowledgement that Irish dance is a highly athletic, artistic sport. It might not be played on a field, but our dancers train, think, and live as athletes each and every day. My biggest pride, and perhaps my biggest responsibility, as the director of Scoil Rince Luimni is the influence and impact I have in our students. While Irish dance is an activity for boys and girls, the majority of our students - like other dance forms - are girls and women. Boys will always be welcomed by us and other dance studios alike, there’s a part of me that feels so joyful that dance studios are a place where girls and women are the majority, feel safe, and can be unapologetically themselves. From our tiniest little dancers that are often taking dance for the first time, I want them to fall in love with dancing. Even when we get distracted and just want to twirl around the room, I can’t get too upset as at the heart of the matter - they are enjoying movement, expressing themselves, and finding their confidence. I want them to always make the proud, excited faces I see when I encourage them or congratulate them on doing a step or movement correctly for the first time. I want them to continue to tell me all the little things on their minds while we stretch because it shows me they feel safe and comfortable in the studio and with me as their teacher. These are the moments that make build these little girls into well adjusted women someday.  For our school aged crew that are finding Irish dance for the first time, they sometimes come in with reservations or fears. It might be a bad experience with a different activity that keeps them guarded or just carryover from other events in their life - a move, academic stress, and school bullying - that brings them into dance class as a shy, skeptical student. Week to week I see them start to flourish as they can’t help but let go and enjoy their class. The music, the movement, the other students - it lights up these students from the inside out. I see their love of dance grow alongside their love for life. The transformation that takes place over the first few months of classes is something that I will never grow tired of. These are the moments that build girls into happy, vivacious women someday.  For our developing dancers who are moving up the ranks and getting older and wiser every year, they are starting to struggle in one way or the other. Whether it’s getting harder to pick up choreography, a first injury, or a mental block that starts to creep in, each dancer will have a personal struggle to face. I want these dancers to know that we all face challenges in life and one day they will have a challenge much bigger than this. I want these ‘big girls’ and pre-teens to develop the grit and tenacity to face these challenges head on and work through them. It’s a much quieter celebration than seeing the little ones’ proud faces, but the subtle signs show me I’ve done my job. I start to see dancers who were once too afraid to take a risk start to step up. I start to hear them passing on words of wisdom to others that up until recently they needed to hear themselves. These are the moments that build big girls into mentally and physically strong women someday. For our teenagers and young adults, you’re working your way through some of the toughest phases of life. Dance class becomes your escape - your stress relief, your outlet, and your social hub. No one wants to go back in time and be a teenage girl but everyday I get to help students through this phase of life. These dancers live the student athlete life even though their schools likely don’t give them the same treatment as the football or basketball teams. They wake at the crack of dawn, attend eight hours of classes, only to come home and complete another few hours of homework, and a couple hours of physically demanding dance classes. These young ladies are wise beyond their years when it comes to time management, assessing priorities, and doing whatever it takes to meet their goals. I want these young ladies to know that as a former teenage girl, I commend their daily commitment, effort, and desire to be part of our community. These are the moments that build young women into warrior women.  Irish dance is an amazing vehicle for girls and women of all ages who want to be active. The goal of sports isn’t solely to be “good” at that sport - it’s to develop skills and the character to face real life in the future. It brings me great joy to be part of the evolution of our girls whether they’re in the studio for half an hour each week or for many hours each day. I hope that my leadership, influence, and experience makes a positive impact on each of them. - CJ It’s winter - darkness looms in the early afternoon, the bitter cold snaps at your skin, and just seconds of being outside feel like a punishment. The winter affects everyone differently and children are no exception. As a parent, you may silently rejoice when your dancer whines, “but do I have to go to dance class tonight?” and give in without much of a fight in favor of a movie night in, cozy sweatpants, and a glass of wine. On occasion we all need a night off, a mental health day, or time to regroup. Please make no mistake this is not what this article is about. Rather, this article is about the growing number of children that haven’t learned to - for lack of a better term - ‘suck it up.’ This may be a controversial statement to make, but I am not talking about truly harmful situations here - like dancing through an injury, true psychological issue, or in any kind of bullying. We’re talking about children going through temporary bouts of feeling unmotivated, a little lazy, or even a bit burned out. It’s a slippery slope if you give in - it starts with a song and dance about not wanting to go to class. I’m too tired, it’s cold, I don’t want to get in the car. Then it manifests to other things - I don’t like this dinner, I want macaroni and cheese. I hate the dentist. I’m not doing my chores. I don’t want to go to school today. I’m willing to bet if you let your children get away with doing nothing EVERY time they said they didn’t feel like it, nothing would get done. There are lots of things that even as adults we don’t want to do. Do I light up with joy thinking about going to the doctor? Cleaning my toilets? Waking up early? Paying bills? No, but I do them anyway without dragging my feet (at least most of them time). As an adult I am not motivated 100% of the time, but by working through moments of boredom or tension, trudging through tasks or activities I didn’t want to do at that precise time, and putting my head down and getting stuff done as a child I learned the difference between genuine dislike of something vs trying moments that are worth working through. We often talk about dance class being about more than just dance instruction - it’s about life lessons and here’s a BIG one! Even if getting your dancer in the car to go to dance class in the winter feels like a trek across the Sahara, chances are as soon as the music turns on they’re so glad they came. I hate to tell you, parents - but most of the time children save their best drama and sass for you. Use dance class as a lesson for your child about commitment - what it means to make a commitment and what it means to follow through. Teach them about work ethic and how nothing worth having comes easy. Teach them how to live responsibly by reminding them their classmates and their teacher are counting on them to show up. We don’t always have to “feel it” but we have to push through together. You’ll thank yourself as your dancer ages and the temptations to back down on our commitments grows during middle school, high school, college, and even as young adults enter the workforce. So the next time your dancer opens their mouth to say they’re too tired, bored, busy, [insert excuse of the day here] to do what you know is the right thing to do, make sure they show up anyway.  With the New England Oireachtas coming to Hartford, this provides an opportunity for our dancers to have their local friends and family come see them compete without having to drive for hours round trip. I’m sure your favorite dancer would love your support, but here are a few things to keep in mind:
If you’re new to Irish dance checking out the Oireachtas, it can be overwhelming. Keep in mind that this is the top percentage of dancers in our region and it takes time and hard work to reach this point. At SRL, dancers are not required to compete so if this is too much you’ll never have to step foot into this little world again - you can enjoy performing and learning in class without stepping foot into the competition world.  Did you know SRL offers yoga? That's right, certified LivFree yoga instructor Colleen Macsuga teaches Vinyasa yoga here at our studio. A popular program with parents, students, and the public, Colleen guides everyone through a practice that is suitable for their level. If you're a beginner, Colleen will make sure you have the foundations down while being encouraged and uplifted - this is absolutely a #judgementfreezone. If you're an improver or a veteran yogi, Colleen will modify for you to ensure your practice is appropriately challenging. Yoga is on Wednesdays from 7:30-8:30pm from Wednesday November 1 through December 20. Classes are drop in, however you must register to appear on our class roster. Create an account and then log-in to select "Yoga for All" from the yoga tab. Once you've registered, you'll store the card of your choice on file so we can auto-debit it after only classes you've attended. Come see us on Wednesday with a mat and comfortable clothing. SRL Studio is located at 400 Chapel Road 1A, South Windsor CT 06074.  Back to school is coming! Along with the paperwork, getting those back to school supplies, and the settling those first day of school jitters, it’s time to start thinking about after school activities! Most parents want to expose their children to a variety of activities while they’re young to see what their natural talents may be, allow them to experience different communities, and fill up that after school time while the homework load is light.
If you’re considering Irish dance as an activity this year, you’re probably also weighing up the risk of your picky, finicky, young one rejecting your choice. It's a common predicament, kids really can be so fickle when it comes to activities. To help with your decision, here are some popular archetypes of kids who end up loving Irish dance:
Do you know someone who fits into one of these categories? Send them this article and see if Irish dance is an activity they'd consider for this year! Practice is an integral part of ensuring continuous, steady progress for dancers at any level. Almost all dancers know they should practice, some actually do it, but many struggle with how to practice effectively. Whether you’re a new beginner or a seasoned champion, here are some ways to maximize your practice time:
SRL students have access to practice sheet templates and practice journal templates in our member’s area. Make sure you’re using them each week to be the best dancer YOU can be!   Dancers, do you want to impress your teacher(s), make steady progress, or become the best you can be? Here's 5 ways you can make your teachers say WOW!
 Do you want to help your tot become more confident, coordinated, and social in just 30 days? Irish dancing is a great solution for some of these worries parents frequently have about their preschoolers!
Whether your dancer is already a social butterfly or stuck to you like glue, activities that are structured as formal classes can help your youngling develop the social skills they need to tackle longer preschool days like a pro! Through structured classes, dancers learn how to respect their teacher, interact with their classmates, and behave in ways that get them noticed in a positive light. The physical component of class puts your dancers through their paces to develop their balance, strength, flexibility, and coordinating the right and left sides of the body. And don’t forget the brain - Irish dancing is just as much of a work out for the brain! Dancers develop their pattern recognition and memories just by learning simple steps as well as improving their musicality, understanding of rhythm and timing, and the mind-body connection within us all. The upbeat and energetic nature of Irish dancing keeps classes fun and exciting even when there’s all this learning going on! Dancers feed off this energy from week to week and improve quickly, giving them increased confidence and sense of accomplishment. This 3-5 age group soak up knowledge like sponges, are generally fearless, and love to move, making them the perfect age to start an activity like Irish dancing. At SRL, our pre-beginner program is open to ages 3-5 in 30 minute classes. Dancers work through exercises to increase their physical coordination, balance, and strength as well as learn the basics of the reel and light jig. At the end of each class, we end with a cool down stretch to help calm their energy levels and work on flexibility. Our pre-beginners get to participate in our end of year recital, a milestone that even the shyest student can accomplish by the spring! If you’re interested in helping your child grow more confident, coordinated, and sociable, email SRL today to come in for a free trial class! Upon reading the title you're probably thinking one of three things:
Adults CAN take up Irish dancing even as a 20, 30, 40, 50-something, or beyond! Even studios with competitive programs for children can have recreational programs for adults too! Irish dancing is such a great form of exercise (with adults burning up to 400 calories an hour!) that is also enjoyable and socialable. Why let the kids have all the fun?! At SRL, our adult program is made up of students who are first time learners, "boomerangs" who danced as children, and even moms of former/current Irish dancers. These men and women range from 20 somethings to over 60, so there's room for anyone of any age to learn. Classes consist of a mixture of styles including solo step dancing, ceili and set dancing (group dances), as well as old style sean-nos dancing so you're guaranteed to find something you love and never get bored. If you decide through your journey that you wish to pursue Irish dancing at a deeper or competitive level, we have programs for that too! Ready to try it yet? Come along for a free trial class and see for yourself! Our adult classes are on Tuesdays in Farmington from 8-9pm and Thursdays in South Windsor from 8-9pm. Hope to see you soon! |
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