8 Things EDC Does To Change Your Dance Life

Elevate Dance Center began 4 years ago, but most of our staff has been in the business of dance for longer than some of our dancers’ parents have been alive, and many of our staff members have worked together for a decade or two before EDC. When the dance studio I was working for in Westminster closed it’s doors in 2014,  my sons still wanted to dance, so I went on the hunt for a great school for them close to home. I tried several, and I couldn’t find it. So, Elevate Dance Center was born. We were founded on the idea that what I wanted in a dance studio for my own children did not exist on our side of town. It was also founded on the idea that there are a lot of goofy- but sorta true- complaints about this industry, and we thought we could easily do business in a way that totally eradicated them. Now I mean absolutely no shade to any of my competitors, but the truth is, I saw certain norms being perpetuated in dance studios everywhere, and I wanted a change for the industry. I wanted to do it all differently. So, we did. Here are 8 things EDC does to revolutionize the studio experience:Read More

To Poms or Not To Poms Westminster Dance Studio

To Poms Or Not To Poms, That Is The Question

If you grow up playing little league soccer and football, then the natural progression is to try out for your high school team when the time comes. If you’re good enough, you might even earn a scholarship to play in college, and an elite few will even turn pro! Dance is trickier though, and there are many paths to professional dancing. Oftentimes, joining the poms team isn’t the way forward in your dance dreams. That’s not true for every team, nor is it the only reason to join or not join Poms. Read More

Take Your Coat Off And Stay Awhile!

When I was two years old my mother put me in dance classes because my older cousin was taking lessons. I loved it, so my mom never looked back. She signed me up every single session until I could decide for myself, at which point I would beg her to take more and more classes and hand her paycheck to the front desk until I was practically living at the studio. Read More

What I Learned About Dance Class During My First Month Of Jiu-Jitsu

I’m a 40 year old woman, I’ve been a dancer since I could walk, and I just finished my first month training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. While I am a “black belt” in dance, I am as novice as it gets in jiu-jitsu. I have learned so much in just a short time, and it’s exciting because it’s only the beginning. Every class brings a new surprise, but the biggest surprise so far has been how much I’ve learned about dance class during my jiu-jitsu training. Here are  four of the biggest “new student dance class fears” and tips to overcome them, brought to you by my jiu-jitsu academy:Read More

Atomic Habits

It’s the middle of February, and six weeks into 2021. How is your year going so far? Did you pledge to make a change or two on January 1st? Now is the perfect time to assess your progress. Making changes is not easy- in fact, it’s really, really hard. But in the words of Coach Jimmy in the movie A League of Their Own, “It’s supposed to be hard.  If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it.  The hard is what makes it great.” Coach Jimmy was talking about baseball, but I think it applies here too. When the hard parts becoming the best version of myself aren’t feeling so great, I go back and review the most impactful book I’ve ever read about change, Atomic Habits by James Clear.Read More

5 Things You Can Do In Dance Class (While You’re Not Doing Anything)

It’s common during dance class to find yourself with a little bit of downtime. Whether your dance teacher is working out a section of choreography, changing the music or drilling one-on-one with another student, you might occasionally find yourself in a holding pattern during your class. It’s definitely NOT an invitation for you to stop and do nothing, talk to a neighbor or kick up a ruckus. Nope, no thank you, no way! Instead, make use of every moment and perfect your craft. Here are five things you can do in dance class while you’re waiting for direction from your teacher:Read More