Elementary and Intermediate Academy News
17 September, 2026
Tips for performing in Dance
Have a read below for some tips to help your dancers be Authentic this September!
Technique 101: Using your face for performance — A Dancer's Life
3 September, 2026
AUTHENTIC SEPTEMBER
The monthly theme for September is Authenticity. This September we want our dancers to be authentic (true to who they are). Some ways to do this would be to perform with emotion and feeling and feel comfortable in expressing who they are as an individual.
10 September, 2026
Own it & be yourself. You are all a gift to this world we live in.
How can you show up for yourself more this week? (This goes for you too parents!)
22 August, 2026
Passion Fashion
Wearing Passion is a form of fashion. People who complain, are unwilling to try new things and don’t persevere can be draining and bring other people down.
At TDC we strive to encourage passionate students. Passion looks like having optimism, an unwavering belief that we can achieve what we set our minds to. It looks like putting pride aside and giving everything our best efforts. It looks like having a sparkle and positive attitude.
For August we encourage you to chat with your child and see what they think passion is and what they are passionate about!
27 August, 2026
Ballet Buns - How To
Do you do your dancers hair? At TDC we encourage dancers to take responsibility and do their own hair from the age of 7 and up.
Below is a tutorial your dancers can watch to improve their hair skills and achieve a nice clean bun for classes this “Dress to Impress” June.
You can reassure them it’s OK if their bun is a bit messy or if it falls out in class the first few times they try. It’s all about practice and learning what works best for their own hair. As they get better at it their confidence increases and they feel really great about having the independence in doing their own hair.
Need hair items? We carry all the things you need for a secure dance bun in our shop, so come and see us in the office if you need anything!
6 August, 2026
Passion August
This months theme is passion! In classes we want the dancers to bring their sparkle and fun to dance. Think showing up, having a positive attitude, giving their personal best and performing.
13 August, 2026
Sparking Passion ✨
3 July, 2026
Don’t Get Cold Feet July
We have officially reached the middle of the year, it’s cold, we start to get tired and the hibernation continues. In July the theme is “Don’t get cold feet” we want to see your kids showing up to class, still practicing and moving!
23 July, 2026
“Good vs Bad side”
We hear it all the time, “I can’t do it, it’s my bad side”
If you hear this at home or we hear it in class, here are some switches we can make to help encourage our dancers!
1. Stop calling it your bad side. Instead try “I am going to work to make this skill even on both sides.”
2. Stop ignoring it. If you can only do the skill on one side then you haven't mastered the skill. Put more attention into your weaker side even if you don’t enjoy practicing it as much. It’s not going to happen overnight.
Forget about what that side ‘looks like’ right now, focus on strengthening that side and the results will follow. Practice makes progress.
4. Be patient and consistent and you WILL see results
Training both sides of the body evenly is essential to reduce overuse injuries and instability in the body.
11 June, 2026
Musicality 🎧
Fun fact: Some people see sound as a colour. This neurological phenomena is known as chromesthesia/ sound-to-colour synaesthesia. This stems from hearing a note, voice, or noise and involuntarily attaching it to a specific colour, shape, or movement.
Everyone hears sound differently and that is why often when dancers move they accent and move at different speeds, textures, levels, etc.
How do you and your dancer hear sound?
18 June, 2026
Pushing your limits
Often times we think we have reached our maximum, yet this is only a mental barrier and most of the time we can give and grow more.
Watch this video to see how we can push boundaries and challenge limits. It is super important for students to understand this and helps their resilience and growth mindset.
Take each element and open up a conversation about it at the dinner table, how can each member of the family use it or apply it to themselves?
23 April, 2026
The Importance of Sleep 😴
Sleep is the most important step of recovery for everyone and especially teenagers and athletes.
With inadequate sleep muscle fibres can not repair, memory is not consolidated, and most people transform into angry, moody, irritable little gremlins who can’t focus (our monthly theme). When athletes do not sleep enough they are also at an increased risk of injury due to fatigue and this also compromises their performance.
How can you help?
1. Set up a consistent bed time that allows for at least 8 hours of sleep. Make this a non-negotiable in your house.
2. No screens, blue light and caffeine, at least an hour before bed. No screens or phones in the bedroom at all, ever.
3. Eliminate noise and light before bed. Use a soft red or orange light in your bedroom to help your body produce melatonin (the hormone that regulates your body’s sleep/wake cycle).
If you want to know more, see below. The podcast linked is also amazing and very informative if you make the time to listen.
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-activity/athletic-performance-and-sleep
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH5VAf__TgA&list=PLvf7YcwUjcIMT13gE6WM86PsFiUtVTiLC&index=18
4 June, 2026
DRESS TO IMPRESS JUNE
This months theme is dress to impress and we want to see your dancers styling their TDC uniform with pride. Bonus points for a sleek neat bun (with pins).
Note: In the colder months dancers should be dressing appropriately for the weather and come and go from the studio wearing a jacket or cross over.
If you are in need of anything come see us in the office and we can help sort out uniform and shoes for you.
We can’t wait to see everyone looking polished in their uniforms.
1 April, 2026
STAY FOCUSED APRIL
Drumroll please……. 🥁
This months theme is Stay Focused April.
We want to keep dancers engaged and growing in classes here at TDC. We know as we get into term 2 and the colder weather sets in, the dancers start to get tired, just like any of us as Winter approaches. It's important to keep dancers coming to classes to move their bodies and get that wonderful dopamine hit to feel good (as well as improving their skills and keeping their progress moving in a forward trajectory).
P.S. We also really look forward to seeing them in class each week as they bring good energy to our lives as well!
15 April, 2026
Bring a Friend 👯♀️🪩
If your child has a friend who they would love to dance with, then now is the perfect time to bring them along with you to a class. You can give them your TDC Friend Pass you received or come see us in the office and we will help arrange this.
Dancing is better shared with friends, family and those we love. Spread the joy of dance this April! We can’t wait to meet your friends in the studio!
19 March, 2026
REPUTATION
This months theme is reputation.
Here are some habits that can help you build your childs reputation, helping them become a better dancer, person and peer.
Resilience:
Showing persistence inside and outside of class and not giving up when learning new exercises, skills or routines. Practice makes progress. Remind dancers to practice when things get hard and bounce back from set backs.
Dedication:
Does your child practice at home? Even just 10 mins of short, focused practice a day creates big changes. 10 minutes a day is an hour and 10 minutes a week. Thats an extra 60 hours a year of practice. Imagine how fast turns, feet, flexibility etc could improve in this time. Below is a 10 minute follow along video your child could practice at home once a day!
10 minute Feet and Calve stretch and strength
Confidence:
Do you have positive self talk? The way you talk influences your children. Talk to yourself and child how you would to your friends and encourage them to do this to. Encourage them to try new skills without judgement and fear of failure. Encourage them to say “I can do this” before starting, or reinforcing them with a can do mindset.
Determination:
Do not let your child give up. Remind them that every repetition counts, go to the end of the floor, don’t give up half way down the room. Encourage them to persist at home.
Comment below with what actions that your child is taking in class and/ or at home to help build their reputation.
28 March, 2026
BALLET, JAZZ & TAP SKILLS
Do your children practice their dancing at home? Many of our skills classes are currently learning or have finished learning their ATOD and Tap Mode syllabus exercises/skills. The students have been working hard inside of class, and to help with their personal progress this also needs to continue outside of the studio in between their classes.
Repetition is the key to our brains strengthening their synaptic connections. This in turn takes short term memory and changes it into long term retention. A key life skill for everyone!
Class time is meant for learning skills, challenging beliefs and pushing limits. This alone is not enough to work on refining the skills and exercises. Regardless if your dancer is sitting their exam or not you should encourage them to think about and practice this at home. Don’t make it feel like a chore, the dancers won’t want to practice if it feels like something they are forced to do. Instead read the below and try some of the tips to keep things fun for them outside of the class.