Don't Miss It! It is AWESOME!

Tomorrow, we have a very special event for our students here at our Woodward location. Mary James, songwriter and professional performer will be at our school from 6:00 pm-6:30 pm prior to her concert! She is coming FOR OUR STUDENTS and families to be able to visit with her about her career as a song writer, author, musician, vocalist and tv actor. Now how often does that happen in NW Oklahoma? Hardly never!

Why are we doing this? We had an opportunity and seized it! This lady has a wonderful story of perseverance, faith and passion to tell and all of our students can benefit from. It is a lesson of even when life becomes hard, we must push on and move forward to achieve what we are working for.
(Mary James was in an accident that actually paralyzed her vocal cords and there was little hope by medical personnel to be able to continue to sing.)

We do hope that all of our families will see the value in this event and will want to participate in the meet & greet at our school March 28th at 6:00 pm. Then if you are looking for a fun Parents Night Out, arrange with us today for tickets for the show and for your child to stay at the school for pizza and a movie! All for only $60 (includes tickets to the show for the parents and one student staying for pizza and movie---$10 extra for each child added)

Today is your last day to get your tickets (pay in person today at our school or call and pay over the phone to reserve your tickets.) Those that attend will be talking about this for some time! Those that miss will wish they had attended. We don't want you to be left out for sure!

Oh! Be sure your child brings an autograph book with them to the meet and greet (which is free to all of our students and those that got a special invitation yesterday) And we will see you at the most talked about even in Woodward in 2014 tomorrow!

School or Studio?

In visiting with and listening to parents lately, there seems to be some confusion about school. Just the label "school" in itself seems to mean different things to different people. The conversation came up recently when a new inquiry asked why we called our place a "school" and not a "studio".

I went on to explain that the word "studio" really did not explain what we do here at Academy of Fine Arts. We call our selves a school, and operate as one, because we teach educational programs such as dance, music, gymnastics/tumbling, swimming (in our Woodward location) and an arts based preschool.

Our programs are syllabus based and having learning objectives for our students. The classes are organized and planned out by qualified teachers that continually train each year to become better at what they teach. Our school program has received recognition on the state, regional and national levels.

But you will fine "studios" within our school. The studios are equipped rooms that meets the needs of the students and teachers that take a class in there. Specialized floors for training, sound systems (not boom boxes), mirrors, barres, gymnastic equipment, pianos, drums, art equipment and supplies, preschool activity centers, desks and supplies. Each studio is set up for the type of class that is offered in that room. Even multifunctional studios are equipped to meet the needs to the different classes held in them.

When looking at the definition of the word studio, you will find the following:

1

a :  the working place of a painter, sculptor, or photographer

b :  a place for the study of an art (as dancing, singing, or acting)

2

a :  a place where motion pictures are made

b :  a company that produces motion pictures

3

:  a place maintained and equipped for the transmission of radio or television programs

4

:  a place where audio recordings are made

 

When looking at the definition of the word school, you also find the following:

 

1

:  an organization that provides instruction: as

a :  an institution for the teaching of children

b :  college, university

 

We do believe that we provide instruction and that most of our students are children. We also know that each and every program that we teach, with consistent training and passion, can lead to a college or university scholarship and to a career. Therefor, we prefer to call ourselves a school. It just so happens that our classes are taught in studios.

 

But it does not matter what our families call us.When talking about their classes to friends and family, it  dose not matter because they are always being told about our terrific programs and how many of our students have went on to a college or university to further their education. You see, "studio" or "school" does not matter when your program is doing the right thing for their students.

Why Music FunTime?

Music FunTime is a theory based music program for children as young as 18 months of age. Not like other music/playtime programs, Music FunTime actually teaches children to recognize music symbols, name the notes of the treble and bass clef and start reading music before they can even read a book!

Impossible you say? No, not really. Based on research, young children can learn to recognize music symbols, name the parts of and note of the staff and all before they can even read a book! It is a lot like teaching the young child how to recognize colors, number and recite the alphabet. It is all very easy when in the right environment and with the right teachers.

Music fun time is also filled with musical games and crafts to take home! Each child receives their own personal rhythm instruments to take home and bring back each week. The cost of all of this fun is included in the monthly tuition!

Parents will be amazed when their child asks, "mommy do you know how many beats are in a whole note?" We even have two year olds right now that recognize a whole note, half note and quarter note!

Yes, Music FunTime is an educational program that is fun. It also is a program that can prepare your child for private lessons and start them to recognized letters, counting, and much more.

Progressive parents will recognize the value in this program. We are pleased to be a Music FunTime provider for the Woodward and Enid areas! Register early!

Just Part Of The Uniform

Traditionally, dance schools have had required class dancewear. Such as the one piece leotard, tights (absolutely), waist belt or skirt, hair tightly secured (most often a bun). For boys, black tights/pants, belt, white shirt. The uniform of a dancer, was much like the uniform of a Girl or Boy Scouts uniform. It meant that you were privileged to be a member of an important group of boys and girls your age, your level and studying/being a part of  your interest or passion. 

Much like private schools have had their "uniforms", dance uniforms also served a need. It allowed you to be able to focus on what you were in attendance for. No distractions. No worrying that someone else may have on something that is better than what your parents could afford or that your current wear did not meet the current social trends.

Then there were the crossovers. The one that sticks out the most was after the movie Flashdance hit the big screen, and the next thing you knew was that dancewear was now cool enough to be street wear....LEGWARMERS! Shrugs were available on almost every little girls Easter dress for awhile too. Admit it! You have either seen others wearing these dance items, or you did it yourself! And oh, how... cool... it... was...!

Today, it is the SOCK BUN! So cool! So nifty! So handy! You don't even need clean hair for it! Right? Of course! But guess what cultural Fashionistas, dancers beat you to it! Yep! Sock buns have been around for generations and dancers have been sporting them in classes even before you knew what they were! So cool! So nifty! So in style!

My point is, if what dancers wear in class (or are suppose to wear in class) is so hip today on the street, why do we struggle getting our dancers, acrobats and gymnasts to show up for class properly prepared? Why are we purchasing a ring of hair ties to have on hand because we know that we will need to hand them out at the beginning of class? Why do we have to ask, "where is your leotard?"

If a uniform , that allows you to be part of a very special group or class that some young men and young ladies would beg their parents for, why do you not come bursting through the doors of our school shouting "HERE I AM! AREN'T I AMAZING?!"

Is it because we have forgotten to tell you how amazing you are? Or is it because we have forgotten to remind you every week that you are a part of a very special class of young people that hold the breathe of your audience every time you turn, leap, pause or smile from the stage. No other athlete has that ability. Seldom do you see a football or basketball player able to bring tears to their audiences eyes except...... for when they.... loose.... the..... game.

Yes being part of your dance or gymnastics class, fully uniformed, means a little bit of extra work. It means you have to remember where you put your leotard. It means you have to remember that tights are a dancers tool to warm the muscles. It means you have to take a moment to say to yourself......
"I am amazing! So let's go work on being able to make other people hold their breathe and tear up, while I move my marvelous body across the floor. I am powerful. I am special. I am a dancer!

New Classes This Fall

New classes will be added to the fall schedule to accommodate students that are homeschooler, virtual schooled or in our Learning Coach Service program. These classes will be held in the early afternoon ( and possibly in the mornings).

Classes we are planning on offering this fall are Ballet I and II, Ballet Technique Class, Jazz I and II, Tap I and II. Pre-Tumble and Dance will also be offered for our Preschool and Pre-K students that are registered in the Move-N-Learn Academy. By offering earlier classes, these student will be able to blend their training into their school day and receive many benefits of physical activity and more.

Also offered in the earlier class periods will be group music and vocal as well as art.

Those interested in the classes need to pre-register by May 1st to be assured the class will be held. A delay in registration could mean the class could be filled or dropped from the schedule.

Registration for the Learning Coach Services is also due by May 1st.

The Unmentioned Heroes

Recently in class, a conversation broke out among students approximately age 9-12 years of age. The conversation turned to heroes. One of the things that I noticed was that the majority of the heroes that they admired were actually cartoon heroes and not real people that they could actually look up to. Really? What is wrong with that?

It was not that I wanted them to mention dancers or musicians, although throughout history there have been many worth mentioning. Like one of my heroes from childhood that always changed a bad situation into a wink and a smile, Shirley Temple. But it would of been nice if it had not been a pretend action hero.

Heroes should be people that have made a difference in our society. Whether they meant to or not, they changed us and changed us for the good. Heroes should be those that have made a stand or a high commitment and saw it through. Someone that was brave, even if they did not feel brave every moment of their life.

But true heroes are people that do not even realize that they are held in high honor. People that are just trying to get through the day, the week, the month, the year. People that work hard and do not even know that some people notice.

A few years back we had a hero here at our studio and she never knew it. No one even mentioned her as a hero and maybe we did not realize she was at the time, because all of us were just trying to get through the day, the week, the month, the year.

There was a parent that had her children in classes with us. The oldest had been in class for some time actually, when their life changed. You see, the husband and dad, decided he did not want to be a family any more. Being high school sweethearts was not enough to carry them through.

I remember the day the mom came to me and told me the story of how it all unfolded and that she would have to take her children out of classes. I remember my heart sinking , not because I was going to loose multiple students, but because I just did not know how this could of happened to someone so sweet. I remember looking at her and thinking she is so brave and I am going to fall to pieces any moment!

Because of the trauma that I felt the children were going through, I told her to not pull the children out. I asked that she allow them to finish at least the year because I thought that dance could be an outlet for them. No charge! It was what I felt I needed to do, and I am very certain that there are many other teachers that have done or would do the same. We are attached to our students like they are part of our family.

This mother, someone I had known many years and way before either of us had any children, looked at me and said only if I can pay for it by helping some way. She became our new janitor that day.

But more than that she became a hero that day. You see, this is not about a poor mom stuck with kids, no job and no husband. This is about a woman that took on the challenge of life! She had the ability to change things and she did.

She got a job. Actually two jobs in fast food restaurants (plus still doing janitorial for her children's classes) because she had no work history for others to hire her. Marrying her high school sweetheart and raising kids was her job for years. But, shed no tears because from two fast food establishments, she eventually made it to some college and then to the director of one of the best daycares in the area. Still raising kids.

But that is not the end of the story. She continued to work at raising her beautiful children, they continued over the years to take classes from us. She eventually continued her education and completed her degree. Children moved on to college. Now they are married. A grandparent!

In between she did re-marry for a time and took care of her own parents. Eventually, she moved away to be closer to her children and grandchildren.

I wonder at times if she realized what a great story she has created for her children to hand down to her grandchildren? I wonder if she ever knew that others sat back and wondered how she ever did it. I wonder if anyone ever realized how much power this one quiet woman really has.  I wonder if she knew that she is some ones hero. Probably not, because some of the best heroes never even knew that they were changing the game of life because they did not know someone was watching.

So maybe today we should all watch and notice unmentioned heroes. And instead of being quiet about it, maybe we should speak up and tell them, "You know, I've learned a lot from you. Thanks for being my hero today."

Here is to unmentioned heroes. See if you can find a few to learn from too. Now take THAT Batman! ((POW))!!

Mean Mary James To Visit Academy of Fine Arts Students

In case you have not heard, Mean Mary James will be visiting our school on March 28th to have a meet and great with our students. All students, no matter what department they are in at our school, can attend this event at 6:00 pm in our Woodward location.


The purpose of the meet and greet is to allow our students to meet a professional performer! Mary James is a musician and vocalist with a great story that has led her to where she is today. Follow and accident that damaged her vocal chords, Mary James knows that it takes a love for what you do, dedication and commitment, and never giving up when times seem hard to achieve your dream.


Although she performs under the name of Mean Mary James, there is absolutely nothing mean about her but her fast banjo picking! Mary plays eleven different instruments, has co-authored books and written her own music and songs.


After the meet and greet, Mary will be forming a small concert venue at the Josie Adams Cultural Center. We hope that all our parents will want to attend with family and friends since this is also a fundraiser to purchase more equipment for our school. the concert starts at 7:00 pm with food and beverages first. (Students can stay at our school for a movie, pizza and popcorn for only $10 per person! Now that is a cheap baby sitter!)


We think that you will be amazed by Mary James journey and her music and hope you will plan to purchase tickets and attend.

Why A Dance Education Versus Just Learning A Dance?

There are many different types of dance studios around our nation. And rightly so because not all families are looking for the same thing when it comes to placing their children in a dance program.

There are the "activity" studios. These are the ones that can come up with great activity style classes that only run six to eight weeks at a time. Low commitment and made for fun and to give the parents a break from their children once in awhile.

There are "lets learn a dance" studios that start teaching a dance at the beginning of the season and take the entire season to complete or polish it.

There are "competition" studios where every class in the studio, with maybe the exception of the baby classes, compete. That is their goal and target. Attend competitions.

There are the studios that see what they do as an education. They not only teach dances, but actually how to dance. Techniques is important and impressed upon their students because they want to be sure if these students do one day decide to audition for a university dance department or for a professional show, that they have the skills and training to make it.

Take these four types of studios and you will see even a different blend. Such as the Educational Studio that understands and can meet the educational side with still allowing a few students to compete. Why only a few? Because they are hand selected and not open called for auditions. These hand selected students are ones that parents understand that this is more that just getting on a stage and getting a trophy. It is about performance value and learning about performance.

Then there is the studio that the competitions are actually an activity because not enough time is spent on technique, but instead tricks to make the audience yell out for them (have you ever experience yelling "get it girl" during a Nutcracker performance by a professional company?). Although entertaining, these dancers seldom go on to higher levels of dance opportunities, and even if they tried they are generally turned away.

Dance is an education of movement, correct sequences and technique in execution. It should be fun or your child will not enjoy it. It should be measurable or your child will not know if they are advancing or not. It should be balanced with technique and learning a dance.

Yes, dance is an education. So is performance. An education that can take them to as high as they want to achieve, if they have the right start.