Why Gymnastics For Boys???

According to some sports psychologists, organized, competitive sports are better for the child if introduced after age 10 years. The reason being is so that the child actually has a chance to learn and develop physical literacy. It is the physical literacy that then turns a young man into an outstanding athlete.

Physical literacy is everything that we once thought that PE in school took care of. But it appears that it is a false assumption that physical literacy is actually being taught. Instead, most time in PE classes, if they still have them, actually was  or is spent on games  more than anything.

Physical literacy is when a person actually learns how to jump, how to throw, how to target. It is the eye hand and eye foot coordination we have heard about for year!  It is the ability to see and initiate the movement before it is actually needed (some call this court sight or field sight).

The best environment for learning physical literacy turns out to actually be a gymnastics or dance class. Maybe this is why you hear of professional athletes going into ballet classes, yoga and adult gymnastic classes to be able to raise their levels as they age.

Gymnastics is the one class that can teach a boy how to jump, hop off one leg (called a hurdel in gymnastics and a lay up in basketball), move laterally while staying focused with the mind and eyes, power run, skip, throw, catch, target, balance, stick and much much more. Gymnastics (and dance) builds power in the legs without shortening the muscles (therefore allowing for a longer stride). Gymnastics works amplitude in jumps and movement. Gymnastics keeps you stretched out and teaches and challenges the limits of the body.

Gymnastics may just be to perfect training ground for other sports! Check out what classes are available for your child today!

How can I get my young child to practice???

For children under age 6 years, the answer is, "you don't". Very young students live their daily lives for the fun of things. And being forced to tap their feet or sit at an instrument for a certain period of time to practice will only cause a very unhappy child who will eventually act out in class.

The best way to help a young student to practice is through imagination and play! Have your young dancer or gymnast pretend to be the teacher and teach their teddy bears, dolls and imaginary friends the steps and movements. When you hear them use terminology from class, such a "shuffle step", "plie" or "ankle fish" and attempt to demonstrate it to their class, you know they are learning and now they are practicing!  

Young musicians can be asked to teach the parent a song on the instrument they are learning. Their favorite teddy bear or toy can always join the lesson.   And sometimes a grandparent, with all of their charm and praise for your child, can get several minutes of work from the young student, that a parent never can.

Best of all, young dancers, gymnasts and musicians can use their skills and imagination for weekend performances for family and friends. Just be sure it is their idea and their imagination at work. Never pass up an opportun ity for a performance, even if your minister is the captured guest in your home.  These performances will become treasured memories in the parents life later on. Memories that you would not trade for anything.  

January Start for Pageant Modeling and Voice class

Mondays in January at 4:00 pm will be the begining of a class for young students interested in pageants! The focus of the class will be modeling, interview, [oise, voice projection, vocal instruction and group dance. Those in the class will have an opportunity to book private instruction in the areas they have interest or need assistance in such as dance solos, piano solos, violin solos, flute. voice and more.

The class is limited in size and will offer two different teachers with specialities in voice instruction and pageant work. The students will spend half an hour with one teacher and the last half of the hour with another. Both teachers are well qualified.

Be sure to check out our website soon to find out about this class that starts January 9th! Registration is now open online.

For information on the Miss NW Passage Pageants and sister pageants, just go to  http://missnwpassage.com/

Blue Jean Tap Dance

If you would love to learn to tap, but just are not into the glitzy costumes, Blue Jean Tap may just be for you! We are offering the class on Tuesdays for ages 6th-11th grade and on Wednesdays for adults ages 17 yrs and older. You can wear your blue jeans to class if you want to, just make sure they are stretchy and not too long to dance in! No leotards are needed for this class, but recommend them for warmth and form under your blue jeans or if you are staying for a jazz or ballet class.

These classes are for those who have never taken tap to those who took when they were younger! and is opento guys and gals. Young college age adults will love the classes as well as those who are older! See our website online registration page today for more information. The classes start in January and registration is being taken! Dont'miss out on the fun.

Boys Jump & Kick Gymnastics

Jump & Kick Gymnastics is a class like no other and is offered in our Woodward location! The next class begins in January and enrollment is now open to save placement. The class is limited to 10.

This class is for boys ages 4 1/2-8 years and is for the guy that just cannot stand still for a moment! Climbing, kicking, jumping, dive rolling, flipping and more fill this class to the brim with huge activity. Ninja type movements help to keep the students interest level high.There still are the gymnastic fundamentals that helps with focus, concentration, respect, responsibilty, flexibilty, strength in body and character. It is a great motor and body awareness class that will transfer to a better sports ability in the future for the student.

Although high energy, the class does teach self control of the body and mind while incorporating chararcter skills. This class is not an agressive striking class like martial arts. It also is not a parkour class.

Why Dance May Be What Your Pre-Teen/Teen Needs

The Pre-teen and Teen years can be fun and difficult for the child and parent alike. For those living through those years,especially the pre-teens and teens, it can be confusing, emotional, and stressful.

Dance can be one of the best forces in dealing with the ups and downs of the pre-teen and teen years. Just ask the successful former students that now find themselves as doctors, mental health experts, teachers, graphic designers, real estate professional, financial planners, academics and more.

Dance gives a pre-teen or teen a safe avenue for creativity and expression when they feel that they are being shut down in other areas of their life. Dance also allows them an escape into something physical, and so it can relieve stress and emotions of the day, thus allowing them to be more calm and focused in school and at home. Working and moving with the music has an extra added benefit of connecting right brain and left brain activity.

Dance can be an escape for some teens and we have experienced that the most when there is difficulty at home, such as a pending divorce or illness of a parent or other family member. The studio can be a haven at these times of great stress and emotional upheaval. Over the years, some former students have actually stated that the studio is what saved them.

On a more upbeat leavel, dance can offer your young teens a better self image and higher self confidence (as demonstrated in the second paragraph of this article referring to former students). It can lift them beyond their current feelings and bring creativity and dreaming back into their lives.

Dance helps a young person to set goals and to learn to meet the smaller goals (process goals) that leads to the accomplishment of the main goal. Dance allows exploration without intimidation and humiliation. No one laughs at another in their dance class (if it does happen, then your child is at the wrong studio) because they are all working for the same goal. Dance teaches a young teen about true cooperation and not competition with others in the class.

Dance can bring back a smile to your teens face and sense of accomplishment when everywhere around them they feel like they cannot measure up to the standards. Dance will challenge them physically, mentally, emotionally. Dance can be the path to future successes in life.

Dance changes lives!

*Check out our face book page for the Woodward location at facebook.com/tumbledance&cheerproductions to leanr more about how dance has changed the lives of former students. Follow us on Twitter @FineArtsofOK

Only Strong Men Dance!

In case you missed the news, JR Martinez won the mirror ball trophy from Dancing With The Stars. Over the weeks, Jr has improved alot. But he has done more than that. As an American Veteran, actor, motivational speaker and now an award winning dancer, JR has proven that only strong men dance. To put everything on the line for ten weeks in a row and a willingness to risk his image on national television, JR has demonstrated determination, courage, camaraderie, cooperation, loyalty, patience, focus, self discipline and the abilty to meet a goal.

Dancing challenged him and push him forward to a whole new knowlege about his body and his mind, I am sure. Dancing is one of the toughest sports around and carries some of the biggest benefits for everyone that participates. But most of all, it can give young men and young boys a better sense of who they are and who they can be with the right focus.

Rob Kardashian stated on GMA this morning that the competition changed him as a person and his partner highly agreed. Dancing with a partner or even in a group, can help a person beome more focused on meeting the needs of others and not just being self focused all of the time. It can help you to dicover your personal weaknesses and strengths.

Dance lessons for boys and young men have been talked about for generations. It has also been a topic of criticism towards those that do dance versus any other sport. But the ones that truly get it, are those families that support their sons dancing and performing. How many other sports does the runner up come off the floor or the field still feeling good about themselves and not defeated??

Dance changes lives. Parents should be lining up to get their boys into dance classes. With role models such as JR and Rob ( and all of the other male dancers that have participated in DWTS and other dance programs), life is changing for male dancers. It is now cool to be a dancer. It is athletic. It is focused and goal oriented. Only the strong dance! It is time to get into a class!

Dance changes lives!