Aim High Dance Studio

Did you or your child take classes with us previously? Or are you considering classes for yourself or your child for the near future?
If you would like to stop by to see the school and visit with me, we are hosting a Holiday Open House! We are decorated for the holidays and we have a couple games out.

Prospective families: I would love to give you a tour and tell you about our programs!

Previous Cheryl’s Dance and Aim High Dance families: I’d love to see and visit with you!

Wed Dec 17: 5:30-6:30, 7:30-8:30
Fri Dec 19: time TBA
Sat Dec 20: time TBA

Also, we’ll be offering a decoupage workshop sometime this weekend Fri-Sun, day/time TBA

Our Fall Festival is tomorrow, 5-7pm! Click on the picture for more details!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Upcoming events at our location (Arts In Motion). More details coming soon!

An Art Workshop is Wed. Oct. 29th. Enrollment for this workshop is open to the public. More details coming soon!

Our FALL FESTIVAL is Thur. Oct. 30th, 5-7pm FREE Admission!

We will be opening up new dance class sessions soon! Contact us for more info!

It’s WELLNESS WEDNESDAY!

Take care of your wellness, both mind and body, because YOU ARE WORTH IT!

https://www.facebook.com/MindsssCanvas/posts/pfbid052Fy2V2ddnaJDQgRDZdCRy6aGDwfRGdEKZX3176V651c7xA4XF9H7sujFVszUa9El

Practicing gratitude is more than just a feel-good habit, it has profound effects on your brain. Every time you consciously express thankfulness, your brain physically rewires itself, strengthening neural pathways that support positive thinking and emotional resilience.

This rewiring happens because gratitude activates regions of the brain associated with reward, motivation, and social bonding. Over time, these repeated activations reinforce circuits that make it easier for you to notice and appreciate positive experiences, creating a natural cycle of optimism and emotional strength.

In addition to improving your mood, regularly practicing gratitude can reduce stress, enhance empathy, and even boost immune function. Small acts, such as keeping a gratitude journal, verbally thanking someone, or reflecting on the positive aspects of your day, can accumulate to produce lasting changes in your brain chemistry.

By consciously focusing on what you appreciate, you shift your attention away from negativity and train your brain to seek out the good in your surroundings. This neurological adaptation makes it easier to respond to challenges with resilience, approach life with a more hopeful perspective, and build stronger relationships.

The beauty of gratitude is that it’s simple, accessible, and backed by science. You don’t need expensive tools or complicated routines—just a few moments of reflection each day can physically shape your brain to support positivity and well-being.

Incorporating gratitude into your daily life is a small practice with profound impact, transforming not just your mindset but also the way your brain functions at a fundamental level.

It's WELLNESS WEDNESDAY!

For this "2 inhale 1 exhale" breath, take 2 quick sniffs with your nose, then slowly exhale out your mouth.

This is an easy method to remember! Practice it a few times when you're not stressed, bring a reminder of the method with you to a situation when you anticipate some minor stress, and then sometime when you have significant stress and are in need of this breathing method, you'll be more likely to remember it because you practiced it before!

Take care of your wellness, both mind and body, because YOU ARE WORTH IT!

“TEACHING MEMORIES: Can’t Wait Another Week” Diary entry from Fall 2021

The best part of my day was teaching my new beginner students and visiting with their parents! 🙂 They did GREAT for their first day!! I'm so proud of them!! 😃

One of the new students in the Chayon-Ryu class had just gotten enrolled today, about half an hour before the class was to start. The parents had planned on their child beginning next week, not tonight. But when they left and went out to the car, their child got upset because they wanted to start tonight! Aw! So, they came right back inside! 🙂

Classes are still open for enrollment! Contact us for more info!

From the DEEP THOUGHTS Series: “Making Space for Self-Correction & Other Teaching Principles” An Essay on Teaching Philosophy (written 2021, revised 2025)

Often, the best thing a teacher can do for a student is to NOT give corrections. Why? It can interrupt a student's learning process and even possibly frustrate them.

Whether it's dance, martial arts, music, sports, or any other activity...
When the teacher demonstrates or gives verbal instructions, it takes time for the students to understand the material, to understand what they are hearing or seeing. And then, it takes time to coordinate the body.

Students are not always able to execute something perfectly the first times they try it, even if they know, on an intellectual level, how it is supposed to be done. It takes time to coordinate the body; some students it takes more time that others. If students are doing the best that they can to do what they already know what they should do, barking out that correction repeatedly may frustrate them. They might become harder on themselves, in an unhealthy way, and evaluate themselves unfairly harsh. The increased stress can decrease their brain's and body's functioning, slowing down their progress.

Self-correction is an important part of learning. As teachers demonstrate, and students watch and try, they will get better naturally over time even without any verbal corrections added. Of course, sometime verbal corrections are very much needed. The trick is to figure out when to give it and how.

To illustrate: When my 3-4 year olds are first learning how to do shuffles in tap dance class, I don't give corrections. I can see in their face and their body that they are trying their best to make sense of what they are seeing me do and coordinate their body to match. It's a difficult step, it takes time to get it, and over time they will self-correct naturally. I don't tell them "put your foot in the back, not the front!" or "hit the floor with your foot!"

Eventually, when I see that their bodies and faces look more sure of themselves, I see that they are ready for more verbal guidance. Corrections are usually directed to the entire class first, even if it is just one student needing that guidance. Many students will then self-correct without feeling singled out or critiqued. When that's not enough, then individual corrections are given.

When students are given space to self-correct, to figure things out on their, this creates an encouraging and patient environment. Students are given the opportunity to naturally develop their coordination and body awareness and to feel a sense of accomplishment and gain confidence in themselves because they figured it out. This is a space conducive to students feeling patient with themselves as they try to learn.

Conversely, if instructors are too quick to give corrections too soon and too numerous, this creates an environment that can feel impatient and judgmental. Students may then internalize that and become stressed, frustrated, and judge themselves too harshly and unfairly. They may become discouraged and want to give up.
That is not to say that teachers should *never* give corrections, but that a teacher should be mindful of WHAT to correct, WHEN to correct, HOW to correct, and HOW MANY corrections to give. Is the student ready for that correction? What will help them to face the challenge of improving with a positive, motivated, confident, healthy attitude? Which corrections are they mentally and physically ready for? How many corrections can they handle?

When I do give the verbal guidance, directed to the class or individual, I aim to give corrections in a supportive “do” language rather than negative “don’t” language. And I use an encouraging tone rather than a scolding one. For instance, when my students kick with the right foot only instead of switching feet, I might say "Your right foot is doing a great job! Can you try that on your left foot?" and then "That’s it! And can you let your feet take turns?" That is more supportive than "Don't do it with just your right foot! You need to change feet!" (Of course, the exact phrasing and tone I use vary depending on the ages of the students in the class.)

Making space for students to self-correct, being mindful of how many corrections to give at once, directing corrections to the group (rather than singling someone out), being encouraging (rather than shaming), are some of the ways to create a space that is conducive to a positive learning experience, better learning outcomes, and healthier attitudes towards themselves.

These teaching principles are useful for all ages, whether students are children, teens, or adults. I use these principles in teaching both dance and martial arts, and these principles can be adapted to teaching other skills and subjects.

I have over 30 years of teaching experience. I teach dance and martial arts. Students range from age 3 to adult. I continue to hold a growth mindset and thus strive to continually increase my knowledge and understanding regarding the teaching and learning process, child development, and other relevant topics, and improve in my performance as an instructor.

Our first entry in this new series!

“TEACHING MEMORIES: Overcoming Shyness” Diary entry from 2022

My heart is so full!!! I had an awesome class with new students! They did great!! One young dancer was too shy to participate, but at least she came into the classroom to watch. She cried quietly but she was calm and watched. After class in the lobby the dancers and I showed the mommies what they learned.

I asked the shy one if she wanted to try it after the others left. There in the lobby she tried each exercise and dance step with me!!! My heart was bursting. I gave her lots of praise and high fives and a color page because I was so proud of her for being brave and overcoming her shyness. She relaxed more and started to smile a little bit. I told her to tell her mom “I’m a big girl”. I asked her 3 questions- are you proud of you, is mommy proud of you, am I proud of you - and for each question she gave a tiny smile and nod.

Seeing my students work on overcoming shyness and nervousness, trying to be brave, growing in confidence and pride are amongst my most favorite things in the world. It fills my heart so much.

We have a several new series of posts starting up reflecting memories, experiences, and philosophy as a dance and karate instructor!!! These will be posts taken from my personal diary of memories from over the years, from teaching dance, teaching martial arts, and other duties related to putting on a dance recital. I've taught for 35 years so I have many wonderful memories to share!

Posts will be made once or twice weekly. Stay tuned!
Series will include:
"TEACHING MEMORIES"
"DEEP THOUGHTS" (teaching philosophy, etc)
"RECITAL PREP LIFE"
and there may be more in the future...

A little tap dance humor!