Inside a Dance Studio is a blog hosted by Pegasus Studios with the aim of celebrating, discussing and learning about how dance can help support and foster healthy and happy children, adolescents and adults. This blog is inspired by our experiences as teachers and owners of Pegasus Studios, a dance studio primarily dedicated to art and health in children, from the ages of 2-20, give or take a few years!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Inside the Dance Bag

What’s inside your dance bag? We asked the dancers at Pegasus to find out what goes inside the perfect dance bag!

We got some pretty funny responses, like; a grandfather clock, ham and whipped cream.

But here’s a list of what our dancers seriously put in their bags:

• Dance outfit

• Water bottle

• Character skirt

• Ballet shoes

• Pegasus T-shirt

• Dance sweater

• Brush

• iPod

• Hairpins

• Pencil or pen and paper

• Hair elastics

• Hair band

• Foot Undez

• Crackers and cheese or a granola bar

• Book

• Name tag

• Hair spray

And lots of other good stuff too. The most important thing about a good dance bag is to make sure the essentials are ALWAYS in there. What are the essentials? The three things that you can’t dance without: class uniform, hair kit and a water bottle. Although, some of the things on the list above are also really important. It is a great idea to bring a snack. After a dance class or between dance classes it is important to nourish yourself, a granola bar is an easy and mess free snack to keep in your dance bag. A name tag on your dance bag and your other dancewear is important when you have the same uniform as everyone else in your class. It can be difficult to distinguish between two pink leotards without a name tag! A dance sweater is always nice, especially in the winter. It can be cold at the start of the class before you’ve fully warmed up, so a proper dance sweater that still allows you to move can be nice and cozy for the first few exercises. But remember, let your dance bag breathe now and then, take your shoes out and leave it open one night.

We'd love to hear what you have in your dance bag. Use the comment feature below to let us know.



Tuesday, February 9, 2010

The History of Dances of Offering

Dances of Offering began nine years ago in 2001. The dream was to create a show that joined the talents of professional performers with those of students to raise money for a local charity. The first shows were held at Pegasus Studios but in 2007 we moved to the Al Green Theatre at the JCC. Last year’s performance took place at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts and this year we are excited to be at the Betty Oliphant Theatre. As our venues are growing so are our profits. In 2001 we raised around $2,000 for donation and last year we raised over $5,000, with a sold our performance! Our charities are chosen specifically to reflect the values of Pegasus Studios and the issues that resonate with the faculty and students involved in the show. Our past charities have included Sheena’s Place, The Food Bank, Red Door Shelter, Robin Rock’s On and others. This year we are proud to be dancing in celebration and support of Liam’s Light! Hope to see you at the show!