I'll read that tonight, sorry I forgot about it

And the admin link! https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5579737006

Are we doing showcases today?

I usually like to do them every other week, but it's Francis's first day back and I want to give him time to get started on his material today and use the full class time he has. Let's plan for next week?

Happy hump day everyone! How are everyone’s classes going? What’s going well for you this week and what are you still fine tuning?

Hi everyone! I’m loving all of the halloween routines I’ve seen so far! All of them have been uploaded to the drive so please let your students know that they can log into the website and scroll down to the bottom of their dashboard to view these for practice 🙂 If you ever need to record your routine but there isn’t someone available to record for you, we do have 3-4 tripods in the studio. There should be one under the front desk should you need to borrow it

We will be sharing competition routines at the last 15 minutes of class this week! I will also be our second round selections for which routines will be selected to perform at the January convention during our showings these week. I should be able to announce decisions to staff next week and then you will be able to announce to your classes during class. Thank so guys for all of the sub coverage this week and last! You all are awesome and we appreciate all of the help. Please remember to include these hours on your timesheets

Good morning teachers! I just wanted to thank everyone for coming in yesterday to participate in our dance sharing sessions! You all gave some fantastic feedback to our dancers and I love getting to collaborate with each other to help better our own choreographic abilities as well as our dancer’s growth. We will continue sharing today and Thursday as well! We would love to have the recreational classes also come in during this time and share their halloween dances to also be included (this also gives them practice dancing in front of an audience before their end of the month sharing)!! Ballet I can come in at 5:10 followed by Primary Ballet and Lyrical I/II at 6:10. If your classes don’t yet have halloween dances to share that’s perfectly okay! They can still come to watch our routine and give any feedback. As always, any teachers in the lobby who are not in class yet are also very welcome to also come in to help give feedback and corrections. Everyone’s dances are looking really great so far! I’m so excited to see how they continue to grow and progress over time!

👀 👀 Ms. Torie may or may not have spent the last several hours deep deep deep into dance research and inspiration. Prepare to recieve a flood of information and videos tomorrow in the dance education Channel 😄 this is what Saturday nights has become in the Warren house hold

Phew! It’s been a long weekend! I hope you guys were able to get some rest and relaxation in! I’m definitely feeling inspired and ready for the week (but a little less rested than I’d like 🤦🏾‍♀️) I’ve created a google doc jam packed full of information for you guys that I will link here. It includes the following information: • Upcoming dates for events halloween parties, workshops, competition team events • Dates for competitions, conventions, and recital • Decisions on which dances will perform in the convention to receive feedback and corrections from the instructors • Leveling for routines for KAR • Examples of the caliber of talent at each of these levels • Technique drills and exercises to consider integrating into your class https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NENBJm9_qlP3x6NroTZR7RLmrAthnr31Yx0a5LrdEIk/edit?usp=sharing I will also be sending competition choreographers direct feedback in their DMs for their routines from what I saw last week Idk if this is helpful to anyone but here is me breaking down my own choreography and giving myself feedback on what I can strengthen, what’s working, and what’s not. It how I study my routines each week with the videos and what helps me know what to work on the next class. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TwfuIFTu_PkzuUqrKnb6L5ZPKSuZCis5/view?usp=sharing Lastly here is a great video for anyone teaching technique classes or technique styles. It breaks down the across the floor pattern I described last month as well as breakdown a quick warm up stretch (I didn’t record the slow breakdown and this is just her running through it quickly, but she clarifies that every stretch is with square hips and long spines, until it intentionally releases the spine or opens the hip. Our student stretch so much open that they forget how to square their hips!) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aSZwZ_flNTpuNGFW_B7JD_T5UAeds1x5/view?usp=sharing So sorry for the late night delivery, obviously this is not intended for you to watch tonight. Just need to send it off before my week gets even more hectic than my weekend 🙂 Let me know if you have questions!!! Hope this helps and inspires you as it did me!

Also, I sent this here but please be sure to join the dance educators channel for more content like this in the future 🙂

Good morning everyone! I sent this in a group instagram message (because that's the easiest way to send instagram content) but sending here as well because I don't think I'm following everyone on instagram. See below: Hi everyone! I've made an Instagram guides of my favorite flexibility exercises I've been loving incorporating this month! Here is the link; I'll be sharing in slack as well. I've got a guide coming for Tumbling exercises and new skill variations as well! https://www.instagram.com/torie_chamelle/guide/ms-tories-favorite-flexibility-exercises-october/17842705862674640/?utm_medium=copy_link

Good morning everyone! Just a friendly remember that tonight is the staff meeting via zoom tonight 7-8 pm! A view updates/reminders from me then spending the majority of the time conversing on how classes are going so far. Link to follow!

Update: with so many staff members out of town, unable to make it, and/or out sick I think it would be more productive to reschedule this meet up to November 4th. Please reply to RSVP and save the day and time in your calendar (700 800 staff, 8:00 admin). Please note we will still have both the November 19th and December 17th meetings that are already on the calendar. November is a big month for getting things set and finalized before winter break approaches so it will be helpful to keep both meetings for this month Until then, please find time to reply to the messages I send in this thread as it is still important that we touch base on how things are going this month, especially if we aren't able to make a full staff meeting

I will be teaching November 4th from 7-8pm but can get caught up on what was discussed I originally mentioned that I was not able to make the Nov 19th team meeting - but I can't find the conflict on my calendar, so will keep you updated for this meeting. I have put December 17th on my calendar.

I’m starting a new weekly event called Wednesday Wins to help us share more with each other, celebrate the wins we have in the classroom (big and small), and give a little extra support to each other mid-week. Each week in the teacher-collaboration channel we will all share some classroom wins we experienced within the last 7 days! I’ll start with this week’s. My wins from this week are as follows: • All of my mini movers performed their halloween dance last week! This was their first time dancing in front of an audience and I was worried they’d get stage fright but they all had a blast and several of them asked to dance for an audience again this week 😁 • I’ve been trying to figure out why I wasn’t in love with my “Love On Top” tap routine even after adding in more levels, formations, and intricacy of rhythm. They were performing and giving great energy but it just wasn’t resonating with me. I finally found what I think the issue is and have a direction and plan to remedy it this week! I’ll touch back in next week and share if it solved the problem! • Lastly, my little jazz dancers in my “Glam Girls” and tappers in “Friend Like Me” dance are just blowing me away this season. I’ve given them material that I was worried would be a little too advanced for them and they have risen to the occasion! They joined competition team the year of covid so they haven’t actually ever been on a competition stage and are now making their debut in the 9-11 division instead of the 8 and under they would have been in had they performed pre-covid and they are just crushing it! 🎉 <!channel> I’d love to hear from each of you guys and hear some wins that have happened for you all this week and last week

A few things that I have enjoyed: • after every class a few dancers want to show me their calypsos (think that's how you spell it lol) . This has happened over the last few weeks and every week it just brings me joy because they have been practicing on their own and want to show me the improvement plus also ask for things to work on. I provide them congrats + one small thing they can tweak and work on through the week and it really helps with building blocks and individual focus instead of getting overwhelmed on everything that needs to be remembered while performing the trick • Last week during flexibility, we focused on backs and scorpions - then the following day the dancers were excited to tell me that they got it and one dancer even said it was fun . It's been a good combination of bringing fun + determination into flexibility classes and trying to get them to want the challenge.

Love this!! Madeline Koller just came up to me yesterday super excited to tell me how close she is to getting her scorpion that she’s been working on in flexibility! They are definitely enjoying learning new skills with you and making great progress 💜 Love seeing them so enthused and passionate!

That is great 🥰

Wins! • Sana has been improving so much! She was rushing a bit and not really in tune with the music, but now she is getting it!!! She’s listening to the music and feeling her body~ so awesome! • my mini’s are doing incredibly well~ yes we still need to clean a lot, but when I give them critiques they are eager to learn and quickly apply them! • my older teams are slowly starting to listen to the music~ they were all rushing and lifting their bodies up, but now they are trying to be one with the music and release~

Yeeeessss!! I feel like musicality is always one of the last things to settle in because in the beginning so much of their energy and focus is just on knowing what comes next, but now that they’ve settled in a little more into the choreographic they can really start puzzle piecing in the musicality and artistry! Love that!

Some wins for me: • My musical theatre students have been starting to come out of their shells!! This week I gave them a dance where the roles are opposite of their selves, and they’ve been getting really into it. • My pre-pointe students are working so hard on and off of pointe. Annabelle and Michelle started doing turns on pointe, and the other students have started to try harder in every aspect of the class working up to it. After talking with my normal pointe shoe fitter/cobbler, we’re trying to find the perfect shoe for Etta. She should be going up at the end of this month! • Verna has been rocking her solo. She’s starting to get more comfortable with the steps I’ve given her, and she likes to add her sass. She has this part in her routine where she has a beautiful leg hold into a tilt which she keeps coming up to me and saying that she’s practicing it.

So exciting!!! I love seeing the girls getting more and more confident in their pointe shoes and I’m that’s been a very clear aspiration for the students in the class still working on building up the strength and dexterity to reach that goal! So happy to hear it’s looking like we will be able to find a safe shoe for Etta’s body! Thumbs up for performance increase for musical theatre and verna’s solo! Verna has this special quality about her where she always takes feedback and critiques with a smile and loves to work to get better each time. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that little girl with a frown on her face 💜 even post bike accident she came in bandaged up just smiling away happy to be back in class with her friends

My biggest win right now is a selfish one. I’m so happy to be healthy and back in the studio! I missed all of my dancers so much! And the downtime was very healing for me. Next week, Im going to start taking some time at the beginning of each of my tumbling classes to talk about self care and the importance of body awareness and some other topics. Diaphragmatic breathing, stretching, not throwing skills, general safety. Little things while we warm up so they can be more rounded athletes.

Happy Wednesday friends! It's time for this week's Wednesday Wins! -My tumbling II 12 and unders are killing the game right now! Liana got her back hand spring with no spot on the tumble track and we progressed in to the floor with a slight spot. Naomi hit her aerial on her own with no spot on the floor but we are still working on consistency. Every single dancer in that class has a consistent back walk over and can hit them 5/5 times! So much hard work and progress! -Etta Jacksons solo is hard as heck this season but she is rising to the occasion and doing so well! Lots of new skills and a super confident persona that she is fully committing to when portraying the character in her routine! -My tap I/II students are understanding rhythm and syncopation so much more now and the gap between the level I and level II students enrolled is slowly starting to close as the level I students learn and advance more and more each week! What are some of your wins from this week we can celebrate?

Wednesday Wins!! It's been a minute! If you haven't been back in the studio since winter break please feel free to share a previous win, a highlight of your winter break, or something you're looking forward to coming back this week: • My competition routines are looking pretty good coming back from winter break! It's always interested to see what state the routines will be in after being closed for three weeks but I'm really happy with how they looked by the end of class yesterday! • We've got 10+ new trial students joining us this week!! Yay for adding to the ASI student family 🎉 • I've got some new hires to co-teach my baby classes with me (Baby boogie, tiny tots, and mini movers)! If you teach on Thursdays and Saturdays you'll be seeing them around next week, as well as a new TA for our ballet classes!! • Looking forward to all of the conventions, workshops, and competition team events coming up for our kiddos! They deserve it after this past year and a half and I know they are very much looking forward to seeing a season that resembles normalcy!

Hi everyone! Just checking in specifically in regards to training level/maximum effort output from students. Looking more so at competition students but also can be applied to all of our students. I'm generally finding that right now everyone is training at about 60-70% of their full capacity/potential. I'd like to see that number hovering more closely to the 90-95% range. My students and I have been at odds all week regarding the expectations I set not being met, see examples below: • Dancers not wearing their competition shoes to class to rehearse in, especially the week of competition • Corrections that we made last week (and the week before that and the week before that) not being applied and having to be restated • Dancers buns/ponytails falling out multiple times mid class because they weren't secured properly to begin with • Dancers arriving late to class and not hussling in quickly, but instead walking in slowly with their shoes not on ready to dance • Dancers not performing as if they are on stage every run, including facial expressions and energy level • Dancers not knowing choreography the week on competition (doing the wrong counts, arms, etc) • Lastly, dancers simply not trying their best. My super line on Wednesday has 29 of our competition students. I stopped them mid-performance yesterday and asked them to close their eyes. I asked them to raise their hand if the performance they just gave was their 110% best, not if it was perfect or flawless, but if they were simply giving it their all and was what they would do if they were actually on stage. 4 dancers raised their hand out of 29 That last note really underlines what I'm seeing and what I'm frustrated with. That less than one quarter of our dancers are giving their all each and every day. That's not the type of culture I'm looking to instill at ASI Dance Elite. Our students have all the potential in the world and oftentimes don't have the work ethic to realize that potential. Here are the two things I posed to them yesterday. 1.) When you place 10th overall but feel you should have place higher, start asking yourself "did I work harder than every one of the other dancers that placed ninth - first?" If the answer is no then you know what you need to do. 2.) It's march now, and all 85% of you guys just admitted that the effort you were giving me just now was not 110% Imaging how amazing you'd be by now if every since day one of this season you came in giving 110% in all of your classes. If every single week in your ballet, hip-hop, tap, jazz, leaps & turns, etc classes you left feeling exhausted and fulfilled, sore the next day, working at home to apply your corrections so that the next class you had you were given a new opportunity to become great rather than being given the same correction you got last week. Imagine how unstoppable you would be now? Don't waste any more time on your path to greatness. I just wanted to share this with you all because to be honest our dancers don't expect enough form themselves. They set their expectations and standards low, and I want us to raise those for them until they start raising them on their own. We don't accept the ponytails and buns falling out, we don't accept them not dancing full out, we don't accept them not fixing the corrections we've given them 10 times before, and we certainly don't accept them giving anything less than their best in the classroom. I'm finding this issue across the board from our youngest dancers to our oldest dancers, from the novice to the advanced which shows that it's a studio culture issue and not an isolated occurrence so if we can all work together to improve this over the next 4 weeks I would greatly appreciate it! Please also feel free to reply to this thread and start a discourse on the topic if you feel inclined. As always, please react with an emoji once you've read the message

Wednesday Wins!! Oof it’s been too long friends! What are some of your recent wins? I’ll leave a few of mine below: • My Friend Like Me tappers are getting better at their rhythm and musicality in their metronome work. We’ve really been focusing on tap technique and timing over the past few weeks and it’s slowly but surely paying off • I’ve seen a few students really taking corrections to heart and applying them right away (shout out Liana Casem in jazz and sophia saqlain in hip-hop) • Baby Boogie dance (ages 16 months - 2 years) is busting at the seams! 8 babies and counting now all can do their plie, passe, shuffles, heel digs, and toe taps. The next generation of ASI Dance is coming! • @Madison Morgan is killing the game at the front desk and is a fantastic new addition to our ASI team! 🎉 What improvements have you all been seeing and what moments made your day?

Happy Friday everyone! I just wanted to take a moment to give a HUGE shoutout to Mr. Francis for his work with his two competition groups this week! I watched the videos from last week compared to this week and the difference is mind blowing! The fire, the hunger, and the attack was apparent in his students this week! The improvement and commitment to performance was incredible. Thank you @Francis Tyrell for continuing to inspire, push, and challenge your students; they’re growth as artists over just one week was fantastic! 🙌🏾 If I don’t get a chance to see them in class next please let them know how impressed I was with them this week! 💜