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Dance Family

Posted on December 18, 2019 by mainstfunk in dance, Dance School Melbourne, education, Kids in Epping

What does it mean when we call you our “Dance Family”?

Over the years, or weeks if you are brand new, you might have heard us refer to Main St Funk as our “Dance Family”. This might mean a lot to you, to know that you are so valued in our community that we consider you, family, or, maybe you’ve just signed up and the phrase doesn’t hold much meaning yet. But why are we a “dance family”?

Back in 2007, when MSF was first opened by sisters Kristie and Carla, we were a small school with about 50 kids. Classes were held in one big room, separated by just a partition. Kristie would teach on one side and Carla on the other. Little sister Chloe was a student and an assistant teacher. Everything we did, we did together.

Routines were choreographed and practiced in the lounge room, weekends were spent shopping for costumes, late nights were spent editing music and staff meetings and brainstorming happened around the dinner table. Our family members jumped on board to volunteer their time and get involved with every new project we started; Photos and DVDs (which we used to shoot and edit ourselves, what!?), costume sewing and performance days. Everything was a family affair and it still is! Our mum, dad, sister Bianca, our partners, and our children, all live and breathe Main St Funk, almost as much as we do.

It has always been about teamwork. It didn’t matter who taught what class, we were always stepping in to help each other with new ideas and advice. Like sisters do, sometimes we disagreed or told it like it was but we knew that we always had each other’s back and best interest of the MSF kids at heart. That kind of love carried over to our “studio” and classes.

We didn’t hide behind a professional face. We were always genuinely and proudly ourselves, three sisters working together. We treated our students with the same respect, kindness, and honesty that we gave each other. Sometimes that meant being a should to cry on, sometimes that meant giving out some tough love.

The feedback that we started to receive was that MSF students felt so included and welcomed, that we had created such a safe space and that we were “different” from the other activities that the kids participated in each week.

But why were we different??

It was only years later that we could put our finger on what it was. It was because we are family. Our students and the entire school, are an extension of us. You are our “dance family”.

So much is different now, 14 years later and you might have noticed our family members now far exceed that right-knit little group of 50 we once were. But please know, our sentiment is still the same. We are still that shoulder to cry on, that little dose of tough love when you need it, voices of reason if you ask for it and we are always here to listen. We will continue to be genuine, honest and grounded. We have learned a lot over the years, but we are still those same three sisters.

Whether you are an OG member or you just signed up today, we hope you know that you are so valued, that we welcome your conversation, we care about your wellbeing and even though we are welcoming new family members every day so far these holidays, you are more than just a number to us.

So when you hear or read us referring to MSF as our dance family, please know that we don’t take that phrase lightly.

It is not a marketing strategy, it is not a “slogan” and it’s not something that dance schools say, just because!

It is the culture of our school, the backbone that has driven us this far and will continue to do so, it is a feeling amongst our students that grew organically over time and with a bit of TLC and a lot of hard work, it grows stronger and more prominent every year.

Past and present students, as we say goodbye to another year, we thank you for being apart of our journey and hope to see you in 2020.

With love to you, our dancing family, forever and always!

How to be “Next Level” organised at your dancing concert.

Posted on November 13, 2018 by mainstfunk in dance, Dance School Newsletter

Concert season is here and with it comes costumes, glitz and glam, many many emails and pre-performance butterflies! To ensure your experience is a positive one, it’s important to be organised. Here are a few life hacks to take your concert day organisation to the next level and help your time at the theatre run smoothly.

CHECKLISTS: Main St Funk will send you a concert day kit list shortly (most dance schools will do this but if they don’t, make your own.) It should include absolutely everything you will need on concert day from costume items, stockings, hair pieces and more. Print this off and cross off each item as you pack them. Pack everything the night before or even a few days before to ensure the morning of your concert is not a mad scavenger hunt. It’s a good idea to have a list of your dances in order, refer to this as you pack and take it with you to the theatre so that you always know what you’re doing next.
PACK YOUR COSTUMES IN A TUB, IN SEPARATE SNAPLOCK BAGS AND IN ORDER: Buy a box of extra large snaplock/sandwich bags next time you are at the supermarket. Neatly pack each costume (in its entirety) into its own snaplock bag. Once you know your concert dance order, label each bag “1, 2 or 3”. Stick a checklist (more lists!) of that costume on the front of the snaplock bag so that you know what needs to go in there and what needs to come out. Use a tub instead of a bag to store all of your costumes. This will mean you can neatly pile your snaplock bags into the tub in order of the show. Your last dance will be on the bottom and your first dance on top. This will save you from emptying and rummaging through your bag during the backstage rush!
SPARES: You can never have too many spares! Have a backup of everything where possible but in particular; dance stockings/tights. These tear easily, especially when you are in a rush so make sure you have an extra pair. Check that your spare does not have any holes or rips before you pack them – don’t waste time putting on a pair of tights only to have to take them off again. For younger students, it’s a great idea to pack a spare pair of underwear as well. Nerves can do funny things to our bodies and minds, so it is good to be prepared for little accidents. Even if little accidents are not typical of your child!
PIN + UNPIN: Safety pins and bobby pins are your best friend on concert day. Buy them in bulk and pack them ALL. Then pack some more! You can never have too many. Most costumes include a hat or headpiece that will need to be securely pinned to your head. Before packing your headpiece, attach about 6 bobby pins to it. This will mean you won’t be rummaging around for pins between dances. Do this for ALL of your headpieces. If there is an item of your costume that needs to be safety pinned, such as an accessory or a strap, pin it into place before concert day. This means you can just get dressed without needing to fiddle and adjust your costume. When you come off stage, start unpinning headpieces, straps etc. as you walk calmly back to the dressing room.
SHOES: Firstly, don’t forget to pack them! It is both laughable and frightening how easily performers forget about their shoes. Wear your hip hop sneakers to the theatre, one less thing to pack! Replace your laces with black elastic, this means you can easily slip your shoes on and off quickly. For little kids, label shoes left and right to save confusion. BONUS TIP: Ballet dancers, clean your ballet shoes with pink calamine lotion (yes, the stuff you use for chicken pox) to make your shoes look brand new and scuff free for the concert.
STAY CALM AND STAY IN YOUR ZONE: On concert day we need to move quickly, quietly and calmly. The dressing room can become a crowded and noisy place so it is important to stay focused and move with a sense of urgency. Panic is contagious, so if one person starts to yell or run, soon the whole class will be in a flap. Don’t waste your energy on getting worked up about finding your shoes or costume item or headpiece, you know that it is packed into your allocated snap lock bag. That square on the floor where you’ve placed your tub is your zone! The minute you start overflowing into someone else’s zone, that’s when things get lost. Keep your items contained and pack up as you go. What comes out of a bag must go back in. This means that you will be just as organised and prepared for your second concert as you were for your first AND it will make for a quick exit at the end of a long day.
TIME: Always know what your call time to the theatre is and then aim to be early. Allow time for traffic, accidents, getting lost on the way to somewhere new and finding a park.
RELAX, BUT NOT YET: Even if you have a long time between dances, don’t sit down until you are ready and organised for your next item. This will allow for little mix-ups, like if you have misplaced an item or you need help to pin something. You don’t want to be doing those things in a mad rush right before you hit the stage. Also, you never know what could happen on concert day. Your dance teachers may need to you to take to the stage earlier than expected, always be prepared!
WORK AS A TEAM: At Main St Funk we use the buddy system to promote teamwork, independence and to help take the pressure off. Never think twice about helping your friend into or out of their costume and never think twice about asking for help. Be there for each other. Team work makes the dream work.
PRACTICE: Practice your choreography before you hit the stage to ensure you are performing with full confidence! You can also practice your stage makeup and concert day hair leading up to the show. Each time you do it, the better you will get.

At the end of the day, performing is supposed to be fun and a celebration of all of your hard work. While preparing and organising yourself before the show might seem tedious and boring it will ensure that you have a fabulous time at the concert. We don’t want to taint your time at the theatre with the stress of a forgotten costume or arriving late. Also, remember that no matter how prepared you are, sometimes things happen that are out of your control. Take a deep breath, shoulders back and know that the show will go on.

Main St Funk wishes you the most wonderful concert season full of checklists, snaplock bags, sparkles and lots of smiling faces.

Stay tuned for your concert day kitlists and call times, thank you for being organised!

By Chloe Jobson – MSF Co-Owner.

My dance teacher is picking on me!

Posted on August 28, 2018August 29, 2019 by mainstfunk in dance, education, parenting

Uh oh… Your son or daughter, who absolutely loves dancing, has come out of class looking frustrated and upset. You ask them what’s wrong and they mutter the words no parent wants to hear…

“My teacher is picking on me!”

Your heart sinks. Your mind races and your inner mama-bear gets ready to roar and jump to your child’s defense.

Well hang on a sec, hold your horses. Let’s think logically and figure out exactly what your darling dancer means. In the playground at school, if someone is being “picked on” it generally means that another individual is going out of their way to annoy or tease or bully this person. This kind of behavior is deliberate with the intent to upset the other person.

In my years of dance teaching, I am yet to come across another teacher or principal who has taken such a dislike to a student that they would put so much time and energy into making that child upset.

A dance teacher is generally somebody who is very passionate about dance and who equally loves working with children, they may even have their own! Dance teachers are joyous, energetic people. They have taken an active interest and invested their time and energy into the growth and development of your child and the hundreds of children that they will meet in their dance teaching career. They are one of the lucky few whose passion and career came together. It would be a bit out of character if they started “picking” on children now, wouldn’t it?

What your child probably means is, they often hear the teacher say their name in class. This is actually a positive thing and great teachers make a conscious effort to say every single student’s name multiple times a lesson so they feel included in the class and important to their teacher. Your child might feel like their name is the only one being called out but that is likely because they are only tuned in to hearing their own name and not their classmates.

But why do they keep getting called upon? Here are some reasons your child might be being “picked on” by their teacher.

CORRECTIONS: It doesn’t matter if your child wants a career in dance or comes to class for fun. A teacher’s job is to TEACH dance. This means correcting mistakes so that your child, the student, can LEARN. It is important the teacher corrects mistakes so that your child can progress and make improvements week to week. It also helps to reduce the risk of injury when your teacher makes a correction on your child’s technique. Often, it would not be safe for a student to continually perform something incorrectly. Sometimes these corrections can be generalized to the whole class however, often children are progressing at different rates and need and deserve individualised attention from their teacher. They also pay attention and remember corrections more when they are directed to them and not the whole class. An example of what your child might hear is: “Stretch those feet Sally”, “Don’t forget to bend your knees before you jump Tess” OR “Mary, keep in time with the music”. If your child says they are being “picked on” they are probably just receiving corrections which is a positive thing and means they are learning. If your child’s maths teacher asked them what 2+2 is and your child answered 5, their maths teacher is going to correct them. Are they being “picked on” or is Mr. Maths doing his job?
“MY TEACHER YELLS AT ME”: There is probably some truth to that. Sometimes the teacher will give their students corrections in a quiet and gentle manner. Other times they need to be firm and direct, so that the students understand the importance. Being loud or changing their tone of voice will emphasise the key points they want their students to remember. In general, dance teachers are loud and excitable people. If your dance teacher yells, it is because they are extremely passionate and they are trying to get all of the energy, excitement and joy they feel out of their bodies and into their students! Also remember that quite often in a dance class environment, the teacher will be competing with loud music, chatty kids, the air-con or fans and even tap shoes, so they may yell or talk loudly because they want your child to hear and understand them. A dance teacher who yells is a dance teacher who cares. The important thing to remember is that they are not yelling AT your child but out towards the whole class so that everybody can hear them.
POTENTIAL: Perhaps your child is progressing just that little bit faster than their classmates and has moved beyond the generalised corrections that are given to the whole class. Perhaps their teacher recognises your child’s potential and wants to give them a challenge. Your child might say “Miss Chloe keeps telling me to kick my legs higher and keep my back tall but she never tells my friend Alice!” Well, Alice might not be up to that. Alice might still be focusing on stretched feet and knees and your child has already shown improvements in that area and is ready for more. If your child isn’t given corrections or being “picked on” in their words, they might become bored at dance because they don’t feel challenged.
YOUR CHILD IS DISTRACTED: There is so much stimulation in the dance room; loud music, their favourite songs, their dance friends, pretty pictures on the wall, students coming and going. Your child might get caught up in a conversation with their classmates or be thinking about what’s for dinner or how much homework they have to do when they get home. A good dance teacher can always tell when a student isn’t focused or not listening. The teacher might say your child’s name or speak to them directly to bring their focus back to the dance class.
POOR BEHAVIOR: Yes, maybe your child’s behaviour is not perfect all the time. This doesn’t mean that they are a bad kid, a terrible dancer or that their teacher doesn’t like them. While dancing is fun, it comes with a set of rules and disciplines. Respect needs to be shown to the teacher, the dance room and their classmates. This means being polite, not talking while the teacher is addressing the class or the music is on, not “playing” during class and wearing the correct uniform. Dance class is about so much more than just learning steps and tricks. Your child will learn social skills, work ethic and the importance of teamwork. When your child misbehaves or doesn’t adhere to the classrooms set rules, their teacher will pull them up. They might say “Lisa, where is your uniform today?” “Please don’t speak while I do Matthew” or “Erin, the dance studio is not a playground, please don’t run around.” The teacher may say these gently at first but if they need to remind your child repeatedly, it may be necessary to be firm. Dance class is a structured activity that can take children a little while to adjust to. It is quite normal for kids to slip up and forget the rules and get carried away having fun with their friends, so don’t stress too much if you think this might be the case. If the dance teacher believes your child’s behaviour has become too disruptive or dangerous for dance class, they will have a private conversation with you about addressing this behaviour at home. Until then, just leave it to the pros.

When I was a student, I like many others, complained that I was “picked on” by my teachers. Every class there was correction after correction, nothing was ever perfect. I viewed this as a negative thing. That was until I entered a class where I was completely ignored. Made to feel invisible for 1.5 hours a week, every week. I’m not sure if this was intentional or just negligence but now when I take class, I appreciate every correction directed to me and the whole class and I ask for more if I feel like I’m not getting enough. When I’m teaching, I attempt to make sure every student knows that I can see them and that I care by giving encouraging, constructive and individual attention to each of my students. This principle is instilled in each of the Main St Funk teachers. Without it being actively enforced, the MSF team are naturally invested into every single student that walks through our studio doors.

It is well-known that dancers are some of the most mentally strong and resilient athletes and it all starts at their very first dance class. So next time your child thinks that they are being picked on, dig a little deeper. They might just be super lucky and have an awesome dance teacher. Someone who is passionate, someone who cares and someone who believes in your child because behind every great dancer is a dance teacher who picked on them.

By Chloe Jobson.

THE MSF

TEACHING TEAM

IN ACTION

Why Dance with Main St Funk?

Posted on December 30, 2017January 10, 2020 by mainstfunk in A glimpse into the world of Main St Funk..., dance, Dance School Melbourne, Dance School Newsletter, how to, Main St Funk, parenting, Uncategorized

The word “no” is usually associated with negativity and disappointment. However, at Main St Funk there are ten “no’s ” that help create a more relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere that makes MSF a little bit unique.

So, here are the “Ten Things You Didn’t Know You Wanted To Know About Main St Funk And They All Start With ‘No’”. (Try to say that ten times fast!)

NO ADDITIONAL COSTUME FEES: We understand that the cost of kids’ activities can add up, so we endeavour to make participating in dance as accessible as possible. At Main St Funk, all costume fees are included in your term-by-term tuition, so you don’t pay anything extra at the end of the year. This is great for big families, students who want to take lots of classes and anyone who likes to plan their budget.
NO SEWING: All embellishments, sequins and altering is done by the MSF team.
NO AUDITIONS: Main St Funk are proud to be inclusive – the only prerequisite is that you must LOVE to dance! We do have a committed competition crew and while it is common practice for dance schools to hold auditions for their comp teams, Main St Funk welcome any keen students to join their crew as long as they can be a dedicated team player.
NO FAVOURITISM: Main St Funk dancers work hard and while some students may display more natural talent, it is important to acknowledge the hard work and effort of ALL of the dancers. All of the MSF kids are given a turn in the front row and a moment to shine.
NO PARENTS IN THE CONCERT DRESSING ROOM: Yes, you read that correctly. Main St Funk have a “no parents backstage” policy. Don’t worry though, all of the younger students are buddied up with an older student who looks after them backstage. MSF are pretty proud of this buddy system. It teaches independence, responsibility and team work and ensures that every single parent gets to sit in the audience and see their child shine on stage.
NO EXCLUSIVITY: Main St Funk attend a number of community events throughout the year. These are always a fantastic opportunity for the MSF kids to gain experience dancing in front of an audience and in a casual environment. These events are always an open invite to all of the MSF kids. It is a great way for the students to bond with their classmates and to feel like they are an integral part of our dancing community (which they are!).
NO BULLYING: Main St Funk prides itself on the friendly, family & inclusive nature of its classes. Main St Funk have a ZERO TOLERANCE for bullying. MSF teach their students about respect, team work and treating their classmates as equals. We are all friends at Main St Funk – dancing is our happy place.
NO EXAMS: While learning a syllabus and completing a dance exam definitely has its benefits, the aim at Main St Funk is to provide a quality dance education where students progress at their own pace without the added stress of deadlines, exam scores and report cards.
NO INAPPROPRIATE MATERIAL: Main St Funk have a strict policy on ensuring that all song choices, choreography and costume designs are appropriate for the age of the students in their classes as well as the members of the audience. MSF is a family orientated dance school and work towards a standard that ensures that all students, whether they are minis, teenagers or adults, feel comfortable in what they are performing and wearing. Main St Funk keep up with the latest trends without crossing any boundaries. It is all good family fun (or FUNK!) at Main St Funk.
NO WORRIES: At MSF we LOVE dance, and all of these “no’s” are in place so all of our students can experience the joys and benefits of dancing. It’s as simple as that. Come and experience why all of these “no’s” are why so many kids and parents say “YES” to dancing at Main St Funk.