Your dance family; our Encore culture, what is it and what does it mean to us?
Both myself and Miss Zoe were dancers as youngsters; we both had very different experiences and cultures we were exposed to and together we have worked closely to create what we believe to be the best environment to create, learn, and nurture young dancers in this day and age.
At Encore we believe that a student’s dance faculty plays a huge part in each child’s life. Most students who take dance seriously spend many hours each week within their studio as well as with their dance friends and teachers. I myself spent more time with my dance teachers and team mates than I did at school or even at home with family during my pre-teen to young adult life.
I specifically remember going home when I was younger begging my mum to braid my hair because my teacher wore 2 braids and I just HAD to be the same as her! We understand that young children look up to their coaches with the highest regard and we put the time and effort into making sure our students feel that their studio is as close to a home away from home as possible, we work hard to cultivate healthy relationships between our students and it brings me great joy seeing them constantly building new friendships; I am so proud of all of my students. I particularly as a teacher work closely with Seniors and I can confidently say that after many years working as a teacher within many dance studios that Encore seniors are without a doubt the most welcoming and ‘un-clicky’ bunch around! (yes, I made a word up, because they are that good!)
I have always strongly believed that as teachers of dance we are not just nurturing young performers but also young and very impressionable humans; majority of which are young women. We create a safe and encouraging space for these young kids to feel comfortable within themselves, to move, sweat, create and express themselves through the artistry of dance. We ensure our teachers uphold our values and morals not only as the teachers we are but also as mothers ourselves.
The hashtag #encorefamily is not a brand we are selling you; it is a badge of honour our kids and their families can use in this rapidly evolving world of social media to belong to something bigger than themselves and to be accepted and encouraged in a friendly family environment.
As always,
Happy Dancing
Miss Kate
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