From the World Wide Web into the real world! How to unplug the family

Posted on September 14, 2012 by niypaa

The Internet has fast become our best friend. It is something we tell our secrets to, stay up late at night with and contact every day.

The Internet has made a positive impact on our lives and allowed us to communicate more quickly and across invisible borders. However, before we bow to the Gods of technology, we all need to consider how much we want the Internet to infiltrate our lives.

Time in front of the computer, iPad or iPhone screen is time away from face-to-face interaction and good ol’ fresh air.

Most of us love that the Internet can help with homework and research, give us an easy way to pay our bills, contact our overseas relatives and even find the nearest Toys-R-Us because we need to find a Barbie STAT for the six year old birthday party your daughter is invited to that completely slipped your mind.

We want all these great things from the World Wide Web, but for many of us it is difficult to find a balance between online and offline.

Here’s some ideas for unplugging the family for a few moments a day and increase face-to-face time.

Snakes and ladders – Keep the games offline but still going and see if you can have some laughs over a few board games. Charades, Pictionary, Uno or Trivia, it’s all fun and it’s good for keeping the brain active and healthy.

Family of cooks – It’s in to the kitchen for a cooking lesson! You could make a fun dessert together, go out shopping for the ingredients and enjoy the results after dinner.

Reading – Buy everyone in your family a book or visit the library. Cosy up in the family room and have a group reading session.

To the park – Now it’s staying a little lighter for a little longer each night, we have a bit more time for the out doors. An afternoon at the park could be a great way to get some fresh air and help the kids burn off a bit of energy.

Group Activities – Encourage your kids to get involved in a sports group, take up an instrument, singing or dancing. These outside of school activities will keep your kids alert and introduce them to new skills.

Day trips – Plan ahead and take the kids on day trips! Getting out of the house to the beach, the zoo, a friends place or even the museum can loosen things up! It can be good to get out for a few hours and teach the kids that there’s a lot to see out there.

Can you think of any other great unplugged family activities? If so, share them here!

Julie McKenna – NIYPAA Director

Julie’s involvement with the Performing Arts covers a wide field of expertise. As a classroom teacher she fostered her passion of singing and ensemble groups with her students and continues this aspect with the students of the Australian Youth Choir and Australian Youth Dance Theatre. An extensive career in opera, music theatre and choral groups has seen her perform in a variety of productions with Opera Australia, the Victoria State Opera, Melbourne Music Theatre and the Melbourne Chorale.

Brought to you by National Institute of Youth Performing Arts – auditioning now.

Go to www.niypaa.com.au

Sing and Dance Australia

Sharing life’s experiences – singing dancing and growing up!

Team spirit – How children benefit from group activities

Posted on August 30, 2012 by niypaa

It is evident in all walks of life. Teams are common among the human race. A team is not just a group of people, it is a group linked together for a common purpose. If we want to get something done, we usually do it with a team.

Our recent post about the Olympics highlighted that great athletes always attribute their success to the support of their coaches, families and mentors – in other words, their team.

Similarly, young footballers can be great talent, have the highest grade of fitness and skill level but won’t be a success without their team. I mean do we ever go to the MCG to watch an individual footballer kick goals on his own? Boring!

No matter what the activity, whether it be acting, choir, dancing, reading or learning, it’s great to do it in a group working toward a common, shared goal. This is especially true to children.

Working in a team gives children encouragement and a means to learn from others. It helps with confidence building and social skills. How great does it feel when you win a netball game or finished a group assignment? Everyone plays his or her role and the job gets done and you can celebrate your win together.

The same goes for choir and dancing. It’s a team effort. The National Institute of Youth Performing Arts (NIYPAA) has been encouraging group learning since we founded over 35 years ago. We know from working with young people, how exhilarating it is when together they learn new choreography or a new piece of music. Even better is at the end when they perform their work for an audience. All that work together to produce something that sees them gain applause and recognition from others for their efforts.

From our long history of watching, teaching, supporting and helping young teams develop, learn, grow and succeed, here’s a list of the benefits of team activities for our young people:

Group awareness It’s a positive learning experience for young people to realise that their actions impact on others. When they have the chance to see themselves as part of a whole they start to understand their part in the team and that their behaviour has a reaction in the group.

Encouragement to learn: When a child witness’ other children their age working at something and focusing on a goal they will be more likely to become interested in doing the same. This is a stepping-stone for “rest of life” learning.

Friendship: People form groups based around common interests, e.g. If you join a choir it’s most likely because you like singing or music. By sharing a positive experience with someone we create a bond together and build friendships on this initial interest.

Social confidence: If a child becomes familiar with group and team situations from a young age they will be more likely to feel comfortable interacting with others in general as they grow up. Being a socially confident person allows us to be open to opportunities.

Flexibility: In any team of people there are many different personalities. When young people work with others they begin to comprehend and accept differences. This acceptance helps them learn the art of compromise and helps them learn to be sensitive to others.

Gain Knowledge: To be a part of a team is to learn about the world. When we interact with others and share a purpose of achieving something, we pick up stories and information. From participating in group activities we can learn a lot about the activity but maybe even more about life and the world around us.

These benefits explain why parents spend so much of their precious time car-pooling their young ones to a variety of team activities. What has been your greatest team activity or achievement?

Julie McKenna – NIYPAA Director

Brought to you by National Institute of Youth Performing Arts – auditioning now.

Go to www.niypaa.com.au

Sing and Dance Australia

Sharing life’s experiences – singing dancing and growing up!

Stretch yourself! Seven warm-up tips for dancers and a warm-up video!

Posted on August 16, 2012 by niypaa

Whether you’re about to attempt the moonwalk or just two steppin’ everyone knows you’re meant to warm-up first.

Stretching properly prepares you for your dance session and is important for preventing strain and tear in your muscles. Young dancers should make stretching before and after dancing part of the ritual to avoid muscle strain and injury and to develop flexibility early.

Each time a new dance move is introduced in to a choreographed piece, a new muscle group is too. Dancers need to warm up before every dance rehearsal to get the blood flowing, raise the body temperature , improve the range of motion and prepare the body for the more demanding moves the body requires. The Australian Youth Dance Theatre (AYDT) choreographers take their students through a range of warm up exercises and so we thought we would share them with everyone. Click below to watch the video and have a go trying these at home.

Here are seven warm-up tips for young dancers:

First make sure you choose music you like because it’s much more fun when the music is good!
Make sure you stretch evenly on both sides of your body
Don’t over stretch (stretch too far) – be gentle on yourself (see tip 4).
Stretch slowly and smoothly – avoid bouncy or jerky movement.
Don’t forget to breathe.
Isolations should be incorporated into your warm up – try to stand in front of the mirror when you do these so you can check if you are moving correctly.
Make sure you listen to your teacher, tutor or choreographer when you are taking a class. They will always direct you for each one of your warm ups and give you the knowledge you need to work at home.

Watch the attached video example of a great stretching exercise from one of AYDT’s Choreographers with some of the AYDT ensemble dancers. This stretching exercise is much harder than it looks. It takes controlled movement, which relies heavily on strength. All the featured dancers said it was difficult to perfect.

By practicing warm ups at home between classes, you will improve your strength and flexibility and be well on your way to improving your dancing. Remember to take care of your body and listen to what it needs and you will be a fitter and healthier dancer.

Tell us here about your favourite warm up and why it makes you feel good.

The AYDT warm up for Friday night rehearsals

Christine Grey – General Manager NIYPAA.

Christine is an educator, organizer and art enthusiast, with a profound interest in youth performing arts. A former music and art teacher Christine is now devoting her time to the Australian Youth Choir and Australian Youth Dance Theatre where she has worked for over 15 years. She is a fan of the visual arts, live theatre, drama, film and is jealous of anyone who can create movement to music.Her working life has been dedicated to the musical education of young people in the performing arts and shes loves to tell anyone who will listen about the benefits the Arts can bring to every personality at all stages of their lives.

Brought to you by National Institute of Youth Performing Arts – auditioning now.

Go to www.niypaa.com.au

Sing and Dance Australia

Sharing life’s experiences – singing dancing and growing up!

Is your child going for Gold ?

Posted on August 9, 2012 by niypaa

Mentors for our children

With the London Olympics in full swing media coverage of our athletes is hard to miss. After each performance, our athletes attribute their success to those who have influenced their journey – their mentors and coaches.

Every athlete confirms their success is not just their own. The mental and physical support and encouragement is crucial to their stamina and ultimate sporting performance and achievement.

The coach/athlete relationship is deeply personal and includes the transfer of specific technical knowledge, personal support, professional development and motivation. The mentor is commonly more experienced than the protégé but often a mentor can also be a peer.

These days, mentorship is not just for the sporting elite. More and more people are realising the benefits of a mentor and or coach. Sometimes we choose our mentors and sometimes this relationship simply evolves. For children it starts with our parents and often a great teacher/student relationship. A mentor is anyone who has their protégé’s best interests at heart and wants to help them develop, grow and succeed.

So how important is it for your child to have a mentor?

Well, I assume that most parents want what I want for my children. We hope our children will become confident and happy adults who can make a positive contribution to the world. We want them to learn to give their “personal” best in all their endeavours and to work well with others. We want them to have the confidence to try new things, to take some risks, to test themselves and to develop the resilience to recover when they’re disappointed. We want them to develop enough “self knowledge” to understand their strengths and develop those strengths to the best of their ability.

Most kids need some help with this. In fact most adults do as well. A mentor will recognise an individual’s strengths and actively help to improve and develop them. A mentor will be honest enough to tell you when you’re on the wrong track. A mentor will help you identify your goal and motivate you to try harder to achieve it.

For young performers embarking on their ‘Olympic’ style journey to the stage, overcoming their nerves and self-doubt is essential. Mentors can be found in their teachers, conductors and choreographers but often forgotten are their peers. Their fellow students, who applaud one another in rehearsal and help one another work through performance challenges.

In ensemble pursuits, the young person is not as vulnerable to discouragement. The team is a positive force in which to learn and grow. Membership to an ensemble brings affirmation and removes the pressure of individual performance, allowing each person to develop at their own pace.

Performance authenticates the learning process. It not only brings personal satisfaction but gives a point of direction for further improvement and this is where our mentors step in.

Applause can be the greatest encouragement. This support together with tips for improvement is a healthy way to help students to grow. It’s important for parents and teachers to understand the obstacles that have been overcome and give students genuine and well-deserved praise.

Thank-you to all my personal and professional mentors and thanks to all of us who act as mentors or are mentored by others.

Who is your greatest mentor and how have they helped you?

Christine Grey – General Manager NIYPAA.

Performing Arts Education steps it up during the school break

Posted on July 26, 2012 by niypaa

PAS VIC 2012 fun!

During the school holidays, singers and dancers from NIYPAA’s Essendon and Rosanna centres gathered at Santa Maria College, Northcote, for the annual Performing Arts School (PAS), a three-day intensive workshop for the Australian Youth Choir and Australian Youth Dance Theatre.

Throughout Australia, thousands of NIYPAA students participated in PAS which is considered an important part of NIYPAA’s annual curriculum.

Students made new friends and cemented old friendships in a fun-filled and energetic atmosphere It is the holidays after all and while there is much work to be done on technique and repertoire, in the end they walked away feeling they had not only achieved their goals but had a great time doing it!. They all had plenty to say but Kaitlyn, a level 2 chorister, was especially enthusiastic about the opportunity to see the choir and dancers working together.

Here’s a list of why PAS rocks!

A good way to keep warm during the winter school holidays – a daily physical warm up with both dancers and singers is part of the tradition. Chicken dance anyone?
Have a break from school and hanging out with new kids from other choir or dance venues
Dress-up days
Hilarious games
Lollies
Raffles
Fun songs with silly actions
New dance music and choreography
Exams for dancers to move to the next level
Photos
Jokes with teachers
Not wearing school uniforms!

One of the grand traditions of PAS is fancy dress and as ususal 2012 turned up some very inventive dress themes. Come as your favourite music artist, gave us a variety of rock stars and pop idols and included a variety of song styles including Bing Crosby, KD Lang, and Louis Tomlinson. ( we think that some mum’s and dad’s had a role to play too!)

Your favourite fictional character, gave us a chance to see what everyone was reading or watching on video and we saw a varied cast of whimsy, including a splendid Simba from The Lion King, a Mad Hatter and many others.

Harry Potter theme. was by far the most exciting. n an amazing feat of travel across time and space, Santa Maria College morphed into a realization of Hogwarts College. It seems there is no end to the magical powers of our students and they were determined to be sure we k new it!

One of the delights of PAS is entering a large venue on the first day with piles new music to introduce and new choreography to learn. So many kids were astounded at how much they had achieved in two short days.

Choristers tasted a varied repertoire of songs exploring a wide range of moods and emotions including songs from Coldplay, the Seekers, and the BeeGees, among others. Songs such as Paradise, and New York Mining Disaster 1941 formed part of the varied soundtrack to a varied program across the three days.

The dance program offered a wide variety of activities and challenges. During this time annual assessments take place for the first time and there is much practice to be done in hall ways and corridors if students are to impress. as a high point of PAS with many being promoted to the next level.

With exams completed the focus can then turn to new techniques; and the most fun of all – new choreography Kat, Emily, and Hannah were all very proud of their achievements and commented that the impact of intensive work can already be seen by the second day at PAS. “We learnt lots of new techniques. It’s very challenging, but helps us to move things forward.”

“(It’s) amazing to see how fast we’ve learnt all this new stuff” (Kat), and “it’s so good to work with a larger group of dancers, and to see people from other venues” (Emily).

On the final day, PAS was brought to an exciting close with short performances from all groups. WE were all sad that it was over for another year, none more than Mia “PAS is just so much fun, I wish it could be on for every single day of the whole school holidays!”

Dr Kieran Crichton – NIYPAA Conductor

Dr Kieran is committed to the musical development of the Australian Youth Choir members at Essendon and enjoys his weekly rehearsals with students.

A tail-feather tribute: the top 7 dance routines you need to know

Posted on July 19, 2012 by niypaa

We’ve all witnessed at least one. You know, those timeless dance numbers you expect to see at a big social occasion. Weddings are renowned for them. The minute the music starts, any large group of people, no matter how well they know one another immediately squeal with delight and start jiggling to the music.

Here’s our top 7 all time favourite dance routines. You know you want to dance just reading about them.

The Nutbush Tina Turner’s classic hit Nutbush City Limits (1970) brings synchronised dancing to new heights. This one is a definite wedding pleaser and the moves are surprisingly simple.

The Chicken Dance(1980). Little ones love this one and mum and dad quickly find their feet when they see their children having such fun. Dah Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah. The moves aren’t tricky either – just pretend you’re a chicken. This classic has been around since the 1950s and remains a staple. The original song, written by Werner Thomas of Switzerland, was titled “Der Ententanz” which translates to The Duck Dance. The song has also been know as Dance Little Bird, The Birdie Dance and other poultry titles.

The Zorba We’d all like to visit Greece, especially during the colder months. Now you can have that cultural experience in your own living room. The Zorba (1998) starts slow and leaves you perspiring. The Zorba creates a linked arms circle allowing you to see everyone at the party. You can eye off all your friends and family one by one and shoot them a smile while dancing to the Greek (techno) classic.

Thriller One for the true MJ fans. Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1982) is a favourite to say the least, but only the true fanatics have his trademark dance moves nailed. Although I must admit, Jackson’s complex choreography doesn’t scare people away from giving it a damn good go. Here’s a tip – there are three main moves in this choreography; the hunch shuffle, above head hand-clap and the side step bob. If you can master these, you’re half way there.

Macarena Crossing the globe again, we can thank the Spanish for the mostly upper-body dance The Macarena (1994).This dance can be carried out with quite low intensity, good for those who are simmering down from a big night of all of the above.

Grease Lightening This one will have you slicking your hair back and popping your collar. Grease Lightening (1978) isn’t going anywhere in a hurry and I am yet to meet someone who doesn’t like it. Grease brought new fans to the music scene and continues to bring fans to the dance floor.

Time Warp Another dance classic featured in a popular musical is The Time Warp (1973).It’s fun to imagine everyone on the dance floor as a ghost or ghoul. Better yet, throw a Halloween party and have the real deal.

Hopefully this post has given you fond flash backs and even a few giggles remembering your own dance moves. Now to plan the playlist for your next party, I’d be surprised to hear it was a dull one if you’re using these songs.

Have we left any out? What’s on your classic dance floor routine list?

Benita Sullivan – Administration Assistant and Marketing Representative - NIYPAA

Benita is currently working in the Melbourne office for NIYPAA. Her early back ground in music and performance stretches from musicals, to choir, singing and instrumental training. She has been managing and playing with Melbourne bands for the last eight years. She is a singer song writer, developing her latest band Elliot Friend. She looks forward to a successful career in creative arts administration while persisting in her musical endeavours.

Is Lady Gaga a good role model?

Posted on July 5, 2012 by niypaa

There’s been much hype surrounding Lady Gaga’s world tour. Fans, both young and old paid big bucks for their tickets, glammed up in Gaga-esque fashion and fought for a glimpse of her outside hotels. While this is not new to pop stardom, it still makes me wonder what this “lady” is all about and whether she’s really someone we should look up to.

Mia Freedman, (publisher of popular blog Mamamia and former Chief Editor of Cosmo, Cleo & Dolly) highlights Lady Gaga’s message in one of her latest blog entries stating, “she has a great message about acceptance and tolerance.” Freedman praises Gaga’s music and agrees the pop star offers encouragement to people to just be themselves.

“Let me start out with a strong statement: I love Lady Gaga. I love what she stands for. I love her music. I love what she’s done for the lesbian; gay, bi & transgendered community and I love her message about acceptance and tolerance. Love. It. All.”

- Mia Freedman

For young performers she promotes the ‘get out there and do it’ attitude. She presents fearlessness and says not to listen to the cynics and to be strong and confident about your true self.

It seems Gaga uses her fame for good. However, despite Freedman’s positive assessment of Lady Gaga “the pop star”, after seeing her show, Freedman says she “hated” her concert.

Freedman admits her review of Lady Gaga’s concert was definitely not the dominant view and that the audience happily rocked the concert but says she was alone.

“It was just very hard to connect. Her costumes were so OTT, that she was often hidden inside them – prompting me to wonder more than once if it was even her.”

Ok, she’s a little bit wild and a little bit showy but is it simply that she needs to create attention to take her fame to the top level?

Everyone has mixed opinions on what is a good or bad influence on children, so I thought I would highlight some of the positives.

Endorsing creativity is never a bad thing

Lady Gaga is an advocate for the arts and creativity. In a YouTube interview Gaga endorses renowned artist Marina Ambramovic, discussing the ‘limitlessness’ of such an artist and proclaiming the positivitivity in an artists’ ability to be big thinkers and doers. She is also a fashion designer sporting her work and promoting fashion designers as artists in their own right. The creative arts are a nourishing part of child rearing and Gaga does a good job encouraging this.

Girl Power

Gaga is a big time superstar. She has “made it”. She promotes the view that women can achieve their dreams. Young women all over the world are in turn empowered by Gaga’s success. This success is not just driven by the clothes she wears – it’s her music. As a two time Grammy winner, she has proven her worth on the pop music scene.

Love yourself

Gaga’s song “Born This Way” promotes a positive message; “There’s nothing wrong with lovin’ who you are”. There’s no denying this is a message all parents want for their young and kept at a decent volume, many can’t complain if they hear this one blasting from under the bedroom door.

Philanthropy

Just as all the rich and famous should and do, Gaga supports a number of charities including ‘The National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) and other organisations representing disadvantaged children in the US. She’s also an advocate for AIDS prevention.

While most of us can’t help but notice and perhaps even judge Lady Gaga’s brash and often scarce fashion choices, we don’t often see ‘tweens’ congregating at the movies on a Saturday night in hot pants, platform shoes and masks trying to emulate her look.

While many are put off by the way she looks and understandably find it difficult to warm to Gaga, we have to recognise and applaud her creative yet eccentric self. She’s a music writer and performer as well as a supporter of young people promoting the power of an open mind.

What do you think?

References

1. http://www.mamamia.com.au/entertainment/lady-gaga-why-i-walked-out-of-her-concert/

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVY4Whayw0s

3. http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/1944-lady-gaga

Benita Sullivan – Administration and PR Assistant – NIYPAA

Benita is currently working in the Melbourne office for NIYPAA. Her early back ground in music and performance stretches from musicals, to choir, singing and instrumental training. She has been managing and playing with Melbourne bands for the last eight years. She is a singer song writer, developing her latest band Elliot Friend. She looks forward to a successful career in creative arts administration while persisting in her musical endeavours.

“I wanna be like Michael Jackson”: Top 4 tips for young dancers

Posted on June 19, 2012 by niypaa

Whether your aim is to be a professional dancer or just a decent dancer, there’s some basic steps you need to take to stay focused and reach your goal. Famous dancers and performers like Fred Astaire, Anna Pavlova and Michael Jackson were great because they worked tirelessly at their craft always keeping their end goal in mind.

Here are some are four tips to help you perfect your craft and pursue your dancing dreams:

Watch other dancers

Whether it be in your class, on television or at the theatre, it’s helpful to watch other dancers move. You can learn a lot from simply observing shows such as “Dancing With the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance?” Both offer visual tips and judge commentary to help you improve your own dancing. Mixing learning with entertainment is a win-win and you might opt to see a live show by the companies like the Australian Ballet or Buzz Dance Theatre.

Perfect Your Posture

Proper posture and body alignment are essential for all dancers. Pretend there’s a piece of string attached to the top of your head, pulling you up towards the sky. Push your shoulders down and back, and hold your head up. It’s truly amazing what good posture does for a dancer.

Stretch, Stretch, Stretch

If you want to succeed in the dance world, you need to be very flexible. Sadly, not all of us are gifted with natural flexibility and we need to work at it. Choose the muscles that need to be improved to allow you to dance with out injury. For example, you might need to stretch different muscles before a tap class than before a ballet class. Or it might be the muscles that you have just worked hard in class that you need to pay some attention to afterwards.

Practice Makes Perfect

Practice is important in refining the skills you have learnt. You start to break boundaries in your dancing, the ones you swore you would “never be able to do”. If you’re feeling unmotivated, get a group of friends together and practice together.

The best tip that anyone can give a dancer is to be true to yourself. Let your character and intuitive style show through your work. Be persistent and remember to be proud of your performance milestones. Be passionate and stick with it!

References:

http://www.centralhome.com/ballroomcountry/dance_tips.htm

http://www.danceclass.com/general-dance-tips.html

Milu Shurman – Western Australia State Manager -NIYPAA

An avid traveler and performing artist, Milu graduated from Edith Cowan University with a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Education)/Bachelor of Education. With a passion for education and the arts, she enjoys the way in which children’s creativity can be linked to their learning. An actor herself, mostly in productions produced by the Faculty of Contemporary Arts at ECU, she has developed life skills through her art practice. Milu continues to express her passion for culture and the arts through her work at the National Institute of Youth Performing Arts as Western Australian State Manager.

Singing and Dancing – a performance a day keeps the doctor away

Posted on June 6, 2012 by niypaa

I recently discovered that the performing arts could be the answer to many of our health needs. As society’s interest in the booming health and wellness industry intensifies with fad diets, cookbooks, horoscopes, beauty products and shows like The Biggest Loser , a different approach to health is likely very welcome. It’s time to warm up the vocal chords, slip on a leotard and try a new tack.

Here are some of the physical and mental benefits of singing.

I dare you to try and find a product at the pharmacy that does all this:

Do away with colds - Singing produces a physiological response, boosting the immune system.

Charm others with your flare - Singing helps to build self esteem and confidence while promoting a sense of achievement.

Strengthen your Heart - Cardiac output is enhanced substantially.

Forget stress - Exercising your vocal chords induces a pleasant emotional state, relaxing muscle tension. It also improves deep breathing and body awareness.

Many of the benefits of singing can be found in dancing and aerobic-dance activity also.

Strong body strong mind - Dancing builds inner strength and gives us confidence in our bodies’ ability.

Move with grace and poise - Your coordination is improved with every new move.

Healthy Heart - Blood pressure is lowered which decreases the risk of heart disease.

Feel good - It’s a creative activity that can be shared with others and helps you stay mentally focussed and fit.

Singing and dancing are interactive activities that can enhance our daily life and help keep us healthy. I’m no doctor, but young or old it’s worth a try!

Christine Grey – General Manager NIYPAA.

Christine is an educator, organizer and art enthusiast, with a profound interest in youth performing arts. A former music and art teacher Christine is now devoting her time to the Australian Youth Choir and Australian Youth Dance Theatre where she has worked for over 15 years. She is a fan of the visual arts, live theatre, drama, film and is jealous of anyone who can create movement to music. Her working life has been dedicated to the musical education of young people in the performing arts and shes loves to tell anyone who will listen about the benefits the Arts can bring to every personality at all stages of their lives.

Sing and Dance Australia

Sharing life's experiences – singing dancing and growing up!

Category Archives: Move

From the World Wide Web into the real world! How to unplug the family

Sing and Dance Australia

Sharing life’s experiences – singing dancing and growing up!

Team spirit – How children benefit from group activities

Sing and Dance Australia

Sharing life’s experiences – singing dancing and growing up!

Stretch yourself! Seven warm-up tips for dancers and a warm-up video!

Sing and Dance Australia

Sharing life’s experiences – singing dancing and growing up!

Is your child going for Gold ?

Performing Arts Education steps it up during the school break

A tail-feather tribute: the top 7 dance routines you need to know

Is Lady Gaga a good role model?

“I wanna be like Michael Jackson”: Top 4 tips for young dancers

Singing and Dancing – a performance a day keeps the doctor away

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