You may have noticed! We have a new format for our Pegasus Newsletter and Monthly Minute. We know your inbox is full of amazing stuff and we don’t want you to miss ours. You will be getting one Newsletter email with a link to my Monthly Blog. If you are here, you saw the link!! Thank you for taking the time to read the Newsletter and to link my Monthly Minute! This is the best way for us to share all the wonders and happenings of our studio! In the November Monthly Minute, I shared with you that we were talking about what it means to Belong in our classes. Below is what the Pegasus Students have been building! The Belonging Tree is overflowing!! The students have been excited to add a leaf to the tree and pick up a ‘we belong here’ button to add to their dance bag. We are so grateful to have such a wonderful Studio community! We Imagined a place for children to thrive, find friends and to belong and I am so grateful for all those who contributed and feel like they belong! There is still time to add their name to the tree and get a button, if they have not already done so. As I write this last Monthly Minute of 2022 I want to thank you for believing in us and that the Arts Matter!! Every day we see and feel the warmth, the joy and excitement of being together, dancing, making art and giving back to the community through our regular classes, our Dance With Heart Program, and the events this month to raise money for the Daily Bread Food Bank.
The arts have seen us through the most challenging times and we know that we are richer if we can celebrate, express our emotions, and communicate what is in our hearts with music, dance, and art. This is what builds connection, community and allows us to be compassionate humans. Our vehicle is the Arts but through our passions we focus on a whole child approach to raising happy and healthy children. In creating a healthy community, we aim to develop empathy, connection, and the feeling of belonging and safety that Pegasus Dance Studios can provide as your child’s “third space”, a space other than home and school that fills their soul. We continue to learn what is needed for every student to be successful and to grow, belong and thrive. Thank you for your belief in us, in Pegasus Dance Studios, and the importance of the arts in your families lives. We have an amazing community! From our Pegasus Family to your, we wish you a happy and healthy Holiday Season! With love and gratitude, Jane
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In our classes this month we are talking about what it means to Belong. We encourage inclusivity and having a place to feel safe, nurtured and part of a community that supports all, but we also know that we need to continue to talk, model and teach it in our classes as it may not be everyone's experience. And so, we will find ways to talk about, share and embrace everyone. You will notice a Belonging Tree in the Reception room that the students can come and add their name to. We have been very proud that Pegasus DS has often been described as a ‘second home’ and our hearts are filled when the Alumni come back and let us know that even after many years, they still feel a sense of home. Our studio (and stage) was excited to invite Alumni to dance with us at our 35th Anniversary Showcase and we also had Alumni, Matthew Crockard-Villa and his partner (Prima Ballerina- Elisa Badenes) , both members of the Stuttgart Ballet, dance for our Intensive Summer Students this past summer. My heart was full when Matthew told our dancers ‘I’m a dancer because Jane believed in me. My dance career started right here in this room, standing at that barre’. A place that started his career and still feels a sense of belonging. We were all in awe of the beautiful Pas de Deux they performed for us, after using our studio to rehearse (during their holiday) so they were ready to perform in a full length ballet. The Cambridge Dictionary describes belonging as; A feeling of being happy or comfortable as part of a particular group and having a good relationship with the other members of the group because they welcome you and accept you: A sense of belonging is one of humanity's most basic needs and refers to a human emotional need to affiliate with and be accepted by members of a group. A sense of belonging is influenced by factors such as environment, emotional attachment, interaction, participation, sense of safety, nature of social contacts (Young, Russell, & Powers, 2004), among others. Along with our three core values that I wrote about in September Monthly Minute (Trust, Respect and Kindness), we aim to create a place where differences are celebrated and your child finds joy and belonging. Imagine a place where your child can find and make friends, a teacher becomes a mentor and they can become leaders. Over the past 35 years and counting our classes have provided a place to belong, build positive connections and community. Our classes provide opportunities for our children to be their best selves and lessons for them to discover who they are becoming. This is the place to be… you belong here! We communicate and update all Studio happenings by the Monthly Minute and Newsletter. Stay connected, please do not unsubscribe.
With Joy, Jane |
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