Posts Tagged ‘Dance school’

Many little girls have a desire to take dance lessons for a number of reasons: it can be a lot of fun, or they are physical and just need to move- a lot! From my experience having once been a little girl and from my experience as a dance teacher; I would say that many little girls have a desire to dance, because it makes them feel like a princess!

On December 11, 2009 Disney will present, The Princess And The Frog in theaters everywhere! This is the first Disney film to feature an American princess, who is also African American. I had the opportunity to see a short clip of the movie earlier this month at Blogalicious in Atlanta.

Set in New Orleans, this movie is about a beautiful girl named Tiana who embarks on her journey towards following her heart and living the life of her dreams. From the short clip that I was able to see, it was clear to me that Tiana exemplifies the courage and passion that many little girls have.  I cannot wait to see the entire movie, and get in touch with my inner princess.

If you’ve never studied classical ballet, or if you are not proficient in French; chances are you have no idea what plie is! Plie, [plee-AY] is a French classical ballet word, which means to bend your knees.

Many dance classes for children, as well as for adults begin with plies, because of its ability to warm-up the knees. The knees are very vulnerable to injury while dancing; therefore the proper execution of plie is crucial. I found a great picture on photobucket of a dancer in a plie position:

Dancer's feet are in fifth position

Although it is a part of the ballet terminology, plies may be used in the warm-up for other genres of dance like: modern technique, hip-hop, jazz, African, and tap to name a few.

Urban Plie, Inc is a dance program that I started in April of this year for children between the ages of 3-18. I currently offer ballet, modern dance technique, creative movement (children ages 3-5 only), West African, jazz, and yoga. Inspiring kids through dance is the mission of my program. 

I am focused on urban communities throughout the country because: dance classes are usually more readily available to children who live in suburban neighborhoods, and there are many kids who live in large cities who would love dance as a creative form of expression.

Urban Plie dance programs are accessible wherever there are children who want to learn how to dance; whether it be an after school program, a workshop at a children’s museum, a youth program at a church, or at a public library.

If you would like to know how you can set up a dance workshop, or a dance class for your event feel free to send me an email at, natasha@urbanplie.com.