| Prism Dance Centre 3198 St. John's Street Port Moody, B.C, V3H 2C7 Phone: 604-461-3388 Fax: 604-461-3390 Across the street from Dairy Queen |
Parents & Students Looking for a new studio? Please make an appointment to speak with artistic director, Mariah-Jane Thies, to see if our philosophy and values will be a good fit for your family and your needs. |
| Mariah-Jane Thies Founder & Artistic Director 23 Years Teaching Experience RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) Registered Teacher, Teacher Supervisor & Mentor GMCC Dance Teacher Diploma, 1993 Bill Evans Modern Certified (only 1 in Canada!) Brain Dance Certified |
| Prism Dance Centre is owned and directed by Mariah-Jane Thies Mariah-Jane opened Prism Dance Centre in 1999 as an opportunity to bring to the community her unique experience and philosophies on the teaching of dance. Mariah-Jane has surrounded herself with a teaching staff who share her beliefs. While dance is a physical pursuit, there is also much more involved; the training for the mind is just as vital. Hence our motto: “Transforming the Mind,Body & Spirit”. The staff at Prism value and respect the opportunity to offer dance into the lives of people in the Tri-City area and beyond, and wish to give back to the community through being actively involved in local events. At Prism our teaching methodology is unique by utilizing the theory of Multiple Intelligences to reach every student ( click below ) and the tools of the Brain Dance and the Bartenieff Movement Fundamentals. Mariah-Jane Thies is the only certified instructor in all of Canada of the Bill Evans Modern Technique, which utilizes the Bartenieff Movement Fundamentals ( the "Brain Dance" and Laban Movement Anaylsis ( LMA ). |
| Classes Offered : Recreational & Competitive All Ages: 2-102 Ballet ( Royal Academy of Dance ) Why Choose RAD Ballet ? Jazz Lyrical Jazz Hip Hop Breaking Tap - CDTA (Canadian Dance Teachers Association) Musical Theatre Acting Modern Creative Dance Dance Samplers: Ballet, Tap & Creative Ballroom- Adult & Teen Burlesque Pilates Baton Twirling Acting Full Adult Programme Beginner & Experienced Daytime & Evening Classes *we have a thoughtful schedule for adults who have young children: you can dance while they take a class at the same time ! Drop in Available with Special Punch card rates ** We are one of the only studios in the Tri-City area that has adult classes Come check us out ! |
| What You Can Expect as a valued Prism Client: Students: Caring, well trained and professional teachers Sense of belonging to a family Positive & Nurturing Environment, with plenty of individual attention Treated with respect for the individual's needs Teaching methodology incorporating the theory of Multiple Intelligences ( meaning we will use any and all methods to help you learn your way ) Festival and Exam participation for those interested Parents: Professionally run studio with full time receptionists available during studio hours Parents treated with courtesy and respect Differing degrees of parent involvement welcomed Good communication with monthly newsletters Report Cards for tracking student progress Many parent views weeks Easy fee payments: EFT, VISA and Mastercard Clear and transparent fee calculations Many Performance Opportunities: Our annual Christmas party Festival Competitions Every two months we have in studio informal performances for all the classes to share what they are working on. Spring Showcase- Festival & Exam participants Community performances, such as Golden Spike Days, Teddy Bears Picnic, Seniors Retirement Homes Our annual year end Recital in June Facilities: Convenient location in the heart of Port Moody Parking on 2 levels 3 studios with sprung floors, including one comparable in size to larger theatres (1750 sq feet) Tastefully decorated studios Fully air conditioned studios Mirrors Wall-mounted barres Large, bright and comfortable lobby for parents Change rooms with private changing cubicles Concession, student fridge and microwave Tea and Water |
| We do Birthday & Stagette Parties! Dance Theme Birthday Parties for all ages Parties at the studio or we come to your home ! Choose from any dance form: Hip Hop, Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Modern Musical Theatre,Bellydance, Polynesian, Burlesque (good for those 40 and fabulous parties) Call early to a book ahead and avoid disappointment: 604-461-3388 You could even have an 80's nostalgia dance to remember your youth ! You can come learn "Thriller" and "Like a Virgin" |
| Great facilities ! 3 studios with sprung floors, mirrors and air conditioning. |
| Physical Fitness: including strength, flexibility and co-ordination and cardiovascular endurance Self esteem & Body confidence Respect for one’s body Self Discipline Goal Setting, with exams and festival participation Enhanced learning skills to help balance and complement learning styles relied on in school Enhanced brain function, helping all sports and academic pursuits Appreciation of the Arts Development of social skills Team Spirit Group Commitment Friendships A healthy hobby or an enjoyable career Fun ! Fun ! Fun ! |
| How to Choose a Dance School With so many studios out there, it can be overwhelming for a parent to decide where they should enrol their child. One way to make sure that you make the best informed decision, is to empower yourself with the knowledge of what questions to ask. This can prevent disappointments over the course of the year and ensure that you and your child have the best possible dancing experience. 1)What is the studio’s philosophy and what teaching methods do they use? It is important that the studio philosophy be clearly outlined for prospective clients and that you are in agreement with the studio philosophy. There are many different approaches to the teaching of dance, from the purely recreational through to the tough pre-professional training. Be sure that the goals you have for your child are in balance with the outlook and focus of the studio. Be sure that you are clear on how your child will be treated and taught. All children have different needs and different learning styles. It is important that your child is taught with the skills and flexibility required to reach all types of learners. Please see our information on the website at about the theory of Multiple Intelligences. 2) Are the facilities appropriate and is the location convenient? Ideally have a studio tour to see that the facilities are sufficient, safe and comfortable. Check to see that the floors are proper dance floors, including being a sprung or floating floor and a proper dance surface. The only proper surface that allows a necessary degree of slidability required in dance, but not slippage, is a Marley floor. Typical linoleum and tile is an unsafe dance surface as it is too slippery. Also check to see if there is sufficient room for you, the parent, to comfortably be in the lobby while class is running and that there is a private and comfortable changing room for the dancers. Is there an area and supplies (crayons and colouring,etc. ) for young dancers/siblings. Check that there is sufficient parking and don’t forget the convenience factor of location. 3) What qualifications do the teaching staff have? The teacher your child has will have a great influence on the experience your child has and the skills that he/she will acquire. Teachers should be qualified and have experience teaching a variety of ages. Older teenage dancers may become good teachers in time, but should not be in charge of molding young dancers’ minds and bodies. There are many respected training methods that dance teachers can go through that will help lend credibility to their teaching skills, such as the Royal Academy of Dance. Ask to see the teaching philosophy of the studio and the individual teachers. 4)How is class placement achieved? The studio should have the availability within the schedule to accommodate all ages and abilities. It is imperative that a student be in a class of appropriate level, so that learning can be easily facilitated. A student placed in too low a level is not being challenged sufficiently and time will feel wasted. Conversely, a student overly- challenged will become frustrated and demoralized. 5) How do students perform in festivals and exams? If the studio does exams and competitions, how well do they do? Exam results are a good gauge of the quality of instruction. Dance festivals ideally should be entered by those students who can be prepared in time. Festivals are valuable tools to gain performance experience and set goals. However, be wary of a studio full of trophies. This can be an indication that class time is spent primarily on the learning and polishing of a single dance for competition, rather than the overall learning of dance. 6) What sort of customer service will you be provided with and how are services priced? As a dance parent you will have many questions and many interactions with the studio, especially around recital time. Be sure to see whether there is a reception/office staff available during the regular class times to handle all of your questions. Ask the studio what sort of communication with parents is used. Is it up to the parents to be informed or is there a monthly newsletter? How will you know how your child is progressing? Are watching days scheduled or report cards given out each term? As for pricing, ask the studio all questions you have. They should be able to clear and transparent in all the answers. Fees should be easy to figure out and fully disclosed. Ask whether you pay for holidays? Is there a different amount paid because of all the missed classes on a holiday Monday for example? If they tell you that it all balances out in the end, they are incorrect: it does not. What are the methods of payment? Is it easy to pay? Do they have options like debit, VISA and MasterCard? What is the policy on withdrawal from classes? |
| Transforming the Mind, Body & Spirit |
| Benefits of Dance Training Give your child the tools for success ! |
| PRISM DANCE CENTRE |
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| What students are saying about Prism: I was trained at a prestigious dance school in the traditional way. It was drilled into us that we had to work our bodies hard to achieve results. It is true that we achieved the desired results, but at the cost of fatigued bodies and chronic injury. Now that I have returned to dance as an adult I have come to understand that dance doesn’t have to be hard on your body and you don’t have to work hard. Working with Mariah-Jane I have learned that the road to results can be simpler. Grace, strength, agility and virtuosity, the four things we aspire to achieve in dance, can be reached in a more efficient way. The result is muscular and energetic efficiency and less fatigue and injury. In fact, since returning to dance I have yet to get the sore, achy muscles associated with overwork. Dance is easier on my body now and more enjoyable. Holly, 30, Coquitlam I look forward to the Ladies Jazz class at Prism every week. I returned to dance after many years and have discovered that I’m still able to learn and grow. Mariah- Jane provides a supportive and non-threatening environment, and has amazing energy and a passion for dance that’s contagious. The group is welcoming and friendly, and we have a lot of fun together. I’d definitely recommend this class . . . it’s been a very fulfilling experience. Deirdre, 38, Coquitlam |
| New Programmes We are always working to have new programmes to our list of classes offered. Please feel free to let us know if there is something you are looking for that we do not yet offer. This season we are pleased to announce several new exciting additions to the Prism family: Kreative Kidz A unique programme combining all of the arts for fun and learning. Includes song, music, drama and arts. Ideal when combined with the Dance Samplers. The "Artist Within" A new programme designed especially for students along the Autism spectrum, or have ADD,ADHD, or other social or developmental challenges. We have a parent information and orientation meeting on: Saturday November 1,2008 4-6 pm Please call ahead with any questions you wish to have answered. "The Dancer Within" A class designed especially for students who need extra help socially and with coordination. We utilize the "Brain Dance" and other special techniques to help reach everyone. Instructor: Mariah-Jane Thies & Pamela Turnbull "The Musician Within" A music class used to reach students and give them opportunities for fun, learning and development. Instructor: Music Therapist, Meg Fildes These classes are combined in one unique class! Tri-Cities Dance & Twirl Team -Introducing the Tri-Cities only Baton Twirling Programme Instructor: Lara Leonovitch BBoys & Beyond -Class for Boys only: Breakdance, Hip Hop and Strengthening Instructor: Jeri Chien Acting 5-17 year olds & Adult, both beginner and experienced Instructor: Nancy J. Lilley Please email us and we will send you the more detailed class descriptions Music Together A programme for Infants to 4 year olds Instructor: Kera Dougherty Click to the link to learn more about this very good programme for the musical development of a family www.staccatostudios.com Salsa Babies & Salsa Tots Mom and child exercise class. Dance with your most precious bundle of joy ! Instructor: Lara Leonovitch www.runnersandbootiesfitness.com |
| Festival Policies At Prism Dance Centre we respect and accept everyone's motives for dancing. Some students may wish to attend dance competitions and they will have the option. Each class will need to make a group decision about whether they wish to attend festival. At this time, all members of the class, both parents and students will need to sign a commitment contract. It is imperative that all members understand the year-long requirements of being part of a festival group. Prior to signing the students up to festival a discussion is important to be sure that the expectations and motivations for participating in festival are in keeping with the values of Prism Dance Centre and beneficial to the students. The desire to compete with the sole purpose of wanting to win will not provide the students with a healthy festival experience, even if they do in fact win. Prism believes that festival participation is about goal setting as a group and an individual, performance experience, gaining valuable feedback, meeting other dancers and feeling part of the group. |
| RAD Ballet Exams For the more serious ballet student we offer RAD Ballet exams. These students will need to attend a minimum of 2 classes a week in order to fully prepare. Exams generally take place in the end of April or beginning of May, with results coming in 4-6 weeks. The decision to enter an exam is made after an assessment in January and discussion between the teacher, parent and student. Only fully certified ballet teachers can enter students for exams. ( be sure to check accreditation and history ). The parents and the students need to be aware of the requirements for participation in a ballet exam. Commitment to some home practice is absolutely vital, as is parental involvement. Understanding of the marking system is also important to understanding the progress of your child. The RAD is worldwide ballet syllabus that is taught and examined in over 80 countries around the world. Examiners come from around the globe to assess students and students are assessed on as objective a standard as is possible when dealing with a performing art. Achieving success in ballet exams is now recognized in the high schools for up to 8 credits. Reaching a certain level, along with the appropriate exams is required to become to a dance teacher. |
Welcome to Prism Dance Centre We are now entering our 10 Year Anniversary! The staff of Prism is dedicated to the training of dance in a wholistic manner. We see each student as a person first, and a body second. The training of the body is done in conjunction with deep learning utilizing the full brain and a nurturing of each individual's spirit. Dance is often damaging to a student's self esteem and body confidence due the often extreme judgemental nature of strict training that deals only with the body, often being unaccepting of perceived limitations. Founder Mariah-Jane Thies, has worked hard and stayed true to her vision that dance can and should be only beneficial to the body, mind and spirit of everyone who entrusts us with their training. We take this responsibility seriously and have searched continually for teaching methodology and skills that would enhance our abilities to stay true to our mission. We believe we have these skills, most especially with the incorporation of the Brain Dance within all classes. See link for more information on the Brain Dance. Thank you for visiting our website. If our philosophy feels appropriate to you and in alignment with training that you would like for yourself or your child, please be sure to visit the contact us page. We will be happy to hear from you, find out what you want out of your participation in dance and how we can help you to achieve these goals. |
| Brain Dance Seminars coming up! Parents of new babies: Saturday November 15th 2-4 Parents of 3-7 year olds: Saturday November 15th 11-1:30 Adults looking for better brain functioning: Saturday November 22nd 2-5 Pre-registration required. Please call studio: 604-461-3388 |