I am the owner and director of Local Motion Studio in Alexandria, Virginia. I teach dance, Pilates, pre/postnatal fitness and barre. Additionally, I teach dance integration classes in a public school (1-4 classes a week depending on when in the year, funded by PTA) and will begin teaching dance and writing curriculum in a middle school dance program that will meet 5 days a week for 12 weeks.

I am a choreographer and dancer for Choreographers Collaboration Project – but am on leave due to a fractured ankle. I am also the mother of two. 

What I enjoy about my weekly schedule is that I can be with the kids after school. I like that I have a variety of interests and class formats to teach and develop curriculum for. This keeps me busy but inspired.

I would also say that both of these details are also my biggest challenges!! I need to work around kids' activities and often am working very early in the am and late in the pm to bookend my time with them with the many responsibilities I have. The multiple class formats I teach and curricula I write, while exciting, can be overwhelming if I do not stay organized.

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Monday:

6 a.m. – Wake up, get kids breakfast, make lunches, get ready

7:30 a.m. – Get kids to school

8:00 a.m. – Get to the studio. Do admin work of marketing, payroll and bank reconciliation.

9:30 a.m.- Meet with children’s program director. Go over recent teacher observations, discuss curriculum development for studio and finalize our lesson at the public school for our dance integration program.

10:30 a.m. – Take class

Noon – Private client

2:30 p.m. – Pick up my kids. Run around, snack, soccer, dinner, homework, grocery shop.

8:00 p.m. – Kids to bed. I work typically for 2-3 more hours answering emails, crafting newsletters, studying lessons online etc for class development.

Tuesday:

6 a.m. – Same! BUT kids off of school for teacher work day.

11:00 a.m. – In the studio planning Pilates class, prenatal and postpartum classes, warm up for dance class.

1:00 p.m. – Home for kids (but need to work periodically on computer – emails, lesson plans, etc.)

6:00 p.m. – Dinner, kids to dad's.

7:00 p.m. – Out with a friend to discuss marketing strategies for the studio (both adult and children’s programs)

9:00 p.m. – Home to answer emails and review lesson plans

Wednesday:

6 a.m. – Clean house

8:00 a.m. – At work. Teach Pilates at 8:15 and 9:30.

10:45 a.m. – Take class

12:15 p.m. – Teach dance integration class at public school (first grade, social studies)

1:00 p.m. – Work in a coffee shop answering emails/etc.

2:30 p.m. – Pick up kids. Soccer run, snack.

4:30 p.m. – Back to studio to lesson plan/research

6:30 p.m. – Teach prenatal

8:00 p.m. – Home, answer emails, organize notes, study videos online. Send emails to possible collaborators.

Thursday:

6 a.m. – Wake up

8 a.m – Private lesson

10:45 a.m. – Teach post partum

Noon – Lunch with local dance educator/choreographer to exchange ideas

2:00 p.m. – Coffee shop to answer emails

2:45 p.m. – Pick up kids, music lessons, dinner

8:00p.m. – Kids in bed, work, lesson plan , make playlists

Friday:

8:15 a.m. – Teach Pilates

10:45 a.m. – Teach barre

Noon – Finalize teacher observation notes (children’s dance program). Write letters to parents in the public school about what their children have learned in social studies through dance.

1:00 p.m. – Meet with the instructor who is collaborating on the new middle school dance job. Begin writing curriculum for the 5-day a week, 12 week program. Setting the warm up is the main goal! Then general topics for each week….

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