back to school: lumi team training recap
From August 25-29, we had the pleasure of (safely) bringing our entire team together to connect, move, learn, and discuss how to offer the best season yet at our annual Luminesque Team Training summit. Although it would take four 12-hour days to explain everything we covered, we’re excited to share a high-level recap with you, so you can understand our priorities for the 2020/2021 season. We’d also like to thank Cicely Blain Consulting, Mikhail Morris, and Linda Mackenzie (MSW, MAC, RCC) of Mackenzie Centre Counselling for sharing your insight and expertise with our team. We’re so grateful for your collaboration.
In an effort to inspire you, stay accountable to our goals, and celebrate the achievements of our team - here is a brief summary of the Team Training curriculum we covered in 48 jam-packed hours of education, collaboration, and connection at Celebrities Nightclub. Below we explain the intention of each day, and provide a few of the key takeaways from each of the sessions we hosted throughout the summit.
day 1: what is luminesque
We started our training going back to the basics of who we are, what we do, and why we do it. Not only was this helpful to introduce our new team members to our business, but also to reacquaint our existing team with our vision, mission, and values. We also debuted the new 2020/2021 programming season, including the new dance programs we’ve developed and the shows we intend to produce this year.
CONNECT:
Knowing, Seeing + Understanding Your Team
We began with a circle discussion with the entire team, and (re)introduced ourselves, our values, our current passions, and our reasons for continually choosing dance as a career. We heard about what everyone was most excited for this year, and what everyone needed to feel prepared to dive in. Then, we had fun with a speed-dating style questions game aimed at quickly developing intimate connections.
MOVE:
Mastering the Rise + Shine 2.0
Next, we debuted the brand new Rise and Shine conditioning warmup that Vanessa designed after deeply auditing student and team feedback and class videos from the past three years. Our students and team needed a fresh new challenge, a refocus on specific areas of strength, and a more body-inclusive routine. The new Rise and Shine delivers all that and even more - by improving mobility, preventing injury, emphasizing accessible baselines (with modifications to add challenge) and strengthening the five specific muscle groups we’ve identified as the common weaknesses in adult heels dancers (especially beginners). We also explained the intention and anatomy behind each movement so teachers can educate students.
LEARN:
Overview of Luminesque in 2020/2021
In the afternoon, we gave the team a sneak peek of all the exciting initiatives we’ve planned for 2020/2021. We also talked about our solidified mission, vision, and values, and how we intend to implement them into every part of our business this year. We explained the philosophy behind the new program, pricing and level structure, so they could provide the best recommendations for their students. Finally, we introduced the new Student Experience Team and explained their importance in guiding our students on their personal journeys, providing mental health support for staff and students, and serving as a deep connection between Luminesque HQ and each and every person in all of our studios.
Highlights of the new program components:
Multiple teachers in every course
In-class assessment of dance ability
Theory workshop to engage the mind
Specialty workshop to engage the community
Costuming workshop to help students feel confident
Full dress rehearsal to provide the best possible experience
Professional photo and video shoot before the show run
Two show weekends where our students can shine
Summary of factors for Progress level placement:
Level of commitment inside and outside class
Amount of mental/emotional/physical energy to give
Performance and personal artistry development
Dance technique and injury prevention practice
Dedication to consistent cross-training
Desire for personal constructive criticism
Self-awareness of one’s own abilities/progress
If you'd like a detailed summary of changes this year, check out Luminesque’s 2020 Evolution.
DISCUSS:
Effective Communication + Collaboration
We finished Day 1 with an interactive workshop about how to communicate and collaborate effectively as a group. From practicing kind callouts to (un)learning what professionalism means at Luminesque, our team shared their perspectives and techniques for creating open, honest, productive, and respectful dialogue.
day 2: leading a classroom
Our second day of Team Training focused on how to be a kind, supportive, and inclusive leader of a class. From sharing favourite tools for teaching, to how to plan a meaningful five-month course journey, our team worked together to identify how to be the best leaders we can be for our students and community.
CONNECT:
Sharing Tools for Teaching
We started the day by giving the stage to every teacher in the room - new and existing, course and rotating - so they could share their favourite exercises, techniques, and tools for teaching heels dance. We weren’t surprised, but we were so impressed by the vast array of expertise all of our teachers have acquired throughout their collective decades of experience in the performing arts. From how to create safe spaces for students to touch their own bodies, to practical steps for how to practice choreography at home, to acting techniques, to specific exercises to develop different dance repertoires - our teachers got the chance to flex their skills and share with the rest of the team. You may have seen a couple peeks on our IG Story!
MOVE:
Levelling Up the Rise + Shine 2.0
Next, we talked about how to break down the Rise + Shine 2.0 within our new level structure. We nerded out over dance anatomy, and explained how to identify areas of muscular overdevelopment and weakness in students long before they become injuries. Most importantly, we talked about our new philosophy for modifications, and explained how to teach the most accessible baseline that will appropriately challenge all dancers, before providing modifications to make things more difficult for students who want more. From pregnancy to injury, we shared insight into what different dancers may need to feel challenged while staying safe. Then we practiced doing the warmup at every level, so teachers are ready to teach it to you!
LEARN:
Introduction to Wellness Living + Studio Protocols
In the afternoon, we hosted a hands-on workshop where we introduced the team to our new app and booking system (Wellness Living). We also discussed how to keep everyone safe with COVID protocols.
If you haven’t downloaded the new app yet, ask your Student Experience Coordinator to show you how!
DISCUSS:
Building a Course Journey as a Team
For the last session of the day, we went week by week through the new Progress and Express programs and explained the overlap/division of responsibilities for our HQ, Teachers, Student Experience Team, and Cultural Consultants. Then, we split them into course groups to plan the ultimate journey for their students.
Summary roadmap of the new Progress course structure:
Week 1-3: Orientation, Training + Combos (Getting to know each other)
Week 4: Theory Workshop (Discussions about relevant themes/context/history)
Week 5-6: Teacher 1 Training + Choreography (Relevant movement + setting piece)
Week 7: Dance Workshop (Guest shares specific tools relevant to theme/choreography)
Week 8-9: Teacher 2 Training + Choreography (Relevant movement + setting choreography)
Week 10: Costume Workshop (Learn what to wear onstage and how to design a costume)
Week 11-13: Teacher 2 Training + Choreography (Relevant movement + setting piece)
Week 14: Tech Rehearsal (weeknight; no other in-studio class)
Week 15-16: BREAK
Week 17: Cleaning + Closing
Week 18: Director’s Rehearsal (no other in-studio class)
Week 19: Dress Rehearsal + Photo/Video Shoot
Week 20: Show Weekend 1 (no class)
Week 21: Show Weekend 2 (no class)
BONUS:
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Exclusive Premiere
We finished a magical day with an even more magical screening of our Spring term virtual show: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. After being inspired by the beautiful film, we had a super socially-distanced dance party all throughout Celebrities Nightclub and remembered how great it feels to dance with friends.
day 3: leading a community
Our third day of Team Training focused on how to create safe and inclusive spaces for everyone in our program, how to respectfully appreciate and participate in culture and how to be an active ally to marginalized communities. We were grateful to collaborate with two prominent leaders in the community, who shared their expertise, perspective, insight, and guidance for how to be the best leaders we can be.
CONNECT:
Understanding Values + Safe Leadership Limits
We started Day 3 by connecting around the concept of values, and how they inform our choices, reactions, and interactions with others. We helped each other understand our own value systems, and we practiced how to have respectful, productive discussions with those who have opposing values to our own. After getting to know each other better, we had a dialogue about how to set healthy boundaries with students.
A large focus of this session was about empowering our team to make choices that feel aligned with their values and Luminesque values. That said, we also outlined specific types of language we’re committed to avoiding within our studios, shows, and online interactions with other staff and students. Some of the areas of language we’re working to unlearn are:
Diet culture and fatphobia (i.e. “earning dinner”, “burning calories”, or complimenting bodies)
Heteronormative, gendered, sexist, and/or transphobic language (i.e. assuming someone’s gender)
Racist or culturally appropriative language (i.e. “spirit animal”, use of AAVE by non-Black folks, etc.)
Violent or sexist language (i.e. slay, killing it, murdered it, excessive swearing)
Ableist or ageist language (i.e. crazy, insane, dumb, “I’m getting too old for this”)
MOVE:
Breath + Embodiment
Vanessa shared some of the insight she’s learned over the past decade studying and training in somatic embodiment with the rest of the team, including a breakdown of the five bodies (physical, mental, emotional, energetic, and spiritual) and how they connect to performance. Lastly, she led us through a powerful embodiment exercise that helped us all reconnect with our breath, our emotions, and our selves.
LEARN:
Strategies for LGBTQ+ Inclusion with Cicely-Belle
We were so grateful to have Cicely-Belle Blain from Cicely Blain Consulting (who is the founder of the Stratagem Conference our team attended this summer) join us via a big-screen interactive webinar to discuss how to create safe(r) spaces for LGBTQI2S+ folks in our community and how to be supportive allies.
Below is a summary in their own words of the learning outcomes of their workshop:
Define extensive and important LGBTQ+ terminology
Recall the differences between sex, gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation
Hone inclusive language skills and understand correct pronoun usage
Investigate and analyze existing barriers and challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community
Develop the foundations for inclusion and equity strategies for the LGBTQ+ community
Their workshop was extremely informative, actionable, and helpful for everyone on our team. We highly recommend booking them to speak to your team about inclusivity, diversity, anti-racism, and allyship.
DISCUSS:
Open Conversation About Culture with Mikhail Morris
For the last session of the day, we were honoured that Mikhail Morris of Ketch Di Vybz joined us to facilitate an open dialogue about where dance comes from, why it is so much more than just movement, and what it means to teach dance (especially when you’re inspired by styles from the African Diaspora). Through Mikhail’s Pedagogy framework and metaphors, he explained how the narrative of any form of dance changes when it is contextualized in history, cultures, peoples, languages, values and lifestyles. We finished Day 3 with a better understanding of how to move forward as helpful allies and respectful guests. We are excited to continue collaborating with Mikhail in the years to come and highly encourage you to subscribe to his online education platform and webinar series, which can be found on Ketch Di Vybz.
day 4: moving forward as a team
Our last day of Team Training was all about putting everything we’ve learned together into a collaborative plan to create the best season yet! We kicked off the day with a fun photoshoot and wrapped up an epic 48 hour summit with an inspiring recap of our takeaways and a group and individual goal setting exercise.
CONNECT:
Promoting Yourself + Your Offerings Authentically
We started the day with a mini session from our Creative Strategist Kyra, who talked about how to talk about our passions and areas of expertise authentically. Then we turned on the stage lights, set up our DJ, and had a socially distanced photo shoot, video shoot and dance party to celebrate our new 2021 team. Stay tuned on our socials to see some of the wonderful photos and videos Kyra captured of our team!
MOVE:
Choreography, Conditioning + Consensual Critique for Mixed Level Classes
Next we talked about creating a culture of consent inside and outside the studio, and practiced how to consensually give critiques to help with injury prevention and progression. Then, we moved into an interactive workshop about how to choreograph and train a group of dancers with mixed abilities and backgrounds, while still showcasing everyone in their best light and providing appropriate challenges. In just 10 minutes, our choreographers developed dynamic, intriguing, and exciting pieces that ensured every student (even in a class with an extreme dance knowledge disparity) felt confident, celebrated, and seen.
LEARN:
Trauma-Informed Group Leadership in/out of Studio
In the afternoon we had the honour of hosting Linda Mackenzie (MSW, MAC, RCC) of Mackenzie Centre Counselling, who specializes in helping victims of domestic violence, sexual trauma, childhood trauma, PTSD, and addictions. Her insightful presentation provided accessible strategies for facilitating safe and trauma-informed classes and conversations. We learned about how to help students struggling with mental health or processing trauma, and when to reach out for support from the internal counselors available to Luminesque or crisis helplines.
DISCUSS:
Personal + Group Goal Setting for 2020 + Beyond
We wrapped up an epic four-day summit with an inspiring recap of everyone’s key takeaways, before leading a group and individual goal setting workshop. We guided individual team members, and then groups by city through the following questions:
INDIVIDUAL:
How do you want to feel by the end of term?
What do you want to know by the end of term?
What would you have liked to achieve by the end of term?
What are your 3 biggest priorities for your self this term?
What are your 3 biggest priorities for your students this term?
GROUP (BY CITY):
What are our 3 biggest priorities for our team this term?
What are our 3 biggest priorities for our students this term?
LET’S GLOW!
Have any questions about our Team Training? We encourage you to reach out to your favourite teacher or team member and ask them about their experience - I’m sure they’d be excited to tell you all about it! Otherwise, please feel free to email glow@luminesquedance.com and we’ll share more about the summit.
