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Helping our Children Grow: Creating a Respectful Environment for learning, growing and thriving.

12/3/2024

Dear Pegasus Families,

In a world that often moves too fast and feels increasingly disconnected, the timeless values of courtesy and respect can sometimes feel overshadowed in today’s fast-paced world. These principles, once the cornerstone of our families, schools, and communities, are now qualities we must actively nurture. At Pegasus Dance Studios, we believe that respect is not just a value—it’s a foundation for growth, learning, and thriving as individuals and as a community.

So how do we create and model respectful spaces for our children? It begins with us—parents, educators, and mentors—leading by example and fostering environments where kindness, patience, and understanding are the norm. Respect isn’t just about how we treat others. It's also about cultivating a deep sense of self-respect in ourselves and our children.

When children develop self-respect, they unlock the confidence to believe in their own worth and abilities. This self-belief becomes a guiding light, helping them navigate challenges and build meaningful connections with others. At Pegasus, we see this transformation daily in our classrooms and studios. By teaching respect for themselves and those around them, we empower our students to show up as their best selves—in dance, in school, and in life.

Respect truly is a two-way street. When we show respect to ourselves and others, we create a ripple effect of positivity, trust, and love. Let’s work together to ensure that our families and the spaces where our children learn and play are filled with this vital, life-affirming value.

The following guidelines reflect our shared commitment to creating a respectful and nurturing environment where every dancer can thrive. Thank you for helping us uphold these values and for being an integral part of our Pegasus family.

Studio Guidelines: Creating Respectful Spaces for Dancers, Families, and Studios

"Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners."
– Laurence Sterne

At Pegasus Dance Studios, we strive to maintain an environment where respect is at the core of everything we do. Respect for ourselves, others, and the spaces we share fosters a sense of community and mutual support. To support this vision of respect, we’ve outlined some simple yet meaningful guidelines. These reflect our shared commitment to fostering an environment where every dancer can thrive.

Dancers Show Respect for Themselves by:

Arriving promptly for class, ready to learn.
Wearing appropriate dance attire, for a neat, professional look.
Keeping jewelry minimal, limited to small stud earrings (if necessary). Ballet ties should always be tucked in.
Having their hair neatly secured, preferably in a bun, which is mandatory for ballet.

Dancers Show Respect for Others by:

Maintaining personal space and keeping hands to themselves during class.
Waiting quietly and patiently while others take their turn.
Entering the studio respectfully by waiting for the music to finish if they arrive late.
Listening attentively and speaking only when it’s a shared discussion or when addressed by the instructor.
Cheering on classmates with positive words and support.
Appreciating their parents for providing them with the opportunity to dance.

Dancers Show Respect for Their Teacher and the Art Form by:

Being prepared, properly dressed, and ready for class on time.
Listening actively when their teacher speaks.
Approaching their turn with focus and readiness.
Always asking permission before leaving the room.
Saying "thank you" to their teacher (and assistant teacher) at the end of class.
Demonstrating positive posture and body language, avoiding crossed arms, leaning on the barre, or appearing disinterested.

Dancers Show Respect for the Studio by:

Keeping gum, food, and drinks outside the studio.
Avoiding hanging or pulling on the barres.
Never running or engaging in unsafe activities that could lead to injuries.
Placing trash and recycling in the appropriate bins. Recycle and reuse whenever possible.
Helping keep the studio tidy and clean: If you use something, put it back where it belongs. If you see something out of place—such as garbage, pick it up and put it in the trash can; or a lost item, bring it to the reception desk.

Parents Show Respect for the Dance Studio, Staff, and Faculty by:

Reaching out to staff through the appropriate channels for questions or concerns.
Partnering with teachers and staff to create a positive experience for all dancers.
Knocking gently before entering a classroom if a class is in progress.
Requesting assistance from the reception desk to retrieve a child from class if they need to leave early.
Standing away from the viewing window if it is evident that students are distracted.
Ensuring students are fully prepared for class, including bathroom breaks, snacks, water, and appropriate attire with hair neatly done.
Picking up students promptly after class to ensure smooth transitions for everyone.
Being mindful and courteous when parking or traveling to and from the studio, as we share this busy street with our neighbours. Together, we can maintain a harmonious environment for all.

Jane

Jane Davis-Munro, Artistic Director

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Helping our Children Grow: Teaching Patience, Resilience, and Mastery

11/4/2024

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Dear Pegasus Families,
As parents, educators, and guides, we all want to nurture growth in our children, and we’re reminded of the old lesson from the story of the Tortoise and the Hare: true achievement comes from steady, patient effort over time. But in today’s world, where everything seems just a tap away—from instant purchases to next-day deliveries—it's no surprise that our children might feel success should come just as quickly.
So, how do we teach them that real growth takes patience? That it’s often slow, sometimes uncomfortable, and requires a willingness to stick with things, even when they’re hard? At Pegasus Studios, we believe it’s all about helping our children learn to navigate their own journeys and, in the process, discover resilience, self-confidence, and pride in their own progress.

Letting Them Lead, One Step at a Time
As much as we want to make things easier for our kids, sometimes the best gift we can give them is the chance to figure things out on their own. Every time we hold back from “rescuing” them, we give them the opportunity to stretch, struggle a bit, and then feel a well-earned sense of pride in their accomplishments. It’s not easy for us, either! Watching our children work through the uncomfortable moments without stepping in is tough, but when we do, we show them we believe in their abilities. It’s a powerful way to help them build self-reliance and confidence.

Celebrating the Journey Over the Destination
We all want to celebrate our children’s successes, but I encourage you as parents—and we at Pegasus Studios—to emphasize celebrating the journey itself. Each step forward is worth recognition—whether it’s the progress they make, the hard work they put in, or even the setbacks that build resilience and hold the deepest value. By focusing on growth, we help them celebrate their effort and achievements along the way, making improvement a continuous process rather than a single destination. Our children come to see mistakes as stepping stones and each success as part of a bigger journey.

Mastery Through Patience and Consistency
Each child’s growth is unique; they’ll all reach their milestones at their own pace. As parents, we know it’s natural to compare timelines, but true mastery comes from consistent effort and the patience to stick with it. George Leonard, who wrote about the journey of mastery, reminds us that progress isn’t always immediate. Growth often happens in small moments that, over time, lead to something greater. By helping our kids see that real achievement doesn’t come with shortcuts, we’re teaching them to value persistence and dedication.

Simple Tips to Encourage Growth at Home

For Young Children: Start by offering small, manageable challenges and practice stepping back to let your child work through them on their own. Many families have adopted meaningful household tasks for their children—setting the table, meal preparation, loading and unloading the dishwasher, sorting laundry, even doing their own laundry. These aren’t just “jobs” for the parent but opportunities to create shared moments and help children gain confidence. Start early, and these tasks become mutual (and fun) routines you can enjoy together.
For Older Children and Teens: Share some of your own setbacks or failures with them. This transparency can encourage them to approach you when they’re struggling, knowing they won’t face judgment or receive a solution they didn’t ask for. This kind of open dialogue can be a powerful tool in their growth journey, helping them feel understood and supported.
For All Ages: Encourage the entire family to see challenges as growth opportunities, not obstacles. Consider a family discussion or activity around questions like: “What was the hardest thing you did today?” “What did you fail at today?” or “Where did you stretch outside your comfort zone today?” Normalizing these conversations helps everyone see learning and growth as ongoing, shared experiences that don’t require “fixing” but instead foster support and understanding.

By embracing a family culture that celebrates growth and resilience, each of us—children and parents alike—has the chance to learn and grow together.
For more on supporting your child’s growth, take a look at our blog post:
Nurturing Growth and Mastery at Pegasus Dance Studios
pegasusdancestudios.com/studionews/archives/11-2023

‘We fail to realize that mastery is not about perfection. It’s about a process, a journey.
The Master is the one who stays on the path day by day, year after year.
The Master is the one who is willing to try, and fail, and try again, for as long as he or she lives’
-Leonardo Da Vinci

With a grateful heart,
Jane

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Finding Gratitude in Simple Abundance

10/1/2024

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Why does this September seem busier than ever? We’ve launched our new dance season, welcoming back many familiar faces among our families, faculty, and student assistants, while also greeting new members to our community. We hosted team-building for our ballet and performance companies, spent the summer dancing at the DECA farmers market, and capped off the month with performances and a Pegasus booth at the Danforth East Arts Fair. So many exciting events, filled with joy and activity!

Amidst the busyness, we find ourselves deeply grateful as we celebrate the start of our 38th season. As we look ahead to Thanksgiving, it's a perfect time to rest, breathe, and cherish moments with our families. This October, like every year, brings a focus on gratitude, and this year is no exception.

October is a time I reflect on the theme of gratitude and how we can instill this in our children. It's so easy to get caught up in everything we’re doing—our to-do lists, the pressure to keep up with others, and the comparisons that social media constantly reinforces. Our children, too, are watching, absorbing these influences from their peers, teachers, parents, and the media around them.

Do you remember the Eaton’s Wish Book from the ‘olden days’? That catalog, filled with dreams of holiday gifts, would spark hours of imagining what we might receive. Today, it feels like the 'wish book' is everywhere, all the time. Maybe you had a parent who made you sift through your toys to decide what to donate, making room for the new things. It was the promise that these new things would bring happiness, with smiling faces and joyful moments. But is that what truly fills our hearts?

Let’s pause for a moment. Where am I going with this reflection on gratitude? We’ve all heard about gratitude journals—writing three things each night that we are thankful for—or the tradition of sharing what we’re grateful for around the Thanksgiving table. While reflecting on this, I was reminded of a book I once gifted my mother, which I later inherited after her passing. It had been tucked away on my bookshelf, but when I rediscovered it, my heart filled with gratitude.

As many of you know, my mother, Lynda Johnson, was a visual artist, and together we co-founded Pegasus Dance and Art Centre (original name). She had an artist’s eye, always noticing and, in her words, “relishing” the simplest things. The book I found is Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach, which gained popularity when it was published in 1995. My mother was a special person who ‘relished’ every encounter and experience—she had many adventures!—and continued asking about students and families even from her nursing home. I am deeply grateful to have had such a wonderful influence, teacher, and mother. The values that guide Pegasus to this day were shaped by her.

The inscription I wrote to her on June 9, 1998, reads:
Dear Mum,
Thank you for giving me the opportunities, support, and guidance to follow my dreams.
Love, Jane

Looking through her notes and writings, I was struck by how deeply she appreciated life’s simple joys. Her gratitude wasn’t for grand gestures but for everyday moments: her children and grandchildren (she adored their bare feet and the back of their necks), the scent of her oil paints, a phone call from a friend, salmon sandwiches. Even the ability to travel on the TTC she mentions, inside plumbing - that made me laugh, or the safety of my brother serving in Kosovo, filled her with gratitude.

The forward of the book beautifully encapsulates the heart of gratitude:
"Often people attempt to live their lives backwards; they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want so that they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want."
– Margaret Young

As I closed the book, feeling incredibly thankful for my mother and the gifts she shared, a scrap of paper slipped out. In her handwriting, it contained her favorite prayer:

Dear God, who has given me so much,
Give me one thing more, I pray,
A grateful heart.
Not grateful when it pleases me,
But such a heart that every pulse may sing with Thy praise.

I appreciate you and your family and am grateful that you chose our community to dance and find joy through the arts. I hope this month you will find the simplest of pleasures to be grateful for and find a song in your heart and a dance in your feet.

With a grateful heart,
Jane

Artistic Director

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Helping our Children Grow: Creating a Respectful Environment for learning, growing and thriving.

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