Happy New Year!
As we re-emerge into the real world out of our haze of peppermint treats and lazy mornings, we want to thank you, our Prestige community, for being with us every step of the way in 2018. Last year was a great year: Our community grew in a big way, we were able to give back more than we ever would have dreamed possible, and we learned new ways to stay more connected with you. Our reflection of yet another amazing year has caused us to think long and hard about who we are as a studio, and how far we’ve come.
{Left} Miss Amanda, 2002, building permit of Prestige WEST. {Right} Miss Amanda and Miss Lisette, 2016, building permit Prestige SOUTH.
Prestige remembers all of the families that have passed through our halls; we remember the highs and the lows, and the in-betweens. We have pushed through fires, floods, and recessions. We’ve laughed, cried, rejoiced, and mourned with our Prestige families.
And we’d do it all again.
There’s no need for “new year, new you” here because our Prestige community has been a solid and amazing foundation. We don’t want to be “out with the old”, because our history is how we got to this point. Instead, we want to bring forward the best of us and add to our strengths. Instead of leaving our weaknesses behind we will transform them into attributes. We are who we are because of where we came from, and we know that we will only get better if we remember that.
So, how do we choose what to bring forward with us through the new year, and where we are going to improve?
We talk about who we have been, who we are right now, and who we strive to be as a whole. We look at the attitudes of teachers, students, and parents. We hear about who we are at conventions, competitions, and inter-studio meetings. Who “we are” is something that surrounds us wherever we go.
Most of all, when we think of who “we are” as a studio, and as a staff, we cannot stop ourselves from thinking about you: Prestige dancers, parents, grandparents, and alumni. We are Prestige because of who you are, and that’s what makes us a strong, vibrant community.
This has inspired us to create the We Are project. At both locations, we will have a wall where Prestige dancers can write who we are from their point of view. We want our dancers to feel empowered and to show us what kind of community they feel like they are a part of. We want to give you all a voice to tell us what resonates, what drives you, and why you are proud to say, “We are Prestige.”
Who are we to you?
