Shauna Jurczak and Jamie Jurczak are sisters and the Co-Owners/Directors of Maples Academy of Dance in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. This interview is a little different than usual because rather than interviewing one person, we have interviewed both Shauna and Jamie and will try to incorporate both points of view. While they are similar in a lot of the things they do at the studio, they still have a few differing ideas. Actually, I think you will see that even where they differ, they are remarkably alike.
Shauna, Jamie and Maples Academy is dedicated to bringing out the best in each dancer. They have created accomplished competitive and non-competitive programs to allow instructors to provide appropriate training for all of their superstar students – and in the eyes of Shauna and Jamie, they are all superstars!. All of their instructors come from diverse dance backgrounds, and have put their expertise and creative concepts together to build the amazing programs offered at Maples Academy of Dance.
Maples Academy’s facility has three spacious, air conditioned dance studios, a large change room and restrooms, a relaxed and comfortable parents’ lounge with complimentary coffee and tea, and ample parking. These aspects, combined with their expert faculty and dance students and families creates a positive dance atmosphere for everyone who comes to Maples Academy of Dance.
Shauna describes Maples Academy as a place where they strive to provide professional and fun dance classes. At Maples Academy, they believe everyone is a superstar, regardless of whether someone is a recreational and competitive dancer. They strive to bring out the best in all their students while finding a balance between hard work and fun. They believe in having strong technique and performance skills, but they also try to foster creativity and passion for dance in all of their dancers.
Jamie describes Maples Academy as a place where they encourage each dancer – regardless of the dancer’s level or dance goals – to achieve their personal best, so that when they look back at their dance experience they will remember it as a positive, wonderful one.
Shauna believes that their dance studio is different from other studios due to their approach to teaching and their family atmosphere. In terms of teaching, they try to make learning fun, while still challenging their dancers and helping them accomplish their goals as performers. Also, they are a family business – Shauna and Jamie are sisters and their mom manages the studio office. Additionally, as time has progressed, their staff and students have become their extended family . . . their dance family.
Jamie says their teaching philosophy is different than other studios. That philosophy incorporates positive values, fun, hard work and the concept of teamwork as the keys to a successful dance experience.
When asked what she would consider her proudest moment in her coaching career, Shauna said she has proud moments every day, but always finds it extremely rewarding when she knows a student has set a goal and worked really hard to accomplish it. Whether it is perfecting a double pirouette or putting on pointe shoes for the first time, when she sees their hard work pay off, or when they realize that their hard work has paid off, she feels so proud and excited for them.
Jamie says that she has had so many proud moments! But, one that gets her every time is when she watches a dancer who has just started studying pointe go up on her toes and realize she can balance without the need for the barre. Jamie feels like a proud parent watching their child riding a two wheeler after losing the training wheels!
Shauna believes that the biggest mistake she sees dancers make is comparing themselves to other dancers. She thinks dancers need to worry less about what other dancers are doing and focus more on practicing their own technique and working hard in class to be the vert best dancer they can be. She said that all dancers progress at different rates, and all dancers have different strengths and weaknesses. But, learning to focus on their own training will help them develop faster. Nothing holds a person back more than worrying about how they compare to the person next to them. Instead, just working hard to be better and better every day will always help a dancer rise to the top!
Jamie thinks a lot of mistakes come from not actually understanding anatomy or the physics of motion. She finds that if the student doesn’t know or understand what muscle groups are involved or what the force and resistance might be in the motion, they often make the movement harder. Taking the time to learn a little about anatomy and physics (or listening to their teacher when the teacher tries to explain it, rather than thinking the teacher is crazy trying to explain how the femur fits in the pelvis) can make a world of difference.
Also, Jamie said she doesn’t know if you would call it a “mistake,” but the idea that they should be able to “get” every step right away – forgetting that many dance steps take time, effort and practice to learn, and that their teachers don’t even expect steps to be perfect without a lot of practice can be a problem. To fix that, they must learn patience and perseverance.
Shauna’s goal is to see the studio continue to grow, while maintaining their family atmosphere. She hopes their dancers continue to succeed, and that their dancers continue to get fit, find passion, and have fun with dance.
Jamie’s one specific goal for her personally this year relates to teaching a tap class for the first time in a long time. She really wants to make sure that class is a great experience for her students.
Shauna’s reason for starting a dance school was that she loves dance and teaching kids to move. To her, work isn’t work; she goes to work and gets to “play” in the dance studio with amazing dancers. She doesn’t know many things that are more awesome than that! Shauna said that both she and Jamie) are also passionate about dance. They had been teaching at other places around the city for a while and realized it was time for them to create their own studio with their own ideas and philosophies. They knew they wanted to open a school in the neighborhood where they grew up because there has never been a studio there. When they decided to go forward and open the studio, the timing was just right, so they jumped on it!
Jamie said that having a full time job, but wanting to continue to teach dance and participate in the dance community, having their own studio was the best way they could ensure that they could continue to do that, as it allowed her to do so on her own terms.
Shauna, her sister and all their staff for that matter, have very diverse backgrounds, which means they have a lot of fabulous experiences and tidbits of knowledge they can pass along to their students to help them grow and succeed.
Jamie added that they believe they are a dance family and a team.
Please post a comment if you have had any experience with Maples Academy of Dance or Shauna Jurczak and Jamie Jurczak.
If you would like to know more about the Maples Academy of Dance, check them out on their website at http://www.maplesdance.com. Also, you could call them at 204-697-9205 or email them at info@maplesdance.com. Don’t forget to “Like” them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and view them on YouTube.
