Dance Education Philosophy

~Dance Education Philosophy~

I personally believe that dance education is a system in which, children are able to explore movement creatively and comfortably through the processes and elements of dance. In dance education, I will not only instill correct movement, dance elements and technique to the students, but I will teach them about the love of dance and assist them on their road to finding their own experience and passion with dance. I am not a teacher to force, control or dominate. I am a teacher so that I can guide and nurture what already lies within the heart of every child and their love of dance. I believe that by teaching these kids difficult and complex movement, I am teaching them to think critically not only in the classroom, but as a full functioning member of society. Dance education is something that; in my opinion, should be offered in every school and could; if taught effectively, change the way our younger generations react to, and perceive the world around them.

~Random Thoughts~

I have decided today that my post will be about totally random things. To start off, I want to say that I love to look at pictures and reminisce over when Hallie was a baby and also when my siblings were little babies. It's crazy how time flies. I love children so much. I guess a big contributor is that I am the oldest of five kids. I was always there to comfort each and every one of them, and I still am.  Even if they don't want to admit it. I can't believe that God would give me the great responsibility of being the oldest sibling. I have loved every second of getting to sow into the lives of my siblings and that maybe (HOPEFULLY) they will learn from my mistakes. I wouldn't change it for the world. For those of you out there that think having a ton of kids is crazy, well then you are just plain missing out. : ) Here are some pictures of me with my siblings that I just love and will always hold dear to my heart.

The girls and I at Virginia Beach this past summer.

 

 

 

 

My brother and I before my Senior Prom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My sweet Abbie. I pretty much raised her.

Emmie is way too much like her big sister!

K, I had to add this one cause it's hilarious! Gotta love Maddie's sad face.

The whole family at Virginia Beach, minus josh.... : (

 
Okay, my next thoughts of the day.....hmmmm.... well I guess I will be honest and say that I have baby fever and I've got it real bad. Maybe it's because everyone else around me is getting preggo! Haha! It's so exciting! There can never be too many babies in my mind. What a blessing they are to the world. I want to congratulate everyone who are having babies and I want an invite to every shower! I love you all and you are in my prayers.
As for me, don't get your hopes up anytime soon. I have to finish dancing my little booty off in school first. But I know it will be worth the wait. Everything is! Until then; to satisfy my baby fever, here are some cute pics of babies and pregnancy!   

So Beautiful

Coolest picture ever!

So sweet

Look at this tiny little thing

Precious

 I can't wait for the day that I will be able to add to the beautiful family that Kevin and I have already started. God's blessing is abundant in the lives of those who choose to follow him. I believe that his blessings shine through nothing greater on earth than through the eyes of a child. I believe it is a calling of mine to be a mother to many children, so that is exactly what I am going to do.

~Animal Abuse~

 Did you know:

   In Oklahoma there are 51  known cases of animal abuse and neglect. Not to mention the hundreds of other animals with owners who just didn't get caught.

Puppy mills are distinguished by their inhumane conditions and the constant breeding of unhealthy and genetically defective dogs solely for profit.

Very often the dogs in puppy mills are covered with matted, filthy hair, their teeth are rotting and their eyes have ulcers. We have seen many dogs whose jaws have rotted because of tooth decay.

The dogs are kept in small wire cages for their entire lives. They are almost never allowed out. They never touch solid ground or grass to run and play.

 In Oklahoma 90% of puppies for sale at pet stores are from puppy mills. 

Some one who completely deprived their dog of food and water.

A horribly graphic image of a puppy mill.

         There are some things that make me more angry than others. One of those things being animal neglect and abuse. When I was on Facebook about an hour ago a friend of mine posted a video of two dogs coming over from her neighbors that have been left outside during this entire storm. The water that had been left out for them was frozen and there was no food in sight. When she brought out a large bucket to feed both dogs, one ( that just had puppies) ate the whole bucket herself in about 3 min. The dogs were so hungry that it took two buckets to properly feed them. After they ate both dogs and the pups showed to stay on her porch. She will be contacting the ASPCA and reporting the neglect.


These kind of things make me so angry and upset! I just can't understand why anyone would take on the responsibility of an animal if they cannot properly care for them. Think about if someone left you out in this storm, maybe some of you moms right after you gave birth, with your baby having no food or water. I believe it is our job as Christians to care for ALL of Gods creatures, animal and human. So please take care of your animals, or leave them in the care of someone who will.

And to all of you reading, do not leave your cats or dogs out in this snow storm without a dog house and proper food and water!!!!!! Your neighbors are always watching!

It is our job to take care of the land and the creatures that inhabit earth.

"The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." (Genesis 2:15) 

God cherishes all living things, even animals. He made them of course!

"Then God commanded, 'Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life; domestic and wild, large and small, and it was done. So God made them all, and He was pleased with what He saw." 

(Genesis 1:24, 25)

 "And of every living thing, of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you." (Genesis 6:19)

"Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest, so that your ox and your donkey may have relief." (Exodus 23:12; cf. Deuteronomy 5:14)

 "You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." (Deuteronomy 25:4)

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God's sight." (Luke 12:6; cf. Matthew 10:29)

"Look at the birds flying around . . . your Father in Heaven takes care of them" 

(Matthew 6:26)

~Dancing the Dream~

"Consciousness expresses itself through creation. This world we live in is the dance of the creator. Dancers come and go in the twinkling of an eye but the dance lives on. On many an occasion when I'm dancing, I've felt touched by something sacred. In those moments, I've felt my spirit soar and become one with everything that exists. I become the stars and the moon. I become the lover and the beloved. I become the victor and the vanquished. I become the master and the slave. I become the singer and the song. I become the knower and the known. I keep on dancing and then, it is the eternal dance of creation. The creator and creation merge into one wholeness of joy.

I keep on dancing and dancing.......................and dancing, until there is only .................the dance".

~Michael Jackson

               If you didn't know by now I will go ahead and tell you that I am a die hard Michael Jackson fan. Not just because he was the king of pop, but because despite the fact that he had issues; he was the king of the dance. He understands dance in the way a true dancer understands it and experiences it everyday. He sees it for what it truly is. The good and the bad, the overwhelming and the overcoming. He had a true relationship with dancing that cannot be replaced. He left a mark on the world and the hearts of people in it. Even though he is gone, he continues to live on through dance and he continues to inspire me every time I step on the dance floor. When I dance, I think of this poem and I am reminded of the true reason why I dance. 

 For my creator!

Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp.

Psalm 149:3

~ Just Stay The Same~

I look in your pretty eyes
I feel so blessed and overwhelmed
With each and every day
My love grows
It will never go away

I sometimes wonder how God could give me such a gift
A piece of heaven on earth
To share my life with

As time passes from then to now
Instead of worrying about life
I want to spend every moment
With you right now

I want to hold you forever
Right here in my arms
Put my life on hold
To forever remember this moment
 this moment more priceless than gold

When did you grow
I want to stop time
Scream no!
I never want to forget the you
You are right now
I want to stay forever in this moment
And always feel the way I do now

So please don't grow
Just stay the same
The barbies and dress up all over the floor can stay

But I know that someday you will grow up
 and one day feel the same
But for now let's just snuggle
Up on the couch
Because tomorrow is another day
Another day closer to
 the time you will go away

~ Macie Cantrell

                                 Psalm 127:3  
                         Behold, children are a
                        heritage from the Lord,
                  the fruit of the womb a reward.

 As parents we never want our kids grow up. We always wish we could stop time, make it last just a little longer, but as other parents know it goes by all too fast. So I want to remind you to stop your busy life from time to time and make lasting memories with your children.
 As adults we may face many challenges every day. It may be related to money, loosing a job, loosing a family member or something as small and annoying as a flat tire or speeding ticket that makes you late for work.  Either way we all fall victim to the stresses and worries of this world and we forget that our children need us. We must remember that our children are a gift, a heritage from the Lord. When you are in the presence of a child you are truly in the presence of God! What a sacred gift that will leave us radically changed , and never the same.
So please take time for your children.  I challenge you to stop what you are doing at least once a day to be on your childs level. Read them a story, snuggle, watch a movie, etc. Just stop and be in the moment with your children at least once a day.  It won't last forever.

 Here are some pictures of Hallie I have been looking back on. My how she's grown!

~ The True Meaning Of Christmas~

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you felt like your life was so hard that you just wanted to break down and cry? Well let me just tell you, this week has been one of those weeks for me. Trying to juggle school, dance, being a mom, and a wife can be overwhelming at times.Especially during finals week. Who honestly wants to be spending everynight away from your family during the Christmas season. Not me! Just thinking about it makes me more upset. But I was reminded tonight by my 4 year old what this time of year is all about.

While Hallie and I were in the car on our way to pick Kevin up for his usual 5:00 break, we started to talk about Christmas and Santa and the Elfs. She started rambling on and on about all of the things she wanted for Christmas this year. Then, out of the blue she said something I have told her many times before but didn't think she understood or had a long enough attention span to obsorb. She said "Mommy you know, Christmas isn't just about Santa or presents; it's about love, family and mostly Jesus".

 What better way could God have reminded me about his love and about Christmas than through the heart of a child ? I was reminded through her, that God sent his only son to earth to save me.  What if I had to give up my only child in order to save the world? I can say with certainty that I couldn't do that. As I was thinking about loosing her, I was reminded how blessed I am to have a happy healthy family and how blessed I am to see them live for the glory of God every day.  I was reminded that I shouldn't be planning to celebrate Jesus's birthday just on December 25th, but that I should wake up every morning of, every day of every year with an attitude of praise.

"I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High". Psalms 7:17
Sometimes we must be reminded of what we are here for and what this time of year is all about. I hope this was a blessing to you and your life.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!




Hallie in front of our beautiful Christmas tree



At Nana's by her tree



Daddy and Hallie



 

This Is What Big Families Are All About

Macie Cantrell

            There is nothing like coming home from school and seeing the candy you got for Halloween two days ago scattered all over your bedroom floor after one of your little sisters raided it. After you cool down and try not to freak out, you notice that the candy is all gone and only the wrappers remain.  Almost every day was like this when I still lived at home.  Even though there were bad and annoying times, I still learned a lot about myself and gained an infinite amount of wisdom by being the oldest of 5 kids.

            Patience. Even after all these years of being the oldest kid of 5, I still haven’t quite figured this one out. How can you be patient when you’re about to pee on yourself and there is only one bathroom? Or when you have to wait in line for dinner like in a freaking cafeteria? It was hard to wait on all of my siblings, through ball games, getting picked up for school. I’m not going to lie to you. There were times I wanted it to be all about me so I didn’t have to wait one anyone else.  But being part of a big family taught me to wait and be patient for other people besides myself.

Unselfishness. I can’t tell you how big of a deal this word was growing up.  There was no my room, your room it was every ones room. If you needed to study, well good luck because someone would come in without knocking every 5 min. One time I was changing and of course, my stupid brother walked in on me naked. So instead of freaking out and covering up I just stood there and said “Hello”. He always knocked from that point on. Everything that I owned, I never really owned because someone would always be borrowing it and of course loosing it.  Learning to live with a bunch of people taught me how to share not only my things, but my time and my life.

Responsibility. I learned how to cook and clean. I greatly aided in the raising of my younger siblings. I learned to do things that will always come in handy. Like, don’t put a rag in the microwave to heat up for your little sister’s leg cramps and forget about it. Don’t worry; it was only on fire for a few minutes. I learned how to deal with grumpy kids, poopy kids, snotty kids, mean kids, etc. There is a home video of me and my brother when I was 2 and my brother was just born. I wanted to change his diaper. When I opened it up he peed right in my face. To this day we watch that video and crack up.

I learned so much by living with so many people, but I think the most important thing I learned was to love and be loved. I learned it from my parents. My parents are the kind of parents that never missed a game, always gave us hugs and kisses, and told us constantly how wonderful we are. Since I am the oldest, I had the blessing of being able to instill the love they taught me into the lives of my younger siblings. I think that being a part of a big family showed me how to love unconditionally and that love has no price tag. There is always someone there to lend a hand, always someone to help you through or just to make you laugh. There is never a time when you feel alone or helpless. There was love all around me growing up

Side Note: I WANT TO HAVE A BIG FAMILY WITH LOTS OF KIDS!!!!!!