SAT Preparation in Swampscott

Whether SAT is a good indicator of student's skills and intelligence is a topic for discourse of its own, but regardless, every high school student going to college needs to score high on the test.  Success on the SAT is all about getting used to the various kinds of problems that SAT is made of and therefor the longer a student is studying for the SATs and the more practice tests a student has completed the more likely he/she is to achieve a high score.  High school students need to have completed the SAT by the end of the 11th grade to be on the safe side, so it is wise to start preparing for it in the 10th grade, thus taking the pressure and stress out of the equation.
  The Youth Talent School offers Math SAT preparatory classes in Swampscott.  By keeping the class sizes small the Youth Talent School stays true to its commitment to offer the highest quality education. Register for the SAT program at the Youth Talent School and see how it will help you succeed on the SATs.

Gymnastics for Kids

Gymnastics is one of the top favorite classes for parents to enroll small children into.  This is due to the countless benefits to child's development that gymnastics has to offer.  Agility, fitness, motorics, improved health and discipline are among the many positive effects of doing gymnastics.

  Gymnastics classes come in two forms, 1) were parents actively participate with their kids, assisting children on every step of each exercise, and 2) classes where these tasks are performed by instructors.  Each method has its benefits.  When parents assist children they have the chance to learn the routine and practice it with their kids during the week.  Also the behavior of one child does not affect that much the performance of the entire group.  The second method, when parents are not admitted to the class has the following advantages: children work much better with no parent present, they learn to communicate with peers, every time a child performs an exercise he/she is supervised by an instructor who insures that all moves are performed correctly. Which of the class methodologies to choose depends on the parents requirements and child's maturity.
 In the Swampscott / Marblehead area the Youth Talent School offers gymnastics classes for children ages 2 and up. At the Youth Talent School children practice gymnastics in small groups and receive the full attention of the instructor. Parents are not admitted to classes in order to preserve discipline which is essential when working with children of such a young age.  Youth Talent School trains gymnastics up to team level IV inclusive.
 To learn more and to register for classes visit the Youth Talent School's gymnastics studio website.

On Art Education in Artist's Development

 
Human artistic evolution can now be observed in a child's artistic development from the first steps to adulthood.  Just like cave-man drew stick figures on walls, so will a child, using any available utensil draw bizarre shapes on your freshly-painted walls. And as humans evolved achieving higher levels of artistic skill, so will a child, only thousands of times faster, skipping millenia every year of his/her development as an artist.  It appears that the desire to create is embedded in every human and it starts manifesting itself from before the first steps, and accelerates greatly when the child leaves the comfort of being breast-fed. The creative energy is unstoppable and will manifest itself in many different forms.

Recent progress in media and entertainment industries have been shifting creativity from being creative into participatory.   Children now either observe the content flashing before their eyes or participate in it, as in computer games.  While these forms of entertainment make parent's lives much easier, it is important not to get carried away and overlook the significance of applied art, art made in real life (not in virtual space), by artist's own hands.  Using, and properly holding a pencil at an early age, under 5, has a very important, but not apparent effect on development. It promotes the motor skills and coordination of fingers and that stimulates greatly the brain development. A well organized art program for young children teaches many important skills, such as: shapes, colors, even numbers, coordination, motor skills, composition and mismatching object to create new forms.  Art develops imagination and stimulates creativity and innovation. Guidance is important when learning art.  A good art teacher motivates and inspires students, teaches skills and develops the sense of style and artistic taste.
  At the Youth Talent School the art programs are targeted for different age groups.  From introductory art and craft for the youngest, to fashion design and portfolio building for teens, the art classes at the Youth Talent School engage the student and promote the uniqueness of self-expression while teaching the theory and skill of the subject.
  The Youth Talent School offers art classes for children in subjects such as: painting, drawing, clay, sewing and fashion design. To learn more and to register visit the Youth Talent School web site.

Art classes for children in Swampscott / Marblehead area.

From Sol-Fa to Absolute Pitch

An evening of Karaoke can be both a fun and a torcherous experience. It all goes well while performers have at least some singing ability, but more often then not, the person at the mic just can't hit the tone. And it is not that the person can not sing, but rather, can not hear what he/she is singing. That is due to the untrained ability of the ear to recognize sound and can be easily corrected with proper training. Once the ear is tuned, the voice will follow, but not without practice, of course.

   There are various methods of achieving proper pitch, but I will talk about the more recognized in the musical community technique of Sol-Fa.  Sol-Fa, also known as solfeggio, is quite an old pedagogical technique of teaching sight-singing that became very popular in Europe in the 20th century. It teaches students to interpret musical notation while singing the notes. The benefits of this training are obvious.  Simultaneously, the student learns reading the music notation, rhythm, tunes the ear and learns singing. The class of Sol-Fa is (and has been for a long time) required by all professional music schools. But the skills developed in a class of Sol-Fa are not only needed by professional musicians.  Every aspiring musician and even every child learning a musical instrument or voice can benefit greatly from a class of Sol-Fa. And while sight-singing is important for sight-reading music, it is essential for improvisation.
   Without large musical schools that teach the full-array of necessary subjects, here in the US the young musicians only focus on their instrument of choice and have no option, but to neglect properly developing the other musical skills, such as perfect pitch, theory of music, sight reading, etc. On the Boston North Shore, the Youth Talent School is trying to fill this gap by offering classes of Sol-Fa and music theory.  So, in conclusion, if you are just learning a musical instrument for fun or you are an aspiring musician, or just want to develop an absolute pitch and good singing skills, check out the Sol-Fa classes at the Youth Talent School.

Youth Talent School is offering classes of Sol-Fa in the Swampscott/Marblehead area.

YTS Dance Studio - fun, but serious about dancing

The Youth Talent School's dance studio has changed several names over the past ten years to match its stylistic trends, and since the 2009 it is known as the YTS Dance Studio.  The Youth Talent School takes its roots in a dance / drama studio, that opened its doors on weekends in Swampscott.  Ever since its inception, dance was an essential component of the Youth Talent School, and over the years its dance students have won many dance trophies and awards. In 2011 the dance studio has expanded its teaching staff and the stylistic direction shifted towards contemporary and ballroom dance styles.  While contemporary dance gives a greater freedom of movement and expression to the dancer, the ballroom dance classes teach classical forms, proper posture and knowledge of dance steps.

   Learning to dance has many positive effects on child development. Inspite of all the grace and beauty that ballroom dancing has to offer, children, especially teens, often feel ashamed of dancing with a partner. It is not uncommon for young adults who shied away from dancing as teenagers to start learning ballroom dancing in college. But the best dancers, in most cases, have started learning dancing at a young age. Small children, under the age of 8 don't usually have the prejudices or face peer pressure that can become an obstacle for learning dancing.  That is why it is best to start teaching children dancing at an early age. The earlier they start, the better dancing skills they are more likely to develop. And even if the student takes a break during the teenage years, their level of skill when they decide to pick up later, will be unmatched to those who are just starting to learn.
   Dancing improves fitness, health, posture, agility. It builds self confidence, provides an outlet for expression and creativity. When kids grow up, dancing skills can play an important part in their social and personal life. Just one or two hours of dancing per week will make your child happier and healthier.
   Youth Talent School offers the perfect environment for learning dancing: small groups, talented and energetic instructors, fun and friendly ambiance. With its convenient location in Swampscott, Youth Talent School is just minutes away from Marblehead, Salem and Lynn. Don't postpone it any longer and come to the YTS Dance Studio for your free introductory lessons!

Zumba Latin Dance Fitness at Youth Talent School

 
   Evenings on the Boston North Shore are now more vibrant with the sounds of Latin music streaming from the dance studio at the Youth Talent School.  A passer by can ask her self, is this a Latin dance class, a workout or just people having fun dancing?  The answer is: all of the above. Fun is the essential component of a successful workout and Zumba has struck gold with its unique approach to exercise. Zumba is a workout that you actually look forward to with excitement.  It teaches Latin dance moves and shapes your body the best way possible, all while having a blast dancing to your favorite tunes. Zumba energizes your spirit and charges you with positive emotions.  And when you are happy all your life events start flowing in the direction of happiness and positivity.  If you are in the Swampscott neighborhood, stop by the Zumba class at the Youth Talent School.  In its convenient location on route 1A you will find friendly environment, small group sizes and tons of good mood.


For more information and to reserve your spot please visit the Youth Talent School's website at http://www.youthtalentschool.org/Studios/Zumba.aspx

Youth Talent School Wrestling Program

This fall Youth Talent School has started a new wrestling program for all kids grades K - 8.  Powered by the enthusiasm of the lead coach Alex Motorny and other wrestling instructors, the wrestling program builds character, self confidence, sportsmanship, team spirit, mental and physical strength, and other qualities essential to young athletes.

Alex Motorny started learning freestyle wrestling at the age of 6 at the Club Lokomotiv in Kiev, Ukraine. He was twice the champion of Kiev in freestyle wrestling at the ages of 13 and 14.  At the age of 13 Alex became the third place champion in the all Ukrainian nationals. Thereafter Alex attended the wrestling program at the Keene high school, in Keen, NH. As a member of the Keene high school team he became the New Hampshire wrestling state champion in 1993 & 1994, a third place champion at the New England wrestling tournament in 1994 and the second place champion at the New England free style open tournament in 1994. Same year Alex was awarded the New Hampshire Outstanding Wrestler award.


At the Youth Talent School, Alex and his assistants present the fundamentals of wrestling in a fun and friendly setting. The program teaches basic and advanced techniques of folkstyle wrestling, such as: top and bottom positions, take downs and moves from each position.

To learn more about the program please visit the Youth Talent School wrestling program online.