Starting in First
Finding your sparkle and learning to shine on and off the stage.
by Shauna Allyn Jurczak

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Have you ever found yourself wondering if what you do matters or if it's worth it? Have you spent years training and perfecting your craft, wondering if it will ever pay off? Have you found yourself worrying about what might be next for you? Whether you’re a dancer, dance teacher, or dance fan waiting to step into the spotlight, you are an artist trying to paint your own beautiful life. You may not realize it yet, but you already have the skills you need to create the life you want and deserve. Everything in dance class always starts in first position, whether you took one session of baby ballet as a child or spent decades training for the professional stage. From first, you learn to build confidence, move with ease and find inspiration. Along the way, the lessons add up and help create a valuable list of skills you can carry with you through life. With over 25 years of experience creating, teaching, and judging, it's become clear how the lessons learned in dance class reach far beyond the stage, and can have very positive, long-lasting impacts throughout your life. Unlocking these lessons with personal anecdotes collected over decades spent on stage, backstage, and in the studio, this book is set to inspire your purpose, remind you that you do matter, and help you see how the hard work, ups and downs, and heart and soul you’ve poured into your art, and your life, have been totally worth it. With these lessons in tow, it’s time to get back to first, connect to your passion and purpose, and get ready find your sparkle and shine.

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Shauna Allyn Jurczak is a Canadian dance teacher, adjudicator, and business owner, operating Maples Academy of Dance in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Inspired by over 25 years of experience teaching movement, including gymnastics and dance, Shauna has dedicated her career to connecting with people of all ages, helping them expand their creativity, build confidence, explore their talents, and become strong members of their communities through a connection to the arts. Growing up in the world of elite gymnastics before moving her focus to professional cheerleading and dance, Shauna holds degree in kinesiology, diploma in communications, and is the creator of Teaching with Excellence, a professional development program for dance educators to help grow their teaching methods in a holistic and dancer-centric manner. She is also a certified dance adjudicator through The Dance Leadership Institute. Over the years, Shauna has combined her understanding of movement, love of performance, effective communication skills, and belief that everyone has a special sparkle inside them, to create her own unique approach to teaching and to life. When she’s not busy onstage or backstage, Shauna is a proud cat mom and auntie, who loves to indulge in the simple joys of a morning cup of coffee, the excitement of extra sequins on a costume, and dancing in her living room like everyone is watching, because life is short and you might as well put on a great show!

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Shauna Allyn Jurczak

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