Creative Contemporary
Ages 6-7
Designed for young movers, this class combines contemporary dance fundamentals with creative exploration. Dancers will start to understand body awareness, use of breath, shifting of weight, floor work, dynamics, spatial awareness, musicality and improvisation. Through storytelling, movement games, music, and imagination, dancers build confidence, coordination, and expressive skills while discovering the joy of movement.
Dress code: Dancers can wear comfortable form fitting clothing. Leggings, tank tops, t-shirts, tight shorts. Please no princess dresses or any other distracting clothing. Please make sure hair is pulled back and out of the dancers face.
Shoes required: No shoes are required for this class
A special note from our Creative Dance Teachers:
So much is learned in early childhood and we are excited to be part of your child’s development. Each child brings different levels of awareness, physical, emotional, mental, social, and verbal skills, as well as prior experience, to the class. We’re introducing the basics of dance – (use of space, time, dynamics/force, body moves) as well as the basics of group activities – (listening, cooperation, taking a turn, sharing your ideas with the teacher/group, paying attention to what is being taught.) The teacher will alternate between active and passive activities to accommodate the attention span of the young student. Parts of the class also include self-focus, teacher focus and group focus. We know that learning styles vary – auditory, visual, kinesthetic (movement), imaginative. The teachers often use songs, poems, and stories that combine all of these approaches.
The age of your child in September determines the class placement for both first and second semester.
Here are a few tips to make the class a success:
Speak to your child before class that there will be active sections of the class to move about the space and times to be in place on the carpet squares to do stretches, skills, and dance games.
If a child is cautious about dancing, a parent is welcome to come into the classroom until the student feels comfortable on their own.
If your child falls, is upset, or is unwilling to engage in the group activity we will do our best to work out the situation within the classroom. However, we may ask you to come in to assist in the classroom or call on your skills as a parent to soothe or redirect your child by bringing them out to you in the waiting room.
Your child does not have to be fully potty trained to attend this class, however the teacher will not be able to assist your child if they need help in the bathroom, or if they need a diaper change. Please take your child to the bathroom before class. If there is an emergency to go during class students will be asked to get their adult to help them. Staff are unable to leave the class to assist. Thank you!
Let’s keep the lines of communication open. If there is something we should know about your child before the first class, please reach out. During the semester if you have a concern, please let us know. We will work together to have the class be the best possible learning experience for all.