Spinning.
Colorful Scarves.
Fun Music and Cuteness.
…might be a few of the things you imagine when you are thinking of signing your 3-5 year-old up for a dance class. But once you are watching your little one from the viewing window at a studio, how do you know if all that chaos inside the room is creative learning magic, or just…chaos?
The fundamentals of building a dancer, or preserving a little human who naturally loves to play and move, might not be what you think of when you think “dance class.”
Here’s what I’m actually teaching in every preschool, T-K, and Kindergarten dance class and why it matters:
- It’s OK to Fall Down
Dancers fall down. We slip. We dramatically fall on purpose in choreographed ways. When young ones see their teacher fall, they have permission to fall, too. If we want our littles to feel safe making mistakes and taking risks, they need to know it’s ok…and even fun…to fall down. Plus, they need practice rolling onto muscular or squishy parts instead of onto pokey elbows or knees.
- How to NOT Crash into Each Other
Ever see a kid hide in the corner during free dance? Maybe they were never taught how to move through the classroom of other bodies in a safe way. We look for the “empty space” between the obstacles (other dancers) and move into that opening. A preschool class that has learned how to “NOT crash” can spend more class time dancing and less time waiting in line.
- The Names of Things
Body parts. Ankle. Spine. Simple motions. Bend. Slide. Wiggle. Dance class builds the brain to body, vocabulary to movement, connections kids need to participate in any organized physical activity.
- Sequencing a Story
Wait, what? Yes! Kids learn through storytelling and play, and the dance games in a well-planned early childhood dance class mirror the early reading lessons they will encounter in the primary grades. Prediction. Scene setting. Cause and effect. “At midnight when the toys came out to dance and play, where were the children?” “Asleep!” “Ok, and what happens when the sun comes up and it is morning?” “Back to the toy shelf!”
- Opposites & Gradation
Before about age 5, there is no medium. Preschoolers know fast and slow. Big and small. We might play with gradations of speed while dancers flap their butterfly wings or follow the snake leader around the room to the beat of a hand drum, but don’t expect nuance just yet.
BONUS. ….and, yes, SPINNING!
Twirling until you fall is pretty fun, plus how else do you best show off the cape or dress you wore to dance class? Giving the littles a chance to spin to their heart’s content isn’t just silly fun. Finding that dizzy edge helps with the vestibular regulation kids need, both to find their balance, and to sit still at attention for other activities.
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