Why Dance?

If all the world’s a stage, and we are merely players, then it makes sense that all of us should be able to take the stage at some point in our lives.

We love to offer our children experiences that expand their world and build their self-esteem. We want to foster healthy, well-rounded and loved children who will grow into adults that are invested in their families, communities and the work they do in the world. Dance is an essential component of society's cultural, athletic and artistic expression. The skills students learn in a dance class reach far beyond the confines of the dance studio, influencing them physically, kinetically, socially, emotionally, artistically, and scholastically.

Physically & Kinetically

Dance is obviously a physical activity. It focuses on the entire body, so it is great for total body fitness. If taken regularly, you will see improvement in flexibility, stamina, balance, coordination, and range of motion. Most importantly, it gives children the motivation to keep exercising - praticing their moves and routines all over the house!

Socially

Dance can help improve social and communciation skills. In a normal dance class, children are asked to communicate and cooperate as a group, as individuals, and as pairs. If you have a shy child, starting them in a dance class can help them talk to others and make new friends. In addition, dancing can help reduce any fears a child may have about performing (or even speaking) in front of a crowd. It also can help develop a greater sense of trust.

Emotionally

The emphasis on self-expression in dance separates dance from other forms of physical activity. Expression is imperative to a great performance, so teachers really emphasize it. Dance gives

children the freedom to simply be themselves and be proud of that. It's also a great way for them

to physcially release emotions. Dance explores all emotions. Sometimes children don't know how to say that they are upset, but they step into a dance class and suddenly they put all of their energy into dancing, and more often than not, will come out of the class less upset than before. Dance teachers are always encouraged to promote positive attitudes in the classroom, and positivity is key to keeping self-esteem high.

Artistically

Dance is a form of expression, just as speech, philosophy, painting or music. Dance is an art in which the body becomes the instrument of telling a story. Through choreography children learn about musicality and facial gestures, and how the two combined allow them to be transformed into a completely different character.

Scholastically

In dance classes, children are regularly asked to memorize movement sequences. Simply, this helps children practice their memorization skills while encouraging a detail-oriented mindset. Students are also expected to learn choreography or movement sequences quickly. This increase in learning speed has the potential to carry over into other aspects of their lives as well. Dance is the perfect mixture of fun and discipline. Certain styles require more structure than others. For instance, a ballet class requires more structure than a hip-hop class. However, there are always times to stay quiet and follow directions and times children can just let loose!

Dance offers many different genres for children to explore until they find the one that speaks best to them. The Dance Centre is hosting a free workshop on Wednesday, April 8 (3-4:30) to give children from the community the opportunity to sample four diverse genres: ballet, jazz, modern expressive, and musical theatre. The workshop is open to children ages 7-10 years. All participants will be entered into a drawing for a free once-a-week dance class for Term 2.

We are excited to share our love of dance with the community!