| Musical awareness in a ballet class is an excellent way to get our bodies and brains activated. Music training should be worked on throughout the lifetime of a dancer. That’s why we introduce it early on and continually build these skills. Better counting and listening leads to better dancing. But that’s just the start of what we do and why it’s so wonderful for children. |
Brain-Booting Benefits
| While your child is busy enjoying moving to music, they are also getting a lot of longterm advantages, and not just as a dancer. We’ve heard all about the power of music, but the studies never cease to amaze us. We sing lullabies to soothe a baby. A familiar song can awaken memories for a person with dementia (have you seen this beautiful documentary?). There is no denying the power of music throughout our lives. In our early childhood dance classes, we help lay a foundation and appreciation for music during a period of rapid developmental growth. Exposure to music training before the age of seven leads to physical changes in brain structure and function! “MUSIC ACTIVATES EVERY KNOWN PART OF THE BRAIN.” THE POSITIVE AND LONGTERM EFFECTS OF MUSIC INCLUDE IMPROVED LISTENING SKILLS, LANGUAGE PROCESSING, ABILITY TO REGULATE EMOTIONS, PROBLEM SOLVING AND EVEN PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS. Read more about the important role of music and child development. Music is like a full-body workout for the brain. And dancing and music go hand-in-hand. Dancers of all ages need as many musical skills as possible to become better dancers. Their musical training is never-ending, just like the benefits. This combination of music and movement is naturally appealing to little ones and helps their bodies and brains get stronger. |
Toe-Tapping Tunes
| This song was created specifically for our circle dance and claps warm-up exercise. It works perfectly for letting children practice clapping and counting to the beat, cross-tapping various body parts and getting a chance to dance around the circle. This exercise grows with our students as we add more challenges, turning it into a favorite year-after-year. DOWNLOAD → |
Try this at home . . .
| We use musical instruments as prop in our dance class and the children play the part of the band keeping the rhythm while other dance. However, when COVID moved our dance classes online, and the students didn’t have access to our wonderful props, we all made them at home! Make your own DIY maracas and shake them along to your favorite songs. Or play the echo game — take turns shaking in different patterns and repeating each other. Fun, simple ways to bond, as well as reinforce what your kid is learning in class! |
