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Youngsters
become enchanted with dance class and barely realize they are
learning skills that most schools ‘drill’ into their
students. Through playful warm ups, costumes, imaginative story
dances, and improvisation students excel. Often times children
from other schools transfer to Kids 'N Dance and their level of
dance development is markedly lower than our students - a testament
to our methods of teaching.
As children become older,
Kids 'N Dance gently challenges them more and more. Only at the
age when they actively want to learn the steps as steps, do we
change the method of teaching. Even then, after learning steps
and routines, older dancers are encouraged to interactively participate.
Structure is balanced with opportunities to choreograph their
own dances.
Kids 'N Dance also
stands alone because it is a unified program. Most dance schools
do not have a curriculum. Each teacher prepares classes in their
own way. All of Kids 'N Dance instructors are trained to follow
age appropriate curriculum and the mission of the school. When
we speak of mission, we mean a mission in the sense of how children
should be treated and supported emotionally. It is our belief
that children should be treated respectfully as persons who affect
others and themselves in good or bad ways. Rather than reprimanding
a child, we let them know how their behavior affects the feelings
of others.
Our mission also includes
the belief that children should be encouraged to dance, but never
forced. If they are embarrassed or uncomfortable in any way they
are permitted to sit out until they feel comfortable. This allows
children to experience the joy movement instead of being uncomfortable
with thier experience. This, however, does not mean Kids 'N Dance
has overly permissive classes - children are expected to be functioning
members of a group. If it becomes clear that a child is not able
to engage on a regular basis, instructors and parents strategize
together to encourage participation. Kids 'N Dance instructors
make conscious efforts to blend gentleness with appropriate expectations.
