Preparatory Dance & Tap Classes
Age range: 3 to 4 years (children of school Pre-Reception age)
Children age 3 to 4 years can build on the skills they learned in Nursery dance by moving into our Preparatory classes. We encourage children to develop a sense of performance and a pleasant quality of movement, and they learn to dance with direction and make formations as a group.
Children start to understand the importance of precision in dance, especially regarding musical timing and when putting two or more movements together.
Stories from famous ballets such as Swan Lake are used to engage the children and structure the classes.
Preparatory dance & tap classes also include an introduction to tap dancing. Children develop their sense of rhythm, and start to learn the skills and vocabulary they need for their first tap examination.
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Please note – AS DANCE SHOES ARE CHANGED IN THE DANCE STUDIO, IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT BOTH BALLET & TAP SHOES ARE NAMED! Thank you for your cooperation.
Your Child’s First Class
In order for your child to settle into the class, we usually find it is best if parents/carers do not watch their child’s class; rather that parents/carers wait outside the studio and if there are any settling in issues, the teaching assistant comes out and discusses the best solution with you. If, however, you are very concerned about your child starting a new activity without you present in the studio then we will allow you to watch their first lesson. Please note that no other children are permitted to come into the dance studio to watch the first class, only one adult per child. If you miss the first lesson of the term for any reason then we would not permit any parent/carer to watch any other class (aside from the designated annual watching dates). We do not allow parents to watch every lesson as the distraction of a large audience would affect the progress of the children significantly. However, if a child has any ongoing problems settling into a class we will, of course, liaise with you to find the best solution.
The South London Dance School lower school dance curriculum develops the child’s natural cognitive and physical abilities. It is not possible to sustain a child’s attention for the length of a dance class without using his natural taste for play. These periods of fun educational games and free expressive movement alternate with times of great physical effort and mental concentration. The child learns that the reward of play is gained through sustained effort. Through a carefully balanced combination of effort and play, children work towards the following fundamental aims: 1.Improved Awareness Of Oneself Initiation into the idea of sides, identifying the right from the left. Progressive development of coordination of movement through exercises tending to use arms and legs alternatively and then simultaneously. Learning to utilise the outer motor movements of the fingers, shoulders, knees and feet; especially reinforcing the arches of the foot. 2.Improved Awareness Of Others And Spatial Awareness Whilst becoming aware that he has a body that he can control, the child must place himself in relation to others and to objects. Once the child understands that his body occupies a place within space, he will be able to develop a sense of his physical relationship with others. He will then begin to be able to find a suitable personal space in which to dance. The child learns to work in a group, or in pairs. He learns to become part of the group, together with others making up the collective figure of the circle, the square, the line etc. The child learns to hold back and be tolerant; sharing and waiting his turn along with a sense of gentle order and discipline. 3.Improved Ability To Listen And Respond Within the framework of socialisation, emphasis is placed on the attention the child must give to the teacher, and the ways in which he can respond to the teacher’s requests/suggestions. The child learns to listen and respond to the music in various ways, as suggested by the teacher. Through working in pairs, the child learns to respond to the physical actions and verbal communications of his peers. The child learns the etiquette of the dance class, including thanking the teacher and pianist at the end of the class, and choosing appropriate moments in class to ask the teacher a question. 4.Improved Posture, Balance, Strength, Flexibility And Fitness Gentle stretching exercises teach the child that his body can be trained, and flexibility can be improved. Building the abdominal and back muscles, to improve posture of the spinal column. Strengthening the legs and feet, thus improving elevation. Combining strengthening and stretching exercises with use of breath and relaxation. Balancing on two feet and then on one foot using improved posture and strength, assisted by arm lines. Progressive development of stamina resulting in improved fitness level. 5.Development Of Creativity And Musicality We like to favour the creativity of the child, through the use of stories, rhymes, props, mimed songs, free dance, improvisation and stories drawn from the child’s imagination. The child can, in this way, free the body that he has learned to control. Through use of a wide range of music (including live piano playing) the child learns to respond physically to various styles of music that each suggest different ideas and evoke different emotions. Through playful exercises using percussion and rhymes, the child discovers and learns to identify various rhythms and time signatures; 2/4, 3/4 etc. Knowledge of basic musical conventions related to dance i.e. waiting for the introduction, and counting in 4’s or 3’s. 6.Increased Confidence The child develops the confidence to make verbal and physical suggestions in class and ask and answer questions. In time, the child develops the confidence to dance alone in front of his peers and eventually in front of an invited audience. Through encouragement from the teacher, the child is encouraged in his natural belief that he can attempt new physical movements and succeed. 7.Development Of Language Acquisition The teacher’s use of stories, rhymes, mimed songs and sayings is extremely helpful in the child’s language acquisition. Through the experience of attending Preparatory dance classes your child will be well prepared for his/her next stage of learning dance which is Pre-Primary ballet, Pre-Primary tap and Primary modern. In these grades, children have the opportunity to take examinations and begin to progress through the ISTD* grades.► Further Information On Preparatory Dance
Major adjustments have been made to our timetable this term due to Covid-19. Please submit an enquiry form if you are interested in starting classes with us and we will get back to you with class days and times for this term and spring term 2021. Thank you.► Class Times
Preparatory Dance & Tap Classes – Times
Please refer to our Lower School uniform list using the webpage below: https://southlondondancestudios.co.uk/general-information/uniform-for-dance-classes/ You can also use the link above to find out more information about our second hand uniform sales which usually happy at the studios at the start of each term.► Uniform
Please refer to https://southlondondancestudios.co.uk/general-information/fees-for-dance-classes/ for our current class fees.► Fees
Fees
Uniform