A former adult student is considering bringing his grandaughter to junior classes. Here's what I have to tell him:
Dear XXXX,
New kids are starting now in the Friday night 6:15 group. They usually stay until 7:45, but their time will be extending gradually over the next 3 or 4 months.
We do these things:
-recognizing the character of the music
-recognizing the dance rhythm of the music
-terminology for musical and dance terms
-counting with the music
-coordination, body awareness
-manners and protocal related to social and competition dancing
-also we dance: salsa, foxtrot, merengue, samba, single swing
-after class, we join the experienced youth for 'competitor rounds.' The beginners participate in some of the dances and we do rhythm and dance movement exercises.
As a former professional ballet dancer and mother of two children I can share these thoughts. My daughter went to ballet class because all her little friends did; it was one of the 'things to do.'
My daughter went to ballroom classes because her mother is a ballroom teacher. In ballroom she learned rhythm, body awareness, manners, movement, music in ballroom school. Learning to ballroom dance is more 'real' and less 'fantasy.' I vote for ballroom. Plus, the children learn to interact with boys and girls in a supervised environment, with children and adults of different ages.
Hope you will bring your grandaughter this week.
Sandra
Dear XXXX,
New kids are starting now in the Friday night 6:15 group. They usually stay until 7:45, but their time will be extending gradually over the next 3 or 4 months.
We do these things:
-recognizing the character of the music
-recognizing the dance rhythm of the music
-terminology for musical and dance terms
-counting with the music
-coordination, body awareness
-manners and protocal related to social and competition dancing
-also we dance: salsa, foxtrot, merengue, samba, single swing
-after class, we join the experienced youth for 'competitor rounds.' The beginners participate in some of the dances and we do rhythm and dance movement exercises.
As a former professional ballet dancer and mother of two children I can share these thoughts. My daughter went to ballet class because all her little friends did; it was one of the 'things to do.'
My daughter went to ballroom classes because her mother is a ballroom teacher. In ballroom she learned rhythm, body awareness, manners, movement, music in ballroom school. Learning to ballroom dance is more 'real' and less 'fantasy.' I vote for ballroom. Plus, the children learn to interact with boys and girls in a supervised environment, with children and adults of different ages.
Hope you will bring your grandaughter this week.
Sandra