Instilling a love of dance

At Kindy Dance Time® we believe learning dance should be FUN! But behind the scenes this dance programme has been carefully designed to ensure these little dancers are fully prepared for a life of purposeful movement and appreciation of this wonderful art form.

Kindy Dance Time® is a unique dance programme just for toddlers and preschoolers aged 2-5. We do not enforce technique, but rather lay the grounding foundations of dance. Our aim is to encourage and broaden their love of dance and music by exposing them to a wide range of styles. We limit class numbers to ensure the children are not overwhelmed and can receive quality tuition from the teacher throughout the class.

Caring for little bodies

It is our belief that children under the age of five should not be exposed to a strict technical learning environment. Our teachers are experienced in teaching young children and believe that, while bones and muscles are still developing, it is important not to over-stretch or push their bodies beyond their normal physical limits – which could result in injuries now or later in life.

Instead, Kindy Dance Time® focuses on the many foundations of dance such as exploring how to bend, or to balance, to jump quickly or leap slowly. We extend their spatial awareness by encouraging them to move across the room in different directions or travel around the room in different group formations. And of course we aim to broaden their musical appreciation.

Musical appreciation

We believe the greatest skill a professional dancer brings to the stage is his or her interpretation of the music. Whether performing Romeo and Juliet for an audience of thousands or busking as a tapper for passers-by, a dancer is a person who truly feels the music, responds to the nuances and then uses their body to express their own interpretation.

At Kindy Dance Time® we allow the children to determine how a piece of music makes them move, acknowledging that there is no right or wrong way to interpret music. We use a wide variety of musical styles throughout the programme – from classical to contemporary, folk to pop, to ensure the children are exposed to all genres. We also encourage and nurture improvisation in the older age groups, which further assists in developing a child’s love of dance and music. As a teacher there is no greater joy than seeing a young child expressing themselves, moving freely without hesitation to a piece of music they truly love.

Skills for life

The physical skills learnt through Kindy Dance Time® are valuable skills that enable each child to move confidently into more formal dance training at a later age. However, through Kindy Dance Time®, children will also gain skills they can apply to every day life. Balance, coordination, rhythm. spatial awareness and musical appreciation are just some of the skills they practise each week which can be transferred to many other hobbies – from the eye-hand/eye-foot coordination required for ball sports to the balance required for skiing.

Over the duration of the programme the children learn about their bodies, how they can move efficiently and what their body is capable of doing. This leads to great self awareness and a positive self-esteem, which is invaluable as they head into school and life.

A movable feast

Each Kindy Dance Time® age level consists of a nine-part programme that is taught throughout the year.

Because we believe that we never stop learning, so too the Kindy Dance Time® programme is continually updated and refined to ensure the latest research in early childhood development and movement are transferred to our classes. All of our teachers attend regular workshops and undertake professional development to stay at the top of their profession. Often our greatest inspiration comes from the children, who teach us new ways to move every day.

No stress

Through feedback from parents, and our own experiences with young children, we have found that, emotionally, many children are not ready for the pressure of major concerts and productions – even if they only have one or two dances to learn. Children under the age of five are still learning to learn, that is, to store and retrieve information. The anxiety caused by having to remember a sequence of any length, or having to perform in front of an audience of ‘strangers’ without a parent close-by, can create a situation where the child may actually end up having a negative experience at dance class.

At Kindy Dance Time®, with no mandatory uniform, no concerts and no stress, the children can focus purely on developing their love of dancing.

Indeed, it is our aim to instil a love of dance in each and every child who joins us at Kindy Dance Time®!