You may know the Creative Arts Guild offers professionally instructed dance classes for youth and adults but not have known the Guild also has weekly dance classes for little ones.
For example, children as young as 18 months to 2 years old are eligible for Dance Tots, a once-a-week, 30-minute session to learn stretching, body awareness exercises and traveling steps while holding the hand of an accompanying parent.
Creative Movement is a class designed for 3-year-olds introducing ballet basics while promoting awareness of musicality and rhythm.
Primary 1 Ballet, for 4-year-olds, is an introduction to classical ballet and emphasizes key essentials of the form.
There is also a combined 3- and 4-year-olds class for an earlier-in-the-day option.
In addition to providing physical exercise, toning and strengthening, the classes focus on proper posture, alignment, concentration and discipline.
Why dance?
Experts say it’s never too early for a child to start dancing. Movement to music contributes to the development of a number of fundamental skills in toddlers as they gain a sense of identity and personality. Enrolling your little one in a dance class will allow them to establish skills in social communication, teamwork, physical coordination and cognition. Ballet classes encourage the development of coordination, strength, movement in space, motion and balance, and as they learn multi-step movements, their abilities to listen, remember and concentrate improve not only in dance class but in other areas of life as well.
Health and wellness
In an era dominated by screens and digital distractions, instilling a habit of regular physical activity in children can be challenging. Dance classes offer a fun alternative to traditional sports, keeping kids engaged. Not only do they enhance physical health but they also contribute to overall wellness.
The joy of movement and creative expression, combined with the camaraderie of a dance class, positively impacts mental health. Perhaps surprisingly, dance has also been proven to support and enhance children’s academic journeys. The discipline, concentration and memory skills nurtured in dance lessons often translate to improved focus and higher grades in school. The benefits of dance to a generally improved cognition and academic performance have been known for some time. More recently, a number of studies have confirmed positive efficacy of dance therapy on cognitive, physical, emotional and social performance of people with dementia.
Teamwork and creativity
Engaging in dance classes from a young age fosters self-confidence. As a child masters new skills and performs with and in front of others, they attain a sense of accomplishment, boosting their self-esteem. That sense of individual accomplishment is paired with enjoyment of their class’ group success, an essential step in development of teamwork in all activities.
With increasing self-confidence comes a willingness to explore not only what their bodies can do but how they can express themselves. Dance, while often performed within the structure of certain forms and rules, provides an outlet for personal creativity. It is, after all, an art form, one which opens up a new world of nonverbal communication and freedom to express thoughts, feelings and even stories through movement.
How to register
For more information and how to register for classes for all ages, visit www.creativeartsguild.org/classes. Please call (706) 278-0168 if you have questions. All classes and lessons are at the Guild at 520 W. Waugh St. in Dalton.
Submitted by the Creative Arts Guild.