Dance Exploration’s Ballet/Tap Combo class at the Castle Rock Rec Center, is a preschooler’s introduction to ballet and tap dance. Preschoolers are invited to dance, learn and grow in a positive, nurturing environment lead by a friendly and knowledgeable instructor. Dance Exploration uses the Dance to Learn® Curriculum, a whole child, conceptual approach to dance education. 

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The Dance to Learn® Curriculum is a conceptual approach to dance education using a multi-sensory teaching technique designed to captivate the whole child. We begin each class introducing a new Dance Concept each week. We use a fun visual aid with bright colors that the dancers can recognize to captivate our Visual Learners. Next we practice saying the concept and interacting with the concept using auditory cues such as music or instruments for our Auditory Learners. Next we get hands on with the visual by either moving it or tracing it. We may even use a prop for our hands on, tactile learners. Next we explore the concept through movement by performing a short movement activity for our Kinesthetic Learners. 

 

After we introduce our Concept, classes begin with an imaginative, multi-sensory warm up called Dance Me a Story™. Each Warm Up includes breath and meditation, brain and body stretches, an audio recording with relaxing music, a story book and a fun prop to interact with. The warm ups are designed to allow the child to interact, imagine and play with their instructor and peers while getting focused and calm for optimal learning.

 

Next dancers explore the daily theme or concept with a standing movement activity that stimulates and strengthens their gross motor development. This play based exploration also stimulates their brain pathways as they continue the discovery of new concepts and principles through movement.

 

Next the class transitions to dancing across or around the room. Students get to practice and perfect individual dance movements during the Developing Skills part of class. Perfecting developmentally appropriate individual skills is important before skills can be linked together. Once perfected, the dancers get to link all the movements together to tell a story! We call this the Story Dance Pathway™. This is an interactive, play based obstacle course that challenges the dancers to remember each movement in the sequence with the help of props and visual and auditory cues. This important skill teaches the basis of choreography as dancers are challenged to link multiple movements together.

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During the Tap portion of class, dancers learn about the different parts of their shoe and the different sounds our Tap shoes make. We explore rhythms and patterns with musical instruments and a tap warm up that explores tapping the different parts of our shoes in different combinations. Dancers will also perform a Story Dance Pathway™ that combines different traveling movements as students tap on, around, over, and through different props and objects. 

 

Dancers in the Dance Exploration Ballet/Tap Combo classes grow emotionally and socially as they interact, entertain and enjoy dancing and playing with their peers each week. We can’t wait to welcome your child into the Dance Exploration Family!