September 10th is our first day of dance class for the ’21-’22 season. For many children this is the first time they have experienced a classroom setting. Here is how some of your dancers may act the first few weeks:
- Track star runners
- Benchwarmers
- Tears
- Empathy Friends
- Fierce
1) Track stars-As soon as some students enter our big…open…studio with lots of mirrors, their instinct is to run…and run and run. Showing our dancers what is expected in our Dance room is part of our role as teachers. It might take a few weeks, but they will get into the routine of what is expected in a classroom. We don’t run unless in a specific activity, (slipping and falling is not fun!), our ballet barres are not monkey bars, and we will each have a designated place to put our things and sit down.
2) Benchwarmers-Sometimes our youngest dancers won’t participate the first few classes. They may just sit back and watch. This is completely normal. They are taking it all in and this is how they process their environment. They may end up singing some of their favorite songs or do some moves at home and you’ll think…why couldn’t you do this before? This does not mean that they were not ready, it just means they needed to process the situation to get comfortable, but now they know what to expect.
3) Tears-Sometimes there are tears, separating from mom or dad can be hard, or they just woke from a nap, or they had a long day already. Tears can happen, but usually within 5 minutes of class starting they see the fun happening and join in. If the tears do not subside after a few weeks, we will reach out to you to discuss other strategies or changing levels.
4) Empathetic friends– These are friends who see others missing their mom and dad, and suddenly realize, THEY miss their mom and dad too! They will usually recover quickly but can always be counted on for helping our friends feel better.
5) Fierce- These students won’t even give you a kiss or wave goodbye as they walk onto the dance floor. They will run in ready to go and will leave you standing there thinking…’Sheesh! Ok, bye?!’
In the end…
We’ve had dancers who are turning 3 years old in October thrive in our 3-4 Preschool class, and others who needed a parent in the classroom for support, and preferred our Mom & Me classes for ages 2-3. Registering your dancer for a level they will be comfortable in, is why we designed our classes to be ages 2-3; 3-4; 5-6.
Our experienced teachers and teacher assistants are always there to comfort and support our dancers whether they need a hug, tissue, or encouragement to get on the dance floor.
Below is a general guide we follow, but we recognize every child is unique and no two situations are the same.
