More than just dance steps: Nurturing intelligence

You've probably cottoned onto the fact that our team are just as passionate about the holistic aspects of our classes as they are about the dance steps… but I wanted to explain what we mean by nurturing intelligence in class.

I could talk about ‘the science bit'  (here it is if you're interested, skip it if you're not)

• physical intelligence: spatial awareness is hugely important in wiring the brain to learn new concepts and skills.
• cognitive processing: Dance involves multiple brain functions at once. Timing, movement, and creativity all increase grey matter in the brain, resulting in faster thinking and better mental focus.  Picking up new combinations of steps develops problem solving skills.
• emotional and social intelligence: these foster self awareness and confidence

HOWEVER once of the things we love the most in our classes is enrichment. These are the moments where you child learns a word, concept or cultural fact or appreciation of a piece of art such as a specific piece of music or a classical ballet or musical.

For example: In preschool, we will learn about various countries and types of music like the Samba and Conga.  In our older ballet classes, when standing sideways at the barre, we learn about ‘peripheral vision'.   Recently I was teaching a Grade 3 ballet class about the origins of the Tarantella dance… it's an interesting one, if you want to look it up!

Ask your child what words they've learned in dance class recently.

Part 5 coming soon!

Miss Fiona.