Join us for a safe and fun beginner dance class in Galway
So you’ve found the studio that is the best fit for you and your child, and you’ve signed up for a free trial. Now it helps to know what to expect! In this week’s blog we will talk about what GRDA focuses on during your child’s first dance class.
Creating a Safe and Welcoming Environment for The First Dance Class at GRDA
Upon arrival we welcome everyone into the space. This is a safe space, this is a creative space and its where we share our love of dance and the magic of dance! For little ones this is a big first step, it can be daunting to come into a new room, with new teachers surrounded by lots of new potential friends.
We welcome parents into class to help their little ones get comfortable. Once your little starts moving we ask that you slowly leave the room, just remember that at any point if your little one is upset or uncomfortable we will call you right away. GRDA’s number one core value is child welfare!
Get Moving With Dance Warm-up & Creative Games
Each class begins with a Warm Up. Basic movements that get your heart rate elevated, your muscles warm and have you breathing a little harder, maybe even break a sweat. This can be done through creative games, challenges and team building activities to help dancers get familiar with their bodies, with teachers and with their class. Teachers will then lead a stretch focusing on muscle groups the dancers will be using throughout their class.
Throughout the rest of the class, teachers will continue introducing movements and skills, via across the floor work, choreography, creative games and team-building activities. This helps the teachers get a baseline for what each dancer has already learned, what their body’s strengths are, and what areas might need some attention. These informal assessment help our teachers see that everyone in the class is on the same page and can progress together without students feeling overwhelmed. Communication is a core value at GRDA and we thrive on students asking questions and being curious.
Winding Down the First Dance Class – Focus on Cool-Down and Reflection
Finally, as the first class of the session winds down, we finish up with a gentle cool-down s a focusing on calming the body and reflecting on what we learned that day. We might discuss what students enjoyed, what they didn’t and that sometimes technique can be hard but if you keep practicing it will come together. Above all, we leave the studio feeling thankful that we get to share our love of dance with each dancer that enters!
