Dancing FEET Sally J Hall shares some great ideas for starting your child’s love of dance performing arts… MISS FELICTY TEACHING BABY BALLET
STAR JUMPS AT BABY BALLET
HAVING FUN AT DIDDI DANCE
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H, THE BALLET. All those gorgeous costumes, perfect turn-outs, buns and the sublime music. Who hasn’t dreamed of being a Prima Ballerina when wafting around their bedroom in a synthetic net tutu? And if you actually went as far as learning to dance when you were younger, you might be keen to instil this love of dance in your child – even if you gave up when you weren’t allowed to tie your shoe ribbons up to your knee. How can you find out what kind of class is best for your child? Read on to find the perfect dance space for your mini mover…
Tiny Dancer When your child is very young – say, under five – shuffling around on tip toe while wafting their hands or pretending to be a tiger is about as much as you can ask for. Look for a class that teaches very young children together, not mixed in with older age groups. A class where there’s an emphasis on having fun and doing different dancing games each time will keep them keen and entertained – and going back each week. Expect to have to stay for these classes and possibly join in, too.
“It’s always sad saying goodbye!” Leeds Central and Leeds East Baby Ballet run classes across Leeds, with new classes starting in Tadcaster. For more information visit babyballet.co.uk. DIDDI DANCE is a funky pre-school dance class for boys and girls aged 18 months plus. Using action songs, dancing games, fun exercises, hoops and ribbons to their own pop songs, the classes help to enhance your child’s coordination and sense of rhythm in a fun and relaxed session, and also to develop their social and gross motor skills. Diddi Dance covers 14 different dance themes from around the world – exploring styles like hip hop and Salsa. Free trial available. For more information visit diddidance.com. DANCEBUGS classes are available for boys and girls from the age of three to school age at Danceworks. They are fun classes teaching all the basics in an imaginative way.
BABY BALLET is a pre-school ballet programme designed by Claire O’Connor, whose mother was a ballet teacher. She found it a strict and competitive environment, and her vision was to take ballet and put it in a more informal, fun setting and make it accessible to very young children. Baby Ballet Tots classes cater for six to 18 months, and this is followed by the Tinies class for 18 months to three, with parents and carers staying and participating. In Movers classes for three-year-olds and over, children go in on their own. They continue with ballet but are also offered the opportunity to do some tap dancing too. From this age-group, the children perform in an annual show. “It’s a big deal, it’s amazing to see them perform in front of an audience and it is lovely for the parents,” said Jane Herbert, who runs Leeds Central Baby Ballet together with Louise Bradbury. Finally, there is a Grovers class, for children aged around fourand-a-half to six. “That is as far as we take them,” said Jane. DANCEBUGS AT DANCEWORKS
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