DanceAbilities_Madison Area YMCA

MADISON AREA YMCA’S SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS (SOPA) PRESENTS

DANCEABILITIES A dance class for kids with learning differences and special needs.

MADISON AREA YMCA

COME JOIN THE FUN! Our 8-week summer session begins Monday, June 28.

Classes offered for preschool (3-6 years) and school-age (7-14 years) children and their “assistive buddy.”

TUESDAYS: 4:00-4:30PM (3-6 years) 4:30-5:15PM (7-14 years) Register online from the comfort of your home! madisonareaymca.org/account

CONTACT Gus Ibranyi: Associate Director, Gymnastics, Y Ninja Gym & SOPA gibranyi@madisonymca.org 973-822-9622 x2239 Jen Gregory, SOPA Coordinator jgregory@madisonymca.org

HEALTH AND SAFETY The Y is a key partner in keeping our community physically and mentally healthy by providing much needed access to exercise and programs for all ages. We believe it is our responsibility to protect our members, participants, and employees so a visit to our facilities, and to our events, is as safe and enjoyable and possible.

In accordance with the State’s announcement and CDC guidelines, individuals age 12 and older, including members, guests, volunteers and staff, who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, are no longer required to wear a mask while inside our Y’s Family Center. Visit our website to learn more about our Mask Policy.

NEW FOR SUMMER! DanceAbilities is a rhythm and hip hop 8-week program for kids with learning differences and other special needs based on the groundbreaking Rhythm Works Integrative Dance Program.

Led by Rhythm Works certified instructors, this program is designed to support students’ existing therapy goals. The 8-week session focuses on skill development, self-empowerment and celebrating differences.

An “assistive buddy” (parents, therapists, caregivers, etc.) is required to attend.

STUDENT BENEFITS • • • • • • • •

Gross motor skills Fine motor skills Body awareness Body control Social skills Strength Flexibility Focus

• • • • • • • •

Imitation Ideation Motor planning Memory & recall Coordination Receptive language Expressive language And much more!

DANCEAB WHAT IS RHYTHM WORKS INTEGRATIVE DANCE? Rhythm Works Integrative Dance is a specialized and inclusive rhythm and dance program that incorporates evidence-based practices such as sensory integration, applications to physical skills and behavioral strategies.

BILITIES MEET THE INSTRUCTORS CHERYL DOWNEY is excited to bring her experience and love of dance to our new DanceAbilities program. Her career includes more than 30 years as a tap, ballet, and jazz teacher at schools throughout New Jersey and she has been a Madison Area YMCA dance instructor for the last four years. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from Montclair State College and is certified in Rhythm Works Integrative Dance. Cheryl excels at creating an atmosphere of positivity and encouragement in her classes, which has made her popular with students of all ages. She continues to attend workshops and seminars to enhance her dance knowledge and maintain the highest standards of teaching.

JEN GREGORY has taught dance at the Madison Area YMCA since 2017. She studied modern dance at Emory University and holds a Master of Fine Arts in Modern Dance and Choreography from Sarah Lawrence College.

She has performed and taught in and around New York City. She is grateful to be back in the dance studio doing what she loves: helping children learn, grow, and develop a love of dance. She also serves as our School of Performing Arts Coordinator, where she is hard at work behind the scenes helping to expand and enrich the program. She’s excited to be a certified instructor of the Rhythm Works Integrative Dance Program and can’t wait to help children of all abilities discover the joy of dance through the new DanceAbilities program.

Our certified instructors are trained to apply fun and functional dance movement to evidence-based practices commonly used in sensory integration, ABA therapy, kinesiology, and movement safety to aid in reaching developmental goals.

The Madison Area YMCA School of Performing Arts (SOPA) is composed of

dedicated, passionate and knowledgeable instructors with more than 70 years of combined experience. Our offerings encompass a wide array of the performing arts disciplines: dance, acting, musical theatre and group singing. We provide our preschool, school-age and adult students with enriching, quality arts instruction in an atmosphere that is nurturing and inspiring. Whether this is your first experience in the performing arts or you are a returning student, we have a program for your artistic soul. Our philosophy is simple. We believe every student has the potential to discover and express themselves creatively. To maintain the highest standards of performing arts education, we constantly assess and develop new programs to meet the needs of our families.

MADISON AREA YMCA madisonareaymca.org

FAMILY CENTER

111 Kings Rd., Madison • 973.822.YMCA (9622)

F.M. KIRBY CHILDREN’S CENTER

54 East St., Madison • 973.377.4945

PROJECT COMMUNITY PRIDE 973.845.6480