Baby Building Blocks
I love the wee ones …the babies …the preschoolers …the little ones …the kinders … or whatever you might call the young dancers at your studio. All dance students under the age of six years are by far my favorites. Not that I don’t like the older students, I do, but now the young ones make me smile every day.
It wasn’t always that way. As a young teacher, I was often frustrated after teaching a “baby class,” a feeling I’d share with my mother, also a dance teacher. One day during this weekly discourse, she said something that still resonates in my ears. I lamented, “Gosh, that class cannot even do a shuffle hop step!” She replied, “Nor should they be expected to.” Then, she concluded, “You will not fully understand the limitations of four-year-olds until you have a child of your own and can see for yourself what they can and cannot do.”
Several years later, when my own daughter started lessons, I realized exactly what my mother had meant. She was my child, the daughter of a dance teacher and a third generation dancer. So why was she having problems doing shuffle ball change in her second year of dance? My mother’s words raced through my head. Some 25 years later, I repeated the phrase to my own daughter with regard to my granddaughter.
Young dancers are not only cute, coy and charming, but they are also the foundation of a studio and the basis for future growth and success. Have you noticed that when a young child stacks wooden blocks four or five high and then knocks them down, the bottom one, the base, remains in place? That same concept can be applied to building a strong studio. Don’t expect too much from them too soon. Give them time to grow and share in your love of dance. Nurture them; encourage them; gently discipline them; hug them and you will see how much they will learn.
Not all teachers are apt at teaching children. Too many times studio directors make the mistake of having their advanced students teach the little ones. This young age group needs a trained teacher with experience, not an apprentice. Young students are sponges and will absorb everything presented to them. Preschoolers aim to please and are little stars at home when they emulate their dance teacher in action. So be on your best behavior!
Provide the opportunity for free expression and creativity in a disciplined, well-structured environment. Invite them to share their imagination with all the students, and with the teacher too. Be hands-on. Listen to their verbal contributions, but do not give them free reign. Teach them to share and take turns at being the line leader. Have them sing songs; their eyes will light up and their personalities will shine.
Most importantly, enjoy the wee ones. Just like at home, they will grow up all too quickly. Before you know it, the toddlers will be seniors, ready to graduate and leave the nest. If you provide the younger dancers with a strong foundation, they will stay with you for years. Then, when the time is right, they will move on with confidence because you helped prepare them for the world outside. And sometimes they will even come back to enroll their own children.
Every young dancer who walks through your studio door has the potential to provide you with years of joy and smiles. They are notable on their own and if made to feel welcome, they will be your graduating seniors down the road. For sure, if I were still teaching (and able to get down, and more importantly up off the floor), the kinder class would be my class of choice to teach.
Until next time, I‘d like to share one of my favorite quotes: “Why worry about what your child will be tomorrow, when they already are someone today?” Let’s chat at daniebeck@danceruniverse.com.