Pre-school dance classes
Pre-school dance classes introduce children to movement, music, and rhythm, as well as body discipline and awareness. The courses are designed to develop appropriate skills of the particular age groups. Emphasis is placed on fun and the development of positive self-esteem as the child enters one of their earliest classroom situations.
Little stars
(2 1/2 - 3 years old as of 9/1/22, must be potty trained)
As a 2 1/2-3 year-old, your Little Stars dancer is curious and blossoming every day. Dancers enter the class independently to discover the joy and freedom in movement, improve sensory awareness, eye-body coordination, body awareness, spatial relations and social skills. Our dance educators provide the respect, tenderness, warmth and patience that allow these youngest dancers to thrive.
Shining stars
(4 years old as of 9/1/22)
Shining Stars are confident, creative and imaginative. At the age of 4, your dancers possess all of these qualities and more. With better control over their movements and a growing understanding of concepts, we can begin to teach your dancers fundamental dance techniques. These movements combined with a lot of imagination will help dancers develop their growing dance vocabulary.
Pre-school attire…
WHY A DRESS CODE?
Why does it matter? In classical ballet, dancers are asked to wear specific attire, often the same color and in a very uniform manner with their hair pulled back in ballet bun. The number one reason for this is to prevent distraction in the classroom. The dancer/teacher are able to focus and see clearly the technical and artistic things that they are working on. The second reason for a dress code is discipline. There is something mentally that happens when a person prepares physically for something. They focus, they take it seriously and the mental preparation sets you up for physical success in the classroom.
REQUIRED CLASS ATTIRE
Welcome to our NEW online dance store! Pick your favorite styles that are required for class and have them conveniently shipped to your home!!
Gotta Dance Online Supply Store
2 1/2-3 year old Ballet/Tumbling
These items must be purchased from our online studio store and used for class:
Pink Gotta Dance leotard
Pink leather Ballet Shoes with strings tucked in
Pink tights
Optional Pink Skirt
4 year old Ballet/Tumbling/Tap
These items must be purchased from our online studio store and used for class:
Purple Gotta Dance leotard
Pink leather Ballet Shoes with strings tucked in
Black Patent Tap Shoes
Pink tights
Optional Purple Skirt
Kindergarten Ballet/Tumbling/Tap/Jazz
These items must be purchased from our online studio store and used for class:
Light Blue Gotta Dance leotard
Pink leather Ballet Shoes with strings tucked in
Black Patent Tap Shoes
Pink tights
Optional Light Blue Skirt
Class attire reminders:
Pull hair away from face (ponytail, bun, braids, etc)
Do not wear underwear under tights. Tights serve the purpose of underwear.
Never wear dance shoes outside…. wear Crocs or other shoes OVER your ballet shoes.
Make sure dancer’s name or initials are written in dance shoes.
What to expect from your pre-school dancer…
Dear Parents,
We are very excited to welcome you into our Gotta Dance Family for the 2024-2025 dance season. Whether you’ve had a dancer with us before or this is your first season, we look forward to seeing everyone in class.
We know that as a parent you have a vision for how you think the first day will go. We wanted to write you to let you know of a few ways your young dancer’s first class could go. Please take this advice for whatever it is worth to you. All children are different and react to situations differently and you know your child best. It is not unusual to see a brand new 2 ½-3 year old cling to mom as she walks into the studio as she is unaware of this new environment. We encourage you to arrive just a little before the class start time to acclimate your dancer to our studio and staff. Use this time to do any last minute potty breaks and to put on your dance shoes without being rushed.
Our classes are student/teacher based which means dancers will enter the classroom independently. We encourage you to discuss this with your child prior to arrival to ease their nerves and minimize any surprises. If they appear to be nervous, assure them that you will be waiting for them at the end of class!
We make every attempt at calming an upset child as to make the environment calm, nurturing and fun for them before escorting them back to the lobby. Although it might seem like a good idea to have mom enter the classroom to ease this transition, we have seen it have the opposite effect. Instead of learning that dance class is independent and exclusive to just our tiny dancers, some students see “if I cry, Mommy comes in with me.” As you can imagine, this tends to have a snowball effect on some of our other students.
As stated previously, every child responds differently to a new class. As parents, we won’t know until we try. Please remember, sometimes it takes a few weeks in order for a child to warm-up to the idea. We will all work as a team to help your child adjust to life in a dance class, which can be a gradual process. In addition to dancers crying during this adjustment period, other students might not participate in their fullest capacity. This too is ok and completely normal. Don’t be alarmed and please do not try to coach your child through the windows in this instance. They are simply observing their environment. They will dance when they are ready!
Please feel free to contact us with any questions!