Thursdays 11.30-12.15 at West Hill Hall

Every parent knows just how much little children love to dance. From a very young age, often way before they can walk, they begin to dance. It seems responding to music with simple rhythmic movement is a deeply ingrained instinct and a very important part of being human. Although as adults many of us lose touch with this instinct, saying we “can’t dance” or are “not musical”, I have yet to come across a young child who does not respond to music with rudimentary dancing. It is often amazing to see just what a good sense of rhythm a baby can have at an age when they seem hardly able to control their bodies in other ways. Shaking a rattle, banging on the table or rocking and swaying along to the radio is an important way for young children to learn about how their bodies work and how to make an impact on the world around them. I remember when my own child was just 6 months old she was rocking back and forth to a Bob Dylan track, then when the middle eight came on she started swaying from side to side instead. I was very impressed with her sense of musicality, as well as her good taste in music!

By the time children come to the Mini Movers dance group that I run, they can already walk and certainly know the pleasures of moving around. It’s great for the children and much appreciated by the parents, to have a large space like the West Hill Community Hall to run around in and let off steam – especially at this time of year when the weather is getting worse and children tend to spend more time cooped up indoors. The class is based mostly on action songs and games, and although we sing one or two familiar nursery rhymes each week, most of the songs are written and recorded especially for this class – although some are familiar tunes to make it easier to join in. Everyone knows that children thrive on repetition whilst adults prefer variety, so in order to keep it interesting for the parents (who are expected to join in!) I try to use as much different music as possible. For example, the Dancing Bear dances with the children to a different genre of music each week – everything from samba to rock-and-roll to folk, or drum and bass.

It’s wonderful to see how the children develop after coming to the class for a few months or even just a few weeks. I was encouraging one young girl who was only just walking to try some stamping. She stood staring at her feet for ages willing them to move. When she finally managed to do two big stamps she looked up overjoyed at her achievement – and her mum was quite pleased too.

There are many ways a child can benefit from a physical movement class. As well as simply allowing them to expend the enormous amount of energy they have, a dance class helps them to develop physical control and co-ordination, something that can still be quite difficult for them, even at the age of two or three. A group class can also help to develop social skills and build self confidence. The sense of achievement a child gains when they remember a move or recognise a tune from one week to the next can give an enormous boost to their self confidence, and, of course, the parents enjoy watching this development in their little ones. Encouraging a child to be involved in a structured exercise class from a young age could help them to develop a habit that will last a lifetime and certainly stand them in good stead for general fitness later in life. Most of us as adults wish we did a little more to keep fit and bringing your child along to Mini Movers could help in that department too! So, in short, children love to dance and dancing is one of the most wonderful ways to learn about and use our bodies. Combine that with a definite emphasis on fun and you and your toddler are sure to enjoy yourselves.

Poppy Manley Assoc.IDTA
movingmatters.dance@yahoo.co.uk