Dance in the Comox Valley is absolutely on fire.  Given a population of less than 70,000 people, you would assume one or two choices for your tyke would be the maximum a community of this size could sustain.

When I was approached to take over leadership of Pantuso Dance I looked at the fact that there were five big dance schools in town and thought that it was a little insane to get into something that was so saturated.

I soon figured out that all of these schools were actually growing each year and close to capacity.

So why are families so wired for dance? Quite simply, dance class prepares your child for life!

For the tot, we work on ‘gross and fine motor skills’, which means that we groove in a big way and then we find intricate ways to boogie.

In life this translates into balance, coordination, agility and body awareness. Not to mention, it shows us that the little pieces are just as important as the flamboyant ones.

Tap dance is a perfect example of fine motor development.  The kids start out their year with wild movements to perform even the most basic step.  By January they are moving with a strong sense of rhythm, learned right from left and the difference between a heel tap, a toe tap and shuffle, flap, and cramp roll.

I had a mom last year that took beginner tap from me and her daughter was in another class earlier in the day.  She wanted to get her little hoofer to show her some moves and she was astounded that this ball of fire was doing all of the steps the mom was learning in class, but faster!

Then we have our ballet babies.  Most parents put their kids in dance initially to have a little fun and look cute in a tutu at the end of year show.  What they don’t necessarily think of is the discipline and focus a young body and mind go through in that fun class.

By working with others in dance children learn social skills such as trust, cooperation and communication.  They learn how to move with grace and style and it takes a very short time for them to grasp many of the intricacies of the dance form.

By the age of 12 some dancers are ready for pre-professional training and the reason for this is that our little sponges have not yet learned to stifle their creativity and willingness to learn, leaving them open to gain these amazing skills at an immensely fast rate.

NOT JUST A GIRL THING

Don’t just think dance is the feminine domain.

“Dancing is for girls!” This is a phrase I battle with from people who have not been exposed to dance training.

Someone might have told that to the Edmonton Oilers dream team with Wayne Gretzky. As part of their hockey training had to learn ballet to make their moves on the ice more graceful and controlled!

Take my student Cody for example.  Cody is this guy that started tap at age 4 and has danced every year to the age of 12.

I started coaching him privately last year in addition to his regular class because he showed an affinity for improvisation in tap.  In one short year this guy has learned to improvise for 30 minutes straight without a break AND hold my attention when he does it! The boys in the school see this guy as a role model and stay in dance because they see how cool he is and that he dances like a boy should dance.

I can safely say that in a couple years I am going to be faced with the challenge of teaching a kid who has more refined skills than I do!

Dance is Good for Grades

I am constantly amazed at how well dance kids do scholastically. I always make it a priority when the honour roll is published in the paper to look for my dancers and sure enough my best and most dedicated dancers are also the ones getting the best marks!

I attribute this largely due to the life skills we learn in class.  Kids learn to be passionate and work really hard at gaining skills in dance, and those skills are directly translated into scholastic achievement.

They also learn how to work in a team environment which helps them develop immense confidence in social situations and I find that the kids that dance make for very confident and sure teenagers.

This is a skill I certainly lacked during those tortured years!

There are many reasons for enrolling your child in dance, but the most important thing to remember with your child is that they have FUN learning these skills and are learning about creativity at a fundamental level.

There is nothing better than seeing a kid come in each week with a beaming smile ready to dance with full heart.

Your kids can get their groove on at:
Pantuso Dance (250) 338 4441 www.pantusodance.com
Gemini Dance (250) 338 1313
Valley Dance Centre (250) 334 1074 www.valleydancecentre.ca
Laurie Tinkler Dance (250) 897 8885 www.laurietinkler.com
Brian Kruse School of Dance (250) 897 5769 www.briankruseschoolofdance.com

NOTE: There are so many amazing cultural experiences in the Valley that it’s hard to even know where to begin to look when you want to expose your little one to the myriad of choices we have.  Each month I will give you a comprehensive look into the choices we have and what may be the best way to start.