This Steps Ahead group dance class is super special as it is intergenerational held at a care home, with the residents seated around to watch. It is lovely to watch the effect young children have on the older generation; their eyes light up with joy to see them dancing around. Children dance, sing, use creative movement, explore their imaginations and learn dance terminology.
The tot’s class empowers toddlers and pre-schoolers (aged 2-4 yrs.) to be independent and learn how to join in their dance class without an adult. Although parents are to the side of the room and can join in as much as they wish to. My son George (32 months) is quite shy so he needed me to sit with him to start with but soon got braver and I was able to stand to the side of the room after a while. The instructor, Natalie, was just brilliant with him and helped him to relax and encouraged him to join in. This class is designed to help children transition into one of the preschool classes where children participate independently for the whole class. Natalie and the care home staff make everyone feel so welcome; there is a lovely relaxed atmosphere.
Natalie starts with a little warm up activity and welcome song. The children each have a matt to sit on in a circle and they do some fun stretches, including a scarf song where they had to scrunch the scarf really small and then throw it in the air. Natalie held up cards with pictures of different shapes and they had to wave the scarf to form the same shape. This is getting them used to listening to instruction on their own and formation. They then did different movements, copying Natalie baking a cake and eating it.
The group today was animal themed. The children were given animal shaped shakers and followed Natalie around in a circle shaking them singing Horsey Horsey don’t you stop. Some of the residents sing along too and join in with props. They sang Itsy Bitsy spider, I’m a little teapot, Sleeping Bunnies, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and Baby Shark. Natalie changes the theme of the class every couple of weeks. They explore space, travel, under the sea, and different seasons.
Towards the end Natalie got out the mystery box and the children had to guess what was inside. It was a parachute, and so followed a good game of peek-a-boo and the ladies ride song, working on rhythm. George loves holding onto the parachute and shaking it at different speeds.
The tot’s class is term time only, held at Winchcombe Place care home on Fridays and The Vyne School in Basingstoke on Saturdays.
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