Chapters
Dancing is a basic yet effective art. It is capable of helping people express their innermost desire and experience effortlessly. For young children, a few body movement can bridge the communication gap between them and their feelings. There's also no hiding that several Nigerian young people watch dance videos to derive fun or learn some dancing skills.
Other people engage in this art regularly as a form of mind and body therapy. Undoubtedly, these point towards the undeniable benefits of dancing. In line with these benefits and in subsequent paragraphs, we intend to look at everything around teaching children how to dance.
See what you need to know about kids' dance in Nigeria.
The Beginning: Establishing Some Familiarity With The Tutor
The task of choosing your kid's extracurricular creative activities or the association they will join is usually a daunting one in Nigeria. The reason is that you must consider several factors that must come into play when making decisions like this. However, the most critical consideration should be the kid's interest.
Doing this will ensure that they do not experience frustrations or constant boredom in the long run. It will also serve as a way of teaching them to follow their heart in many matters. So, if your child is interested in dancing and you've found a suitable teacher, the first thing is to work towards establishing some familiarity with the tutor.
Teaching a child how to dance has several stages. However, the child must know the tutor and other students before the commencement of any lessons. The initial phase of getting to know one another might be challenging for most kids, and this is just the reason why the teachers usually work towards making the environment as friendly as possible.
There's no need to be in haste at this stage as it is an introductory session. It is important to note that the elementary classes are not a complete representation of what will happen in subsequent sessions. As such, you shouldn't be in a rush to withdraw your kids at this level.
The teachers will ensure that the children know what to expect in future sessions, recommend or provide learning resources, tips, and prepare a regular lesson plan. Doing this will help the kids decide between staying or absconding. Also, these initial classes are very delicate as it will be disastrous if the children do not understand what they are learning.
Usually, the routine in introductory classes is that the teacher will introduce himself and ask all students to do the same, just like in a normal classroom. This way, everyone knows one another's name, and it also creates a friendly environment for the kids to develop good skills.
The teacher will also give them a quick introduction to the art and offer them some games to soften the task and help them learn some quick moves. In some instances, the teacher will also give a brief overview of the year's target and end-of-session party.
In essence, the first class is to teach the basics, assist the children in learning the rudiments of the art, and arouse their interest. There's also room to clear any confusing issues on what to expect throughout the academic year. Most Nigerian dance centres like to allow pupils to form associations as tactics to strengthen their bonds.
See the benefits of dance classes
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Warm-up and Other Initial Activities
The specific thing that follows the introductory session is a warm-up. Like any form of formal education, the tutor must instil a sense of readiness in the pupils before imparting any knowledge. In dancing, a quick warm-up session does the trick. This session is a mandatory prerequisite for any exercise, and children must also participate.
The session lasts about minutes, and this time is sufficient to allow them to stretch their body in readiness for dancing. It also affords them some form of protection against unprecedented injury during dancing and preparing their mind for the task.
One of the most crucial benefits of warming up lies in the assistance it does to help pupils unwind after a stressful school day. Most ballet lessons for kids start after school hours, and as such, it would be unwise to engage them without any form of activity that will help them focus and listen to the tutor.
The usual warm-up technique involves the teacher playing lively music while they follow up with stretches. This activity usually takes place in a spacious room in most schools with ballet lessons for kids. The pupils space themselves and sit on the floor without interrupting or causing inconvenience to others.
Typically, the tutor instructs the children to turn their wrists and stretch their necks as part of the warm-up exercise. These moves will ensure that their body is free and adequately prepared for the session.
Learning The Ropes
After the warm-up, the next step is to proceed to learn the art properly. Be it ballet, hip hop dance, or jazz, the aim of going to a school is to become an expert in the style and have a great time in the process. A significant part of the class will be focused on the rudiments and moves specific to the type the pupil likes.
The tutor will also focus on particular routines for various styles. The reason is that most dance classes for kids in Nigeria incorporate many specialities and, as such, must cater to the needs of all students.
There is usually a mirror opposite the student to view the moves in real-time in most standard centres. This way, they can assess themselves and learn from their mistakes. Sometimes, the tutor organizes a webinar or provides a youtube channel that specializes in filming various styles as a form of upskilling.
The students can learn to like and imitate some moves from these shows. After a few classes, the student should be able to replicate some routines under normal circumstances. A routine typically contains different steps, and at the beginning of each class, the teacher expects every student to practice all previous steps till they complete the pattern.
The primary aim at this stage is to enable the moves to become a part of them. The students should produce the movements with reflexes without thinking about what's next. This way, they become good dancers and never need repetitive guidance during shows. As a result, rehearsals will be a significant part of learning the discipline at this stage. In addition to these core lessons, the tutor must improvise and employ fresh ideas to ensure that the pupils remain committed to the art till the end.
Find a suitable Nigerian dance teacher for your children at Superprof today!
Forming a New Routine
As part of upskilling and ensuring that students make the most of their time, teachers create sessions where they expect each pupil to develop a routine or do this in groups. Doing this will allow them to express themselves, channel their creative talent and ideas.
The pattern can come from an idea of their own or from mixing different steps. Whichever case it is, the tutor will assess their progress and teach them when they go wrong. Some centres go to the extent of organizing special webinars as part of upskilling where the pupils can perform their routines.
Usually, this part of learning this exquisite art is refreshing, and it's something that many pupils anticipate. It gives them the freedom to do as they wish and express hidden ideas.
At this stage, the tutor wouldn't rebuke or reject any style, ideas, or movement indiscriminately; instead, he will encourage the best group and chip in advice to boost their morale.
There's also no pressure or unnecessary deadlines as every kid manifests at different times. It might take some of them to produce a new move in a day, while some will take up to two weeks to make the same movements.
Read on how to choose dance classes for your kids.
The Last Part of Every Session
In most schools that teach hip-hop dance or ballet lessons for kids in Nigeria, the tutor concludes the sessions with some stretches. These movements aim to free and relax the muscles that were in use during the session.
It is similar to the warm-up routine at the beginning of each class, only that it comes at the end. A good stretch session has many uses. The most important use is to allow the student to feel calm and relaxed after the session. It also helps them prevent muscle sores.
Typically, the stretch session is always accompanied by calm music, especially in ballet dance for kids. The techniques involve taking deep breaths and practising these movements with the tutor. It is nothing strenuous as the aim is to leave your kid feeling fresh after the strenuous exercise.
A practice like this will teach the kid how best to take good care of their bodies as the session is usually flexible. The meaning is that there are no hard and fast rules about how long you can go.
Necessary Preparations For a Session
You can view YouTube videos, webinars, images or buy other resources specializing in filming dance routines to learn the best way to prepare your kid for a session. If your little one attends dance classes for kids with a dress code, you should strictly follow these rules. For example, ballet dance for kids requires special shoes and gowns, while hip hop dance typically is freer with no specific code. Apart from filming dancers, there are also centres with specific YouTube channels to view a collection of model students videos and other necessary prerequisites for a session.
Another important` preparatory step when going to dance classes for kids is to try to view the endeavour as formal education and take a keen interest in your ward's progress. In simpler terms, you should apply the measures you take to monitor your ward's formal education to dancing.
See where to find dance lessons in Nigeria!
It doesn't matter what dance style your children want to learn; you could easily find a professional dance tutor in Nigeria with several years of experience on Superprof to hold them by the hands and lead them through this exciting art. These teachers will help unravel the creative side of your kids while having fun at the same time. You have the opportunity to explore several options to find what is best for your children as the first hour is always free!
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