Pre School Dance Classes - AGES 3 - 5

 
 

1. Gross Motor Skill Development

Pre-school dance helps children build core strength, balance, and coordination through movement.

  • Running, jumping, hopping, skipping, galloping – all part of dance sequences.

  • Improves body awareness, posture, and control.

  • Encourages the development of bilateral coordination (using both sides of the body in harmony).

  • Helps with spatial awareness – understanding where their body is in space, and how to move without bumping into others.

2. Fine Motor Skills

Though less obvious than gross motor, dance classes also support fine motor development:

  • Actions like wriggling fingers, pointing toes, clapping hands, fluttering arms like wings, etc.

  • Use of props (scarves, ribbons, wands) strengthens wrist, finger, and hand movements.

  • Encourages hand-eye coordination and control over smaller muscle groups.

3. Learning through Colours, Numbers, Animals, and Shapes

Dance classes incorporate educational elements in creative ways:

  • Colours: Using coloured spots or props (“stand on the red circle”, “choose the green ribbon”).

  • Numbers: Counting steps, beats, or turns (“let’s do 4 jumps”, “march for 8 counts”).

  • Animals: Movement inspired by animals (“crawl like a cat”, “flap like a bird”, “stomp like an elephant”).

  • Shapes: Creating shapes with the body (“make a star shape”, “curl into a ball”), or moving around shapes on the floor.

4. Social and Emotional Learning

Dance classes offer valuable opportunities for early social development:

  • Listening skills – following the teacher's voice, responding to cues.

  • Taking turns – waiting patiently, sharing space and props.

  • Following instructions – learning to process and act on multi-step directions.

  • Develops confidence and emotional expression through movement.

  • Encourages empathy and cooperation during partner or group work.

5. Independence and Readiness to Learn

Walking into class without a parent is a major milestone:

  • Builds self-confidence and trust in new adults and environments.

  • Encourages emotional resilience – learning to cope with separation and engage without constant parental guidance.

  • Prepares them for the structure of school – routines, transitions, and group expectations.

6. Imaginative Play and Creative Expression

Dance is a powerful outlet for imagination and storytelling:

  • Using movement to become characters, act out scenes, or respond to music.

  • Playing games that involve magical lands, pretend journeys, or make-believe animals.

  • Builds creative thinking and nurtures a love for self-expression.

7. Language and Communication Skills

Dance class encourages verbal interaction and language growth:

  • Singing with actions helps with memory, rhythm, and vocabulary.

  • Children are often encouraged to speak up, say their names, answer questions, or share ideas.

  • Helps develop confidence in verbal communication, turn-taking in conversations, and listening to others.

  • Teaches the meaning of words through embodied movement – e.g. “twirl”, “freeze”, “bounce”.

We limit the number of pre school students we take per class so that each and every child gets the care and attention they deserve.