Not into ballet? Try creative movement for children!

The benefits for dance are endless. More so for children, as this form of sport allows them to develop physically, mentally, emotionally and even cognitively.

Whilst ballet forms the basis for most genres of dance, some parents may not be too keen to send their young children (especially boys!) to ballet classes. As such, Trudance has come up with Creative Movement classes to introduce children from three to five years old to dance moves which will help with developing children in all four aspects mentioned above.

Cognition

Most parents would know what physicality, mentality and emotions are. But what about cognitivity? For a start, we relate to Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development which talks about the nature and development of human intelligence.

Children from three to five years old fall under the second of four stages of his theory, which is the Pre-Operational Stage. In this stage which lasts from two to the age of seven, children are yet to think logically; however the increase in play and pretend happens in this stage.

Ego-centrism is apparent in this age group, whereby the child only thinks for his/her own and has difficulty putting themselves in the shoes of others. In the early Pre-Operational stage, children are unable to manipulate and transform information in a logical way. Instead, they think in images, symbols, language and pretend play.

Creative movement and cognition

How then does a Creative Movement class help to develop a child in this Pre-Operational Cognitive Stage? Through the use of familiar nursery rhymes along with catchy melodies, Trudance incorporates interesting themes such as music appreciation and creative movement in its dance exercises to capture each child's imagination and unique sense of expression.

Creative Movement classes also encourage body coordination together with use of props such as tambourines, feathers, etc. and various music rhythms. As Trudance’s trainers are trained in classical ballet, simple classical ballet steps will be introduced in certain exercises. These would help children develop a good foundation and motivation to make a smooth transition to the next level of classical ballet or other forms of dances easily.

In Trudance, we believe in giving back to the community whilst we foster children’s love for dance and showcase their talent. Trudance is actively involved in community events for People’s Association (“PA”) such as Chingay.

In the upcoming Chingay 2016, Trudance trainer Ms. Huda will be leading her entourage of 40 hip hop students from Sengkang and Tampines North CC for the travelling dance segment.