Each new dancer year is open to growth in dancers through the skills they acquire and the mastery of those skills. One question we are asked quite often at the Tamara Howe School of Dance is, "What is Leap 'N Learn?".
Leap 'N Learn is our children's ballet curriculum and has been the foundation of our children's programming since opening in 2007. All of our classes have a written curriculum that is reviewed and edited as necessary each year, teachers review the curriculum to teach within their classrooms and students are evaluated by that curriculum each Spring. Parents always are given the opportunity to see where their dancers strengths are within the classroom and what might benefit from extra training during the summer.
For our children's programming, it was important to pick something that had a child's age and developmental abilities in mind. There is a reason why pirouettes are not taught before other skills are mastered and why turnout is not emphasized until a specific age. Growing bodies need time to grow and progress efficiently as they train. By giving the skills in building blocks, students retain, grow and have fun in the process. Take a peek at the next paragraph to hear what founder Beverly Spell has to say about Leap 'N Learn. "Leap ‘N Learn is an effective, safe, progressive, and developmentally appropriate dance program for creative movement to beginning ballet. Designed by master teacher Beverly Spell and expert child psychologist Dr. Annie Spell, the curriculum's combine the healthiest practices for teaching children ballet technique, while simultaneously encouraging pretend play amongst the youngest students to maintain a positive and nurturing environment.
Capitalizing on the naturally occurring cognitive and neural development of children, the Leap ‘N Learn curriculum provides tools and shares knowledge necessary for the creation of a successful learning environment. Through an appreciation and utilization of natural development, students in a Leap ‘N Learn program will acquire motor, cognitive, and social skills beneficial for life.Leap ’N
Learn was developed and written based on how children process information and teach the whole child."
If you have a young dancer, give one of our children's ballet classes a try today! They will be sure to have fun but be warned....you will be asked every day if today is dance day!