Music & Movement and PreBallet Lessons

ALL ABOARD THE M&M EXPRESS!

M&M stands for Music and Movement and it is a VERY special class created JUST for 4 year olds.

Mondays 4:45 – 5:30 pm or Tuesdays 4:00 – 4:45 pm.

**Students in our M&M classes MUST be 4 years old at the beginning of the class year (September).

The four year old seeks to satisfy curiosity through a discovery process.  We want to provide each child with opportunities to experiment,explore and create.  Draw an imaginary door to a world where mermaids swim and butterflies dance…find the story tree..  become a star fairy.

This fun class uses dance (of course), music, singing, imaginative play, stories, games and so much more to enable them to find their own unique place in the world.

OVERALL GOALS for our M&Ms:

  • To recognize and make connections and manipulate the sounds of language and music WITH movement.
  • To provide opportunities to share and take turns… to LISTEN as well as speak using music and movement as a foundation.
  • To develop a growing sense of accomplishment as they learn to focus their attention on sequencing and memory building…important skills not just for dance but for early academics.  Teachers LOVE dance classes.
  • To instill a love of dance and JOY of movement.  We want them to be excited about coming to class every week!

Special Calendar Note to M&Ms

chattanooga ballet

LEAPING AND LEARNING WITH PREBALLET

 Pre-Ballet Schedule:

Mondays 4:00-4:45 or Tuesdays 4:45-5:30

Preballet is a class that has been created especially for children who are 5 to 6.

It is a bridge.

It is a more structured ballet class than they had at 4 but it still uses imaginative activities that make learning fun.  We will be jumping over mud puddles, dancing with magical scarves, walking in the rain, going to the park, having a princess picnic, picking flowers in a fantasy forest.  When a movement is paired with multiple senses… it becomes part of a “play” experience that makes it easy and fun.  We want to help them develop a confidence in themselves and their growing dance skills.

We also begin to learn Ballet terminology, positions of the feet and arms… musical counts and basic patterns and choreography.

Five to six year old children think in concrete terms…therefore, they need concrete experiences in the learning environment.  Dramatic and rhythmic activities are especially great for this very special age.

PRIMARY GOALS

  • To teach a love of Dance and the JOY of movement.
  • To gain music awareness and rhythm skills.
  • To explore dance as a form of personal expression.
  • To nurture artistry with challenging creative dance experiences.

AND

  • To have a GREAT dance year… let’s get started!!

Attire for M&Ms and Preballet: Girls: Pink Leotard, Pink Tights, Pink Ballet Shoes..Boys: White Tee Shirt, Gym Shorts, Black Ballet Shoes