THE DANCE PROFESSIONALS AT CORE ACADEMY OF MOVEMENT FOCUS ON developing a child’s physical and mental abilities through weekly movement classes and immersion in a positive atmosphere. Jaclyn Augustyn Smith, the owner and artistic director of CORE Academy of Movement, has a few tips for finding a great program for anyone, early childhood through college.
1. Dance Class Should be About Learning!
Dance is special as it combines tactile and creative learning. It demands the use of four of our five senses, and it encourages problem solving and self-expression. A great dance teacher works from an organized, long-term lesson plan (syllabus) designed to develop a child’s abilities throughout the school year.
2. Dance Develops Healthy Bodies
Dancing can be a way to stay fit for people of all ages, shapes and sizes. The instructors at CORE make sure the kids are always safe from the first minute they step into class. Dance has a wide range of physical and mental benefits including improved cardiovascular and muscular strength, endurance and gross motor skills and injury prevention.
3. Dance Requires Discipline and Hard Work
Students of CORE are taught that respect for the art form and their classmates and teachers is shown through personal responsibility. Everyone is expected to show up on time, in proper dress code and prepared for class or performance. Dance builds life skills and is an excellent avenue for developing character. Effort, practice and perseverance go into mastering new skills. A performance demands excellence, develops confidence and demonstrates commitment.
4. Dance Enriches a Child’s Life and Builds a Sense of Community
Creative dance encourages each student to find and express his or her uniqueness. A dance class should feel like a safe place to be yourself. In a dance class, students learn to lead and follow, cooperation and respecting others and creating friendships that will last a lifetime.
5. Dance Should be Fun!
Your child should be happy going to and coming from dance class. “The dancers should benefit by taking what they learn from class to other aspects in their lives ... that’s what this whole experience should be about,” says Augustyn Smith.
CORE Academy of Movement
10 Hartford Road, Mount Laurel
(856) 778-5955 | CoreMovement.com
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Family Magazine, Volume 10, Issue 8 (October 2019).
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