Children’s dance schools more or less teach similar steps and movements (excepting ballet with a stricter, more disciplined pedagogy).
So what makes the experience of attending one dance school
a drastically different experience from another?
Sure, there’s the personality of the teacher is always important. However the main arching difference is that each organisation has its own culture and ethos: beliefs and values of the principal which filter into all their classes.
At Betty Bloom Dance, we are a child-centric organisation, meaning that we produce lesson plans from the point of view of the children, taking into account their age and their skill level. We prioritise what are they going to LOVE, because for us dancing is about love, passion, and engaging the soul and not some kind of “one size fits all”. For us, children are and will always be our first consideration.
... dancing is about love, passion, and engaging the soul
In this way our lessons are infused with:
Encouraging creativity and interaction in class
Valuing contribution of individuals
Cultivating personal expression in dance (we are not creating robots)
Build self-esteem and confidence
Create engagement through expression and
Celebrating individuality
Collaboration in teamwork
Using varied music to broaden imagination and experience
Facilitate the freedom of mind, body and soul that dance can offer
With these foundations of values and beliefs, we build our dance curriculum and lesson plans. We have found a perfect “marriage” in using both Freestyle and Musical Theatre pedagogies to provide an expansive but balanced curriculum to teach dance, where ballet is added to the mix where children are looking to progress professionally.
What’s the single most important thing at Betty Bloom Dance?
That every child counts, whether they attend to have fun with their friends, or whether they hope to dance on a West End stage one day. Our dance school works to enhance each individual’s potential and to open up the colossal benefits that dance can bring physically, mentally and emotionally.
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