Our dance program provide after school dance classes and summer programs to the west suburban Illinois area
and surrounding communities for youth and teens who under served. We strive to keep children physically healthy and  introduce them to art and different genres of dance. We provide evening workout and dance classes to young adults and adults to stay healthy, active and fit.The classes are taught by trained professionals who donate their time as apart of giving back to the community. Proceeds for this program go towards funding year round performance opportunities. Nutrition awareness and wellness will also be integral part of this program to help promote a healthy style of living and eating.

 

Physical Development
Dancing is a highly physical activity, and kids who take dance lessons regularly should expect to see a
significant improvement in their overall physical health. Regular dance practice can increase your
children's flexibility, range of motion, physical strength and stamina. The repetitive movements involved in dance can improve muscle tone, correct poor posture, increase balance and coordination and improve overall cardiovascular health. Dancing is an aerobic form of exercise. For children who are overweight, it can potentially help them to lose weight and improve their eating habits. Here are other key benefits in regards to the benefits of physical development:

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•  Moving with bodily control, co-ordination, flexibility and balance

•  The development of spatial awareness

•  Dancing with props; developing manipulative skills

•  Experiencing a range of gross motor movements and fine motor movements

•  Keeping healthy - dance as part of a healthy lifestyle

•  Moving safely, imaginatively and with confidence

Creative and Self Esteem Development
As children adjust to the movements and postures required in dance, they begin to get a better sense of
their bodies. As they become more comfortable in their own skin, their confidence and self-esteem also
improve. Dance lessons can encourage children to foster a more positive attitude and explore their own
self-expression. This can be particularly beneficial for children who are physically or mentally
impaired or those who are attempting to deal with significant emotional problems. Here are other key
benefits in this area:

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•  Communicating ideas, thoughts and feelings non-verbally through movement

•  Using the imagination to create ideas, characters and narratives

•  Making movement responses

Personal, Social and Emotional Development
In addition to being a physical activity, dancing is also a highly social activity. According to
"Family Talk Magazine", dance lessons can help children improve their social and communication
skills, learn how to work as part of a team, develop a greater sense of trust and cooperation and make
new friends. If a child is shy, enrolling he or she in dance can encourage his or her to reach out to other
children her age and help to reduce the anxiety about new people or places. Dance can also help to
alleviate fears related to performing in front of an audience. Here are other key benefits in this area:

 

• Having an enjoyable, exciting and motivating time

• Working individually, with a partner and as part of a group

• Developing trust and co-operation

• Selecting and using movement ideas independently and with others

• Exploring feelings and views of self and others - including other cultures and beliefs

• Accepting the moral code on which discipline and courtesy within the group is based

• Interacting with a new social group

•  Communication, Language and Literacy Development

• The use of sounds, music, words, poems, rhymes, texts and stories as stimuli for, and accompaniment to dance

• The use of language to imagine and recreate roles and ideas in the dance

• Interaction – negotiating plans and activities and developing conversational skills

• Appreciation – talking about personal dance performance

• Observation – talking about the dance performance of others

• Developing a vocabulary of movement

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