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Toddler Dance Programs

The term "toddler" refers to a child's stage of growth rather than a specific age. Usually, however, toddlers are aged 1 to 2, a time when they make enormous leaps in discovery, motor skills and problem solving. A dance program specifically tailored to a toddler's needs is a great way to develop these blossoming skills. Below are some programs around the country which showcase the types of skills and activities a toddler should learn in a dance program.

  1. Magic Dance Toddler: Studio of Arts and Letters

    • The Magic Dance program for toddlers is specifically designed for one- to two-year-old children to help develop their learning skills through movement, dance and song. The class size is limited to ten toddlers and attempts to stimulate each child's curiosity, creativity, social skills, pre-mathematical and pre-reading abilities and movement capabilities. The toddlers dance, stretch and tumble together while Audrey Appleby, the founder, coaches them, tailoring the curriculum to satisfy each toddler's needs.

      MagicDance Toddler at the
      Garden Education Center
      130 Bible St.
      Cos Cob, CT 06807
      (203) 622-0744
      www.magicdance.com

    Tiny Dancers

    • While Tiny Dancers is a dance studio for children of all ages, they do have two specific programs for toddlers. The first program, "Wiggletoes," caters to children from 18 to 30 months. According to the Wiggletoes website, "This 30-minute class is a shared parent/child experience that promotes mobility, muscle coordination, physical and spatial recognition and cognitive development through imaginative play." The school provides props and other age-appropriate toys for tactile stimulation and to help develop motor skills. The school encourages parents to sing and move with their kids.

      For slightly older kids, ages 2 to 3, the "Mom and Me" dance class introduces kids along with their caretakers to movements like running, skipping, galloping and jumping. The class also emphasizes following directions and allows toddlers to interpret their favorite fairy tales and act them out.

      Tiny Dancers
      Fairfax Studio
      10875 Main St., Suite 113
      Fairfax, VA 22032
      (703) 385-5580

      Gainesville Studio
      7474 Limestone Dr.
      Gainesville, VA 20155
      (703) 754-2210
      www.tinydancers.com

    Arts N' Motion

    • Arts N' Motion is a comprehensive dance studio that offers art, music and dance classes in a non-competitive atmosphere. The studio attempts to impart training in the arts while fostering self-esteem and independence. The dance program for toddlers, "Broadway Babies," differs from others in that while it does focus on fun songs and singing, it has more of a focus on the concepts of tap, ballet and jazz, rather than just creative movement.

      Arts 'n Motion
      8251-B Telegraph Rd.
      Odenton, MD 21113
      (410) 674-7001
      artsnmotion.com

    Pacific Arts Ballet

    • Pacific Arts Ballet is a rigorous ballet academy in west Los Angeles that possesses several programs which gently but formally introduce toddlers to ballet. One program, "Twinkle Twos," teaches two-year-olds the structure and etiquette of a formal ballet class through games and play. Students must wear pink leotards, pink tights and pink ballet shoes. The following level, "Tip Toe Tots," is for three-year-olds and expands on the lessons taught in the "Twinkles Twos." The class focuses on cooperation, directions and dancing in time with music. In this level, toddlers must wear pink tights, pink ballet shoes and blue leotards. The school limits class sizes to 10 students.

      The Raminfard School of Arts
      10604 W. Pico Blvd.
      Los Angeles, CA 90064
      (310) 384.4921
      www.pacificartsballet.com

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