Preparing Your Child For Their First Dance Class: Tips for Parents

• Posted Tuesday, 2 January 2024
• By Natalie, Founder & Director

Participating in a new dance class for the first time can be an exciting yet nerve-wracking experience for any young dancer. As parents, your encouragement and support can play a pivotal role in making their experience smooth and enjoyable. To help your child transition into their first dance class seamlessly, here are some valuable tips:

1. Familiarise Your Child with Dance

We’d suggest watching some examples of the style of dance they’ll be participating in with us to ignite their interest and curiosity, whether that be the latest street dance moves from music videos in the charts, or productions of their favourite musical theatre shows.

2. Discuss Expectations

Above all else our dance classes are a place to have fun and be creative! If your child has had exposure to dance classes from other providers, it’s important to highlight to them that we aren’t like traditional dance schools; exams are entirely optional, class sizes are kept small (your child won’t get lost in amongst the crowd!), and we offer a bespoke Achievement Awards programme. It’s also a place they can expect to make friends if they want!

We’d also encourage you to address any concerns they might have and assure them that it’s okay to feel a little nervous.

3. Introduce Them To Their Dance Teacher

All our class pages feature a photo of the teacher who takes the class. We’ve found that especially for neuro-diverse children, it helps to familiarise them with the teacher if they’re able to see a photo and a short description of them.

4. Establish a Routine

Create a pre-class routine that includes hydrating, having a small snack, and arriving at their class with enough time to spare. A predictable routine can ease any last-minute rush or stress.

5. Choosing Clothes

Nothing’s more exciting than trying on the outfit for your new dance class! We have a uniform code for classes once your trial classes have finished and you’ve fully signed up.

6. Debrief After Class

After their first dance class, engage in a positive discussion about their experience. Encourage them to share what they enjoyed and any challenges they faced and acknowledge their efforts and enthusiasm; they’ve done really well in trying a new class! If you or child have any questions, then please contact us and we’d be more than happy to answer them.

We hope that these 6 tips for parents prove useful! We look forward to seeing your child at one of our classes soon.