Minute Masterclass Episode 229

Welcome to your one-minute masterclass. I’m Andrea Trench. If you enjoy our minute masterclasses, consider continuing your professional development as a student in our Foundations Course for Early Childhood Dance Educators and as a member of our DiscoverDance Experience online community. You can learn more about both of these opportunities at DiscoverDance.com.

 This week’s DiscoverDance Dictionary term is foundational skills. Our motto around here is “we must teach the developing child first, dancer second”. This means everything we do puts child development first. In each and every lesson plan we create, you will see an emphasis on three skill sets beginning with foundational skills. I can’t tell you how many times a teacher has asked me a question about one of their students and my answer has nothing to do with the “dancer”, but always comes back to the developing child. Many times, the answer lies in a need not being met, but sometimes it’s a lack in a foundational skill that needs attention.

These skills are needed in order to learn and progress successfully. Here are the seven foundational skills you will see interwoven into each of our lesson plans: Focus/Concentration, Body Awareness, Coordination, Balance, Spatial Awareness, Strength, and Self-Regulation. Inside the Foundations Course, we dive deep into these skills so you can understand why we do what we do in our DiscoverDance classes. This knowledge is powerful and a must for anyone teaching the early years. Join us!

 For more information, to enroll in the Foundations Course, or to join the DiscoverDance Experience, visit DiscoverDance.com.