Why is age-appropriate movement important?

Why is it so important that APA offers age-appropriate movement for its students?  Because your child’s safety depends on it!

Safe movements for young dancers are dependent on their ages and rate of physical growth.  For example, a five-year-old needs a different approach to movement than a fifteen-year-old, even if they both have dance experience.

Our staff members take great care in their teacher education to learn about how to help children of all ages build a strong physical foundation in dance.  Our curricula allow us to ensure the pace of learning is just right at each level.

Here are just a few examples you may notice from your child’s class:

• With little dancers, we focus on basic weight-shifting, gross motor skill movements, not intricate technique
• Since the muscles that support a child’s hip joints are still developing, we never force a child’s “turnout” (the rotated position many dance steps are performed from)
• We ensure our dancers of all ages know to never overstretch their muscles, either in class or when they stretch on their own time

Your child’s safe physical development in dance is a top priority in our classrooms.  We appreciate your trust in us as we help your child progress in dance, step by step!