Imagine your child's smile when they see the magical things that get to dance with.
Each term - there are new props - as at Little Ballerinas it's all about the little details.
No prop is programmed into the class unless it will enhance your child's movement acquisition, engage them...and most importantly it has to fit in with the term theme. 
So whether it be the circus, a traditional fairytale or something about the beach - your child will be surrounded by a wealth of colour and textures. Believe me the parents get as excited about them as much as the kids do!
Preschool ballet should be fun - we deliver it in a fun way that allows the children to be learning without really realising they are.    

You can imagine how many times I have had people ask, "Aren't they too young to be dancing?" Well the size of our school and number of students currently attending and in the past too, demonstrates no!  
The truth is, as long as you find age appropriate dance classes, absolutely not.
The ability to start dancing develops in children before they can even speak their first words!! They move rhythmically and start to respond to sounds, they reach up, they bend down, they turn...what we do is turn those natural movements into dance. Through the joy of imagery and lots of enjoyable props that the children engage with, it allows us to extend them even further.
The power of dance is HUGE!   
The benefits ballet and dance have on early childhood development is definitely worth understanding....more about that soon! 

The well received series of "Meet little ballerina <name>" has run most years at Little Ballerinas and everyone adores being a part of it.
Kids LOVE to ask many questions as we all know, but they also like to answer them and let us know about things, especially things that they really really like!

As teachers, we appreciate finding out things in classes about the children, getting to know their personalities and what they are interested in.  

This here is a more open opportunity for families to sit down with their little ballerina and ask them these questions.  Some ballet related, some not. Sometimes the families even get a surprise! 

I would love to share this series on the Little Ballerinas facebook page and also some here on this blog.
Families love showing their friends and family and the little ballerinas get such a kick out of seeing themselves too.

How do you become a part of this? 

Kindly follow these simple steps:  
1. Highlight and print out the questions below.
2. Ask each of these questions to your little ballerina.
3. Write down their responses. 
Of course, for our tiniest of ballerinas you can answer for them. But naturally for those that can answer, please let it be their answers.  
4. Scan and email back the answers to LB HQ to info.littleballerinas@gmail.com with the child's name too. 
5. A photo of your little ballerina in her tutu and ballets (just her) is required for the series too. Please attach in your email.
6. Periodically on the Little Ballerinas facebook page "Meet little ballerina <name>" will be posted with a selection of the 16 answers per child will be included (to allow for reader's variation) for us all to read and celebrate them. 

Thank you for choosing to be a part of this and joining the LB family in more ways than one xx     

Questions:

1. How old are you? 

2. Laughing and smiling is great - what things make you happy? 

3. What is a special thing you love to wear?

4. What do you love about being a little ballerina? 

5. What is your favourite thing to do in ballet class?

6. What book do you love being read to you at bedtime? 

7. What do you like to do when you are not dancing? 

8. If you were a mermaid, what colour would your tail be?

9.  What do you like doing at the beach?

10. What is your favourite movie/TV show?

11. What prop/props do you love dancing with at Little Ballerinas?

12. What foods do you like to eat? 

13. If you could be any animal, what would you be?

14. What day do you come to ballet?

15. Who are you going to invite to Watching Week? 

16. You're a little ballerina now, what do you want to be when you grow up? 
(this one is mainly for Fairy Ballet students)


Thank you & we can't wait to receive your answers.
 
P.S - Oh yes, everyone that completes this and sends back to us with their child's photo by 27th June, 
will go into a competition 
 to be one of 2 lucky recipients 
to receive 50% off their Term 3 fees.
Winners will be selected randomly in a draw.  
xx

Re-enrolments for our current students are flooding in for Term 3 for or ballet & dance classes at Little Ballerinas.
It is genuinely one of the biggest compliments we can receive about the preschool ballet programs, classes and teaching methods...not to mention how much joy, creativity and fun the children have each class.  

Enrolments for Term 3 for budding new ballerinas to our dance school for toddlers and preschool aged children 18 months to their 6th birthday will open on 17th June online. We are a leading provider of ballet classes for children aged 1 and 1/2, 2, 3, 4 & 5. 

Term 3 learning programs are inspired by an enchanting creative journey finishing at a royal ball.
Here are just some of the props that will enhance the children's learning & movement exploration.
So beautiful and the students are very excited!   

Children learn best when they are in a creative, inspiring and enjoyable learning atmosphere. 

Every single dancing step at Little Ballerinas is linked to a term theme and the children go on an imaginative journey of exploration each week.
It may be about the beach, the circus, the seasons, fairies, princesses, superheroes, animals, garden tea parties...the term theme list goes on and you can imagine how engaged this allows the children to be in our prechool ballet classes.

Children this age do not learn in the old traditional teaching methods. It needs to be age appropriate and of interest to them. They need to be captivated and feel the quality of movement, not only in ther body but in their minds.

Add to this them theme related props to enhance the dance technique acquisition and movement exploration, along with music that matches the theme perfectly and your little ballerina will be smiling ear to ear and twirling beautifully. We see it every day multiple times a day in our preschool ballet classes in the St George & Sutherland Shire.         

Speciality is a funny word, often thrown around quite easily.

Often places may mention they specialise in this age group for dance, yet teach all ages up to adults.
We at Little Ballerinas purely teach this age group - that means everything we do, plan, think about is in relation to your little one attending classes.
We are early childhood dance educators and that IS A SPECIALTY. 

Come experience what hundreds and hundreds of ballerinas and families have already and join us in our dance classes for children 18 months to 5 years in the St George & Sutherland Shire.

Our baby ballet, toddler ballet and preschool ballet classes are full to the brim with imagination & creativity and gosh the children really do learn oh so much.   


  

Does your child love to twirl and move to music? Are you wanting to get them into an activity that they will love? 
Yes...then Little  Ballerinas is the place to be in Term 2.
Enrolments close soon -2nd May, so best to book in today!

At Little Ballerinas - We let children be little. 

Our well established and age appropriate prechool Dance classes for children 18 months to 5 years ooze with creativity, magic and wonder.  We invite you to be a part of what hundreds of other children & families in the St George & Sutherland Shire are already experiencing.  

Watch your child's eyes light up when they know it's 'ballet day' each week as they know they'll soon be back in class with us twirling, leaping and learning in their much loved pink class tutu and ballet shoes. 

Our carefully designed  programs enhance creativity in the children and assist in the development of confidence, all whilst learning the foundations of ballet amongst beautiful term themes, music and props. 
   
Term 2 enrolments remain open for budding new ballerinas at our Early Childhood Dance School in multiple suburbs in the St George & Sutherland Shire for just a few more days. 
Book in on the enrolment page - it closes 2nd May! 
We look forward to meeting you all in ballet class soon.

We are honoured that so many families have chosen Little Ballerinas as their dance school for their child to dance at.

2015 is going to be a wonderful year and all the teachers: 
Miss Brianna, Miss Jackie, Miss Georgia, Miss Karen, Miss Alyssa, 
Miss Natasha, Miss Darcie, Miss Dahna, Miss Sophie and myself Miss Trish look forward to meeting, guiding and spending time each week with all the little ballerinas in our preschool ballet & dance classes.       

Little Ballerinas is offering children aged 3, 4 & 5 a chance this summer to "Dance, Create Sing & Let it Go" in our popular holiday program.

Experience the enchantment of our icy & wintery dreamland and book your child in for 3 hours of fun filled activities led by our amazing dance teachers. 

So many exciting things are planned for this EPIC ADVENTURE - the kids will be learning and engaged as they get crafty, dance and sing in a beautifully decorated space, one that your child simply won't want to leave.  

This Little Ballerinas' carefully designed holiday program for preschoolers provides the opportunity to enhance the creativity and confidence of each child that attends, all whilst learning the foundations of the performing & creative arts.

Children are under the care of the teachers, allowing parents the perfect opportunity to take some much deserved time to themselves for 3 hours (...or with at least 1 less child!)
I'd say this is a big BONUS! Keep reading for the others ;) 
If at Miranda - I'd be heading and checking out the revamped Westfield for some retail therapy! 

If you think that over the 6 week Christmas break, your daughter will miss her regular much loved 'ballet day' too much, it's a great way to get your child back to ballet a little earlier. 

Speaking of treats, kids love 'experiences' just as much as adults...so whether it be Mum, Dad, Grandparents or other family members that may be a bit stuck for a Christmas present, or wish to give something a little bit different this year - this could be just the thing. 
It could even be a special delivery from the North Pole.
I am very happy to create a special gift voucher if this is the case.
After placing your booking, simply ask. 

What will the children be doing in this eternal ballet winter you ask? 
Each morning session is clearly structured with a range of age-appropriate and sequentially planned activities. These activities will develop both independent skills in the children and also strengthen their ability and confidence to work in pairs, small groups and larger groups. 
With a large focus on ballet & dance, the children will be exploring and acquiring movement skills, interspersed with diving into many other fun filled & creative activities - storytime, creative play and the chance to create a few great craft pieces. Ones that the children get to take home and some may even be suitable to dance with! 
All this whilst having fun!

Morning tea (BYO) will be a structured and supervised short period of time where the new friendships that have started to form, will start to blossom even further. 

...there are also 4 SPECIAL BONUSES: 
{ because as many know, I like to do special things for the children! }
1) Parents are invited to attend a 15 minute 'Little Ballerinas holiday mini-concert' where the children will share and present some of the work they covered in this session to parents. 
This will take place in the last 15 minutes of the morning session.
2) During this 'sharing' time the kids will be able to pose for a group photo which will also be emailed out to the parents to enjoy! 
3) All children that attend & participate in the holiday program will receive a goodie bag with a few special themed treats.
4) There might even be a special visitor!

Due to demand there are now 3 dates for our families to select from. 
2 sessions are already close to being booked out, so if you have toyed with the idea for your child, I really wouldn't wait too long as bookings have been coming in every day. 
Families can also take advantage of the early bird rate that is on offer till this Friday 28th November with a savings of $14. I know I would!

To learn more simply click here www.littleballerinas.com.au  


Miranda: Monday 12th January
Hurstville: Thursday 15th or Thursday 22nd January

All sessions are 9am to noon.     

We look forward to sharing this magical journey with your child.

At Little Ballerinas the carefully designed programs for the tiniest of ballerinas - our Petite Ballerinas {Dance with me} program is one that has been given great community support (THANK YOU!) and one that has allowed children aged 18 months to their 3rd birthday the opportunities to learn, engage, respond, work with other children and do all this whilst wriggling, giggling, exploring how their  bodies move and when learning the very basics of ballet.

How do our classes work? Why is a parent/carer required to be an invaluable part of the class? How can you help your child get the most out of this program?

Petite Ballerinas {Dance with me} is an hour class that has very specific sections for different types of learning, with great changes in dynamics, music, props and how the children work in the space to keep them engaged and start to be familiar with the basic elements of composition.

Classes commence with "I'm here to dance" time, this is arrival time when parents bring their child to class dressed in their gorgeous pink tutus (please don't use the time at the start of class to dress them), with the kids very much beaming with smiles and excitement as they walk through the door knowing they are about to have a ball!

Why is arriving on time to class very important?
It can understandably be rather distracting for the children that have started class and are dancing in an exercise & listening to the teacher for the doors to then be continually opened with each late arrival.
As you can expect, little eager eyes zoom quicker than you can imagine to the new arrivals coming through the door and it also takes away from the very structured way we commence classes to focus the children in the first few exercises. Let's aim to give all attending the best chance at focussing. 

Jumping back to how classes commence...roll stickers next to their name, much loved ballet shoes on and a delightful ballet wand passed to your little ballerina to twirl with. This first 5 minutes of class is also programmed specifically to allow for the children to become comfortable within the space, chat to their ballet friends (in their own way!) and for when we love parents to chat and catch up too.  

Theme music finishes....and GO...The real lesson starts and the fun, magic & learning begins!

Parents/carers (*referred as 'adults' too from this point on) are an integral part of this program and imperative to the success of their child's learning & focus in class. Adults very much also contribute to the atmosphere of the class, the energy of the room and the flow of lesson. 
Adults assist in this through actively assisting, guiding and encouraging their child right from the beginning of the class continually through to the end when the children get their end of class sticker that they all love! This is why we ask adults to be there at class for this younger age group in our preschool ballet classes for 18 months up and 2 years olds. 
They naturally respond best when a loved one is by their side encouraging them.      

As the teacher facilitates the class, it is naturally important for the children's benefit that adults are 100% focussed (or as close as possible!) as guidance will be given to parents, in terms of how to assist their child's learning and what & why we are doing things.
We'll be honest - teaching in front of adults isn't particularly the easiest of jobs (...we absolutely love PB classes...but it isn't easy for understandable reasons!) 

Young children respond best when they know that their parent is very much focused on them - which is a big part of our program. They want to show you what they are doing, they adore sharing it with you and some of our biggest feedback is how much parents adore sharing in these moments with them and the 1 on 1 time. Simply precious.

Teachers try to keep transitions between exercises fairly quick, productive & clear.
Transitions are part of the lesson and vital that the children can hear the teacher and that the adults are listening too, as this is the "linking" part where the next exercise/activity is introduced.
Just because there's no music doesn't mean the learning has stopped - it's quite the opposite - it's when a lot of the learning and listening is and should be happening. 

There are many different programs/activities for toddlers that parents may take their child to - many of which are great and all have different structures and expectations, whether it be gym classes, swimming, music, playgroups and all differ in how adults are a part of the classes/activities. Some are to simply be there and not be involved, some are a little involvement and some are a level of great involvement - which is what it is at Little Ballerinas.   

At Little Ballerinas we encourage the following as we know it works best for the children with our programs:

• Move with them, dance, be silly, be creative - the more they see, the more they do.
  
  
• Encourage, praise and get excited with them.
  
  
• We love parents becoming friends, we really do! We kindly ask for the benefit of the children and the classes that general chit chat between adults be kept for the intro/arrival of the class (first 5 mins), water breaks and end of class, so that the children can hear.
  
  Yes Petite Ballerinas {Dance with me} classes can be a little noisy from time to time, of course they will be - that's to be expected! We do hope that the increased noise level is essentially just from the kids or parents reiterating the teaching guidance.  We hope that the adult's focus is on their child and funny enough it makes it much easier for the teacher to teach too. When facing towards potentially 14 little kids and 14 adults each class to sometimes encounter 5 -7 different adult conversations happening in front of us as teachers (which even if quiet conversations can lead to a huge increase in the noise levels in the halls) when giving instructions to both kids & adults definitely can break down the flow of the lesson and it is not the learning environment that we strive for. Of course it makes it very tricky for the kids to hear the teacher too - so let's aim to help the children hear.
  
  It could be likened to having a conversation or even giving a talk to a group of adults in close proximity, where the others may not be reciprocating eye contact to the person talking, by looking away or on their phones, or having their own conversations...in our case it can really throw the focus and also the confidence of the teacher affecting their ability to give their best lessons, which is what we want to do each and every week for the toddlers.    
  
  
• Repeat the movement terms/imagery we use in class - reiterate it to your child. Try explaining it in different ways too. 
  
  
• Take in some of the movement terms/imagery we use and say them at home too with your child. Even find pictures related of what we are talking about. 
  
  
• Children will respond to the music, movements, props and guidance in different ways - we encourage this and you should too! 
  
  
• Talk about ballet day throughout the week. Make it exciting!
  
  
• Arrive on time too for when the doors open on the hour. 

• During Petite Ballerinas {Dance with me} classes husbands/wives/partners/grandparents are allowed to watch should they wish (we do really like it to be kept for the "special watching day" at the end of each term ideally though, to allow for their progress to occur and a consistent styled learning environment for them too).
  Should another family member be sharing in the joy of the class and have come along to watch, it is very important that the learning environment is respected. Whilst a class, treat it like you are at the Theatre for a performance. As there to watch your child in class, we ask that adults sitting at the side refrain from engaging in additional conversations with each other (which can add to the noise level) so that the children are able to get the most out of the actvity that parents have enrolled them for. Of course at the water breaks and when we all have the amazing moments that we praise the children and their progress, please join in praising them. Having entered the room, the family members are required to stay in the room for the hour.  Exiting and re-entering throughout the hour class is not suitable for the learning environment, as this can be understandably extremely distracting to the young children. 

        

• Enjoy the 1 on 1 time with your child and welcome their progress as you see your child blossom into a little ballerina.  

Also know that children this age won't necessarily do everything in class - but it is amazing how much they absorb and when you least expect it  ~ they start to execuute it in class or they may be more comfortable showing you at home...in the supermarket, when walking down the street either way they are learning and that is what it is all about.

Hope this helps and thank you in advance - as we as teachers, just like parents, want the best for their child. xx

Love this quote and I personally believe it applies to many aspects of life ~ outcomes are often the result of what we bring to things.   
          

Childhood, especially early childhood is such a precious time - complete with lots of events and emotions - for both the children and families.
We are genuinely honoured to be able to contribute and guide the children in their ballet classes during these early years. 

In regards to memories ~ there are many types of memories that are linked to attending Little Ballerinas. 
This only touches on some of them too.

In our classes children can have short term memories of the classes - reflecting upon their past lesson and grinning with excitement to return the following week when it is "Ballet Day again" to luckily experience the joy oh so soon again! 

Remembering what they did in class and wanting to show you in a little performance at home in front of the tv, in the supermarket aisle, at the park, in the cafe...where ever it is they want to!

On a more technical & anatomical side of memory, memory is understandbaly used in classes each lesson and throughout the sequential learning each term - with the children absorbing, acquiring & learning. 
They very much use muscle memory skills (the actual movement acquisition of a series of steps and how the body actually does the steps). 

Over the years many parents get back in touch when their little ballerina has graduated on to school and simply want to let Little Ballerinas know how special a time it was for their child, being introduced to dance in a school where the entire focus is on teaching little ones and how the children fondly remember so much of their classes and time with their teacher at Little Ballerinas.  

Classes build very fond memories for the families - having that 1 on 1 time in a Petite Ballerinas class and seeing their child actively learning & growing in dance each week. 
In Fairy Ballet  - such beautiful memories are formed for families as they sit in the audience with pride watching their child in class on Watching Days.  
Memories of pride when you see your child has grown in confidence to happily wave goodbye at the start of classes.

Teaching classes very much leave  us with amazing memories that we as teachers reflect back on. 
When children come into our class, they are very much not just names on a roll, they became a part of our heart and mind. 
I often recall and reflect on students I taught from 22 years ago to the present day. Very very true.
I actually also still have a gift that sits on my LB desk from a student from 1996. 
Students become a big part of us.   

Ah memories: Memories of friends, memories of music and surprises, memories of beautiful themed props to twirl and dance with, memories of ballet steps, memories of special stickers, memories of going on creative & magical journeys each lesson, memories of dancing freely as a little girl.....memories to cherish.  

There are a hundreds, probably even thousands of words and phrases that would express why we teach the way we do at Little Ballerinas (many that may go along the line of... we love the art of dance, admiration of children's abilities, educators, true believers in creativity and a child's imagination...to name a few). 

I think to summarise it into 6 key areas that are our core values will help parents & families understand what we strive to see develop in the children when they attend our classes at Little Ballerinas.
They are values that we too represent as teachers and values that I ensure each and every one of our programs and classes provide for the children attending and for the families involved. 

• Nurturing little ballerinas 
  
• Creativity & Engaging 
  
• Togetherness (Working together in class, Teamwork & Community)
  
• Exploration & learning
  
• Dedication 

The early childhood age is such a precious time (as you all know), children are so responsive, so excited and eagerly wish to learn new things, yet if the programs and teaching methods in a class are not appropriate kids can understandably become distracted and uninterested in class, which is of course not ideal.. 
Choosing the right dance school that genuinely understands what children this age require and one that offers lessons that continually engage the children and awaken their imaginations through movement is if I may say, very very important. 

So how did I get here? 
How do my dance & career journey strengthen Little Ballerinas as being the place to be for early childhood dance?

Danced, danced, danced all my life! That is all of course important, but what has occurred in virtually the 2nd part of my life is of most importance when choosing a dance school for your child to begin dancing at:

The carefully created programs at Little Ballerinas from a teacher (ie...me!) who has over 22 years teaching experience (I can honestly say every single day I have genuinely loved), a teacher with University Degree Qualifications in Dance Education, a teacher who has also ensured she has gained specialised Early Childhood Dance Qualifications, in addition to being a Qualified Yoga Teacher for Preschoolers, along with many Private Association Dance Teaching Qualifications...all enhance my ability to ensure that the programs as a whole are well rounded, age appropriate, educational and achievable for your child....oh and lots and lots of fun! 

Never one to be happy with the status quo (especially my own!) and as a firm believer in learning, I have a continued investment in gaining additional qualifications and placing high importance on professional development.    

Combine all this with a team of teachers that are as passionate about dance and teaching dance to babies, toddlers and preschoolers as I am and you can be assured Little Ballerinas is the place to be, to let your child blossom into a little ballerina.    

Oh....if I were to state a 6th value it would that ~ Let them be little.