Dear Minim Family,
We hope you have been well, and that the children are enjoying the autumn term. Over the past few newsletters we have shared how we teach ukulele and math, and introduced the teachers behind every class. Today we would like to turn up the music and shine the spotlight on how we teach rhythm and dance, to give you a glimpse of what happens when a Minim class gets moving.
Every Child Has Rhythm
Every child loves move and groove. Our mission is to extend their interest in rhythm and movement and encourage them to work together on creating a choreography.
Children taking inspiration from everyday objects and translating to dance move
Responsive Education in Dance Classes
Minim dance teachers love to dance! We want to pass on this passion to the children and have them enjoy moving and grooving to music.
Teaching a choreography from the beginning can be challenging when children do not understand the intention behind dancing. Classes have to begin with reading children's interest, creating unique movements, then these movements a meaning to form a choreography.
Each choreography has a keyword. This helps the children remember the moves they created.
For example, the children have been working on the song "Can't stop the Feeling", and this is the sequence of choreography for the beginning of the song:
Bounce → Side Bounce → Spin → Shake → Sunrise → Go Crazy → Act cool → ...
By associating a word with the movement, this helps the children to remember the sequence of dance moves to piece the song together.
Learning Units of a Dance Class
Every class mixes dance, songs, games and collaborative play, so movement always feels like fun first. Over the year, children build from the basics up to dances they create together:
- Body awareness and spatial movement: knowing where their body is, and sharing the floor with friends
- Rhythm and beat: feeling the pulse of the music and moving in time
- Balance and coordination games: wobbling, freezing and finding their center
- Freestyle dance: letting the music lead and inventing their own moves
- Choreography, partner and group dances: learning a sequence and moving as one
- Musical storytelling: turning a song into a story told with their whole body
- Stage confidence: getting ready to share their dancing with family and friends
Class reflection at the end of the day.
Nurturing Something More Than Dance
At every Minim Classroom, we aim to nurture holistic individuals. Here are what we look out for on top of building performance skills:
- Creativity: inventing their own moves in freestyle and musical storytelling
- Critical Thinking: learning a sequence and remembering dance steps
- Confidence: the courage to perform, share and express ourselves
- Collaboration: partner and group dances
- Compassion: sharing the stage and cheering each other on
- Curiosity: empowering children to contribute to dance moves and songs to learn
We hope this gives you a glimpse of the joy that fills the room when a Minim class starts to move, and we look forward to growing a love of rhythm and dance in the children with every lesson. Curious to see more? Visit our Minim Rhythm and Dance page.
How We Teach Rhythm and Dance
Minim Math Academy (Private Lessons)
Minim Music Academy (Ukulele • Piano • Voice • Violin)
Minim English Academy (Private Lessons)
Minim Ukulele
Minim Math Club
World of Numbers (NEW)
Minim Piano Academy
Minim Rhythm and Dance (NEW)
For more information about our teaching team and philosophy, please visit our website at www.minim.family
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to approach any of our teachers, or contact us at contact@minim.family
Love,
All of us at Minim
