Nursery and Preparatory dance & tap
from 2 1/2 to 5 years

For some children, dance classes are their first experience of a structured learning environment. The Grafton Dance Academy lower school dance curriculum recognises this and that it is not possible to sustain a child's attention for the length of a dance class without using his/her natural taste for play. To give the children an introduction to dance, teachers therefore balance times of great physical effort and mental concentration with periods of fun educational games and free expressive movement. The teacher's use of stories, rhymes, mimed songs and sayings is extremely helpful in the child's language acquisition. Classes are carefully structured to incorporate activities that develop the following:

• awareness of oneself and how the body moves
• awareness of others (including working as partners/in a group and turn taking) and spatial awareness
• the ability to listen and respond to the teacher, other children and the music
• posture, balance, strength, flexibility and fitness
• creativity and musicality (we use story books, props, mimed songs, rhymes, free dance, improvisation and stories drawn from the child's imagination)
• sense of achievement and increased confidence

A basic introduction to tap dancing is included in the one hour Preparatory dance & tap lesson. Children learn the concept of the dancer making sounds that compliment the musician, and that these sounds can be quiet or loud ('light and shade').

Pre-Primary 1 ballet
from 5 to 6 years

In Pre-Primary 1 ballet, children begin to learn basic classical technique and the skills required for their first ballet examination (taken after attending Pre-Primary 2 ballet classes). Posture, turnout, extension of the feet and legs and placement are the focuses of technique. The ability to mime coherently is also established, along with developing a pleasing quality of movement and sense of performance. Children learn to dance on particular alignments, with direction and to make formations as a group. Children begin to understand that precision is a requirement in dance, especially regarding musical timing and when putting two or more movements together in a sequence. These skills are developed whilst following a story in class; the stories used in Pre-Primary 1 ballet are from famous ballets.

Pre-Primary tap
from 5 to 6 years

In Pre-primary tap, children learn basic tap technique, improve rhythmical awareness and develop their basic understanding of 'light and shade'. They learn the physical skills and vocabulary required for their first tap examination (taken after attending Primary tap classes). There is an emphasis on achieving correct stance, being able to dance a given number of steps and recognising and achieving correct musical timing.