Janiqueel extols the merits of the dance sessions in which Mr C happily participates.
To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it.
Osho
Just to watch young Mr C concentrate on the zoom screen and mimic the moves that the instructor memes is a joy in itself. In a 45-minute session, he enjoys the nursery rhymes and songs from Disney classics as well as other sources. Along the way, he and the other students are learning and reinforcing basic ballet moves and routines to be ready for the more advanced classes to come. Long after the session is over, he is still humming and singing and reacting to what he’s heard and moved along with. “Fun’ is his short and sweet critique of the Academy of Dance meetups. He’s happy when it’s Zoom time, and I’m happy to hear that it will continue to be an option when physical classes resume.
The dance teacher, Ms Tan answered our queries about the Academy of Dance and its philosophy, especially as they pertain to very young dancers, like the celebrated Mr C. While many students enjoy ballet, other options like Jazz and Tap, Lyrical, Hip Hop and Contemporary are available. Whatever the discipline, performance is a key feature of the academy’s philosophy. It is one of the cornerstones of the dance lessons and one to which the young performers look forward to with anticipation and joy.
Nurtured in discipline and art from the start, dance students are immersed in an atmosphere that provides life skills that can last a lifetime. Keeping the body fit and the mind alert, ballet is a beautiful art form. Discipline, good posture, grace, strength, and poise are some of the qualities that are instilled and repeated continually. As the students learn and grow they find commitment and determination are the rewards. Ms Tan explains, “Dancers process a lot in their minds and this helps children to focus and be motivated.”
Underpinning the structure of the Academy’s methods is are five unique features:
CHARACTER BUILDING
Behind the steps and routines is a sense that values are constantly a part of the regime. Values and virtues that form the foundation of sessions are of the utmost importance. Students become better dancers s they become better people.
A CULTURE OF GIVING
Sharing the joy of dance through performance and community outreaches, develops a world sense and an atmosphere of sharing. This happens between individual dancers, too, as they work together to achieve and to grow.
VERSATILITY
As I’ve pointed out, other dance forms are offered in addition to ballet. Each can grow from the others and have relevance as part of the world of dance.
EXPOSURE
The beauty of dance, like other art forms, is the beauty of sharing the love of the routines and the physical and mental qualities that are enhanced.
A FEELING OF FAMILY
not only does the Academy love dance, but it also loves the people that become involved in dance. Caring and nurturing, the teachers convey a feeling of taking care of one another. This passes down as older students take care of the younger. A family, a club, a gym, The Academy of Dance is all of this wrapped in beauty.
I’m so happy that my young star is involved in ballet!
You can visit www.theacademyofdance.sg for more information.
Writing and research help by JKJ.