“Our teacher out at Chardon is AMAZING. She is so patient and sweet with the kids. And there are a lot of kids! She does a great job.”
Welcome to Dance to Evolve
How much technique should 3-4 year olds be learning in class?
There are many approaches to teaching. Consequently, every teacher is going to structure their tiny tot dance classes differently. How much technique to teach in a 3-4-year-old class will depend…
How much technique should 3-4 year olds be learning in class?
There are many approaches to teaching. Consequently, every teacher is going to structure their tiny tot dance classes differently. How much technique to teach in a 3-4-year-old class will depend on the goal of the class, type of dance, and the quality of the teacher and studio.
If the class is designed to be a general movement or creative dance class, specific dance techniques may not be taught. The teacher will most likely concentrate on the creative side of dance and developing the dancers’ imagination. Teaching and encouraging expression, pretend play/ dance, coordination, music, and listening are key.
I believe all of these things can be taught in a class in addition to introducing the basics of technique. There is a reason fundamental classes are so popular for 3-4-year-olds. It is the perfect time for them to be introduced to basic dance techniques.
Often I hear parents ask if their dancer is learning enough technique. They want their dancer to move up a level so that they will learn more techniques. I caution parents regarding this mentality. Dance lessons need to be age-appropriate. If a dancer is doing something that is too old for them, they will not be successful. They aren’t strong enough to physically execute the dance move.
The most important thing for a tiny tot dance class is that the class has a good balance of learning ‘dance’ moves while also having fun. Everything, even the technique, should be taught in a fun, creative, and game-like manner to keep the young dancers engaged and wanting to come back to class each week. As they get older and stronger with a higher attention span, the teacher will introduce more and more techniques.
Brittany White, Dance to EvOLvE director
“Hi! I think that the person (Mimi) that was the instructor at the ECS on October 11 was amazing!!! My son, had the best time and not only wanted the party and fun to continue, has repeatedly asked me if he can go back and do it again!!! He is a hard sell, let me tell you, and he had the best time ever!!! She was amazing and every kid was engaged. Thank you for everything. It was a fun evening!! I think with a little more advertising or time- there could be a better turnout!! Love what you came and gave!!”
“I just want to say your Trolls and super hero dance camps were awesome in Encinitas, my daughter loved it. She loved the teacher and her daughter who taught it. She was a standout teacher and had so many fun things throughout the week for the kids to do. Please let her know that she rocks and Kaylie loved your camp.”
“My 4 year old was the youngest in the class and the instructor knew his name day 1 and he came home happy and eager to go back each day!”
“I’m amazed by their performance on the last day of camp. To teach a group of kids 4-5 dance numbers in 4 days is simply amazing!! And the kids were all so involved and well-behaved. The teacher must be very experienced and professional. My Daughter had a great time!”
“Thank you for all that you and your team have done for the community. My young dancer was a member for almost 2 years with Dance To EvOLvE San Diego and loved every single moment.”
“Just want to say that Ms. Shirley is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. She is great…so full of energy and there is not one dull moment in class. Ms. Shirley keeps them engaged the whole time and my daughter can get quite bored and distracted quickly and she stays involved the entire class with Ms. Shirley…so I just wanted to say thank you!”
“We first discovered Dance to EvOLvE through a free dance program they put on at the local library. Since then, my daughter has been taking a Tiny Movers class for almost a year now (tap/ballet combo) and she absolutely loves it! Miss Amy is an AWESOME teacher! She is very knowledgeable about dance and makes the classes fun, age-appropriate, and encouraging for the kids. We’ve done a few makeup classes also and all the other teachers we encountered were so friendly, professional, and great with the kids. The company makeup policy is very flexible, which was so helpful when we had to miss class due to illness or travel. My daughter recently participated in her first recital and it was SO GREAT! The teachers did an incredible job preparing for a quality show. The dances were eclectic, the costumes were top-notch, the price was reasonable, and the kids seemed to have a great time! Overall, we have LOVED our experience with Dance to EvOLvE and plan to continue classes this summer and fall and beyond. We highly recommend this company if you’re looking for dance classes for your child!”
“Brittany White is a consummate professional who has created a unique and outstanding dance instruction enterprise with Dance to EvOLvE. From the moment I met Brittany and she presented her teaching concept to me, I was sold! I was fortunate to have Brittany and her staff teach dance to my middle school students at a large and successful after school program for several years. EvOLvE staff did not just instruct dance, but showed the students how to choreograph their own dances, a skill and talent that will last them their lifetimes. The EvOLvE student dancers loved their dance classes and teachers very much! I watched students transform from shy and reserved to outgoing and adventurous dancers and choreographers under EvOLvE’s tutelage. Both the dance classes and all student performances were truly first class. Brittany is also an excellent and well organized event planner on top of her knowledge of dance and teaching. I highly recommend Brittany White and Dance to EvOLvE!”
“My daughter is constantly playing ‘I’m Ms. Sara and you’re taking my dance class.’ She uses all the terms she has learned– passé, arabesque, heel-toe, etc. and leads her little sister, her dad and myself in a class, helping us out if we are doing a move incorrectly. She even gives us a sticker on our hand and a hug when ‘class’ is over. :-)”
“I enrolled my daughter in a tap/ballet class through our community rec center. The instructors with Dance to EvOLvE provided age-appropriate direction for the children, and kept it fun and engaging for the hour-long class! My daughter absolutely loved class. I’ll definitely be signing her up for the next semester!”
“Thank you so much! I know that my daughter will enjoy this season. EvOLvE has been a great experience for her! We were so surprised and pleased when we saw her get up in front of an audience and introduce a dance number and more than one! That is something she would never have done before EvOLvE.”
“Miss Dianna…All your dance classes are wonderful! You do amazing things with the kids!”
“You guys are so great! I am always surprised what you can bring together in a week!”
“I wanted to let you know how much we absolutely loved the recital. It was so well done and so much fun. Having the teachers dance at the end was a fun surprise and we really enjoyed that! My daughter started taking classes with EvOLvE in April and this is her first experience with dance. We adore her teacher, she is so wonderful with the girls. Thank you for making her first dance recital such a wonderful experience for her. She’s still doing her tap dance all over the house!”
“I saw a review of EvOLvE come up in my Yelp feed and decided to give it a try. My daughter is 2.5 and the ballet/tap class was exactly what I was looking for! Short (45min), simply and fun! Her teacher was absolutely wonderful! She is bright, sweet, encouraging yet strict. All the girls were having a great time! If you’re looking for a hard core competitive dance class for your child this is not for you but if you want something easy and fun then sign up! Prices are very reasonable too!”
“We enrolled the girls on Saturday and they loved the class! They’re also really excited to be doing tap for the recital this year! My husband and I were just talking about how much we appreciate the high quality program you run at EvOLvE. Thanks to all of you for the wonderful job you do with our children!”
“My daughter is currently enrolled in the Saturday class and I plan to sign her up again for the fall session. She really loves the teacher, Miss Andrea.”
“So happy to see the progress in the parent observation class today. Just wanted to share how extremely happy we are with our experience here. Miss Andrea has done an AMAZING job with my daughter and helping her develop a love for dance! Thank you for an excellent experience!”
“Ms Andrea has developed such a wonderful rapport with all the students. My daughter is extremely shy and following a year of instruction at another ballet school we decided to try Dance To EvOLvE. My daughter has since blossomed and has really developed a love for dance and I think that is attributed to the great job Miss Andrea has done.”
“Our daughter is loving the Tap/Ballet class in Orange with Ms. Brittany. I am so impressed with the quality of this program. Ms. Brittany and the team have made it such a wonderful experience for her!.”
“My daughter attended tap/ballet dance class [at the rec center] on Saturdays. She told her teacher that she’d see her next Saturday. That’s a glowing review from a 4 year-old.”
“We started with Dance To EvOLvE a few months ago, and my daughter loves it! Miss Megan is so patient with the girls and does such a good job on keeping them focused! We will continue to attend the tap and ballet combo class and I would recommend it to anyone with kids boys or girls!”
“We love Dance to EvOLvE! We started in the Magical Munchkins class when my daughter was two. It was so hard to find a class for that age, and this one was perfect. Super fun and quick pace to keep their attention, my daughter loved it. She has now been going non-stop (just took 2 months off for summer) and she looks forward to it every week (as do I)! She has now moved up to the Star Shiners class, and is learning a lot. She loves practicing her moves at home. If you are looking for a non-competitive and fun environment to learn dance, this is a great option.”
“I love what dance class is doing for my daughter. She’s a really shy little girl. Since taking these classes, she’s really come out of her shell. She’s created new friendships as well. Ms. Andrea is amazing with all the little girls. My daughter talks about what Ms. Andrea taught her as soon as we get home.”
“We were not going to have Liliana in the recital and changed our minds. I thought she would just stand there on stage but she really enjoyed herself today. I want to thank you guys, especially Andrea, for helping my little shy girl come out of her shell a bit more. She is really loving dance and pretty much spends the whole day moving and singing.”
“This was our first recital and a fantastic experience for our daughter (4 yr). We had a terrific time!”
“I just wanted to let you know how impressed we all were with the recital. It was obvious that you and the volunteers put enormous effort into it. We were also pleased with Cielo’s performance. She looked like she was really having fun and enjoying being on stage. I think that is one of the most important things.”
“Thanks for a great show and for making dance class so fun for Maddie.”
“You did an amazing job today at the recital! Thank you so much for being an inspiration and for being so patient and kind with your students. Your volunteers were very organized and had a smile on their face the entire time they were working.”
“Sarah is WONDERFUL. She is so sweet and good to the kids in dance class. Ilsa really likes her. She’s a great dance instructor!”
“I also wanted to let you know how much we absolutely loved the recital. It was so well done and so much fun. Having the teachers dance at the end was a fun surprise and we really enjoyed that! My daughter started taking classes with EvOLvE in April and this is her first experience with dance. We adore Miss Jenny and she is so wonderful with the girls. Thank you for making her first dance recital such a wonderful experience for her. She’s still doing her tap dance all over the house!”
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