A true source of pride for the studio is our unique tots program. The course is under the direction of certified instructor Jennifer Harris, who is not only a member of the Dance Educators of America Organization, but also has her college degree in early childhood education. Her studies in the field of dance combined with years of experience teaching both preschool and kindergarten age children gives her the ideal qualifications to oversee the tots program which was first developed by gifted educator Joan Harris.
Children in the tots combination class receive an half hour of ballet and a half hour of tap lesson in a one hour long weekly class. The course runs eight weeks long and at the end of the session the children perform a routine they have learned in the classroom. The classes are fun and fast paced; instruction and stretches are combined with games allowing the children to enjoy the class while they learn. Make no mistake about it though, these are real classes not just play.
The Joan Harris Centre stresses proper technique and terminology in all of its ballet and tap classes regardless of age or years of study. The children in the “Tots Class” truly learn the proper feet and arm positions of ballet including their French names as well as authentic tap steps and how to make certain sounds with their feet. Giving the children a routine to learn every eight weeks, keeps these classes fun and reinforces what the instructors have taught over the last period. Besides, asking these little bundles of energy to wait a whole year before their first show would not only be extremely boring for the children, but also deprive the parents the opportunity of seeing what their kids are really capable of.
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