Offerings

What to Expect from the Dance Lab Classes and Residencies Depending on which class or residency the student participates in several or all of the following apply. Students involved in the Dance Lab will… Develop individual movement ideas through utilizing creative problem-solving and decision-making skill Explore movement concepts, using shape, space, rhythms, and basic locomotor skills Improvise and combine movement phrases to make dance Move freely and safely in personal and general space Participate in individual and group movement activities cooperatively Support peers with attentiveness and receptivity Take turns moving and observing dance Use dance to tell a simple story Students will increase kinesthetic awareness through… Body part recognition and isolations Coordination skill development Stretching and strengthening exercises Students will expand their movement experiences with the use of… A wide variety of props; puppets, ribbons, feathers, scarves, bubbles, etc Art making; painting, drawing, cutting, pasting, etc Books, stories, and photos Journal writing Literacy components Musical accompaniment Various percussion Instruments
Class Descriptions
Classes occur in sessions. The Dance Lab recommends that students register for a full session at a time.
Dancing Babies	18 to 36 month olds with Adult
Dancing Babies is an interactive class between parent/caregiver and child. All are encouraged to participate and share in the creativity and physicality of each class. Through a variety of music, props, songs, and games, children strengthen and develop their natural movements, improve motor skills, explore sharing and peer socialization, and experience the joy of dance. Imagination and magical fantasy encourage the creative spirit of each child.
Developmental Dance	3 to 6 year olds
Developmental Dance allows children to realize and explore creative ideas through dance. Stretching and strengthening exercises develop flexibility and coordination. Movement activities increase motor skill development. Movement stories and games advance creativity and imagination. Children investigate the excitement of moving with various world music, instruments, props, and through peer interactions. Sharing in creative problem-solving and decision-making collaborations encourage each child's artistic growth.
Creative Ballet	4-5 year olds
Creative Ballet introduces the young dancer to the beginnings of Ballet technique. Students gain an understanding of basic ballet skills through exercises at the ballet barre, in the center, and across the floor. Creative elements enhance the experience including ballet games, free dance, and story ballets.
Ballet	ages 6 and up
Ballet levels focus on the foundations of classical ballet with the incorporation of creative elements. A creative ballet barre strengthens posture; center work encourages flexibility and fine motor coordination, while combinations expand the dancers thought process. Students will gain a confidence in moving with grace and style.
Choreolab	ages 8 and up
Choreolab incorporates Ballet technique with improvisation and choreographic elements. Students will explore making dances individually and as a group process. Stories, props, music, and life experiences inspire the dance making processes. Choreographic games, peer support, and journal writing encourage the creative development of the young choreographer. Students will share their dance compositions as a culminating activity. Choreolab is required for students participating in Structures for Dance company performances.
Classic Pilates	Adults
Pilates is a system of flowing exercises designed to strengthen the core and lengthen the muscles, engaging both the body and mind. Pilates works from the inside out with control and precision. Pilates aides in: centering the body Injury prevention - sculpting the body - discovering and working deeper muscle groups. Possible benefits include: strengthening abdominal muscles - relieving back stress - sculpting muscles for a long lean look - connecting the mind and body through concentration and focus - centering and balancing the body, lessening the chance for injuries
Event Descriptions
Events occur once a month, once a season, or even simply once in awhile. Check back to the events page often for current event offerings. If you would like to arrange for a Dance Lab event at your child's school, church, meeting hall, or home, simply contact Candace for information
Story Dance	3 to 6 year olds
Story Dance is a uniquely creative experience infusing story time with Creative Movement. Each Story Dance begins with yoga stretches. Movement games build coordination and motor skills with the use of instruments, world music, and songs. The reading of a themed picture book becomes the inspiration for a student created dance. An art activity usually follows Story Dance.
Family Dance I and II	2 to 6 and 7 to 12 year olds with Adult
Family Dance incorporates stretching, creative movement, dance play, music, and imaginative games and stories in a unique environment for a wide range of ages and developmental stages. This class offers parents and/or caregivers the opportunity to interact and participate in the movement activities along with the student. Books, puppets, props, instruments, and music enhance the dance experiences. Family Dance II addresses the interests of the slightly older child.
Creative Kids Yoga I and II	4 to 7 and 8 to 12 year olds
Creative Kids Yoga is an integrated class of stretchy yoga poses, energetic movement games, flowing yoga dance, and calming relaxation. Students share in self-expression, improve upon flexibility and balance, and enhance coordination. We increase our focus and center the body and mind through yoga and dance. Most of all, this class offers a fun and exciting approach to kids yoga.
Dance Arts	5 to 7 year olds
Dance Arts is a blended class consisting of a creative movement class with the incorporating of an arts activities relating to the dance experiences. After exploring movement concepts, drawing, painting, cutting, pasting, collage making, and journal writing reinforce the physical explorations. This class is a true infusion of artistic activities.
Poetry Moves	7 to 10 year olds
Poetry Moves blends stretching, movement games, and creative dance with poetry. Students explore a variety of motor skills while having fun in a creative setting. Poetry jumps off the written page and transforms into dance as the poem and dance work in partnership as one. Students create their own poems and individualized dance compositions. An art activity usually follows Poetry Moves.
Residency Descriptions
Residencies are 4, 6 or 8 weeks in duration. Residency age groups are simply a guideline. The material is easily adaptable for alternative age groupings to satisfy the developmental needs of the students.
The Dancing Rainforest	7-12 year olds
The Dancing Rainforest is a creative movement residency integrating science and language arts curriculum. Students explore the life in a tropical rainforest through movement and dance making. Explorations include twisting strangler fig trees, gliding birds, swinging chimpanzees, marching driver ants, dripping raindrops, as well as the movements of the people of the rainforest. Journal writing and rainforest stories further inspire a deeper understanding of the movements of the rainforest.
The Underground Railroad	7-12 year olds
The Underground Railroad is a creative movement residency integrating social studies curriculum. Students explore the life of the people on the Underground Railroad through movement and dance making. Stories inspire movement ideas such as the drinking gourd and the patchwork quilt. Pathways create a support for movement ideas and dances. Journal writing and discussions about our experiences further enhance our understanding of this socially relevant subject matter.
Lines and Dance Designs	7-12 year olds
Lines and Dance Designs is a creative movement residency integrating math curriculum. Students explore lines, shapes, and dimensions through movement math problems. Geometry and algebra inspire the movement explorations. Students are encouraged to utilize problem-solving and decision-making skills to create dance.
Kinesthetic Literacy	6-9 year olds
Connecting dance and literacy Kinesthetic Literacy is a creative movement residency supporting the development of literacy skill through creative movement explorations and dance making. Students explore… making dance sentences with a beginning, middle, and end, creating alphabet body letter shapes, spelling on the move, rhythmic patterning, and more. The dance and literacy connections increase with the use of stories, poems, and journal writing.
Ocean Moves	4-6 year olds
Ocean Moves is a creative movement residency integrating science curriculum. Students explore the life of the ocean through movement games and dance making. Explorations include diving dolphins, crawling crabs, stretching starfish, rigid coral, as well as the movements of water itself. Large fabrics emulate the feeling of underwater life. Props and stories enhance the movement experiences.
Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!	4-6 year olds
Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! Is a creative movement residency integrating earth science curriculum. Students explore the life of the littlest creatures around us. Explorations include creepy crawly bugs, flying bugs, jumping bugs, and slithering bugs. Books, stories, and photos guide our movement experiences to develop our understanding of a bug’s life. Students create movement sentences to share and experience. Watch the bugs come alive through movement.
A Moving Garden	3-4 year olds
A Moving Garden is a creative movement residency integrating earth science curriculum. Students explore the life of a garden including the bugs, the plants, and the people in the garden. Growing, digging, crawling, flying, planting, and sliding are all experienced through creative movement structures. Stories, games, and props enhance the learning process. A Moving Garden culminates in the explorations of the life of the butterfly.
Workshop Descriptions
Workshops focus on sharing ideas with parents, educators, dance artists, and administrators interested in the development of the creative, moving child. Each workshop contains a brief lecture of the materials with an extensive movement experience. Culminating experiences include dance sharing, discussion, and interactive feedback. Pre-School Dance Learn about creative movement ideas that connect to the life of the pre-school child.
LMA, Expanding Creativity Explore the works of Rudolph Laban and his innovative movement expanding structures.
Choreographic Projects Experience the elements of chorography, from technical structures to inspirations.
Integrating Dance and Art Learn how to integrate creative movement activities with art experiences.
Connecting Dance and Literacy Explore the natural connections between dance and literacy through stories and games.