Photo: Stephen Clark
In recent years, the fitness industry has seen a shift from everything being about strength and bulk to core strength, flexibility and balance being viewed as the true measures of fitness. However, nowhere are these new measures more apparent than in one very unexpected place – classical ballet.
The grace and poise taught through ballet is based on perfect control of the body, making it not only a very popular activity for young girls to take part in (because which little girl does not want to be a fairy princess?) but also an activity that instils some very important life skills like dedication and a greater knowledge of self.
When Anita Gough opened Centre Pointe Dance Studio in September last year, she was hoping others would also see the wider impact that ballet can have in the lives of the young ladies who take part.
Located in Alissta Towers, her classes range from a group of two year old aspirant ballerinas to a class for adults.
“I have some ladies who have danced as children or teenagers, and just come out here to relax, and then I have ladies who have always wanted to do ballet but never had the opportunity as a child,” says Anita.
In spite of the discipline required in classical ballet, Anita has found that the children respond really well to it.
“They really do seem to like what they’re doing. It’s more than just ballet – it’s discipline, etiquette, the ability to follow instructions, understand the technique, anatomy and what your body is able to do,” says Anita.
The school has grown steadily over the last couple of months, something Anita believes shows that many parents realise that the core principles of ballet have an important role to play in the development of a child.
“It develops character because in ballet you are really never going to reach perfection, you are always working for a little bit more, you’re always fighting against self, and I think that is also something that is very special about ballet,” she says.
The school follows the curriculum of the International Dance Teachers’ Association as well as the Royal Academy of Dance, ensuring that the skills gained at the school will be portable to other schools as well. Anita is also planning the first series of examinations for May, to ensure that the children are reaching the standards required to progress in the world of dance.
Of course, all this would be for nothing if the children did not enjoy what they were doing. Lower school classes for children from two to five years follow the syllabus of Melody Movement Early Learning in the form of the Little Bear Feet Programme and Movement with Melody Bear. These programmes serve as an introduction to dance through free expressive movement and storytelling through the use of props.
The programme is structured and specifically designed to aid children’s physical development, coordination, spatial awareness, creativity and self-expression, concentration and rhythm. The children are encouraged to work either individually, with a partner or as a group which aids in the development of social skills.
Melody Movement also introduces children to other fundamental curriculum learning skills such as counting, colour and shape recognition, vocabulary and learning skills.
Outfits and other dance necessities can also be purchased on site, making it much easier to get a child into dance quickly and easily. The studio also has a viewing window so curious parents can keep an eye on their offspring.
Centre Pointe also teaches musical theatre classes, which offers a varied curriculum.
“The musical theatre is a mixed age group, so it’s dance, drama, a little bit of singing, free expressive movement, we’re looking at some theatre studies, so that’s working really nicely. I’ve got from six to ten in that group, and the children have accommodated one another really well,” says Anita.
Although Anita might introduce other dance styles in future, she is in no rush to do so, as the skills learnt in classic ballet form the basis for all other forms of dancing.
For more information on Centre Pointe Dance Studio, call 323-7960.