Snow day in Asheville, NC

I’m not sure what the weather is like at your house, but in Asheville, NC it is snowing.  That may not sound like a big deal… but in this small mountain town, everything comes to a grinding halt.  Asheville will even come to halt without the snow, we just have to have a weather report calling for snow to move into the area.  With this winter being one of Asheville’s coldest and snowiest, our school age children have had many canceled classes and snow days.

So today, like many snow days, parents and their children are caught at home to wait it out.  So what are we going to do today?  What family activity will bring us all closer together, be fun for everyone and hopefully burn off some of the extra energy we are carrying around?  Let’s all learn to dance together!

What are we going to do now?

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of my mother trying to teach my sister and I to dance in our living room.  Cha cha, Tango, Polka and Jitterbug/East Coast Swing were great past times for cold and snowy days.  My mom grew-up in a family that socially ballroom danced.  She married a man who did not.  So many hours and snow days were spent teaching my sister and I to dance so she would have someone to dance with.  This was a special bonding time for the three of us, filled with giggles, music and joy.   It was by no means quality dancing… but it was quality time we spent together.

You can teach your children to dance!  You can start today!  Peel yourself away from the computer and pull the iPods earbuds out of your children’s ears and get moving.  Below is an excerpt from Teach Kids How.  Teach Kids How is an website full of topics and ideas for parents who wish to teach their children something new.  Follow these few guidelines and you and your children will be up and dancing with the music in no time.

Teach Your Child How to Dance

“Dancing has been around since the beginning of time. Before writing was invented people use to tell storied through dance, seek rain through dance, celebrate marriage through dance. In even earlier dates dance was used to heal the sick or wounded and break an evil curse that was placed on a tribe or village member.

Since that time the amount of dances and the reasons for dancing that has evolved is remarkable and difficult for anyone to keep up with, from the Salsa to the Waltz, from the Smurf to the Electric slide, the Mambo and even the Cha-Cha. There are so many it’s enough to make the common person feel overwhelmed and completely out of style.

But the benefits of dancing can be exceptional for your overall health and wellness. What other exercise can you both have dun doing and gain exceptional benefits to your health? Teaching your children to dance can be beneficial to you both in physical health, mental connectivity, and just having the ability to dance when a celebration occurs.

Preschool
When your children are younger than elementary age introducing them to dance can be as simple as allowing them to dance free verse. When anyone begins to dance, allowing the rhythm of music to sweep through his or her body is the first step to learning how to dance. Simply put some good dance music on and dance together, you’ll both have fun doing it anyway.

Instead of “teaching” your child how to dance and making them fuse about learning, try playing follow the leader with your child. When children are playing a game or not thinking they are actually learning something, they will pick up on the instruction so much easier. There’s something about playing a game that gets kids motivated, as opposed to actually learning something.

Main points to address:

• Allow your children to dance free verse.
• Play follow the leader while dancing.

Grades K-6th
In most areas there are places that provide dance classes to anyone willing to learn. Many classes will teach a variety of dances including ballroom, break dance, hip-hop, tap, country line dancing and other types of dance. This could be a class that you and your child can take and learn together. When parents are attempting to learn something new this will get your child enthusiastic about their learning process. Obtain local information about local dance events or presentations. You can also contact local dance studios to sit in and watch the instruction and type of dance being taught if you you’d like to review their instructions first.

If dance classes are not available in your area or you’re not interested in taking them try purchasing dance videos and/or dance books. They’ll show you step-by-step instructions on that dance that you or your child is looking to learn. Or use the simple one-two, one-two way you learned how to dance. Make the process fun with a few twists and twirls. The bottom line is to fun with your child, while they’re learning.

Main points to address:

• Take classes together.
• Buy dance videos and books.
• Take them to dance studios or dancing events.”

Excerpt by Teach Kids How from “Teach Your Child How to Dance”
http://www.teachkidshow.com/teach-your-child-how-to-dance/

All kids love to dance 

My nephews remind me of this everytime I see them.  They dance in the their car seats, the grocery store, Target and everywhere else that happens to have music playing in the back ground.  They will even bob their heads in time to the music I hum when I get a song stuck in my head.  At this point, in their preschool lives, dancing is a game they play with the world around them. 

As they grow, children have two ways to learn that involve their parents.  One experience is to learn something from the parent.  The child is the “novice” and the parent is the teacher or “expert” in this experience.  The other experience is to learn something with the parent.  The child and the parent are both “novices” and are working through the learning process together following an outside expert.   

Learning to dance with your child is not only a great educational experience, but can also be bonding experience as well.  ZeDiamond Dance Method Learn the East Coast Swing is a simple and easy way for children and adults to learn to dance together.  Since this teaching method is available on DVD, there is no need to venture out in the cold and snow to take dance lessons.  Order ZeDiamond Dance Method Learn the East Coast Swing 2 DVD set and pop it in the DVD player during your next snow day.  You and your children can learn to dance the East Coast Swing together in the comfort of your home.  Preschool age children will enjoy disc 1 with the rhythm practice and stomp, clap and singing exercises that help develop an inner sense of rhythm.  School age children will enjoy both discs as they learn swing dance steps and start dancing with you.  Click here to watch a video clip and see how ZeDiamond Dance Method could work for you. 

Learning how to dance the East Coast Swing together, can start your children (and you as well) on a life long journey through the world of dance.  Take your first dance steps in the comfort of your own home with ZeDiamond Dance Method.  Who knows where your dancing feet will take you next.

See you out on the dance floor,

Amy Barnes

ZeDiamond Dance Method

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