How Children Learn To Dance
The Innate Nature of Dance as a Language in Childhood
Young children all over the world respond to sound and music
using their bodies and their voices. Cross-cultural study of young children
moving and dancing shows an intuitive response to sound, to rhythm, tempo and
volume, pattern and form during childhood.
Sadly, in the western world, in our contemporary times, dance is often a forgotten and neglected language of self-expression, creativity and meaning making.
The implications are significant for the child’s physical health, for strength, balance and coordination as well as for emotional wellbeing and for perceptual and cognitive development. However, when dance is valued as a language of childhood and when dance is modelled and enjoyed by the people around them, the child’s early predisposition to dance is strengthened and refined, with positive benefits for the whole being across the life span.The Early Development of Dance Skills in Infants and
Toddlers
At this time, they learn to dance primarily through their
bodies and senses. Through listening, observing, touching, and moving children
explore and make meaning of the worlds they inhabit. First dance knowledge
builds on awareness of the movement of various body parts, in isolation and
together.
The encouragement to shake hands and feet, clap, stretch and
curl and the opportunity to touch, shake, and connect different objects enables
the child to practice and refine their skills. Through practice and repetition,
they develop coordination, strength and control.
The child develops visual and auditory memory and acuity and
begins to coordinate body actions in time and space. Such skills and abilities
are the foundation of dance.
The Role of Imaginative and Expressive Ideas in Children’s
Dance Development
During this stage children begin to engage in symbolic
representation where an object or action can represent something.
Dance sequences gradually become more complex and may tell a story or explore a character. The increasing refinement of physical skills and aspects of physical development such as flexibility, balance, strength and coordination are brought to this expanding realm of dance possibilities. Conversely the child who is mostly sedentary and unable to explore and experiment with movement and not encouraged to try will have a limited physical capacity to bring to the world of dance.
For children aged five to eight there in an increasing
awareness of the social world and the opportunities that come with
collaborative and cooperative play and exploration. This capacity also
influences the ways in which dance is learnt, developed and shared.
Children at this stage watch each other closely, they also engage more with social media and explore and experiment with dance styles and routines observed on television and online. The subsequent sharing with peers may involve a lot of discussion and exchange of views and perspectives but also demonstration, assistance, giving feedback, observing, practicing and refining, all of which are valuable learning processes, useful in many other contexts.
How Significant Adults Impact a Child’s Development of Dance Proficiency as a Language
Throughout this entire period from birth children learn to dance, however the degree to which dance becomes a proficient language for the child is influenced by the nature of the encounters with the significant adults around them. The adult carer can encourage and motivate dance exploration and expression by being present, interested and attentive. While the need to be in proximity diminishes over time (from 2-8 years) it is by observing and listening closely that we can tune in to what the child might be thinking, wondering and trying.
Time is an important ally. Rather than do things or solve problems for the child, the child learns when given time to resolve a challenge for him or herself. When success is achieved both the child and the adult carer can enjoy the success and the child is more empowered to persist in the future.
By offering a verbal description of what the child is doing we also affirm the child’s endeavours as well as enrich the child’s language with new terminology and descriptive language. We can draw attention to different elements of music and dance such as rhythm and tempo, not by being “teachy” but by simply describing and making connections. The adult carer can also scaffold learning by offering support without diminishing the child’s agency and autonomy.
This could be by modelling or demonstrating, with your own body or by offering a mirror for feedback. It can also include verbal scaffolding, describing what might help or extend an experience by offering suggestions such as “you could try…” or by offering an additional resource or prop such as a scarf or a balloon that might help the child to stretch and bend, twist and turn.
In conclusion, Children enter the world rich in dance
potential but the realisation of this potential is significantly impacted by
the opportunities provided and by the attitudes toward dance that they see
around them.
About DR CATHIE
Dr Cathie Harrison is an early childhood educator with more
than 30 years’ experience within early childhood education and related fields.
She currently holds the position of Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood
Education at the Australian Catholic University in Sydney and is an early
childhood advisor with the Australian children’s television program Play
School.