Nosara Wellness started giving dance classes this December for boys and girls of all ages. Different categories of classes will extend throughout the summer, including hip-hop, aerial yoga, tribal rhythms and creative dance, and the classes are given in English and Spanish.
Instructor Sarah Schofield is in charge of the creative dance class, organized into two groups with ages from three to six and from six to eight. The groups have from five to ten kids per course, and the class is composed of every type of rhythm and technique from ballet, classical music and hip-hop to traditional music like salsa.
Sarah teaches the children to dance creating expressive forms as each one feels the music. She gives them an idea of how to make the movements and that way the little ones are free to follow her or to create their own dance steps.
The excited children cry out in happiness as they listen to the professor say that what’s coming up is hip-hop. Amidst much movement and laughter, Sarah takes the opportunity to educate them on a little music theory, asking “who knows what hip-hop is?” and they all jump up and down and ask to be the first to respond to the question.
Another rhythm that all of the kids look forward to and ask for with enthusiasm is salsa! For the final part of the class, they happily share their last minutes and end in a circle with stretching.
Amber Ryan is the teacher of two of the courses, hip-hop and tribal rhythms. The groups integrate boys and girls between the ages of seven and 14. |
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Amber’s principle focus in her classes is teaching knowledge of the body in dance technique, breathing exercises and learning how to capture the music and its movements, making routines giving space to the diversion of dance. At the end of these courses, Amber and the children will present a recital creating a work of live theatrical movements.
“In a fusion of rhythms, the children learn to explore and create their movements in an authentic manner and to express themselves playing instruments to awaken instinct and connection with the music,” relates Amber.
The aerial yoga class is given by instructor Hayley MacMillan-Ord. In this yoga lesson, the children will learn and create very beautiful movements, they will develop physical agility and they will stay healthy. Enjoying being upside down, using a type of hammock or cloth trapeze that also permits them a great variety of movements supported by the hammock.
The three professors hope that the dance courses wake up in each boy and girl creativity, expression, positive social interactions, integration of body and mind and development of body awareness with balance and coordination.
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