Children at St. Francis can begin their dancing journey in Kindergarten with ballet classes. During these lessons the children begin to learn the basics to classical technique, through the use of exciting exercises, mime and imagination. Ballet is an important basis to all forms of dance and helps to create a strong sense of self-discipline as well as confidence and strong postural awareness which will assist many aspects of life aside from dance.
Tap lessons are offered from Year 1 and focus strongly on the enjoyment of rhythm. The new I.S.T.D syllabi focuses on the most current styles of tap using upbeat, exciting music to help inspire the children and increase their musical awareness. Tap offers a more relaxed atmosphere to Ballet and helps to develop a strong sense of rhythm and musical understanding.
Children have the opportunity to extend their dance genres further with Modern lessons from Prep II . Modern dance has its foundations in Ballet, but uses more upbeat, lively music. As in Ballet, Modern also begins by using mime and imagination to help instil a sense of posture and basic understanding of the way the body moves.
In all genres, the work progresses through various levels, building on the lessons previously learned, as well as adding new skills. Musicality and artistry are valued highly and taught equally as technical detail and execution. Care of the growing child is emphasised, as is the knowledge of anatomy as it relates specifically to the dancer and the possible effect of dance on the growing body. Enjoyment and the love of dance is paramount in all lessons. All individuals are encouraged to achieve their full potential and develop their skills to their best possible ability.
Key Stage One students showcase their work once a year with a summer lesson demonstration which is an excellent opportunity for our very youngest students to perform on the stage for their parents, relatives and friends. From Prep III upwards our children act as supporting dancers for the Prep VI Production and are also invited to take part in our biennial charity show.