Because movement is key to learning, this creative dance program engages kids' senses, creative spirit, and incredible thinking minds. Positive interaction through natural movement. This class encompasses many ages, and both boys and girls love it! No prior dance experience necessary.

Our Creative Dance for Kids classes engage the mind and body with effective intrapersonal and cooperative skills, as well as intellectual, physical and social skills. Utilized are some of the latest in dance movement research, such as the Braindance warm-up and other methods of innovative movement theories of instruction. This innovative program is the brainchild of dancer and dance educator Ann Law (MS Dance ED), who explores her theories of movement and learning with the children in these engaging and stimulating cutting-edge movement classes!

Dance for 6 and 7 year olds... Stay tuned for news on a new session this fall!

Christine Thomas will be offering dance classes for 6 and 7 year olds (must have been 6 by October 1, 2011) at Barking Legs Theater this winter on Tuesday afternoons from 3:30-5pm. The class is limited to 14 girls. The class will be 1 1/2 hrs and it will include Ballet, Tap and Jazz. The cost of the class will be $15 per class, per student. Ballet and tap shoes are required and jazz shoes are optional. They can use their ballet shoes for the jazz portion of the class. Leotard and tights are required for the class. Skirts are optional.

The class will run in 2 sessions:

Session 1 will start Jan. 10th and run through Feb. 28th = 8 classes total

Session 2 will start March 6th and run through May 8th (no class on March 20th or April 3rd) = 8 classes

Description of the class: The Ballet, Tap, Jazz class offered at Barking Legs Theater is the perfect combination of classic technique and fun! The students will learn ballet barre work, traveling steps, rhythm, and classic moves to current popular music. At the end of each session, the students will have learned a dance routine in each discipline and will show family and friends. Ballet is the foundation for most forms of dance and will give students a sense of proper body alignment, extension and stretch. Tap and jazz is a super fun way to master rhythm and complicated footwork. Although the jazz being taught in this class comes from a classic new york style base, current and new forms of movement will be included. It's a favorite among little dancers!

Ann Law, the creator of our popular programs, has a BA in dance and a Masters in Dance Education. She spent 5 years in the public school system developing and evaluating her unique and engaging approach to creative dance for children and adults, based upon innovative movement ideas such as Brain Dance, as well as her own theories of community-engaging and holistic dance education. She continues her work by offering these innovative classes. In addition to designing and implementing the new Chattanooga State Dance Department to train dancers and dance educators, she has been working on her one-woman media/modern dance performance, Passion Flower Project, which documents her recent journey healing from breast cancer.

Christine Thomas has been teaching dance for over 15 years. She is a certified dance teacher with Florida Dance Masters (FDM) and a recipient of a FDM dance scholarship in jazz dance. She has studied all forms of dance but focused primarily on ballet, tap, jazz, and acrobatics. Most of her training occurred in South Florida, however, she spent many summers in New York City taking dance classes from many world-renowned teachers. In her teaching career she has taught ballet, tap, and jazz to all ages but has been the director of pre-primary programs in 2 different studios in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. Most recently she taught at Cleveland City Ballet and The Montessori School. In 1997 and 1998 she was the director of the Florida Dance Masters' Mr. and Miss Dance Competition. She has choreographed for various schools, churches, and local pageants throughout South Florida and Chattanooga. As a dancer, Christine has preformed in the opening number of the nationally televised King Orange Bowl Parade and for the Ft. Lauderdale Opera (as a dancer) as well as other charity events and conventions. She is a certified Pilates instructor with additional training in Stretch Therapy.