Groove Child® Syllabus Course Day!
9:30am
The day begins with a warm welcome from Natalie & Amy, the creators of Groove Child, short introductions by the group, and an overview of the syllabus mission and ethos.
We then begin with a quick discussion about the talent development & optimal learning environments – some useful concepts teachers may or may not already be aware of, but ensuring an interesting and positive discussion to set the tone for the day. We refer back to this throughout the day and HOW the use of Groove Child at your school can help grow the talent of your students of all abilities.
10am
The action begins!
Teachers take part in a practical session to learn the first Groove Child level – PURPLE age 3-4yrs, by taking part as ‘class members’ (yes…your best elephant and monkey actions will be required). Teachers learn all the set work and make notes along the way in their Groove Child Teacher Handbooks.
Learning Outcomes are referred to for each exercise and are detailed in the handbooks. The teacher handbooks include extra pages for notes and are yours to keep. (Daydreaming and doodling is allowed – but hopefully there wont be time for that)
11:15am
After a short refreshment break, teachers then move on to learn the second Groove Child level – YELLOW age 5-7yrs, again, by taking part as an active ‘class member’. We’ve found that not only is this the best way to learn and begin to ingrain the work, but it also helps you as the teachers to ‘feel’ each exercise from the child’s point of view, and this encourages many valuable discussions with your students (and indeed, throughout the day may encourage valuable discussion about our individual experiences).
Each of the ‘directed improvisation’ exercises are demonstrated and brainstormed within the group to give teachers an understanding of the breadth of use for each ‘creative’ exercise, how they can explore it with their own students, and where to always start.
Progression Charts for each exercise are included within the handbook, and we refer to these often throughout the course to indicate the minimum requirements and recommendations for each exercise within each age group/level. These act purely as a guide for teachers and help you keep on track with the AIM of each exercise. The progressions cover musicality, rhythm, emotion, performance, and improvisation.
12:45pm
After a very practical morning we break for lunch, which we usually use as an extra opportunity to chat all things ‘dance teacher life’ related!
1:15pm
To let lunch go down we begin the afternoon session with a brief discussion about another core principle in the potential success of our students – MINDSET . We talk about the differences between a fixed and growth mindset and how it can affect the development of ALL OF US…as adults and as children.
This is a very strong concept talked about in Primary schools currently, as the mental health of UK children is statistically one of the lowest in the world (unbelievably) and this is another aspect of children’s emotional well-being that we as dance teachers are in a prime position to model and effect through our work with students.
1:30pm
After this, we get moving again and teachers learn the third Groove Child junior level ORANGE 7-9yrs. We split this level up by having a short refreshment break in the middle, as the work for this age group is a little more extensive.
Another progression we explore within the levels is IMPROVISATION. We feel its important every child feels confident to improvise when asked, from a young age so that they don’t feel so self conscious about it as they get older. We want to encourage students to improvise with feeling and a sense of musicality but in their own authentic way, and the progressive work in Groove Child reflects this. Again, the handbooks contain points and info as a guide for each age group and we brainstorm ways to get the best from students through this.
There are other pages in the handbooks to help with basic preparation and planning of your Groove Child classes, equipment and props recommended (but not exhaustive), and other supportive information related to the ‘Feeling & Emotion’ exercises.
4pm
After a very active afternoon (culminating in a ‘Rockstar’ performance!) we finish the day with an informal 30 minutes of Q&A and a discussion about implementing the junior levels at your school/classes, whether as separate classes or weaved into your current classes in support specifically for performance expression.
4:30pm finish
All teachers who have successfully taken part in the day will receive their licensee certificate, manual and music – ready to go away and IMMEDIATELY start planning your Groove Child class launch! We will also provide you with poster/flyers for print and social media ‘cards’/images you can use in the promotion of the new sessions at your school (whenever you are ready to).
What happens after the course?
AFTER the course we keep in touch with you and hope to support you in anyway we can to set up Groove Child as additional classes to your schools’ timetable (if needed) and through promotion of your school on our main website and Facebook page, and of course any further advice you need. You will also have a personal login to our membership site with back up videos of all the set Groove Child work you learnt.
Do you have more questions?
Check to see if the answer is on our Frequently Asked Questions page! If not, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Want to book on to a course?
Complete the booking form here: Groove Child Course Booking Form
The Groove Child® Dance Syllabus is designed to help dance teachers nurture children’s positive sense of self, confidence, and self expression through dance in a way that celebrates their individuality and boosts their performance. Dance School Owners & Freelance Dance Teachers – we’d love to meet you and introduce you further to the benefits Groove Child brings. Check our full details of the syllabus and our courses at the main website: www.groovechilddance.com
Groove Child Dance Syllabus - Blog 