When we sign our kids up for dance, we envision graceful turns, extended leaps, and beautiful routines. Instead, week after week when we look through the viewing windows, we see what looks like the exact same skips, hops, games, and floor stretches. Yes, it’s easy to wonder what you’re looking at, and maybe even easier to wonder if it’s worth it. But Turning Pointe’s Parent Peek Weeks are so much more than a demonstration. It’s a look at the process of your child’s development! Beneath the seemingly random combinations and repetitive movements, a complex foundation of cognitive engagement, muscle memory, and rhythm is being built. So as you enter the classroom this fall peek week, here’s some insight on what your child is actually doing in dance class, and how you can support them every step of the way.
1. Watch for physical improvement
The physical benefits of dance are so much more than meets the eye. With professional skill demonstrations by some of the world’s best dancers just a click away on social media, it’s easy to compare and be discouraged! But rather than looking for perfection, we encourage you to find purpose in the process. With every dance class, kids improve their balance, strength, flexibility, and so much more. Did your student perform a skill with an intentionally flexed hand or foot? They’re showing development in fine motor skills by learning to control different parts of their body! Were their positions held for a longer combination or series of steps? That’s a demonstration of improved stamina and muscular endurance. Did the class maintain different formations throughout each series of movements? That’s development in spatial awareness! Remember, progress isn’t always measured by the way something looks. The smaller goals lead to bigger success!
2. Watch for cognitive development
Did you know that memorizing choreography and tracking rhythm stimulates neural pathways linked to recall and decision-making? If the combinations in your student’s 1b class look similar to last year’s 1a peek week, look a little closer. Small changes like syncopated timing, repeating patterns, and learning longer combinations are improving more than just your child’s dance technique! They’re developing parts of the brain that stimulate short-term/long-term memory, fight mental fatigue, and improve critical thinking, concentration, and information recall. Did your student stay focused and engaged with the peek week demonstration from start to finish? That’s because the structure of dance class is teaching sustained attention, discipline, and task persistence. Did your dancer complete the whole combination on their own without watching a teacher, class helper or classmate? That’s a demonstration of neurological retention. We’re showcasing so much more than plies and tendus this week!
3. Watch for social and emotional growth
Mastering new skills gives children a powerful sense of achievement and emotional resilience. Group classes teach kids how to cooperate, communicate, and build lasting bonds with peers. Moving to music offers a joyful, physical outlet to release energy and manage emotions. Dance classes incorporate all three! In addition to watching your child dance this week, notice the growth in their confidence, too. Think joining the exercise or choreography without being prompted, waiting their turn without losing their focus, showing an understanding of classroom rules and expectations, or how they handle any mistakes throughout each demonstration.
4. Watch for His light and presence!
All session long, as a studio, we’re dancing through our devotional theme of Miracles. In September, students and teachers focused on the Miracle of Creation—not just to acknowledge His power, but to see and intentionally notice how God reveals Himself to us. This week, as you’re watching your child’s class demonstration, we invite you to see not just the steps they’re dancing or all the ways they’ve grown, but to intentionally notice all the ways the Holy Spirit is moving in and through them as they learn to navigate this world with Godly role models. He reveals Himself to us through His creation—that’s us! That’s your students. They were made for these moments, and their maker’s mark is present in every movement.
What’s your role?
When researchers Bruce Brown and Rob Miller asked college athletes what their parents said that brought them joy when they played sports, the responses were all the same. It wasn’t praise like “you’re an all-star,” or anything constructive like “here are a couple of things I noticed that you can work on.” What stuck with them the most was when their parents said six simple words: “I love to watch you play.” In our case, we love to watch our students dance. We want our students to hear that doing what they do, and learning about who God created them to be, is a joy to watch as it unfolds. Interested in more? Check out our TP Top 3: Ways to Celebrate Your Student here.
Whether this is your first parent peek week at the studio or it’s the final fall demo in your student’s senior season, we’re so glad you’re here! We love sharing the joy of dancing with our Turning Pointe families, and look forward to showing you all the ways we’ve already grown in this season.