Are you looking for some new moves as a parent or educator of young children?
Learn to Share Dance in 2023
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Early Childhood Dance Teacher Training
Are you looking to inspire confidence and creativity in the young people in your life? You can totally do this through dance - an art that supports physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development!
This training is designed to help you - a teacher, leader, or parent - learn a basic system for sharing dance with young children ages 2-5. Whatever your movement background is - from wedding wallflower to professional dancer - this course will give you the basic tools to lead a preschool dance class or share one-off dance activities with your littles.
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Professional Learning - Designed for You
Maybe you are looking to bring more dance activities to your ECE centre, daycare, K-12 classroom, or workplace.
Or perhaps you a dancer looking develop your teaching practice and share your skills with others.
You might even be a dance teacher looking for new ideas and strategies for your work.
Reach out today to explore customizable teacher training and professional learning opportunities and discuss funding streams and support for bringing your dance vision to life!
Teacher Training:
Early Childhood Dance Foundations
June 11 & 18, 2023
10:00-12:30, 2:00-4:30
Dance Studio West
Corner Brook, NL
This 10 hour, live, in-person course will guide you through an introductory curriculum in dance for early childhood. You will leave with new tools and increased confidence to lead dance classes or activities for young children.
The two-day training program uses a combination of lecture-style instruction, hands-on practice, and peer-to-peer discussions to help you understand and apply the course content.
Key topics covered include:
Finding Your Dancer’s Heart
Basic Dance Concepts using Laban Movement Analysis
Basics of Neuromotor Development
Class Structures and Activities for your Unique Teaching Style and Environment
The values:
Dance is for everybody / Everybody is an artist
The actions:
Learn to dance and learn through dance
The approaches:
Standards-based dance education; Research-based pedagogy;
Brain (neuroscience)-informed practices;
The practices:
Experiential Learning, Culturally Responsive Actions;
Safe Spaces, Balancing Teacher-led & Student-led learning
Training Pathways
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Participation Pathway
10 Hour Live, In-Person Training
1 Full Class Plan / Teaching Script
Digital Resource Guide
Fillable Class Plan Templates
Playlist Suggestions
Discounted Rate for "A Year of Dance - Lesson Plan Workshops"
Upon completion, you’ll have the foundational knowledge and tools to add dance activities to your current work with children aged 2-5!
$350
(payment plans available - email for details)
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Certification Pathway
10 Hour Live, In-Person Training
1 Full Class Plan / Teaching Script
Digital Resource Guide
Fillable Class Plan Templates
Playlist Suggestions
Discounted Rate for "A Year of Dance - Lesson Plan Workshops"
5 Hour Teaching Practicum
One-on-One Feedback
Printable Posters for your Class
20 Hour Early Childhood Dance Foundations Certificate
Upon completion you’ll be ready to lead a full dance class for children aged 2-5 and will be able to submit your certificate for CEC requirements
$495
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Personalized Pathway
A customized program for you or your organization to build skills in dancing and teaching.
Reach out with your questions and desire and I’ll create a program that’s just right for you.
Meet the Instructor
Hi, I'm Candice Pike, a professional dance artist, educator, and arts leader from Corner Brook, NL.
With 20 years of experience as a dance teacher, my desire is to help people understand and embody their own incredible potential for movement and creativity. This became even more important for me after becoming a parent in 2015 when I realized how beneficial physical and expressive activities were for my own child’s early development!
At first, living in an isolated area without easy and consistent access to strong dance education programs made it challenging to pursue this career. I had to figure out my own path to becoming the unique dancer and educator I wanted to be. To do this I have committed to my own professional development through travel, distance education, and building strong relationships with my peers.
But, I’ve also learned about teaching dance “the hard way”. That is, through my experiences leading classes and developing dance curriculum for private studios, K-12 classes, universities, and professional dancers!
So, I know firsthand how confusing, expensive, and time-intensive it can be to get the knowledge and credentials you need to feel confident leading dance activities. Especially if you are doing it on your own. I know that figuring out how to choose the right activities and teach something you're still learning yourself can be overwhelming, especially in the early days.
But, dance really is for EVERYBODY! It’s something we all can (and should!) do. Of course, you can just turn on some music and get the kids in your life moving! But, well-informed dance education that considers human movement development, uses research-based approaches, and actually develops creative skills can give kids an even better start.
I've developed this training to help you combine your expertise as a parent, educator, dancer, or group leader with the basic knowledge and tools needed to lead dance activities for young children. Together we’ll create a diverse and supportive community who will be ready to respond to all those calls I get looking for early childhood programs (or maybe just have an incredible dance parties with our families!).
FAQs
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No, you do not need to have a dance background. The training is designed to be accessible to participants with varying levels of experience and background in dance. Of course, it helps if you are interested in dance and have some physical or creative practice in your life as then you will be able to draw on your experiences, but we will work with whatever your expertise is. The training is designed to provide you with the basic tools and skills needed to get started leading dance activities for young movers!
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No, you do not need to be an Early Childhood Educator. This training is designed for anyone interested in sharing the art of dance with young children, including parents, caregivers, dance instructors, and educators who work with children of various ages. The training provides a basic system for sharing dance with children, and welcomes participants from all backgrounds and levels of experience.
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Yes! There’s definitely a lot to gain from participating in this workshop, even if you never plan to lead a formal dance class. Or even if you are not a parent yet. It’ll give you new insights into child development from a movement-based perspective, strategies for supporting your child’s creative thinking, and resources and activities that you can use to dance with your child at home.
Many days were saved in my house with a dance activity before supper or during the bedtime routine!
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Yes, I think any educator can definitely benefit from this training. While the program is focused on teaching dance to young children, the basic system and strategies covered in the course can be applied to various age groups, including K-12 students. However, if you are looking for a program geared specifically towards older students, please reach out to discuss a personalized program.
For example, I currently offer half day or full day professional development for teachers with all the tools needed to teach curriculum, recreation, or SEL outcomes through movement. In topics like:Warm Ups / Transitions – using dance to get ready for the day or for particular activities
Brain Body Breaks – short activities you can do to get moving
Creating site specific choreography – lead your students in developing their own dances that respond to their environment
Name Dances – 3 Easy ways for students to express themselves and make their own dances.
Learning Through Dance – personalized lesson plans to teach specific curriculum outcomes
Program design or review
And special topics – conflict resolution, community building, accessibility
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This teacher training does not focus on any particular dance technique, (such as ballet or jazz). Instead, it provides a framework for sharing dance with young children in a way that respects the incredible physical, intellectual, and social development that is happening in those early years. Course materials include a range of dance styles and use the lens of somatic dance and movement analysis. But the materials can also be tailored to focus on a particular technique or cultural dance style, depending on the background of the participant.
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The main difference between the Participation Pathway and the Certification Pathway is the inclusion of a 5-hour teaching practicum and a Certificate of Completion in the Certification Pathway.
In the Participation Pathway, participants receive 10 hours of live, in-person training, a full class plan/teaching script, a digital resource guide, fillable class plan templates, and playlist suggestions. Additionally, participants are offered a discounted rate for "A Year of Dance - Lesson Plan Workshops."
The Certification Pathway includes all the same components as the Participation Pathway, but also includes a 5-hour teaching practicum. Upon completion of the Certification Pathway, participants receive a Certificate of Completion which might be necessary for certain CEC requirements. They also receive printable posters to use with their new dance programs.
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You can receive a full refund up to 2 weeks before the start date of the training program. After that, you can receive a 75% refund up to the start date. No refunds will be given after that time. If for any reason you need to cancel your enrolment, please email pike.candice@gmail.com.
If illness or emergency prevents you from attending any of the sessions, hours may be made up in the future in consultation with Candice
Launch Bonus!
Sign up for either pathway between April 29-May 18 and get a free class set of 8 dance/gymnastics ribbons or 6 hand kites!
Ready to jump in?
Still have some questions?