By the Senior Beginner stage (ages 7-9), dance students are more ready than ever to learn from their teacher.  She is their ultimate pattern, the very best dancer in the world, and their greatest encourager.

With her help, they can do it!

This age group is also ready to focus more on proper position and body control.

Lots of time at the barre begins to result in the classic lines of a dancer.

And once this step is underway, young dancers begin to fly!

They explore jazz and learn the proper technique for body rolls …

… and gain strength in their leaps. 

Now that they are in better control of their bodies, they can stretch more fully and dance with greater abandon.

Soon they realize they only thought they’d been having fun in dance class before.  This is the good stuff!

Footsteps School of Dance may be just the place to perfectly position your child for a love of dance.  Check them out!

May my tongue sing of Your word, for all Your commands are righteous.

May Your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen Your precepts.

Psalm 119:172-173

Have you ever seen how dancers are created?  How they begin as just regular people and then little by little are transformed into graceful, powerful artists? 

After spending a week photographing class rehearsals at Footsteps School of Dance, I can say I’ve seen at least a glimpse of that process.  Over the next several blog posts I’m going to share some of it with you.

We’ll begin with the tiniest of dancers, little ones learning alongside their mommies what it takes to become dancers.

Some days are hard, some go beautifully, but each one lays the foundation for what will come next.

And what comes next is being on their own on the dance floor.  These 2- and 3-year-olds are learning to watch their teacher, listen to her instructions, and move the way she’s asking them to move.  Look how proud they are of themselves!

Getting stickers at the end of class is just icing on the cake.

At ages 3 and 4, dancers begin to spread their wings in both ballet and tap.  They’re asked to follow more instructions at once, and miraculously they are able to follow.

Every now and then they even all do the same thing at the same time!

 Hang in there, little ones.  The fun has only just begun!

 I’ll run the course You lay out for me

if You’ll just show me how.

Psalm 119:32

I spent most of last week taking photos of preschoolers.  By the end of each morning I was sweaty and grubby and nearly too achy to move.

But OHHHH how I loved seeing each transformation from “wait a minute, I don’t know you and I don’t want you to point that thing at me and what do you mean smile?” to “why yes, I AM silly and this is so much fun!”

One little character let me capture that transformation in a particularly expressive fashion:

Lord, thank You for these precious babies, and preserve their tender, genuine, monkeyish little spirits!

God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course.  Preserve my life through Your righteous ways!

Psalm 119:33, 40 MESSAGE