The Power of Dance

Studio360° Dance Presented by Wright's offers fun and imaginative dance classes for children.

Looking for a well-rounded opportunity for your little dancer? Studio360° Dance offers classes for kids of all ages in the styles of ballet, jazz, acrobatics, hip hop and tap. Studio360° also provides supplementary classes for team gymnasts. This recreational dance program is focused on the fundamentals of dance, and was created to develop grace, poise, fluidity, coordination and technical skills.

Using the Once Upon a Ballet curriculum, little dancers at Studio360° Dance explore imaginative story-based activities while learning their dance lessons. This encourages creativity through movement and establishes an overall exciting experience!

“We want to make dance for little ones as fun and imaginative as possible,” says Lauren Lofgren at Wright’s. “Children are naturally amazing learners, but only when we let kids be kids and guide them through play. When we make exploring new concepts in dance class exciting, our children's hearts and minds will grow and flourish.”

Dance is a wonderful sport on its own and an incredible asset as a supplementary sport! Check out the top three reasons why supplementing dance with gymnastics is a good idea.

Dance increases body awareness.

Gymnasts are already known for their body awareness, but with the inclusion of dance, it’s taken to a whole new level. Gymnastics ensures strength and power to perform awe-inspiring skills, which takes many hours of conditioning and repetition to perfect. The addition of flexibility and small bits of dance are included, but not focused on, which can leave gymnasts lacking. Dance can make up for that with a specific focus on position and poise.

Dance teaches musicality.

Dance training naturally incorporates musicality training. Because dance classes are conducted with music and dance routines are performed to music, a gymnast who studies dance will easily begin to better understand counts and rhythms. For example, a floor routine encompasses music, tumbling, jumps, turns and dance choreography. With a 90-second time limit, time to breathe in between power tumbling is important. Practiced dance can help with that through muscle memory and regulated breathing throughout the routine. A win-win!

Dance develops grace through poise.

While gymnastics is considered more of a sport rather than an art, gymnasts are still required to express artistry in two out of the four apparatuses: beam and floor. Their technique in skills must be balanced by their performance quality to elicit grace and poise. The culmination of strength and clean lines is required for top marks. With the inclusion of dance into their repertoire, gymnasts can understand the tiny details that pack the most punch, from elegant, elongated fingers to the often elusive pointed toe.

Studio360° Dance classes are currently offered at the brand-new Wright’s 360° Movement Academy in Grand Park, Westfield, as well as the Wright’s Southeast location in Greenwood. Visit wrightsgymnastics. com/dance for more information or call 317-888-4805 to enroll today.