| |
| 
Ballet
| | Ballet involves
physical coordination, discipline, movement, and working together with others.
Care, patience, perseverance and encouragement are necessary for a learning center
to succeed in inspiring the learning process in a student. Over several decades,
Whitney Young has nurtured the approach in allowing children to achieve the positive
and rewarding results of learning dance. |
| |  | | Dance
not only educates the student about steps, music and culture, but enables one
to express feelings through the medium of dance. Some children experience frustration,
confusion, insecurity, shyness and anger during their formative years, and dance
can be a positive, constructive outlet for expressing their innermost emotions,
whether it be joy or sadness. The student also learns how to work with others
in class, as one must be aware of his/her surroundings in relationship to time
(music) and space (aware of other students) so collisions or injuries do not occur.
The students are provided with a safe and inspiring environment where developing
knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the art of dance are the ultimate
goal of the class. |
| | The achievements of
our children have brought Whitney Young to the attention of the United Way campaign,
as well as many performances and other fundraising campaigns throughout San Francisco.
Jazmin, a child with disabilities, successfully auditioned and performed for the
Pacific Dance Theatre's "Nutcracker'' for two years, becoming the youngest dancer
in Nutcracker history. Rachel, a hearing impaired student performs to live music
with children who are not hearing impaired. More recently four Whitney Young students
auditioned for the Oberlin Dance Collective's (ODC) production of "The Velveteen
Rabbit" and have been accepted into the San Francisco Ballet School. |
| | WHITNEY
YOUNG CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS METHOD |
| | Young children in a creative
movement class learn through playful exercises about music and rhythm, how to
articulate different parts of the body (the neck, back, stomach, arms and legs).
The basic foundation of dance technique is taught through games and fantasy; the
bending of the knees (plie), stretching the limbs, releasing and contracting the
torso, holding a pose for a short period of time, aligning their joints to prevent
injury, and jumping. |
| | PRE-BALLET
II (AGE 7- 10): |
| |  | | The
next level of class begins to teach children to move through space within given
phrases of music. Basic ballet body positions in relationship to space (arms,
head; front, back, side) are introduced. The children begin to put combinations
of movement together with music and create short dance pieces. |
| | BASIC BALLET
(AGE 10 AND UP): |
| |  | The next stage emphasizes
more motion, and the teaching of epulement of the head and upper body. The first
half of the year, the children work with two hands on and facing the barre; the
second half with only one hand on the barre as they learn basic ballet steps,
technique and terminology. In the center, more emphasis is placed on correct body
alignment and the directions of the body (ecarte, cruise, enface, and efface)
are taught. The children learn specific choreography by the teacher or create
their own to perform. | | | | | | |
| |
| | | |
