Hello Little Fairies,
I am so happy to have you dancing along with me as you read Lisée At The Ballet: The Nutcracker! Creative movement and allowing children to improvise and express themselves through movement is so important to early childhood development. For many, dance is a way that they can express their feelings through movement where they may not have been able to vocalize them before. It is truly amazing to see how children that are non verbal yet might not be able to tell you what happens in the story, but they can dance it for you.
For those parents that do not know ballet basics, there is no need to worry because there are many resources out there for you and your child to learn together. Also, if there is one thing I have learned it is that children love to become teachers. Allow them to walk you through what you should be doing in each scene of the book, they will be quick to tell you if you are doing something wrong, just be prepared to do some leaps and twirls! If you are helping your child come up with the dance, think about what actions they can do (jumps, leaps, twirls, marches, maybe even some balances), but also think about what is happening in the story.
Is there a battle and should there be lots of marching? Do they meet the sugar plum fairy and should there be lots of twirling? I provide videos for each of these dances on my YouTube page, so there is no need to worry!
Besides the physical benefits that come along with ballet, I think it is most important that young children can develop a sense of pride in their own work, build confidence, and find a way to channel their emotional energy into a creative outlet. These are social and mental ways that ballet can help young children beyond just the physical.
Best Wishes,
Isabelle Parenti