Children Classes

3-8 years Improvers Children Latin and Ballroom dancing - 45 min in duration
No partner necessary. Sitable for children 3 - 8 years old. We will be building on what the kids have learnt from our beginners class, improving the way they dance the Cha cha and Waltz, the Samba, Jive and Quickstep will be covered in more details. We will also cover other skills that are essential in dance including rhythm, presentaion, performance and listening. The children will learn how to work together to perform a formation routine. All students wil take part in our end of year performance on 9th June 2012.

Children who have reached a certain standard, will be invited to take part in competitions.
Please click here for more information on competitions.

Classes for improvers take place every Friday 4.30-5.15 p.m. at Glenealy Village Hall.

Booking is essential since we try to keep the class at an optimal size so that we can give each child some indiviual attention. Please call 086 326 2635 or click here to enrol

Competitive Latin and Ballroom dancing
Once dancers have mastered the basic steps, they could be asked to attend the Competitive class. The classes are designed to train dancers to a competitve level and will be entered into competition. They will also be taking part in the end of year performance on 9th June 2012 and any other show opportunities that comes up during the year. In 2011, we performed in the Wicklow Arts Festival to a great crowd.

Competitive classes take place every Friday 7-8 p.m.
Admission to this class is by invitation only. Please click here for more information on competitions.

3-8 years Beginners Children Latin and Ballroom dancing - 45 min in duration
No partner necessary. Sitable for children from 3 - 8 years old. We will be introducing kids to the rhythm of Ballroom and Latin Dancing, concentrating primarily on Cha cha and Waltz, with a fun introduction to Samba, Jive, and Quickstep. We will be laying the foundation of ballroom and latin dancing covering rhythm, presentaion and listening skill. All students will take part in our end of year performance on 9th June 2012.

Children who have reached a certain standard, will be invited to take part in competitions.
Please click here for more information on competitions.

Classes for beginners take place every Friday 5.15-6.00 p.m. at Glenealy Village Hall.

Booking is essential since we try to keep the class at an optimal size so that we can give each child some indiviual attention. Please call 086 326 2635 or click here to enrol

8-15 year old Children Latin and Ballroom dancing - 1 hour in duration
No partner necessary.We will be covering some of the 10 Ballroom and Latin dances in details. All students will take part in the end of year performance on 9th June 2012 where they will be performing a formation routine.

Students who have reached a certain standard will be asked to attend the Competition class as well as this class and will be asked to represent Wicklow Latin Dance in competitions. Please click here for more information on competitions.

Classes for 8-15 year old takes place every Friday 6-7 p.m.at Glenealy Village Hall.

Call 086 326 2635 or click here to enrol

Testimonial

'I have been dancing for 5 months and have already taken part in a competition which I enjoyed very much and I am looking forword to the next one. I feel very relaxed when I'm dancing with Elaine and Alex. They give me a lot of encouragement and I have noticed an improvement in my agility and fitness.' - Student M, aged 11

'Elaine and Alex are truly dedicated teachers I see passion and commitment to each child, there is a positive warm atmosphere which seems to emit to all of the students.
They both have a great gift of making a child feel relaxed and confident. As a parent watching, I have noticed my daughter has gained confidence, a sense of responsibility, is more sociable and has lots of fun,this has come through as a result of their method of teaching.' - Mum of student M

'My son has been dancing with Wicklow Latin Dance for over a year and is now training for competitions with his partner. Alex and Elaine are excellent dance teachers who have great patience and dedication when teaching. My son has benefited greatly from the fun atmosphere created in both group and private classes. Alex and Elaine are so encouraging and complimentary that both my son and his partner have grown in confidence and I would recommend them to anyone who is considering dance classes for their child.' - Mum of student S, aged 9

Ballroom and Latin dancing is a fun way of getting children active. Independent research done in the UK suggests that Ballroom and Latin dancing helps improve communication skills, coordination, concentration, behaviour and fitness levels. Even UK politician Ann Widdecombe encouraged children to take up ballroom and Latin dancing because of all these benefits that Ballroom and Latin dancing can bring.

Wicklow Latin Dance is a competitive Ballroom and Latin Dance school and we are the trainers of the reigning Under 8 Irish Ballroom and Latin Champions. All our children classes are structured with competitions in mind. We find that the competitions help children to focus on their learning of Ballroom and Latin dancing, teach them about presentation of one self, sportmanship, raises their confidence and self esteem.

Once a child has reached a certain level, he /she will be asked to join our competitive team whatever their age. Click here to see our competition results.

In Wicklow Latin Dance, we also believe that every child should have the chance to show off what they have learnt in our classes. Therefore, we always organise a end of year show in the summer in which all students will take part.

Wicklow Latin Dance was chosen by East Glendalough School as the teachers of their Latin American Dancing course as part of their transition year programme. Students were put through a 8 week Latin American dancing course. By the end of the course, the best couples were chosen to perform at the East Glendalough School's open evening to show case their new skill. We have received great comments from the school.
'The open evening show went really well. The students were brilliant. Thanks again to you both for your enthusiasm and professionalism.' - organiser of the Transition year programme
'Thanks a million for such a great and inspirational course in our school.' - principal of East Glendalough School

In Wicklow Latin Dance, we have various children classes to suit different levels and ages described below. We hope to see you soon.

General information about Children Latin and Ballroom dancing classes

What to wear?
Our students usually use the dance classes as an opportunity to dress up. So usually grils would come to the lessons in a dress or skirt with leggings or tights. This is however not Wicklow Latin Dance's dress code. Children can dress in whatever that they feel comfortable in. Shoes wise - put them in street shoes (ballet pump like street shoes would be best) initially, once you are sure that they are to continue with the lessons, then invest in a pair of ballroom dance shoes. They are available to order from Wicklow Latin Dance from €45. See our Shoes and Costumes page for details.

Which class is suitable for my child?
It depends on the child's coordination and concentration. If your child is 8 or 9, the Children 8-15 class may be a little challanging due to your child's coordination or concentration. In Wicklow Latin Dance, we have various classes for children, so we will assess your child's ability and advise you as to which class is best for your child.

Constant communication between teachers and parents
In Wicklow Latin Dance, we try our best to have a constant communication with the students' parents. In order for a student to progress steadily in their dancing, it is essential for the parents to encorage and reinforce what he / she has learnt in the class. For example, a student's posture would not improve simply by coming to our classes once a week, it requires constant reinforcement from the parents at home. Therefore it is essential for us to have constant communication with the parents. If you as a parent have any problems or questions, you are always welcome to call us during the week or after the class to talk them through.

When will my child start competing?
We have competitors from 3 years onwards. There are competitions to suit your child's age and ability. Please see our competition information page for more details.

Competition Costumes
Costumes for competitions and shows are availavle to hire or purchase from Wicklow Latin Dance. See our Shoes and Costumes page for details.