Wiggletoes
Tiny Dancers’ exclusive program for toddlers ages 2-3
Spring recital ‘Sweetheart Dance’
Hello dancers, Miss Karly here — to unravel the mysteries of another one of the specialty classes taught at Tiny Dancers … Wiggletoes! Ah yes, Wiggletoes, that age 2-3 dance class that has launched thousands of dance dreams and plenty of parents’ step counts (if you keep track of that sort of thing). But what exactly happens in a class with toddlers? Read on to find out!
First things first, who should be in a Wiggletoes class? Children have to be at least 2 years old to join Wiggletoes. We think two is the perfect age for children to begin learning from someone who isn’t their parent and develop social skills with other children their age. While there is a minimum age requirement, there is no maximum age cap and children can stay in the class as long as they need to. Some children may “graduate” from the class at age four, and that is totally fine.
Wait, I’m forgetting someone… you! Yes, Wiggletoes is a parent participatory class. Because this is most likely the children’s first class and first time learning from someone who isn’t their parent, we need you there to help make the transition as smooth as possible. Also, your children look up to you and want to copy your behavior, so if you are dancing, they will most likely dance too! We know that sometimes family comes to visit and they want to see the fun, so we welcome grandma, grandpa, aunts and uncles should they want to participate with your child (one adult per class please).
You may be wondering what other things you can do to make your two-year-old as comfortable as possible at their first dance lesson. Here are a few of my best tips:
Dress the part! Girls should wear a leotard, tights and pink ballet slippers and boys should wear a white t-shirt, black dance pants and black ballet slippers. You can buy the leotard, tights and ballet slippers at the studio, which brings me to my next tip…
Don’t stress! If you forget something, it’s not a big deal! We are here to make dance and your experience fun.
My last tip is to come 15 minutes early to class so if you have any questions, need to use the bathroom, or want to check out our merchandise, you can. The teacher may be teaching another class and not be available to help if you arrive earlier than 15 minutes before your class, so I would aim for that window!
The most frequent question we get about Wiggletoes is how to know when to move on. Your child is ready for the Tiny Dancers Age 3 class when they can listen to another instructor without you in the room for 45 minutes. If you are not sure if your child is ready, you can work with your Wiggletoes teacher to begin transitioning your dancer to being by themselves all class; just have a talk with your instructor.
I hope this blog has answered some of your questions about our Wiggletoes classes! If you have any lingering questions, please feel free to email or call your studio manager. For a schedule of our classes, go to https://www.tinydancers.com. Thank you!