How to do dance moms moves

Dance Moms' Most Memorable Stars: Where Are They Now?

Reality TV

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Who’s at the top of the pyramid? JoJo Siwa, Maddie Ziegler and more stole the spotlight on Dance Moms — and their parents weren’t afraid to bring the drama.

The Lifetime reality series premiered in 2011 and followed the Abby Lee Dance Company’s junior elite competition team as they rehearsed and performed rigorous new routines each week. Originally, the team consisted of Maddie, Mackenzie Ziegler, Nia Sioux, Chloe Lukasiak, Brooke Hyland and Paige Hyland. While the talented tots put their moves to the test, their mothers bickered about how to get their child to become a star.

Dance Moms originally ran for seven seasons through February 2017 and inspired several spin-offs, including Dance Moms: Miami and Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition. In March 2017, studio owner Abby Lee Miller announced that she was leaving the series amid ongoing legal troubles. Two months later, she was sentenced to one year and a day in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to fraud charges.

Abby’s ups and downs didn’t end there. In April 2018, she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and was ultimately left wheelchair-bound after several surgeries. However, the longtime dance instructor took her own advice and “saved her tears for her pillow,” making a triumphant return to an additional eighth season of Dance Moms in June 2019.

Before new students swarmed the Pennsylvania-based dance studio for season 8, original dancers Maddie and Mackenzie were ALDC favorites. Us Weekly confirmed in December 2015 that Maddie was leaving the series — and the dance studio she grew up in — as her career took off.

“Acting is something she’s really excited to pursue and [Maddie] is in high demand,” a source explained at the time following the young dancer’s impressive collaborations with Grammy-nominated artist Sia.

The Music star’s younger sister and their mom, Melissa Gisoni, departed the Lifetime show soon after. In a candid personal essay for Cosmopolitan published in June 2016, the mother of two opened up about the unexpected challenges that came with raising her kids in the spotlight. Though it was hard to leave the studio they loved behind, Melissa knew it was time to say goodbye.

“Dance Moms was really a great platform for my kids, but they were pretty much done with it,” she wrote at the time. “It’s the same thing over and over, week after week. My kids told me they didn’t want to do it anymore. When my kids aren’t happy anymore, I don’t care about anything else. It was also holding the kids back. … My kids are very happy. They miss the girls but they don’t miss the drama.”

Scroll down to learn what your favorite Dance Moms stars are up to now:

Who’s at the top of the pyramid? JoJo Siwa, Maddie Ziegler and more stole the spotlight on Dance Moms — and their parents weren’t afraid to bring the drama. The Lifetime reality series premiered in 2011 and followed the Abby Lee Dance Company’s junior elite competition team as they rehearsed and performed rigorous new routines each week. Originally, the team consisted of Maddie, Mackenzie Ziegler, Nia Sioux, Chloe Lukasiak, Brooke Hyland and Paige Hyland. While the talented tots put their moves to the test, their mothers bickered about how to get their child to become a star. Dance Moms originally ran for seven seasons through February 2017 and inspired several spin-offs, including Dance Moms: Miami and Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition. In March 2017, studio owner Abby Lee Miller announced that she was leaving the series amid ongoing legal troubles. Two months later, she was sentenced to one year and a day in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to fraud charges. Abby’s ups and downs didn’t end there. In April 2018, she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and was ultimately left wheelchair-bound after several surgeries. However, the longtime dance instructor took her own advice and “saved her tears for her pillow,” making a triumphant return to an additional eighth season of Dance Moms in June 2019. [jwplayer 7d23YeBo-zhNYySv2] Before new students swarmed the Pennsylvania-based dance studio for season 8, original dancers Maddie and Mackenzie were ALDC favorites. Us Weekly confirmed in December 2015 that Maddie was leaving the series — and the dance studio she grew up in — as her career took off. “Acting is something she’s really excited to pursue and [Maddie] is in high demand,” a source explained at the time following the young dancer’s impressive collaborations with Grammy-nominated artist Sia. The Music star’s younger sister and their mom, Melissa Gisoni, departed the Lifetime show soon after. In a candid personal essay for Cosmopolitan published in June 2016, the mother of two opened up about the unexpected challenges that came with raising her kids in the spotlight. Though it was hard to leave the studio they loved behind, Melissa knew it was time to say goodbye. “Dance Moms was really a great platform for my kids, but they were pretty much done with it,” she wrote at the time. “It's the same thing over and over, week after week. My kids told me they didn't want to do it anymore. When my kids aren't happy anymore, I don't care about anything else. It was also holding the kids back. … My kids are very happy. They miss the girls but they don't miss the drama.” Scroll down to learn what your favorite Dance Moms stars are up to now: [podcast_block]

The Abby Lee Dance Company founder appeared on Dance Moms for eight seasons before inspiring spin-off series Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition, Dance Moms: Miami and Dance Moms: Abby's Studio Rescue. In 2016, Abby pleaded guilty to felony bankruptcy fraud and was later sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison, but was released early. The Pennsylvania native was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma in 2018. After 10 rounds of chemo and several surgeries, which left her wheelchair-bound, Abby announced in May 2019 that she was cancer-free.

Us confirmed in December 2015 that Maddie — who was Miller’s star student — would be leaving the reality show after its sixth season. By that point in her career, she had appeared in Sia’s “Chandelier” and “Elastic Heart” music videos and had performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Dancing With the Stars and Saturday Night Live. After her Dance Moms exit, Maddie became a judge on Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation and wrote a trilogy of YA novels. In 2021, she starred in Sia’s controversial film, Music, and in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of West Side Story.

The Teen Choice Award winner, like her older sister, left the Lifetime show in 2016 after six seasons to pursue other projects. Prior to making her Dance Moms exit permanent, she recorded a hit album, Mack Z, and made her acting debut on Nickelodeon’s Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn. Mackenzie continued to reach for pop stardom in 2017 when she joined singer Johnny Orlando on tour throughout the U.S. and U.K. From 2018 to 2020, the “Girl Party” artist starred in high school drama series Total Eclipse on Brat TV. She returned to reality TV in 2021 when she competed as the Tulip on Fox’s The Masked Dancer, finishing in third place overall.

Maddie and Mackenzie’s mom admitted in a June 2016 Cosmopolitan essay that she “never wanted to be on TV” — and never wants to return, even though Dance Moms was “really a great platform” for her kids. Though she’s grown more “protective” over her daughters since their time on the show, she doesn’t consider herself a traditional “stage mom. ” In 2020, Melissa reunited with fellow Dance Moms alums Kelly, Holly and Jill to launch the “Because Mom Said So” podcast.

The former ALDC member was constantly pitted against Maddie for competition glory and eventually couldn’t handle the pressure. Chloe left Dance Moms in 2014 after four seasons, but she and her mom briefly returned for guest roles in season 7. In 2016, she starred in Lifetime’s TV movie Center Stage: On Pointe and made a cameo on NBC’s Superstore. Her first book, Girl on Pointe: Chloe's Guide to Taking on the World, was released in January 2018. The Pepperdine University student now has a successful YouTube channel with more than 2.2 million subscribers.

One of the OG cast members, Christi’s rocky relationship with the ALDC founder was at the center of her Dance Moms story line. Before ultimately deciding she and Chloe were done with the show in 2014, Christi frequently called out favoritism toward Maddie in the studio. She has since turned toward charity work, signing on with mental health advocacy organization YourMomCares in 2019. Reality TV fans have also found Christi on TikTok, where she shares her best “Adulting 101” tips.

The Nebraska native joined Dance Moms during its fifth season after making the top five on Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition in 2013. Following her reality TV stardom, JoJo released pop singles “Boomerang” and “I Can Make U Dance,” later launching a nationwide U.S. tour in 2019. The Masked Singer alum was named one of TIME magazine’s most influential people in the world in September 2020. Four months later, she publicly came out as a member of the LGBTQ community. “Personally, I have never, ever, ever been this happy before and it feels really awesome,” she said in an Instagram Live at the time, shortly before introducing her girlfriend, Kylie Prew, to her social media followers.

In August 2021, Siwa joined season 30 of Dancing With the Stars and danced with a woman, becoming the first celeb on the show to be paired with a professional dancer of the same sex.

Siwa and Prew eventually split in November 2021 amid her stint on DWTS, in which she placed second with pro Jenna Johnson. The songstress — who cohosts Siwas Dance Pop Revolution with mom Jessalynn Siwa — has since moved on, confirming in March 2022 that she has a new partner.

JoJo’s mom owned her own dance studio in Nebraska before the mother-daughter duo moved to Pennsylvania to join the ALDC. She now hosts her own podcast, “Success With Jess,” and sells rhinestones to make competitive dancers’ costumes pop on stage.

The UCLA student was one of the original members of the ALDC and remained on the team until the seventh season of Dance Moms, making her the longest-tenured dancer on the reality series. She has since kept fans hooked on her YouTube channel and has released her own music. In 2016, Nia made her Off-Broadway debut in Trip of Love and later joined the cast of CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful.

In September 2021, she returned to Lifetime for the film Imperfect High. She played a teen drug addict opposite Sherri Shepherd.

The former school administrator was one of the most vocal parents on Dance Moms, often calling out favoritism and typecasting in the ALDC studio. She and her daughter, Nia, remained with the company until the show’s seventh season. Known to fans as Dr. Holly, the Carnegie Mellon alum cohosts the “Because Mom Said So” podcast with several of her fellow Dance Moms alums.

After joining the ALDC in season 2 of the Lifetime series, Kendall had a rocky road to the top of the pyramid. She was put on probation several times throughout her time on the competition team and briefly performed with Candy Apples Dance Center, the ALDC’s rival. Like many of her fellow Dance Moms alums, Kendall turned to vlogging after the show ended in 2019

The former pharmaceutical sales rep made a strong impression when she and Kendall joined the Dance Moms family. Jill was known for wanting to get her daughter to the top — no matter what — and frequently disagreed with the other moms. After her time as a reality TV star came to an end, Jill joined Kelly, Holly and Melissa in launching the “Because Mom Said So” podcast.

Once the eldest member of the ALDC elite team, Brooke and her sister, Paige, were dismissed from the show after season 4 in 2014. The “I Hurt” singer struggled with back injuries throughout her dance career due to her acrobatic routines. After leaving Dance Moms, Brooke pursued a business degree at Ohio University and graduated in 2019.

Like her older sister, Paige experienced plenty of ups and downs with her dance teacher before being kicked off of the competition team in 2014. She graduated high school in 2019 and enrolled at West Virginia University.

A former ALDC student herself, Kelly’s long history with Abby often caused tension between them. Her explosive behavior led to an alleged physical altercation between her and the studio owner, causing Kelly and her daughters to exit the show. In 2014, a lawsuit was filed against Abby on behalf of Kelly’s daughter Paige, alleging emotional distress. The case was dismissed one year later. Amid her drama with the ALDC, Kelly tweeted that she would be writing a book about her experience at the studio. In 2020, she started cohosting the “Because Mom Said So” podcast with former Dance Moms castmates.

The Arizona native made her Dance Moms debut in 2013 and was quickly promoted to a regular cast member once she earned a permanent place on the ALDC elite team. She previously competed on season 2 of Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition and had a small role on ABC Family’s Bunheads. Kalani began to put more focus on acting in 2018 when she starred alongside Noah Centineo in Swiped, a coming-of-age romantic-comedy. The Dirt actress sparked controversy in 2020 when she was pictured with a Blue Lives Matter flag and later revealed that she was voting for former president Donald Trump when he ran for re-election.

Kalani’s mom ran her own dance studio in Arizona before they made the move to the East coast to join the ALDC team. Kira is also the mother of two sons: Jax, born in 2007, and Jett, born in 2015. She’s engaged to Arizona real estate mogul David Newman.

The choreographer was a constant presence in the ALDC studio throughout all eight seasons of the Lifetime series. She continued working with Abby, her former instructor, when the Los Angeles-based studio had its grand opening in 2015. During an emotional Lifetime special before season 8 of Dance Moms aired in 2019, Abby admitted that Gianna was her greatest “legacy.”

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What the Stars Are Doing Over 10 Years Later

'Dance Moms': What the Stars Are Doing Over 10 Years Later Search iconA magnifying glass. It indicates, "Click to perform a search". Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.

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"Dance Moms" first aired nearly 10 years ago. Jason Merritt/KCA2015/Getty Images

The reality show "Dance Moms" first premiered on Lifetime 10 years ago in 2011.
JoJo Siwa has gone on to achieve a massive social-media following.
Maddie Ziegler made it big when she danced in Sia's music video.

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Maddie Ziegler was 8 years old when "Dance Moms" started filming.

Maddie Ziegler on "Dance Moms." Lifetime

In the first episode, her mom, Melissa Gisoni, proudly declared that Maddie was Abby Lee Miller's, the controversial and strict teacher of the elite Abby Lee Dance Company, favorite student.

The dancer kept that title for most of her ALDC career.

The 19-year-old is one of the most famous dancers to emerge from the show.

Maddie Ziegler appeared in the "West Side Story" remake. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

In 2014, Maddie hit it big when musician Sia tapped her to appear in the "Chandelier" music video. The two have continued to work closely together, and Ziegler starred in Sia's 2021 movie "Music," which has been criticized for casting an able-bodied actor to play a disabled character.

Maddie also played Velma in the 2021 "West Side Story" remake.

In addition to dancing and acting, she judged Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance?" in 2016, released a memoir titled "The Maddie Diaries" in 2017, and launched a makeup collection with Morphe in 2020.

Maddie's younger sister, Mackenzie, was one of the youngest ALDC dancers.

Mackenzie Ziegler on "Dance Moms." Lifetime

Mackenzie was around 6 years old at the start of the show, so she competed in a lower age bracket than the rest of the team.

She was known for her comedic quotes, like when she said she didn't need to be a Broadway dancer, she just wanted to stay home and eat chips.

She's now focusing on an acting and singing career.

Mackenzie Ziegler released an album, "Phases," in 2018. Paul Archuleta/Getty Images

After leaving "Dance Moms," Mackenzie has released music under the stage name Kenzie.

She dropped her first album "Phases" in 2018 and even collaborated with Sia for her 2020 song "Exhale."

With a growing presence on YouTube and TikTok, Kenzie's also branched into acting by starring on the Brat web series "Total Eclipse" and voicing the main character in the US version of the film "Ice Princess Lily" (2019).

Recently, Mackenzie competed as Tulip on Fox's "The Masked Dancer" and came in third place. She also played Ivy in "Let Us In" (2021).

In September 2021, she marked a new era of her music career with her single "Happy for Me," and she also released her collaboration with NOTD, "Worst Thing," in May 2022.

Chloe Lukasiak often played second fiddle to Maddie.

Chloe Lukasiak on "Dance Moms.

" Lifetime

Chloe was 9 years old when she first appeared on "Dance Moms," and she was one of Maddie's biggest challengers.

Every week was a battle to see which one of them would win the solo at the competition.

Now, she's a published writer.

Chloe Lukasiak has talked about attending Pepperdine University.

John Wolfsohn/Getty Images

Chloe stepped away from the often-toxic competitive-dance world when she left the series at the end of season four. Now, she's 20 years old.

She has a separate Instagram where she posts her poetry, and she previously released a book in 2018 called "Girl on Pointe: Chloe's Guide to Taking on the World."

She also uploads vlogs on YouTube for over 2 million subscribers. In her videos, she talks about attending Pepperdine University and her college experience.

Additionally, Chloe has appeared in various movies like "Center Stage: On Pointe" (2016) and "Loophole" (2019).

Nia Sioux was 10 when her "Dance Moms" journey began.

Nia Sioux on "Dance Moms." Lifetime

Although Abby Lee seemingly didn't consider her one of the top dancers, Nia held her own and even learned how to perfect a difficult signature move — the death drop, in which the dancer falls to the ground in a split-legged pose.

Nia is currently enrolled at UCLA.

Nia Sioux is acting and singing while attending UCLA. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

The 20-year-old is attending UCLA while also staying busy with a budding singing and acting career.

She's worked on shows like CBS' "The Bold and the Beautiful" and Brat's web series "Sunnyside Up. "

Nia dropped her latest single "Low Key Love" in 2020, and she vlogs on YouTube for over a million subscribers.

In 2021, she started the podcast "Adulting with Teala and Nia" alongside Teala Dunn and played Hanna Brooks in the TV movie "Imperfect High."

She also appeared in the film "I Am Mortal" in 2021.

Brooke Hyland was the oldest member of the team when the show started.

Brooke Hyland on "Dance Moms." Lifetime

At 13 years old, Brooke had already been dancing for years and seemed, at times, to be getting tired of it.

Throughout the series, she would say that she was missing out on regular high-school activities because she was so focused on dance.

Brooke eventually got the normal school experience she wanted.

Brooke Hyland graduated from Ohio University. Presley Ann/Getty Images

After leaving the show at age 16, Brooke finished up high school and eventually went on to graduate from Ohio University with a marketing degree in 2019.

She tried her hand at a singing career shortly after she left "Dance Moms," but now she runs a popular food-themed Instagram account and occasionally posts on her YouTube channel, which has over 200,000 subscribers.

She still seems to be close friends with Nia and was pictured hanging out with her in late 2020.

Brooke's younger sister, Paige, was 10 years old when the show started.

Paige Hyland on "Dance Moms." Lifetime

Paige tried hard to keep up with Chloe and Maddie but often found herself relegated to group dances instead of solos.

Kendall Vertes joined the show on season two.

Kendall Vertes on "Dance Moms." Lifetime

Dancing since she was just 18 months old, the then-9-year-old stayed on the show through season seven.

Kendall is now an actress and singer.

Kendall Vertes has appeared in several films.

Paul Archuleta/Getty Images

Under the stage name Kendall K, she released several albums and singles, with her latest song "Girl Talk" debuting in 2018.

The 19-year-old also branched into acting, recently appearing in the movies "Rapunzel: A Princess Frozen in Time" (2019), "Santa in Training" (2019), and a live-action version of "Anastasia" (2020), about the Romanov royal family.

In 2021, she started hosting "The Kendall K. and Friends Show" on CBS-TV.

She also regularly posts on her Instagram page, which has over 9 million followers.

Asia Monet Ray joined the show during season three.

Asia Monet Ray on "Dance Moms." Lifetime

When she was 8 years old, Asia was brought onto the ALDC team and challenged other performers like Mackenzie.

Asia is now focusing on a singing career.

Asia Monet Ray posts song covers on YouTube.

Yuchen Liao/Getty Images

After "Dance Moms," she had her own Lifetime reality show called "Raising Asia" that ran for a single season in 2014.

Asia also jumped into acting, appearing on multiple episodes of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and FX's "American Crime Story."

These days, the 16-year-old is prioritizing a music career, as she released her single "Real Life" in 2019 and frequently posts song covers on her YouTube page to nearly 500,000 subscribers.

Kalani Hilliker joined the elite dance team during season four.

Kalani Hilliker on "Dance Moms.

" Lifetime

Kalani gained attention on Lifetime's "Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition," a "Dance Moms" spin-off in which young performers compete for $100,000 and a scholarship to the Joffrey Ballet School.

She officially joined the reality-show cast when she was 13 years old.

The 21-year-old is still dancing.

Kalani Hilliker launched a line of prom dresses.

Dana Pleasant/Getty Images for boohoo.com

Her Instagram page, which has over 6 million followers, is filled with videos showing off her moves. She captioned one clip, "Dance is always my 1st love."

In addition to dancing, Kalani now vlogs on her YouTube channel for over 800,000 subscribers.

She also dove into the world of fashion with a line of formal dresses for Prom Girl, and several "Dance Moms" alumni, like Nia and Kendall, attended her launch event.

Kalani's also acted in projects like the movie "Swiped" (2018) and on the Brat TV show "Dirt."

She still seems to be friends with Kendall, and shared a selfie with her on Instagram in January 2021.

JoJo Siwa joined the "Dance Moms" cast in 2015.

JoJo Siwa on "Dance Moms." Lifetime

JoJo was a late addition to the series, officially joining during season five.

Before her entrance to the official team, JoJo was on "Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition" when she was only 9 years old.

She's one of the most famous stars to come from the show.

JoJo Siwa has millions of followers and subscribers across multiple platforms. Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for GLAAD

JoJo has over 12 million subscribers on her YouTube channel and she's also gained over 41 million followers on TikTok.

The 19-year-old does a little bit of everything, from acting to singing to vlogging.

JoJo also has an accessories line with Claire's, portrayed T-Rex on Fox's "The Masked Singer," and was named one of Time's 100 most influential people of 2020.

Recently, she starred in Nickelodeon's dance flick "The J Team" (2021).

She also competed and got second place on season 30 0f ABC's "Dancing With the Stars," though she earned the first perfect score of the season for her and dance partner Jenna Johnson's foxtrot.

How to teach a child to dance at home

Dancing is a fun and positive activity that has absolutely no age restrictions. Already in the first year of their life, babies make their first dance movements to the music - they clap, squat, stomp their feet. As children grow older and develop motor skills, they are able to master more and more complex elements of dance, but for this they need the help and support of their parents.

We stimulate the desire to dance

Having noticed a preschooler's interest in dancing, mothers and fathers try to develop it and, as a rule, enroll the child in classes at dance studios. Moreover, many parents simply do not know how to teach their child to dance at home on their own, so they prefer to leave it in the hands of experienced coaches. Such a decision is logical and rational if you want to "grow" a professional dancer out of your baby. In most cases, namely for general development and just pleasure, classes with a child of 3-6 years old can be carried out at home.

Parents need to remember and understand that dance is, first of all, a way of self-expression. An impromptu free dance reflects the characteristics of a person’s character, his temperament. Each child dances in their own way: someone jumps rhythmically to the beat of the music, someone modestly shifts from foot to foot, and someone demonstrates original movements. The task of parents is not to "reshape" their baby's dance style, but to help him develop his potential and become liberated, if necessary.

Moms and dads do not need to schedule classes with their baby - the beauty of home dancing is that you can do it at any time. Heard a rhythmic song on the radio - dance, clean the house to the music - find time for dancing. With a child of 3-4 years old, it is not even necessary to learn specific dances, because. at this age, it is enough to simply develop general musicality, plasticity and a sense of rhythm.

It is very important to decide on the choice of musical material that stimulates the child's desire to dance. Watch the baby's reaction to individual songs - some compositions will make him feel sad, and some will lift him up and make him dance.

From easy to hard

Preschoolers soak up information at an incredible rate, so don't be surprised if you see your toddler diligently copying dance moves from a recent video clip. Children are open to new knowledge and skills, but it will take some time to master them. If a child fails to reproduce the dance he likes, it is necessary to support him and help him learn the movements. This should be done gradually, without pushing and, moreover, without criticizing the baby.

Some parents are in a hurry to choose the right dance style for their child right away. Moreover, the decisive factor is usually the personal preferences of mom and dad, and not the desire of the baby. It is important to understand here that dancing is creativity and a way of self-expression, so the right to choose still belongs to the child himself. Perhaps the kid does not want to limit himself to one style at all and dances, rather, for pleasure, and not to achieve a certain result.

The process of teaching a child to dance should be exciting, presented in a playful way. You can start with improvisations - just turn on the music, dance yourself and invite your baby to join you. Already at this stage, it is possible to assess the general potential of a preschooler, as well as the degree of his enthusiasm and sense of rhythm. Gradually move on to learning easy dance moves:

turns;
jumping;
steps;
handclaps;
inflows;
rocking from side to side.

For an adult, such elements seem very simple, but children aged 3-4 years have to work hard to perform them correctly. Be sure to demonstrate all the movements yourself and encourage the baby, even if he does not perform them quite confidently.

Gradually begin to "link" the individual elements into a dance - combine them using stomps and claps as transitions. Learning even such easy dances develops the attention, memory and coordination of the child, which is very important at preschool age. The main thing is not to get hung up on the quality of movements and let the baby enjoy the process.

And a few more tips for parents helping their child learn to dance:

Encourage your child to dance . Give compliments, praise, but do not overdo it - a few words of praise will be enough to cheer up the baby.
Choose dances that suit your child's temperament . It is difficult for active and restless children to concentrate while performing a waltz, and moving dances are not easy for calm and relaxed children.
Cultivate a love of music . If a child likes music, then it will be easier for him to dance - a sense of rhythm and a musical mood greatly facilitate the learning process.
Organize home discos. Some children, even having excellent dancing skills, are simply too shy to dance. In this case, they need to be helped to overcome their modesty, to become liberated. And you can do this with the help of home discos, where the baby will feel calmer and more confident.

Over time, parents will decide for themselves when to send their child to dances, and whether it is worth it at all. Perhaps the kid will not want to go to classes at the dance studio, but will be happy to dance at home when he hears his favorite song. The main thing is that when making a decision, the desire of the child himself must be taken into account.

Does your baby like to dance? Does he usually dance at home, or did you enroll him in a dance studio? How do you think you can teach a child to dance on their own?

Dances for children from one year old: we dance at home with mom

I am glad to greet you, dear parents!

Today I want to talk to you about choreography for your kids. Do you dance at home with your child or does he not like to do it. Although, by their nature, children are always willing to dance, the main thing is to interest the baby, not to frighten them with loud music.

Until the age of 1, my son used to dance quite often even before he could walk. First, under advertising, then under MTV clips, although I included children's songs during the day. But he didn’t show much desire to dance under them. We danced with him in our arms, for some reason he liked them more than children's ones.

Then we grew up and started going to a developing school for toddlers. There they had a music lesson, where the guys danced, danced round dances, played spoons, studied musical instruments, those who could speak sang along a little.

And I began to notice that Danilka liked everything very much, he took part in these events with pleasure. And we decided to dance with him at home from time to time. Then it became a tradition and now we dance almost every day.

Dances for children from one year old can and even should be done at home. This is gymnastics, and a game, and a developmental exercise at the same time. Everything is involved here! and how much delight in those eyes!

Dancing for children from one year old, what could be more exciting?

Contents

How and where to start?
Repertoire and movements
Summary

How and where to start?

You can start from the moment when the baby holds the head well. And already slowly with him in your arms you can make the first curtsies. Then you can take his hand in yours and spin around like in a pair dance. Then it can be waves - you can hold the baby in different positions and shake it a little. Smile at him and hum. These are the very first dance lessons.
For classes, it is better to choose daytime hours, as children get overexcited very quickly and can fall asleep badly or sleep restlessly after active classes.
Choose the right time. The child is full and in good spirits. But if he is distracted by some important activity, such as laying out candy wrappers, I don’t know if you can tear him away from this. Maybe you turn on the music and he will throw everything. In general, look at the situation.
If suddenly the kid refuses to study, do not force him, put it off for later.
Of course, in order to dance at home, you have to make room for it. So that the child can spin around, and squat, and wave his arms and not fly into the furniture at the same time.
Start dancing yourself and call your baby, kids usually agree with pleasure.
Then later you can introduce so-called musical instruments into your classes - these can be wooden spoons, maracas, bells, and whatever the child desires.

Repertoire and movements

To start with, offer the music you have, it can be any children's song collections or just children's music.

It can also be nature music or contemporary music.

I think that since we will be dancing with a baby, then the music should be baby-like. And you watch the child, which one he likes more, and choose that one.

May include both simple music and children's clips.

But the important point is that the mother acts as a choreographer and shows everything first herself, then we repeat the movements with the child's hands.

Later, as the child learns, he will perform the movements himself.

Of course, children at the age of one or two will perform the simplest movements.