Irish Music & Dance Interactive Story Hour!

Children will learn the basics of Irish dance and develop their ear for Irish music in this fun and engaging story hour!  

In class, children will: 
1) Learn where Ireland is, and what kinds of characters are in Irish folktales
2) Dance our signature warmup (that includes the basic moves of Irish dancing) to an Irish tune (played by the instructor on concertina/accordion
3) Sing a song from the Irish tradition
4) Dramatize an Irish folktale (that will include the dancing and song we learned earlier in class)  

We are a Reggio Emilia inspired curriculum, and so all activities have joyful engagement as the primary goal. Our teachers are always listening to the "hundred languages of children" for opportunities to engage all members of the group. Children's confidence and interest will be strengthened through the teaching practice of meeting them at their level of understanding and interest, and giving them opportunities to express their ideas and understanding. 

Community development has been the aim of traditional arts for centuries, and so students will have opportunities to share and interact with the other children if they wish.   If they would rather listen and be a "good audience member" that is fine with us. There will be many opportunities to engage, and we will check in with the children throughout the class so that they can engage at their comfort level. The goal is to develop their listening ear, engage them in the stories, and give them opportunities to explore the basic dance moves in an empowering way, rather than demanding exact replication. 

No prior experience or special shoes/clothing required.  Students may enjoy wearing "noisy shoes" (shoes that will make noise on the floor as they dance) but it is not required.