Toddler Dance Classes
At Mala we aim to make learning to dance an unforgettable and truly magical experience – for you and your little star. Our highly qualified and welcoming teachers offer toddlers, pre-schoolers’ and young children the chance to dance while having fun and making friends.
All our Twinkle Toes and Mini Street dance classes are structured yet fun-packed and are an ideal activity for little ones just embarking on their dance journey. Our lessons teach the foundation techniques of Ballet Modern & Tap dancing. Encouraging engagement through imaginative scenarios and creative settings.
Our Twinkle Toes sessions help development by improving motor skills, social skills, Musicality, confidence, posture, and co-ordination.
Our classical dance lessons include Tap, Ballet and Modern, all taught along the ISTD syllabus. These classes are a favorite among many of our students. Everyone loves the opportunity to explore the dance practice taught in these classes, whilst working towards either show work, competitions or their ISTD exams. Our amazing dance teachers ensure that everyone gets individual attention whilst keeping the class collaborative. We have lessons for children as young as 2 up to and including adults. Want to find out more? Get in touch with us today.
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What is Ballet?
Ballet is an artistic expressive and magical dance style. Performed generally to classical music wearing dazzling costumes known as Tu Tu's. Ballet dance uses precise highly formalised steps & gestures and it is a highly technical dance style with its own vocabulary.
Ballet was first performed in Italy in the early 15th century and later was refined and developed in the courts of Louis the sixteenth of France. Ballet is now widespread and can be seen performed on stages across the world.
What is Tap?
Tap Tap dancing is performed wearing shoes fitted with metal taps at both the ball and heel.
Tap is characterised by rhythmical movements of the ankle resulting in tapping/ striking of the taps against the floor. This tapping action acts as a percussive interpretation of the music.
Tap dance originated in America in the early 19th century and is thought to have been used by the African slaves as a means of communication to express emotion and to help then to retain their cultural identity.
Over time Tap dance evolved and became more recognisable as the dance we know today. By 1920 Tap was extremely popular and just about every show from vaudeville to Broadway featured Tap dancing.
Tap dance is a particularly dynamic style and is now performed to a variety of different music styles using syncopated rhythms and rapid footwork
What is Modern?
Modern is a rhythmical Dance style rooted in Musical Theatre which originated in America in 1920's. It is often seen in Musical productions both in the Westend and on Broadway & can be recognised by its use of travelling movements high kicks leaps & turns. All of which require strength and flexibility. Modern Dance also incorporates elements of Lyrical and Jazz dancing.
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What is Contemporary?
Contemporary dance emerged in the 1950's as dancers began to rebel against the formality and constraints of Classical Ballet technique. Dancers were seeking to find a way to move with more fluidity and began experimenting with different types of body movements. Because of the technical difficulty of Contemporary dance it is often perceived as being closely related to classical Ballet, Modern & Jazz dance. Contemporary dance has now become more mainstream and is studied and performed world wide.
Street Dance?
Street /Hip Hop & Urban dance are genres that were cultivated outside of a studio setting. As the name suggests Street dance was a popular social style of dancing created in America In the 1970's. It has since spread internationally.
People would Street dance anywhere that had an outside open space: a park Street or sidewalk. An important element of Street dance is that it was not formally taught in a studio setting but improvised in an open and informal space. As such it involved interaction between the dancers and the spectators.
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Uniform
Mala operate a strict uniform code and students will be expected to adhere to the uniform codes when attending lessons. Mala stock all uniform items and also a range of ballet and tap shoes, warm up garments, dance bags, gifts & much more!
All students are expected to arrive for Ballet Classes with their hair neatly groomed into a bun, it is preferred that hair accessories are Mala Dance  uniform bows.
Twinkle toes Uniform: Burgundy leotard and chiffon skirt, pink ballet shoes, pink ballet socks and pink tap shoes. Wrap around cardigan in burgundy (optional).
Pre-primary (Friday Class) :Â Lilac cap sleeved leotard, with skirt, pink ballet socks, pink ballet shoes and pink tap shoes. Wrap around cardigan in white (optional).
Pre-primary (Saturday Class): Pink cap sleeved leotard with skirt, pink ballet socks, pink ballet shoes and pink tap shoes. Wrap around cardigan in white (optional).
Primary (Friday Class) : Purple cap sleeved leotard with skirt, pink ballet socks, pink ballet shoes and pink tap Shoes. Wrap around Cardigan in white (optional).
Primary (Saturday Class) :Â Fuschia cap sleeved leotard with skirt, pink ballet socks, pink ballet shoes and pink tap shoes. Wrap around Cardigan in white (optional).
Primary (Wednesday Class) :Â Blue cap sleeved leotard with skirt, pink ballet socks, pink ballet shoes and pink tap shoes. Wrap around Cardigan in White (optional).
Grade 1:Â Â Aqua cap sleeved skirted leotard, pink ballet tights , pink ballet shoes and black tap shoes. White Wrap around cardigan ( optional).
Grade 2: Coral cap sleeved leotard, black shorts, pink ballet shoes and black tap shoes.Â
Grade 3 & 4:Â Mulberry cap sleeved leotard with pink convertible tights, black booty shorts, pink canvas ballet shoes and black tap shoes.Â
Grade 4 & 5: Royal blue leotard with pink seamless transition tights, black booty shorts, pink canvas ballet shoes and black lace up tap shoes.Â
Grade 6 & above: Black slash neck leotard, pink ballet tights, pink ballet shoes and black oxford style tap shoes.Â
All uniform is available from the Mala shop.