Sensory Challenges and Physical Development

(including Core Stability and Muscle Tone)

This is the core area that we focus our dance syllabus around. By learning dance skills, children and young people benefit over a long-term period, in the following ways:

• They develop muscle tone (even if they begin with very low muscle tone).
• They develop core strength, which increases their core stability.
• Their posture improves.
• They develop techniques for improving their walking gait, where this is a weak area.
• They develop ankle strength, so that they can hold their ankles up more easily.
• They develop a greater feeling in their whole body.
• Their overall coordination improves.
• They learn to respond sensitively to music – which can be used as a model for responding sensitively to people.

We use a wide range of sensory equipment to support children’s and young people’s development in these areas, and to support their learning of new movements.