Learning and fun for little dancers

Ready Set Dance teacher Tori Rivers with pupils Millie Davy (left) and Macey Spicer. PICTURE / SUPPLIED

There's a dance programme at Sharyn Underwood School of Dance that's fun for pre-schoolers and their parents as well.

Ready Set Dance is an hour-long, Sydney-based international programme where children learn while having a lot of fun.
"This is our third year of Ready Set Dance," says Sharyn, "And when we started, they [in Sydney] wanted to know why we were doing so well."
Sharyn attributed a lot of its success to Ready Set Dance teacher Tori Rivers.
"Among all my ex-students, I realised I had the perfect teacher for pre-schoolers. I was so lucky — Tori was right there."

"It's a combo class, so it includes lots of styles," says Tori. "Jazz, Hip Hop, singing, music, tap, so it's not just ballet and it's not just jazz, it's a whole package. And it's a one-hour class." Initially, Sharyn and Tori thought one hour might be too long for pre-schoolers, but Tori says the time goes quickly and the children are engaged the whole time.

"I go to Ettinghausens [Performing Arts School in Sydney] to see former pupils I have there or when I'm looking for examiners," says Sharyn. "The first time I went there was a pre-school class coming out of the studio and they were all happy and jumping up and down. I thought, we need something like that."

Originally, the programme was only in Sydney and not destined for anywhere else, but it has grown and spread all over Australia. Sharyn asked if Whanganui could have it and they agreed.
She was also running a teachers' course for the American Jazz Dance Affiliation and asked if someone from Sydney would come and present the programme.
"Seven studios in New Zealand took it from that course I organised."

It's a performing arts package.
"It's so good for their confidence," says Tori. "Numbers fluctuate between 45 to 50 and there are more girls than boys, but it's targeted at both. The music is amazing and is written by one of the directors for the programme."

The syllabus is set but not static.
"It's now on Nickelodeon so it has to change: they have new stuff all the time," says Tori. "It started [on Nickelodeon] on January 26 but we're a little behind. Middle of the year? Kids will watch it on TV and want to come along and do the class.
"We've got all sorts of props — shakers, rhythm sticks, puppets, stars they stand on, microphones, parachutes they run underneath and play with as team work, bean bags to balance on their heads for posture."

Tori joined the Sharyn Underwood School of Dance at five. She is now 27. She has passed all her American Jazz Affiliation Examinations from Introductory Level One through to Advanced. She helped "body" for Sharyn in the junior classes for many years. Even when Tori went to university to gain her degree as a primary school teacher, she returned on the weekends to dance.

"I taught for two years in primary and in my third year I swapped to Whanganui High School and taught dance there for almost three years." She is now on maternity leave, devoting her time to teaching Ready Set Dance and Introductory Level Jazz as well as looking after her daughter.
Emma Hylton and Nikita McDonald assist Tori with Ready Set Dance.

There are three Ready Set Dance classes — two on Saturday and one on Tuesday.
"The course advertises the three benefits of confidence, co-ordination and creativity," says Tori. The children learn essential motor skills and basic dance steps while having a good time.
"And the parents love it, sitting out in the sun on a Saturday morning, drinking coffee."
Sharyn and Tori say it's a real social occasion for the mums and dads.