Focus on Dance/Creative Movement

Could you mindfully meditate at age 6, do downward dog at age 8, or do multiple international dance styles at age 10? Most of us didn't get that opportunity; but our kids do and our kids can.

At Carpenter, our mission is to educate the whole-child, and through superb enrichment classes such as our dance and creative movement program, we give our children the best education possible.

We have hired Paola Acevedo as our new dance teacher. Paola has been passionate about dance since a young age. She was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico where, at the age of 15, she had the privilege of receiving a full scholarship at the School of Performing Arts Guaynabo where she trained in all styles of dance and was part of the Drama Danza Company. Paola has worked with major artists such as J-Balvin, Luis Fonsi, 50-Cent, Flo-Rida, Bad Bunny, Snoop Dogg and more. In 2016, Paola took a leap of faith and came to California for the Millennium Dance Complex Certificate Program. Throughout Paola's dance career she found a love for teaching. She has been teaching dance since 2011 in Puerto Rico and has taught in Los Angeles since 2016 at The Industry Dance Academy, Millennium Dance Complex, Sacred Heart High School, and Studio City's Creation Station.

Paola earned her undergraduate degree in communications from the University of Sacred Heart of Puerto Rico. She is passionate about finding ways to engage children of all ages in dance and finding the fun in movement and music. She is intuitive, warm, and compassionate as well as structured and detail oriented.

Our creative movement program also supports emotional intelligence, through self-awareness and human interaction and gives children life skills such as discipline, focus and the confidence to perform. At the same time, children develop self-esteem and find ways to express their own creativity.

Here is an inside view of just some of what your child might be learning in dance:

Kindergarten:
Yoga & meditation, partner dancing, dances about sharing, friendship, rhythm & environment, introduction to various dance styles (ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop)
First Grade:
Yoga & meditation, partner dancing, various dance styles (ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop), introduction to martial arts
Second Grade:
Yoga & meditation, partner dancing, martial arts, various dance styles, Broadway
Third Grade:
Yoga and meditation, Introduction to Jedi Knight training, martial arts, Introduction to International dance styles (including: Bollywood, Salsa, Country, Irish & more)
Fourth Grade:
Yoga and meditation, pilates, Jedi Knight training, Broadway, International dance styles (including: Bollywood, Salsa, Country, Irish & more) , Introduction to choreography
Fifth Grade:
Yoga and meditation, pilates, Jedi Knight training, multiple international dance styles, (including: Bollywood, Salsa, Country, Irish & more), choreography sessions, class culmination dance

Dance can be described as "a communication between body and soul, to express what is too deep to find for words" ~ Ruth St. Debis. Indeed, our children are being offered this very experience.

At Carpenter, our mission is to educate the whole-child, and through superb enrichment classes such as our dance and creative movement program, we give our children the best education possible.

For more information on our programs, how to get involved or to answer any questions, please email us at [email protected].