Chappaqua Dance School to Offer Class for Special Needs Students
Children with special needs may not always be able to participate in extracurricular activities as their peers would but Steffi Nossen School of Dance in Chappaqua will offer a unique opportunity for them starting this month.
The school has been hosting classes for children with special needs at its White Plains location for a decade but will be bringing the program to the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Chappaqua beginning Jan. 15, following several requests from local Special Education PTAs.
The classes help children with various developmental, physical and emotional disabilities enhance their social skills and improve physical weaknesses, said Judith Ross, Steffi Nossen’s community relations director.
She said the classes aren’t intended to be dance therapy, but are regular dance classes that allow children of various abilities to participate with the help of volunteers and help to improve their coordination, strength and balance in a way that’s more fun way than traditional physical therapy.
“It not only gives them a source of satisfaction and fun but it has helped them with their focus and their social skills and of course physically,” said Ross. “This is a dance class, an opportunity for kids with special needs to have a class like everyone else.”
Siblings and other family members of children with disabilities are encouraged to attend and participate in the class. Ross noted that the involvement of others is another aspect that separates these classes from the traditional movement therapy, which is usually done on an individual basis. Rather than focusing on exercises, the classes allow different styles of music to dictate movements.
“The music carries the movement,” Ross said. “It makes people want to move, which they need to do.”
The Jan. 15 class, taught by professional trainer, educator and performer Dylan Baker, will be a free trial. Ross encourages families to attend to see if the program may be right for their needs. A class for children in grades 1-4 will be held at 4 p.m. while the class for children in grades 5-9 will be at 5 p.m. If demand is high enough, four additional classes for both age groups will be held each Thursday through Feb. 12 for $100.
On Jan. 17, a separate special needs dance class, open to participants of all ages, will be held as part of the Chappaqua Public Library’s Special Saturdays program. Taught by Steffi Nossen School of Dance teacher Amanda Narciso, the 45-minute free class will begin at 2 p.m.
In addition to the expansion of its special needs classes, Steffi Nossen School of Dance will also offer new classes this winter specially created for boys who want to try dance but may be too embarrassed to take a traditional class. The Conditioning Training Through Movement class teaches dance skills that can translate to sports. The program, for fourth- and fifth-graders and taught by Baker, will focus on exercises in strength, agility, movement, flexibility and coordination.
The six-class series costs $140. It will also be held at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin each Thursday from 6 to 7:15 p.m. beginning this Thursday, Jan. 8.
The Church of St. Mary the Virgin is located at 191 S. Greeley Ave. For more information about the classes, contact Judith Ross at 914-328-1900 or e-mail info@steffinossen.org.
Examiner Media – Keeping you informed with professionally-reported local news, features, and sports coverage.
