Easter is just around the corner, and while we are all looking forward to a bit of a rest and perhaps a chocolate egg or two, we don’t want those brilliant dancing brains to go into hibernation! At CWS Dance, we believe that dance is about so much more than just perfecting a plié or mastering a pirouette. It is about storytelling, expression, and finding your own unique voice through movement.

Whether your child is already one of our dedicated ‘Creative Movers’ or simply loves their weekly ballet class at Canada Water Studios, I am thrilled to announce our Easter Holiday Choreography Challenge!

This isn’t just another task for the holiday ‘to-do” list’ it is a chance to boost imagination, develop improvisation skills, and help every dancer feel more confident when they step back into the studio for the new term. Even if your child hasn’t decided to join our Choreographic Competition or the End of Year Presentation yet, I highly encourage them to jump in. It’s a wonderful way to keep the ‘dance brain’ active over the break in a fun, pressure-free way!

Why Choreography Matters for Young Dancers

As teachers, we often see a massive shift in a student’s dancing when they begin to create their own work. In a standard class, pupils focus on technique and following instructions. However, choreography asks them to lead. It requires problem-solving, creativity, spatial awareness, and emotional intelligence, musicality and appreciation and so much MORE!

🏆 The Challenge Rules: How to Take Part

We want everyone to feel they can achieve something special this Easter. Here is how the challenge works:

For Fun & Skills: Complete two of the challenges below to earn your official Easter Holiday Choreographic Certificate. This is a lovely way to celebrate your child’s creativity and keep them moving!
For Competition/Presentation Pupils: If you are preparing for our upcoming events, you must complete all three challenges. This will help prepare your mind and body for the rigors of the next term and give you a head start on your performance pieces.

🗓️ Challenge 1: The Memory Maker (Storytelling)

Dance is essentially a silent language. In this challenge, we are focusing on how we can tell a story using only our bodies.

The Task: Ask a family member to tell you a real-life story from their past. It could be something funny that happened at school, a brave moment they are proud of, a wonderful surprise or perhaps a story which really touches the heart.

The Dance: Pick one ‘moment’ from that story. Can you create three still shapes that represent the Beginning, the Middle, and the End of that story? Think about your facial expressions and how the body responds to different emotions: happy, surprised, brave, sad etc.

A young child in dance attire crouching on the studio floor for Challenge 1.

🗓️ Challenge 2: The Object

The Task: Find an interesting object or sculpture in your house or outside (for example: an old key, a wooden box, a photograph, a seashell, or a branch, it really can be anything that you and your child feel a connection to.

The Dance: Use that object to inspire a 5 second dance sequence.

A young dancer performing an arabesque in the studio for Challenge 2.

🗓️ Challenge 3: The Music Search

Important for Competition/Presentation Pupils!

Music is the heartbeat of any dance. Finding the right track can change the entire mood of a piece of choreography.

The Task: Now that you have a story (from Challenge 1) or an object (from Challenge 2) as your “spark” of inspiration, you need a piece of music to match!

The Goal: Listen to different songs, classical, instrumental, or even atmospheric sounds, and find one that feels like your theme. Does the music match the emotion of your story? Or perhaps you would like your to match your theme to the music?

Next Steps: Once you have an idea, send it to Miss Angelina soon! Once I know your theme, I can send you a specific Music Resource List to help you find the perfect track or a high-quality version of your chosen song. Finding the right music is a huge part of the choreographic process.

📬 How to Share Your Progress

At CWS Dance we love to celebrate each other’s accomplishments!

Social Media: Tag us in your videos, photos, or reels! It is such a joy for us to see our students dancing in their home environments.
Private Entry: If you’d prefer not to share publicly, that is absolutely fine. Please email your clips, photos of your shapes, or music ideas to angelina@cwsdance.com.

A Note for the Parents

We understand that the holidays can be busy, and ‘choreography’ might sound like a big, daunting word. Please reassure your child that there are no ‘wrong’ moves in this challenge. The goal is to explore. We strive to cater for all children, and these tasks are designed to be inclusive and non-judgmental. Whether they spend five minutes on it or five hours, the act of thinking about dance is what counts.

If you have any questions about the challenges or the upcoming term, please don’t hesitate to reach out via our contact page. We are always here to support your child’s dance journey, ensuring it is a nurturing and rewarding experience.

I can’t wait to see your child’s spark of inspiration! Let’s make this Easter a truly creative one.

Happy dancing,

Miss Angelina
CWS Dance

Young dancer holding a choreography certificate in the studio.

The Easter Holiday Choreography Challenge: Let’s get Creative!

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