About Free 2 Be Me Dance

Free 2 Be Me Dance is an adaptive dance class tailored to children with Down syndrome. Each class follows the same outline, providing stability for the dancers and helping them mature in their skills. Here is an example of some of the things we do in class, and why they are helpful for your child:

The Welcome: Each child is greeted by name with enthusiasm so they know that they are special and that they are welcome. This is meant to establish good feelings, warmth, and emotional safety for the dancer, and is designed to make their transition to group work easier.

Following warm-up exercises and stretches, the children then move on to Barre Work:

The dancers take their place at the ballet barre using visual cues to increase understanding of "where" to stand in order to reduce anxiety and distraction. The teacher makes sure she has the students' attention on her (increasing mental attention) before asking for volunteers to demonstrate the movements that were learned the previous week (increasing memory recall). The teacher then does the movements with the dancers so that they have visual and auditory cues while performing each movement, all the while being supported physically by their "special friend" to be sure the proper technique is acquired and reinforced. This portion of the class requires maximum amount of self discipline. Next we are going to allow the dancer to release some of the energy that has built up.

Cool Down/Relaxation: Relaxation activity is meant to be used ritualistically as part of the closure of the class. Dancers are asked to lie on a mat and "visualize" their favorite part of class. The teacher gives some suggestions to cue the dancer i.e. seeing their friends, learning a new ballet step, free dance, animal soup, etc. Visualization helps the dancer to "cement" new learning or pleasurable feelings into the neutral network of the brain. Also, it helps the dancer to focus in a more relaxed way.

About Colleen

Colleen Perry is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California (MFC38937). Her mission is to care for, nurture, and enhance the self worth of women and children everywhere. Early in the year 2009, Colleen read an article in People magazine about an amazing program at the Boston Ballet teaching dance to children with Down syndrome, and was immediately inspired to fly to Boston and meet with the director of the program. She is thrilled to bring this unique and special class to Los Angeles, combining her love of dance and her special affinity for children and adults with Down syndrome. Colleen volunteers her time with The Soldier’s Project, and organization which provides free therapy to combat veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq war. She is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post on social issues and mental health issues. Colleen shares her life in Venice Beach with her partner, Bob, and her dog and therapy companion, Murray

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About Free 2 Be Me Dance