Mae Stevens students get dance lessons
Fri, 2015-02-27 05:00
News Staff
By LYNETTE SOWELL
The students at Mae Stevens Early Learning Academy had the chance to get their feet moving this week, and also practice their counting skills. From Monday through Thursday, dance intructors from GymKix taught the three- and four-year-old prekindergarten students a short dance routine, complete with steps, arm and hand movements. “The one rule is,” said instructor Mo Vasquez, “the only thing that can touch the floor is your feet.” Two classes of students per session filled the gymnasium and took their places by colored marks on the floor. Step by step, Vasquez and his fellow instructors, Reagan Miller and Taylor Miller, led them in a series of moves to the toe-tapping, feet-moving song “Hey Homies” by the Aquabats. Vasquez taught them to move after the opening count, then the students repeated steps and movements for each section before they put everything together. Four-year-old Ian Nirval couldn’t get enough of the dance, and after each section, asked if they could do it again. Vasquez, 25, was in his element, teaching the students. “I work with kids from 18 months all the way up to age 18,” he said. “I started out in cheer when I was very young, and tumbling. I knew from the time I was six this is what I wanted to do. Back then, I knew I wanted to learn how to flip around like a Power Ranger.” This was the first time GymKix has come to the campus, said parent volunteer coordinator Rebecca Bork, who helped coordinate the visit by the dance, cheer and gymnastics scohol.