About 15 boys race across the Edgemont Elementary School gym floor after school has let out. As more boys arrive, they have to dodge their running classmates who are trying to reach base.

When the instructor gives a signal, the boys -- each about 6 years old -- line up for a drink. Then, they wait for instructions and for the music to start.

"I'm going to close my eyes and count to three," said Becky Ellis, the instructor. "And, then, I want all of you to make your body into a really cool shape. I don't want to see any boring shapes."

The boys use their racing energy to quickly strike a pose. While the liveliness remains, the faces have become more focused.

These young boys are part of the BYU Children's and Teens' Creative Dance Program, a rapidly growing group that teaches children creative skills that can be used throughout their lives.

"The students learn to make creative choices and not to just follow everyone else," said Kathleen Sheffield, director of the program. "Students discover the ability within themselves to think of something no one has ever thought of before."

The classes are based on creative movements that provide technical dance training in age-appropriate ways, Sheffield said.

Ellis, who is one of about 20 teachers in the program, tells her class to sit on the floor and use their legs to "cut a piece of pie," to demonstrate floor stretching. "But don't put your toes in the pie," Ellis said, facilitating straight legs and injury prevention.

"Some of these boys have ADD, ADHD or autism," Ellis said. "This class really lets them release their energy and teaches them ways to cope throughout the day."

Students in these classes learn to exercise discipline and to follow directions, Sheffield said. These students also learn there is more than one way to solve a problem.

"The students we have now will be able to solve the future technology problems of the world," Sheffield said, "Because they have this creative base."

A previous student of the program is now studying at The Julliard School after being in the program since age 4. Many of the students go to BYU on dance scholarships, Sheffield said.

BYU sophomore Julie Raymond, who started dancing in the program when she was 6, wants to major in dance education. She won a mentoring scholarship this year, which includes training and the opportunity to teach a class in the program.

"I love these classes because of the freedom of the movements," said Raymond, from Orem. "We don't teach that a movement has to be a certain way, so the students learn with an element of exploration."

The classes attract an increasing number of students from as far south as Nephi and as far north as Salt Lake City.

"The 3- to 4-year-old class always fills up," Sheffield said. "This year we added a whole other section. I have been the director for five years and every year, enrollment as increased."

The classes are offered at BYU and in Provo elementary schools. For more information visit ce.byu.edu.



Copyright Brigham Young University 1 Oct 2007