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Dance class caters to special-needs children
Regan Hill photo
Courtney McCoy, 11, takes lessons during a creative movement class for special needs children at Betty's School of Dance.
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Published: November 14, 2009
Betty's School of Dance offers classes on everything from ballet to hip-hop to tap jazz dance — and everything else in between.
Recently, the dance studio at 236 E. Front Street added another class to its lineup: a creative movement class for special-needs children.
Owner Natasha Marko said the school began offering the class last week after noticing a need for it in the community.
"It's definitely something people are interested in and haven't had a place to go, and we're filling that void," she said.
The class meets from 5-5:45 p.m. every Thursday and is taught by Maureen Fredo.
Thursday's class was seemingly fun all around for the students.
Fredo showed the students flash cards with pictures of various animals, including a giraffe, porcupine, hippopotamus, gorilla and penguin, and the children mimicked the animals' movement. They balanced on one foot, ran in place, sprang from their feet and touched their toes, among other exercises.
Fredo said the class focuses on The class is meant to teach coordination, counting, the alphabet, colors, numbers, teamwork and listening comprehension.
"I'm incorporating things they would learn in school," she said. "This is going to show the public what these children can do. People never know what these kids can do because they're always looking at what they can't do."
Courtney McCoy, 11, was one of the children participating in the class Thursday. Her mother, Amy, said she attempted to enroll Courtney in other dance classes in the past, but doing was seemingly impossible because of her daughter's disability. She was elated to learn about the new class at Betty's School of Dance.
"I want her to feel a part of something because she's a special child and she loves music," Amy said.
Creative Movement Class
The cost is $25 for registration and $40 for four classes. For more information, call Betty's School of Dance at (704) 873-4513 or visit www.dancenc.com
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