MarlowMums.com review Mini Movers Marlow
Remember standing in front of the mirror, hairbrush in one hand, Walkman (complete with those itchy foam headphones) in the other – desperately trying to perfect your latest dance routine? Remember the delight when you finally got it right – and the rush to show off your latest moves in front of your friends?
Things may have moved on since Mark Goodyear’s Sunday chart show (showing my age here) but thanks to two Marlow mums, Johanna Snell and Emma Sykes, you can still work on your (in my case now vintage) dance moves, whatever your age.
They say you should start them young and with Mini Movers you can do just that. Thirty minutes of dance routines every Friday afternoon for all pre-schoolers. Of course, there’s no Stormzy, Gomez or Eilish here (yes, I did look those up on the official chart list). Instead you’ll find timeless classics – the Hokey Cokey, Baby Shark and the Bean Song (it’s not as annoying as it sounds, I promise) as well as top tunes from Disney. After a warmup and a few familiar routines, comes the showstopper. This is the dance routine you’ll be perfecting (along with your child, of course) all week long – just maybe not in front of the mirror. So far, we’ve had Paw Patrol, Fireman Sam, Raa Raa the Noisy Lion (my personal fave) and, of course, Frozen.
I guarantee, no matter how bad your day, you’ll come away from this class with a smile on your face. JoJo and Emma’s enthusiasm is infectious and the children clearly adore them. As an adult, you just can’t say no when they (or usually your child) drags you off your chair and onto your dancing feet.
“I started young”, says JoJo, “and haven’t stopped dancing since. I love the way it makes you feel and the camaraderie you get from doing it in a group. I’m a trained street dance teacher and working in a nursery I realise how much children get from movement and freedom of expression – it builds their confidence, their agility and their emotional and social skills. I wanted to package all that and more into a toddler dance class. The stars aligned and Emma walked into my life!”
JoJo met Emma (also a dance and barre instructor who trained at the English National Ballet and London Contemporary Dance School, no less) at a baby sensory class. They found out by chance they had a mutual friend in common as well as an obsession with dance and the rest, as they say, is history.
“I’ve been dancing for as long as I can remember and whilst I’ve worked with the very best, there’s nothing quite like seeing a room full of toddlers coming together to do a routine you’ve taught them. As mums ourselves JoJo and I know how much of an achievement that is!”
Join Mini Movers at All Saints Church Hall. Fridays at 1.30pm. Trial costs just £5, thereafter it’s £6 per class if you pay per term (usually 6 weeks) or £8.50 PAYG. Sibling discount available. For more info and to book: minimoversmarlow@gmail.com
Or if you’d rather dance to something more age appropriate why not sign up to Emma’s adult dance classes. Friday mornings 10-11 at The Pugin Rooms. Here you’ll do a combination of basic ballet and contemporary dance, finished off with some flexibility stretching. Contact: barre-sculptltd@hotmail.com/07946738001