Discover the dancer within

From tricky techniques to the confidence that builds with every stage performance, there’s a lot more to dance than meets the eye. Jo Caruana chats to Kristina Bianco, founder of Dance Project, about this very well-rounded form of education.

It’s 7 p.m. on a Saturday evening and there’s a flurry of excitement backstage at St Agatha’s Auditorium in Rabat.

Hundreds of children - mostly girls, but with a few boys thrown in for good measure – are counting down to their big moment on stage as part of Dance Project’s Dance Rock Shake Pop.

Some resolutely rehearse their steps over and over, diligently perfecting their moves until the last second, while others giggle in delight as they catch sight of their costumes, make-up and hairstyles.

There’s a lot going on, but it doesn’t take an expert to recognise quite how many benefits these young dancers will reap from their impending performance.

“Dance has certainly shaped me in many ways, and I hope I can now do the same for my students,” says Kristina Bianco, who founded Dance Project in 2007.

The school started small, with 26 students learning from studios in Paola and Xemxija, but now has 250 regularly attending classes at their base in St Michael’s Studios, San Ġwann.

But contrary to most of her pupils, Bianco didn’t actually find her dancing feet till her teens, and instead began as a competitive gymnast in Canada, training solo.

She moved into dance when she was 13 and quickly came to enjoy the ‘team atmosphere’ that it promises, as well as the mixed set of skills it develops.

“Dance is a brilliant blend of sport and art,” she explains. “It enables you to morph movement with emotion, makes you disciplined in your character and increases your determination to succeed.

“Proper training in technique is imperative, of course; however, love, passion and expression are just as essential – and that’s exactly what we encourage our students to strive towards at Dance Project.”

And watching the young dancers perform – across the styles of hip-hop, lyrical jazz, jazz fun, stretch and strength, ballet and Spanish – it’s clear just how much they are getting out of it, as well as quite how good they’re becoming at making their own emotions felt through their art.

“I regularly see huge changes in them,” Bianco continues. “There’s a lot of psychical development that comes from dance training. For instance, they learn proper posture – how to stand, walk and move with a sense of confidence.

“They also learn to love exercise, which helps to reduce stress and release endorphins – our body’s ‘happy’ hormone. All this is extremely beneficial both mentally and physically, especially when you consider the pressures of today’s lifestyle, both on students and professionals.”

For Bianco, watching her students grow and evolve is part of the reward for being a good teacher, although it does pose certain challenges.

“Working with kids through their various stages and watching them mature is beautiful, and it forms a strong bond between student and teacher. Of course, teachers must be aware of their influence and set a good example – both in class and in the outside world.

“Some of the children I taught when they were five or six-years-old are now in their mid-teens. I have watched some of them go through rebellious stages, but found that dance – where discipline and enjoyment go hand in hand – really helped them to get through.”

Meanwhile, as they go through puberty and their bodies start to change, dance helps teens cope and adjust to their bodies’ transitions more easily.

Today Bianco understands those challenges even more acutely as her own daughter, Naomi, 10, is following in her footsteps as a dancer.

She has always encouraged her daughter to dance, she explains. It has helped her control her body, and made her aware of the importance of exercise. She has also made great friends through dance and has become very confident.

“I’m not biased – Naomi also participates in other coached sports that she loves and I encourage her to make her own decisions about the activities she wants to participate in – but she has certainly taken to dance. She grins from ear to ear when she’s performing, which thrills me, as it’s great to know that she’s having a good time.”

Children need to enjoy themselves above all else, Bianco says – which is exactly what makes dance, and Dance Project, so valuable.

“We treat each child equally and help him or her to find the dancer within. Sure, we may not all be destined for Broadway, but absolutely everyone deserves the chance to achieve their full potential.”

At a glance: Dance’s many educational benefits

Physical Education – Dance helps develop motion, coordination, strength and endurance more than many other types of physical activity. It also offers young children the chance to expand their movement possibilities and skills.

Emotional Education – Dance helps children express their emotions through creative movement and encourages psychological health and maturity.

Social Education – By fostering social encounters, children can communicate ideas and work within a group environment. They also learn to understand themselves in relation to others.