For Students
What Will My CDI Class Be Like?
No two CDI classes are alike! However, there are certain parts of our classes that you'll see every week. Like any physical activity, we'll always start with a warm-up. These won't be boring stretches and exercises! Even during the warm-up, you'll be dancing along to live music, and practicing techniques like mirroring your teacher and playing "I go"/"You go" to get your bodies going.
What happens after warm-up?
After warming up, you will learn part of a dance. The fun comes in the practicing! Sometimes, you’ll play a game or have a friendly competition in order to really learn the steps. CDI is very particular about how our steps are done. You may spend part of a class really learning how to do a step RIGHT. If you are trying your best and putting a lot of energy into the step, you may be asked to demonstrate for your classmates or join our celebrated “line of perfection” and lead the class. CDI teachers are ALWAYS watching for students who can help us show how a step is supposed to be done!
What else will I learn?
Throughout the year, you’ll also learn about music and how to work with a live musician. Every week, your piano player or drummer will teach you about tempo, rhythm and how dancing and music go hand and hand. You’ll get a chance to dance to lots of different songs and types of music throughout the year.
For Parents
How will CDI help my child?
Parents who have children involved in CDI experience firsthand the transformational process that our program provides. The athletic, high-energy dance style appeals to boys and girls alike, and studies have shown that participation in the program improves students’ academic performance and self esteem.
What does CDI expect from my child?
Positive changes develop because CDI has the highest expectations for every single student we teach. CDI teaching artists know that every child is capable of learning how to dance as long as they give it their fullest effort. We do not give up on students who don’t excel right away, or let the student who is gifted rest on his or her natural ability. Every student is taught to develop a personal standard of excellence, and challenge himself or herself to meet that standard at every class and practice.
How can I help my child excel at CDI?
Parents help with this process by encouraging their child to participate to the best of their ability in every CDI class, and to take it as seriously as they would any other subject. The skills they learn through CDI will help them in all of their current and future academic pursuits.
For Educators
How does CDI contribute to curriculum?
California Dance Institute’s in-school and after-school programs use dance to teach life and learning skills. Weekly dance classes employ the National Dance Institute’s renowned, time-tested pedagogy, helping students develop critical thinking skills, teamwork, discipline, self-confidence and expression.
What are the benefits to students?
In their structured, rigorous dance workouts, students engage in activities that challenge them mentally and physically. They learn that exercise can be fun. Students fine tune their motor skills, learn to work with a live musician, experience challenges and successes in every class, and get out some energy. The academic impact is broad. Classroom lessons of teamwork, self-discipline, focus, and practice are all reinforced in each CDI class. Additionally, students’ gain confidence by sharing their work with their school and larger community through assemblies and culminating performances.
Why should my school offer CDI?
CDI enhances a school by enriching its students and community. CDI dancers engage in meaningful and joyful learning that transfers into other areas of their lives.
CDI is committed to creating success for each child in every class. Our teaching artists use a diverse array of teaching techniques to reach every type of learner by using visual, auditory, and musical cues, intertwined with analogies about literature, history, math, science, and life experiences.
Bring CDI to your school! Here’s how: Contact us at info@californiadanceinstitute.org or call us at 323-301-8900.
