Joyful Kindergarten Graduation Dance Performance.
Among our childhood memories, there are special moments that were particularly enjoyable and happy. Among them, I believe that the moment of happiness when we went on stage and danced during the kindergarten graduation ceremony is a beautiful memory that allows us to return to the world of innocence, even as we grow older.
Every summer, as the graduation season begins in each kindergarten, there is a place that becomes bustling with activity. The dance recital during the graduation ceremony is a meaningful event where children can showcase the ballet they have learned at school, and it serves as a party to celebrate their growth. In kindergartens, professional dance teachers are invited, and they prepare for the recital through a well-structured ballet curriculum for young children once a week, starting a year in advance. This is also the busiest time for ballet teachers. Over the past 20 years, Jean Ballet School, KOA Dance Federation has taught ballet to students at 14 kindergartens in places like LA, Gardena, and La Crescenta.
When they first started dancing, they didn’t even know how to form a line and their movements were awkward and uncoordinated. However, they gradually gained confidence, developed, and stood proudly on the stage. From ballet to acrobatics, traditional Korean dance, and K-pop, they skillfully performed various genres, and when the rhythm ended, they gracefully greeted the audience with ballet moves.
It may not have been exceptional dancing skill, but that moment is extremely precious to the children. They express the hopes and dreams embedded within them through dance, concealing their trembling legs and shaking hands. Their bodies move freely to the rhythm deeply engraved in their hearts, and the children come alive with smiles and vibrant energy. Around them, parents, teachers, and people in the vicinity cheer them on with bright smiles, instilling them with love and encouragement, planting confidence and hope in them, and enabling them to feel a sense of accomplishment and pride.
Dance is more than just moving the body. It becomes a valuable means for children to learn cooperation and leadership. Through the kindergarten graduation dance recital, children learn the importance of collaboration and communication as they work together to create a small performance. This experience will greatly assist them in growing and developing socially, while nurturing a healthy body, a healthy mind, dreams, and love. Simply watching this process brings about a sense of pride and fulfillment. I was deeply moved by the thought that all the effort and time invested had borne fruit.
For me as well, the memory of dancing on stage with four pieces remains the happiest moment of my childhood. Many things have changed as I have grown older. However, that moment of dancing will always remain as a precious treasure within me. And I can open the door to my inner child at any time, embracing that memory. Even now, when I dance, I can focus solely on my existence and cherish the precious moments.
As I teach ballet to children and my feet stop on the stage of the kindergarten graduation ceremony, I recall a smile along with pure and happy memories of my childhood, and I am grateful for all the joy that life brings. Let us all cherish the beautiful memories of our childhood and occasionally draw strength from those memories. And let us always be able to return to our inner child and create moments of abundance in our lives.
The graduation ceremony is a time that marks the end of one chapter while promising a new beginning. The fulfillment and confidence that children gain through dance will be a precious gift they can carry throughout their lives.
www.koadance.org www.balletjean.com
Korean American Dance Association.
Jean Ballet School
3727 West 6th Street #607, LA CA 90020
Tel: 323-428-4429
