Sunshine Stars

Every child is a ray of sunshine in their own unique beautiful way!

Does your child with special needs love to dance?! New Steps Dance & Fitness Center provides a class called Sunshine Stars specifically tailored for students ages 4+ with Down Syndrome, Autism and other developmental disabilities. This class will allow students to gain balance between the two halves of the body, express emotion, and gain muscle control, all while having fun and making new friends.

Sunshine Stars is a great way for children to get involved in an extracurricular activity while improving motor skills, confidence, and socialization. Dance can be a unique and effective way to reach students with special needs because it is nonverbal. Through simple patterns, sequencing, and repetition, students will learn the basics of movement, rhythm, and dance in styles of Ballet, Jazz, Tap & Hip Hop. Some creative movement, storytelling, and hands on sensory activities are incorporated into class too. If you are interested or have any questions, please feel free to reach out! We look forward to dancing with you!

A Message from Miss Janelle...

Dance for me growing up was my life. It still is. With dance I'm able to escape all the stresses of life. I believe all children should have the opportunity to be able to participate in a dance class. A dance class that is specifically designed and tailored to fit their needs so they too can move, and have a sense of release with the craziness of every day life. With dance there is no right or wrong. It's movement for the creative mind to let loose and let the body speak with out words. Sunshine Stars is made possible with the expertise and talent from Miss Lauren and Miss Meghan and the many volunteers who have experience working with children with special needs as well as many current New Steps dancers who will be demonstrators within the class.

Please watch a video from CT STYLE on News Channel 8 from 2018 highlighting some of the program's attributes.

Watch Segment

We hope New Steps can be a place for your child to learn, grow, make new friends, SHINE & express themselves through the art of dance!

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Are there pre-existing medical concerns that may arise while at dance class? (ex. seizures, fainting, low blood sugar)

Does your child have visual, hearing, or motor impairments?

If yes, please explain:

Is your child verbal?

If no, do they use any form of augmentative communication?

Does your child use any profanity/aggressive language?

Does your child show aggressive behavior to themselves or others?

If yes, please explain:

What accommodations would your child benefit from at dance? (ex. visual cues, frequent breaks, etc.)

Does your child do well in group activities?

If no, please explain:

Does your child handle transitions well?

If no, how are they best supported?

What are positive reinforcers for your child and how are they best motivated?

How does your child express feelings of being overwhelmed, frustration, anger or sadness?

Are there sensory needs to be mindful of? (ex. tactile defensive, loud music, bright lights, etc?)

Please share any other information you think would be helpful for the dance teachers to know about your child to foster the best experience at Sunshine Stars!