Dance and reading the key to making childhood a blast

Posted on 9 October, 2018

A wise man once said, “Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.”

For local creatives Shelly Unwin and Julie Scheer, this rings most true for children.

Last month, renowned children’s picture book author Shelly and Julie, director of dance, music and drama program Blueberries, collaborated to host an end-of-term party and celebrate the former’s latest book, Blast Off!.

reg

On the day, kids were treated to a reading of Blast Off!, a fact-filled tale about two astronauts discovering what makes each planet unique. The popular author also signed copies and chatted about her next book, There’s a Baddie Running Through This Book (available now).

Blueberries dancers were able to have a blast with activities including arts and crafts, cake, and, of course, dancing. Shelly believes a strong and healthy imagination is a key part of childhood, and books and the arts play an integral role in developing it.

“In a time where commerciality is doing everything it can to spoon feed children with exciting games and TV shows, we are at risk of letting children zoom through their early years without tapping into the incredible well of imagination innately within them,” she says.

“Providing children with creative outlets like books and dance helps ensure they use their imaginations. It is the imagination of our children’s generation that will shape the world of our future, so it is our responsibility to develop it at every opportunity.”

Shelly found the Blueberries program when she enrolled her daughter into dance classes with parent company Dance Central. The idea for collaboration was sparked by the theme of the last Blueberries term, which perfectly matched Shelly’s book.

A UK native, Shelly moved to Australia in 2002 and used her background in teaching to write kids’ stories that engage children. You’re One! from her rhyming The You’re Series was recently shortlisted for the Speech Pathology Book of The Year, in the Young Reader category.

The Blueberries program is for children aged 21 months to four and the brainchild of Canberra-raised Julie, who created it after returning to the capital following a jaunt in Sydney. The life-long dancer designs each class to develop rhythm, coordination, strength and flexibility in movement, and nurture and strengthen each child’s confidence and self-esteem.

“Blueberries is quite unique in that it incorporates tailored educational aspects into its dance program,” says Shelly. “It synergises so well with my style of writing which similarly includes educational aspects, wrapped up in joyous, fun texts, so children don’t realise they’re learning.”

For parents interested in trialling a class, you can contact Blueberries here.