Years ago, I was scrolling through Facebook and saw a post from a parent asking for recommendations for dance classes for her 3 year old. “But”, she said, “not one of those classes where they just ask them to pretend to be butterflies. I don’t want to pay for that. She can do that at home.”

Now, I’m the first to admit that not all dance classes are created equal. But this comment got me fired up. Asking 3 year olds to pretend to be butterflies… or any other animal for that matter… is one of the BEST ways to teach kids about their bodies, dance, and the world around them.