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Instructor H'Nette DeTroy introduces body rolls, shoulder isolation and other moves to an enthusiastic class of 8- to 10-year-olds.

By ANN S. KIM, Staff Writer September 20, 2007

GRAY — In a dance studio at Fiddlehead Center for the Arts, a dozen kids are on the floor performing crunches. They do them with both feet in the air, then with one leg up at a time. Then they move into back stretches and disapproving moans are emitted as they're instructed to do push-ups.

"I don't want to hear 'I can't,'" H'Nette DeTroy, their teacher, tells them.

The exercises are part of the warm-up for a new hip-hop dance class for children ages 8 to 10. It's the first class of its kind at Fiddlehead.

Jacinda Cotton-Castro, executive director, says the class was added to the center's offerings based on feedback from customers and current trends.

"It filled immediately," she says. "They love it. They just love it."

In the class, the students move from the warm-up portion of the session into the drills. DeTroy moves across the room in a bouncy stride that the children try to emulate. Later, DeTroy is showing them other moves like kicks.

She encourages them to keep moving, even if they don't get the exact movement.

"Do something similar to it. Keep moving. Make something of your own," she tells the class. "That's great."

The idea for now is to have the students get the feeling for the moves. Eventually, they'll be putting together what they learn into a dance routine.

Eight-year-old Morgan Brann is a big fan of dancing. She's already taken street funk and tap classes. Some of the hip-hop moves were hard, she said, but most were easy.

"It was good. I liked all of it," she says.

DeTroy says this age group is a good one to work with. They haven't developed the inhibitions that students often have by middle school, she says.

"They don't feel embarrassed. They have high energy," she says. "I hope they keep feeling that way."

With Public Enemy's "Don't Believe the Hype" playing, DeTroy demonstrates the routine. Some of the elements are familiar from the drills.

The class mimics her as they do body rolls, shoulder isolations and pump their arms while alternating their weight between their feet. DeTroy gives them pointers as they go along. She points out the pattern of doing a motion four times and explains that it can be easier to do the moves if they visualize the relevant body part.

"See my body? Compare to your body. I'm leaning back," DeTroy says, as they all face the long mirror on the wall.

DeTroy teaches them an important move -- the running man, which she said is the basis of all hip-hop. She takes a step, moves that same foot back and then repeats with the other side.

"Look at my feet. Look at the rhythm of it," she says. "See how there's an extra hop?"

The routine hasn't quite come together toward the end of the hour. But it is, after all, just the first session of the class.

Eight-year-old Eric Gilbert isn't quite ready to stop dancing. He asks DeTroy if they can do their own moves for now.

"OK," she says. "I'll put on some music and you can bust a move."

Eric spins on the floor in breakdance style.

"This is my first dance class," he says later. "It's good."

Staff Writer Ann S. Kim can be contacted at 791-6383 or at: akim@pressherald.com