Emma Morgan attended a reception at 10 Downing Street on 15th July, to meet with Boris Johnson in recognition of her companies ‘exceptional service providing free online classes for children during lockdown’.
Emma Morgan was appointed at the UK’s Point of Light on 1st March 2021, an award which recognises outstanding individuals who volunteer in their community.
The Prime Minster, Boris Johnson, wrote –
“The country’s children have been heroic in their efforts over the last year and they have sacrificed a huge amount in order to stay at home and protect the NHS. So I was uplifted to hear how you have kept them active and entertained with your fun, free courses. The virtual classes you also offer to children in Noah’s Ark Hospital are also a wonderful way of lifting the spirits of children at a difficult time in their lives. On behalf of all the families you are helping, thank you and congratulations on becoming a UK Point of Light.”
Tiny toes ballet provided an eight-week course of classes combining drama, dance, cookery and more aimed to keep the nation’s children learning through lockdown. Tiny Toes Ballet, a nationwide school for learning through dance, offered the classes to help support parents and teachers who were home schooling due to lockdown.
The free lockdown programme provided online weekly activities aimed at children aged seven and under. These included dance, drama, cookery and Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) activities, supported by downloadable educational resources for parents.
The school’s founder, Emma Morgan, says she was delighted to be able to help keep the nation’s children learning through lockdown and very honoured to have been recognised in this way.
“It was a pleasure to play our part in keeping the nation occupied, entertained and active during such a difficult time,” says Emma “being invited to 10 Downing Street was a real honour and privilege, the icing on the cake! Although I was nervous beforehand, it was such a fantastic experience, everyone was so friendly and down to earth. I chatted to Boris about his son Wilfred and left some tiny toes music for him to dance to.”
Tiny Toes Ballet is the UK’s first pre-school ballet programme to be fully integrated with the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. Emma founded the company in Swansea in 2011 drawing on her experience as a primary school and ballet teacher. It now has 17 franchises all over the UK, teaching children aged six months to seven years.
“Tiny Toes may be a dance class but it’s not all about demi plies,” says Emma. “We understand that the first years of life are a vital period for early brain development: 90% of a child's brain development happens before the age of five. Movement is the gateway for all learning during the first five years of life because sensory, motor and social development precede language and logic skills. Children learn by playing and doing. Dance, in particular, integrates kinaesthetic learning with understanding. We’re passionate about the value of our unique programme and wanted to use it to help as many teachers, parents and children as possible during lockdown.
It’s not the first time Tiny Toes Ballet offered free activities during lockdowns: previous activities have included YouTube activity days and live interactive online adult Ballet Fit classes, craft time, online family dance parties and EYFS weekly activities and videos. The school also worked with Welsh based ballet company Ballet Cymru to deliver a second wave of adult Ballet Fit classes and delivered free online classes for patients at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital in Cardiff and delivered Facebook live activities titled Dance on Your Doorstep and VE Day Celebrations.
We are delighted to hear that Emma Morgan has also made it to the 2021 Independent’s Happy list- as one of the top 50 people who make the UK a happier place to live!
For further information about the company, their events, activities, and classes please visit www.tinytoesballet.co.uk
