Tried and Tested: Rhythm in Me Dance & Music Classes for Littlies

How much do we love the music classes our little one takes with Grace Sagaya at Rhythm in Me? Let us count the ways!

I first came across Grace, the dynamic force behind Rhythm in Me, at a Children’s Day event in the CBD. I was struck by three things:

1) Her ability to get parents (mamas and papas) dancing up on stage in front of a crowd

2) Her boundless energy, beautiful singing voice and impressive dance moves

3) How transfixed my toddler (and the surrounding crowd of toddlers and kids) was by her performance. This was seriously like a rock concert for the junior set!

Fast forward a couple months, and I was looking to enroll Maggie (now about 2.5) in a music and movement class that was low key and not too formal. She loves to sing and dance, and I of course want to foster that as much as possible. While I love singing along to tunes in the car, I know I fall far short of the music teachers I had growing up who’d lead singalongs with their guitars or pass out instruments to try.

Recalling Rhythm in Me from the event we’d attended, I did some research and discovered that Grace does conduct regular classes, primarily at her studio near Alexandra and Gillman Barracks, but also occasionally at condos. After speaking with some other parents in my condo and at condos nearby, we got a group together and Grace agreed to do a couple trial classes.

Our main age group is probably about 18 months to 3, although we’ve also got some younger babies and older kids who come along. Caretakers are a mix of parents and helpers – Grace, who is Singaporean, also speaks Tagalog, which I’ve been told puts a lot of helpers at ease.

From the get go, Grace has been a huge hit. Mamas and helpers alike are amazed not only by her energy (seriously, she’s like the Energizer Bunny) and ability to hold kids’ attention, but by how much fun the kids have in her classes. “My 2-year-old was twerking!” one bemused mama wrote to our Whatsapp group after the first session.

Each week Maggie returns excitedly from class (our helper brings her so I can get some work done at home!) to tell me about what instrument Miss Grace was playing that week. “Today she had her big guitar. I got to play the drums!”

If you ever find yourself needing a smile, watch video of a bunch of toddlers dancing in one of these classes. They literally dance to the beat of their own internal drummers — it is seriously the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Maggie loves watching the videos our helper takes, then doing all the different dance moves that she sees her friends doing.

Grace plays a mix of danceable pop music (stuff like Taylor Swift or Bruno Mars) to get the little ones (and their caretakers) moving, and also works in quiet circle time with props like puppets, pompoms or small instruments. Kids are free to do their own thing (Maggie sometimes likes to twirl in the curtains rather than join the conga line), and that’s ok. This is something that I think sets the class apart from a lot of other kids’ classes I’ve seen in Singapore, and is one of the aspects I like best. The most important thing is that these little ones are moving and having an absolutely fabulous time doing it. I can’t recommend Rhythm in Me highly enough!

Rhythm in Me offers regularly scheduled classes at their studio along with a few select classes in condos; contact Grace for more details. She also does a popular business in weekend birthday parties!

Rhythm in Me, Depot Heights Shopping Cenre, 108 Depot Road, #02-01, Singapore 100108, email [email protected] or Tel: (+65) 9325 6653, www.facebook.com/rhythminme.sing.dance.celebrate