Do your children love to dance?

Do they have some killer moves?

Do they love watching professional dancers and dream of joining them some day?

Do you want to have a bit of fun creating a short video of their dance moves?

Then read on to find out about a really exciting competition we have found out about. 

Research shows that UK children have turned from singing to dancing as Butlins and Diversity launch nationwide campaign to find the best young dancers with #Miniversity.

Here are a few dance facts:

• Strictly beats X Factor in children’s ratings – as more want to become dancers than singers, beating out actors, artists, nurses and models too 
• Gangnam Style topped the poll as the favourite move by far, with ‘street dancing’ named above traditional ballet and tap
• Children looked to the old and new for their dance inspiration with favourites named as Diversity and Michael Jackson – with Ed Sheeran taking nil points

Now,I have to say that my children also love to sing, draw, play the guitar and so on. It isn’t all about the dance BUT they do love to dance and do so at every opportunity!
Butlins has teamed up with Diversity on dance-themed breaks to give children the opportunity to learn from their heroes – and together are on a quest to find the next hot dance troupe through a new initiative called #Miniversity …. cute hey?

The five best young dancers across the UK will get a once-in-a-lifetime experience – to perform on a Butlins stage.

Diversity will be performing a exclusive show at the breaks featuring never-seen-before routines and brand new moves.
Now if you have a little ballerina or mini JT this probably sounds like an amazing opportunity.

Popular TV shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and Got To Dance are turning the next generation into budding Billy Elliots, according to new research which shows that children in Britain would rather be dancers than singers or actors.

What do you think? Do your children watch these shows?

The poll, commissioned by Butlins to launch the new Dance with Diversity dance-themed breaks, surveyed 500 4-11 year olds to reveal that Psy’s Gangnam Style is still king on the dance floor, beating classics such as the Moonwalk and even the Robot

Favourite Dance Moves of Children Age 4-11Gangnam StyleBreakdanceSpinning AroundPirouetteMoonwalkBody-PoppingRobotMacarenaSide Step Twist

Children have also been inspired to Step Up to dance – when asked about their favourite styles, streetdance was a favourite with over one in ten kids (11 per cent) beating traditional ballet (seven per cent) and tap (two per cent).  The research also showed that there are some mini rock gods out there too, with three per cent loving to play the air guitar.

My older two love the Step Up movies!

Now how can you enter is what you are wondering…right?

Proud parents of budding Banjos simply need to submit a short video of their child showing off their dancing skills by doing one of the top ten dance moves (as uncovered by the research) to social media sites using the #Miniversity hashtag. 

The top five dancers – as picked for their skills by a panel of experts – will not only get to perform a choreographed routine on stage but also win a trip to the Dance with Diversity breaks – and be able to take part in the sold-out Dance Academies -a money-can’t-buy must-have for every young Craig Revel-Horwood.

The criteria the judges are looking for include:

·       Natural ‘star quality’
·       The most innovative take on the dance moves!
·       General cuteness 

As more than three times as many kids voted for their mum as the best dancer they know than their dad, it may be best that dad stays behind the camera rather than teaching the children a few moves!

To provide inspiration for wannabe movers, Butlins has brought in former child dancer, S Club Junior member and choreographer Aaron Renfree to create some step-by-step tutorials on how to perform the top three dance moves, as voted by kids, hosted on www.butlins.com/miniversity

Aaron said:“I’ve been passionate about dancing since I was young and it’s amazing to see that kids are increasingly inspired to move. We’ve put some short tutorial videos together to provide encouragement for kids in #Miniversity but to also show everyone how fun and easy dancing can be. Good luck!”

Ashley Banjo said:“Dancing is a great way to express yourself, it’s fun and accessible and anyone can do it which is why we’re so delighted to be working with Butlins to help inspire the next generation of dancers.  And of course we’re Thrill(er)ed that children put us in the same bracket as Michael Jackson. #Miniversity is a great way to get young children dancing and who knows, we may even spot the next big thing!”

My older two are really keen to enter this and have been discussing their ‘moves’ all week … you know what I will be doing this weekend!

Visit www.butlins.com/miniversity for more information, or follow @Butlins / www.facebook.com/butlins to view the dance tutorials. Make sure to use the #Miniversity hashtag when uploading videos to social media posts. The competition will take place over a week starting on the 28th January, make sure you get your entries in time!