MOVE, PLAY & CONNECT
Where Little Ones Find Their Dance
A joyful 8-week dance and playgroup for 2 and 3 year olds and the caregivers who love them, co-led by Dr. Suzi Tortora and Angie Nuñez at our Cold Spring studio.
Move, Play & Connect is a 45-minute weekly dance and playgroup for children ages 2 to 3 and their caregivers, weaving together music, movement, imaginative play, and creative storytelling.
Program Details
Class Dates: Thursdays, October 22 to December 17, 2026 (8 weeks; no class November 26)
Time: 3:30 to 4:15 PM
Session Length: 45 minutes
Ages: 2 to 3 years with a caregiver
Location: Dancing Dialogue, Cold Spring, NY
Cost: $240 for the full 8-week series
Trial Class: Try the first class for $30; payment for the full series is then due after the first class
Experience: No prior experience necessary
Come move, play, and connect! Co-led by Dr. Suzi Tortora and Angie Nuñez, this class draws on their backgrounds in dance/movement and drama therapy to create a playful enrichment experience for young families. It is not a therapy group, simply a joyful space to dance, create, and laugh together.
If your child or family ever wants more individualized support, anyone on our team, including Dr. Suzi Tortora, Dr. Renee Ortega, Jenn Whitley, and Jennifer Sterling, is here to walk with you.
You do not need to be musical, coordinated, or a performer. You simply need to show up alongside your child. Each session weaves together familiar songs, playful movement, picture books that come to life, and stories the children help create.
Caregivers leave each week with playful ideas to bring into everyday moments at home, from bath time and car rides to the big feelings that show up at bedtime.
At Dancing Dialogue, we believe little ones share their feelings through their bodies long before they have all the words.
This class meets each child exactly where they are, whether bold explorer, quiet watcher, or somewhere in between.
A Felt Experience Through Play and Story
While many early childhood classes focus on entertainment or performance, we offer something different. This class is a felt experience, where children and caregivers explore feelings and relationships through movement, music, and the stories they create together.
We hold a body-mind view of development. The body leads, the mind follows, and connection
Two and three year olds are bursting with big feelings, new words, and wonderful imaginations. Each session is thoughtfully built to honor this stage, with familiar songs, gentle structure, playful props, and pretend play that create a steady, welcoming rhythm week after week.
This is not about teaching steps. It is about giving each child space to discover their body, their voice, their feelings, and the joy of playing in community.
A Typical 45-Minute Session
Each class draws on dance/movement and drama therapy principles to support coordination, emotional expression, creativity, and social-emotional development, all through play. Every activity is accessible for children at various developmental stages.
✔ Hello Songs and Circle Time: Welcoming songs and simple movements that help everyone arrive, settle, and connect
✔ Dance and Movement Games: Freeze dance, follow the leader, and rhythm games that build balance, rhythm, and coordination
✔ Stories That Move: Picture books and songs come to life as children and caregivers act out characters, feelings, and adventures together
✔ Imaginative Play: Scarves, puppets, rhythm instruments, and pretend play invite children to explore feelings and try on new ideas
✔ Goodbye and Settle: A calming closing ritual where children and caregivers practice slowing down together before heading home
What Families Take Home
Children will:
Develop motor skills such as balance, rhythm, and coordination
Strengthen language through songs, books, and storytelling
Experience co-regulation with a caregiver in moments of big feelings
Caregivers will:
Learn movement-based strategies to support children's emotional expression and regulation
Take home simple tools using music, movement, and books to encourage healthy emotional growth
Build a playful, supportive connection with their child
Caregiver involvement is essential. You will be right there with your child, dancing, pretending, and laughing alongside them. The class creates a warm, welcoming community where children and caregivers connect, move, and play.
Come move, play, and connect together.
How Dance, Story & Play Nurture Social-Emotional Growth
When little ones dance, sing, and pretend in a thoughtfully designed space, they develop more than motor skills. They build emotional vocabulary, confidence, and a sense of belonging that ripples into every part of their early development.
✔ Coordination & Confidence
Children grow in balance, rhythm, and coordination at their own pace, building a steady, trusting relationship with their developing body.
✔ Feelings in Motion
A happy wiggle, a stomping storm, a sleepy stretch. Giving big feelings a shape helps children notice, express, and move through what they feel.
✔ Creativity & Imagination
Pretend play and storytelling let children try on new roles and ideas, a playful foundation for flexible thinking and empathy.
✔ Co-Regulation with Caregivers
Singing, swaying, and settling together create moments of true co-regulation, so children feel held through big feelings and discover their way back to calm.
✔ A Foundation for Whole-Child Growth
The same dance/movement therapy, drama therapy, and infant and early childhood mental health principles that shape our clinical work gently inform every class, supporting development across body, emotion, and connection.
✔ Language Through Story & Song
Books, rhymes, and storytelling invite new words, while acting out stories helps children link language to how the body speaks.
Frequently Asked Questions About Move, Play & Connect
-
No. Move, Play & Connect is a wellness-based enrichment class. It is shaped by Dr. Tortora's and Angie's backgrounds in dance/movement and drama therapy, but the focus is on joyful play, connection, and growth for every family. If you ever feel your child or family would benefit from more individualized support, our team is happy to talk with you about options.
-
Absolutely. Watching is a meaningful way of participating. Many little ones take in the room first and join in when they feel ready. Every way your child shows up is welcome here. Payment is still necessary for any attended class, even if your child does not participate.
-
Hard days are part of being two and three. Big feelings are welcome in this class, and these moments are often where co-regulation with a caregiver happens most naturally. You are always free to take a pause together and rejoin whenever your child is ready.
-
Yes. This is a caregiver and child class, and your presence is part of the experience. Parents, grandparents, nannies, and other caregivers are all welcome.
-
You do not need any dance, music, or acting experience. Your child is not looking for a performance, only for you to be there, playing alongside them.
-
You are welcome to join the first class on October 22 for $30 to see if it feels like a good fit. Payment for the full series is then due after that first class if you wish to continue.
-
Life with little ones is full of surprises, and we understand. Because this is a small group that meets as one continuous series, missed classes cannot be refunded or made up in another session. We still never want your family to miss out, so if you let us know ahead of time, we will send you that week's songs, story, and a playful idea to try at home. If Dancing Dialogue ever needs to cancel a class, including for weather, we will let you know in advance.
-
Many classes focus on learning songs or steps. Here, movement, music, and story become pathways to feelings and connection. Drawing on dance/movement and drama therapy, each class helps children express what they feel and helps caregivers discover new ways to support them, with simple tools to bring home.
Ready to Move, Play & Connect?
These early years are full of big feelings and even bigger wonder, and we would be honored to share part of them with your family.