Dancer Lands on Feet After Losing Studio

Marian Roth-Cramer, one of the nation's leaders on exercise for very young children, has landed on her feet and joined the faculty of the Richmond District YMCA.

Roth-Cramer had her own studio in the Richmond District for years, but she was evicted from her studio about a year ago and was unable to find a new space.

Roth-Cramer uses balls, scarves, a "tunnel" made of stretch fabric and other colorful props. Orff songs and other kinds of children's music are used.

Most importantly, creative movement classes are fun for the students; they look forward to their time with "Miss Marian." For parents, the non-verbal communication of dancing with their children is a good opportunity to bond with them.

Rodney Chin, director of Wellness and Membership at the Richmond District YMCA said, "The Richmond District YMCA is dedicated to expanding its services and activities. We are very excited to offer Marian's classes as they meet the needs of our increasing membership and their families."

As the parent of an eight year old who attends a public school in San Francisco, Roth-Cramer is appalled by recent studies that report that the average American child exercises for only 12 minutes per day and watches 6 hours of TV.

The latest findings from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that "more and more children and teens are overweight . . . over the past two decades the number of overweight children and teens nearly doubled."

In addition to providing structured exercise, Roth-Cramer's creative movement classes are planned to encourage positive behavior and socialization, and enhance cooperation between children.

Roth-Cramer believes that, "Children will develop a lifetime habit of exercising if they begin early enough. When we were kids in the 60s, we went out and ran around all day with our friends. These days, however, parents have to protect their children by not allowing them to go out unsupervised. So, it is helpful for parents to provide exercise and movement sessions for their kids, to replace free play."

Since 1983, Roth-Cramer has taught creative movement and dance to more than 20,000 K-5 students in the SF Unified School District.

To receive a flier on Roth-Cramer's YMCA classes, call Rodney Chin (666-9609), director of wellness and membership at the Richmond YMCA, located at 360 18th Ave. In addition to classes for infants and toddlers, Roth-Cramer teaches dance classes for children ages 3-9.