The Creator
Littlemagictrain is the brainchild of Gina Bale. Gina is a movement expert who is passionate about creativity, imagination, and movement in the early years. This passion comes from her experience teaching movement in the Early Years, SEND, Primary, and Secondary Schools for over 30 years. Gina’s movement background is from the University of Cape Town Ballet School, Bush Davies School, and Scapino Dans. This was followed by the Royal Academy of Dance Teaching Diploma, LABAN, Trinity College Diploma of Dance Teaching and Learning (Children and Young Adults), and the Royal Ballet School Diploma of Teaching Dance.
Gina honed her skills and expanded her knowledge with ‘Hi-5’ and ‘Angelina Ballerina’.
This experience and passion led to the development of Littlemagictrain specifically for the Early Years and SEND children.
Littlemagictrain launched in 2002.
Well-Being Team
Kitty
My Princess
Rudi
My shadow
Vlad
The Boss!
Bertie
The thinker
Millie
The Queen
The Musicians
The incredible magicians behind the music of Littlemagictrain are Jonathan Still and Andrew Holdsworth. Their music truly brings every adventure to life for your little ones.
Together, Jonathan and Andrew, have over 76 years of experience in the world of music and dance, whether it’s working with pre-school children or with some of the biggest stars of the international ballet scene and the music world.
Jonathan and Andrew styled the music according to whatever seemed to fit the themes and activities, adding layers of musical interest that you might or might not hear consciously. So, for example, we’ve used a large range of styles, tempos, metres, different instruments, and dynamics. As well as familiar pop and rock styles, there are jazz waltzes, polkas, jigs, slow tempos, fast tempos, threes, fours, and sixes. There’s a twisting jellyfish, a galloping horse, a sarabanding green turtle, and a jiving kangaroo. You’ll hear siren whistles, swannee whistles, a theremin, an Otamatone, kazoos, windchimes, and sound effects that we spent a lot of time getting just right: playing the kazoo like a squirrel, and our personal favourite burping like a Pangolin!
You may recognise some of the many influences and styles – dance rhythms, heavy metal, Italian piano house, opera, ballet, Motown, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, R&B, Brazilian, Spanish, Irish, and Scottish folk. But sometimes it’s just a crazy mix of whatever fits the story, and there isn’t a name for that.
There are quotations from songs, even an opera (the Kangaroo sings Your tiny hand is frozen from La Bohème before warming up with a hand-jive, based on the same tune). You’ll hear When the boat comes in (“he shall have a fishy on a little dishy…”) when the animals are sharing and eating together at the North Pole, and the Irish tune As I went out upon the ice as they jump up and down.
While you’re making sandcastles, you’ll hear the old musical hall song “Oh I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside.”
Listen carefully, and you’ll hear What shall we do with the drunken sailor? You might even hear Twinkle Twinkle Little Star hidden under the sea somewhere, but you don’t have to: our aim was to make the music a lot of fun, and fire children’s imagination with music and sounds in a multi-sensory way when combined with all the resources.
Music Composed and performed by: Jonathan Still and Andrew Holdsworth. Additional violin by Charlie Brown and cello by Tony Woollard.
Jonathan has worked for ballet companies including Ballett der Deutschen Oper Berlin, English National Ballet, and many others. For fifteen years, he was involved in all aspects of music at the Royal Academy of Dance and oversaw the production of the music for all new syllabi and related recordings from 2007-2015.
Andrew is a London-based pianist and record producer. In the recording studio, he has worked with The Cure, Primal Scream, and Joe Jackson. With Jonathan Still, he produced the music for the Royal Academy of Dance grades syllabus. Andrew currently works at the Royal Ballet School.
The Sensory Experts
Littlemagictrain is very proud to have both Victoria and Joanna creating the sensory activities for the Littlemagictrain adventures. This ensures ALL children are invited and engaged in the learning process.
“Our primary means of accessing information in the world is our senses, as we begin our cognitive journey we begin with a sensory exploration of our surroundings, that lays the foundation blocks for our understanding. We build upon our sensory understanding of the world to create anticipation, curiosity, and reason.
Teaching in a sensory way is super inclusive as it invites everyone to join in, no matter where they are cognitively. When our senses are involved in learning and participation more of our brain is stimulated, this is what makes it more interesting and makes us more likely to retain that information.” Joanna Grace
MENA Region Team
Fatima Atieah
Fatima is a phonics and literacy teacher and trainer with over ten years of experience in the educational sector including training educators in Phonics and Literacy at the National Academy Dubai.
During that time Fatima could see that there was a lack of child-centred educational resources in the MENA region for educators and families. Fatima is putting her passion into sourcing resources for educators and parents that support the development of solid foundations in phonics, literacy, physical literacy, creativity, and STEM throughout the region.
Fatima is based in Dubai with her family and Phoenix her gorgeous cat. Fatima also works as the Regional Ambassador for Phonics Shed and continues to source wonderful resources for the MENA region.
Well-Being Team
Phoenix
My baby