Parenting Tips/Advice

5 Ways Children Benefit From Dance Classes

Dance classes are one of the many extracurricular activities to consider when looking for a way to keep kids active and engaged. While all of the options– be it hockey, cadets, art classes or dance– have benefits for children, dance is a unique balance of athletics and art.

If you’ve been struggling with the decision about which activity to enroll your child in, here are five ways children benefit from dance classes to help you decide.

Promotes Teamwork

Dance classes are a great way to promote teamwork and a sense of inclusion in children. They learn that they are a part of a group and that even when working individually, they are an important part of something greater. This feeling of teamwork intensifies as young dancers start to grow and learn new skills. Be sure your little ones are wearing the most comfortable dance shoes.

With teamwork comes a sense of responsibility. A child will quickly learn that someone missing a class when working on a group routine throws off the rest of the group. They’ll learn that when one person succeeds, everyone succeeds.

Physical Activity

The World Health Organization recommends that children aged 5-17 get at least 60 minutes of physical activity throughout the day. It’s especially important for the majority of this activity to be cardio-based, raising their heart rates and getting their blood flowing. Unfortunately, as technology becomes more prevalent in the modern household, it can be difficult to reach this goal.

Dance classes offer a structured form of physical activity. Even ballet, which is slower paced, requires a lot of isometric holds that build powerful muscles and require extensive energy expenditure to hold.

Overcome Stage Fright

Dance classes can teach children to love the stage and overcome their sense of shyness or stage fright, especially when started at an early age. Being a part of the dance class can help your child become more comfortable with the idea of practicing something to present to others and find comfort in the group dynamic. 

Whether it’s performing for parents or hitting the stage at a competition, the ability to show their skills in front of others will benefit them as they get older and have job interviews, presentations for school, and so on.

Socialization

The benefits of any group activity for children, whether it’s an extracurricular like dance or pre-school is the opportunity to socialize with other children. This is an important opportunity for youth and helps them build the foundation for strong social skills throughout their life. 

Young children, in particular, are often greatly influenced by their family. They model the actions of their parents and siblings to learn to speak, walk, eat, etc. By socializing them with other children outside this circle, it teaches them about diversity, and how to function in different dynamics. Dance classes are one extracurricular activity that promotes socialization that children can start at a young age. 

Appreciation for the Arts

As previously mentioned, dance is a unique balance between art and athletics. It promotes self-expression and creativity while increasing one’s heart rate and building muscle. For children, this is one way to help them not only get in touch with their emotions but also to convey them in a healthy fashion.

The arts have long been a form of communication, entertainment, and culture in society, dating back to before humans could walk upright. By sparking an interest in the arts, you set your child up to take an interest in history and the global community, which will enhance both their education and ability to connect with the world around them as they get older. 

It’s important to take a well-rounded approach to skills development through extracurricular activities with children. Give them an opportunity to try various things to find something that fits. Fortunately, there are many styles of dance classes, so if one doesn’t appeal to your child, there’s always another option that falls under the dancing umbrella.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Back To Top