Are kids who have had some form of dance
education better off than those who haven’t? What are the benefits of dance
education for children?
If you have been contemplating whether or not to
enroll your child in a dance class, then do read this.
Benefits of Dance Education
Studies have shown that children do benefit from dance. The benefits are manifold and range from the obvious (like the "fun & fitness" aspect) to the not so obvious (like the emotional aspect).
|
Fun & Fitness |
Dance is both enjoyable and a wonderful form of exercise. It
improves muscle tone and enhances blood circulation. |
|
Flexibility & Posture |
Dance improves your child’s flexibility and gives her a better
posture. Posture is an important feature taught in almost all dance forms.
Your child will seem more poised. |
|
Coordination & Balance |
Dance improves your child’s motor skills. Children from a very
young age exhibit a natural inclination to dance, by moving or swaying to
music. Encourage this inclination in your child. |
|
Cultural Development |
Dance and culture are largely entwined. Any type of dance
expresses the culture and history of its origination. |
|
Education & Knowledge |
Dance is education and learning any type of dance is a process of
acquiring knowledge. |
|
Social Skills |
Dance enhances social skills as it teaches a child ways to
express herself. After all, dance is a form of self-expression. |
|
Emotional Well-being |
Dance develops self confidence and self esteem in children. Self
confidence and self esteem are vital ingredients to emotional well-being.
There is no better time to nurture this than at a young age. |
Encourage
your child to dance
Parents can encourage their child to experiment
with dance by trying the following:
·
Get your child to clap, sway or move to music. The objective here
is to establish rhythm.
·
Get your child to move in a variety of ways, such as hopping,
jumping, walking, stretching, twisting, swinging their arms. Your child will
discover ways to combine or create these movements into a dance step.
·
Get your child to act out movements in front of a mirror. This
allows your child to invent and visualize new moves.
·
Play some music and dance with your child.
Dance is your pulse, your heartbeat, your breathing.
It's the rhythm of your life.