The arts are becoming less available in the mainstream schools More and more parents are seeking out high-quality performance opportunities for their kids.
There are numerous advantages of learning dance: reduced obesity, a fun activity as well as healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as helping maintain a balanced lifestyle. There is a strong clinical evidence that children who engage in the performing arts , spend less time sitting on a computer screen playing games and therefore have a lower chance of developing health issues. For children that spend over two hours each every day with screens are at a higher risk of developing health issues including obesity.
Physical Health Benefits of Dance for Young Children
A better condition for the heart and the lungs
Muscle strength, endurance and aerobic fitness
Improved coordination
Greater agility
Better flexibility
Healthy blood pressure
A better balance overall
Improved spatial awareness
Non-physical Health Benefits associated with Dance to Young Children
Increased overall physical confidence
Better mental and general wellbeing
More self-confidence
Greater self-esteem
More self-motivation
Improved mental dexterity
Better social skills.
Do dance classes help stimulate my child’s creativeness and enhance their well-being?
Although dance can be a wonderful source of fun exercise for young children, it is also a creative outlet. Fun exercise is important but the chance to express creativity is just as crucial as exercise and eating a balanced diet to develop healthy children, because of their life-skills they will acquire. Dancing can make a person feel physically refreshed and improve their mood, tackling major issues like depression and anxiety1, and it is not only for adults. Dancing in groups is a way to ease stress and stress it is a break from the daily anxieties and also a outlet for creativity and emotions.
Do dance classes offer physical advantages on my child?
There are physical benefits to participating in dance classes in the early years of a child. Through dance, children develop the ability to move more freely while also gaining the ability to operate in different settings. They begin to understand the impact their movements have on the world around them. Dancing helps improve children’s coordination, particularly in a time where they are developing rapidly in a constantly changing and evolving world. Good co-ordination is vital in learning skills learned in other parts of life, for example, the ability to ride a bicycle and figuring out how to multitask effectively. Movement and dance patterns help develop kinaesthetic memory. It also develops endurance and strength from an early age. This creates a solid platform in the development of the physical child and the level of physical fitness.
Dance and strong, healthy muscles
The average human has 642 muscles in their body. Young children have a natural tendency to be active, but dancing makes use of more of these muscles, which consequently, develops the body’s use fully. By learning how to move, children become increasingly aware of how their bodies work and what they are able to do. They develop an understanding of what each muscle and limb can do; also building up the courage to experiment with movement and push themselves to see what they can achieve by using their bodies. The feeling of being adventurous is an essential life skill for children to acquire and a skill they can use in all areas of their lives. It aids in the growth of confidence and bravery, and encourages them to explore new challenges that they can overcome.
Can dance help with my child’s social growth?
Learning to socialise with others at an early age is a vital part of a child’s cognitive development. Being able to express emotions comfortably in front of others is a sign of maturity, and the ability to express emotion through movement and dance offers a safe gateway for young children to discover. The performing arts are a great way to bring children from different backgrounds and personalities; creating an environment that is different from the environment that children are used to. Children are challenged to communicate and adapt in new ways. As they navigate this new world through creativity, children learn to establish trust and develop effective relationships.
Participating in a group activity for example, like dancing, promotes the importance of collaboration and helps develop the capacity to be successful within a group. It also aids children in developing patience, listening and leadership skills as they start helping one another in learning and practising the steps. They also learn to accept their vulnerability and that it’s fine not to to master everything on your own and that it is important to feel at ease enough to seek assistance, whether from your teacher or from the other student.
Building self-confidence
In the study of parents who have children aged 5-7 years it was observed that in the average, 82% parents felt confident in their children’s improved because of dance workshops. In the same study, we asked parents why they chosen to take their kids to class in dance. The second most popular response was ‘that it will help build your child’s confidence’. Then, we ask the question: What life skills do you believe your child learned from attending a dance workshop?’. One of the most well-liked response was ‘improved confidence’. The results of this study affirms that dance can be a useful instrument to help build a child’s confidence. While the participants in the study were able to mention learning to dance as the reason they sent their child to dance workshops, the focus was much more on the development of interpersonal skills, predominately confidence. The other popular choices when asked about life skills their child had achieved were social interaction or public speaking increased communication skills’ and’made friends’. It’s amazing to see what can be achieved through studying performing arts and the positive effect that the arts have on children’s development in interpersonal relationships.
Visit the VG Dance Workshops website for information on Chinese dance schools workshops.
The nonverbal language is responsible for two-thirds the total amount of communication. It’s important for young children to be aware that it’s possible to communicate a message in both a verbal and appropriate body signals, and to be able to interpret the signals of other people. Studying dance and movement can help the child gain an understanding of their body language, as well as that of others. While it’s relatively easy to express in a non-verbal way simple emotions like “happy” or “sad” but studying dance can teach a child how to physically express complex emotions and how to read and react when someone else is physically emoting.
Perseverance and self-motivation
When children learn to dance at a young age, they develop self-motivation and perseverance. Dance encourages children to try new things and try different methods of solving issues. It is crucial in the development of a child’s personality that they are taught the value of trial-and-error , and when you fail at first, achieve your goals, then attempt again. The feeling of satisfaction and achievement they experience after they’ve mastered a complicated movement will encourage them to apply this skill to other areas of their lives.
Mental dexterity
The repetition exercise and practice during dancing increases mental agility. Making gestures and body movements can help children better absorb information and enhances their ability to absorb and hold information. There’s a belief that is prevalent in dance classes that kids should only attend if they plan to perform on a stage. The truth is that this is further from the truth. Yes, dance classes are an ideal stepping stone for a child who is showing early signs of a natural flair for performance. There is however numerous benefits to being able to dance for children who are not confident, is self-conscious, or shows no enthusiasm for performing. This is the reason we are inclusive and not exclusive. We recognize how important performing arts are for all children and it is our goal to encourage this. We offer a safe, secure space where children are able to develop and flourish, while learning vital life skills as well as developing confidence as risk-taking explorers.
