From balancing on their toes to raising their arms, dance utilizes the entire body and all of its muscle groups. Dance improves flexibility, coordination, balance, range of motion, stamina, muscle tone, strength and posture. But physical fitness is just one of many benefits of dance that can enhance your child’s life in so many ways.
Dance helps children develop emotionally, socially and cognitively, and the dedication, discipline and focus children must learn and practice are important life skills that will transfer over to school, work and other aspects of their lives.
Committing to a dance class involves showing up on time, every time, fully prepared, with hair fixed and in proper clothing, and instills great habits and accountability. Children learn that their actions not only affect themselves, but others as well. The dedication involved in showing up for rehearsals also shows kids that being committed to something can bring many positives into their lives.
Through perseverance and self-motivation, children can be encouraged to solve problems through experimentation. It is important that children learn that if they don’t succeed, they need to try again. Being able to make mistakes, ask for help, accept constructive feedback and make improvements are great skills to have. When they master a complicated movement, they have a sense of accomplishment that will encourage them to conquer other challenges throughout their lives.
Children strengthen their cognitive abilities and memory skills through learning choreography. They develop enhanced sensory awareness and learn nonverbal communication, which represents two thirds of all communication. By understanding body language, they learn how to portray a message using body movements, and how to interpret body signals from others.
Dance helps build self-confidence with each new routine they practice and master. It also enables children to develop interpersonal skills, which is vital to a child’s cognitive development. When children are part of a group activity, such as a dance routine, they learn the importance of teamwork and develop skills to work successfully in a group setting. This helps children learn how to listen well, lead others and be patient.
PADC offers dance classes for boys and girls ages 3 and up. Summer is coming up, and PADC offers a four week summer session. This is a great time to introduce children to dance or try a new style.
Source: Washington Parent