BENEFITS OF DANCE

With arts provision shrinking in our schools, it is imporant that children still get the opportunity to be involved in the arts.

There are the obvious benefits of studying dance; reduced obesity, a fun source of exercise and helping to maintain a balanced lifestyle.  

Whilst dance is a good source of fun exercise for young children, it is also a creative outlet. Fun exercise is important but the opportunity to release creativity is as important as exercising and maintaining a balanced diet in the development of healthy children, because of the life skills they will learn. Dancing can make a person feel physically refreshed and improve their mood. 

There are physical benefits of partaking in dance classes as a child. Through dance, children develop a greater range of movement whilst developing the ability to work within different spaces.   Dancing improves a child’s co-ordination, especially at a time when they are rapidly developing in an ever-changing and evolving environment. Good co-ordination is vital in developing skills learnt in other parts of life, such as learning to ride a bike and learning how to multitask successfully.  Dance also develops strength and endurance from an early age. This creates a solid platform for the child’s physical development and level of fitness.

Young children are naturally active, however dancing makes use of more of these muscles and in turn develops the use of their bodies fully. Through the process of learning movement, children become more aware of their bodies and what they are capable of. They develop an understanding of what each muscle and limb can do; also building up the courage to experiment with movement and to push themselves to see what they can achieve with their own bodies. 

Learning to socialise with others from a young age is a vital part of a child’s cognitive development. The ability to express emotion comfortably in front of others shows mental maturity and learning to do so through movement and dance provides a safe gateway for young children to explore. 

Being part of a group activity, such as learning a dance routine, promotes the importance of teamwork and develops the ability to work successfully in a group environment. The process also helps a child learn patience, listening and leadership skills as they start to help each other with learning and practising the steps. They also learn to accept vulnerability; that it is okay not to be able to do everything first time and that you should feel confident enough to ask for help, either from the teacher or from another student.

When young children study dance they learn perseverance and self-motivation.  It is vital in a child’s personal development that they learn the importance of trial-and-error and that, if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. The sense of success and accomplishment they will experience when they have mastered a complicated movement will encourage them to transfer this ambition into other aspects of life.

The exercise of repetition and rehearsal when dancing improves mental dexterity. Learning body movement and gestures helps children absorb ideas better and improves their ability to absorb and hold information.

There is a perceived view that lingers around dance classes that children should only attend if they want to perform on a stage or compete. The fact of the matter is that this couldn’t be 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. However, there are many benefits of learning to dance for a child who is shy, has low self-esteem or has shown no interest in performing. This is why we are all inclusive, not exclusive, at NRG Dance. We understand the importance of performing arts to all children and it is our aim to promote this. We provide a safe environment within which young children can blossom and grow, practising important life skills.

Taking part in dance allows children to explore and express themselves freely.  It encourages children to use their own imagination and ideas. When a child practises and learns a dance routine they become more confident.

The impact of creative learning on children is enormous. It promotes the importance of teamwork and social inclusion in a subtle but direct manner.

NRG Dance recognises that confidence and communication skills are vital to a child's future happiness and success.