Getting your child involved in dance is a great way to get them moving. It not only reduces their screen time, but also provides a fun and exciting way to integrate exercise and creativity into your child’s day. Dance is also a great vehicle for self-expression and socialization. It helps develop self-confidence and inculcates the values of patience, discipline and perseverance.
Among children’s after-school activities, we found that ballet, hip-hop and modern dancing remain popular trends in dance classes for kids. Why, you may ask? Check out how these different dance trends benefit children. Even with the emergence of dance trends such as jazz, tap dancing and other forms, classical ballet continues to be a popular choice. In fact, enrolling your child in classical ballet almost always sets them up for success in learning other dance forms. Though ballet dancers always manage to make their movements seem effortless onstage, it takes tremendous discipline and dedication to reach that level of dexterity. This is why children attending ballet classes may start as early as age four or five.
Aside from receiving early training on following instructions and developing discipline, your child can also benefit from ballet in the following ways: Development of coordination, control and balance, learning to perform in coordination with a group, staying active and getting plenty of exercise, gaining self-confidence, and practising good posture. As well as learning the basic positions and mastering the movements in ballet, experiencing the rigours of this dance form will make it easier for your child to transition to other forms of dance. The freedom of hip-hop compared to ballet, is certainly more free-form, and can benefit high-energy kids who like to move spontaneously. However, even though this type of dance appears to involve a lot of freestyling, hip-hop does have its own forms and techniques to follow. This is one of the reasons for its tremendous popularity in dance schools. Hip-hop is a healthy outlet for releasing pent-up energy and emotions and it gives children the opportunity to freely express themselves. It helps promote an active lifestyle, as kids get a lot of exercise in the process of learning. It gives kids plenty of opportunities to socialize with other children and provides children a safe space and an artistic haven away from the stresses of school life. Best of all, children usually find hip-hop classes lots of fun as they get many opportunities for creative self-expression.
Although not as free and casual as hip-hop, modern dance is less structured than ballet. The focus of modern dance is creative and emotional with self-expression through free form movements involving the core or torso of the body. Modern dance is usually performed barefoot as it also involves floor work. Children benefit from modern dance classes in many ways, including: Channeling children’s energy in a healthy manner, helping in their artistic development, increasing strength and flexibility, developing teamwork, trust and cooperation.
Dance classes for kids are by no means limited to these three disciplines. There’s jazz, contemporary, tap dance, acro, lyrical, and much more to choose from.
Whatever dance class your child attends, they will surely reap the physical and cognitive benefits that come with practising the art of dance. If you’re looking for a dance school dedicated to cultivating your child’s talent and unlocking their potential, please get in touch with us at The Landing Dance Centre.
