Dance like No One is Watching YOU!

If you have kids, you may be wondering that ‘what is the best way to channel their seemingly boundless energy’. While traditional team sports are a good way to get your kids physically active, they may not be right for younger children. Dance classes are a great alternative to team sports, and most studios offer lessons for children as young as two or three. Participating in dance classes can be beneficial for kids of all ages.

Dance isn't solely about competition or winning awards. Many children dance simply for enjoyment and exercise. There are many benefits of dancing, including fitness, developing balance, losing weight, understanding the importance of being active, building confidence and developing expressive skills. Children who dance have increased self-esteem, coordination, balance and poise. Dancing cannot only be fun, but educational. Whether you enroll your child in a dance school or a program through the local community centre, as long as they are exposed to the feel and the beat, they will have fun.

In addition to being a physical activity, dancing is also a highly social activity. If your child is shy, enrolling her in dance can encourage her to reach out to other children her age and help to reduce her anxiety about new people or places. Dance can also help to alleviate fears related to performing in front of an audience. Becoming a skilled dancer requires practice, discipline and focus, skills that can be useful in other areas of your child's life. As children adjust to the movements and postures required in dance, they begin to get a better sense of their bodies. As they become more comfortable in their own skin, their confidence and self-esteem also improve.

Introducing your kids to dance also teaches them how to express themselves better through non-verbal cues. In many dance classes, kids move in tune to the music. If the song is fast-paced they may leap and jump into the air. If the song moves very slowly, the dance may call for more deliberate, carefully orchestrated turns. Kids who learn to move to the tone of the music may become more aware of acting similarly outside the dance floor.

Additionally, dance increases the expressive and verbal vocabulary of children. Children learn new words with every new move and are expected to use them in daily practice. Dancing is a physical activity that all children can benefit from and enjoy. Look for ways you can bring dancing into the lives of children!