Dance offers children many benefits that help them to be happier and more focused. It teaches them to work together and share ideas in an imaginative way.
Dance also teaches students the importance of overcoming challenges. Mastering a new step, synchronising with the rhythm or performing in front of an audience all develop students’ resilience and tenacity.
Physical Fitness
Dance is a form of exercise and can help kids to improve their overall fitness, wellness, flexibility and strength. It’s also a great way to get kids active and away from their screens, which is becoming increasingly important for their physical health and mental wellbeing.
Aside from being a fun and creative activity, dance also helps children to develop their coordination and balance. The skills they learn in dance can be applied to other forms of physical activity, such as sports and martial arts, and can help them to maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout their life.
Additionally, dancing is a social activity that encourages students to interact with other people and build relationships. It can also be a great way to boost kids’ confidence and develop essential life skills such as focus and discipline.
Furthermore, the demands of dance training require students to develop a high level of physical fitness. This requires them to manage their time effectively (balancing dance classes with school and leisure), develop problem-solving skills (finding ways to perfect a routine or ensure synchronisation in group performances) and develop discipline (strengthening their core, working on flexibility and endurance). In addition, incorporating dance into education provides an opportunity for children to learn about the importance of being physically fit, which can be a positive lifelong habit.
Social Interaction
In an age of increasing social isolation, dance provides a unique opportunity for children to meet and interact with people from different backgrounds. This social interaction helps to promote understanding and tolerance. In addition, dance can help to increase children’s confidence by providing them with a creative outlet. Furthermore, it can encourage focus and discipline.
In the classroom, dance can inspire creativity in the general school environment, encouraging students to think outside of the box and try new things. It can also provide a fun and engaging way to get children moving and getting their heart rates up, which is good for their physical health.
Additionally, dancing teaches children how to work with others. This is a vital skill that can be transferred to other academic subjects, such as maths and science. It can also teach them how to collaborate with a partner when learning new steps or choreography. Moreover, dance is inherently social, as it often involves moving together and requires empathy with the other person.
In the ideal educational setting, dance would be taught across all grades. In elementary schools, dance could be taught as part of arts education or even as a component of motor skills in physical education. In the middle and high school, it could be a separate discipline or an art program. Finally, at the college or university level, it could be taught as an independent discipline or a dance program.
Creative Expression
Dance provides students with a creative outlet for ideas and feelings, especially when words can be difficult to express. It also offers a unique opportunity to learn about other cultures by exploring different dance styles such as Flamenco, African or classical Indian Bharatanatyam. This teaches children about our diversity and promotes acceptance and respect for others.
Dance requires that students master challenging skills, such as remembering and executing complex steps or performing in front of an audience. Overcoming these hurdles instills a sense of resilience in students, teaching them to persist and not give up on their goals. The trial and error that is often required to learn dance also helps develop a strong work ethic in students.
In an era where many students spend most of their time at school in an academic setting, dance is becoming increasingly important as a way for young people to escape the monotony of classroom learning and experience something new and exciting. It is a form of education that offers a much-needed break and encourages creative ambition. In an educational system where funding cuts are a common occurrence, it is vital that dance is considered part of a well-rounded education and students are given the opportunity to pursue their passions. This will enable them to be better equipped for a more flexible, multi-faceted career in a rapidly changing world.
Confidence
Parents around the world share a common thought when their children say that dance is their favourite hobby. They would rather their kids earn recognition for a debating competition or brainstorming quiz than their dancing skills. This mindset stems from the low status accorded to dance in education as conventional academic work associates intelligence mainly with verbal and mathematical reasoning.
While it is obvious that dance has physical benefits, it also encourages confidence in students. The discipline and focus required to learn routines and perform in front of an audience are great for building the self-efficacy of students. This self-confidence can be transferred to other areas of their lives, helping them become more resilient to difficulties and a greater motivator for academic achievement.
When working together to create and learn choreography, students build collaboration and teamwork skills. This can be transferable to other areas of their life as it teaches them how to work with others in the classroom and beyond.
In addition, a diverse dance class can help introduce students to cultures from around the world. It allows them to express themselves without words and fosters imagination which spills over into other academic subjects. It can even teach them to appreciate and respect differences in one another. This can be especially important in a world where there is increasing tension and isolation among youth.