Dance classes are a safe place to explore the body. As children age, even they can tell the difference between starting dance at age two versus age five.
While a couple of years may not seem like much, serious Dance classes are a gift for children in their formative years. Kids can start dancing already at 3 years old. If you’re considering enrolling your child in dance classes, you might feel that time is of the essence.
Here’s what to know.
The as early as age two and it has its benefits. In alignment with developmental stages, toddler dance classes take off beginning age three.
At that time, kids are receptive to social cues, the concept of play, movement, and cognitive thinking skills. When applied to dance, nothing’s more fun!
Though Importance of Dance Classes
It may seem funny to enroll a child in dance classes at the ripe age of two or three, but the impact’s long-lasting. The question’s not about whether you want your child to be a professional dancer. Dance is a safe starting point for skills that can apply to other passions.
Skills Gained
Whether children are conscious of their growth or not, growth happens. Why not grow in an exciting and new environment? Dance classes for kids provide the following skills.
Stamina and endurance
Range of motion
Flexibility
Rhythm
Musicality
Coordination
Balance
At an age where kids don’t have expansive body awareness, dance helps break things down.
Different types of dance emphasize different body focuses.
Ballet
If your kid likes to swirl, twirl, and spin, ballet’s for them! Ballet’s a graceful and elegant technique that children love—plus—cute tutus!
Ballet shoes, tiaras, and costumes play into young children’s imagination and princess complexes. Learning different ballet postures and positions help kids with cognitive and muscle memory, as well as focus and balance.
Hip-Hop
If your kid responds well to radio pop-tunes, hip-hop’s a great starting place! The lyrics and beats may resonate with your kid in a way that makes moving easy.
Hip-hop tends to be a faster technique, but toddler dance classes make movement digestible for kids at any age.
Jazz
Parents are ultra perceptive to their kids’ movements at a young age. For that reason, you might be able to intuit which class will suit their natural instincts.
Jazz is a higher energy dance with theatrical components. If you consider your kid animated or charismatic, chances are they’ll love practicing some jazz hands and jazz squares.
Once you choose a dance class, know you’re not bound to that one for life. As your child grows, they’ll likely want to experiment with other classes based on what they see and what their friends take.
Building community helps things unfold as they may.
Benefits of Dance Classes for Kids
Few things feel safe enough for children to begin at the age of two or three. In dance, there’s no fear regarding props, athletic equipment, or spatial hazards. It’s all about the kids and the music.
What could be better? That said, it’s hard to know how dance can benefit your kid if they’re pre-verbal or newly verbal. In other words, you can’t rely on them for feedback.
The good news is you don’t have to. Why?
93% of communication’s nonverbal. If you find your kid smiling, dancing, or clapping around music, they’ll likely receive dance classes well. If you’re used to creating your own dance parties at home, why not hit a greater stage?
Besides, the skills acquired in dance are far beyond physical. Some long-lasting benefits of toddler dance classes include:
A heightened sense of self
Teamwork and team building
Confidence
Body awareness
Fun
Social connect
ion
Healthy individuation from parent
Creativity
Self-expression
Emotional awareness
Athletic abilities
Performing abilities
The dance classes you choose for your child will depend on their level of development, personality, and relationship to you. If you’re worried about healthy individuation, or your kid has anxiety with new pursuits, consider a Mommy and Me class to dip in their dancing toes!
Dance classes embody the friendliest environment for toddlers. They help kids grow, socialize, and individualize.
As kids come more into their own, they’ll be more comfortable in their skin, their bodies, and have impressive rhythm!
No matter what path your child takes as they grow, dance helps. If they become an athlete, fitness coach, artist, musician, writer, creator, or teacher, their dance history will likely have played a role in it.
For others, starting dance at age two or three informs their entire lives. Professional dancers come from lifelong dancing. The most talented have honed their craft from dance companies.
Enrolling your kid in dance is the beginning of a beautiful, mysterious, lifelong unfolding. Over the years, they’ll get to discover which style’s their favorite.
If they pursue dance professionally, they can teach dance too, one day, or even find themselves on broadway!
Whether your kid dances forever or a while, it’s worth it to give it a try. Enroll in our kids dance classes today to see how dance can swoop your child off their feet in the best way!
taken from San Elijio dance and music academy