Dancing can often be thought of as simply just an after school activity and all too often overlooked for all the other physical, emotional, social and educational benefits for children. Going into the New Year, I thought it was important to highlight some of the many amazing benefits your child is getting through their classes at L'Ecole de Danse.
The Physical Benefits
The most obvious benefit of dance is physical. Dance significantly improves aerobic fitness, cardiovascular health, muscular strength, flexibility and range of motion which is vital in a child's growth and development. All forms of dance whether it be ballet or hiphop boosts coordination and balance. Our teachers at L'Ecole de Danse ensure that children are constantly moving during their class in order to improve endurance and stamina. We also run stretching and conditioning classes for students who want to boost their flexiblity and strength outside of dance classes. Rest assured, when your child leaves one of our classes, they would have got their sweat on!
The Emotional Benefits
A crutial benefit is the ability for dance to improve children's emotional and mental health. Everyday classes, exams and concerts all instil a sense of pride, accomplishment and achievement which can increase overall self-esteem. There is nothing more rewarding to our teachers than seeing the pride on the kids faces when they master a challenging movement or combination. Those smiles as the students run off stage at our end of year concert or receive their results from their exams can't be beaten either.
The Social Benefits
Another important benefit of dance are the social benefits. As our students regularly attend classes, important social skills such as teamwork, communication, trust and cooperation are developed. The teachers at L'Ecole de Danse ensure that these skills are being developed through dancing/performing as a group, activities which involve group work and peer-review exercises. We believe that many friendships have been formed in our over the last 10 years!
The Educational Benefits
The last benefit of dance I want to discuss are the educational benefits. Dance can offer certain cognitive and educational benefits as students are exposed to movement, music and performance. Attention, memory and learning are all developed through learning certain movements, exercises and full routines.
