The Importance of Dance for Toddlers
Dance classes may seem like a fun extra-curricular activity for your child, but the importance of art for child development goes way beyond that. Many individuals overlook the importance of art in education, but it’s vital to realize that it can supplement your child’s learning in more ways than one. Dance lessons can teach students important skills like focus, sociability, confidence, and more.
It’s been proven that creativity and art go hand-in-hand with cognitive development—contrary to popular belief, participating in artistic activities actually encourages kids to be decisive and make decisions. The opportunity for exploration it provides kids can intrigue and encourage them to want to learn. Furthermore, they’ll become familiar with non-verbal language, whether it be through movement or symbols. The importance of dance is paramount, since its benefits are aplenty. To learn more about the importance of art and how it can help your child, keep on reading.
Skills Children Learn from Dance
Creativity
This may seem like a given, but a developed creative ability shouldn’t be underestimated. Dance allows children to express themselves physically, which is what some kids need in order to thrive. Physical expression will help them think outside the box—a skill that can help them greatly in the future, both in school and in their career. Being challenged to come up with new routines and moves to the rhythm will challenge kids to step out of their comfort zone, and really develop their creative ability.
Focus
Learning dance will teach kids the ability to focus on the task at hand, as well as teach them how to handle multiple tasks at once. They’ll have to work at achieving a balance between listening to instructors, as well as contributing and learning new dance moves, which can be pretty difficult for a toddler or young child. However, once they master the skill of being able to focus on the task at hand, it’ll stick with them forever.
Improved Academic Performance
The skills that dance lessons can teach your child will spill over into their academic life, and help them in their school classes. It was reported by Americans for the Arts that young people who participate in the arts for at least three hours a day, three times a week, for one full year are four times more likely to be recognized for an academic achievement than those that aren’t.
Confidence
While children can gain confidence from academic achievements, there is also such a thing as a sense of confidence achieved in the performing arts. This is especially true for children who struggle to excel in the world of academia; when they find something they can do well and are praised and admired for it, it will help them build up the confidence they need to improve their work habits. In turn, they’ll be able to approach other situations and problems in life with an air of confidence.
Develop Visual Skills
Dance is an extremely visual art, which will help kids learn about and develop visual-spatial skills. While they’re exposed to text and numbers from an early age at school, it’s also extremely important for them to participate in visual learning and learn how to interpret and use visual information. Dance lessons can do this, as well as help them learn how to make choices based on the visual information they receive.
Decision Making
Once your child has been in dance classes for some time, or if they’ve joined at a later age, you’ll find that they may be challenged to come up with routines of their own, or in groups. Exercises like these will urge them to make their own decisions, and strengthen their ability to do so. Children typically aren’t given much decision-making ability, so allowing them to make their own choices using a creative outlet is a fantastic opportunity to help them cultivate their decision-making abilities.
Coordination
In addition to teaching children a ton of skills that they’ll be able to carry over into their academic and professional lives, it’ll also teach them better coordination—even the clumsiest of kids will see an increase in their level of coordination. Learning and perfecting new dance routines will help kids develop a sense of hand-eye coordination superior to that of their non-dancer peers.
Improve Social Skills
If your toddler has yet to enter into a pre-school or daycare setting where they get to interact with other children, dance lessons are a great way to ease them into interacting with other children their age. They’ll likely be in a class with 10-20 other children, and need to work with them to learn routines and come together for their final recital. If your child is a little older and already in school, dance classes will be another social outlet for them to connect with children in their age range.
Dedication
Dance classes will introduce children to the concept of dedication and commitment. Usually, when parents sign their kids up for classes they’ll commit to a 6-12-week program, and children should be aware of the commitment they’re making. They’ll be dedicated to learning their routines and preparing for their performance, and really learn what it means to be dedicated to something.
Allow your child to take advantage of the benefits of dance, and enroll them in dance classes in the GTA. Performing Dance Arts is the ideal dance academy for any child looking to take up dance. Whether they’re looking to join a competitive dance team, or just take a few beginner lessons to feel out if dance is for them, Performing Dance Arts would be happy to have your child. We specialize in jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop, and acro, so you can be sure we have something for everyone. To learn more about the awesome programs we offer, contact us or drop by to visit our studio today.
