Why Dances Classes are a Fun Hobby
Is your daughter looking for a fun hobby? Sign her up for dance classes. Here's why she'll love dancing.
Keyword(s): dance classes
Do you find yourself frustrated in the countless hours your children spend immersed in a screen?
In today's world, it's no surprise this is a common concern amongst parents.
After all, the time in which children spend behind a screen has risen dramatically in the last 20 years.
Research indicates that children between the ages of five and 16 spend on average six and a half hours in front of a screen on a daily basis.
it's clear these habits are unhealthy -so what can we do to mend this issue?
The answer lies in enrolling children in structured activities that benefit their health both physically and mentally.
Studies have proven that the benefits of dance classes, in particular, have proven to benefit children far beyond just physical exercise.
While dance is equated to maintaining good physical health, it is also directly linked to increasing mental well-being in a number of ways.
Continue reading to understand the many physical and mental benefits of enrolling your daughter in a dance class.
Improvement of Physical Health
According to a recent study, less than 25% of children are getting the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity each day.
As the world of technology progresses, children are spending more time behind screens than ever before.
What does this mean for physical activity?
It means that our children are now apart of a world with historically low rates of exercise and physical activity.
Specifically, dance has proven to benefit health in the following ways:
- Building a strong heart and lungs
- Increasing muscular strength and endurance
- Increasing flexibility
- Supporting weight management
With just half an hour of continuous dance, experts state that you can burn up to 300 calories -this is of equal value to an activity such as cycling.
The upbeat personality of dance allows the participants to shift their focus from conscious fitness to an activity considered to be fun and playful.
Dance Classes and Socialization
Studies have revealed that children engaging in dance class encourage children to learn how to thrive in a social situation.
Children's socialization is often perceived in a succession of different stages:
- Playing alone
- Playing near others
- Playing with others and sharing
Dance classes have been proven to help children in advancing through these stages with high success rates.
While the physical benefits are many, dance classes are also based up institutional values that aid in a child's development.
This is done through specific mentoring that encourages children to learn how to engage well with others and work as a team.
In a typical dance class, students are required to work as a team, in a partnership and independently.
This helps children understand their strengths as both a team member and as an individual.
In a study conducted with young children, children enrolled in a twice-weekly dance class demonstrated more competent social skills and reduced bad behavior than those who were not enrolled.
These skills help to allow children to develop the means necessary for creating relationships throughout life.
Foundation for Confidence
From the time in which a girl is a toddler, she is bombarded with images from the media idealizing a specific body image.
Research indicates that a child's notion of self-worth and body image begins to develop in early childhood -this is especially the case for girls.
In fact, in a survey targeting girls between the ages of 6 and 8 more than half of girls report that their ideal weight is less than their current weight.
Of this category, one in four have admitted to attempting a form of dieting.
In a world of constant pressure facing women, it's essential to aid our youth in developing body confidence at a young age.
Dance classes allow young girls to understand the strengths and capabilities of their bodies.
This results in an appreciation for what their body has the ability to do and allows them to feel more comfortable in their own skin.
Dance also has the ability to create a sense of normalcy and confidence when it comes to public performances.
Studies reveal that when exposed to performance at a young age, it helps to create a solid base of comfortability when facing these situations in the future.
Learning Dedication
When children continue to practice a routine that eventually results in a finished product or a performance, they learn to connect dedication with feelings of accomplishment.
These early-onset lessons of dedication help to give the child a sense of purpose in working hard.
How do we instill these values in our children?
It's simple, really.
Start programming them early.
It has been noted that children with high levels of arts engagement such as dance classes, were more likely to aspire to college than students without.
For parents, it's best to instill these notions of dedication at an early age when the child's brain and habits are still in development.
Alternate Forms of Self-Expression
As children continue to grow, many often struggle with the challenges of self-expression.
Psychologists note that not all children are content with nor taught how to express themselves verbally.
In fact, research indicates that children feel most safe and comfortable expressing themselves artistically.
Dance classes allow children the opportunity to openly express themselves without the demand of expressing a verbal tone.
This enables the child to express grief, frustration, stress or anxiety in a way that is most comfortable and natural for them.
The end result?
Less negative feelings being internalized and the ability to "let go" of negative thoughts and emotions.
Now What?
The evidence that dance classes are so positively linked to both mental and physical health is immeasurable.
At the end of the day, it's clear we could all benefit from a little more moving and grooving in our lives.
If you're looking for ways to benefit your child's mental and physical well-being, enrolling is a dance class just might be the answer you've been waiting for.
Wondering what type of dance is best suited for your daughter?
View our complete list of services here.
Time to turn up the music and polish off our dancing shoes!