If your child has expressed an interest in dance and longs for their own ballet shoes, consider enrolling them in a beginning ballet class. Ballet promotes physical strength and agility, can boost concentration, develops an understanding of music and rhythm and generates a love of movement. They can benefit from age-appropriate ballet instruction. Ballet improves muscular strength, flexibility and range of motion. Ballet training also boosts coordination and balance while correcting poor alignment, ballet can improve body awareness and physical self-control.
In addition to its physical benefits, ballet can also help to improve children’s mental and emotional health. The Brighton Ballet Theatre website asserts that training in classical ballet instils a sense of pride and accomplishment, which can boost self-esteem. As children improve and master more challenging movement combinations, they feel more self-assured, which can carry over into other areas of their lives. Dance training can also be a great way to relax and use excess energy productively after school.
Ballet classes provide a social outlet for kids. Attending classes regularly can help young children develop their social skills. Ballet can also help children to forge new friendships, overcome shyness or awkwardness in social situations and reduce the fears associated with being in a group and performing in front of an audience.
Ballet training exposes students to a combination of movement, music and performance. Children enhance their sensory awareness, cognition — which includes attention, memory and learning. These are skills that benefit kids in all areas of life. For kids who want to explore other forms of dance — such as jazz, hip-hop or tap — ballet offers a solid foundation and serves as a great starting point.