“What is the point of having my child dance in ballet? It is not as if my child will learn the techniques at such a young age.” Ballet has several benefits for children – discipline, coordination, working with others, and having fun.
Children as young as the age of two can dance in ballet. Every parent battles with the “terrible twos” or 4 and 5-year-old children trying to create their independence. Ballet helps with the discipline. A ballet class is highly structured. A child learns to do what the dance teacher says, to obey the dance teacher’s rules, and follow instructions. Dance teachers teach any type of ballet class with manners. So, children quickly learn to say, “please” and “thank you.” Children in ballet learn to stay still until asked to do the dance required. For a child who might have a difficult time staying still, has high energy, or does not yet know how to obey their parents, ballet would be a major benefit for discipline.
Along with discipline, ballet helps the children learn coordination. Children have just learned how to walk, now what? Well, ballet can help children learn to maintain coordination with their legs and arms. Just like learning to ride a bike, ballet shows children how to use their own arms and legs to a rhythm that helps them function without hurting themselves.
Another important part of ballet is learning to work together as a team. If one dancer is doing the dance too fast or too slow (or even different moves than everyone else), it will show. People doing the same dance together should look as if it is one person doing the dance. Each person should be moving the same movement at the same time. Having children do ballet, teaches them how to work together, helping each other learn the dance moves, and making sure no one is being left behind in the dance. Sometimes, in a routine, the choreography will require the children to form a certain shape (for ex. A figure eight, or a circle). This will require everyone to work together to make the shape.
Lastly, and most important of all, ballet is fun! Ballet creates a wonderful, safe environment for children to have fun. Ballet may be highly structured in discipline, but it is still a place where children can join, become friends, build relationships, and learn fun (and sometimes goofy) dances.
The Omaha School of Music and Dance provides these things in ballet for children. Our instructors love children, and helping children learn and grow to the best of their abilities.
