What is the Best Age to Start Dance Lessons?
Time and time again, we hear people ask, “Isn’t my 3 year old too young to be dancing?” The truth is, as long as you find age appropriate dance classes, no. It’s important to remember that the ability to start dancing develops in children before they can even form words! Dance is pre-verbal, beginning before words can be formed. It is innate in children before they possess command over language and is evoked when thoughts or emotions are too powerful for words to contain.
Furthermore, children move naturally. They move to achieve mobility, they move to express a thought or feeling, and they move because it is joyful and feels wonderful. When their movement becomes consciously structured and is performed with awareness for its own sake, it becomes dance.
Dance is a powerful ally for developing many of the attributes of any growing child, but our 3-5 year old dance lessons are designed to help children mature physically, emotionally, and socially.
Physical Development
Physical development is one of the best benefits dance lessons have for young children. They are learning a wide range of motion, body awareness, balance, muscle strength, coordination, and endurance. Movement patterns require the child to use their entire body to reach a level of fitness that is unparalleled by other activities. Through dance classes, kids begin to understand that the possibilities of movement are endless and fun to explore.
Emotional Development
Dance promotes psychological health and maturity. Dance is a creative art form that allows your child to freely express thoughts and emotions that he may not be able to communicate verbally. Your child may not be able to tell you why he/she feels sad, angry or happy, but through dance, he may find a release of negative — or expression of positive — emotions in a healthy way. While it may appear your toddler is simply having fun, he is actually exploring his imagination, fantasies and thoughts while dancing! In addition, the National Dance Education Organization explains that dance promotes psychological health and maturity through a physical release of emotion and the development of self-awareness.
Social Development
Another benefit of dance is social development. In the dance classes at the Omaha School of Music and dance, children have the opportunity to learn in a comfortable social environment. They must take turns, work as a group, cooperate, share, understand space, form lines, watch and support one another, perform, and interact. Children learn that communication can occur through immediate and effective movement to express an idea. Furthermore, the group dynamic in dance classes challenges children to respect others as they share and dance in unison. Many times you will see a very strong bond between dancers because of these efforts no matter how old they are!
Now that we have covered the benefits of our classes, you might be wondering what classes we offer! Please check out our classes at Dance classes for kids and adults, email or call 402-515-9639 for additional information.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
