dance Archives - Posh in Progress

Have you considered the benefits dance class for young kids and whether you want to sign your child up? When my daughter turned two, I signed her up for ballet class. At the time, I thought it would be so adorable for her to be in a little tutu. Ballet was something I always wanted to do as a child but just never ended up doing. I did a lot of organized sports, but not dance. Why I Signed My Daughter Up The first time she went to ballet as a two-year-old, she cried the entire time. I quickly realized she just wasn't ready. But when she turned four, I tried again. She had actually requested to try dance class, this time. Some of her friends in preschool were in ballet, so she wanted to join too. This time around, she immediately thrived. She was still a little shy and reserved, at first, but the independence of dancing and following along with her teacher was something she took to right away. Also, she has always been a super active little girl. She loves to move her body, and I could tell right away, this was a great fit for her. Just last week, she had her very first recital. I can't tell you how proud I am of her and how glad I am that she's found something she truly loves. She already asked me when she gets to have her next recital. Just like her mama, she definitely loved getting to dress up. She wasn't a major fan of the audience watching on, but she was very proud when her family cheered her on and showered her with praise after her performance. If you're considering whether or not to sign your young child up for dance, here are 6 benefits of dance class for young kids. 6 Benefits of Dance Class for Young Kids 1. Aids in Physical Development and Coordination Dancing is one of the best ways for improving a child’s coordination and aids in their physical development. The different steps and routines can be very challenging, so they will surely improve both physical performance and coordination. 2. Improves Social Skills When my daughter first started dance, she was so shy. She still is a lot of the time. However, dance is one of those activities where your child can build his/her own self esteem and confidence while also working in teams. 3. Helps With Cognitive Development It may not be as obvious, but participating in an organized activity, like dance or sports, actually helps with cognitive development too. They learn about team work, motivation, persistence, and hard work. These are all valuable life lessons that your child can learn while participating in dance class for young kids. 4. Promotes Creativity Dancing isn't that easy. It takes a lot of practice and there is a level of body awareness and creativity involved to be a good dancer. They have to be able to watch their teacher and then mimic the movement. That's creativity along with physical development and coordination. 5. Aids in Emotional Maturity Participating in any activity on a consistent basis helps aid in the growth of emotional maturity. By participating, they are committing to a class, learning about being on time, working in groups or on their own. All of these aspects of participating in an activity will help them to get better at setting and reaching goals. 6. Promotes an Active Lifestyle From an early age, I've tried to instill in my kids how important it is to eat well and exercise. Dance is a fun way for them to be active and add physical movement to their lives. Having hobbies that you love is such an important thing, so if they love to dance, it's something they can really do for the rest of their lives. Whether or not you decided to have your child enroll in dance, I think it's pretty clear there are clear benefits to dance class for young kids. I'm just so glad my daughter found something she loves so much at a young age. It's so nice she has an activity she truly values and also one that she can enjoy for life. Interested in other parenting stories? Click here. Want to read more about early childhood and dance? Click here.