Why Ballet is Good for Kids?

Perhaps you’ve already decided to enrol your child to a dance class. However, there’s still a lot to choose from. Should you enrol your child to a ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary or a musical theatre class?

Many parents choose ballet for their lovely daughters. There are several possible reasons for this decision. Let’s explore a few of those reasons and see if it’s truly a worthwhile choice.

Ballet has a strong focus on discipline and technique

Learning ballet is difficult. It takes a lot of focus, discipline and practice to get the movements right. There are specific techniques that should be learned to make the movements look smooth and natural.

Students ages 2 to 18 struggle initially when it comes to learning ballet. After all, many movements required in ballet are not being done in our normal everyday routines. Beginners will naturally struggle because of ballet’s difficulty. Even the “gifted ones” have undergone perhaps hundreds of hours of practice before they achieved mastery.

Ballet’s difficulty can still be overcome (and perhaps achieve mastery if there’s a higher level of dedication). With focus and discipline, kids can overcome the challenge and even perform confidently on stage. And interestingly, with focus and discipline kids can overcome other forms of challenge whether in academics, careers and beyond. Learning ballet is more than just mastering the craft itself. It’s also about preparing oneself for the real world.

Ballet classes provide physical benefits

Aside from the focus and discipline, children will also develop their physical strength and agility while learning ballet. After all, many ballet movements require a specific form and posture. These forms and postures can’t be easily achieved without proper training and enough physical strength.

Ballet is a good avenue for kids to develop their physical strength. This is especially crucial for young kids ages 2 to 5. This is the period wherein they’re building their foundations which could they carry for the rest of their lives. With a strong foundation your child will be in a better position to adapt well and succeed later on in life.

Although other dance classes also offer similar physical benefits, ballet is still the winner when it comes to developing strength and agility. Ballet movements are very specific and there are specific forms to be followed. Aside from the physical strength and agility, learning ballet techniques also help develop focus and discipline.

Why ballet is good for kids

This brings us full circle. Ballet provides physical and cognitive benefits to children. Kids will be able to develop their physical strength and mental focus. These are essential in successfully adapting to the real world. Also, kids will feel more confident in interacting with peers and other groups of people.

As for your daughter, ballet classes might be the best choice for now. Start with ballet and you can enrol your daughter to other dance lessons later on. This way, your child will be exposed to different fields and perhaps even gain various perspectives (and make more friends along the way).