How Does the Performing Arts Help Kids?

We all want our children to get ahead and realise their potential. We want them to be best prepared for formal schooling and the real world. To accomplish this, we now know that an academic edge is not enough.

How does the performing arts help kids

One way our kids can get an edge (and perhaps best prepare for this fast-evolving world) is by exposing them to different fields and environments and put our focus beyond the academics. For instance, the performing arts is getting a lot of attention now. In fact, enrolling a child to a performing arts school is already expected just like helping our kids get a solid foundation in language, science and mathematics.

But what about STEM? Sure, the world will always need scientists and engineers. It’s a responsible thing to do to help our kids get a solid grasp of the maths and sciences. However, this may not be enough to prepare children for the future (in terms of emotional and financial wellbeing). And yes, there comes a point when we need to look beyond science and math to solve modern problems. This is where creativity comes in where original ideas might sprout or new approaches might come from a combination of old ideas. Aside from creativity, effective collaboration and decent amount of social skills are also a must to make big things happen. In our modern complex world, important skills and knowledge reside in different heads. It’s crucial then that people effectively communicate and collaborate.

One way to develop effective communication and collaboration early on is through the performing arts. We can see this clearly in group dance performances where children have to be aware of other kids and their surroundings. It’s like seeing the big picture while minding their own individual movements. In a way, they communicate and collaborate with the minimal number of words which is important in doing big things in the real world. Being mindful of others and being smooth to work with (which is essential in making a group dance performance a success) are vital in making things happen in the professional and business world (e.g. having a flourishing career, building a profitable business).

The performing arts is also about building self-confidence. It takes courage and confidence to perform on stage. Well, if children got used to performing at an early age, being on stage and facing other people will always feel normal to them. There’s no fear and anxiety during social settings which could benefit them in formal schooling and beyond.

Literacy and numeracy are always important. But often we have to do things together which is why social and emotional skills are crucial for kids to be successful in formal schooling and professional world. These things might be hard to learn inside a conventional classroom. But if we give our kids a chance to perform on stage and build their self-confidence, they’ll have a better shot at conquering the real stage ahead.