Five Benefits From Dance Classes You May Of Never Known

5 Benefits from Dance Classes 

You May Of Never Known

Most families enroll their children in dance classes because it is something fun to do. It is only many years later that they find out that the classes were actually a great training ground for the future, no matter what or where the future leads their child.

Parents are happy when their children find an "activity" that they enjoy. But they are even more thrilled, that after many years of struggling and encouraging their child to continue with their classes, they find out that their child has actually developed stronger life skills than the children of friends and family that were never in dance training. So what can your child learn beside to count 5,6,7,8 or to leap and fall to the floor without getting hurt?

Let's talk a bit about the physical side of benefits from dance classes in this particular post.

1. Physical activity is the most recognized benefit for anyone that dances, young or old. Since dance does use the whole body for movement, it is a great exercise towards whole body fitness. When you add the stretching and warm up, with the actual dance steps, a total body and mind fitness routine is now created. It has also been stated that dance classes are a great way to set the direction for a healthier lifestyle throughout life.

2. Kinesthetic memory is created by repetitive movements and barre work in dance. The value of this is a higher level of coordination and the ability to change directions quickly. This is just one of many reasons that professional athletes either pick up dance classes to improve their athletic ability, or they trained in dance prior to being a professional athlete. When you look at only less than 1% of high school athletes play professional sports, children that dream of playing in professional sports need as much help as possible from ages 5 to 20 years of age. But is also helps us throughout life in being more agile as we age.

3. Balance is another skill that is important throughout life. Some studies have indicated that the balance we achieve by age 10 is the level of balance we carry with us through out life. Of course you still develop balance after age 10 years, but it is this balance after age 10 years that we loose as we age. So best to develop great balance at an early age.

4. Falling correctly and getting back up quickly is a skill that we all need. No matter if the fall is a physical one, or a situation one in life, school or business. Have you ever wondered how dancers can leap high into the air and land down on the floor, almost seemingly floating to the floor? Then roll and come up on their feet with great power and grace at the same time? It is because of the hours an hours of training each individual part of the body as to how it contacts the floor and travels through space and time. Then when it is time for a level change (or change in life), the total body just responds naturally (again another reason why professional athlete decide to pick up classes in dance to improve their athletic abilities).

5. Changing directions quickly is important in so many ways. Ever seen anyone change directions quickly and then claim they are dizzy from the abrupt change of direction? More than likely, they never took dance classes. The vestibular system is the sensory system that provide the leading contribution about the sense of balance and spatial orientation for the purpose of coordinating movement with balance. Vestibular disorders can include vision and balance disorders or difficulties.
The constant work of turning, rolling and changing directions abruptly in dance classes can help the vestibular system to be stronger and more balanced for better health and life.

These five benefits are generally not ones that are listed on studio websites or brochures they pass out to the public. But they are there for every child, teen or adult that trains in dance classes long term. These five benefits are just as important, if not more so, than the ones you will find listed on any of their marketing materials. So when in line registering for classes, know that you are signing your child up to learn life skills that may enhance their adult life. Dance classes are an investment for their future.


*Mary Myers is the Director and Owner of Academy of Fine Art in Woodward OK 

Why A Boys Program?

WHY SELECT A BOYS DEVELOPMENTAL TUMBLING PROGRAM OVER OTHER SPORTS PROGRAMS?
Because it is a fact:

1.Tumbling and dance provide a variety of physical challenges that encourage the development of agility, flexibilty,balance and coordination.

2.Tumbling and dance are based upon control of the body, as well as the timing, positioning, balance and coordination of movement that defies gravity.

3.In tumbling and dance, the motor and sensory systems in the body are provided an excellany opportunity to develop basic functional relationships that carry throughout adulthood.

4.Tumbling and dance students are more aware of their body as an extension of their minds.

5.Tumbling and dance training allows for basic movement sequences to develop and be stored for later activities such as competitive sports. Competitive sports programs do not take the time to perfect movement sequences with every child. This is why some will always sit the bench while other play.

6. Tumbling and dance allows for motor programming of two or more muscles at a time giving the athlete simultaneous control of two or more actions. Tumbling and dance ARE athletic and are considered sports.

7. The motor programming that a person receives up to age 10 years is the level that most experts believe is carried throughout adulthood. How well they balance on a log at age 10 years will be the how well they can balance on a log in adulthood. More balance is obtained after age 10 years, but as we age and start loosing balance skills, some kinetic specialists believe you only loose back down to age 10 years.

8. Today, athletes study dance as part of their training for several sports. Over the years, dance forms have been adapted and integrated into training for a variety of sports. Dance has been an important part of gymnastics and figure skating for years, but in the 1980's, football, basketball, skiing and diving teams began to study dance disciplines and to recognize them as an important part of training programs.

9. Professional dance companies have featured popular sports stars in their productions. World-class athletes such as Olympic gold medalist diver Greg Louganis, basketball star, Michael Jordan, professional football players such as Heisman trophy winner Herschel Walker and former Chicago Bears player Willie Gault have studied and been featured with professional dance companies.

10. In the past two years, a collegiate study was conducted in California as to who was stronger. Athletes or dancers? Dancers each time stood out as the strongest in being measured up against collegiate athletes.

The facts state the obvious. Developmental tumbling and dance training beats ALL OTHER sports programs hands down for children ages 2-12 years of age. Development specialists state that a program offering skipping, jumping, hopping, balancing, throwing and rhythmic movements should be chosen over competitive programs for ages 2-10 years of age.

Want to give your child an edge over the other athletes later or just in life general? Then highly consider registering into a dance and or tumbling program right away.