My Second Blog Post

Benefits of Dance

Dance has many benefits, such as the most known benefits, like better flexibility and strength. But, there are also many benefits that not many people know about, such as how it helps mental health and memory. Dance can have an effect on children as young as two, or even children as old as twelve. Here are some of the benefits, or effects, of dance.

The most known effect that dance has, is physical benefits. Dance can help improve conditions of a child’s heart and lungs, and can increase muscular strength and endurance. Dance can give a child better coordination, agility, and of course, better flexibility. Good coordination can help with other vital skills such as riding a bike, and multitasking successfully. Dance can also help maintain a healthy blood pressure. Dance has physical benefits both inside and outside of the human body. It also improves a child’s overall balance and spatial awareness. According to The Benefits of Dance for Young Children,”Through dance, children develop a greater range of movement whilst developing the ability to work within different spaces.”

 

The personal sense of adventure in dance, is an important life trait for children to develop, and a skill they can use in all aspects of a life. According to H. Davis in The Benefits of Dance for Young Children,”Through the process of learning movement, children become more aware of their bodies and what they are capable of. They develop an understanding of what each muscle and limb can do; also building up the courage to experiment with movement and to push themselves to see what they can achieve with their own bodies.” Dancing overall makes use of more muscles in a child, and in turn develops the use of their bodies fully.

One of the lesser known effects that dance has, is better mental health. Dance improves overall physical confidence, and a child’s psychological well- being, giving a child greater self-confidence, and self- esteem. Dancers’ exercise of repetition and rehearsal, also improves mental dexterity. The movement of dance helps children absorb ideas and improves their ability to hold information. According to H. Davis in The Benefits of Dance for Young Children,”There is a perceived view that lingers around dance classes that children should only attend if they want to perform on a stage. The fact of the matter is that this couldn’t be further from the truth.” Dance classes are an ideal stepping stone for children who share a natural flair for performing at a young age, however, there are benefits of learning to dance for a child who is more shy, has a lower self esteem, or hasn’t shown an interest in performing. Many people didn’t know that dance could help with a child’s mental health, but it does have an effect on a student’s self-esteem, and gives them a better view of themself.

According to H. Davis in The Benefits of Dance for Young Children,”In a study of Stagecoach, parents with children aged 5-7 years (November 2013) it was found that, on average, 82% of parents felt that their child’s confidence levels improved as a result of attending Stagecoach.” The same dance school then asked why parents chose that particular studio, and many parents said it was so they could build their childs’ self confidence. Improved confidence was also the most said response when parents were asked what life skills their children have gained from dance.

The feedback from Stagecoaches study supports their belief that dance is an important tool to use to build a child’s confidence. Again, according to H. Davis in The Benefits of Dance for Young Children,”The study of dance and movement can help a child develop an understanding of their own body language as well as others.” This helps children understand how to read and react when someone is physically emoting, and really showing their emotions. Dance overall contributes to the development of a child’s confidence, bravery, and understanding the emotions of others.

Overall, dance has many physical, and mental benefits, along with other effects not mentioned. Dance is helpful for a child to live a happy healthy life, and develop well for when they go out into the real world.

Bibliography

Davis, H. “The Benefits of Dance for Young Children.” stagecoach.co.uk, 12 February 2014, https://www.stagecoach.co.uk/blog/blog/march-2014/benefits-of-dance-for-young-children#:~:text=There%20are%20physical%20benefits%20of,to%20work%20within%20different%20spaces.&text=Dance%20and%20movement%20patterns%20also,endurance%20from%20an%20early%20age.  Accessed 14 January 2021.