Dancing And Kids’ Health

Dance has always been imbibed into the cultural heritage of almost every country, be it western dance styles like salsa, jazz, ballet or the various dance styles followed in our own country. Bollywood has gained recognition worldwide for the choreography followed therein. Kids just need a reason to dance, they hear their favourite music, their feet tap and they start moving and dancing. Children learn to move and express themselves through actions well before they start speaking. And dance can prove to be an excellent medium to express those hundreds of emotions and thoughts that cannot be expressed through words.

We could define dancing as a consciously structured movement performed with expression and awareness. There are so many professional dancers in almost all fields in India and abroad, what did it take them to come to this level? Focus, discipline, support and hard work. Research studies have indicated the physical and emotional benefits of dancing and also proportionally relate arts and educational achievements of kids. Many parents try to explore means to channelize the unwavering energy of their kids. Why can’t we count in dance as one of them?

Young girls, especially, would be more inclined towards this form of art when the interest is cultivated and nourished through at an appropriate age. Whatever the culture or ethnicity, all forms of dances are enjoyed by kids of all ages. Dance is not only an entertainment filler but has also proved to confer many physical and social benefits on kids’ health when taught at an appropriate age.

4 Benefits of Dancing for Kids

Physical fitness

There are loads of benefits that dancing provides in terms of improving the physical fitness of your kid. Dancing, as an aerobic exercise can help improve the flexibility of the body, tone the muscles, and increase the stamina of the child. Coordination of various parts of the body like hands and legs, arms and head is improved. Posture is improved, the brain and the body are active. Dancing for overweight children can be very beneficial as it helps to burn off excessive calories and reduce the risk of obesity related health concerns in kids. Dance also helps to relieve stress, being especially beneficial for teenagers when they can take time off their regular hectic study schedule to get mentally refreshed. And of course, it helps in improving the gross motor and fine motor skills in growing children.

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Social interaction

Dance plays a vital role in developing the social and communication skills of a child. Dancing helps them interact confidently in a group, meet new people of varied cultural backgrounds and move in as a team. Working as part of a team, they learn to appreciate the skills of others and develop respect to each other’s moral values. Dancing helps to learn the values of honesty, trust and kindness. With such a positive attitude gained towards life, dancing helps kids to always stay happy and healthy.

Confidence

Through the movements while dancing, kids are more conscious of their body and try to move with confidence and self-esteem in a group. Self-esteem and confidence are important for kids of both genders including those with physical disabilities as it helps to develop a positive attitude towards life in such kids.

Learning values

Perfection in dancing requires one to be disciplined, focused and diligent. They form the key elements to succeed in any activity and are important values to lead a successful and happy life. Hence by cultivating an interest towards dance, your kid eventually learns the key values required to conquer happiness in life. Likewise, dancing movements help to release endorphin that are a feel-good chemical that makes us happy and stay active all along.

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So here were the benefits dance can have. It can be taken as an alternative to sporting activities if your kid is not a sporty child. By identifying their already existing interest in any dance form or by cultivating the interest in dance, as parents you can take the initiative to enroll your kids into an appropriate dance academy and help them reap the benefits of this art. If you found this article useful then don’t forget to like and share. Share your feedback and suggestions with us in the comment section below.