Back to School and Back to Dance

As those long summer days quickly come to an end, your children are probably trading swimsuits for backpacks and popsicles for pencils. But just because school is starting back up, doesn’t mean it’s time to pack away the dance shoes until next summer. Continuing dance lessons through the school year may actually help your child succeed academically. Here are a few ways that dance can improve your child’s performance in school:

Math and Science Skills

Dance includes patterns, rhythms and counting that help the dancers develop their “left brain” skills and increase musicality. Dancers also improve their understanding of anatomy as they learn which muscles move which body parts and work to strengthen and tone their muscles.

Memorization

Dancers are required to memorize complex dance moves and corrections. They also must learn exactly where they must be on stage at each precise moment in a routine. Dance classes enhance the memory by training the brain to find paths to access stored information. When these skills are fine-tuned at a young age, students are better able to memorize facts and ideas in school.

Teamwork

Dance classes teach students to be aware of their fellow dancers and work together to produce synchronized, technically-sound dance numbers. Communication between teammates promotes social skills and teaches the dancers to trust and rely on their peers. These skills help students communicate with their classmates in school and work positively with those around them.

Constructive Criticism

Throughout a child’s dance career, he or she will be offered criticism to improve the performance. Dance students learn to listen to their instructor’s feedback and implement the corrections with accuracy. Responding positively to feedback is vital to both dance and school, so developing these skills is important to your child’s success on and off the dance floor.

Now that school is almost back in session, consider adding dance classes to your child’s fall schedule. The benefits of dance classes to your child’s educational career may surprise you!