The Benefits of Dance for Children & Teens

As long as I can remember I have always loved to dance. I was a very shy little girl at school except when it came to dancing. I was full of a confidence that I could only demonstrate when I was kicking a leg up to the ceiling or shaking my groove thing to “Blame it on the Boogie”.

Put me in front of class to talk about Shakespeare and the flower wilted; but put me on a stage dancing to the Jackson 5 and I blossomed!

One very important person was my great dance teacher who helped me nurture my love of dance. She somehow gave me the confidence to allow me to express myself in a safe environment, which provided me with an emotional outlet. My teacher always had her student’s best interest at heart – she was always very encouraging and made me feel that I could achieve things I never thought I could do.

Those four safe walls of the dance studio in Bondi was where I first embraced the discipline it takes to remember routines; where I acquired my initial dance skills; worked together as a team with 20 other aspiring dancers. Beyond the studio walls we learnt about our community by participating in local events and for charities, through performance which gave me a sense of achievement and a strong sense of belonging to a group that accepted me. I formed life-long friendships as I was regularly mixing with like-minded kids.

Regular exercise should be an integral part of your weekly routine throughout your life and for me, dancing as a child set me up for good habits as an adult. The physical aspects of going to dance class every week (or in my case 3 times a week) had a fantastic impact on my health and fitness today. Dance classes helped improve my co-ordination, increased my flexibility, muscle tone and posture, which besides all the obvious health benefits also contributed to improve my physical appearance and in turn had a positive impact on my self-esteem.

For some children and teenagers, looking in the mirror can be very confronting but as long as they have the support from a good teacher, friendly peers and their parents, they can work through body image issues in a warm and caring environment.

Being part of a dance troupe taught me tenacity, endurance, and will power – basically important life skills that provided a foundation for me to see things through till the end, and helped prepare me for my life’s challenges – completing school, follow on to further study, in my case a university degree and later on the confidence to set up my own dance business.

But most importantly, dance is just good fun!! Dance teachers are often extroverted and love life. Their natural fun spirited personalities can be very contagious. I remember that a bad day at school, uni or work before dance class was always forgotten by the end the hour-long class. The music is energising, and you feel vibrant and lifted throughout the dance class, and walk away feeling alive and with a big smile on your face.

Different types of dance require a different amount of energy and commitment but there is definitely a dance style out there for everybody!! What are you waiting for? Book into a lesson now!

Author :
Deb Cantoni - Owner of The Space