The Benefits of Dance on a Child's Education

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Introduction I was always quite a timid child growing up. However beginning dance classes as a young child gave me the ability to express myself freely, without a care in the world of what anyone thought. I loved the feeling of ‘letting go’ and getting lost in my own world when I was in dance class. Over the years I found myself growing in confidence. I began building strong friendships with my fellow class mates and we become a really close knit group. Our competition group work reflected that as we worked together well in a team and had a strong connection with each other and we danced as ‘one’ resulting us to place at most eisteddfods. My self-esteem grew when I discovered how much I had improved from year to year as the steps that I began with that were initially difficult to me, suddenly became much easier. I learnt how to really perform, not only with strong technical execution, but with emotion throughout my entire body. I gained an appreciation for the art form that is dance. The skills I gained from dance classes as a child benefited me with all forms of my development; physically, emotionally, socially and cognitively. Dance provides children multiple perspectives. Stinson (1990) concludes” it is a foundation of experience necessary for the future development of more advanced skills and a way to affirm an inner life and alternate realities.” Through dance, children develop enhanced sensory awareness, cognition and consciousness. It is the heightened state that creates the magic of movement that is dance. Physical Development Like most physical activities children are presented with exercises and sports to improve strength, endurance, range of motion and coordination. Dance however involves more than this. It is structured to utilise the entire body which is accomplished through movement patterns where kinaesthetic memory and coordination are taught.
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