Given that parents often struggle to find fun things for their children to do that are both active and nourishing of their minds, dance is an ideal kid's activity. Although toddlers are too young to attend dance classes in studios that focus on traditional dance, plenty of studios welcome toddlers as young as 6 months old.
Benefits Both Body and MindDance classes help children's motor skills, strength, flexibility, memory, creativity, confidence, discipline and social skills. Starting a child in dance classes at 6 months to 4 years old is ideal since their minds are developing and absorbing such a large amount of knowledge at this early stage. Their dance vocabulary will translate into better coordination of their muscles as they learn dance movements like plié and petit battement. Dance classes also give youngsters the opportunity to express their various energies creatively. Movement is what little kids need to express themselves energetically. Children’s inner natures crave movement, and dance class is an ideal venue for them to express that desire. If you start your young child or toddler out at a dance studio, you will often be required to accompany her during the dance lessons. When your child progresses to the stage where she can dance without your physical support, you can stand aside and observe the class in the periphery if you wish to note the progress.
Casual Socialization SkillsThe earlier kids of opposite genders start interacting with each other without self-consciousness, the better it will be for them socially later in life. Kids at an early age have no expectations of what dance should be like. It’s a small tragedy when you see junior high students awkwardly dancing with each other while attending their first dance. If they learn young that a dance is just another opportunity to socialize with their friends of both genders, then they will probably be less inhibited about social functions when they are young teens. Dance classes are an excellent way for kids to socialize in a non-competitive way.
Age Requirements
Learning dance movements early in life can be building blocks for ballet, acrobatics, and other creative movement later. Unlike dance classes that focus on dance as creative movement (e.g., less formal classes like letting toddlers simply move their bodies to a beat), more formal dance studios, such as those that teach pre-ballet and tap classes only take students starting at the age of three or four. The more formal the dance studio, the quicker they will expect the children to be able to dance independently of their parents. Some of the more serious dance studios have a requirement that the child must be able to stay in the dance room without a parent and without any crying or other displays of dissatisfaction
Any Age is the Right Age There really is only one best age to start to dance, and that is when there is willingness in the child to attend class, socialize with other kids, and learn. If you want your children to eventually attend dance class, attend to the cues that they are ready (like noticing an ability for focused attention and exercise) to make sure that their transition to a formal dance class is a success.