The Benefits of Dance for Young Children
With arts provision shrinking in our mainstream schools, more and more parents are looking for quality performing opportunities for their children. Stagecoach has been delivering children’s performing arts provision since 1988 and has seen the development of skills and confidence in thousands of children.
There are the obvious benefits of studying dance; reduced obesity, a fun source of exercise, healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and helping to maintain a balanced lifestyle. There is clinically significant evidence that children who participate actively in the performing arts spend less time sitting in front of a computer screen playing games and therefore are at less of a risk of developing health problems. Children who spend more than two hours a day on screen-related pastimes are at a high risk of developing health issues, such as obesity.
Physical Health Benefits of Dance for Young Children
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Improved condition of heart and lungs
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Increased muscular strength, endurance, and aerobic fitness
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Better coordination
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Better agility
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Better flexibility
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Healthy blood pressure
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Improved overall balance
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Improved spatial awareness
Non-physical Health Benefits of Dance for Young Children
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Increased overall physical confidence
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Improved general and psychological wellbeing
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Greater self-confidence
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Greater self-esteem
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Greater self-motivation
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Improved mental dexterity
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Better social skills.
Can dance stimulate my child's creativity and improve their well-being?
Whilst dance is a good source of fun exercise for young children, it is also a creative outlet. A fun exercise is important but the opportunity to release creativity is as important as exercising and maintaining a balanced diet in the development of healthy children, because of the life skills they will learn. Dancing can make a person feel physically refreshed and improve their mood, tackling serious issues including anxiety and depression1, and not just in adults. Group dancing is a tool to release daily stress, a distraction from everyday worries, and an outlet for imagination and emotion.
