As parents, we want our children to grow in ways that set them up for success later in life. While activities like music lessons, sports, and academic-focused programs offer a chance to grow and learn, classical ballet training – like that received in Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet’s 2022 beginning ballet program – provides a wide range of benefits you may not have considered before.
Let’s look at the benefits of Beginning Ballet!
1. Get a Move On
Achieving principal dancer status doesn’t need to be the primary reason for introducing kids to ballet. Ballet gives structure to learning controlled body movements that build strength and improve both posture and coordination. Also, the work done in beginning ballet programs requires lots of movement and physical exertion. Leaping and jumping is a great cardio workout.
There’s also a direct line between participating in activities like ballet and improved cognitive functions. Learning new movements requires attention and memory, which strengthens the brain’s attention system. That old adage, “healthy bodies, healthy minds,” rings very true in the world of ballet!
2. Learn to Get Along
Learning how to get along with others, like everything else, is a developed skill. A beginning ballet program often draws in students from outside one particular area, so kids who only know their classmates or neighbors will have the chance to meet other kids their age. As these students meet each other and go to classes together, they’ll be practicing their communication skills without even knowing it!
Interacting with their peers is one thing. There’s also something to be said for having children learn to be comfortable with adults other than their parents, teachers, and neighbors. Positive interactions with instructors will instill confidence, and that’s a great trait kids can carry with them as they transition into adulthood. A beginning ballet program provides the opportunity for students to get to know their instructors and hone the skills they need to communicate with any adult.
3. Develop Skills for Success
Think about the characteristics shared by successful people. Words like hardworking, disciplined, and confident come to mind. A beginning ballet program instills these attributes at an early age through the work required to learn all the moves. Mastering a difficult move after hard work and lots of practice is a thrill for youngsters. As they grow and mature, they’ll carry that life lesson – that discipline and hard work come with a great payoff – will stay with them, even if they opt-out of dancing later.
If they do want to keep dancing, a beginning ballet program can also set the stage for moving on to other dance disciplines like tap, hip-hop, and jazz. And if you needed one more reason to enroll your child in classical ballet, here it is: Attending a beginning ballet program for the first time will expose your child to a new language! Classical ballet really took off under the reign of King Louis XIV, so it’s no surprise that the names of positions and movements are French.
If you want to say oui to classical ballet for your child, the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet 2022 beginning ballet program begins June 20 and goes through July 22 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The program is open to girls and boys ages six and seven who have one year or less of training. Contact Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet for more information.
