4 Ways Parents Can Support Their Young Dancers
Children enrolled in dance school build their muscles and flexibility while learning confidence and teamwork. Though teachers play a big role in their success, a lot of their support also comes from you, their parents. The guide below offers best practices for helping your young ones flourish in their dancing.
How to Help Your Child Flourish in Dance School
1. Make a Space for Dancing at Home
Practicing dance routines outside of class helps kids exercise, learn their steps, and gain confidence in their abilities. Dedicating a space at home encourages good practice habits. Temporary flooring options are available if what you have isn't appropriate. You might also want to outfit this area with a ballet barre and full-length mirror for them to check their form.
2. Reinforce Good Posture & Regular Stretching
Your child's dance teacher will instruct them on how to strengthen and train muscles to promote good posture while in class. At home, however, children are often hunched over screens, books, toys, or homework. To combat this, prompt them to sit and stand straight as often as they can.
3. Promote a Healthy Lifestyle
Healthy sleeping and eating habits help dancers be at the top of their game. Make sure your child goes to bed at a reasonable hour and stop them from using screens at least 30 minutes beforehand since the blue light interferes with the brain chemicals that induce sleepiness. Provide them with healthy, easy-to-make snacks for the time between the end of school and dance lessons. You should also remind them to hydrate well throughout the day.
4. Be Positive & Keep Dancing Fun
Dancers may get discouraged after struggling with complicated routines or losing a competition. However, their dance journey is meant to be fun and promote confidence. If your child is having trouble or feels down, provide emotional support. You can also talk to their teacher about private lessons or ask to record the group class so your son or daughter can review the moves from a different angle at home. When your child is excited about their progress, encourage them in this too. Compliment them often and reinforce their positive self-image.
If you’re interested in enrolling your child in a dance school, turn to Production Company Dance Centre in Longmont, CO. They offer a variety of dance classes for kids between the ages of two and 18, including tumbling, ballet, contemporary dance, tap, hip-hop, and jazz lessons. Call (303) 682-8842 with questions, or visit their website to learn more about their current schedule.