If your child is enrolled in ballet classes and they’re excited about practicing their techniques at home, you may be wondering how to help them. Luckily, you don’t need to be a professional dancer to help your child with ballet. In fact, a little time, support, and encouragement coupled with healthy habits at home will help your child tremendously as they begin to hone their dancing skills.

How to Nurture Your Child's Ballet Skills at Home

1. Establish Healthy Sleep Habits

According to one study, athletic performance significantly increases as an athlete’s quantity and quality of sleep increases. Lack of sleep can lead to many negative side effects, including decreased accuracy, accelerated exhaustion, and difficulty learning. Make sure your child’s bedroom is dark and quiet, and establish a bedtime routine that includes a wind-down time, like bathing or reading. Additionally, avoid screens leading up to bedtime, as the bluelight from your child's tablet or phone can disrupt the production of melatonin, making it difficult to fall asleep.

2. Encourage Stretching 

Stretching keeps dancers flexible while they’re not in ballet classes and helps to prevent injury. Younger children are naturally more flexible, so starting a core stretching routine early on will help ensure your child stays limber as they get older and continues with dance. Ask your child’s dance teacher about any specific stretches they should be doing at home.

3. Make a Dance Space

To practice ballet, you don’t need an in-home studio — just a designated space in your home for your child to practice. Try setting up a full-length mirror, and if possible, a ballet barre. Portable flooring options allow your child to practice everything from ballet to tap without scuffing up your home's tile or hardwood flooring.

4. Watch Ballet

Watching ballet can inspire young dancers to keep working hard while also placing emphasis on the dedication it takes to be a dancer. Observing other dancers also helps children develop an appreciation for the art and critical thinking skills as they process and discuss the show.

5. Promote Good Posture

While in their ballet classes, your child is constantly strengthening core muscle groups; don’t let that hard work go to waste at home. Good posture helps keep muscles long and flexible and keeps dancers balanced. Slouching causes muscles to contract, and after a long period of time, can make muscles tighten. Instead, encourage your dancer to straighten their backs and keep their shoulders back while sitting or standing.

If your child is interested in ballet classes, contact the experts at Kick It Up Dance. Located in Long Beach, CA., this dance studio offers classes for children ages 3 and up to any age. Classes include ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, and more. To see a complete list of their classes, visit their website, or call them today at (562) 430-1812.