How the Performing Arts Improved My Life

Ballet and Your Child

5 February 2018 by Kitty Obrien

Anyone can learn to love dance—babies, kids with special needs, teens and adults—and no matter your ultimate goals, classical ballet is the perfect foundation. Parents enrol their children in ballet classes for all sorts of reasons, from building confidence and reaping the physical benefits of exercise to developing the strength and poise that comes with a mastery of ballet.

Professional dancers make it look easy, but don't be fooled. A professional dancer must learn to overcome muscle cramps, blisters on their feet, stage fright and fear of rejection in audition after audition. But classical ballet is universally admired for its grace and beauty and the mental strength, creativity and physical prowess of its dancers, and once you've fallen in love with the ultimate form of dance, you'll never really let go.

Whether you have big dreams for your little one or just want to foster new friendships and allow him or her to develop new skills, the road into ballet doesn't have to be onerous. Many ballet schools now offer classes for children as young as toddlers, providing a gentle introduction to the art of dance, with softly flowing music and games with floating scarves, tiptoeing fairies and even sparkles. For older children, ballet offers a way to exercise without sweating it out on a basketball court or facing the dangers of contact sports. Ballet will teach your child to respectfully follow direction, to hone their mental focus and to develop self-discipline. Your child will learn to love exercising, advancing their balance, coordination and strength, and developing their creativity in new and exciting ways.

Many ballet classes also offer the opportunity to undergo exams that will challenge your little one mentally as well as physically. Advancing through the ballet grades adds another element to the art form that will provide your child with a chance to hone their focus and enjoy a deep sense of achievement. Whatever their path in later life, an early experience in ballet will equip them with the values and strength necessary to meet any goal.

Of course ballet is beautiful, graceful and utterly unique, but it is so much more than that.

Ballet classes provide dancers with the skills to hone their mind and focus on their body, with ever-increasing challenges and the rewards of not only improved physical condition but also the triumph of taking that final bow to an audience of adoring friends and family members. Whether you're dreaming of a career in dance for your child or you just want to dip their toes into the heady waters of ballet, there's no better time to start than now.

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