Is your little one going to prep? Why dancing is SO important NOW!
One of the beautiful Mum’s from the studio reminded me of this email I sent when my Arielle was heading off to Prep. This information is so relevant to you, because I know that some of you are now going through the same thing I did only two years ago… The last thing we want to do as parents is overwhelm our children by having them in an extra curricular activity when they have just committed to 5 full days of school.
This is a perfectly normal and reasonable thought process.
One of my main concerns was how tired Arielle would be and whether she would be able to handle dance along with her new ‘big’ school. However, the one advantage I have over most parents is knowing the value of having dance run alongside school, even at this very young age.
Being a dance teacher for over 19 years, a mother of two and a high school teacher, I have a thorough understanding of how children’s brains develop and what they need to grow into fully functioning little human beings.
There are some HUGE benefits of having your little one in dance during this very crucial year – and for me, they outweighed any concerns:
Being part of a class outside of school – especially when your child has already been in this class – is so important for consistency and continuity. Because there will be so much NEW, it’s really good to have some form of FAMILIAR – where your child can breathe, relax and know exactly what the routine will be – and enjoy themselves fully and comfortably.
Dance teaches SO MUCH MORE than just dance. Children are consistently learning mathematical, linguistic and social concepts. They work with left and right, up and down, front and back, counting, shapes, colours, patterns, formations, hand eye coordination, gross motor skills, group work, social skills, classroom settings, peer and teacher respect, confidence building, waiting ones turn, language development, genre specific terms, commitment to an activity, perseverance, growth mindset and the feeling of achieving something special. How incredible is that? Most dancers I know – are SMART. They study hard. AND they are well rounded human beings. Much of this is attributed to them having DANCE in their lives.
Socially – dance is such a beautiful way for your child to interact with other children that don’t necessarily attend the same prep school. This will help to increase your child’s social interactions plus enhance their emotional development – which are all skills they can transfer into their brand new school setting and the world beyond.
For a release! Most students dance because they LOVE it! What better way to encourage them to do something that is really good for their bodies but also their minds. We are so mindful of mindfulness and the practice of finding something you love to do that involves release and expression. So why not? Especially during this crucial milestone in your child’s life.
My best advice would be to find a class time that suits your child best! Whether it’s straight after school or first thing on a Saturday morning, Universal offers both!
If you have any questions or concerns, please email them through. We are here to help you and your little one make this transition as simple and easy as possible.
Arielle made it! And did so with flying colours. She is a more rounded child WITH dance, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.