Introducing your child to dance lessons is a great way to help them develop critical social skills, coordination and physical strength. Not to mention, dance lessons are a fun extracurricular activity that kids love! If your child is interested in learning a new skill and likes to move then choosing dance lessons for them is an obvious choice. What’s less of an obvious choice is deciding whether or not you want your child to participate in dance competitions or prefer for them to take part in dance recitals.
We’re Dancin’ dance studio in Monroe, NC has dance classes and dance teams that participate in dance recitals and dance competitions. There are many benefits to both dance recitals and dance competitions and determining which one is right for your child depends on many factors. In this article, we’ll go over some of the benefits of competitive dancing and dance recitals and give you some ideas on how you can determine which track is best for your child.
Critiques enable improvement - Criticism is an unavoidable part of participating in dance competitions. With the competition track, there is usually more criticism than what participating in a dance recital comes with. For some kids, it can be hard at first to take any criticism they receive constructively. However, once a child learns to take the criticism they receive in preparing for dance competitions constructively, they are able to make massive strides in improving their abilities. Being able to take criticisms constructively and use them towards improving yourself is an important skill that will prove helpful throughout life.
Develop a network - Dance competitions are a great way for kids and parents alike to meet other people within the dance community. As your child participates in dance competitions, you will begin to develop and grow a network of people who share the same passion of dance. Having a network of dedicated dance peers can help introduce your child to new opportunities or even just other styles of dance.
Build strong team bonds - All of the group dance lessons offered at We’re Dancin’ are a great way for your child to work on their team skills. When your child participates in competitive dance, it creates a stronger bond among teammates because everyone is driven to win and represent their team well. Developing a strong team bond with their teammates is helpful for children because it teaches them a plethora of critical interpersonal and life skills. Being a part of a team will teach your child to take accountability for themselves, show up for others, be a team player and other important life skills.
Develop your presence - Dance competitions are a great way to help your child develop a strong presence and sense of self. The practicing, criticism, team support and performing that goes into a competition help your child build up their sense of self and strengthen their self confidence. When competing, your child will also learn the importance of portraying a confident self image and moving with purpose. These lessons will stay with them even outside of dance and competitions and will be helpful to them throughout life!
Make new friends - Dance recitals offer children a fun way to make new friends who share the same interests and hobbies as them. Participating in a dance recital gives children more of a relaxed environment to make friends and become comfortable with their dance peers.
Build upon skills - If your child is new to the world of dancing then participating in dance recitals can be a great way to help them build upon and grow their dance skills and techniques. Recitals give dancers a great way to compile all of their newly learned skills into a cohesive dance. As your child learns new moves, they will be excited to have a platform to show off all of their new moves!
Develop self-confidence - Learning to dance can be scary at first, but dance recitals are a great way to help your child build confidence as they learn this new skill! As your child learns the techniques and moves of dance, having a recital as their end goal will be a great way to help them build their confidence. Learning, practicing and performing will go a long way in showing your child their potential and helping them realize what they are capable of!
Conquer social anxiety - It’s not uncommon for children to feel nervous in front of strangers, especially in front of a crowd of strangers. Dance recitals can be extremely beneficial with helping kids conquer any social anxiety or stage fright they may be dealing with. With each practice leading up to a recital your child will develop more and more of their self confidence. As they see that they are capable and receive praise and support from their classmates and instructor they will begin to feel more confident in more than just their dance abilities. This confidence will serve them well in recitals, but will also be helpful to them in their social lives, in the classroom and future aspects of their life.
Dance lessons are a great way to introduce your child to a new and fun skill. We’re Dancin’ offers dance lessons and both competitive and recreational teams. It’s important to consider your child’s wants and personality when determining whether or not dance recitals or dance competitions are right for them. Dance competitions can be great to help your child develop a strong sense of self, a network of other dancers and the ability to take criticism. Dancing competitively can also be beneficial for your child if it is something they want to do long term since they will be able to work their way through different levels of competition. Performing in recitals can be a great way to help your child conquer social anxiety, build upon core skills and meet new friends!
No matter which track your child takes, We’re Dancin’ will ensure that they have fun while learning and developing the exciting skill of dance!
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