Is dance truly beneficial to our children?

Dance is a creative expression for the soul! Throughout the ages, cultures have included dance into their celebrations of life. People dance to celebrate birth, coming of age, marriage and even death - they have danced to their Gods and even to war.

Even now we still do it at some point in time - did you watch the Athens Olympic Games? We feel the rhythm, hear the music and, before we know it, we are dancing. Perhaps not with the finesse of the ballroom dancer or the speed of a tapper, or the grace of the ballerina, but when you are up and dancing it doesn't really matter. As long as you can move - you can dance!

It is a proven fact that children who dance have increased self-esteem, coordination, balance and poise. Children will learn so much quicker when they are enjoying themselves and, as long as they are exposed to movement and the beat, they will have fun.

So how can dance help your child to grow?

Within a class, children should be placed by age and ability and children's self-esteem is enhanced when they successfully master the different positions of ballet or steps and routines. The satisfaction of creating an original move to the music is incomparable and certainly gets the creative juices going at an early age.

Dancing is not just for girls. Television has brought to us several images of young men becoming more active in dancing - just look at all the boy bands and the synchronised dance moves they perform.

Dancing on stage by yourself or with a group not only builds your self-esteem but also brings about a sense of pride. It may not happen overnight but it does happen.

Children are taught how to move gracefully and with poise during class. A competent teacher will ensure that exercises are both thorough and fun to do. During the intense classes, young dancers are taught different positions and steps, which utilise all parts of their bodies. Steps can only be properly executed if the children are taught through correct posture - head and body must be properly aligned in order to create a flow of movement. Professional athletes have now adopted dance techniques to help them develop faster and safer moves on the playing field.

Dancing and discipline have long been connected to one another. One immediately conjures visions of a stern old lady, hair tied tightly into a bun, rhythmically tapping a stick - but that is a vision from the past. Certainly the discipline is much more relaxed for the younger dancers but, as the work load increased, it will progress along with the years of experience.

Dance discipline involves learning how the body works and working at it, learning new steps and working at it, respecting advise and working at it... work, work, work. The longer a child dances, the more respect for others and themselves s/he will have. Discipline is a form of respect.

Several of our young dance students do continue their dance studies, some becoming teachers, semi-professional dancers or full-time dancers overseas. However, the majority of those who for one reason or another did not continue to dance into their secondary and tertiary school years, still speak of the fun and the discipline and of the thrilling rhythm that moved their feet then and continues to run through their body today.

Creative dance classes focus on the development of the whole child - dancers are given the opportunity to improvise, engage in creative problem solving and grow in social and emotional ways as they interact in class. Indeed it is the responsibility of all dance teachers to be resourceful educators creating a positive atmosphere that allows children to make meaningful decisions, teaches them to be honourable people and makes them imaginative and worthwhile human beings. It is their duty to ensure that they fulfil the public expectations of excellence in dance teaching and performing.

..."Miss Theresa, we just wanted to say we really enjoyed the class. Thanks" - truly the best words to hear at the end of a long week at the studio.

Ms Lungaro-Mifsud is the principal at The Dance Workshop.