Why Dance? At Burns Dance Studio, the answer is simple- for the growth and long-term impact.
Sure, I am biased. The fact remains, dance changes kids, and I’m not talking about making anyone rich or famous. Dance changes a regular kid into a goal-setting, hard working, organized, and well-balanced person. When done well, dance lessons assist parents with the development and growth of their child and keeping him or her on track. Who doesn’t need work-ethic, the ability to set and meet goals, and organizational skills?
Dancing Through Life
Dance was a big part of my life, a passion, and now it’s a way of life. Dance shaped me in countless ways and prepared me for life as a productive adult. It started out for me just like it would for any other kid taking dance at a local studio: you go a few times a week, parents see a spark and enjoyment which leads to a commitment. That commitment (a relative term) begins to morph into more: you’re becoming a dancer.
Dance to Find Joy
“Dance” is a broad term that can mean a lot of different things. When I say dance, I am talking about the structured lifestyle to which parents choose to invest their discretionary income on equipment, lessons, and performances. I have yet to see a kid below the age of 6 take dance lessons “to open up ways of expression and allow them to expose their creativity.” Usually that is a reason why kids stay with dance, not why they sign up for dance. In the beginning it comes down to a kid that loves to move to music and a parent looking for an avenue to let that child enjoy an extra-curricular activity. Parents should want their kids to be involved in activities the kids themselves enjoy doing.
How do you know if dance is a good fit for your child? Ask these questions…
Does my child need consistent physical activity?
Does my child need time away from screens and school work?
Does my child need a place to belong and build community?
Does my child need a place to build self-confidence?
Could my child benefit from a structured environment that teaches life skills like being on time, juggling several responsibilities, respectful behavior towards peers and adults, etc.?
Is my child driving me crazy doing all the latest Tik Tok dance challenges?
If a parent can answer yes to any of those questions, it’s probably time to enroll in a dance class. Let children - even pre-teens and teenagers - use all that energy in a positive way that makes them better and helps them build a bright future.
Dance for a Greater Purpose
The activity of dance, and the structure it places kids in, really puts them at an advantage over their peers in other activities. A kid in a studio program, taking multiple classes weekly over many years, has learned to adapt to so many different situations. They persevere through school work, performances, weekend schedules and personal relationships all year. Most sports have seasons. Dance is 10-11 months a year. Kids in dance are learning so much more than dance technique. Not to mention, they receive tons of support! The child receives positive reinforcement from a multitude of observers: teachers, parents, community members, friends, and family. Dance sets a kid up for a successful future, and for me, it was the best way to become a better person.
Dance is Discovery
When a kid commits to dancing at a young age, the dance studio fills a bucket that lights a fire in the early teenage years. We teach a lot of techniques, skills, exercises and routines that really show off a student’s improvement from year to year. It should be fun in those years. At about age 12-13, that passion fuse is lit and kids begin to choreograph on their own, envision how they would perform, hunger for new opportunities in training and showcasing skills. The high school years of dance are usually where kids are full of fire. There are still technical skills, progressions, and classes to take, but the performances and avenues dance opens up in life start to reveal themselves.
Dance for Character Growth
Dance can provide endless opportunities for confidence to grow and talent to emerge. But life ain’t all skittles and rainbows, either. Maturity develops out of hard situations. Our studio does not shy away from this reality. In fact, I’ve said that over the years at Burns Dance Studio, if your kid has not been frustrated, upset, challenged, mad, happy, elated, defeated, and exhausted, our studio has missed the mark. These are not intentional feelings we try to bring out, but we know that in life, all those things are present in growth situations. Our mission statement is “Dance training to reinforce life training.” Every parent would want their kid to be a star on Broadway, or a backup dancer on the next Taylor Swift world tour, but the reality is 99% of kids won’t be. We use dance training to help kids grow into successful adults ready to face whatever life throws at them.
Many would say “dance” may not be for everyone, but maybe it should be. Imagine releasing your child into the world and knowing they’ve got what it takes to meet every challenge! I’ll stand my ground and insist that dance is for everyone. Would you expect me to have any other opinion?
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Corey’s Corner will post on the 1st of each month….2024 topics include “Dance Moms/Dads”, Recitals, Studios, Instructors, Conventions, Competitions, Cost of Dance, Styles of Dance, Careers in dance, Dance in a Small Town, Boys that Dance, and Music. Comments/Questions can be sent to burnsdancestudio@aol.com and put in subject: “Blog response”
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