When the Sun AND Your Dancer Shine Bright!
It’s true what they say - the academic year is getting longer, and the summer is getting shorter. Here we are only in April, and many of us with young people in our lives probably feel like summer has come and gone already. A look at the calendar for the coming months reveals sports, enrichment classes, camps, and - oh yeah - a family vacation wedged in there, just squeaking in ahead of back-to-school shopping. With such an action-packed stretch ahead, there are seemingly some good reasons to take a “short” summer off of dance. But there are so many more GREAT reasons not to!
Dance learning supports ALL learning: gross and fine motor skills, spatial awareness, memorization, artistry, and teamwork, all seamlessly integrated into every dance class, in any discipline. Recent studies indicate that when we have to make quick decisions (like when we’re dancing), we are creating new neural pathways that increase intelligence!
Dance instruction supports ALL learning styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. What’s more, dance teachers educate their students about the differences between what they observe, hear, and feel, and help them to synthesize that information. This is immensely beneficial as students begin or continue to navigate their academic careers. They discover from an early age not just how they learn best, but how to communicate how they learn best to the educators in their lives.
Practice makes progress! Like any other skill, dance must be practiced with consistency in order to continue progressing. Participation in dance at any age or dedication level requires an investment of time, money, and physical effort. One of the easiest ways to protect that investment is to keep up with classes in the summer so that your student does not lose anything they worked so hard to achieve during the school year. Their schoolteachers ask them to read and/or complete other assignments over the summer for this very same reason!
Discover something new with no strings attached! Maybe your student is very young, and you aren’t sure if they will enjoy dance classes enough to stick out a full school year. Or maybe your student is a little older and hesitant to commit to a full year of something they have never tried before. Summer is the perfect opportunity for commitment-phobes of all ages to “try on” dance in general, or even just a new style of dance.
Fun! Music, movement, and community are high on the list of things that generate endorphins, and they are all present in each and every dance class.
Summer should be a time for fun and exploration, and dance classes provide those opportunities while also helping students maintain their mental and physical health and skills (even our adult students!). If you are struggling to find balance among all of your family obligations and activities, our team of dance educators is here to help and welcomes your questions. Rain or shine, classes are on, and we promise your dancer will shine this summer regardless of the weather forecast!
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