Starting prep is an exciting transition for students. Adapting to a new environment, learning new skills and making new friends can also provide a challenge at this time. If your child is beginning prep this year, it may be natural to consider dropping extracurricular activities, such as dance classes, during this transition.
In fact, we have found that continuing with dance while starting school is highly beneficial for prep students. Here's why:
Friends and Familiarity
Dancing is a social activity - it teaches students to make new friends, work as part of a team and develop a greater sense of cooperation. These skills are highly transferrable when starting prep, and are skills that will be necessary throughout a student’s school career. The stability of coming to regular classes at KGD and seeing their dance friends can greatly benefit students amongst the transition of starting school. In addition to the benefits of friendships at this time, coming to KGD and continuing lessons in a familiar and supportive environment can be particularly comforting for students when undergoing large changes.
Confidence and Self Esteem
Dance lessons can encourage your child to reach out to other children and make new friends. This can then reduce their anxiety around new people and places, especially at school. Dance is also a wonderful confidence builder, instilling in young students that they can try and achieve new things, all while gaining a better sense of their bodies and learning confidence in their own skin.
School-Ready Skills
Dance requires practice, discipline and focus, which are all skills that will be required during a student’s school career. It has also been estimated that students who regularly participate in dance classes perform better academically than their non-participating peers.
A Creative Outlet
Dance is fun! While undergoing the massive transition to prep, coming along to dance can provide a safe and fun creative outlet for young students. The ability to release and express creativity is as important as exercising and maintaining a balanced diet for children. Dance can release anxiety and daily stress as well as provide a healthy outlet for your child’s imagination and emotions.
Starting prep does not mean having to drop your child’s dance classes. Continuing on with dance at this time can offer a wealth of benefits in both preparing for prep and in making the transition a smoother one.
We’re looking forward to seeing all our wonderful students in class in 2020.