Is Dance Right for Your Toddler?

If you are a parent of a toddler, it may often seem like your little one is transforming before your eyes. She’s taken her first steps, spoken her first word, and is growing taller every day. But is she old enough to start dancing?

When considering enrolling their child in dance, many parents express concern about whether or not their child is the appropriate age to enroll in classes. In truth, young dancers are capable of creating their own dance moves and following relatively complex choreography by the time they reach 18 months.

Don’t worry if she is likely to get distracted, simply do her own thing, or even occasionally want to run away from the whole endeavor. It’s a learning process, and you’ll be surrounded by the support of teachers and parents who understand this stage. If you stick with it, you’ll see a major improvement over time.

Enrolling your toddler in an age-appropriate dance class can have incredible benefits on her early childhood development, helping to build skills such as:

Coordination. Toddler dance classes can help your child improve coordination skills as she builds body awareness and balance. In dance classes, young students learn movement patterns that use a full range of motion, allowing dancers to build coordination in ways that they wouldn’t be able to in many other types of activities.

Teamwork. Dance classes can help your toddler develop communication and social skills, make new friends, and learn how to work in a team. During classes, toddlers interact, cooperate, share, and support each other, and are challenged to use and move through their world together. For shy toddlers, dance classes are a wonderful way to encourage socializing among children of their own age and diminish fears of meeting new people.

Understanding instructions. At her age, your toddler is still learning how to understand and follow directions. Your child can hone this important skillset in dance classes, where students must follow the instructions of the teacher and the direction of the music.

Concentration. Concentration is an essential skill to develop at a young age—without it, your toddler may have difficulty focusing on schoolwork, homework, and other activities in the future. By providing practice with focusing on the teacher, the music, and the steps, dance classes can help your youngster strengthen crucial concentration and listening skills.

Good behavior. In dance classes, children are taught to respect their teacher, fellow dancers, and themselves; to take turns; practice self-control; and to listen and talk when appropriate. Dancers are encouraged to applaud and praise each other, and discouraged from using mean words or forming cliques.

Confidence. As toddlers become more comfortable with working with their bodies and with their peers, their self-confidence improves, too. Dance classes can help your learn to express herself and have fun!

Ready to let your little dancer cut loose? Head over to Gallery of Dance in Freehold, NJ, for your first class.