HOW DANCE CAN BENEFIT STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM!
01/26/22
No matter their background or level of experience, kids can gain so much from dance. Dancing helps kids develop new skills, get physically active, and explore a creative art form. But you may be surprised to learn about the unique ways that dance helps kids succeed in the classroom.
Dance builds self-confidence and independence. Dance empowers kids to believe in themselves, value their creative instincts, and express their ideas through movement and music. In this way, dance gives kids the chance to experience a creative process; they can learn through play and imagination in a supportive environment, where there is no right or wrong way to move.
Dance fosters artistic expression and creativity. Kids become more confident in expressing themselves and exploring artistic creativity through dance. For some kids, dancing opens doors to new passions and career paths. For others, it’s an opportunity to integrate a fulfilling artistic activity into their lives.
Dance encourages collaboration, community, and social skills. Whether making eye contact through an exercise, collaborating to create a movement sequence, or collectively experiencing the joy and satisfaction of performance, dancers learn how to build meaningful connections with their classmates, family and many others.
When educators incorporate dance into their lesson plans, they create new opportunities for students to make connections and deepen their understanding of the subject matter. Imagine a dance that lets you feel the rhythm of poetry, visualize the form of igneous or sedimentary rock, or experience the quadrants of the Medicine Wheel. These are just a few of the subject areas that can be made clearer and more tangible to kids through dance.
“For some kids, it gave them an opportunity to learn in a different way; they excelled with that. They were excited about it. Learning about stuff like rocks through music and body. A few kids in my class had prior retention issues…It was good for them…It helped them focus on learning.” – Teacher
Introduce students to all the ways dance can help them excel in the classroom by heading over to Canada’s National Ballet School’s (NBS) Educator Roadmap. This suite of free online creative movement resources is developed by world-renowned dance experts and teachers. Let NBS help you meet curriculum needs and bring the joy and benefits of dance to your students. No dance experience is required to facilitate or participate!
BOKS Guest Blog: Canada’s National Ballet School
Website: https://www.nbs-enb.ca/en/home