Why Dance Is Great For Mental Health

World Mental Health Day is Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. This is an opportunity to take stock of our mental well-being especially in light of the mental health crisis worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Parents who have made dance classes a priority for their child quickly realized the mental health benefits that dance provides. Here's the top 6 reasons:

1 - Dance helps children channel negative emotions

Feeling angry, fed up or sad are all very normal reactions to the changes that COVID-19 has bought us. Dance is an excellent way of releasing those negative emotions and turning them into something positive. The satisfaction that comes from creating something can be very beneficial to your child's mental health and provide them with healthy coping strategies. Dance can help your child go from feeling angry and fed up to feeling proud and content. Dancing helps lift spirits, raise energy levels, and maintain positive mental health!

2 - Dancing is the SUPERHERO of exercise

In a global health crisis, it goes without saying that we want to keep our children's bodies fit and strong. Dance improves strength, flexibility, heart and lung health, blood pressure and bone density, as well as having huge mental health benefits. Dance as an exercise helps oil the body and the mind. But it's not just a physical thing. The mind is free when the body is in motion. And that's what is needed in such trying times when stress levels in children have hit the roof. And kids may not need to work out all the time, but just taking a break to dance can help them feel good and enjoy the movement.

3 - Dancing helps children adapt

Learning to dance may not be easy, initially. It's like a baby learning to walk. Dancers get accustomed to falling a few times when they learn a new dance skill. And when the child gets the social nod once the skill is learned, they get the incredible personal reward of achieving it. Whether it's a dance routine, or just a cool move to show off at the next physical party, dancers are willing to be patient, adapt their body and mind to the new experience, and have confidence in the outcome. It's a great experience requiring children to be patient, adaptive, and hopeful.

4 - Dance classes give kids a sense of control

One of the keys to feeling positive and in control is having a sense of normality and maintaining a routine. If your child is used to having activities and that suddenly stops, the abrupt break to their routine will make them feel as if they're in free fall. Encouraging your child to take dance classes will maintain their routine, help them feel secure, and allow them to thrive by having something regular to look forward to. Your child's dance training gives them back a sense of control which can reduce any feelings of anxiety.

5 - Dance builds relationships and social connections

Feeling isolated from friends and family is something a lot of children are really struggling with. By encouraging your child to participate in dance classes it can help them combat these feelings of isolation. When they dance in a group environment, your child will still feel connected and loved. Encouraging this interaction in challenging times will strengthen their bonds with friends and with their dance teacher, leaving them with a stronger support network.

6 - Dancing creates a strong sense of self-worth

Dance, as a form of expression, instills self-confidence and self-belief in children. As they navigate through the sound, something magical happens and they find an inner voice that is uniquely theirs. Whether your child is dancing in a group or alone, there is a sense of exuberance and celebration of the self. Dance initiates personal growth and helps a child unlock their inner potential. Dancers learn how to be comfortable in their own skin.

Dance may start at home and then grow at a studio, but it will penetrate in all areas of their life ” be it at school, where it can be found in the form of a confident presentation, or in their careers where they grow up to be hard-working individuals as their self-esteem improves. Through dance, children learn self-acceptance and self-love. They find who they are and what they're made of, boosting their mental health and their ability to find their greater purpose.