Deciding when to start:

Deciding when to start your child in dance is always different for each child. Some think starting a child as early as possible is the best. Toddlers usually start in “creative movement” classes instead of more structured ones. For children 4 or 5 years old it is best to consider their emotion maturity first. Can they handle being in a class with others. Don’t force your child into anything if they are not comfortable. If they are ready, starting at an early age is the best.

Finding a studio:

When choosing a studio there are many things to consider. With the popularity of dancing growing in recent years there should be many studios around to choose from. Make a list of the ones you are interested in and visit each one. Do research into all of them and see which one fits you and your child the best.

Choosing a dance style:

If your child always dreamed of becoming a ballerina, then start them in ballet. But ballet is just one of the many different of dance styles to choose from. A lot of instructors offer mixed classes for the younger dancers. Usually half on the class they learn ballet and the other half they learn tap or jazz. Ask the dance teacher if your child can try a few different classes before deciding. You might be surprised by what your child finds interesting.

Dressing for the dance class:

One of the most exciting part for some kids is what they get to wear. If you are not sure what you child will need simply ask the teacher. There may be a certain uniform or specific colors for their tights and leotards. Make sure to involve your child in the shopping. Allow them to choose their favorites. And always have your child try on the leotards, because they usually run smaller in size then most clothing.

Have Fun:

While dancing should be a joy, it is also a lot of hard work. Your young children should see dancing as a fun experience not a chore. If they are not having fun then maybe you should rethink taking classes. Watch them to see if they are smiling.

In a beginners tap dancing class you will mostly learn the basic steps in the first classes. If you are fairly coordinated, you should be able to catch on rather quickly. Most classes will start with a warm up to help prepare your ankles and feet and loosen your legs.

Next you will learn and go through a series of tap drills. These drills consist of several basic steps. While the steps may seem simple, they will be the basics for the rest of the learning. The key to tap is to make clear and distinct tap sounds. You must train your ears to hear extra sounds that need to be eliminated and concentrate on the taps. After the drills, you will then learn a series of tap combinations. These combinations consist of several basic tap steps
connected with simple transitions.

The last part of the class is normally a cool down. You will be lead in some stretches that will help loosen muscles in the legs and ankles. While your feet may hurt, you will want to practice at home to be ready for your next class. Remember to have fun.

Choose the style

There are many different styles of dance classes and lessons out there to help your child chose what style they like the most. Research the styles you child may be interested in and have a chat with them about which they prefer. Some classes and lessons include ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop/break dancing, modern, lyrical, calisthenics, world dance, folk, ballroom, swing and many more.

Ask around

The best way to get honest information about a dance class is to ask other parents. Ask the parents of kids in the class if they would recommend it for your child.

Finding the right studio

After you have narrowed down the list of dance style, check out a few different studios. It is best to check these out without your child just in case they fall in love with the place and you do not. Do a bit of snooping by checking out to see if the place is clean or if the instructors seem qualified to do their job. If you see what you like, organize for your child to sit in on a class to see if they like it. Also take into account travel. Think
about your local studios or those more reputed dance studios two suburbs away.

Adding up cost

Most after school activity costs can add up quickly. It is important to get an idea of the overall cost of the dance class. Ask the instructor for an outline of the cost of classes, how many performances (if any), if you have to pay for costumes, and average cost of equipment. Also factor in the price of gas to get there and back. Don’t be afraid to look around for similar classes that use less costuming or equipment if a price is too high.

If you are a parent who is thinking of ways to keep your child active, you may want to enroll your child to a dancing lesson. There are some children who may not be athletic or sports-minded, rather than forcing them to join sports activities that do not interest them , try dancing lessons with them.

Dancing is a great physical activity; it requires a lot of movement. The good thing about dancing, children can learn to be graceful and well coordinated. Dancing to the beat of the music can also help their minds relax. This is a good outlet to keep them physically fit and have a sound mind.

Ballet, ballroom dancing, jazz and interpretative dancing, as well as hip-hop dancing can work up those triceps and biceps. Especially when you see these young kids do the cartwheels, jumps, splits, tumbling to the beat of hip-hop music. They can really work out a sweat or more.

Another advantage of dancing lessons is that it helps them be creative and be part of the performing arts. Cultural dancing helps kids learn about different cultures other than their own, like Hawaiian, Mexican, Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, etc. Every culture has its own dance. So learning their dances can help children understand their history and culture.

Another way that dance lessons help children is that when they have talent shows in their community and schools, they can participate and show their talents; it is a good way to help build their self-confidence. And if there are gatherings, they can dance proudly with the crowd.

Just to summarize, here are the advantages of giving your kids dancing lessons:

1) Physical Activity: As explained above, dancing lessons are a good way to keep your child physically active.

2) Develop Talent: Your child or you may not know it, but your child may have a talent for dancing and formally enrolling to a dance lesson can help further enhance or develop this talent.

3) ) Creativity and Appreciation of the Arts: Children learn to explore and be creative with each step they learn from a dancing class or school. Since dancing is an art form, your child will appreciate it more if he or she takes lessons.

4) Socialization with Group of Peers: If you enroll your child to a dance lesson with a certain number of students, your child can socialize with others who share the same interest in dancing.

5) Build Self Confidence: Dancing lessons would lead to public performances which can further develop your child’s self confidence.

6) Graceful Movement with Body Coordination: Children learn to be graceful with dance lessons, and can enhance their body coordination.

7) Cultural Awareness: Children learning folk dances of each culture, not only their own, would learn each country’s culture.

So next time you are thinking of a physical activity for your child, think of dancing. It’s a great way to keep your child healthy and fit!

Music features in our lives from almost the time a baby is born. It’s taken for granted that being able to hear allows us to listen to the radio and CDs, hear all the sounds going on around us and, as a baby, hear the voices of our parents singing to us. Hearing songs, rhymes and simple rhythms can be very comforting for young children, especially when they’re feeling upset, irritated or tired out. It can help them relax and go to sleep, or music can be invigorating and exciting.

Listening to and joining in with songs when they’re able to also plays an important role in a child’s early education learning process. Songs involve the use of words and, as such, can help with a child’s understanding of language, words, speaking and even writing.

It’s helpful to introduce songs and singing to babies as soon as possible and to regularly sing to, or with, your child. Young children may not be able to say the proper words, but can still make the right noises.

Pre-school children will love to join in with songs and especially thrive on lively songs where plenty of actions can be done too. By the time they reach the age of five, a child’s voice will have developed well. Although they’re likely to have singing incorporated somewhere into the time at school, it’s good to continue to sing together at home.

Singing And Music Classes

There are a variety of singing and music classes available for children of all ages. Music-based classes for babies are common, bringing together parents and babies, and serve as a very good introduction to music and the learning benefits it provides. Often classes involve more than just singing – for example, singing and music is often paired together with baby signing tuition, as the songs help improve the learning process for baby signing (or baby sign language)..

Learning to sing is a great skill for children to learn. It’s a way in which they’re able to express themselves, can help ease any stress in their life and gives them a boost of confidence in their own ability. Classes for five year olds and above will help them continue to enjoy music, try out singing a variety of different songs and interact with their peers along the way.

For those children who fancy it, there are always music performance classes available, often incorporating dance and drama too, where the eventual goal focuses on putting on a performance for parents. Other classes are more focused on the enjoyment factor of singing, although also may involve occasional performances too.

Parents  find that music and voice lessons for kids not only improve their children’s  memorization and small motor skills, but strongly contribute to the building of  their child’s self-confidence. This in turn helps children succeed not only in  music, but in school and other outside activities. Both children and their  parents find it truly rewarding when a child reaches a pre-set goal or
milestone; whether that is learning a new song, performing in front of others  or just finding enjoyment in music.

Adults in  their 20s and 30s see lessons as a creative outlet and something to help them  de-stress after a long day, as well as other health benefits of learning music. For many, music and voice lessons are the beginning steps of a career in live performance or recorded music. For others, music lessons are a way to express emotion or impress others with their new-found talents through a birthday, wedding, or special event performance.

People above a certain age find that music lessons for adults are a great way to stay mentally active. Many will resume lessons for an instrument they played in the past to polish up their skills while others are interested in learning something brand new and acquiring a special talent. Music is known to be therapeutic and a great way to keep one’s mind young!

Other benefits of music education

• Helps develop skills needed in today’s workforce: critical thinking, creative problem solving, effective communication, teamwork, and confidence
• Keeps kids engaged in school and less likely to drop out while helping them achieve in other academic subjects like math, science, and reading
• Helps communities share ideas and values among cultures and generations

Quick facts about music lessons

According to a recent poll:

• More than half of U.S. households (52%) has at least one person, age 5 or older, who currently plays a musical instrument
• 85% of Americans believe that music is a very important part of their life
• 82% of Americans wish they had learned to play a musical instrument, and 67% expressed an interest in learning to play
• 94% of respondents believe music is part of a well-rounded education, and that schools should offer instrument music instruction as part of the regular curriculum
• 85% believe participation in school music corresponds with better grades and higher test scores
• Seniors are turning to music making as not just an enjoyable pastime, but also for the health and wellness benefits such as enhanced immune systems, stress reduction, and staving off depression and loneliness

If you want to wait until a child can go on their own to ballet lessons, then you will probably have to wait until the child is about four. Some classes exist for children as young as three, and a precocious child might be able to take ballet classes earlier. Much depends upon the maturity level of your child. For simple introductory courses, consider ballet lessons that focus on having fun  with a few ballet moves, rather than rigid instruction.

Ballet classes that focus more on technique than fun usually require the child to exhibit a certain level of maturity. The child should be able to take directions, pay attention, listen, and take mild criticism. These skills are not mastered in 3 or 4 year olds in most cases, though some children are exceptions. A child who really loves ballet may worship a teacher and offer his or her rapt attention to that teacher. These are often the children who go on to have careers in ballet, if their admiration and love matches their abilities.

In reality, most children will never get that far in ballet, but early exposure to fun courses can make them lifelong lovers of dance. There’s also nothing wrong with early introduction of good exercise concepts, which ballet lessons definitely emphasize. If you are looking for a fun, introductory class, stay away from the overly technical, rigid or harsh ballet schools that exist to create professional dancers.

Only a few children benefit from this type of teaching, which can cause loss in self-esteem and excessive concern about body weight. Other professional schools have much gentler methods of teaching ballet, and if you think your child might make a career out of ballet, look for teaching methods that are precise but empathetic. Ballet lessons should be geared toward the child’s age group, and should not have unrealistic expectations about childhood behavior.

Parents should investigate several ballet schools, and also introductory ballet lessons offered through local Performing Arts centers. Each class may specify age limits, or it may be up to the parent to decide if the child is mature enough to take a specific class. Considering the type of class and your child’s individual maturity are key. Also, weigh the child’s interest in ballet. A child who is not particularly fascinated with this form of dance may not enjoy ballet lessons, even if they are loosely structured.

Physical Benefits - Students build muscle strength while increasing flexibility. Young dancers develop a sense of balance and improve agility and coordination. Importantly, children also develop body awareness and learn correct posture.

These benefits extend beyond a student’s involvement with dance, helping youth involved in other disciplines, such as sports and martial arts. Studies have shown that physical activity helps children relieve stress and feel relaxed. It also is a great way to help your child develop a positive lifelong attitude about staying active and healthy.

Developmental Benefits - Dance classes are fun and a great way to meet new friends. Young dancers develop essential social skills through interaction with other students. Group choreography fosters teamwork, communication, trust and cooperation. Dance also has been proven to nurture important life skills, such as discipline and focus. Dancers naturally display confidence, self-esteem and poise. These skills are developed through participating in dance performances.

Artistic Benefits – One of the greatest benefits of dance is that it sparks a child’s imagination and nurtures individual creativity in a unique way. Dance classes share the joy of physical self-expression in a supportive and structured setting. This can have a positive impact on children who have limited physical abilities, who act out or who have a difficult time sitting still. Involving children in dance also teaches the basic elements of creative movement, such as time, space, rhythm and design.

While people may not be as familiar with modern dance as with ballet or jazz, modern dance in particular honors the creative  spirit and celebrates the individual. Modern dance does not simply conform to conventional movements, shapes and patterns. Instead, it requires the young dancer to learn movement from the inside out, nurturing the body and focusing the mind. This form of dance especially is welcoming to children of all shapes, sizes and genders.

There is one final reason to get your child dancing. Research proves there is a strong link between involvement in the arts and increased educational achievement. In fact, one study showed that “students who participate in the arts are not only more likely to participate in a math and science fair, but also out-perform their peers on the SATs by 87 points. These educational benefits are gained by students regardless of their socioeconomic status.

There’s sure to be a dance class that fits your child’s interests and your schedule, so why wait? Enroll your child in a dance class. The lessons she or he learns will last a lifetime.

The main focus in these classes is a presentation of the child on stage. It helps the child improve his confidence level. It also helps
them in learning to show their emotions, feelings as well as maintaining himself.

Acting classes for young people help them to develop skills. These skills are helpful for them throughout their lives. Some of the
benefits that your kid can gain from joining acting class are:

• Through these classes, a child improves his way of expressing things, showing emotions, and self-esteem.
• Acting classes helps in developing presentation skills that plays a major role in the life of a person.
• As children are asked to work together as a team and cooperate with one another, therefore, social skills are also improved.
• Social skills are heavily improved due to the fact that kids have to team up with others and work as a group.
• Classes for acting primarily focus on how to present yourself on stage. This is a major factor which helps a kid to develop self-confidence. It also helps the kid to express his feelings, share his emotions and is thought of as a healthy exercise to stay in shape.
• Self motivation is another key factor which is worked upon in acting classes. This is one factor which definitely leads
  towards success. It allows the kid to express themselves and let go of any nervousness they face. Working as a team, giving support to each other, building trust as well as leading others are some of the kids learned by the kids in these classes.

This experience which they gain from here proves to be quite beneficial in the later part of their lives. If the kid has developed self-confidence he can successfully establish his career when he grows up. In this modern world, people with high confidence and self-expression are seen at the top. Acting classes can help kids develop this self-confidence.

Most of the normal going school offers acting classes. Alternatively, there are specific acting schools as well. Kids can be enrolled in either of them. Typically, kids aged between three and eighteen can be enrolled in these programs. This is considered as the ideal age when self-confidence and expression is developed. Those kids who are clearly outspoken, their parents should definitely consider enrolling their kids in these schools.

If you also want all these things in your child, then you can also send your child to acting classes for kids without any hesitation.
This way your child will be more confident, social and will improve self esteem. Moreover, your child will be groomed at a younger age.

Fill your child’s life with as much music as you can. Some ideas:

• Put a small stereo or boombox and a rotating collection of CDs in your child’s room.
• A musical alarm clock or clock radio can help your child wake up musically. Many stereos have timers that let kids to drift off to music as well. And certain songs can serve as cues for your child (for instance, one song you always play or sing in the
  morning when it’s time to get ready for school).
• Sample CDs from your local library. You can try different artists and styles without spending money.
• Introduce kids to songs from your own childhood or music you especially love.
• Sing in the car.
• Make or buy musical instruments and have them available in your child’s play area.
• Cook to music, clean to music, and take time sometimes just to sit and listen as an activity.
• Try music-making computer software programs that let kids lay down their own tracks, just like a professional.
• Form your own family band with real or improvised instruments (spoons, makeshift drums, etc.). This is a good group activity for kids to try with friends.
• At certain age you may want to try to enroll them in music classes in your local music school, to get them introduced to music professionally.

Ready for Lessons?

You may be wondering if your music-loving child is ready for lessons. Most kids are ready for formal music instruction between ages 5 and 7. The piano is a logical place to start — kids who learn keyboarding skills also learn the fundamental musical concepts needed for other instruments or even for vocal music. String instruments are another good place to begin. Brass or wind instruments can be more physically challenging and may not be appropriate until the fourth or fifth grade.

If piano lessons were a dreaded chore for you growing up, they might well be for your child. Likewise, if you force musical training, your child likely won’t embrace it. But if your child expresses an interest in learning to play an instrument and seems consistently and genuinely enthusiastic, consider giving it a go.

Ask yourself these questions before starting lessons:

• Playing musical instruments makes physical demands on kids. Does your child have the appropriate physical development and fine motor control to play? (A good music teacher can help determine a child’s physical readiness.)
• Can your child focus on one thing for 20-30 minutes?
• Does he or she understand and manipulate letters and numbers?
• Has your child had adequate musical exposure? Can he or she keep a steady beat, identify incorrect notes in a familiar song, and repeat basic rhythm and pitch patterns? (If the answer is no, work on these skills before beginning formal lessons.)
• Are you willing to attend the lessons regularly and help ensure that your child practices?
• Do you think your child will be willing to practice? What will you do if your child doesn’t like lessons?

Whether you choose to begin instrument lessons or not, your child should get some music instruction at school. Elementary school should provide opportunities to sing, play instruments, listen to music, and understand the role music plays in our culture. Your child also will probably get some basic instruction in reading music, writing music, and understanding music theory.

Most grade schools also have a choir or band. If not, churches or community organizations often have musical groups open to kids.

Music is inherent in all of us. In fact, researchers now think it may predate language in human development. So whether your child becomes a concert pianist or simply enjoys singing in the shower, encourage that love of music!