Dance lesson teaches social skills
Dance lessons can be a great way for young children to practice their social skills. By teaching kids to work together and learn teamwork, teachers help them build confidence, independence and self-esteem.
They also help young students develop their communication and literacy skills by talking to their peers about what they are learning in the class, explains Emily Edwards, a dance teacher who specializes in working with children. She says young children are often experimenting in dance class by dancing by themselves to create new movements or ideas.
Imitation is an important skill to teach in dance classes, but it is essential for students to practice imitation without judgment from their instructor. A mirroring activity works well for this purpose because it allows students to “try on” the other dancer’s movement style and to be more empathetic of their partner’s feelings.
The high five game is another excellent one for fostering empathy and introducing students to basic hand movements, such as high fives, claps, snaps and hand-to-hand motions. This is especially useful in ballet or other dance forms where it is common to use hand-to-hand moves to support a partner’s movements.
In addition, it is a good idea to allow students to make mistakes and embrace them as a part of the learning process. This helps them to understand that error and experimentation are an important part of the learning process, and a good way to develop improved motor control.
