Ballet is one of the greatest misunderstood sports and that is no accident because it is also an art. Whatever the reason your child first steps into a dance studio, the power of ballet for any child, of any age, whether they dream of becoming the ethereal ballerina they’ve seen on stage or they just like to move, goes way beyond the dancing. The benefits of ballet are more than physical and if you visit a professional ballet school you will understand what I mean.
Focus and Concentration
When you are in class there are few distractions. Of course children are children and they will giggle and play, but while in class the space is for dancing and the expectations of focus and concentration are set and understood by even the youngest students. Because the mind and body is engaged fully, even the tiniest dancers are able to display amazing focus.
Drive and Determination
Whether the goal is to become a professional, to get your splits, to have more strength in your ankles, or to be able to turn a pirouette perfectly. Dancers have no shortage of drive and determination. It is contagious and spreads beyond the dance studio. Dancers learn early how to put in the hard work to reach goals in every aspect of their lives.
Strength and Grace
Dancers are athletes. Their body is their equipment. The strength is often hidden behind the grace, but have no doubt that it is there. With more time at desks and sitting, especially as students get older, the time in the ballet studio is a great anti-dote to all the sitting, slumping and slouching.
Musicality and Math
The interaction between the teachers, dancers and pianist in a ballet class are also an important part of ballet. Students learn terminology and time, meter and rhythm which of course play an essential part of dancing. Even though at the early ages, music isn’t a part of the dance education, it is something they are surrounded by and taught to listen to. As dancers move up, they begin to learn more about the music and compositions that they are dancing too.
Value of Hard Work
A dancer works on the same relatively few moves from their first days in the studio until their last curtain call. In a day and time when children are rewarded for just about everything and anything they do, ballet is a great way to put things in perspective and learn the true value of hard work.
Taking Care of Your Body as an Instrument
Ballet gets a bad reputation when it comes to body image, but in fact, body image issues exist in just about any sport and setting. A professional ballet school will often have staff on hand to help with nutrition and with mental health when it comes to body image. When your body is your instrument you have to take care of it. This message is something that you will hear loud and clear as a student at Boston Ballet.
Fantasy and Joy
Just like any sport there is a rush of adrenaline when you are dancing and all the pieces come together. Just like any art, there is a level of fantasy that brings joy to the dancer and those lucky enough to observe the dancing.
Diligence
Diligence is all around the dancers. The younger kids love to watch the older students working hard to accomplish a step. The older students love to watch the pre-professional students striving for new goals. There is a community within the studio that prizes hard work, diligence and artistry.
Community and Collaboration
Even a principal dancer doesn’t dance alone. The community of students, teachers, and musicians all make up the dance community within the school. Working as a group is a great lesson for pre-schoolers and middle-schoolers alike. The bond you create with your dance community is often one of the strongest you will have. You share a common goal, a common love, and a common joy.
Boston Ballet welcomes everyone to come experience dance in the studios at their open houses. Boston Ballet’s studies are in Boston, Newton and Marblehead.
Save the Date!
Boston Studio Open House – Wednesday, Sep 9, 5:00-6:30pm
Newton Studio Open House – Tuesday, Sep 8, 5:00-6:30pm
North shore Studio Open House – Tuesday, Sep 8, 5:00-6:30pm
