When Should My Child Start Taking Dance Classes?

"Start young" is something you may hear a lot about learning certain disciplines, especially dance. There are many benefits to starting dance at a young age however we recognize that for many, this may not be possible. You can, however, obtain many benefits if you start SOONER rather than LATER. Here are some:

Technique Will be Established

Dance (no matter what style) requires very technical movements and many of these foundational concepts take time and practice. The sooner you start dancing, the sooner you will establish these foundational concepts and be able to move into more challenging and complex material.

Basic Rhythm will Come More Naturally

You hear it all the time. "I have no rhythm!" When you start dancing as a young person, not only do you learn how to stay on the beat of a song, but you also learn more intricate rhythm patterns that take your comprehension of rhythm to a whole new level! 

The Sooner you Start Performing, the Sooner you will Begin to Build the Life Skills that Performing Helps to Build

There is always an element of performance associated with being a dancer. Whether it be a yearly recital, a full scale dance production, or an informal in-class showing, stepping on stage builds many skills that can be used later in life such as comfortability being in front of crowds, and ability to work as an ensemble or team. 

You Will Learn to Set, Manage, and Achieve Goals

Everything in dance builds on itself, and setting goals is vital to progress. Perhaps your goal is to get into the splits. First you must start by meeting the goal of touching your toes, then meeting the goal of working on proper hip alignment. Dancers are masters at goal setting because it often takes meeting many smaller goals in order to achieve a bigger, more gratifying goal. This skill can be translated over to real life and applied toward almost any goal you may have!

So what age can I begin dancing?

We say, the earlier the better. Music House offers a wide range of options starting at 0 years old! Music Together is a great way to introduce babies and toddlers to rhythm, movement, and dance as a social activity. Once your young mover turns 2, they can officially enroll in dance classes! Song & Dance exposes new dancers to both tap and ballet honing in on basic terminology, studio etiquette, and creative movement. 

What if my child is older, is it too late?

Absolutely not! It is never too late to begin dancing and we understand that young learners may get the itch to dance later than others. Whether your dancer feels called to ballet, tap or hip hop, we will help you find the perfect fit!

The earlier you begin dancing, the earlier you step into an artform that asks you to be motivated, courageous, and passionate which may look different on every dancer. When is a good time to start dancing? The sooner the better, no matter your age! With the school year dwindling down, perhaps this summer is the time to step into something new. We'll see you in the studio!