Children generally love to be active. That means when they’re young there is a great opportunity to teach them how to dance. It’s a skill that will be useful throughout life and it’s easier to learn it when they’re young. It can also help them develop coordination, balance, and rhythm. And you don’t need a lot of space or equipment to dance at home – just some comfortable clothes and some music.
And here there are several simple techniques you can learn to help your kids learn to dance, and you don’t even need to leave the house.
Having said that, there is no harm in booking your child into pre-school dance lessons. All they need is a little interest and the lessons will make a huge difference. To help generate that interest and teach them to dance, do the following:
Dance Yourself
Children generally love to mimic their parents. That means if they see you dancing they are going to do the same. You don’t need to be undertaking a specific dance routine. Simply put some music on and start moving your body. Your child is likely to copy you. The more often you do this the better.
Find The Rhythm
You’ll then be able to take it a step further and advise them to close their eyes and move with the music. Again, you’ll need to do the same. This will encourage them to really listen to the music and move in a way they are comfortable with. At this stage, they don’t need to be a good dancer, they simply need to develop a feel for the music.
Try Some Simple Steps
You can choose an existing, well-known, dance routine and start teaching it to your child. Or, if you prefer, you can devise your own dance routine together. The aim of this stage is to learn simple steps and show your child how good a dance can look and feel. Once you’ve learned the steps you can video yourself and your child dancing.
You can post a video and possibly go viral or you can just enjoy it at home. It’s likely to inspire your child to do more.
Consider A Specific Style
After your child has learned the fun of moving and replicating simple steps, they are likely to be ready for something a little more complicated.
At this stage, you’ll want to choose a dance style. Show your child videos of the different styles to help them make a choice. You can then start learning and teaching them that style of dance. This is when dance lessons can become very useful.
Dance As Often As Possible
The only way to get better at dancing and even feel more comfortable doing it is to dance as often as you can which means playing music as often as you can and moving at the same time. You can dance while doing the dishes or even when getting ready to go out.
Your child will love the energy and start dancing everywhere themselves. At this stage, you may need to consider a dedicated dance space to avoid the risk of injury.