In my last blog, I discussed how dance education aids in the development of kinesthetic intelligence. Kinesthetic learners prefer to learn by carrying out physical activities, such as dance, rather than listening to a lecture or watching a demonstration.
Dance education creates opportunities for self expression and communication with the body as the tool. It teaches creativity, problem solving and using a higher order of thinking skills to recognize there are multiple solutions to problems. One example, should a soloist forget a part of his or her routine, they are trained to keep going and adlib as they go along, or if the music stops, dancers are taught to “keep dancing” and not to stop. Along with risk taking, and stretching out of one’s comfort zone to try a new dance step. I feel strongly that in order for a student to be willing to take a risk, they must be in a nurturing and safe environment with both their teachers and fellow dancers. We provide this at our studio. Self-esteem starts here!
The study of dance enriches the student’s ability to better interpret nonverbal communication, body language of others. Partner and group dances require the ability to “read and feel” the movements of the partner or group to work together to form the story in unison that the piece creates. This will be a great asset to students who go out into the business world, to be able to read body language. People can tell you more with their body, at times, than with their words.
Through stimulating children and all their senses, dance goes beyond verbal language in engaging dancers and promoting the development of multisensory beings. This prepares students for careers in dance and other fields. Dance enhances the individual’s awareness in mind through effective stress management, body through sound health practices and spirit! The skills learned in dance class will benefit the students for the rest of their lives!