The Benefits of Taking Two or More Dance Classes Per Week
With Fall Registration opening, one of the most common questions we receive is, “How many dance classes should I enroll my dancer in?” Kids’ schedules are more full than they have ever been, and it’s a natural first question. Should you do one day of dance, one day of skating, and music lessons? Is it better to be well-rounded or to become more skilled in fewer activities? How do you decide which activities to introduce your kid to and how frequently to do them? Dance is an activity and art form that takes time, dedication, and patience to master. The more time your child spends in class, the faster they will progress.
The more you learn about how people learn, the more you realize that skill is not born but is a product of the environment. Daniel Coyle, an expert researcher in learning and skill development, said in his book The Talent Code, “Although talent feels and looks predestined, in fact, we have a good deal of control over what skills we develop, and we have more potential than we might ever presume to guess.” To sum up an incredibly insightful book (which you should definitely read), skill is gained by consistently pushing the limits of your ability, failing, and trying again. And again. The more you do this, the more skill you build.
If you are only taking one dance class, once a week, there is a limit on how fast your dancer will gain skill. Taking two or more dance classes per week will increase skill-building opportunities immensely! The repetition has a compounding effect and you’ll see improvement grow at a faster rate than you thought possible.
Beyond becoming a much more skilled dancer, there are other benefits to choosing dance as your main extracurricular activity and taking multiple dance classes each week. Dance teaches you lifelong lessons in teamwork, hard work, responsibility, and accountability. Your performing team counts on you being engaged, present, and ready to perform.
The long, seemingly endless hours of rehearsal teach social skills better than nearly any other sport or art form. Ask any dance teacher and they will confirm that their dance friends are friends they have for life. The process of learning new choreography and technique, and doing so as a shared experience, makes you into a person who is equally confident in being a member of a team and a leader.
Fall Registration will open soon. Preview the fall schedule and get ready to register for your classes when it opens!.
