The Positive and Nurturing Benefits of Learning Ballet

It is never too late to learn something new and students have the opportunity to advance at their own pace under the guidance of expert and caring teaching staff. Younger students have a track record of being accepted into highly-acclaimed further education programmes and institutions such as PEAC, John Curtin College of the Arts, Principal Academy of Dance and WAAPA, as well as participating in large scale shows such as the Channel Seven Christmas Pageant, Telethon, television commercials, fashion shows and other public events.

In addition to its physical benefits, ballet can also help to improve children's mental and emotional health. The Brighton Ballet Theater website asserts that training in classical ballet instills a sense of pride and accomplishment, which can boost self-esteem. As children improve and master more challenging movement combinations, they feel more self-assured, which can carry over into other areas of their lives. Dance training can also be a great way to relax and use excess energy productively after school.

Ballet classes can start for young kids around ages four and five. For them, being in front of all those mirrors and the bar is something new and exciting. Some of the benefits of ballet for young kids are:
They learn to follow instructions
They gain a sense of discipline through learning new positions
They learn co-ordination, balance and how to control their bodies in motion
They are active and getting daily exercise
They become comfortable performing before groups

The extreme shyness stage hit my girl when she was turning three-years-old and right around the time she started ballet. At first she had a hard time letting go of my hand and joining the teacher and the rest of the girls, but slowly she started gaining the confidence and trust to start letting go and just enjoy. During the dress rehearsal for the first recital, I was panicking because I swore she would never get on stage or, if she did, she'd just stand there frozen. I was so wrong. As soon as she got on stage it's as if she had found her place in life. It was hard to get her off and she's always waiting for the next one.

Ballet strengthens every muscle in your body. In addition to core muscles, you will also be working out your arms, legs and gluteal, or buttocks muscles. Ballet works on the quadriceps, as well as the inner and outer thighs, giving legs a long, lean appearance. The biceps and triceps, upper and lower muscles in your arm, as well as those muscles in your shoulder and back are also strengthened and elongated by performing ballet.

Ballet lessons can also be good for a kid's development by improving her social skills. Learning ballet increases poise, reports the Centre de Danse. The Miami Royal Ballet suggests that ballet classes encourage kids to form new friendships. Students also get to interact with positive role models in their dance teachers.

The basic requirement of ballet is to stand with the spine straightened and the hips squared. Ballet dancers need to learn how to hold themselves properly and align their bodies as they move. Practising good posture will decrease your chances of developing musculoskeletal problems later in life. But poor posture does not only risk soft tissue pain and joint dysfunction, it can also have adverse effects on your nervous system, digestive system and circulatory system.

Ballet classes can help those who struggle with minor coordination issues or clumsiness. Because the movements in ballet are so precise, training the muscles for this kind of precision can result in advances in both fine and gross motor skills.