Techniques to teach dance is a skill that every child should learn. It’s not just about being able to move to a beat or the ability to perform a dance on your wedding day.
Dancing and learning to dance encourages children to improve coordination, balance, and develop motor skills. It can also help children develop social skills and work in a team.
Alongside that, it can be a lot of fun.
There are several practical and effective techniques to teach dance to young children.
Get The Professionals Involved
The first thing to do is recognize that you don’t know all the dance moves or have all the answers. That’s why preschool dance lessons exist and you should sign your child up for them. It will teach them the rudiments of dancing in a safe environment and allow them to benefit from the other advantages of dancing.
Children will be able to connect with others and their teacher, encouraging them to enjoy the class and get develop a passion for dancing.
Layer Movements
Whether you’re teaching your child or watching them learn in a class, you’ll notice that dance classes are layered. That means the teacher is constantly adding a visual element. This helps the child visualize the move they are trying to do and perform it properly.
It also helps to deter boredom and can even challenge them to do more than they thought possible, such as jump higher or further.
Dance First
One of the most effective techniques to teach dance is to show them the move yourself first. This tells the child it is possible, illustrates what they are trying to do, and shows them that you have learned the skill. As young children love to mimic parents this is a good starting point.
In short, the more effort you put into dancing the more they will.
Show Them The Importance Of Dance
Most people think of dancing as a useful skill if you are at a ball, disco, or are a professional dancer. However, you can transform this thinking by showing them how dancing makes you stronger, more flexible and opens doors to a huge variety of careers.
Although young children may not be concerned with careers, they will appreciate the fact that dancing is an integral part of many activities.
Free Dancing
Teaching dancing means telling children what moves their bodies should be performing. This is important if they need to learn a particular dance or choreograph a show.
However, to keep children interested and the experience fun, you also need to allow time to free dance, that’s when they can, move to the music in any way they like.
It’s fun for the children and gives you an idea regarding which type of dancing they would prefer. That will make it easier to encourage them and teach them more dancing techniques.
Don’t forget, children thrive on positive feedback, the more you give them the better!