8 (Surprising) Lessons Children’s Ballet Will Teach Your Child

When you sign your child up for children’s ballet, you may be thinking about helping your child pursue his or her passions in dance, getting exercise, or even just getting out of the house for a healthy extracurricular activity.

However, ballet is so much more than that.

Many former dancers will tell you that there are many life skills that they credit to ballet.

8 Benefits of Children’s Ballet

When your child starts children’s ballet, you can expect that they will learn not only classical ballet technique but also life lessons that they can carry with them through adulthood.

1 – Preparation

One of the things your child will learn in ballet is preparation. This goes beyond practicing at home and showing up to class prepared―though that’s important too. Ballet is all about preparation. Before each exercise, your child will make sure their feet are in the proper position, that their muscles are engaged, and that they’re focused on the exercise.

This ability to focus, prepare, and “show up” mentally for a task is one that will follow your child throughout adulthood, helping them to navigate the challenges they’ll face in life.

2 – Grace & Balance

Young children go through a lot of changes as they grow. They transition from bow-legged toddlers to knock-kneed children as their limbs lengthen and their bodies grow.

One of the most impactful things your child will learn in children’s ballet is balance and grace. They learn to engage their mind and muscles while developing strength and control. These lessons will apply not only to their physical movements, but to their emotional ones as well. Your child will learn that they can overcome challenges with strength, fortitude, and the right attitude.

3 – Enjoy Hard Work

Ballet takes discipline and strength. For many children, this is one of the first times they will practice and hone precise physical (and mental) skills. Most children starting children’s ballet have had little exposure to the sport outside seeing ballerinas on tv or on the stage. Your child will learn to find the limits of their bodies and minds and to strengthen themselves to grow past it―and to do so with a smile.

Because ballet, however hard, is fun (especially when you have a great ballet teacher), your child will learn that it can be a positive, rewarding experience to work hard and learn new things.

4 – Teamwork

Another thing your child will learn during children’s ballet is how to work together as a team. Being a ballet dancer requires teamwork. You must learn together with the other dancers, be in sync with your routines, and support each other.

5 – Attention to Detail

A surprising thing your child will learn during their ballet classes is attention to detail. Ballet is all about the details―the angle of the arms or position of the body, spacing from your fellow dancers, timing, and more. And all of this is done without talking. Your child will learn to pick up on visual cues from other dancers, audible cues from the music, and other small details that will help them complete their routines.

6 – Flourishing Under Pressure

Ballet, as well as other performance sports, are important for teaching children to perform under pressure. As much as we want to imagine our children will always be happy, positive, and carefree during their lives, the reality is that they will face stressful situations. Being able to keep their heads and act under pressure is a great skill to learn young to be able to handle challenging situations in the future.

7 – Accepting Feedback

It’s important for children and adults alike to be able to accept feedback and to learn from their mistakes―as well as the mistakes of others. Ballet is a challenging sport and requires discipline and precision. Your child will be receiving feedback from their teachers and will watch other children receiving the same. They’ll learn that not only is feedback normal, it’s an important part of the learning process.

Worried about your child’s ability to accept criticism? That’s all the more reason to register your child in ballet! A great ballet teacher takes cues from a child’s behavior and actions and is able to gently ease them into receiving criticism more openly.

8 – Respect for Themselves and Others

Your child will also learn respect for themselves and others. Children’s ballet is usually less strict than teen or company ballet and is more strict than preschool or toddler ballet. Your child is learning to respect the etiquette of the class and to respect their process of learning and progress in the classroom. They’ll learn to respect the other dancers in their journey of learning as well as learning to respect their teacher.

Final Thoughts

There are so many wonderful reasons for your child to take ballet. If you’re interested in learning more about our programs or would like to register your child, please reach out! We would love to speak with you.

About the Author

Jennie Creer-King

Owner & Artistic Director

Jennie Creer-King is the owner and artistic director of Central Utah Ballet Academy. She is an award-winning dancer, instructor, and choreographer. Among her awards include “Best School Award” by the Youth American Grand Prix, “Best of State” in Choreography and Youth Performing Group, and the Presidential Scholar’s Teacher Recognition Award. Jennie has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance with an emphasis in Ballet Performance and a Master's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance emphasis in teaching pedagogy and choreography.

You may also be interested in...