Ballet provides so many wonderful benefits for young children all the way to adults. I can often spot a ballet trained dancer just by seeing them walk by me at the grocery store due to their posture. Ballet has so many health and mental benefits so here's a list of 5 to provide a deeper understanding!
1. Posture
Ballet trains the body to use so many muscle groups for posture all the way from around the shoulder blades, abdominals, hips, and even the neck to provide a long spine and support. Not only does it look beautiful but it creates graceful movements and allows for the body to organically move correctly even for turns, jumps, and extensions. One of the many posture tips I tell the beginning ballet students is to stand as if they are balancing a cup of hot chocolate on top of their head while they are doing slow movements at barre.
2. Technique base for all forms of dance
Ballet provides a solid base that improves technique for every single style of dance (jazz, lyrical, etc.) including ice skating and gymnastics. Ballet can improve balance, grace, mobility, flexibility, placement of arms, straight legs, fully pointed toes, and correct use of plié. One thing that always stands out to me is how ballet improves the elegance of a dancer's fingers. It might sound strange but have you ever seen professional ballerinas or Olympic ice skaters dance with stiff spread out fingers? Nope! It's just as important as having a correctly pointed toe and it completely changes the entire look of a dancer.
3. Musicality
You might notice ballet music mostly consists of piano and orchestra music. A ballerina's dream is to one day perform on stage dancing to a live orchestra. But in order to achieve that, the dancer truly has to understand music and how to feel the rhythm. Often in ballet class I sound like a music teacher because I have to teach 3/4, 2/4, 4/4, and 6/8 timing so that the dancer can recognize the accent or down beat to their movement. Many ballet trained dancers often do very well in the music industry as excellent musicians because it goes hand in hand!
4. Improves memory and focus
Ballet uses both the right and left brain while learning which improves memorization and comprehension. Ballet class consists of many little combinations of movements the dancer has to memorize on the spot and immediately show. Also the dancer will learn choreography that their memory has to retain for longer periods of time for performances. Ballet trains the brain to focus while doing repetitive steps which in turn allows muscle memory to develop. The structure of ballet class develops focus through discipline in following directions, staying quiet at appropriate times, being respectful, standing properly while waiting your turn, and creating a drive to achieve technical goals.
A friend of mine who was diagnosed with MS was told by her doctor that taking a low impact dance class such as ballet or ballroom dancing would help improve her brain function and motor control. It's fascinating how ballet can use the brain in so many ways!
5. Mental health
Ballet like any sport releases endorphins through movement! Ballet communicates emotions through movement to music and that is what makes the art form so powerful. Dance can truly feed the soul and dance therapy is a real thing! Ballet builds confidence by dancing in front of peers, large audiences, and the mirror in class. I always tell my teen students that the mirror is there as a tool and guide to produce positive results...not to pile on false negative ideas about themselves. I have often found ballet dancers to be self disciplined and have a strong mental drive for achieving goals. That can carry into their school work, at home, in college, and all the way into their careers.
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