Dance & Arts in Early Schooling

Posted by: sandon48 on: October 22, 2008

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If I could choose any career in the world for myself, to devote my time and energy to, I would choose to teach children and teens the art of dance.  There is a wide range of benefits and advantages that children gain through dance instruction that they may not get from a normal gym class or in the elementary classroom.  Unfortunately, it is not common to have dance programs in elementary schools in the United States due to strict budgets and the lack of support for the arts.  Even subjects like fine art and music, that can be found in most elementary schools, are being cut because there isn’t enough money to pay for the demands of the programs. 

Here is a website I found called The Arts Ask For More – It lists all of the major facts about the postivie impact of Art Education on young people. http://www.americansforthearts.org/public_awareness/artsed_facts/001.asp

“Students who participate in music, art and dance are more likely to achieve academically, be elected to class office, read for pleasure, participate in youth groups and perform community service acts.”

The benefits of Dance in the early years of a child’s life (preschool – upper elementary school) include…

-Physical Development

-Creative Development

-Personal, Social, and Emotional Development

-Communication, Language, and Literacy Development

This is a website for parents that outlines the benefits of dance for young children, and any issues parents may wish to address when deciding a dance program for their children.

www.tinies.com/index/popup.php?download=1&id=78

Here is an example of a curriculum for a dance program in a K-12 school.

http://artswork.asu.edu/arts/teachers/curriculum/dance1.htm

When I become a teacher, I am going to make it a point to be an advocate for the arts in schools.  It is important for children to not only blossom academically but also artistically and creatively in order for them to become well-rounded individuals in the future.  The world of dance is an amazing discovery for any person and I want to help children on their road to discovery and share what the dance world has to offer.