Anyone who knows me, know I love dance!  And I bring movement into my classroom any chance I can – which can be difficult to do sometimes.  Here is this week’s guest blogger, Lauren Bailey to discuss some of the great things dance and movement can do.  Hopefully this will motivate you to do more in with your own students.  ~EMP

Many educators have just enough time to fit the necessary coursework and activities into each day that there is very little time left to dedicate toward activities not commonly brought into the standard classroom. Most teachers strive to provide unique ways to stimulate the minds and souls of their students, but it can be difficult to keep things like that up these days, with most educators bogged down by paperwork and standardized testing preparation.

One simple way, though, to break up the school day with some positive and inspiring activities is to introduce dance and movement into the classroom. Not only is dance great for the body, it can truly lift the spirit, as well. Read on for some of the top reasons why dance and movement can be a powerful and uplifting activity for students of any age.

1. Physical Fitness

The best thing about dance and inspired movement is the fact that it is a fun way to get some exercise. Dance helps improve coordination between the mind and body, it’s an excellent aerobic activity, and it helps build muscle and flexibility. When kids spend about 20 minutes a day participating in some form of aerobic dance or group movement, they, just like adults, lower their risk of obesity and heart disease. They will also see an increase in endorphins, which will improve moods all around, and they will build up their endurance so they can participate in even more physical activity in the future.

2. Creative and Emotional Outlet

Some students do not have an outlet to express themselves, and dance is an excellent way to give children of all ages a way to be creative in a fun and safe environment. Not only are students able to be expressive in ways that they are generally not during regular school activities, making an emotional connection to music allows students to release tension and connect to their emotions on a higher level.

3. Connection with Peers

While students have plenty of opportunities to make friends and connect during regular school activities, learning a dance as a group is a unique and special way for students to bond and work together. Following the steps to a dance and creating a final dance performance is really a group effort. The feeling of accomplishment and connection that comes with learning movements in time and successfully performing an entire dance as a group cannot be overstated.

4. Confidence

Not all students make straight A grades or are spectacular at sports. In fact, the majority of the students attending any given school are neither of those things. Offering dance and movement programs gives students with different skill sets the chance to try something new and possibly discover something they love to do. Performing a dance in front of other people, especially when you are new to dance, is a huge risk, and challenging students to take those kinds of risks can build confidence for years to come.

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey, who regularly writes for accredited online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: blauren99 @gmail.com.