By Deborah Storer
Director and Qualified Dance Teacher
p.s. Dance saved Deb’s life!!!!
- One thing that everyone has in common is that we all feel stress.
- Young people in Australia experience very high stress in schools, which has negative impacts on their academic performance and mental health.
- Children need time to relax and be kids. Unfortunately, sometimes even fun activities, like sports, can become more about success than they are about fun. Instead, it is important to ensure that your child engages in play purely for the sake of FUN.
- Exercise is one of the most important things you can do to combat stress.
- When you exercise, you release chemicals called endorphins that trigger positive feelings. Dance also encourages kids to release their inhibitions and build confidence. Dance requires a certain level of focus and practice. Kids can learn to focus their movements, control their emotional energy, and practice to achieve higher goals. These skills will help a young person’s emotional well-being in academics as well.
- Dance can help restore joy and stability in troubled lives and ease the tensions in schools that are disrupted by violence and bullying.
- Does quitting help young people to pass exams or improve their grades? ……………At an age when teenagers’ brains are wired to seek and get high on pleasure, surely forcing children to give up on the fun and creative stuff is a recipe for a deeply miserable time.
- Shockingly, 1 in 6 young Australians are currently experiencing anxiety often due to a range of stresses from cyber bullying to school exams. A dance class focusses on the present and so teaches children to be mindful and forget past worries and anxiety over the future.
References:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/16-ways-relieve-stress-anxiety#1.-Exercise
https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/nearly-half-of-australian-school-kids-are-stressed-heres-how-to-fix-it-20180126-h0omvq.html
https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/dont-worry-mom/201302/12-tips-reduce-your-childs-stress-and-anxiety
https://www.tapa.net.au/2019/01/19/dont-make-your-kids-quit-dancing-to-study/
https://www.iseeme.com/blog/blog/2019/02/05/5-reasons-dance-is-good-for-kids/#:~:text=When%20kids%20participate%20in%20dance,their%20inhibitions%20and%20build%20confidence.
https://www.reded.com.au/2017/02/09/10-reasons-to-get-your-kids-dancing/