Children’s dance classes provide a whole host of benefits to families that get involved in this well-rounded extracurricular activity. It helps promote discipline and develop social development for children, and is a delight for parents to see their children shine in a way that they’ve never seen before.
And as your children get more involved in dancing, it’s important to take the proper precautions to ensure that they remain healthy and protected. As safe as dancing is, parents and students need to be mindful of injury prevention. Common dance injuries include ankle sprains and even achilles tendonitis in some cases, and improperly learned repetitive movements may lead to overuse injuries.
Follow these top tips to keep your student dancer in top shape, and ready to dance!
This tip occupies the top position because it can not be stressed enough. It is essential that dancers properly do their warm-ups before class or performances. This will get their bodies limber and ready to dance, and avoid injuries from sprains or twists.
For this reason, it’s important that dance students arrive punctually for classes to ensure they have enough time for a warm-up. As well, dancers also need to factor in a cool-down period once class is over in order to reduce soreness and muscle injury.
Although most structured dance classes will include a warm-up and cool-down in the class, it’s important for dancers to keep up this practice on their own, and do it whenever and wherever they dance. There’s no such thing as being “too warm.”
Children are constantly surprising us with their infinite capacity to learn. Although their minds may be nimble and quick, their young bodies are still catching up. To overcome this gap and prevent dance injuries, encourage your child to learn at the right speed and use proper technique.
Become familiar with the basics before moving on to advanced techniques that can have unwanted consequences if they keep performing it improperly. Have them work on technique and proper form that can avoid muscle strain.
It is imperative that dancers learn the importance of learning proper technique, flexibility, strength, alignment and proper movement patterns right from the beginning in order to increase dancer career longevity and prevention.
If you want to build a strong dancer, you need a strong foundation of solid technique and evidence-based cross-training. With the right support, your dancer will be able to flourish athletically and artistically, as well as develop a life-long love of movement and the performing arts.
Many dance schools have implemented a mandatory dress code for its students that not only helps kids learn, but also keeps them safe. Each dance class has specific dance uniform requirements that allow students to move properly, and be able to attain the proper form and technique.
Avoid unnecessary injury for your child by adhering to the designated dress code. Make sure your little one is wearing the right footwear that fits, and has their long hair properly tied up.
In addition to maintaining your health, drinking water is very important for students during dance class. It’s important that students stay hydrated before, during, and after class. Proper hydration helps dancers move and get their bodies in peak physical form, and helps with flexibility, endurance, and muscle repair.
To help kids stay hydrated, parents should equip their children with a water bottle for class use.
Your dance teacher is a great source of wisdom, and they always have your best interests in mind. In order to learn properly, it’s important to do exactly as you’re told. This means following directions as given, and not engaging in horseplay.
In this way, students can learn to move their bodies the right way, and avoid any risk of injury.
It’s inspiring to see children get passionate about dancing and really start applying themselves. At the same time, students also need to take a balanced approach to learning dance that prioritizes their health.
That’s why it’s crucial that children avoid overtraining and get lots of rest. As uplifting as it is to see a child take an enthusiastic approach to dancing, they also need to look after other responsibilities like school, and get the necessary sleep a growing child needs.
Few dance injuries come by surprise. Often, a small injury can turn into a big one if it’s routinely ignored, making it important for dancers to listen to your body and hear what it is telling you.
Don’t ignore pain; pain is your body’s warning system informing you of a problem. You shouldn’t dance with an injury that could get worse. If your ankles, knees or hips are bothering you, be sure to get it checked out by a professional, and consider getting physical therapy.
Want to learn dancing the right way with a professional? CDM Dance & Music offers a large number of dance classes that appeal to all types of children! Browse our Recreation Dance Schedule to pick the right class for your child.
Interested in remote learning? CDM also offers online classes! And, be sure to check out our March Break Dance Camp taking place March 14-18!
