Thanks for reading! This article reprint is available for purchase in your print or online publication. Contact Christina Katz for pricing via the contact page. 

Check out your local studio. There are so many good reasons to give dance classes a try.

Give Dance A Chance: 21 Reasons To Try Consistent Classes By Christina Katz

Don’t be fooled by glittery costumes and false eyelashes—competitive dancers are athletes, who deserve to be taken just as seriously as members of any other team such as soccer, swimming or track. Dance has multiple benefits—often more than other sports. And yes, dance performed regularly and intensively is both a sport and a multi-sensory art form that may raise your child’s self-esteem.

According to the National Registry of Dance Educators, dance provides physical, intellectual, artistic, social and individual benefits that can enrich any dancer’s life. If you are considering dance as an activity for your child, you may want to review the benefits, before you balk at the price tag of consistent classes.

Unlike many sports which are often seasonal, dance practice typically runs all school year or even year-round. Many kids take a variety of sports throughout the year, but dancers tend to take foundational dance classes first and then learn new forms of dance as their skills grow. Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Acrobatics and Hip Hop are the most common forms of dance you will find offered at your local dance studio.

When we think of dance, we may think of diva ballerinas or overly meddlesome mothers, but dancers learn many helpful, practical skills that carry over naturally into everyday life. If you visit a few local studios in your area, you will likely find a vibe and set of values that are a good match for your child and family. Here are some of the many benefits of taking consistent dance classes:

1. Listening better. In order to learn, dancers have to hear and absorb verbal instructions from their teachers, often on the fly. In the practice room, instruction is offered in a variety of ways, which helps children learn to pay attention before, during and after learning something new.

2. Observing closely. Another way dancers learn is by watching demonstrations. Dancing is a multi-sensory skill, so there are many ways to learn and watching closely is an important part of the process, especially for more visual learners.

3. Expanding social circles. Dancers can make new friends in dance class and expand their social circles beyond the neighborhood and the classroom. Friendships tend to deepen over time and kids who spend a lot of time working on new skills together are likely to form tighter friendships.

4. Growing more fit. We often think of dancers as dainty and delicate but dancers are stronger than you might think. Regular dancing increases cardiovascular health, builds muscles, and, over time, increases physical endurance.

5. Gaining musicality and rhythm. If you want your child to become more musical, even without practicing an instrument, dance is a good choice. The measured movements kids learn in dance help them intuitively understand and adapt to other kinds of rhythms in life.

6. Building strength. In my daughter’s 5^th grade classroom, a petite veteran competitive dancer routinely beat the football players at arm wrestling. Dancers must be strong no matter what their size because they need core strength as well as individual muscle strength to leap, turn and twist without injury.

7. Becoming more flexible. Don’t worry if your child is not necessarily flexible or agile before beginning dance. Flexibility is something that is approached incrementally as a dancer learns and grows. After a few years of stretching and flexing, any dancer can become more limber.

8. Focusing on following through. If your child has trouble concentrating for periods of time, dance might be a good way to build this skill. Because dance is kinesthetic as well as musical and rhythmic, children who have trouble sitting still in school can concentrate more easily while learning a complete dance movement, which takes considerable concentration, focus and practice.

9. Responding to feedback. Dancers receive ongoing feedback from instructors. The onus is on them to received feedback as graciously as they can and apply it to their routines so they can improve. This teaches responsiveness and collaboration instead of defensiveness and oversensitivity.

10. Practicing poise. Dance classes are grounding. Even if your child often trips or bumps into things, dance can cure the curse of klutziness. Poise in the practice room will eventually translate into increased body awareness and better motor control outside the studio, as well.

11. Inspiring self-discipline. So many situations in life require us to be able to train ourselves to do things to the best of our ability. By teaching mastery of a routine through practice, dancers learn how to aim for a goal and reach it. Repeated over time, this ability to get things accomplished can be applied to any task or healthy habit.

12. Finding opportunities for self-expression. Although dance is rarely verbal and routines are often choreographed, dancers express themselves artistically through movement, agility, showmanship, poise and by letting their personalities shine through. Some dances offer a variety of roles and dancers may either be cast in a role or offered a solo based on ability and personality.

13. Test-driving commitment. Dancers earn dividends on what they invest. When your dancer commits consistently and fully, the payoff is great. Half-hearted or lax engagement typically yields poorer results.

14. Increasing confidence. Confidence comes from doing. It’s one thing to watch a dance recital. It’s quite another to perform in one. Dance is multi-sensory, so don’t be surprised if it boosts your child’s confidence in ways you may not anticipate.

15. Acquiring excellent posture. Body language experts have proven that by changing our posture, we can change our attitude and our feelings. Dancers practice excellent posture, which has both short and long-term benefits physiologically and emotionally.

16. Improving body awareness. Dancers’ bodies come in all shapes and sizes and dancers learn that an active, healthy body helps you accomplish your objectives with greater ease no matter what size you are. Dancers learn first-hand the benefits of eating healthy and fueling their bodies.

17. Teaching teamwork. Dancers often literally depend on each other to lift each other up, to hold each other up and to work in unison to make a whole. By working hard together and learning to trust each other, dancers learn to trust themselves in a group.

18. Emphasizing a positive attitude. When you smile, the whole world smiles with you, so the saying goes. Like posture, tests have shown that smiling makes you feel better whether you want to feel better or not. The dance studio is a place where your child is reminded to put a best face forward.

19. Reducing stress. Life gets bumpy sometimes, even for kids. Dancers who are experiencing stress in life outside the studio, may find that the consistency, focus and health benefits of dance counterbalance negative effects of any stress in their personal lives. Children experiencing stress typically benefit from expressive outlets for their considerable energy.

20. Respecting instructors. Parents do not typically coach or volunteer in dance classes. Most instructors are trained and studios expect kids to be respectful towards their teachers. Dancers who treat instructors with admiration tend to get more out of the process than dancers who behave in a disrespectful manner or act out in class, just like in real life.

21. Joining an extended community. Dancers are not just part of a class, they are part of an extended community. A studio is composed of the owner, the instructors, the students, and the parents and families of the students. Dancers learn that they can be a significant part of the whole and still shine as individuals. They can look to others for good examples and also set a good example. They learn, most importantly to work hard, do their best and still have fun.

The Well-stocked Dance Bag

Stock your child’s bad with the basics at the start of a busy dance season. Then check your child’s bag seasonally for wear and tear and to determine when items are becoming outgrown. Restock and replace as needed. Quality counts. You are better off purchasing quality rather than purchasing cheap or imitation products. Put your child’s name in or on all dance gear in permanent marker.

• Dance shoes (tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical all require different shoes)
• A couple of leotards
• Tights (in pink for ballet and nude for other performances)
• A couple of pairs of dance shorts
• Athletic bras
• Non-binding underwear
• Thick elastic hair bands
• Hairnets for buns
• Bobby pins (small and large, u-shape and regular)
• A sturdy dance duffle bag with pockets
• A sports water bottle
• Snack sorter

Author and journalist Christina Katz believes in the power of the arts to improve and enrich the lives of children and families and has witnessed the transformative results first-hand.

Thanks for reading! This article reprint is available for purchase in your print or online publication. Written in 2013, it’s still timeless. Contact Christina Katz for pricing via the contact page. 

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for supporting my work.

This article reprint is available for purchase in your print or online publication. Contact Christina Katz for pricing via the contact page. Thanks for reading!

Here’s what my office wall used to look like.

Secrets of Creative Families: 10 Ways To Encourage Expressive Kids By Christina Katz

Think the arts are frivolous, impractical, and over-priced?

Sometimes a parent’s “the-arts-just-aren’t-necessary” attitude can tragically squelch a young person’s creative aspirations. Whereas a parent who is too gung-ho about a child’s talents, may not realize that hijacking dreams robs a child of healthy feelings of ownership and independence.

Fortunately, many parents find the balanced middle. They figure out how to quietly stand behind a young person’s aspirations without taking over, and find ways to supportively usher their child towards creating a colorful future.

As parents of creative kids, how can we banish black-and-white, all-or-nothing thinking about the arts, and tap into our expressive parenting power instead?

Here are ten tips that will help you encourage your kids to create the future that best suits them.

1. Be creative yourself. Want creative kids? Start by being creative yourself. Before you can encourage your child to pursue her creative dreams, you have to nurture your own dreams. I work at home as a writer, an author and a writing coach. My home office is an explosion of creative accomplishments. My husband is a theater actor, director and producer. His program mounts three theatrical productions a year. Our daughter has also developed her own creative hobbies over the years, like singing, dancing, acting, choreography, drawing and painting.

2. Encourage hobbies. If last year’s hobby was knitting and this year’s hobby is painting, that’s fine. Never force your kids to continue hobbies that no longer interest them. As long as the supplies are affordable and the experience is enriching, variety is good. And when a hobby sticks around, that works, too. Hobbies need to be about the joy of doing. The last thing a hobby should be about is perfection or competition. If you are overly involved in your child’s hobbies, take a step back. That’s their thing. Why not find your own?

3. Expose your family to the arts. Art appreciation can be a family affair without becoming expensive. Surely you are not the only family in the neighborhood interested in exposing your family to culture. Team up with families in your neighborhood to attend shows and events at group discount rates. Check local museums for free days and local theaters for meet-the-actors shows. You can also find cultural opportunities through the public library, in local theaters, at the local community center, via local schools and colleges, and by taking advantage of special broadcasts at your local movie theater.

4. Make room for imagination. The magic of creativity often happens in private. How often do you all scatter to your own corners of the house to read, create or simply have some space for imagination? Forget the idea that positive results only come from measured formulas and strictly followed recipes. Heights of beauty and transformation in art are often achieved through immersion in an imaginative process. Structured arts and crafts projects are fine, but release your kids to their own creative pursuits, as well.

5. Explore a range of forms. Art has many types. A partial list includes dancing, singing, fine art (painting, sculpture, architecture, music and poetry), theater arts, photography, collage, film, printmaking, mosaics, crafts and calligraphy. If your local school district has cut back on arts programming, see if you can counterbalance the shortage by joining a local cultural center or picking up classes through your local library or art supply shop. Don’t be shy about asking about scholarship programs if costs exceed your budget.

6. Relax about messes. Your perfectionism may cost your kids in creative growth. Artists often have to try something dozens of times before they get the hang of even a simple brushstroke. Adopt a practice-makes-proud attitude. If you notice your child craving space to spread out and practice work, try to create some. Make room for projects to be spread out for several days or however long they take. Find nooks and crannies of your home that can support ongoing creative messes. Drop the pressure to immediately clean up after every sitting. Take good care of art tools but allow for a bit of creative chaos.

7. Test-drive a variety of techniques. Within so many approaches to one art form, you will constantly face lots of choices. So why not let your little artist explore a variety of methods as deeply as she likes over time? For example, your local dance studio probably offers ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, acrobatics and hip-hop. Within theater you will find plays, musicals, ballet and opera. Within painting you will find oil, pastel, acrylic, watercolor, ink, and many more. Technique classes for kids can provide a solid foundation for more in-depth study later in life.

8. Bankroll dreams gradually. Don’t drop a lot of cash up front or you may inadvertently set the stage for, “You’ll like it because I paid for it,” which is always a lot of pressure. Go for low-commitment opportunities initially and then streamline along lines of interest as kids mature. For a dancer, you could start with tap dancing then add a new style each year according to tastes and talents. If you expand as your child’s abilities grow, your child will be ready for a more intensive level of participation around middle school, which often benefits kids at this developmental juncture.

9. Seek out appropriate mentors. Parents can’t be everything to every child they raise. As kids get older, they need real-life mentors to help teach them lessons about living happily in the world. Kids benefit from having multiple influences, beyond the usual teachers, coaches and instructors, who can stretch and challenge them in a particular pursuit. Explore apprenticeships, tutoring or private lessons with safe, knowledgeable professionals who can serve as living, breathing examples of success.

10. Banish pressure. Creativity and pressure are like oil and water. They don’t mix well in young children, who are more likely to benefit from variety and flexibility in self-expression. As a parent, strive to be that supportive, guiding presence so you can help your children make choices that are expressive and sensible. And while they are occupied, why not get out your own journal, knitting, or paints? Follow your child’s example and you’ll soon be busy figuring out what is in you that is longing to be expressed.

Books To Inspire Creativity In Parents

Books to help you become more creative:

How You Do Anything Is How You Do Everything, A Workbook by Cheri Huber & June Shiver

The Artist’s Way, A Spiritual Path To Higher Creativity By Julia Cameron

The Creative Act, A Way Of Being by Rick Rubin

Don’t Call It Art, 10 Ways To Create Like A Kid Again by Austin Kleon

Books To Inspire Creativity In Kids

Books to help your kids become more creative:

The Artist’s Way For Parents, Raising Creative Children by Julia Cameron

The Giant Book Of Creativity For Kids, 500 Activities To Encourage Creativity In Kids by Bobbi Conner

The Artful Parent, Simple Ways To Fill Your Family’s Life With Art And Creativity by Jean Van’t Hul

Author, journalist and writing coach Christina Katz wrote this article when she wasn’t shuttling her daughter back and forth to school and dance classes.

This article reprint is available for purchase in your print or online publication. Written in 2014, it’s still timeless. Contact Christina Katz for pricing via the contact page. Thanks for reading!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for supporting my work.

Because my social media is carefully curated and I regularly update who I follow and what I watch, this was delivered to me today and it could not be better timing.

Today we begin the Year Of The Fire Horse in the Chinese Zodiac. I am a Fire Horse, alongside everyone else born between February1966 – February1967. When I think about what I want more than anything in the world, I want to express myself authentically in ways that do not harm anyone else. I want everyone to express themselves authentically in ways that do not harm anyone else. Do what you will and harm none — that’s the plan.

I know a lot of people who express themselves on a daily basis and they do it as though they are on a mission. Because they are. Because we are. It’s a mission and we are called to it. If you feel called to express yourself, I hope you will.

Here’s some motivation for you…and I hope you will tune into uplifting messages like this that inspire you to express yourself more today.

Hello World,

It’s been a while. Hope you are well. After much self-reflection and personal development, I am feeling optimistic about the future. I really do believe we are at a turning point as a society, and even though things seem and are dark right now, my heart is bursting with hope.

I feel that the best way to share my enthusiasm for the future with you is to fire my individual readings back up. I have been working on them behind the scenes to expand and improve them. And I’m finally satisfied with the results, so here we go.

On this page, you can sign up for an Expressive Flow Reading. I have changed the name and focus of the readings slightly to reflect how they are now…and how I am now. The cost has gone up, which was inevitable. But hopefully the price still feels affordable to you.

The intention I am holding is to encourage people to look within for answers. Every person in the world is absolutely incredible. If you don’t know that about yourself, let me help you see it for yourself.

So let’s do this future thing, shall we? I’m happy to encourage you to become and express your truest self and let this be your guiding compass as we transition into a better world for all.

Okay, so this is a little thank you post for Andi Jenkins of All Put Together. She has a YouTube Channel and an Etsy Shop. I’ve included one of her fun and informative videos above.

She is the person who inspired me to attend Thriftapalooza. I almost missed it but she was going and had a free ticket and I was lucky enough to be the first person to take her up on her offer.

I’ve learned a lot from Andi about reselling in general and selling on Etsy specifically. And now she is about to open her own booth in at Tiny Brambles shop on Morrison in Portland, Oregon.

So, thank you Andi, for helping me come to my senses about going to Thriftapalooza. Andi will also have a booth at the upcoming The Great Junk Hunt at Oregon State Fairgrounds April 12th and 13th. I’ve been to this event in the past and it was a great shopping experience. Be sure to look for Andi’s booth if you decide to go!

Christina Katz is a member of a creative family, where each person is encouraged to be authentic and expressive. She firmly believes that evolving people make the world a better place. Learn more about her on Etsy or Instagram.

So a couple weeks ago, I went to Thriftapalooza in Portland, Oregon. I almost didn’t go because I wasn’t sure it would be a good place to source for my Vintage space and Etsy shop.

I was wrong. I am often wrong when I rely on my mind. I make plenty of mistakes just like everyone else. Usually if I am making mistakes, I am making progress. And if I’m not making mistakes, I’m probably playing it too safe. I prefer to trust my gut and go with the flow because that’s how I usually succeed in my intentions.

Anyway, I have over 20 planters in my Etsy shop, including hanging planters. I will keep replenishing them if folks like and buy them.

Please check them out in my Etsy shop, BlissCraftLife, and follow me there and on Instagram. I appreciate your support!

And also check out Thriftapalooza! It’s a really fun thrifting event that is worth attending. There was one in Portland and one coming up in Puyallup, Washington. The folks running it are super-nice and friendly and really care about sustainability and everyone having a great time.

More on the person who changed my mind about Thriftapalooza soon!

Christina Katz is a member of a creative family, where each person is encouraged to be authentic and expressive. She firmly believes that evolving people make the world a better place. Learn more about her on Etsy or Instagram.