Why Learning Ballet Is Super Important for Both Boys and Girls

We were also inspired by the recent news regarding Prince George taking ballet lessons and why you shouldn't shy away from letting your son take ballet. We should encourage and teach him that  ballet is for boys just like it is for girls, breaking the stigma that ballet is all about the pink tutus and a 'girly' practice, that is still shamefully perceived by many people now.  

Boys Taking Ballet Lessons

- Ballet is actually a very physically challenging sport and requires and teaches an immense amount of strength, which is something that can be very healthy and beneficial for both boys and girls. 

- Ballet really helps with self confidence and builds self esteem, which can help him stand up to, or even brush off, any judgments or rude comments he might get for being a ballet dancer.

- Sometimes boys are conditioned to look for interests within a certain field or bubble that has to do with stereotypical male interests. Practicing this art form can really open his mind to all kinds of interest and a love for arts in it's many forms, which can also help with his  creativity at a young age. 

Benefits of Ballet for Kids:

1. Mental Health & Social Skills

- You kids practicing ballet after school can be a great release for stress and anxiety, like many excersizes. Also, as they get older and maybe the dance practice starts becoming more an emotional release for them, it will help them have an outlet and form of expression for whatever they're going through. 

- At young age ballet can really help with their self esteem and confidence. They develop skills and talent and can see their progress, which in turn can help them gain the confidence in believing they can overcome a lot of life's challenges. They will also learn patience and discipline as well as self control and a lot of inner strength.

- Kids will learn to share and be able to work with groups, by understanding that everyone gets their moment and takes their turn during practice. They will also get more used to preforming or presenting in front of people and it will help reduce some shyness.

2. Knowledge & Intelligence

- Learning about their body is an integral part of ballet. From their very first lessons they will start understanding their body parts, the terminologies and movements, and begin understanding their functions.

- With ballet lessons, you kids can start learning a little but about classical music, composers, the history of ballet and maybe even some French.

- It is said that kids who take ballet lessons tend to preform well in school. Ballet helps with their focus and attention span. They could potentially become skilled with critical thinking, learning to adapt to challenges and try to come up with solutions and of course the strong art background can help them gain strong attention to detail.

3. Body Strength and Control

- Ballet teaches extraordinary body control. It increases their range of motion, balance, coordination and the ability to control the body and movements in motion.

- When your kids start to train they will begin preparing for flexibility by learning to increase the hip and thigh Flexibility as well as hamstrings while learning to maintain great posture.

- They will also build strength, which is necessary for safety and flexibility, by training for arm strength and of course a strong core. 

4. Creativity

- Practicing this form of art is really powerful and eye opening to creativity, especially at a young age where they can naturally learn to be able to express themselves and their emotions through motion and movements. 

- Sonshine Academy says that "Ballet is often considered to be art for athletes." Which is beautiful way to describe Ballet's unique quality of having all rounded benefits for its practitioners and how it feeds imagination while building incredible physical strength and control.

- A lot of people also love the fact that ballet is a great starting point for those looking to learn or continue with other forms of dancing. So your kids might not have a prolonged interest in ballet but it will help them if they want to move on to something else. 

5. Physical Health

- Getting into the lifestyle of training regularly will help them get used to and be familiar with proper nutrition, which they need for their training and for their bodies to be in shape for their practice.

- According to Livestrong, the combination of jumps and leaps that happen during the practice increase the heart rate. This increase is good for the stamina, cardiovascular health and endurance.

- With kids being as invested in technology and smart phones as ever, ballet is also a good way to get their bodies moving, instead of stiffening with their heads fixated on screens all day. Increasing their interest in physical activity is going to be extremely important in this day and age and for what's to come...

Main Image Credits: Instagram @royalballetschool