The Benefits of Dance for Kids

Dance is one of the best all-round activities a child can do. It builds fitness, coordination and strength, but the benefits parents notice most are often the other ones: more confidence, new friends, better focus and a happier, more settled child who has something of their own to look forward to each week.

We've taught dance in Wallsend since 2017, and these are the changes we see again and again.

1. Fitness that doesn't feel like exercise

The UK's Chief Medical Officers recommend that children and young people do an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a day, and that younger children are active throughout the day. A dance class gets them there without it ever feeling like a workout: an hour of jumping, turning and travelling across the floor to music they love.

Dance builds:

• Stamina, from performing full routines without stopping.
• Strength, especially in the legs and core.
• Flexibility, from regular stretching.
• Coordination and balance, from moving arms, legs and head in time together.

2. Confidence

This is the one parents mention first. Learning something hard, practising it and then getting it right is a powerful feeling, and dance gives children that every week. Performing in front of others, whether that's to the rest of the class or on a competition floor, teaches them they can do something brave and enjoy it.

We often see quieter children who hid at the back in their first few weeks standing at the front a term later.

3. Friendship and teamwork

Dance classes, especially cheer and street dance crews, are a team activity. Children learn to count each other in, stay in formation and cheer on a teammate who's struggling with a step. It's also a way to make friends outside school with children who share something they love, which matters a lot for a child who hasn't quite found their group yet.

4. Focus and memory

Learning choreography is a workout for the brain too. Children have to listen, watch, remember a sequence and then do it in time with everyone else. Over a few weeks you'll see them remembering longer and longer routines, and that ability to concentrate on one thing for an hour carries over into other parts of life.

5. Resilience

Nobody gets a new move right the first time. Dance teaches children that trying, getting it wrong and trying again is normal, and that practice works. It's one of the most useful lessons a child can learn, and it's much easier to learn when you're having fun.

6. Self-expression and a break from screens

Dance is creative. In street dance especially, children are encouraged to bring their own style through freestyle, and that freedom to express themselves is something many children don't get anywhere else. It's also an hour a week fully off screens, moving, laughing and with real people.

Which style of dance should my child try?

It depends on your child.

• Street dance suits children who love music videos, hip hop and showing off their own moves. It's relaxed, energetic and great for freestyle. Read more on our street dance page.
• Cheerleading suits children who love being part of a team, sharp routines and performing with big energy. Find out more in our guide to what cheerleading is.

Lots of our dancers do both. If you're not sure, let them try a class of each.

How quickly will I see a difference?

Most families tell us their child comes out of the very first class buzzing. Fitness and coordination improve over weeks, and the bigger changes, like confidence and friendships, show over a term or two of coming regularly. Consistency matters more than talent: the children who come every week are the ones who grow the most.

Dance classes for kids in Wallsend and North Tyneside

Kanvas Academy teaches street dance and cheerleading to children from four years old at our studio on Churchill Street, Wallsend, a short trip from North Shields, Tynemouth, Whitley Bay and Newcastle. Beginners are welcome in every class.