According to recent research published in npj Science of Learning, there are plenty of reasons to encourage dance and performing arts for middle and high school kids.
The research found that those who participated in at least two semester-length performing arts workshops got higher grades in math and language arts. They also achieved overall improvements in GPA and were more inclined to participate in cultural activities beyond the classroom.
Yet in most schools, dance and performing arts are often treated as merely supplemental – if they’re offered at all. Fortunately, that’s not the case at an arts academy middle school, or high school.
Other Reasons to Encourage Dance and Performing Arts
As mentioned above, research shows a strong link between involvement in performing arts and increased educational achievement. And students gain these educational benefits regardless of their socioeconomic status. Arts-integrated schools have long understood this and know the advantages of learning through drama and dance for students. Along with the educational advantages, there are many wide-reaching benefits to the performing arts and dance as well.
1. Developing Discipline and Confidence
Students immersed in a dance or performing arts curriculum learn the importance of discipline and focus – skills that they’ll carry into their post-academic lives.
When putting on a show, students must be prepared for every aspect of the performance. By working together with other students, they are encouraged to take on leadership roles and help one another to work better as a team. It’s community in action.
In addition, by participating in this supportive classroom and performance environment, they develop self-esteem, poise, discipline, and confidence.
2. Improving Social Skills
Staging a production – whether dramatic or choreographed – requires interaction and cooperation between students. This means that sometimes students will have to work with other students they don’t necessarily click with and find a way to foster communication, teamwork, and trust.
It’s not unusual that when students find common ground through dance and performing arts, they feel a strong sense of belonging both onstage and offstage. This camaraderie and love of being on the stage may even be enough to lessen time in front of the screen as they recognize they’d rather be performers than spectators.
3. Staying Active and Healthy
Dancing increases flexibility and balance while building tremendous muscle strength.
But actors must also develop agility and coordination when embracing a role. As such, many actors also embrace the art of dance to develop body awareness and learn correct posture. These are crucial for all aspects of performance.
Yet, these benefits extend beyond merely performing. The acts and movements teens perform on stage reinforce the foundation for developing a lifelong attitude about maintaining good physical health.
4. Reducing Stress and Encouraging Relaxation
Sure, dancing and performing help to spark a teen’s imagination and nurture creativity. But the sheer joy of sharing physical self-expression in a supportive and structured setting with other teens can also have a positive impact on stress reduction.
In addition, dancing and performing require students to learn the basic elements of relaxing the mind and the body. Students must learn to breathe deeply and release their worries once they engage in movement and performance. As such, when teens are stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious, they can use dance and performance as their release.
Give Your Teen a Chance to Shine
The dance curriculum at Arts Academy in the Woods aligns with what students will experience at the college level – with a focus on technique, performance, and choreography. Dance majors are typically enrolled in several sections of technique and/or repertoire at various levels.
The acting curriculum also stresses the vocabulary of the stage and the importance of learning to perform and make choices on stage. Students learn the physical aspects and management of the stage, and how to be comfortable with all aspects involved in putting on a full production.
Want to find out more? Contact us today to schedule a tour of our school. And you’ll see exactly why we encourage dance and performing arts for our students.