The Emotional, Cognitive, and Academic Benefits of Childhood Dance

We already know that dance education provides both children and adults with great exercise, a healthy hobby, and beneficial social structure. That's enough to celebrate on its own, but those positives are just the beginning -- science has demonstrated that our little ones are reaping cognitive, emotional, and academic gains from their time spent in motion.

Look at the visualization from Muddy Smiles below which shows the impact dance can have on kids. It's nothing short of remarkable.  All the more reason why it's important to enroll your kids in our program and get their bodies moving with friends in our summer classes and camps.

A few of our favorites: 
Higher GPA: A study of a sizable group of ethnically diverse students which tracked academic and extracurricular behaviors from preschool to middle school revealed that those who participated in dance education during middle school had a higher GPA than non-participant counterparts. [1] 
Improved social ability: A review of a preschool group's participation in a two-month dance and creative movement program determined that students who participated in the program showed significant social gains compared to peers that didn't participate. [2] 
Better self-discipline: One assessment of young women and teens participating in frequent dance education noted that 92% of participants self-reported gains to self-discipline as a result of their participation in dance classes. [3] 

On another note:
People of all ages will be celebrating the art of dance on April 29th, which will mark the 39th annual International Art Day. The festival commemorates the birth of the father of modern ballet, Jean-Georges Noverre, and a city of celebration and gala ambassador are chosen to lead the event's festivities each year. As is the case with many events, 2020 and 2021's celebrations will eschew physical participation in favor of online streaming, with both dance performances and keynote speakers featured on the ITI website during and after the event.

Interested in watching this year's International Dance Day performances? Head over to the ITI website during or after the event for streaming footage. We hope to see you there.