The benefits of sports ballroom dancing for children. For new parents

Every parent sooner or later thinks about what to do with their child. Someone gives in music school, someone in art, and someone in dancing. And ballroom dancing is the most popular among parents.

Surely, many of you thought, looking at the couples in beautiful costumes circling in the dance, how easy and beautiful it is. Yes, this spectacle is really mesmerizing, however, it is far from being as simple as it seems. Professional dancers spend many years of their lives honing their skills. At the same time, do not forget that dancing is not only an art, but also a serious sport that requires good physical preparation.

Parents should take a responsible approach to the choice of the type of activity for their child. It is necessary to take into account many factors: firstly, the desire of the child. You should not force your son or daughter to go to dances if the child's soul lies in martial arts or swimming. Second, talent. Perfect option if the child has a sense of rhythm, ear for music and artistry. But even if all this is not there, but there is at least a desire to go and try dancing, you must use this chance. Good teachers are able to make a really good dancer out of even the most incapable student at first glance.

If your child is really serious about ballroom dancing, very good prospects open up for him. First of all, it is a well-developed plasticity, which gives the girls femininity. For boys, ballroom dancing will help to acquire a good physical form. Children with experience public speaking, less than others are subject to the influence of strangers, as a result of which they are not complexed. Professional teachers believe that you need to start studying from the age of six - it is at this age that the greatest potential of the child can be revealed.

Now consider the benefits and harms of ballroom dancing. The advantages of such activities, of course, can be considered the absence of complexes in the child, because the "balniki" are very stress-resistant, relaxed and self-confident. Also, dancing develops physical strength, so these children are much more resilient and active than their peers who do not play sports. Children who are involved in dancing learn to persevere in achieving their goals on their own, because achieving a visible result (for example, winning a dance competition) is the best incentive.
Ballroom dancing is less traumatic than other sports. In addition, dancing, on the contrary, has a positive effect on the health of the child: posture improves, muscles become stronger and more elastic, and the work of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems improves.

Among the disadvantages of ballroom dancing, one can single out a large amount of time that a child must devote to classes in order to achieve really good results. As a result, school performance may decline, which will negatively affect the emotional background of your child. As a result, the general well-being of the child also decreases. A boy forced to perform a double load can quickly get tired of this lifestyle. In addition, children at a young age are quite cruel and a boy can become an object of ridicule. A person who thinks in stereotypes can mock a boy because of dancing, and therefore, one should not particularly listen to his opinion. In such a situation, it is important to support your child, explain what are the advantages and prospects of ballroom dancing, and in no case should you scold the child for any failures in the classroom. After all, the most important thing is that your son or your daughter enjoy classes.

Another disadvantage can be considered rather expensive costumes and shoes for dancing. Parents who send their child to ballroom dancing should be prepared for the costs. Also, after a certain amount of time, a dance couple may break up, and one of the partners will be left without a couple, which is a serious emotional problem for the other partner.

However, you should not be afraid of difficulties; first of all, you need to focus on the success of your children in the classroom.

Olga Petrovich

In the life of any parent, sooner or later there comes a time when it is necessary to make a decision about where the child will be engaged - in the sports section, theater studio or in art school. Are you the parents of a beautiful boy, but a little shy and insecure? Or is your child a girl who dreams of becoming a princess? In this case, you should consider such an option as sports ballroom dancing for children.

Surely everyone, without exception, at least once in their life saw the performance of dancers. Agree that this is a very exciting sight - the flexibility, plasticity, grace of partners cause sincere admiration. But all the stars of ballroom dancing began their journey to the pinnacle of success precisely at a young age, when a ballroom dance school for children opened its doors to them.

Sports ballroom dancing is ideal for young romantic ladies - because they in a wonderful way develop plasticity, teach not only to hear music, but also to feel it. A lot of girls, having watched the performance of couples on TV, are completely delighted with the surroundings surrounding ballroom dancing - music, whirling couples, beautiful dresses. Few of the girls can leave this spectacle indifferent - therefore, almost all of them visit ballroom dance studios with great pleasure.

Boys are most often brought to the ballroom dance studio by mothers who want to grow real all-round developed men from their sons. And this is quite true - not only is ballroom dancing for children a serious physical activity that will help the boy maintain an excellent shape, they also remarkably socialize a person in the future. Believe me, a man who knows how to dance well will feel comfortable in any company.

Dance training also has the most beneficial effect on the overall development of the child, being an excellent means of both physical and moral - moral education. In addition, it wonderfully reveals the entire creative potential child.

In addition, as already mentioned, ballroom dancing helps physical development child - train and strengthen the most different groups muscles, strengthen the cardiovascular and respiratory systems child's body. The child learns to master his body perfectly, to use it to convey his feelings and emotions. In addition, ballroom dancing has a positive effect on the emotional background of the child and teaches him to keep his emotions under control.

Ballroom dancing - to be or not to be?

Ballroom dancing is very, very beautiful. However, before you rush headlong to the nearest ballroom dance studio, you need to determine exactly whether you are ready for your child to study in it. So what needs to be taken into account?

Ballroom dancing is a real art, but at the same time it is also a sport. Yes - yes, sports ballroom dancing is recognized as an official sport, so dancers are not only artists, but also athletes at the same time. And children involved in ballroom dancing develop not only Creative skills and artistry, but also dexterity and endurance.

In addition, in ballroom dancing, as in any other sport, the spirit of competition is very high. That's why he plays enough serious role in shaping the character of the child, teaches him to be purposeful and hardworking, set goals and achieve them - in a word, helps the child grow into a purposeful and strong personality.

Since ballroom dancing is a real sport, like all other types of it, it requires a fairly serious approach. If you want your child to practice ballroom dancing professionally, be prepared for the fact that, as in any other sport, the price of success can only be frequent and lengthy training and the most serious approach and attitude to business, both on the part of the child and and from the parents.

Of course, before deciding to send your child to the ballroom dancing section, you need to know exactly what they are. So, ballroom dancing is divided into two programs:

1. European program. The European program includes such dances as Foxtrot, Slow Waltz, Viennese Waltz, Tango, Quickstep.
2. Latin American Program. The Latin American program is the most incendiary and includes such dances as cha-cha-cha, Rumba, Samba, Jive and Paso Doble.

In addition to these two directions, there is also sports rock and roll - a rather heavy and complex dance, a kind of mixture of the most complex sports exercises with elements of dance movements. In addition, there are also elements of folk ethnic dances.

Why is ballroom dancing recognized as a sport?

Not so long ago, ballroom dancing was considered only one of the directions in art, and today it is recognized as an independent sport. Why did this happen? This fact is explained very, very simply. Ballroom dancing requires dancers to display exactly the same qualities that are inherent in real athletes: dexterity, endurance, dedication, daily hard work, and the like. Below are the main criteria that made it possible to recognize ballroom dancing as an independent sport:

• Physical strength.

In ballroom dancing, there are a huge number of very different complex lifts, similar to those that can be seen in figure skating. By the way, it was from ballroom dancing that many of the main supports used in figure skating were borrowed. And for their successful implementation, remarkable physical strength is often needed.

• Flexibility of the body and coordination of movements.

In order to move freely on the parquet without getting lost when performing dance lines and figures, the partners must have well-developed coordination of movements and flexibility of the body. By the way, these qualities are necessary in most sports, and not just in ballroom dancing.

• Musical ear and sense of rhythm.

Because we are talking about dancing, it is quite natural that both partners should have an ear for music and a sense of tact. Otherwise, they won't be able to interact properly.

• Endurance.

Endurance is very important for dancers. And this is not surprising - all ballroom dancing competitions are held in several stages - from the qualifying round to the final round. And in each round, the performing couple must perform five dances, which last an average of two minutes each. Agree that it is easy to imagine the level of stress on the body of the participants. But the life of dancers is not only performances, it is also regular exhausting hard many hours of training.

• Strict discipline and ability to work in a team.

Ballroom dancing, by the way, is a team sport. Moreover, the team can consist of not only two partners. The largest ballroom dance team consists of 16 people, that is, 8 couples. Judge for yourself what the level of discipline of dancers should be in order to successfully interact with all members of the team at once.

Clothes and shoes for ballroom dancing

When deciding whether or not to have ballroom dancing in your child's life, one cannot ignore such an aspect as financial side question. Ballroom dancing is one of the most expensive sports. And it's not even about the cost of ballroom dancing, although it is not cheap enough. However, the most expensive are the ballroom dance costumes for children.

In addition to the fact that the child needs at least two training suits and a pair of training shoes, they also need performance suits. You can buy training costumes in stores specializing in the sale of dance clothes. However, with costumes for performances, the situation is a little more complicated - they have to be sewn only to order. And this applies to both boys and girls. And the cost of such a suit can vary greatly - starting from several hundred dollars.

And since our article is about children involved in ballroom dancing, parents need to be reminded that the performance costume will last for a maximum of one year. After all, children, unlike adults, grow up very quickly, growing out of expensive costumes.

In addition to all the above nuances, one should not lose sight of such an expense item as trips to competitions. Not only will you have to pay fees, you will also have to pay for travel to the venue, accommodation and meals. And this is also a considerable amount. It is much wiser to assess the financial capabilities of the family in advance than to inform the child later that you have no money. Believe me, this will be a severe disappointment for him and a strong blow to the child's psyche.

At what age to go to the floor?

So, the decision is made and there will still be ballroom dancing. And here another question arises - at what age should a child be sent to a ballroom dancing studio? It is rather difficult to answer it unambiguously. On the one hand, in ballroom dancing, as in any other sport, in order to achieve results, it is necessary to bring a child at the most tender age. And on the other hand, for children who have not reached at least five or six years of age, it is quite difficult to correctly perceive and evaluate the requirements of the coach.

There are ballroom dancing studios that accept children from about three to four years old. However, before you take your baby there, really evaluate his strength. If the baby is not yet able to concentrate his attention, coordinate movements and gets tired quickly, you should not rush things and give him to a ballroom dance studio.

However, in the event that the child is developed enough to perceive the coach's commands, has a good memory, the ability to coordinate his movements well and has an ear for music, you can try and give the baby to dancing. However, experts still say that the optimal age to start ballroom dancing is six years old.

The principle of the coach's work with children

Of course, parents are interested to know how the work with children is carried out in the ballroom dance studio. So, your child has been accepted into the ballroom dance studio - what's next? As a rule, at the beginning of the training, the trainer will Parent meeting, where parents will be announced a list of what their child needs to purchase for further training.

During the first year of classes, children most often dance alone. Children are initiated into the basics of dance secrets. At this stage of training, the task of the trainer is to teach children the basics of rhythm and choreography, as well as basic movements in ballroom dancing. The basics of the main dances are studied - Cha-cha-cha, Slow Waltz, Jive, Quick Step, as well as some auxiliary dances, such as Blues, Polka, Disco.

In the second year of study, when the children are 6-7 years old, the coach puts the children in pairs. In training, children begin to learn to perform the same movements that they learned last year, but already in pairs. It is in the second year of study that children begin to take part in the first ballroom dancing competitions in their lives.

Ballroom dancing competition

In the second year of study, when the children are already placed in pairs and go to their first competition in their lives, they begin their performances in the “Beginners” category. Judges of the competition have a little more leniency towards such kids than towards the rest of the participants - after all, they are not only beginners on the floor, but also the youngest in age.

In the event that the year went well, and a couple of young dancers showed good results, she is awarded dance class"E-4". In this class, children take part in four ballroom dance competitions: Quick Step, Slow Waltz, Jive and Cha-cha-cha. Children's dance couples who have been assigned such a class are already considered full-fledged athletes. They participate in various types competitions, both in class and in open groups at children's competitions in ballroom dancing, in the group Children - 1.

In the event that in the current year at least one of the dancers in a couple turns ten years old, the couple automatically falls into the next age group "Children - 2" in order. In this group, the competition is already much more serious than for kids. Moreover, those couples who, by the time they move to the group Children - 2, have reached class D, which means that children dance not four, but eight dances at the competitions, have a big advantage: 4 dances from the European program - Slow and Viennese Waltz, Tango , and Quick Step, and 4 dances from the Latin American program - Rumba and Jive, Cha-cha-cha, Samba.

Children take part in ballroom dancing competitions in the class Children - 2 only two years old. As soon as one of the partners in a couple turns 12 years old, the couple is automatically transferred to dance group Juniors - 1. In this age group children dance ballroom dancing almost like an adult dance program. And the requirements of the judges for such couples are also very strict - as for adults. In addition, in this age group, the requirements for appearance dancers - to their shoes, costumes and hairstyles.

Of course, far from all the children who come to the ballroom dance studio, Alexander Berezin or Victoria Rudkovskaya will grow up. However, in any case, ballroom dancing lessons for children will not be in vain. The elegance and grace of your son or daughter will allow them to always remain in the spotlight!

Sports, of course, are very important for the proper physical and mental development of the child. Besides, Sport section or the club can become a launching pad for a future champion. Of course, not everyone dreams of a great sports future for their baby, but all parents want to see him healthy, happy and successful. And here a difficult question arises before the family: what kind of sport to choose? In some cases, the answer is found quite quickly if the baby is already showing interest in something specific. And if not, what to do? In many cases, dancing can be an excellent choice. This article will focus on their specific form - ballroom dancing. We will talk about what is needed for ballroom dancing, at what age is it better to start ballroom dancing for children, how to choose the right dance school, clothes and shoes, etc.

Ballroom dancing (more precisely, sports or sports ballroom dancing) includes two programs: "European" and "Latin American". Each of them includes several dances. First: quickstep, foxtrot, slow waltz, Viennese waltz and tango. Second: drive, rumba, cha-cha-cha, paso doble and samba.

According to choreographers, ballroom dancing for children under 6 years old is often too difficult, kids can be given to rhythm or children's choreography. Classes in sports ballroom dancing are best to start at the age of 6-7 years.

Benefits of ballroom dancing

Arguments in favor of dancing include:

• positive impact on the health of the child;
• the baby will become more plastic, learn to control his own body, get rid of "tightness";
• posture improvement;
• habit of discipline;
• dancing ennobles, teaches respect for opposite sex, girls turn into feminine girls, and boys into gallant gentlemen. It is not for nothing that dances and music from time immemorial have been an indispensable part of educational program aristocracy;
• Dancing develops not only the body, but also the soul. Children learn to be more creative, open, perceive the world more subtle;
• any kind of dance increases self-confidence;
• teaching ballroom dancing to children (as well as adults) necessarily includes participation in various competitions, which means that your baby, firstly, will learn to win and lose with dignity, and secondly, will become more independent, because competitions are held in different cities.

Arguments against ballroom dancing

Like any other activity, ballroom dancing has its downsides:

• risk of injury. It is easy to slip in the dance (especially in the wrong shoes), stumble or fall unsuccessfully;
• compulsory participation in competitions often has to be paid for (as well as travel to the city where the competition is held and, if necessary, hotel accommodation);
• high-quality shoes and dance costumes can be quite expensive. Decide whether the family budget can withstand the appearance of such an item of expenditure;
• ballroom dancing is dancing in pairs. And this means that no one has canceled the problem of choosing a partner, and your child will have to learn how to find mutual language with him (her). And it just seems that in children's couples everything is simple, peaceful and no one ever swears, and if he swears, then “not really”, these are children, they quarreled and made up. You will understand the gravity of the situation when you face it in life. Small grievances that accumulate over the years can significantly spoil life.

What to look for when choosing a school?

Choosing a school is an extremely important and responsible decision. After all, whether the trainer can find an approach specifically to your child largely depends on the child’s attitude to classes: someone will happily wait for the next lesson, and someone will trudge to the dance school, like hard labor, just because the parents paid for an annual subscription. So you can't choose a school proximity to home, or to send a child to a certain school just because it is on the way to work. From time to time all schools do "Days open doors”, when you can freely come to the school, talk with coaches and administration, see group classes, clarify all questions of interest (cost, schedule, etc.). Of course, you can go to school and find out everything on any ordinary day, when it is convenient for you.

Of course, the administration and coaches are interested in recruiting students and will try to convince you that their school is the best. To determine if this is true, talk to the parents of several children who have been there for years. Perhaps they will open your eyes to some aspects of the school, and to ballroom dancing in general.

By acting on the body, we not only contribute to the healing of the body itself, but also psychological recovery person.

Wilhelm Reich (psychologist, creator of body-oriented therapy) came to the conclusion that muscle tension and psychological tension- It is the same.

The body contains fears, pain, problems, uncertainty, doubts, suppressions, prohibitions, worries, stresses, all the stresses experienced by a person, psychotraumas, emotional stresses. All this prevents the body from being healthy, beautiful and strong, and psychologically it has a depressing effect on a person.

W. Reich called this phenomenon "muscular shell" and described it as traumatic experiences of the past that remain in the human body in the form of muscle blocks.

In response to stressful situations people develop defensive behavior, which is expressed in chronic tension individual groups muscles - "muscle clamps". There is also a connection between the chronic tone of a particular muscle group and suppressed emotions.

"Muscular clamps", uniting, form a "muscle shell". In the bodily sphere, this leads to mobility restrictions, posture disorders, poor blood circulation, pain (all these are the causes of osteochondrosis, arthrosis, many skin problems, somatic diseases).
kneading, elaborationmuscle clamps renders powerful healing effect for soul and body. After all body changes cause changes in consciousness.

And besides, by itself expression of emotions and feelings- This prevention psychosomatic disorders , that is, bodily ailments caused by certain phenomena of the psyche.

Dance Helps it is safe for the body to unblock muscle tension recorded in the body, disturbances in the flow of energy, suppressed emotions, overcome stress.

Dancing makes us more flexible, strong And hardy.

Dancing improves circulation and protect the heart. Italian researchers have shown that people with heart failure who practice dancing as a form of physical activity, strengthen health, your heart and improvehisbreath. Their quality of life also improves significantly compared to those who exercise on exercise bikes or treadmills.

Dancing helps lose weight And give energy. A study published in The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition found that weekly dancing improves physical fitness and makes people more energetic.

Dancing makes us happier and relieve stress and depression, increase self-esteem help to become more confidentin itself. Depression is becoming an increasingly common problem in teenagers and adults. A study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience has shown that therapies that include dance moves, not only helps to get rid of depression, but also helps fight stress, as it regulates the levels of serotonin and dopamine in the body. Considering that dance is also social action, it helps to get rid of feelings of loneliness and provides many opportunities to meet other people. It's proven that the dance good and warm relationship able to prevent mild depression and make the dancing person more self-confident.

Dance improves memory and makes us more smart. Scientists have found that dancing improve memory and help prevent shrinkage of the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory. Thanks to scientists, the benefits of dance for the mind have been proven. Main quality smart person- This decision making. The perfect way to develop this skill is to engage in a business that requires constantly making decisions quickly (in seconds). In general, the mind and quick wits are well influenced by the study of something new, here we are talking about any new skill. And dancing stimulates your brain, forcing it to come up with new solutions. Difficult studies are best suited for this, as they make it necessary newneural connections.

Dance helps to get rid of what binds, improves health and body, physical skills, reveals individual characteristics and talents, develops femininity and masculinity, helps to better understand yourself and others.

Improving communication and interaction skills. Dance is one of the ways to find language in relationships, not only in dance, but also in life.

During ballroom dancing girls develops a sense of one's true nature femininity, refinement, they learn to trust a partner and consciously follow a man.

men reveal my charisma And masculinity master the technique soft control, which is necessary not only in dance, but also in life.

A definite advantage for men involved in dancing is success among women. As soon as men show the public at least part of their skills and dancing skills in a club or restaurant, it definitely makes an impression and all women are subdued. Even if the restaurants will not the right music and large space, you can adapt to any musical accompaniment and create any movement.

Ballroom dancing man develops harmoniously, How physically, and mentally, emotionally And socially.

Ballroom dancing is music, beauty and movement. This is masculinity and femininity, sensuality, passion and emotions. Dancing is pleasure and inspiration, creativity and joy.

This dance improvisation as an interesting form of leisure and communication. It is an expression of individuality and feelings through music and dance.

BENEFITS OF DANCE FOR CHILDREN

The art of dance is amazing means of education and development little man . It enriches spiritual world helps the child develop as a person.

Unfortunately, modern conditions life does not always help our children grow up healthy. Huge study loads, malnutrition, inability to plan school time, sometimes not very healthy influence of the peer environment and society, lack of understanding of the vital need for healthy development are the causes of the onset and development of childhood diseases.

According to the world's leading pediatricians, the main component of this integrated approach should be regular sports activities child.

Many studies by psychologists have proven that children involved in dancing achieve great things. success learning than their peers and also ahead of them V general development . Already repeatedly in the studies of many well-known pediatricians, the fact was noted that dancing classes can significantly speed up the development process child. People who danced as children are able to achieve great success in life than their non-dancing peers.

Thanks to dancing, the child develops not only physically, but also emotionally And intellectually.

Dancing is one of the best physical practices for a growing body, thanks to which the child opens up, begins to feel your body and applies its plasticity in order to expressions own emotions and feelings.

Dance classes help your child relax and relieve stress study load , give good mood and a sense of self-confidence.

Knowing how to dance helps deal with stress. If we talk about brain activity, dance stimulates both hemispheres of the brain to work. The first one responsible for creative thinking, the second - for logic, create a strict geometry and improvisation of the dance. Dance also develops such brain functions as memory, coordination movement, logical and figurative thinking, etc.

Dance helps to form the initial mathematical and logical representations of the child, trains the skills of orientation in space; develops speech. Dancing helps to develop such qualities as focus, organization And industriousness, improve the moral and moral qualities.

Dance classes teach children look good teaches you to take care of yourself. Thanks to this, the child will be fit and neat all his life, and this is an important factor in communicating with people.

A child through dance begins to look at the world with different eyes, perceives any problems of his children's world much more positive.

All children love to move to music. In the dance babyasserts itself. On the parquet dance studio or at home at the mirror, his inner “I” is actualized. Toddlers remain at the bodily level of development up to 3 years. And the better we work on the body of the child, the more harmonious the psyche he has! Also in adolescents and adults body is foundation of personality. Therefore, if you say to yourself “There is no ability to dance,” then maybe you didn’t get something in your childhood.

It happens that in life the baby experiences negative feelings, receives sharp shouts, inattention. And at the moment of testing negative feelings his body shrinks. Here it is dance, better than others will be able to help in relieve physical blockages and restore emotional balance. And if the child will regularly engage in dancing, then he will be presented with many chances for "psychotherapy".

Dance classes will make your daughter feel real princess in beautiful ball gowns, and the boys during the performances will turn into noble gentlemen.

When young children dance, it is easier for them to find a common language, they are brought together by melodic music, the atmosphere of the dance class and communication with the teacher. Partner dance teach the culture of communication between girls and boys, between athletes different ages. Help the guys improve their social and communication skills- they are studying work in a team they will develop a sense of trust and cooperation.

Dancing for kids is good for mental health children, because they increase self-esteem, develop a sense of confidence and the ability to express emotions. Children's dances liberate - if you have a modest and shy child, training will remove barriers and make him more daring. Dancing is a kind of training that allows you to get rid of a lot of personal complexes, to acquire emancipation, additional self confidence.

Dance lessons develop in children aesthetic feelings, musical ear, the ability to perceive music, they teach to control their body, train motor skills and coordination movements. Ballroom dancing contributes to the development physical strength child, endurance, flexibility, strengthen muscles, improve performance respiratory And cardiovascular systems.

Dancing classes, participation in various competitions develop the child stress resistance, skills adaptation to rapid change modern life, form good habits and internally organized. Being engaged in ballroom dancing, children learn to achieve their goals, but not because “you must”, but because “you will definitely succeed!”, And this is a big difference.

Ballroom dancing is an opportunity replenish portfolio cultural and sporting achievements.

Dancing is also a great way improve your health.

Gradually, dancing brings the body to bodily and spiritual improvement, and this is the main benefit of dancing. Compared to other sports, ballroom dancing has an important advantage - it is less traumatic.

If the baby is poorly developed physically, dancing will not require a miracle from the first lesson, at first they only adapt the body to minor loads, gradually accustom the muscles to regular work, accelerate metabolism, will help develop a breathing pattern.

No other sport corrects the back and promotes healing and alignment. spine.

Dancing effectively strengthens nervous system, work gastrointestinal tract, improve metabolism and the work of the vestibular apparatus, correct the wrong posture people, improve mood, help solve psychological problems.

Ballroom dancing for children is not only a graceful children's sport, but also a fascinating art that can captivate girls and boys.

ballroom dancing is a great alternative to any sport and even more than an alternative, because it is movement, plasticity, and love for music at the same time. Without exaggeration, ballroom dancing for children really enhances comprehensive development child. In order to glide so easily on the parquet, in fact, the child needs remarkable strength and endurance - they develop through a variety of training, intense movement and the constant complication of the elements.
Flexibility and coordination are needed here no less than in rhythmic gymnastics: many movements require a good stretch, and the study of various figures will allow you to learn how to move around the site correctly and correlate your actions with the actions of a partner and other dancers. And of course, dancing is an endless variety of great melodies.
“Getting into the music” is one of the basic requirements even for beginner dancers: children learn to hear the music, feel the rhythm and correlate their movements with it. The movements become more complicated gradually and in parallel the musical fragments become more saturated.

When to start exercising?

3-4 years: early start You can start dancing from an early age.

It is best to start ballroom dancing from the age of 5, but some children already at 3 years old are able to learn well. It all depends on how easy the child perceives information. Imitation abilities are also important - can he repeat the movements after the coach, and then independently. If you are thinking about taking your child to ballroom dancing in early age, pay attention to how active he is in movement and how he listens to music.

A good sign, if the child begins to move himself to the music, gets to the beat. But it's better to show baby professional teacher, and he will determine the degree of readiness of the baby for classes.

5–6 years:

We choose - a dance school or professional sports. From the age of 5, everyone who wants to take classes in sports ballroom dancing, no special training this is not required. At this age, classes are held on average 2 times a week for 60 minutes, the trainer, focusing on the level of the group, can gradually increase the duration. Dmitry Tarasevich argues that “it’s not even talent that matters here, but desire and perseverance - these are serious pursuits, work in which you often have to overpower yourself.”

Features of classes at an early age

At the age of 3-4, even a sufficiently collected child is better to study individually so as not to be distracted by other children.

At an early age, children study 1-2 times a week for 30-40 minutes.
The trainer must have extensive experience working with children. The main difficulty in working with kids is their scattered attention: the coach needs to be able to win the respect and attention of the child, teach him to concentrate and persistently achieve results.
For kids, any children's activities should be in the form of a game. In ballroom dancing, a child’s training is based on constant repetition of movements, so the coach will have to try hard to turn the routine into a game.

And it is also important to develop a sense of rhythm and coordination of movements, which implies not only the correct repetition after the coach, but also the perception of his instructions by ear. Parents should pay attention to ensuring that the child in home games masters spatial concepts (up / down, forward / backward, right / left), as well as body parts (neck, chin, elbows, etc.). Then it will be much easier for the child to perceive the words of the coach: left hand up, right leg back, knee higher, etc.

Where to dance?

Education centers. Many clubs operate on the basis of schools that provide opportunities for additional development of children.

Advantages: no need to take the child anywhere (classes take place directly in the halls of the school); Opportunity to work with classmates.

Fitness and sports clubs, dance studios, art houses

Benefits: the ability to dance "for yourself", not to take part in any official competitions; the ability to create your own class schedule.

Dance and sports clubs(net official clubs Russian Dance Sport Federation)
Advantages: high class coaches; the opportunity to practice both in pairs (competitive dancing) and independently (dance school); participation in the events of the Federation; contests and competitions from the first year of study.

In the dance and sports club there are always 2 areas of development: a dance school and competitive dancing.

School of dance is a school of mass education, here they learn several dances, in which they start with the most simple elements gradually making them more difficult. It is important that you can dance without a partner in a dance school - therefore the ratio of boys and girls in the group is completely unimportant. To switch to new level the guys pass the certification: these are real competitions for which they are seriously preparing. It is the upcoming competitions that discipline and spur them on during classes, when their strength is already running out.

competitive dancing- it's already professional training. Here they compete in pairs, and the pair is selected from the very beginning.
It can be difficult for children to maintain the mutual understanding that is absolutely necessary for a couple to be stable and the time spent “dancing” is not wasted because of petty quarrels.
An individual program is created for each couple, based on physical and psychological characteristics children.

Is it a man's thing?

Understanding why ballroom dancing attracts girls is easy. But if you doubt that dancing is a suitable children's sport for a future man, remember that ballroom dancing used to be obligatory element good education not only for girls, but also for boys. All famous generals and commanders were not only daredevils, riders and well-aimed arrows but also excellent dancers. Yes, and in modern military schools, officers are still taught ballroom dancing.

For the boy in sports dancing many conquests, heights to be reached. In addition, classes are constant serious sports loads, our boys often run and jump in competitions for the whole school. Motivation is different for everyone: someone is fascinated by music, someone - interesting communication and travel, someone's charisma teacher. Much also depends on parents - it is very important how much they are ready to pay attention to their child, because competitive dancing means constant tournaments, training camps, travels.

Despite the fact that ballroom dancing is considered very costly type sports, children's equipment is quite modest.

For girl

Gymnastic leotard for training
- skirt,
- bolero (optional)
- Czechs.
One set per year is enough.

For boy

Black pants,
- White shirt,
- Czechs.

For girl

For competitions, a rating dress is enough, one per year is enough: one-color, up to 11 years old, not only jewelry, but also any combination of fabrics is prohibited.
Shoes - special dance shoes with small heels, also without decorations.
Hairstyle - strictly meets the requirements: a bun strongly fixed with varnish with a simple net, without decorations.
Only from the age of 11 girls can wear a long dress for the European program and a suit for Latina to competitions, from the age of 14 - dresses can be decorated with various jewelry. The cost of such dresses to order.

For boy

Dancing shoes,
- Bow tie or tie.
Custom-made suits are always more expensive.
From 11 years old, a black shirt for Latin is allowed, from 14 years old - a vest for the European program and a separate suit for Latin, from 16 - a tailcoat and also a special suit for Latin.

Ballroom dancing is divided into two programs:
European (standard) - slow waltz, tango, Viennese waltz, slow foxtrot, fast foxtrot (quickstep);
Latin American (Latin) - samba, rumba, paso doble, cha-cha-cha, jive.
Classification by age of the child in groups:
children 0: 7 years and under,
children 1: 8–9 years old,
children 2: 10–11 years old.

Classification by level of training:

H class (“beginner” or hobby class) - only some dances are performed in this class: slow waltz, cha-cha-cha, samba. The set of movements is limited.
E class - performed: slow waltz, Viennese waltz and quickstep in the European program and samba, cha-cha-cha and jive in the Latin American program.
D class - already includes 8 dances, excluding only the slow foxtrot in the European program and the paso doble in the Latin American program.
C class - includes all 10 dances. With this class, a serious career of dancers usually begins.
The higher grades: B, A, S and M are the highest skill class for amateurs.
Dancing for children has always been relevant, and today they are at the peak of dance fashion.

First competition

Competitions - necessary element any sport. If a child takes dancing seriously, then participation in competitions will become an obligatory part of the family schedule.

You can participate in the first competitions by mastering simple options movements of three dances.
Children compete among themselves in their age category.

Participation in competitions earns points by scoring a certain amount of which, the dancer moves to a new level (class). In order to go to next level skill, you need to take part in several competitions, sometimes 10 or even more.

Participation in the competition is paid.

Registration for competitions usually takes place early in the morning, each participant receives a number to dance under.

Usually many dancers take part in competitions at once, and children come out on the floor in groups of 20-30 and perform one or another dance together.

Scores are given by the jury, but children, as a rule, are not told the number of points, but are assigned some place. But 125th place, even out of 500, will only upset the kid, so everyone gets first, second or third place: the first is for those who danced on maximum amount points, and so on. So, according to the results of the competition, there can be several gold medalists, many silver medalists and very, very many bronze medalists.

Diplomas and medals that the participants receive are a huge reason for pride and motivation for further studies.