Can Ballet Inspire Confidence?

There is something enchanting to young children about the world of ballet. The beautiful clothing and ballet shoes worn by characters in stories are very much like those straight out of a fairy tale, harking back to more elegant times. It is no wonder that so many children long to be part of this tradition, it is accessible, unlike the bygone, much romanticized, days portrayed in stories like Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel. Ballet shoes and clothes are often exceptionally finely made, with intricate detailing and quality materials. Many youngsters are often surprised when they find out that their ballet lessons will not require such out fits straight away, and that leotards are much more commonly used! They soon, however, learn to appreciate the practicality of simple garments.

Many parents are aware of the benefits of their children attending dance classes, even if they do not think it is likely that their children will pursue ballet as a career when they get older. Some of these benefits are more obvious than others, such as physical fitness. These days everyone, especially parents, are constantly being reminded that being overweight is very damaging to health. There are numerous attempts being made by schools and other organisations to prevent too many children and young people becoming dangerously overweight or even obese. Parents should certainly be thinking of ways in which to keep their children physically healthy, through a good, balanced diet and exercise. Learning to ballet dance is a good way of taking advantage of a child’s enthusiasm to encourage them to stay fit. One of the best things about dance in general is that there is always progress to be made – dancers increase their capabilities step by step, gaining a sense of achievement each time.

This of course leads to another potential benefit of learning to ballet dance, a psychological one. Confidence can be really important in all sorts of areas of life, in academic surroundings and in work and relationships. Ballet can help children, young people and adults gain more belief in themselves through ongoing improvements in their ability. Over confidence, however, is not such a desirable trait, and is one that is hard to acquire through learning ballet, as it is very difficult to learn, not quick and easy. In short ballet can help lead to a good self image if it is viewed in the right way. There are sometimes negative stereotypes about how ballet performers can look underweight which can discourage parents from allowing children to learn. The truth of the matter is that ballet dancers need high energy levels in order to be able to perform at an optimum level, so being undernourished is definitely not promoted through the dance.

Choosing the first set of ballet shoes and clothes for a child can be an emotional time for the youngster parents alike! It may be the first stepping stone to a way of life, or may be both the first and last time these items are purchased, if ballet doesn’t work out. Many people keep their first ballet shoes, as a reminder of happy times.