As a wise man once said, “if ballet were easy, it would be called football.” While many may laugh at that statement, there are those who strongly believe that dancing is just as gruelling, athletic and physical. Let’s look at the facts.
When someone asks you to name a sport, chances are you’ll automatically say rugby, cricket, football or even swimming.
Dance? Probably not. But popular dance shows such as Strictly Come Dancing, Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance, are throwing the art form – once considered elitist and over shadowed by more mainstream sports – into the spotlight.
The popularity of dancing in the UAE is huge with girls – and increasingly so boys. You just have to look at the number of dance schools and performing arts academies across Dubai and Abu Dhabi to see that.
Lisa Marshall, founder of Diverse Performing Arts School believs that dance is extremely important for children. “Not only is it great fun,” she says, “it also teaches discipline, dedication, hard-work, commitment, team work, confidence and most importantly, self-belief. We always teach our students that we are part of a team, so supporting each other in their respective successes, is very important to us and the students to take away as a life skill.”
Marshall is also a firm believer that the health benefits for children involved in dance are immense.
“From Aerobic and cardiovascular to strength training, dance is a powerhouse of overall health benefits for children,” she says.
But does she think that dance is a sport?
“Absolutely,” she says without hesitation. “Dancers have to train as hard as athletes. We work on strength training and stamina the same as athletes do. The level of ability that dancers are now expected to be able to achieve above and beyond general training such as power jumps, acrobatic tricks, multiple turns and leaps is no mean feat and requires serious and extended training.”
Diverse offers classes in all aspects of perfoming arts including ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary, musical theatre and singing to both boys and girls. And, while there are more girls than boys in the classes at the younger end, they do have lots o boys from ten upwards in the more advanced classes.
There is even a hastag “boysdancetoo” popping up all over social media.
“We have a number of our graduates working professionally in the UK and internationally on tour,” says Marshall with pride. This year we have our first graduate to make it to London’s West End.”
Turns out ex-Diverse superstar, Harrison Wilde, has landed himself a part in hit musical Mama Mia! Impressive stuff.
As well as the physical side, the mental benefits are plentiful too.
“Dance and performing arts help children become more comfortable with their bodies, their minds and inner creativity by allowing them an outlet to express their ideas and emotions. A more positive sense of self overall is always a great thing for children at any age,” explains Marshall.
In addition, performing arts help to build greater confidence for children. The combination of learning to act out different roles both individually and in a team can really give children who may be a little under confident a great boost.
And with three performances each year, Diverse really gives its students a chance to shine.
“Our first show is a full musical held at the QE2 theatre in February for our senior musical theatre students. The second is our junior show, which includes our beginner and younger students, at Swiss International School theatre in March. We do include some of the senior and more advanced level students in this show as well, so that the little children can see what they can achieve if they stick at it and work hard. It’s great inspiration for them! And then we have our main show at Dubai Opera in the summer,” Marshall explains.
So what do you do if you’ve got a little performer who thinks they can dance?
“Bring them to class, “ says Marshall.
“We offer free trials for new students as young as three, and encourage them to try as many different styles of dance as a first trial before committing.”
We’ll meet you at the barr.
Let’s Dance… Why?
It’s a great, fun way of staying fit.
It encourages positive self-esteem and confidence.
It helps children develop better posture and a good understanding of positive body alignment.
It teaches children how to work positively in a team and to be supportive of each other while remaining competitive.
It’s a great creative outlet and release from day to day busy
school pressures.
It helps children with general focus throughout the day, during school as it burns off excess energy allowing a child’s mind to
focus better.
It’s a fantastic way to encourage and develop a child’s creativity and imagination through expressive movement.
