Dancing is a rigorous and demanding sport, especially for kids who are just being introduced to it. Although most child-based dance techniques don’t involve the kind of twisting and turning you see in the more competitive side of the sport, young people still need to be careful in order to avoid injury.
The dance classes at Castle Rock Dance Academy are geared towards kids of all ages who may be more active than their counterparts, but it is still important to know the basics of preparing for a class and what children can do to avoid getting hurt while practicing their moves.
Common Injuries In Dance
Going into a dance session unprepared can cause injuries. The most common injuries for young dancers include:
- Bruises
- Ankle sprains
- Stress fractures in the leg bones
- Wrist sprains
- Finger sprains or fractures
- Muscle soreness
- Back muscle strain
Accidents happen, but proper preparation can help to avoid injury on the training floor. What are some of the things that you as a parent can do to maximize the benefits your child will get from a dance lesson at Castle Rock Dance Academy?
Talk To The Instructor
Become familiar with the instructor who will be teaching your child. Get in-depth information on what their experience is and what kind of training your child will be receiving. If your child has any physical limitations, let the instructor know about them. The more knowledgeable you are about the class and the teacher, the more confident you will be in your child’s health, safety, and enjoyment.
Understand Your Child’s Limits
Knowing how far, both mentally and physically, a child can go with any activity is a good start to setting acceptable limits. Although pushing our kids to do their best is a natural part of parenting, being aware of their limits allows us to set boundaries that keep them safe.
If your child shows any doubt or apprehension about performing a particular dance technique, make sure to talk to them and reassure them that they won’t be pushed to get it right the first time. Let them know that practice can eventually breed success by allowing them to “warm up” to what they’re attempting to do, even when the odds may at first seem insurmountable. Once your child becomes comfortable with the routine, their confidence will climb, and confidence can lead to success.
Just remember: we all have limits, and children are no exception!
Feed Your Child A Balanced Diet
In general, it is obviously important for kids to get a balanced diet, but that’s doubly true when it comes to dance classes. Getting enough healthy protein and carbohydrates before and after any kind of workout will ensure that your child has the stamina necessary to make it through a dance session at Castle Rock Dance Academy.
Avoid junk food and energy bars! All a kid needs to keep up their energy is fruits, vegetables, grains, and healthy meats. Pretty simple, isn’t it?
Make Sure Your Child Is Hydrated
Getting enough water through the day is important enough for any person, but proper hydration is especially relevant when it comes to kids and exercise. Although adults are generally knowledgeable enough when it comes to staying hydrated, a child will often ignore the signs that their body gives them when it is telling them to drink more water.
Always make sure your child has a bottle of water at hand when they are training or dancing, and avoid giving them free access to hydration products like Gatorade due to the amount of sugars and calories these items usually contain. Although Gatorade does have healthy electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium, all of which are important to maintaining proper functionality of nerves, heartbeat, and muscles, getting too much of them can cause adverse reactions in a young person’s body. Just remember that hydration products are good in moderation and you won’t have any problems!
Sign Up Your Child For A Dance Lesson At Castle Rock Dance Academy
Castle Rock Dance Academy of Colorado offers a wide variety of dance lessons throughout the year, aimed at kids of all ages and experience levels. Among the weekly classes we offer:
- Ballet
- Tap
- Lyrical
- Jazz
- Hip Hop
- Musical Theatre
- Modern Dance
- Creative Movement
Contact us now for more information on our classes, schedules, and enrollment policies. We hope to see you and your child soon!