In the life of any parent, sooner or later comesthe time when it is necessary to decide on where the child will be engaged - in the sports section, in the theater studio or in the 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 dances for children. For sure, all without exception, at least once in my life saw the performance of the dancers. Agree that this is a very exciting spectacle - the flexibility, plasticity, gracefulness of partners cause sincere admiration. But all the stars of ballroom dancing started their way to the top of success at a young age, when the school of ballroom dancing for children opened the doors for them. Sports ballroom dances are ideal for young romantic people - after all, they develop plasticity in a wonderful way, they learn not only to hear music, but also to feel it. Very many girls, after watching the performance of couples on TV, come to full delight from the entourage surrounding ballroom dancing - music, spinning couples, beautiful dresses. Few of the girls this spectacle can leave indifferent - so almost all of them with great pleasure visit the studio of ballroom dancing. Boys, most often in the studio of ballroom dance, are the mothers who want to grow out of the sons of these comprehensively developed men. And this is quite true - in addition to the fact that ballroom dancing for children is a serious physical exercise that will help the boy to maintain an excellent form, they still remarkably socialize the person in the future. Believe me, a man who knows how to dance well will feel comfortable in any company. On the overall development of the child, dance training also has the most beneficial effect, being an excellent tool for both physical and moral - moral education. In addition, he beautifully reveals the entire creative potential of the child. In addition, as already mentioned, ballroom dances help the child's physical development - train and strengthen a variety of muscle groups, strengthen the cardiovascular and respiratory systems of the child's body. The child learns to perfectly master his body, use it to convey his feelings and emotions. In addition, ballroom dancing favorably influences 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 rushing headlong into the nearest ballroom dance studio, you need to determine exactly whether you are ready for your child to be engaged in it. So, what is necessary to take into account? Ballroom dancing is a real art, but at the same time it is also a sport. Yes, yes, sports ballroom dances are recognized as an official sport, so dancers are not only artists, but also athletes at the same time. And the children involved in ballroom dancing develop not only creative abilities and artistry, but also dexterity and endurance. In addition, in ballroom dancing, as in any other sport, the spirit of competition is very large. That's why he plays a rather serious role in shaping the character of the child, teaches him to be single-minded and hardworking, to set goals and achieve them - in a word, helps the child grow up as a single-minded and strong person. Since ballroom dancing is a real sport, like all its other kinds, it requires a fairly serious approach. If you want your child to practice ballroom dancing professionally, be prepared for the fact that like in any other sport, only frequent and lengthy trainings and the most serious approach and attitude to the case can be a success, both on the part of the child and and from the parents. Of course, before you decide to give the child to practice in the ballroom dance section, you need to know exactly what they are. So, ballroom dances are divided into two programs:
In addition to these two areas, there is alsosports rock'n'roll - quite a heavy and complex dance, a peculiar 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 a sport?
Not so long ago ballroom dances were considered onlyone of the trends in art, and nowadays it is recognized as an independent sport. Why did this happen? This fact is explained very, very simply. Classes in ballroom dances require the dancers to exhibit exactly the same qualities as are inherent in real athletes: agility, endurance, dedication, daily hard work and the like. Below are the main criteria that allowed to recognize ballroom dancing as an independent sport:
- Physical strength.
In ballroom dancing there is a huge amounta variety of complex supports, like those that can be seen in figure skating. Incidentally, it was from ballroom dancing that many of the basic support used in figure skating were borrowed. And for their successful performance, you often need a remarkable physical strength.
- Flexibility of the body and coordination of movements.
In order to move freely on the floor, notstraying in the performance of dancing lines and figures, the partners must have a well-developed coordination of movements and flexibility of the body. By the way, these qualities are necessary in most sports, not just in ballroom dancing.
- Musical hearing and a sense of rhythm.
Since it is a question of dancing, it is only natural that both partners should have a musical ear and a sense of tact. Otherwise, they will not be able to interact properly.
- Endurance.
Stamina is very important for dancers. And it's no wonder - all competitions in ballroom dancing are held in several stages - from the qualifying round and 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 burden on the body of participants. But the life of dancers is not only performances, it's also regular exhausting heavy hours of training.
- Strict discipline and ability to work in a team.
Ballroom dancing, by the way, is a team dancesport. And the team can consist not only of two partners. The largest team of ballroom dances consists of 16 people, that is, 8 pairs. Judge for yourself, what should be the level of discipline of dancers, in order to successfully interact with all members of the team at once. 
Clothes and shoes for ballroom dancing
Deciding whether to be or not to be a balldances in the life of your child, you can not take into account such an aspect as the financial side of the issue. Ballroom dancing is one of the most expensive sports. And it's not even in the cost of teaching ballroom dancing, although it is not cheap enough. However, the most expensive - costumes for ballroom dances for children. In addition to the fact that the child needs at least two training suits and a pair of training shoes, the costumes for the performance are also needed. You can buy training suits in shops that specialize in selling clothes for dancing. However, with costumes for performance, things are a bit 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 very much - from a few hundred dollars. And since in this article we are talking about children who are engaged in ballroom dancing, we need to remind parents that the costume for performances will last for a maximum of one year. After all, children, unlike adults, grow very quickly, growing out of costly costumes. In addition to all the above nuances, one should not lose sight of such an item of expenditure as a trip to the competition. Not only do you have to pay fees, you also have to pay for the road to the venue, accommodation and meals. And this is also a considerable amount. It is much more reasonable to assess the financial capabilities of the family in advance than to inform the child that you have no money. Believe me, this will be a cruel disappointment for him and a strong blow to the child's psyche.
At what age do you go out on the floor?
So, the decision is accepted and ballroom dances neverthelessbe. And then another question arises - at what age is it worth giving the child to the ballroom dance studio? It is difficult to answer it unequivocally. On the one hand, in ballroom dancing, as in any other sport, in order to achieve results, it is necessary to bring the child at the tenderest age. And on the other hand, children who have not reached at least five - six years of age, it is difficult to correctly perceive and assess the requirements of the coach. There are ballroom dance studios that accept children from about three to four years old. However, before you take your baby there, really appreciate his strength. If the crumb is not yet able to concentrate his attention, coordinate movements and quickly becomes tired, do not rush things and give it to the ballroom dance studio. However, if the child is sufficiently developed to perceive the commands of the coach, has a good memory, the ability to coordinate well his movements and has a musical ear, you can try and give the crumbs to the dances. However, experts still say that the optimal age for starting ballroom dancing is six years.
The principle of the coach with children
Of course, parents are interested in knowing whichway in the studio of ballroom dances work is done with children. So, your child is accepted into the ballroom dance studio - what next? As a rule, at the beginning of the training the trainer will hold a parent meeting at which parents will be announced a list of what to buy the child for further training. During the first year of classes, children usually dance one by one. Children are dedicated to the basics of dancing secrets. At this stage of training, the coach's task is to teach children the basics of rhythm and choreography, as well as basic movements in ballroom dancing. The basics of the main dances - Cha-cha-cha, Slow Waltz, Jive, Quickstep, as well as some auxiliary dances such as Blues, Polka, Disco are being studied. In the second year of training, when the children are 6 to 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 in pairs. It is in the second year of schooling that children begin participating in the first ever ballroom dance competition.
Competition in ballroom dancing
In the second year of education, when children are alreadyarranged in pairs and go to their first ever competitions, they start their performances in the category "Beginners". To the similar children the judges of competitions render a little more indulgence, than to other participants - after all they not only beginners on a parquet, but also on the age is younger all. In the event that the year passed well, and a pair of young dancers showed good results, she is assigned a dance class "E -4". In this class, children take part in competitions in four ballroom dances: Quickst Step, Slow Waltz, Jive and Cha-cha-cha. Children's dancing couples who are given this class are already considered to be full-fledged athletes. They participate in different kinds of competitions, both in class and in open groups at children's competitions in ballroom dancing, in group Children - 1. In the event that this year at least one of the dancers in the couple turns ten years old, the couple automatically falls into the next age group "Children - 2". In this group, the competition is much more serious than that of the kids. Moreover, those couples who by the time of transition to the group Children 2 reached the class D, which means that the children in the competitions do not dance four but eight dances: 4 dances from the European program - Slow and Vienna Waltz, Tango , and Quickie Step, and 4 dances from the Latin American program - Rumba and Jive, Cha Cha Cha, Samba. Children take part in competitions in ballroom dances in the class Children - 2 only two years. As soon as one of the partners in the couple turns 12 years old, the couple automatically transferred to the Junior group - 1. In this age group, children dance ballroom dances almost in the adult dance program. And the judges' demands for such couples are also very strict - as for adults. In addition, in this age group, the requirements for the appearance of dancers change radically - to their shoes, suits 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, the lessons of ballroom dancing for children will not pass in vain. The grace and grace of your son or daughter will let them always stay in the spotlight! We advise you to read:
