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• Attending a dance class is not just about staying fit, it’s a social networking opportunity and much better than networking online or in front of a computer!

• Children can make new friends in their dance classes and increase social skills through cooperating with others.

• Children will develop bonds of trust and quickly learn a code of courtesy within the class.

• The dance class can also provide a secure and supportive environment where children can explore their feelings and creativity over a common ground - dance. Source: ezinearticles.com

- According to government reports, THREE IN FIVE children under ten years old are predicted to be overweight by 2050. Dance is an excellent all-round way to keep fit and healthy.

- Exercise improve your blood circulation and improve the flow of nutrients to your brain, allowing the brain to function at it's best.

- Every style of dance builds stamina, flexibility, strength and co-ordination.

- Dance helps children develop good posture and a positive attitude to staying fit as it releases that fun, feel-good factor and gives an emotional high.

- Students who study dance score an average 36 and 15 points higher on verbal and math SATs. (College Entrance Examination Board, Student Descriptive Questionnaire)

- Dance can be used to widen a child's vocabulary as they come in contact with new words and ideas.

- Dancing involves using use both sides of your brain: one half for technique and control and the other for creativity and artistry, skills essential in every other subject taught at school. Dance can therefore increase brain productivity and children can increase their attention spans.

- Dance is also a 'subject' which requires discipline and motivation, key skills in lifelong learning.

Source: National Dance Education Organization www.ndeo.org

According to The College Board, in a profile of SAT and Achievement test takers....

“Schools that incorporate music, art, drama, DANCE into the basic curriculum have found that teaching the arts HAS A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON OVERALL SUCCESS IN SCHOOL. Because the arts are closely associated with important ideas and events in history, students who have a good background in the arts are likely to have a richer source of information and insight to draw upon, compared to those who do not study the arts….”

Source: The College Board

Academic Subject Average Years of Study Grade Point Average

Male Female Total Male Female Total

Arts and Music 1.9 2.2 2.0 3.81 3.90 3.86

English 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.29 3.47 3.38

Foreign Languages 2.6 2.7 2.6 3.26 3.47 3.37

Mathematics 3.8 3.7 3.8 3.22 3.22 3.22

Natural Sciences 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.29 3.31 3.30

Social Sciences & History 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.46 3.49 3.48

Total for All Subjects 19.5 19.7 19.5

Mean Grade Point Average: All Students 3.39 3.48 3.44

Academic Record for 2007

Source: The College Board. 2007 College-Bound Seniors: Academic Record

-Children can learn a wide variety of dances from Hispanic, Asian, African, French, Russian, and Indian cultures.

- Exposing kids to the heart of different cultures can break down barriers of bias, confusion, and hate.

- Learning about different cultures makes children more open minded about new ideas, people, and the world around them!

Allen, J.; McNeil, E.; and Schmidt, V. (1992). Cultural awareness for children. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

Source: CEDFA, Smarter through the Arts, NDEO.org

1. National Dance Education Organization, www.ndeo.org2. Texas Dance Educators Association, www.tdea.org3. Center for Educator Development in Fine Arts, www.cedfa.org4. Smarter through the Arts Power Point by the Texas Coalition

for Quality Arts Education5. The College Board