6 ways to nurture the talent of your budding dancer

Dancers are born, not made, it is said. If your child is gifted with this talent you need to hone her skills to help her excel. Any skill, if not nurtured in the right way, can go waste. So, as a parent you need to guide your little one at every step so that she can make the best of her talent and succeed as a dancer. Here are the best ways to do so.  

Watch dance performances together 
In the pre-pandemic world, the best option would be to take your child for live dance programmes in your city every weekend. But under the current scenario, look for virtual ones and watch them together at home. Keep a tab on a reliable and comprehensive event listing pages for latest updates so that the important ones aren’t missed out. Watching dance performances will not only inspire your child, but will also be a learning experience for her.  

Let your child choose her style 
Starting from Bharatanatyam and Kathak to Hip Hop and Ballet, there is a wide range of dance forms to choose from. As a parent your duty is to introduce your child to as many styles as possible. Watching dance shows and doing a thorough online research will help her get acquainted to various dance forms. It will be a good idea to allow your child to experiment with a few options before she zeroes in on one.  

Sign her up for a class 
Once your child finalises on a dance form, enroll her in a dance class. While a physical class may not be an option now, various online options are available for aspiring dancers. However, you need to do a thorough research before choosing a course. Credentials of the trainers, teacher-student ratio in a session and their availability for additional advice as and when required are the few things you need to keep in mind before signing your daughter up for an online dance course.   

Create a dancing corner at home 
No, you don’t need a proper home studio to hone your child’s dancing skills. An unused extra room or a quiet, spacious corner with a lot of fresh air and light should be good enough to start with. However, a mirror and a good sound system are essential for your daughter’s at-home dance corner.    

Motivate your child to maintain consistency 
Regular practice is a must for excelling in anything and dance is no exception. Tenacity and determination are the deciding factors behind your child’s success. Watch her progress carefully and be aware of her strengths and weaknesses. Make sure that temporary failures do not demotivate her. Appreciate her efforts and make her feel that you are and will be proud of her, come what may. This will help your child bounce back and inspire her to keep going. Plan occasional mom-and-daughter dancing sessions. This can be both fun and motivating.  

Encourage her to eat healthy and exercise  
A successful dancer needs to have a lot of stamina and energy. A fit body with flexible muscles, strong bones and a healthy weight can only help her achieve these. In order to maintain her fitness levels, encourage your daughter to eat mindfully and exercise regularly. Her diet should be a balanced mix of protein, carbohydrate and fat. She also needs a lot of vitamins, minerals and calcium. Make sure her menu includes a lot of fruits, vegetables and dairy products and lean meat. While it comes to exercises, stretching is the best option for increasing flexibility, aerobic exercise for stamina and strength training workout for strength.