Ballet Dancing: Old-Fashioned or Great Way to Prevent Childhood Obesity?

We’re trying to decide if ballet dancing is too old-fashioned or if it’s just a really great way to prevent childhood obesity. Check out our thoughts and tell us what you think!

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My daughter has been doing ballet dancing for 3 years.  I have never done ballet dancing in my life so I why did I sign her up in the first place then? Well because a friend recommended this ballet school and it was only 5 minutes away from home. Back then I was looking for an extracurricular activity besides swimming and since my daughter loved singing and dancing, I figured she would love ballet too! Turns out I was right! My daughter never skipped a ballet lesson (unless she was sick of course). The ballet school turned out to be great: serious instructors, managers! At the end of the year, they hold a ballet show and they work hard for it!

After 3 years of ballet dancing, my daughter still enjoys it! But some of her friends started taking hip hop dancing and I thought it would be a nice change in her extracurricular! You know I don’t want be to this old-fashioned mom!  After all ballet dancing could be considered as old-fashioned but my husband did not agree! He thinks it is a  great activity that teaches grace and discipline! So to help me with my decision, I asked our Facebook fans and as usual they were generous with their advice!

Ballet dancing: Is it too old-fashioned?

Take a look at what our readers had to say about ballet dancing!

  • Sandy pointed out that ballet dancing teaches grace and discipline at the same time while the child has fun. I totally agree with her! My daughter developed those grace movements and I am proud when other parents notice that! As for discipline, it is so true! I sometimes her ballet rehearsals (we are not always allowed to) and I see how hard they work while having fun! The teacher makes sure that each child performs the movements as they have to be!
  • Another reader Nicole pointed that hip hop can be proactive! While I do not totally agree with that, it could entice to proactive movements, especially if the child watches a video of stars performing on stage!

Can Ballet Dancing prevent childhood obesity?

Whether ballet dancing is old-fashioned or not, one thing I can’t deny is how it’s such great exercise for my daughter! A few benefits of ballet dancing to prevent childhood obesity include:

  • Improved flexibility: ballet dancing is a great way to improve your child’s flexibility without sending them off to an intense yoga class! In fact, many of the moves that ballerinas use have been incorporated into fitness programs. Just about everyone knows how to do a plié!
  • Great cardio exercise: in order to really burn calories, kids need to engage in some sort of cardio exercise on a regular basis. Ballet is fantastic because it can be both low-impact and high-impact, depending on the skill level.
  • Improve balance: you may not think that balance has anything to do with preventing childhood obesity, but it does! With improved balance, your child can also engage in other fun fitness activities.

Final word:  Even if my daughter enjoys singing and dancing over young stars songs, she enjoys her ballet rehearsals and works hard for her year-end ballet show! She has fun, learns new dancing skills and at the same develops grace and reinforces discipline! What can I ask more?

What do you think? Is ballet dancing too old-fashioned or is it a great way to prevent childhood obesity? Perhaps a little of both?

 

8 thoughts on “Ballet Dancing: Old-Fashioned or Great Way to Prevent Childhood Obesity?”

  1. Ballet will never be old fashioned. It’s an intense sport that requires alot of skill and practice. It’s a wonderful beautiful activity for anyone. :)

  2. I do not think ballet is old-fashioned at all. I think ballet is a great extracurricular activities. My daughters used to go to ballet until it closed down. Now they are into gymnastics, but every now and then one of them asks when can she go back to ballet. I just haven’t found another ballet studio I liked.

  3. A lot of people don’t realize how athletic ballet is! I have a friend who teaches it, and for someone so small and graceful, she is *ripped!* Unfortunately, yes – she did struggle at one point with an eating disorder. It is unfortunately rampant if you want to advance in the dance world because there is such an emphasis on thinness. Thankfully she came out of it!! But I don’t think ballet is to blame – I hope to have my daughter do a few years so that she can develop those deep muscles (the pilates muscles) and learn balance, but I’ll yank her in a heartbeat if I think the environment is toxic!

  4. I think ballet is beautiful. My daughter did it for a couple years and has friends who dance fairly seriously. It is good exercise. However there is a HUGE rate of eating disorders amongst dancers. To be a serious dancer you have to be thin and not all of them go about it in a healthy way.

    1. I agree with the eating disorders and it is so sad! I remember I read a book when I was a teen about a ballet dancer and it made me feel sick!

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