Boys love to dance too! – Killing The Social Stigma
One of the biggest misconceptions out there is that dance is just for girls. That’s not true...boys love to dance too! We need to break this outdated stereotype and get more boys dancing! Boys can benefit from dance classes just as much as girls. Exposure to dance and music develops coordination, musicality, rhythm, and creative expression. Dance experience can also really benefit participation in sports. Dancers have flexibility, body awareness, agility, and balance, which are extremely important in athletic activities. Remember...Herschel Walker, a former American professional football player and a mixed martial artist, used to take ballet to improve his balance. All these reasons don’t even account for the simple fact that dance is fun for everyone! Loving music and ‘getting your groove on’ should not be stifled because of an outdated stigma.
Boys should be encouraged to take any type of dance class that they are interested in even if they are the minority in the class. Some boys love ballet...I even know of parents who appreciated the positive calming effect it had on their son’s energy! A lot of boys love tap because of the fun noises and rhythms they get to create. Now-a-days, with hip hop being so popular, boys can really channel their energy into this fun high energy style. I will say that hip hop is the most popular for boys and it is very common for multiple boys to be in the same class. There are many options so try out a few dance classes and see what is the best option for your male dancer.
I see two main reasons for why boys are not in dance classes:
- When a boy comes to try the class, he may be the only one and doesn’t return after that. (Often because of the parent’s feelings and not the boy’s feelings.) If the boy would only stay a little longer, then he would ultimately meet the other boys coming to try the class.
- As boys get older, they begin thinking that dance is uncool for them due to influences from fathers, brothers, or friends. This is unfortunate since dance is fantastic for boys. Especially as these boys become men...what girl doesn’t appreciate a boy who can dance?! ;)
Overall, there are so many positives for boys taking dance classes... as long as they’re growing, learning, and happy!
Brittany White, Dance To EvOLvE Director
www.dancetoevolve.com