Mental Health and Dance

I love dance!  Which I’m sure comes as no surprise to hear seeing as it’s the nature of our business at JumpStart.  I love it because it’s always been a hobby of mine. I’m also aware of the contribution it makes to my own mental health: it makes me feel good and I forget about the stresses and pressures I’m under being a parent and running my own business.

Discussing Mental Health is just as important for children as it is for adults. A research made by MQ, a Mental Health Research Charity found that 75% of those with a mental health condition began developing it before the age of 18. The charity also found that 3 children in every class have a diagnosable mental health condition.

There has been extensive research into the benefits of dance on mental health over the years. Encouraging children to participate in physical activity is vital as it really benefits their mental health, as well as getting the exercise they need for a healthy lifestyle too. An article from the BBC identified that “dance and movement are known to have physical and psychological benefits for those with mental illness”.

Today we’re going to share with you 5 Reasons that Dance is good for Children’s Mental Health.

1. Dance reduces anxiety and depression. The activity gives us a feel good endorphins and improves our mood.
2. Dance is a fantastic outlet for a young person’s imagination and emotion. Having an outlet enables the child to explore emotions they may not be able to articulate otherwise.
3. Dance encourages communication in a variety of different ways. This not only boosts the ability to have conversation but also builds confidence, trust and social relationships. All of which are beneficial for a child’s development.
4. Dance also encourages non verbal communication which is just as important. It’s relatively simple to express emotions such as ‘happy’ and ‘sad’ without words, dance helps a child express more complex emotions physically. Dance can also help for children to understand another’s emotions.
5. Dance is a great way of getting away from watching TV and playing computer games. Participating in activity such as dance is a welcome and fun distraction!

Between 14-20 May will be Mental Health Awareness Week. A week to encourage people to talk more about Mental Health and this year’s focus is on stress and questions: are we coping? Around May will also be time that the Year 6s in schools across the UK will undertake their SATs exams. It’s a difficult time for young people and this is why at Jumpstart we’re providing Pre-Exam and Post-Exam Dance activities to take place at your school.

Are you interested in booking us in your school?

We are running 2 half day workshops for year 6s:

Pre-exam de-stress event

• A calming dance experience to chill out your class
• Fun activities to release stress
• Helpful movements to focus children in preparation for SATs
• £157 for a half day

Post-exam dance party event

• A high energy dance celebration
• Unite your year group
• Dance off the stress of SATs
• Choose from a range of styles, including Street Dance and Musical Theatre
• £157 for a half day

Contact the JumpStart Team by emailing [email protected] or call 07738042089