The Stories of Professional Dancers and How They Can Inspire Your Kids
Something that every kid looks for when they grow up is an inspirational figure. This inspirational figure could be a star athlete who inspires your kid to play sports, a movie star who inspires them to get into acting, or a famous race car driver who inspires your kid to seek the thrill of one of the most dangerous activities in the world. No matter who it is, something kids greatly benefit from in their younger years is having that figure to lead them to understanding what it is they love to do. We believe that dance can provide the inspiration they are looking for. In this blog, we will run through several stories of professional dancers and how they can inspire your kids to dance and become like them in the future.
Why Kids Need Inspirational Figures
The first question that might start creeping its way into some kids’ minds when they see an inspirational figure is “What do I want to be when I grow up?”. Depending on the role model that a kid identifies with and what they do as a profession, it can mean a lot for your kid to prepare very early for their role in society. A role that can either be important with a job that saves people, or one that only entertains them, like how dance entertains millions around the world.
The identity and values that a kid adopts from these role model figures are exactly what all kids should be looking for, and we think that dance is one of those areas in life that produces the best of it. It helps kids with observational learning, helps to build connections, and offers physical activity, which is a combination of all the best things that a kid can have when they are young. Seeing a professional dancer promote all of that is perfect!
The Story of Misty Copeland
Misty Copeland is a world-renowned American ballet dancer. One of her biggest achievements that can be great for inspiration in some kids is that she became the first African American female principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT). She started her dance life in ballet at the age of 13, which many dancers might consider to be late in a kid’s life to start the dance form, but Misty kept pushing herself to break out, and she managed to have a good career up until recently, when she retired.
Her story is an inspiration for kids to realize that it’s never too late in life to try something or become good at an activity they may not have considered originally. Especially considering that her early life as a kid was plagued with family poverty, and while that might not be relatable to everyone, it’s relatable to people in the sense that it’s an inspiring story. That’s what makes kids look up to people! Misty fits what people would consider a role model figure, not just cause of her family life, but then how dance shaped her to become this big figure in life.
Best of Misty Copeland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUDQYx-SXTw
The Story of Fred Astaire
The story of Fred Astaire is one that finds itself depicted through one word… difficulty! If you ever need a more perfect representation of a professional and well-known dancer who defined what it means to make dancing look easy, it’s him. The reason we bring up Fred is that he’s the inspiration someone new to dancing needs to understand that it can be a lot easier than it looks.
Fred was a mixed bag of multiple different dance styles, with three in particular: tap, ballroom, and ballet. His movements and complex choreography made him a marvel to witness and had people at the time stunned as to how he was able to do so well with such difficult-looking movements. In essence, Fred wanted his style of dancing to look hard, but be attainable by anyone if they tried it.
He’s the pinnacle of true inspiration through the eyes of teaching observational learning. If a kid wanted to test their strength and be put into a situation they could find daunting, Fred’s dancing is how you get to that point.
Begin the beguine – Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY2Dk1fpPPo
What Dansations Wants For Your Kids
Because of this breakdown of multiple different dancing inspirations, we want to let you know what Dansations can do for your kids that aligns with having those inspirations. On our website, we make it clear that “our goal is to provide a professional atmosphere where all children can have fun”. You can’t take what is said in this blog with utmost importance unless you factor in the one thing that makes it all work, which is to have fun.
If you’re having fun dancing, everything else will come more naturally in time, especially if you want to treat dance as a hobby to do in your off-time. Inspirational figures like Misty Copeland and Fred Astaire offer a more nuanced approach to it if you want to do it professionally. Still, you never truly know if that’s your calling until you try it, and if you’re having fun doing it.