Born during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century, ballet was later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. Due to its highly technical form of artistic dance coupled with various benefits, more parents have sought ballet classes for kids in the past few decades.
Even though the ballerinas you see on stage or on television make it seem effortless to dance, the art of ballet dancing with its highly formalised set steps and gestures requires precision and discipline. Which is why there are a lot of benefits associated with ballet, physically, mentally, and socially.
Benefits of Learning And Practicing Ballet
1. Total Body Workout
Ballet is a form of physical training, so it is fundamentally a total body workout. The fantastic physical training engages the entire body from head to toe, with each exercise working different muscle groups. Studies consistently show that ballet training is as physically tough as a number of top level sports, so your child will benefit greatly in a sport that is not only physically effective, but also graceful!
2. Enhances Communication Skills
Whenever one sees a ballet being performed, it often tells a meaningful story, and it is not an easy skill to do that without saying anything. In ballet, the sensation of communication through movement is conveyed to the audience, and on top of that, the ballerinas learn to communicate with their fellow dancers while performing ballet too. Learning ballet will help children develop self-expression in a creative and purposeful way.
3. Releases Happy Hormones
As with most sports and physical activities, moving your body can help relieve stress and release happy hormones. The coordination with the music coupled with the focus on the placement of your body during a ballet class can definitely put your kid in a happy place. The energetic physical workout of ballet releases endorphins that boost one’s happy factor during and after a ballet class.
8 Ballet Classes For Kids You Can Find In Singapore
1. Singapore Ballet Academy
Established in 1958, Singapore Ballet Academy is Singapore’s oldest ballet school. Initially it was a merger of the Frances School of Dancing and the Malaya School of Ballet, then two famous ballet schools in Singapore. The Academy focuses on classical ballet technique based on the Royal Academy of Dance Syllabus.
Website: ingaporeballetacademy.com.sg
Facebook: Singapore Ballet Academy
Instagram: @singaporeballetacademy
Address: 51 Waterloo Street, #04-01/02/03, Singapore 187969
Contact Details: +65 6337 9125 / enquiries@sba.com.sg
2. Artiste Quotient
Taking a holistic approach towards dance education, Artiste Quotient is on a mission to nurture the next generation of dancers with integrity and passion. The school strives to ensure that each and every one of its students have opportunities to take part in dance competitions, performances, overseas dance immersion programmes, and scholarship programmes for outstanding students. Offering not just ballet classes for kids, the school also has other dancing programmes including tap dance and modern jazz.
Website: aqdance.com.sg
YouTube: Artiste Quotient – AQ Dance Academy
Address: 154 – 156 East Coast Road, Singapore 428864
Contact Details: +65 6348 2878 / info@aqdance.com.sg
3. Charlotte Marn School of Dance
Established in 2016 by a dedicated ballet instructor, Charlotte Marn School of Dance aims to create a safe, inclusive space for exploring the joy of dance for children of all ages, genders, ethnicities, shapes, and sizes. Adopting the American Ballet Theatre® National Training Curriculum, the ballet classes for kids would comprise of a nine-level program that combines high quality artistic training with the pillars of dancer health and child development.
Website: charlottemarn.com
Address: 1 Coleman Street, #B1-19 The Adelphi, Singapore 179803
Contact Details: +65 90123403 / dance@charlottemarn.com
4. The Dance Place
The Dance Place at Forum, Orchard Road is a dance school offering various dance programmes including ballet classes for kids. Their ballet classes are divided into levels depending on age and ability using the structure of the Paris Opera Ballet School.
Website: thedanceplace.net
Facebook: The Dance Place
Instagram: @thedanceplacesingapore
Address: #08-02 Forum (Office Tower), 583 Orchard Road, Singapore, 238884
Contact Details: +65 6970 5262 / +65 8339 9664 / info@thedanceplace.net
5. The Ballet Academy
The Ballet Academy is an Accredited School under the Royal Academy of Dance. They offer various ballet programmes for children in preparation for RAD grading. Believing that ballet is about developing a powerful character and foundation, they endeavour to support each student in discovering their own voice through the expression of movement.
Website: theballetacademy.com.sg
Facebook: The Ballet Academy
Instagram: @theballetacademy.sg
Thomson Branch Address: 232A Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574363
Sin Ming Branch Address: 8 Sin Ming Road #01-04, Singapore 575628
Contact Details: +65 9785 5989 / thomson@theballetacademy.com.sg
6. City Ballet Academy
City Ballet Academy provides a well-rounded and balanced array of ballet training programmes customised to the unique needs, abilities, and goals of each student. They have the CBA Elite Program which provides accelerated pre-professional training that promotes students to achieve outstanding results at locally and internationally recognised dance competitions. The program has also groomed students to receive full scholarships and entry into international vocational ballet schools across many countries including in Germany and New Zealand.
Website: cityballetacademy.com
Facebook: City Ballet Academy
Instagram: @cityballetacademy
Dhoby Ghaut MRT Branch
Address: 60A Orchard Road, #B1-01/02/03, S238890
Contact Details: +65 8228 0693
Prinsep Branch
Address: 36 Prinsep St, #02-01, S188648
Contact Details: +65 8028 2398
Email: classes@cityballetacademy.com
7. The Ballet School
With seven branches to date, The Ballet School is on a mission to nurture and deliver outstanding articulate classical ballet dancers with its superior superior dance training and programmes. Their aim is to transform passionate students into extraordinary dancers who are versatile, well-rounded, and competent to progress fluidly in a fast-changing environment. The Ballet School offers a wide range of structured training courses designed in levels appropriate to each student.
Website: theballetschool.com.sg
Facebook: The Ballet School
Instagram: @theballetschoolsg
YouTube: The Ballet School Singapore
See here for the full list of branch addresses and contact details.
8. School of Russian Ballet Singapore
Under the leadership of a Russian Prima Ballerina, School of Russian Ballet Singapore was established in 2012 as a unique institution specialising in pre-professional dance education based on the Russian “Vaganova “ professional ballet educational curriculum. The school values high standard dance education with close attention to each individual student to develop full potential and talent in each future dancer.
Website: schoolofrussianballetsingapore.com
Facebook: School of Russian Ballet. Singapore
Instagram: @schoolofrussianballetsingapore
Pandan Valley Branch
Address: No 2, Pandan Valley, #01-205 Acacia Court, Singapore 597626
Contact Details: +65 6466 5363 / +65 9732 8077
Anchorpoint Branch
Address: 370 Alexandra Road, Anchorpoint B1-40, Singapore 159953
Contact Details: +65 6253 0803 / +65 9771 8235
Email: info@schoolofrussianballetsingapore.com
Whether your child practices a workout at the barre or dancing to a routine, ballet will give her an opportunity to move through graceful and exquisite choreography, boosting their confidence.
Enrolling your kid in a ballet class and letting them learn challenging techniques will help them blossom not only in this particular field, but also in any real-life endeavours. More importantly, your kid will have fun putting on a tutu and dancing at a ballet class!