Dance Teachers Are Essential: The Power of Dance in Whole-Child Development

As dance educators, you are doing far more than teaching steps and routines. You are shaping brains, hearts, and bodies in ways that last a lifetime. Dance is a uniquely powerful tool for growth because it integrates movement, music, and social connection, making it a multi-sensory positive experience. Here’s how your role as a teacher fuels development across every dimension of a child’s life.

Brain Development and Dance: A Multi-Sensory Brain Boost

Every time your students dance, they are strengthening their brains.

• Neural Connections: Dance links movement, rhythm, and memory, creating strong neural pathways that support lifelong learning.

• Executive Function & Creativity: From following choreography to improvising, students sharpen planning, flexibility, and creative problem-solving.

• Theory of Mind: Performing and working in groups helps dancers understand perspectives outside their own building empathy through movement.

Dance isn’t just art, it’s cognitive training at its finest.

Character Development and Dance: A Shared Social Experience

The studio is a safe and vibrant space where children build essential character strengths:

• Perseverance: Every plié, pirouette, or leap is practice in trying again and again until mastery comes.

• Bravery: Stepping into the classroom, performing, or learning something new all require courage.

• Self-Regulation: Dance teaches listening, patience, and focus all key life skills.

• Kindness: From taking turns to encouraging peers, dancers learn cooperation and respect.

Your guidance nurtures not just skilled movers, but strong and compassionate human beings.

Physical Development and Dance: Building Strong Bodies

Dance uniquely supports whole-body development, giving children confidence in their physical abilities.

• Flexibility & Balance: Core elements of every class improve posture and agility.

• Muscle Development: Repetition builds strength while keeping movement fun and engaging.

• Body & Spatial Awareness: Dancers learn to move with control and confidence in any environment.

These skills support not only dance but also play and everyday movement.

Why Dance Teachers Are Essential

As a dance teacher, you are so much more than an instructor of steps. You are a brain builder, a character coach, a fitness leader, and a mentor. Each time you lead a class, you’re giving children an experience that supports their cognitive, emotional, and physical growth while sparking joy through the art of dance.

Never underestimate your impact. You are essential.

Help your dancers shine onstage

Even though your preschool dancers will most likely stand in one line onstage, they need to practice getting to that position, and holding their spacing.

Here are some tips for helping them understand how to enter the stage: 

1.  In the studio, have them hold hands and walk to one side of the room.

2. If not too dark, turn off the lights as the stage will be dim when entering.

3. Lead the dancers “onstage” holding the first dancer’s hand and walking them to their position.

4. Have the dancers stop, let go of hands, and find their “starting position.”

5. Turn on the studio lights and say “dancers go!”

6. Most likely they will bunch up into each other the first time they practice this. Make sure to have them do it again so they can practice it the correct way.

Meet Tiffany Henderson 

Tiffany Henderson is an industry leader and dance business expert. Tiffany owns and operates multiple Tiffany's Dance Academy locations in Northern California. Her video-based teacher training system and curriculum, Twinkle Star Dance, is currently implemented in 300+ dance studios worldwide.

Keeping your preschool dancers engaged as you enter Recital Season

Do you have trouble keeping your youngest dancers' attention in class while preparing them for recital? Try these tips for keeping your classes fun and engaging all year round.

1. Add in Seasonal “follow me” dances that can easily be added to your class without taking up too much “recital prep” time. 

In April we add our “Bunny Hop” dances each week to add in Springtime fun. A “follow me” dance is one that can be easily executed just by watching the dance teacher with repetitive phrases and a standard chorus.  

2. Take challenging steps or phrases from the recital dance and add it into other parts of the class. 

For example if the challenging phrase is an Irish tap step, make sure to add that into your tap warm up and at the tap barre for extra practice. This will make more time for adding in the fun seasonal dances that keep your classes magical!

Meet Tiffany Henderson 

Tiffany Henderson is an industry leader and dance business expert. Tiffany owns and operates multiple Tiffany's Dance Academy locations in Northern California. Her video-based teacher training system and curriculum, Twinkle Star Dance, is currently implemented in 300+ dance studios worldwide.

Save $100 on Attendee Fees

Make the vital decision to hit reset this summer in order to benefit your business, yourself, and your entire staff.

Pinnacle is designed to help studio owners build a strong recreational student base by implementing proven systems to streamline their dance studio.

Our inspiring two-day conference benefits studio owners, teachers, and administrators alike in an intimate, retreat conference setting.​

• Experience Fresh Class Content, Curriculum, and Choreography

• Access to Dance Studio Business Strategies and Trends

• Outsource with Proven Systems and Industry Trade Secrets 

• Recharge with Fun, Themed Events

Learn More

Meet Tiffany Henderson 

Tiffany Henderson is an industry leader and dance business expert. Tiffany owns and operates multiple Tiffany's Dance Academy locations in Northern California. Her video-based teacher training system and curriculum, Twinkle Star Dance, is currently implemented in 300+ dance studios worldwide.

TEACHING preschool RECITAL DANCES

Do you struggle to get your littlest dancers to learn and perfect their annual recital dances? Here are some tips on how to make your youngest dancers shine:

Have the dancers sit down in a circle or line and go over just the arms for your recital dance. 

Make sure to match words, or sing the recital dance song as you are going over the arm movements, and have the dancers sing with you.  This will help alleviate any distractions while standing. 

After you ‘Sing the Arms” stand up and add the arms and feet together. 

Remember if they can say it they can do it!

Meet Tiffany Henderson 

Tiffany Henderson is an industry leader and dance business expert. Tiffany owns and operates multiple Tiffany's Dance Academy locations in Northern California. Her video-based teacher training system and curriculum, Twinkle Star Dance, is currently implemented in 300+ dance studios worldwide.