Dance Classes (Ballet, Hip-Hop, Jazz) — What Do They Nurture?
Why this topic is on parents’ minds
Around age 5, the number of friends who start learning dance gradually grows. The glamour of ballet at a recital, videos of kids dancing hip-hop lightly, your own child dancing to the rhythm at the daycare’s performance day—moments come when you suddenly think, “Maybe we should let our child try it too.”
At those times, questions like these come up at home.
- Ballet, hip-hop, jazz—which should we actually choose?
- What age is right to start?
- Is it OK to think “she’s a girl, so ballet” or “for a boy, another lesson rather than dance”?
- Is it true that with ballet, if you don’t start early, it’s too late?
- Monthly fees, costumes, recital costs—realistically, how much does it cost?
- For a lesson that seems hard to keep up, when is it OK to quit?
Research on dance education, motor development, and sports medicine gives gentler answers to these than you might expect. It is not as simple as “if you do dance, ___ will definitely grow,” but each style does have elements that tend to grow. Let’s look at them in order.
What does the research say?
On dance in early childhood and the school years, findings have accumulated from three angles: (1) review studies on dance and psychosocial health, (2) systematic reviews of dance interventions, and (3) medical research on dance injuries (especially early ballet training). We will answer, with research, three questions that moms of 5-year-olds especially worry about.
Question 1: “What” does dance nurture? Does it differ by style?
I think this is the question moms most want to know. Organized from research, it gives a clearer view to think separately about elements that tend to grow in dance in general and elements that tend to grow in particular styles.
A study evaluating the U.K. Dance and Health project, analyzing the psychosocial effects of dance education for young people reported that participation in recreational dance shows a moderate positive effect on self-worth, social connection, and subjective sense of health. What matters is that this effect arises not “because they learned to dance well,” but from “the very fact that a regular place to move the body and to express themselves with peers was secured”.
A systematic review of the effects of recreational dance interventions on the health and well-being of children and young people also organizes findings in the same direction. It concludes that effects such as increased physical activity, improved cardiorespiratory fitness, greater self-efficacy, and development of social skills have been reported repeatedly in multiple studies. However, it also points out that studies with long-term follow-up (into adulthood) and studies directly comparing dance with other sports are limited.
A study surveying participants in modern styles of partnered dance about the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits they perceive is based on the dancers’ own subjective ratings, but it reports a strong sense of improvement in the areas of “concentration,” “emotion regulation,” and “cooperation with others.” It is not a study that applies directly to children’s dance, but it is regarded as one of the findings pointing toward a link between dance and self-regulation.
With that in mind, let’s look at the “elements that tend to grow” for each style, as organized by our editorial team.
The values are an editorial guide to 'how readily things grow.' Because dance styles differ greatly in their features, it is realistic not to lump them together as 'dance in general,' but to choose a style based on your child's interests and your family's values.
Source: Organized by the editorial team with reference to Quin et al. (2015), Burkhardt & Brennan (2012), and Lakes et al. (2016)
To sum up:
- Ballet: a classical dance with more than 300 years of history, in which the “forms” of standing, walking, and posture are systematized. Flexibility, discipline, concentration, and good posture tend to grow, but its character of “fitting yourself to set forms” is strong, and children who value free self-expression may find it confining.
- Hip-hop: a dance of street origin that developed from the 1970s, centered on improvisation, a sense of rhythm, and self-expression. It has a culture that values “groove and being yourself” more than “good or bad,” and it is a style in which self-esteem and expressing individuality tend to grow.
- Jazz: a dance of the musical and theater type that adds show elements on top of ballet basics. Children can experience both technique and expression in good balance, but because the basics are hard before ages 5 to 6, it is a style to start a little later in age.
- Cheer: a group dance in the style of sports cheering, centered on shouting, moving in formations, and cooperation with peers. It suits families who want their child to gain team experience.
- Modern and contemporary: a lineage that moves away from the “forms” of ballet to explore body awareness and creativity. It may suit children who find it hard to fit into set forms.
- Belly dance: few classes have preschool courses, but it is a distinctive style that uses the core through movements of the hips and pelvis.
What to keep in mind is that vague promises such as “dance builds a sense of rhythm,” “they’ll be popular later,” or “it makes girls more feminine” are not well supported by research. What grows is “the movements they did, and the ways of relating they experienced there.” At a ballet class they experience “form”; in hip-hop they experience “groove and freedom.” Choosing with an understanding of that difference is the reasonable way to read the research.
Question 2: At what age should a child start? Is it too late if ballet isn’t started early?
Here is a guide to “ages that are easy to start” for each style.
Ballet: age 4 and up — Preschool classes at many studios start at age 4. This is the “pre-ballet” stage, learning how to stand, how to walk, and the basic positions through play. Full training (wearing pointe shoes) generally starts, as a worldwide guideline, from ages 10 to 11 and later, once the growth of the foot bones has reached a certain stage. “If you don’t start at 4, you can’t become a ballerina” is not accurate; serious training actually begins at a later stage—though it is also true that in the world of aiming to become a professional ballerina, many dancers start in early childhood.
Hip-hop: ages 3 to 4 and up — Because it centers on “groove” and “rhythm” and there is no need to memorize complex positions, it is the easiest style to start earliest. Many studios accept children from ages 3 to 4 in “kids’ dance” classes with elements of eurhythmics.
Jazz: ages 5 to 6 and up — Because it includes basic elements of ballet, some degree of body control is needed. Many studios start from around ages 5 to 6.
Cheer: ages 4 to 5 and up — Because children learn formations and move as a team while shouting, ages 4 to 5, when they become used to group activity, are a good guide for starting.
Modern and contemporary — Few studios have dedicated classes in early childhood. In many cases, it is an option to move on to after learning the basics of ballet or jazz.
As an important research viewpoint here, a 2016 clinical report on early sports specialization in young athletes concludes, for a wide range of sports and physical activities including dance, that “until around age 12, experiencing multiple activities reduces the risks of injury, burnout, and dropping out.” The model “the earlier you start, the better” is not supported by research. Rather, a reasonable line is to position early childhood as a period of “enjoying and experiencing a variety of movements,” and gradually increase the time once the child truly loves that style.
Question 3: The risks of early ballet training — what you should know
Ballet has many participants, but it is also a style in which hard training from an early age has historically been linked with several risks. If you move into a competitive course without knowing this, the family may take on burdens it did not expect, so we lay this out carefully.
An epidemiological study of dance injuries in female dancers ages 8 to 16 reported the patterns of injury in young female dancers. It points out that excessive external rotation of the hip (turnout), forced backbend poses, and improper transition to pointe shoes may put strain on the joints and musculoskeletal system during the growth period. In particular, wearing pointe shoes before bone growth is complete has been linked with a risk of permanent deformity of the feet, and a guideline of “only from ages 10 to 11 and later, and only when there is enough strength and technique” is shared worldwide.
In addition, the world of competitive ballet has historically had a culture that treats “thinness” as a virtue, and its link with eating disorders in adolescence has been debated for many years. Good studios and instructors understand this issue and teach in a direction that balances healthy body development and performance, but depending on the studio culture, the pressure of “get thinner” still remains in some places. When your child moves into a serious course, it is important to always check the studio’s culture.
This is not a story of “so ballet is dangerous.” Within a hobby course, dancing happily once or twice a week for about 1 hour, these risks almost never arise. When three things come together—a good studio, an appropriate pace of progress, and care for the child’s body and mind—ballet is a wonderful lesson that nurtures a beautiful body and spirit. It is realistic to see the risks as points for the whole family to weigh at the stage of deciding “whether to move into a serious course.”
I had vaguely thought, “She’s a girl, so maybe ballet.” But some of her friends have started hip-hop, and I’m torn.
I think that’s a healthy thing to be torn about. Ballet and hip-hop are both “dance,” but the directions they nurture are quite different. In ballet, posture, flexibility, and discipline grow within “forms” systematized over 300 years of history. Hip-hop, on the other hand, originates in street culture from the 1970s on, and centers on a sense of rhythm, improvisation, and self-expression. It’s not about “which is right”; it’s realistic to choose based on which atmosphere your child finds comfortable. If you go to trial classes for both, your child’s reactions might differ in interesting ways.
I heard that with ballet, if you don’t start early, it’s too late. Is even 5 too late?
There’s a bit of a misunderstanding there. If the premise is “aiming to be a professional ballerina,” it is indeed a world where many dancers start at an early stage. But full pointe-shoe training waits for the growth of the foot bones, and the worldwide guideline is ages 10 to 11 and later. If the goal is to dance happily in a hobby course and build flexibility, then not just 5 but even starting in elementary school isn’t late at all. The worry “if you don’t start now, it’ll be too late” is also something studios say in the context of attracting students, so your family doesn’t need to give it too much weight.
If you are actually going to do it, how should you go about it?
Based on research, here are decision points that are easy for families to use.
1. Choosing a style — by your child’s interests and your family’s values
It is realistic to think about choosing a dance style not as “which is superior” but as a match between your child’s interests and your family’s values.
Ballet
Classical Ballet — form and discipline
A classical dance with 300 years of history. Children systematically learn how to stand, how to walk, and the basic positions. Posture, flexibility, concentration, and discipline tend to grow. The glamour of recitals is also a feature. On the other hand, its character of 'fitting yourself to forms' is strong, and it may feel confining for children who want free expression. A serious course requires understanding the risks of early specialization. Hobby courses are easy to start from the middle or last year of kindergarten.
Hip-hop
Hip-Hop — groove and self-expression
A dance of street origin, centered on improvisation, a sense of rhythm, and self-expression. A culture that values 'being yourself' over 'good or bad.' Easy to start from ages 3 to 4. Recitals and costume costs are relatively light. It tends to suit children who 'find it hard to fit into set forms,' 'love music,' or 'want to move freely.' More boys are also taking part.
Jazz, cheer, modern
Other styles — in-between options
Jazz is ballet basics plus show-style expression, from ages 5 to 6. Cheer centers on team cooperation in a group, from ages 4 to 5. Modern explores body awareness away from set forms, and few studios have preschool classes. When 'the strictness of ballet is scary but hip-hop doesn't suit,' these become options. First check whether there are studios in your area.
The direction splits greatly depending on whether your family “wants to nurture graceful posture and discipline” or “wants to nurture free expression and musicality.” Neither is the right answer; choosing based on which atmosphere your child can enjoy is a reasonable line, both from research and for the household budget.
2. Checkpoints for choosing a studio
Even once the style is decided, quality and atmosphere differ a lot from studio to studio. Here are the points we especially want you to look at when you go to a trial class.
- The instructor’s background and personality: for ballet, the company they came from and their competition record; for hip-hop, their activity as a dancer. But more important than background is “how they treat children.” Watching how they respond to a child who is shrinking back and what they say to a child who can’t do something shows you the studio’s approach.
- Make-up lesson system: whether make-up lessons are flexible when your child misses for a fever or other plans. A studio with “no make-up lessons; missed lessons are used up” is a design that is hard for dual-income families to keep up with.
- Recital costs and frequency: ballet recitals are once or twice a year, and with participation fees, costumes, and photos combined, it is not unusual for them to cost ¥50,000 to ¥150,000. Points to check before enrolling are whether you can choose not to take part, and what you need to buy and how much.
- Costumes and accessories: for ballet, a leotard, tights, and ballet shoes; for hip-hop, dance shoes and clothes that are easy to move in. Ballet needs more items and more frequent replacement.
- Lesson length and frequency: for preschool classes, 45 to 60 minutes per lesson is common. Once a week is standard, and many increase to twice a week as their love deepens. A reasonable line is to see 3 or more times a week in early childhood as a choice only when the child strongly wishes it, both from research and for the household budget.
- Whether parents can watch: at studios where you can always watch, it is easier to notice when something happens, and easier to build trust. At studios where “parents wait in another room and watch only on a monitor,” note that it is hard to see what the coach actually says.
3. The reality of monthly fees and recital costs
When you decide to “start dance,” the recital costs are something surprisingly easy to forget financially. If you decide by looking only at monthly fees, you will panic later.
- Monthly fees: ballet ¥8,000 to ¥15,000/month and hip-hop ¥5,000 to ¥10,000/month are common. This is a guide for a once-a-week course.
- Recital costs: for ballet, once or twice a year, with participation fees, costumes, and photos combined, ¥50,000 to ¥150,000 is not unusual. Hip-hop is relatively light, and many studios are around ¥10,000 to ¥30,000.
- Level-up and competition costs: for ballet, there may be extra costs for level-up tests and taking part in competitions.
- Replacing shoes and costumes: during the growth years, sizes need to go up every year. Ballet shoes cost a few thousand yen, and leotards a few thousand yen and up.
Stretching yourself because “it’s an investment in education” makes the pressure to continue wear the family out. “Whether you can keep it up without strain” within the household budget is the most important thing, according to research too.
4. Dance for boys — beyond gender bias
The image “dance = for girls” still remains in Japan, but in reality it is a field where more boys are taking part.
The Junior High School Course of Study for Health and Physical Education has made dance required for both boys and girls since 2012 . Under the current education system, everyone in junior high school, including boys, takes dance. The image that “boys who dance are a minority” no longer matches reality.
Hip-hop in particular is a style in which boys take part actively. Male ballet dancers are also established as professionals worldwide, and many Japanese male dancers belong to the world’s top companies, such as the Royal Ballet and the Bolshoi.
There is no need to rule it out because “our child is a boy, so dance is…” If your child shows interest, including it among the options beyond gender bias is a modern decision.
5. What can be done or supplemented at home
Quite a large part of what children experience in a dance class can also be experienced at home with some ingenuity. These are useful points to know whether or not your child attends a class.
- Sense of rhythm: grows through time spent dancing freely to music, hand games with elements of eurhythmics, and playing with rhythm instruments (tambourine, castanets).
- Flexibility: parent-and-child stretching after the bath, splits and forward bends as a game. Something like “I wonder how far ___ can reach?” is enough.
- Kids’ dance on YouTube: the exercise segments on NHK E-Tele, dance videos for kids, and so on let children experience a variety of movements for free. Even just “copying the dance” builds a sense of rhythm.
- Posture: environmental factors such as the height of chairs and desks, posture while watching screens, and time spent playing outside actually have a bigger effect than any particular dance experience.
- Expression and self-esteem: creating a place to dance and sing freely in front of the family, sharing the fun without judging good or bad. This is a unique role of the family that is hard to replace with a class.
“Because my child doesn’t go to a class, their dance experience is lacking” is not true. If time to enjoy music and movement is secured at home, that in itself is an important foundation.
6. Ease of continuing and when to stop
It is easier for the family to see dance as “a lesson you can quit at any time.” Except for special cases like a competitive ballet course, there is no problem starting at any time or quitting at any time.
- When to start: when your child shows interest. Natural triggers include admiring a recital, a friend starting, or copying something seen on TV.
- When to continue: as long as your child keeps saying “I want to go.” Using “whether your child is enjoying it” as the yardstick, rather than “keeping them at it,” lasts longer.
- When to quit: when “I don’t want to go” continues, when there is something else they want to do, when it no longer fits the daily rhythm, or at milestones such as entering elementary school or junior high school entrance exams. Deciding from the start that “it’s OK to let them quit” and “it’s fine to stop” lets you decide without guilt.
Closing dialogue
Listening to you, I was able to sort out that what grows differs quite a lot by style. I think I’ll go to trial classes for both ballet and hip-hop.
I think that’s the best approach. In the ballet trial, see how your child feels about the atmosphere of “form,” and in hip-hop, how they feel about “freedom and groove.” Even the same child can react differently, and it can surprise you to watch. Quin and colleagues’ U.K. research and Burkhardt & Brennan’s review both show that “taking part in dance has a positive effect on psychosocial health,” but that assumes “the child is enjoying taking part.” Choosing a style your child can enjoy is also the most important thing according to research.
I don’t really feel like having her do it seriously. I’d be happy if she could go once a week and enjoy it.
That level of enthusiasm is the most reasonable line for the age-5 period, according to research. The AAP’s 2016 clinical report and Côté’s developmental model both conclude that “enjoying multiple experiences until around age 12” is good in the long run. Learning the joy of dance in a lesson of about 1 hour once a week, growing a little in posture and flexibility, and gaining experience sharing expression with friends—that alone is enough, and it is time that has meaning according to research. You can think of it not as “nothing much” but as “that’s plenty.”
I’ll make sure to check the recital costs before enrolling.
That’s an important point. Depending on the studio, ballet recitals can cost more than ¥100,000 a year, so if you put “is this an amount we can keep paying without strain” first, you won’t be torn later. If it’s a studio your child enjoys, your family can keep it up without strain, and your child keeps saying “I want to go,” that’s every condition for it being easy to continue. If you choose by style and the quality of the studio, dance can be a wonderful lesson that broadens your child’s world.
Research details
Primary sourcesStudy design: An evaluation study of participants in the U.K. Dance and Health project using mixed methods: self-rating questionnaires plus quantitative and qualitative data
Participants: Young people to adults taking part in recreational dance (on the scale of several hundred participants)
Main results: Regular participation in recreational dance showed a moderate positive effect on self-worth, social connection (social integration), and subjective health (wellbeing). What matters is that the effect arose not “because they learned to dance well,” but from “the very fact that a regular place to move the body and to express themselves with others was secured.” The conclusion is that “the time spent dancing itself contributes to psychosocial health,” more than “what they learned through dance.”
Limitations: It is based mainly on participants’ self-ratings and is not a strict comparison with a control group. It is not long-term follow-up data, so how long the effect lasts is unknown. It is not a study specific to children and covers young people to adults in general, so caution is needed in applying it directly to young children.
Study design: A systematic review of the effects of recreational dance interventions on the health and well-being of children and young people (integrating multiple intervention studies)
Participants: Dance intervention studies of school-age children and young people (mainly ages 5 to 18)
Main results: • Increased physical activity, improved cardiorespiratory fitness, greater self-efficacy, and development of social skills have been reported repeatedly in multiple studies • As “physical activity that comes with enjoyment,” dance may increase the engagement of children who dislike exercise • Psychosocial effects are reported especially often in adolescent girls • Effect sizes are moderate and vary by study
Limitations: The included studies vary in design, type of intervention, and measures, making an integrated estimate of effect size difficult. Almost no studies with long-term follow-up (into adulthood) are included. Studies directly comparing dance with other sports interventions are also limited, and it is not an analysis that isolates “effects unique to dance.”
Study design: A self-rating questionnaire survey of participants in modern styles of partnered dance about the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits they perceive
Participants: Mainly adult participants in partnered dance (N=479)
Main results: • Based on participants’ self-ratings, the sense of improvement was high in the areas of “concentration,” “emotion regulation,” and “cooperation with others” • It suggested that three elements through dance—physical activity, social connection, and artistic expression—contribute to well-being in combination • It is not a study of children’s dance, but it is cited as one of the findings pointing toward dance being linked with “self-regulation”
Limitations: It is self-rating data from adults, so caution is needed in applying it directly to children. It is a cross-sectional survey, not an intervention study, and is not evidence of a causal relationship. With no control group and no intervention, this study cannot say “how participants compare with people who do not dance.”
Study design: The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s commentary on the Course of Study (official guidelines for the curriculum)
Scope: The dance area of Health and Physical Education in Japanese junior high schools
Main results: • In junior high school Health and Physical Education, dance is required for both boys and girls (continuing since it was implemented in 2012) • The dance area consists of three parts: “creative dance,” “folk dance,” and “dance to modern rhythms (such as hip-hop)” • “Enjoying expressing oneself and interacting” and “dancing to the rhythm” are positioned as learning goals • All students, including boys, experience dance systematically over the 3 years of junior high school
Limitations: The Course of Study is the standard for the curriculum, not research evidence itself. How classes are actually carried out differs between schools, and making it required does not mean “sufficient experience for every student.”
Study design: A clinical report by the American Academy of Pediatrics (recommendations of an expert panel based on a systematic review)
Scope: A review of evidence from studies around the world on early sports specialization and intensive training in young athletes (from preschool to adolescence)
Main results: • Until around age 12, taking part in multiple sports reduces the risks of injury, stress, and burnout • In many sports, delaying specialization until late adolescence (around ages 15 to 16) makes it more likely that competitive goals will be achieved • Specializing in a single sport from early childhood is associated with overuse injuries, psychological stress, and dropping out of sport • In early-specialization sports such as gymnastics, figure skating, ballet, and diving, extra attention is needed to overuse injuries during the growth period, eating disorders (especially in girls in aesthetic sports), and burnout
Limitations: The policy statement itself is not new research but recommendations by an expert panel. Note that the best time to begin specializing differs by sport. Differences by culture and region need further study.
Study design: An epidemiological survey of dance injuries in female dancers ages 8 to 16 (cross-sectional study)
Participants: Female dancers in ballet, jazz, and modern styles in Israel (N=1336, ages 8 to 16)
Main results: • The occurrence of injuries in young female dancers was associated with age, training hours, and physical characteristics • It pointed out that excessive external rotation of the hip (turnout), forced backbend poses, and improper transition to pointe shoes may put strain on the joints and musculoskeletal system during the growth period • Injuries tended to increase especially during growth spurts and periods when weekly training hours became longer • Proper technical instruction, gradual training, and rest are important for preventing injuries
Limitations: Because it is a cross-sectional study, it is not evidence of a causal relationship. The data are from one region (Israel), and differences due to culture and teaching culture need further study. Note that injury rates are much lower with the low-frequency training of hobby courses, which is a different context from the subjects of this study.