The Importance of Dance in Education

---

Learning, thought, creativity, and intelligence don’t just come from the brain alone, but from the entire body. Movement combinations increase memory, order, and sequencing skills. Creating dances also increases self-esteem which is so very important to learning. We already witness the need for children to move throughout the day. Having experienced first hand the positive effects that music and dance have on students’ development, We feel it is important for dance to be included in all elementary (and secondary) curriculum. It is because of these reasons that I have chosen to incorporate music and dance into every program here at JPS. Also, their repertoire of dance numbers is quite amazing! Some children chose to create their own dances, and this is always a joy to watch. Our hope is that all of our children and young adults never lose their desire to play music and just dance!