Circus is known for its many physical and mental health benefits. Now Dance Schools are bringing the magic of circus to their studios with Dance Cirque.
Offering all the wonderful benefits of circus in the familiarity of your favourite studio, Dance Cirque is the newest way to package the Five Fs for kids – Fun, Fitness, Friendship, Focus and Feeling Good.
As parents, we’re always searching for that holy grail of children’s activities – one that presents as fun but is actually a beneficial learning experience in disguise.
It helps if it also builds social skills, meets emotional and developmental needs and keeps our young ones fit and healthy.
Too much to ask? Not anymore.
What is Dance Cirque?
Dance Cirque is an exciting new circus program, designed in consultation with seventh generation French-born circus artist Linda Burger. It combines all the very best of circus from lyra, trapeze and silks to juggling, hula hoops, acrobatics and more.
There are two streams – Little Monkeys for ages 3-5 and Dance Cirque for 6 and above.
Children can work at their own pace to progress through the levels in a non-competitive environment where FUN is the focus above all else.
Who can do it?
Anyone can! That’s the beauty of Dance Cirque.
Kids of all fitness levels and abilities will enjoy this fun and engaging circus program.
Some will excel with coordination activities like juggling while others will be naturally drawn to balance activities or strength activities like silks.
Students have an opportunity to develop their skills in each of these areas, building their confidence in a supportive, non-competitive environment with trained instructors.
What are the benefits?
Just as with any other Circus class there are so many positives to come out of Dance Cirque. We call it the Five Fs of children’s activities.
Dance Cirque is FUN!
No two-ways about it … this is where kids come to be kids and do all the things that come naturally to them in a progressive and controlled environment.
It’s where creativity meets physicality in much the same way as dance and tumbling classes but with a lot more juggling, swinging and general clowning around.
Dance Cirque is great for FITNESS.
Whereas many other physical-based activities can be confronting for children and young people who aren’t naturally drawn to athletic activity, circus is pure fun for all fitness and skill levels.
What’s more, Dance Cirque is cleverly deceiving in its ability to gently build agility, strength, and flexibility through activities like trapeze, silks and acrobatics.
Basically, the kids are too busy having fun to notice their fitness improving.
Dance Cirque is all about making new FRIENDS.
The social benefits of circus are just as important as the acquisition of impressive new brag-worthy skills.
Students are required to work together in teams to support and encourage one another.
As a non-competitive program, Dance Cirque is wonderful for developing social skills and building self-esteem among young people.
This philosophy is in perfect symmetry with Dance 2XS’s approach to all its programs from Dance and Cheerleading to Tumbling.
Dance Cirque is great for FOCUS!
Circus is widely recognised for its ability to get the brain juices flowing with each of its disciplines improving different skills from patience and problem solving to concentration.
It’s also great for other things from spatial awareness to hand-eye co-ordination and balance.
Dance Cirque helps kids to FEEL GOOD.
Did you know that Circus has recently been credited for improving mental health among young people?
A 2019 study (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs41978-019-00036-0) published in the International Journal of the Sociology of Leisure reporting on 23 children undertaking six months of circus training found positive impacts in:
- Mental wellbeing
- Socialisation skills,
- Physical enjoyment,
- Resilience,
- Self-esteem, and
- Stress reduction
Now there’s six very good reasons to encourage young ones to start ‘clowning around’ for improved health and wellbeing.
If your child loves having fun in a non-competitive, supportive environment surrounded by new friends then Dance Cirque is the class you’ve been looking for.
Have any questions about Dance Cirque you’d like answered? Get in touch today.
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Dance 2XS is a Cairns-based dance studio with a focus on fun-based learning. Dance 2XS is among the first studios in Australia to be bringing the magic of Dance Cirque to its studios and is taking enquiries now. Get in touch to register your interest.
McGrath, R., Stevens, K. Forecasting the Social Return on Investment Associated with Children’s Participation in Circus-Arts Training on their Mental Health and Well-Being. Int J Sociol Leis 2, 163–193 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41978-019-00036-0
